This wasn’t so much a fight, just Robinson pushing Watson and then stumbling into the scorer’s table. In calling double technicals, (which are terrible and should be gotten rid of) the refs punished Watson for getting pushed, which makes zero sense.

Anyways, not much to see here.

(Thanks to @SBNationNBA for the .gif)

Tonight however, a the singer standing at mid-court was none other than the Nets’ own Jerry Stackhouse. By no means a professional, Stackhouse gave a pretty good rendition.

It was pretty cool to see Stackhouse get out there and sing our Anthem. Good for him to feel both patriotic enough to want to sing the anthem and brave enough to actually do it.

Check out the video below.

Brooklyn Nets Breakdown

Biggest Strength:  Star Power

Of course, I’m referring to 2013 All-Star Center Brook Lopez and usually-a-perennial-All-Star Deron Williams.  After a difficult first half of the season, D-Will has returned to becoming one of the league’s elite point guards that we have grown accustomed to seeing. Meanwhile, Lopez has propelled himself into one of the league’s best big men, doing his best to back up Shaq’s labeling of him as the league’s best center.  Joakim Noah is very well equipped defensively to contain Lopez, but the Bulls should not have an answer for D-Will at his best.  Kirk Hinrich is a decent defender at the point, but the Bulls will be at D-Will’s mercy whenever Hinrich’s backup, 5’7” Nate Robinson, is defending him.  I suspect that the Bulls will put either Luol Deng or at times, Jimmy Butler, in the game to try to contain Williams.  Nevertheless, I see a huge series coming from D-Will – especially in a year he has been downgraded from elite stardom status in the eyes of many.

Biggest Weakness:  Outside Shooting

Despite having one of the best scoring backcourts in the NBA in Williams and Joe Johnson, the Nets’ offensive attack is relatively limited by their lack of perimeter shooters.  C.J. Watson and Marshon Brooks can occasionally get hot, but the rest of the team is full of mediocre shooters.  As a result, it is difficult for the team to spread the floor and give Lopez enough room to operate in the paint.  In order to compensate, Williams and Johnson will have to heat up from the outside for the Nets to steal four games from a tough defensive squad like Chicago.

X-Factor: Reggie Evans

Evans is going to be a huge key for Brooklyn.  Can he sustain the rebounding magic he has done all year?  If so, he can give the Nets as much of a boost as he provided the Clippers in last year’s playoffs vs. Memphis’s big team.   With the likes of Noah and Carlos Boozer patrolling the paint, they will need Evans to be heavily active on the glass.  Evans, along with Humphries, has helped the Nets become one of the league’s best rebounding teams – ranking 2^nd in the league in Rebound Rate.

Chicago Bulls Breakdown

Biggest Strength: Low Post Defense

Chicago is one of the toughest teams to score on in the paint – not just because of pure defensive skill, but toughness as well.  At all times on the floor, you will see some combination of Noah, Boozer, and Taj Gibson.  Boozer is not a great one-on-one defender, but Noah is one of the best off-the-ball defenders that has been great at weak side help all season long.  Also, Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler will do their best to contain perimeter penetration, and make the lives of the frontcourt defenders easier.  If D-Will is going to make several trips to the hoop, he is going to take a serious beating along with them.  Just ask LeBron.

Biggest Weakness: Scoring

We all know that the Bulls are a great defensive team under Tom Thibodeau’s legendary defensive schemes.  But do they have enough home run hitters?  With Rip Hamilton being gimpy all season long, Luol Deng is going to have to carry a huge offensive load for this team.  They will also have to rely on Nate Robinson giving them a spark off the bench, something he is well capable of doing on any given night.  But over the course of a seven game series, it’s going to be tough for the Bulls to score consistently.

X-Factor:  Derrick Rose

Easily, D-Rose’s presence on the court – even if only a few minutes – could propel the Bulls past the first round.  The elephant in the room all season long has been when he would be ready to play.  I think he will only feel the need to return if his team needs a lift, a scenario that I think is extremely likely.  Keeping him out of the regular season is one thing, but I think he won’t be able to help himself if he thinks his team needs him in the playoffs.

Prediction:  Bulls in 7

Last year vs. the 76ers, Rose was in the Bulls lineup and, prior to his disastrous ACL injury, not one soul thought they would get upset by Philadelphia.  This year, they are prepared to move forward without him, and Tom Thibodeau has strategized accordingly.  However, I do predict that Rose will return for the Bulls’ first home game to give his team, and the city of Chicago, an inspirational lift.  He most likely won’t produce All-Star caliber numbers that we’ve seen in the past, but his presence alone can will his team to a first round victory.

This will be a very evenly matched series.  Both teams are capable of scoring in transition and in the half court – most conspicuously in the latter (both teams rank in the bottom 5 in Pace Factor).  The Nets’ first playoff season as a Brooklyn franchise should be entertaining, but Chicago will be a tough out for them – especially if Rose comes back.

Feb 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Recording artists Jay-Z (left) and Beyonce in attendance in the first quarter of the 2013 NBA all star game at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a public service announcement, sponsored by Fansided.com and the good folks at Saving The Skyhook… ‘Fellow Americans, it is with the utmost pride and sincerity that I present this article, as a living testament and recollection of history in the making during our generation.’”

Those are the lyrics to Jay-Z’s Public Service Announcement with a little variation on my end. You might be wondering why I would begin this post with song lyrics but on a day like today it’s appropriate.

According to a report from ESPN’s Darren Rovell, rapper/entrepreneur Jay-Z will be starting his own sports representation agency. The agency will be known as Roc Nation Sports and Rovell notes that New York Yankees second baseman, Robinson Cano, is first in line to be represented.

Apparently being one of the best rappers of all time, having a share in the Brooklyn Nets franchise, aiding in the production of NBA 2k13, and being married to Beyonce (whom he has a child with) isn’t enough for Mr. Carter. Then again, when you have the kind of money those two do, you have to find something to do with it.

While the first to be represented is a baseball player, it would be almost laughable to assume that guys throughout the NBA won’t want in on this. I’m assuming that the most obvious players to show interest will be his own but it won’t stop there. Jay-Z has formed friendships with numerous players throughout the league (i.e. Lebron James, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, etc.) and he, without a doubt, has access to 99.9% of all NBA athletes. With that in mind, I’m predicting that within the next one to three years there will be at least one player from each NBA franchise that is affiliated with RNS.

Personally I think it’s great that a world renowned celebrity has become somewhat of a symbol for the NBA. He is responsible for bringing the Nets to Brooklyn and the team has realized success in one of New York’s most popular burrows. As far as Roc Nation Sports is concerned, it’s pretty safe to say that this firm will be highly successful, especially when you consider the interest Cano has on the first day of it’s existence. Jay-Z has taken the NBA by storm and he’s done nothing but positive things for the league. With David Stern stepping down from his role as commissioner in 2014, don’t be surprised if Adam Silver loses his nearly guaranteed inheritance to a man by the name of Sean Carter. But allow me to reintroduce him, his name is Hov.

7 of those threes came in the 1st quarter, on the way to Williams setting an NBA record for most threes in a half, with 9.

Just 5 minutes in, Williams had already hit 5 threes, and the Nets were up 22-2. From that point on, the game was pretty even. But it was too late for the Wizards, as the Nets coasted to a 95-78 victory in Brooklyn

Check out a video below of the shooting exhibition Williams put on in the 1st half.

February 9, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap (24) and center Al Jefferson (25) react after being called for a foul during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings defeated the Jazz 120-109. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA trade deadline came and went, and nothing happened. After names like Josh Smith, Paul Millsap, Carlos Boozer, and Dwight Howard saw their name attached to rumors, fans sadly watched as Jordan Crawford was moved to Boston, Sebastian Telfair swapped to Toronto, and J.J. Redick sent to Milwaukee. The reason? Due to the new, harsher CBA repeater tax, and the value of those first round draft picks, we saw various rumored trades shot down. That sad part about this is that this is just the first year. The trade deadline might be even more boring as teams begin to pay the tax, and lose their exceptions. While teams like Milwaukee, Houston, and Oklahoma City should benefit from their deals, there’s a ton of teams that disappointed me as well, whether it was their reluctance in making a trade, or not making a move at all. (more…)

After tearing his ACL a few weeks ago, it seemed that Rondo would no longer be involved in trade rumors. But then, CBS Sports’ Ken Berger reported last week that the Boston Celtics had discussed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers involving Rondo and Dwight Howard.

Today, however, new reports make it seem that Rondo will be staying in Boston for the time being.

At USAT: Trade buzz – Rondo’s agent says he’s not being dealt, details on Brooklyn’s offer for J. Smith & more- usat.ly/WQSeqk

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 20, 2013

Despite the Celtics’ success without Rondo, the team is not better off long term without him, especially with an aging core. It would take a major haul for the Celtics to actually deal their star point guard.

Feb 19, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) reacts during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Pierce

According to a report this afternoon from Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnnarowski, the Brooklyn Nets have made the Celtics’ an offer for Paul Pierce.

“The Nets’ offer centered on forward Kris Humphries, guard MarShon Brooks and a first-round draft pick, but the Celtics want a more substantial package to consider moving Pierce, league sources said.”

While Pierce is nearing the end of his career, it makes sense that the Celtics would turn down this offer. The first-round pick would be a mid, to late first rounder, so that isn’t very valuable to the Celtics. Humphries, though a solid rebounder, is a mediocre player. And even though Brooks is only in his second year in the league, he is already 24 years old and can barely get off the bench.

It is unlikely that the Celtics move Pierce at all, but they certainly won’t move him for an offer as weak as this one from the Nets.

Kevin Garnett

In the same report, Wojnarowski reported that the Garnett to the Los Angeles Clippers talks are now off.

“For now, the Los Angeles Clippers have terminated talks with the Boston Celtics on a Kevin Garnett for Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan trade, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.”

Garnett has a no-trade clause that he would have to waive in order to be traded. But there were thoughts that his good friend Chauncey Billups and moving close to his Malibu home could persuade Garnett to accept a deal to the Clippers.

The rumored trade that would send Bledsoe and Jordan to the Celtics would be tough to stomach for Celtics fans, but it would make sense for the team. Garnett is nearing the end of his career, and this trade would allow them to rebuild quickly with two good, young players.

By ending talks the Clippers appear to be weary of giving up their future for an aging Garnett, who is unlikely to even waive his no-trade clause.

Jan 5, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) goes up for a dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 95-80. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Delightfully, my quams with the NBA All-Star rosters are at a minimum this season (compared to past seasons). With a few minor exceptions, I think they got it almost right this year.

The starters are set in stone and while it’s typical for some fans act outright delusional and warrant restricted access to All-Star voting, there’s nothing us realistic fans can do to change it. Besides, other than Kevin Garnett, I’m actually fine with the ten starters. Normally I could rant all day about the flaws with fan voting, but I’ll leave it alone while the going is good for this season.

Even though the reserves (announced Thursday night) were in decent shape, there are always exceptions. Coaches of the NBA, you did alright, but there’s always an opportunity for improvement. Let’s discuss.

 What They Did Right

• Jrue Holiday. Of all the All-Star selections, the Jrue Holiday one pick is my favorite. There is no secret to how I feel about the Holiday All-Star scenario. With the guard situation in the East, he deserves to go over Deron Williams, over Brandon Jennings and even despite their better record, he certainly deserves to go over J.R. Smith. If you want the full rant, check the list posted above. Even though he’s already been named, I’ll slide in that he posted a career-high 35 points earlier tonight.
• Paul George. I was extremely happy to see the coaches select George to his first All-Star appearance in the Eastern Conference. Sitting at 26-18 (only 4 games out of 1st) someone had to represent the Pacers in this game right? With the absence of Roy Hibbert, who’s having an abomination of a season, George has stepped up big time to lead Indiana back after a disappointing start to the season. David West certainly warrants some consideration, but George has put together the complete package or scoring, rebounding and defense (he even averages 3.7 assists per contest). Logging a heavy 36.7 minutes per game, I personally thought George was a no-brainer. I’m glad the coaches felt the same way.
• The omitting of Paul Pierce. This was exactly right. I listened to someone on a podcast the other day drive my view on All-Star selections home perfectly. The All-Star game is played every season, so we should be honoring those players that are having the very best CURRENT seasons. Past performance should be such a minor consideration. In the case of Paul Pierce, he’s clearly not at the All-Star level in years past. His numbers are way down and if you simply watch him play, he’s no longer a dominant player. And his disappointing Celtics are under .500 in the mediocre East. To put Paul Pierce in the All-Star game this season would have been a travesty. Thank you again coaches.

What They Did Wrong

• LaMarcus Aldridge over Stephen Curry. Look, I’m actually a huge LaMarcus Aldridge guy and I particularly love watching the Blazers play, especially that starting five. I think Aldridge is one of the premier post players in the league. However, Steph Curry is having a more fantastic season. He’s averaging 20.9 points (8th in the league), .450 from 3-point range (2nd) and a very healthy 6.5 assists per game (14th). He’s stayed relatively healthy while his Warriors are a very solid (and overachieving) 26-17, currently good for the 5th seed in a tough Western Conference. David Lee was became the first Warrior All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997, Steph Curry should have been the second one.
• Chris Bosh over Brook Lopez. I get it, the “Big Three” need major representation. I’ve actually grown to like Bosh’s role in Miami as the third wheel as well. He’s become extremely efficient and compliments James and Wade well. But really, he doesn’t have All-Star numbers. Even though their numbers are pretty close (Bosh is at 17.2 pts, 7.2 rebs, 1.4 blks while Lopez is at 18.6 pts, 7.3 rebs, 2.1 blks), Brook Lopez should have been selected to represent the Nets in the game. Both Joe Johnson and Deron Williams are having down seasons (to say the least) and the Heat already have two guys in the starting lineup. It’s no coincedence that the Nets are where they are and it frustrates me that not a single player from the East’s #4 seed is in the game. Besides, Lopez has consistently been one of the best bigs in the entire league this year. He should be going to Houston, period. The coaches messed this one up big time.
• Luol Deng. I have nothing against Luol Deng, I just think his spot deserved to go to one of Josh Smith, Al Horford or Brook Lopez. The Bulls have a solid record (without Derrick Rose), but already have one All-Star representing them in Joakim Noah, which the the right choice. The Nets (26-18) or the Hawks (25-18), who I also feel are overachieving aren’t represented in the game. Both Hawks players have better overall numbers than Deng’s 17.4 pts, 6.4 rebs and 3.0 asts per game. As you can probably tell, I’m a fan of maximizing team representation (within reason) and while Deng is a very solid and important player to the Bulls, I think the coaches whiffed here.

What They Should Do Next Season

Just go ahead and expand the damn rosters to 13 players! The regular season rosters are now permanently set at 13, so the league needs to mix in some common sense and mirror that for next year’s game in New Orleans. Consider it redemption for this Pelicans fiasco.

October 13, 2012; Atlantic City, NJ, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday (11) at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

In the year 2013, it should be a clear understanding among true NBA fans that the voting system for the NBA All-Star game is completely flawed. Sure, a couple of inappropriate choices slide in under the radar every season, but that doesn’t mean that the coaches have to screw it up to.

Which is the likely scenario this season with the Nets’ Deron Williams and Sixers’ Jrue Holiday. The higher-ups are likely to send Deron Williams to Houston over Holiday because of his past performance,  name recognition and exciting style of play (comparable and arguable). The fact remains that Williams is having his worst season in years, and almost his whole career.

Of course, where the debate gets sticky is the ”team success” factor. While the Nets are currently riding a 7-game win streak and sit at 23-15 (slightly out of 2nd place in the East), the Sixers have fallen apart and at 16-23, are not currently a playoff team. Does that all rest on each one of these players individually? Certainly not. One could always toss in the counter argument that Williams has a much better team around him (true) and the Nets should be this good. You can call the Sixers  a bad team, but without Holiday, they would be an ever bigger mess. When we go down the ”value to their team” avenue, Brooklyn has enough to stay afloat while Philly would be lottery bound. That’s at least true for this particular season.

Besides, are we not rewarding outstanding individual behavior with the All-Star labeling? In 10 years, nobody will remember that the Nets were a mid-tier Eastern Conference playoff team and the Sixers missed the playoffs. We will however, see the “X”-time All-Star on each player’s career resume. Personally, I want to be able to see that Jrue Holiday made at least ONE All-Star team, while Deron Williams will have more than a few under his belt.

When we look at numbers (because sometimes that’s the bottom line), Holiday has been better, with less talent around him, and far more consistent:

Deron Williams
37 GP, 16.8 pts, 7.7 asts, 3.2 rebs, 1.0 stls, 40.6 FG%, 32.0 3PT%, 85.7FT%

Jrue Holiday:
35 GP, 19.0 pts, 8.8 asts, 4.2 rebs, 1.37 stls, 45.8 FG%, 37.5 3PT%, 78.3 FT%

Even though Williams has the undoubtedly more talented nucleus around him, Holiday has been superior (and some significantly) in every major category except free throw percentage and he does average more turnovers per game. If you used the anonymous “Player A-B” comparison approach, you’d have to agree that Holiday has been an All-Star caliber player.

The coaches need to do the right thing with their votes and get Holiday in the game. Even Deron Williams agrees.

Dec 26, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat might be the best team in the NBA, but concerns about their inability to rebound seem valid (they are the league’s second worst rebounding team according to ESPN.com). Hey, that’ll happen when you’re undersized. Has an NBA club ever been more infatuated with players of 6-feet-8-inches? The bottom line is that when you jack up hasty shots and don’t, well, rebound, poor stats follow. Forward Chris Bosh said the team needed to figure out a way to fix the problem. Here’s a suggestion Chris – try rebounding.

Houston Rockets superstar, James Harden, no longer second fiddle in Oklahoma, has taken the league by storm since his relocation. Harden top scored for the Rockets in most of their December games and also dropped 20-plus points in a 14 straight contests (at the time of writing). His beard, too, continues to be the benchmark for NBA facial hair, and has moved past Bill Walton’s werewolf era fuzz on the all-time list.

Like Washington’s politicos, the city’s Wizards face an unnerving precipice, one which could see its entire future fall into disarray. Okay, let’s be honest: the Wiz haven’t cast a good spell since Harry Potter sought the Philosopher’s Stone. And yet, amid all the turmoil, the ineptitude and disgrace, rookie Bradley Beal has been a beacon of hope on The Hill. Beal led all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (13.4 ppg) and total assists with (41) in December. He also had six games with 15-plus points during the month.

It took an unlikely opponent in the Brooklyn Nets to upend Oklahoma City’s 12-game home winning streak with a recent 110-93 victory. This was, in part, helped by the ejection of a rather conversational Kevin Durant. The other part was a combination of Joe Johnson scoring 33 points, and Deron Williams taking charge with 19 points and 13 assists. Amazing how quickly he’s adjusted to his new coach, isn’t it?

Don’t look now but the Detroit Pistons are motoring, winning five of six en route to a 12-22 overall record (as of January 4). Sure, their record is still woeful, but we’re talking about the Eastern Conference here folks, where a sub-500 record is fashionable, and making consecutive free-throws is cause for All-Star consideration.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are flat out of luck, losing four straight and dropping below .500. Most alarmingly, the Cs have lost each of these game by an average mark of 20 points. Things haven’t been this bad in Beantown since the Celtics 15-win season of 1996-97 on the back of Antoine Walker’s 33% from three-point land. Good times.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard, Damian Lillard, has fast become Rookie of the Year favorite. With the Blazers playing mid-tier ball, it was surprising to see them rattle the New York Knicks at home, let alone beat them. But Lillard is a big reason for that. He’s fearless, and plays an all-around game—scoring, rebounding, passing, you name it. For the Knicks, Amare Stoudemire returned to a standing ovation. He then proceeded to light up Madison Square Garden with 6 points, one rebound and two turnovers. Spike Lee was beside himself.

No round-up would be complete without something about Kobe Bryant. In recent days, the league’s best scorer has called his Los Angeles Laker team “old” and “slow”, and admitted that their Staples Center roomies, the once lowly Clippers, are in the mix for the NBA crown. Kobe even called the Clips, currently among the Western Conference’s elite, “one of the top contenders”. Presumably L.A. reporters are now seeking Bryant’s view on Daniel Day Lewis as an Oscar favorite, and his take on other outrageousness circling the internet.

December 9, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) is fouled by Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries (43) during the fourth quarter of an NBA game at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Bucks (10-9) 97 @ Nets (11-8) 88

• Leading scorers: MIL – Brandon Jennings 26, BKN – Deron Williams 18.
• Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis were on the same page in this one, combined for 50 points on 16-32 shooting. They also dished out 12 assists and had 8 steals.
• The Bucks had 14 steals in the game.
• Gerald Wallace put up a solid double double with 16 points and 16 rebounds in 41 minutes.
• Joe Johnson strugged, with only 6 points (2-8 FG) in 30 minutes.

Pacers (10-11) 93 @ Thunder (17-4) 104

• Leading scorers: IND – David West 21, OKC – Kevin Durant 27.
• The game itself featured only 29 assists, 16 by the Thunder and 13 by the Pacers.
• Kevin Durant had 27, but had one of his worst shooting games of the season, going only 9 for 24 from the field.
• Kevin Martin had 24 points (7-12 FG) off the Thunder bench.
• All five Pacers starters scored in double figures, led by David West with 21 (10-16 FG).

Nuggets (10-11) 106 @ Knicks (15-5) 112

• Leading scorers: DEN – Ty Lawson 23, NYK – Carmelo Anthony 34.
• The Nuggets lost this game despite shooting 55.6% to the Knicks 43.0%.
• Melo came back to score 34 points in 39 minutes.
• Ray Felton and J.R. Smith struggled with their shots and combined to shoot 9 for 34 from the floor.
• The Nuggets outscored the Knicks in the paint 62-32.
• Ty Lawson led the Nugs with 23 points and 6 assists.

Magic (8-12) 98 @ Suns (7-15) 90

• Leading scorers: ORL – J.J. Redick 20, PHX – Shannon Brown 17.
• This loss for the Suns was their 7th straight overall.
• The Magic outrebounded the Suns 44-29 for the game.
• The Magic bench was great in this game. Particularly J.J. Redick, who had 20 points (4-8 3PT) and 9 assists.
• Rookie Andrew Nicholson had a solid game as well, with 19 points (9-11 FG), 9 rebounds and 4 steals.
• Sebastian Telfair started in place of Goran Dragic (flu) and had 6 points and 8 assists.

Raptors (4-17) 83 @ Clippers (14-6) 102

• Leading scorers: TOR – DeMar DeRozan 24, LAC – Blake Griffin 19.
• The Clippers bench got tons of minutes in this game with Jamal Crawford (32) and Eric Bledsoe (20), who had 16 and 14 points respectively.
• Kyle Lowry was held to only 4 points on 2-6 shooting.
• Amir Johnson came off the bench with a double double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Jazz (12-10) 117 @ Lakers (9-12) 110

• Leading scorers: UTA – Paul Millsap 24, LAL – Kobe Bryant 34.
• The Jazz shot a blistering 54.2% from the field while leading the Lakers in fastbreak points 19-4.
• Mo Williams had a solid game with 22 points (8-11 FG) and 9 assists.
• Al Jefferson posted a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
• Jordan Hill had a good game off the Laker bench with 17 points (8-11 FG), 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.
• Chris Duhon surprised with 12 points and 11 assists.

Nov 20, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Raptors (3-8) 98 @ 76ers (7-4) 106

• Leading scorers: TOR – DeMar DeRozan 24, PHI - Nick Young 23.
• The Sixers used a 33-18 4th quarter to complete the comeback over the Raps.
• Jrue Holiday finished with near triple double numbers for Philly with 19 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds. Included in his 12 dimes were a couple of late drive and kick daggers that finished off the Raps.
• Nick Young led the team with 23 points off the bench on 7-13 shooting.
• Kyle Lowry returned (early) for the Raptors, posted 13 points (5-14 FG), 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
• Jose Calderon had another bunch of assists and posted a double double of 13 points and 12 assists (6 to 1 assist to turnover ratio).
• DeMar DeRozan had 24 and Andrea Bargnani had 22 for Toronto.

Knicks (8-1) 102 @ Hornets (3-6) 80

• Leading scorers: NYK – Carmelo Anthony 29, NOH – Ryan Anderson 15.
• The Knicks doubled the Hornets in 3-point attempts, 36-18. The Knicks made 14 of their 36 (38.9%).
• Steve Novak got up 10 of those attempts, but only made 2.
• Melo had 29 points (12-22 FG), 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
• Missing Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson stepped into the starting lineup and put up 15 points (3-8 3PT) and 8 rebounds.
• Austin Rivers chipped in with 14 points but was only 2-7 from the free throw line.
• The Knicks outscored the Hornets 49-32 in the second half to pull out the W.

Nets (6-3) 90 @ Lakers (6-5) 95

• Leading scorers: BKN – Brook Lopez 23, LAL – Kobe Bryant 25.
• All three of the Lakers big guns had solid games. Kobe finished with 25 pts, 4 rebs, 5 asts, Dwight with 23 pts, 15 rebs, 4 blks, and Pau with 17 pts, 11 rebs and 7 asts.
• Dwight was 7-19 (37%) from the free throw line.
• Metta World Peace (who I still think doesn’t get much credit) finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds.
• The Laker bench only contributed 10 points (Hill 4, Duhon 4, Jamison 2).
• Deron Williams and Joe Johnson finished with a combined 36 points, but shot only 12 for 34 (35.3%) from the field.
• Brook Lopez posted 23 points (11-18 FG) and 7 rebounds.
• Reggie Evans had a typical “Reggie Evans” line with 0 points (0-0 FG), 11 rebounds and 3 personal fouls in 19 minutes.

Nov 17, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Memphis Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay (22) drives on Charlotte Bobcats small forward Jeffery Taylor (44) during the second half at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-US PRESSWIRE

We have a NEW number one team in the Memphis Grizzlies and really, who can argue that there’s a hotter team right now? The Bucks make the biggest jump of the week, up 9 spots with their hot 6-2 start. And how about those Bobcats, sitting at .500 this late in the season. On the dark side, the Nuggets had another winless week and the Pacers have earned the dubious distinction of Most Disappointing Team so far.

Welcome to The Skyook’s NBA Power Rankings, where any given week, things can change faster than a James Harden trade.

Previous weeks: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2

Week 4 – November 19th, 2012

1. Memphis Grizzlies | 8-1 | Last week: 4

Certainly the hottest team in the league right now with their 8 straight victories (including impressive wins over the Heat, Thunder, Knicks and Bucks). And, if you want to get real technical, we could use the following equation: Grizzlies > Knicks > Spurs.

2. San Antonio Spurs | 8-2 | Last week: 1

No disrespect Spurs fans, you’ve had your impressive wins as well, including a 26-point destroying of the Nuggets on Saturday, but the Grizzlies are just a slightly hotter. It will be interesting to see how the Spurs handle a Monday night battle with the Clippers followed by a 6-game road trip.

3. New York Knicks | 7-1 | Last week: 6

After an impressive comeback win in San Antonio, I’m now ready to move fowward and declare that the Knicks are indeed “for real.” The shooting has cooled off but when you hold opponents to 90 points per game (leading the league), you don’t always have to be lighting it up.

4. Los Angeles Clippers | 7-2 | Last week: 5

The Clips are another hot team thriving on both ends of the floor (2nd in points, 7th in points against). Jamal Crawford continues his 6th man onslaught while DeAndre Jordan’s improvement continues to draw raves (including a “best center in the West” comment from Shaq).

5. Miami Heat | 8-3 | Last week: 2

I’m not Heat-bashing, but their 3 losses have come at the hands of 3 of our top 4 teams, so this is the right place them. Spoelstra said this weekend that Bosh was the Heat’s most “important” player. Considering his scoring efficiency (.552 FG%), he might be on to something.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder | 8-3 | Last week: 3

Losing at home the Grizzlies hurt, but trust me, things in OKC are just fine. It seems almost unfathomable that last night’s triple double (25 pts, 13 rebs, 10 asts) was the first of Kevin Durant’s career. Fact: Daniel Orton has played 2 minutes this season and has a 63.0 PER.

7. Milwaukee Bucks | 6-2 | Last week: 16

It might be time to get the ”Fear the Deer” campaign in full swing again. A 3-0 week by the Bucks in which their average margin of victory was 9 points per game, is enough to shoot them 9 spots up in the rankings. Jennings continues his push for the ASG and leads the league in steals (3.25).

8. Brooklyn Nets | 6-2 | Last week: 13

Brooklyn is hard to read considering most of their 5-game winning streak came against the Cavs, the Kings and the Magic twice. They get the rest of the Pacific division this week. People ragged on Brook Lopez, but how many centers are giving 17.8 pts and 2.75 blks per game right now?

9. Boston Celtics | 6-5 | Last week: 9

As he chases Magic’s record, Rondo’s double digit assist streak has now reached 34 games, which is ridiculous. On the down side, Pierce’s age is really begin to show, as he’s shooting a near-career low of .409%. With the Spurs and Thunder coming to town this week, the C’s will be tested.

10. Los Angeles Lakers | 5-5 | Last week: 7

Just like that, the Lakers are back to .500. And now that D’Antoni is ready to debut, make no mistake, fans will be expecting Showtime 2.0 when Nash comes back. Kobe, Dwight and Pau are playing at an unbelivable level and MWP has quietly had a underrated season.

11. Denver Nuggets | 4-6 | Last week: 8

Perhaps the streaky Nugs should be slightly lower than this with a 4-6 record (last in the Northwest), but this team is still too dangerous, even if they don’t have a true identity. That being said, playing 7 of their first 10 on the road (and 10 of their next 13) wasn’t and won’t be very easy.

12. Dallas Mavericks | 6-5 | Last week: 12

After a mediocre 2-2 week, the Mavs are still hanging tough as they await Dirk’s return. O.J. Mayo continues to lead this team and his shooting an absolutely ridiclous 59% (36-61) from behind the arc. The Mavs host the Warriors, Knicks and Lakers this week.

13. Philadelphia 76ers | 6-4 | Last week: 10

Obviously this team is surrounded by negative buzz with Andrew Bynum’s now-January anticipated return date amid “Bowling-gate.” I’m affraid this team is destined to be a bottom tier playoff team without him in the lineup. But hey, at least they still have Spencer Hawes haircut.

14. Chicago Bulls | 5-5 | Last week: 11

The Bulls came back to earth after facing some tougher competition (losses to C’s, Clips, Blazers) last week. They have a home and home with the Bucks for Central Division supremacy. Joakim Noah (14.8 pts, 10.0 rebs, 4.0 asts, 2.0 blks) should be a starting forward in the ASG.

15. Utah Jazz | 5-6 | Last week: 17

After going 2-2 on their road trip last week (including a triple overtime win in Toronto), the Jazz come back home and have the Kings twice this week. Ty Corbin has already done some tinkering with the lineup, inserting Favors and Foye for Hayward and Williams.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves | 5-4 | Last week: 14

The honeymoon may be over the Wolves as the injuries are now piling up. Budinger, Pekovic, Lee and now Brandon Roy out for a month (big surprise). On the bright side, Kirilenko keeps getting better every game and it looks like they’ve found a diamond in the rough with Alexey Shved.

17. Golden State Warriors | 5-5 | Last week: 18

Given heavier minutes, rookie Harrison Barnes has really stepped up for the Warriors, averaging 16.3 pts and 7.7 rebounds last week. While not surprising, the Bogut news has been disappointing. Klay Thompson’s shooting percentage (.352%) needs to come up.

18. Atlanta Hawks | 4-4 | Last week: 20

Unfortunately, Josh Smith is going to have to deal with the “Josh Smith for ___” rumors a while, especially the recent Pau Gasol rumors. The fact remains that Smith’s numbers (15.3 pts, 8.3 rebs, .413 FG%) just don’t equal a max contract, no matter where he might end up.

19. Indiana Pacers | 4-7 | Last week: 15

Easily the pick for most disappointing team so far. The Pacers are two different teams on each end of the floor, ranking 2nd in rebounding and points against, while ranking 29th in points and assists. And right now it’s costing the Pacers $145,412 per Roy Hibbert point scored. Ugh.

20. Portland Trail Blazers | 5-5 | Last week: 22

The Blazers bounced back with 3 straight wins to finish the week, but after the Suns on Wednesday, they embark on a 7-game road trip. Aldridge’s rebounds and FG% are down, but his assists (a very nice 3.6 per game) and blocks are up. This is slowing becoming Batum’s team.

21. Houston Rockets | 4-6 | Last week: 19

The Rockets very quietly rank in the Top 10 in Points (10th), Rebounds (5th) and Assists (9th) and have six players averaging double figures in scoring. Really hope they figure out the Royce White drama, such a sad turn of events for what I’m sure would be such an exciting player.

22. Charlotte Bobcats | 4-4 | Last week: 27

If this Bobcats keep this pace up, we’re going to start seeing votes pour in for both Mike Dunlap for Coach of the Year and Kemba Walker for Most Improved. The bench was dealt a blow today when it was announced that Tyrus Thomas is going to miss 2 months.

23. Phoenix Suns | 4-7 | Last week: 23

Goran Dragic may be making the Rockets feel like they chose the wrong point guard (over Lin) as he’s up to 16.3 points, 7.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. With a 6-game eastern road trip coming up, losing 3 games at home to the Nuggets, Bulls and Heat stung a little more than usual.

24. New Orleans Hornets | 3-5 | Last week: 21

The two Hornets rookies are on opposite ends of the PER spectrum with Anthony Davis at 25.9 and Austin Rivers at 5.4. Sadly, they both play the same amount of minutes. Ryan Anderson is also throwing his hat into the 6th man ring by leading the team with 16.4 points per game.

25. Orlando Magic | 3-6 | Last week: 26

The Magic Kingdom will begin a 5-game homestand, starting with the Pistons and Cavs. J.J. Redick coming into his own, averaging 15.8 points and 5.5 assists, with good percentages across the board. Quietly, Moe Harkless lurks in the background for some minutes.

26. Toronto Raptors | 3-7 | Last week: 24

Make no mistake, Kyle Lowry is the difference maker on this team. However, with Lowry sidelined, DeMar DeRozan is playing the best ball of his young career with the key being his agressive attacking of the basket. No one was saying this in the summer, but thank god for Jose Calderon.

27. Cleveland Cavaliers | 2-8 | Last week: 25

As if 2-8 wasn’t bad enough, the Cavs learned today that Kyrie Irving is going to miss ONE MONTH with his fractured finger. The Cavs could be headed for Wizards territory. Anderson Varejao (14.3 pts, 13.1 rebs and 3.3 asts) is as deserving as anyone for an All Star spot in the East.

28. Sacramento Kings | 2-8 | Last week: 28

Just when you’d hoped Cousins was growing up, the strange Sean Elliott confrontation and consequent suspension happens. To make things worse, the Kings have lost 5 straight games and no end in sight. This team is shooting a miserable 29.8% from three and 41.8% overall.

29. Detroit Pistons | 2-9 | Last week: 30

A big week for Motown gets the Pistons out of the Rankings basement. They picked up two wins, including a very convincing throttling of the Celtics. The Rodney Stuckey bench project may be exactly what he needs to get going and I think Kyle Singler is a good fit in the starting lineup.

30. Washington Wizards | 0-8 | Last week: 29

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your honorary 2012-13 Charlotte Bobcats! I will be very surprised if the Wizards win 10 games all year with this team. I’m sure they weren’t expecting 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds from Jan Vesely in year two. Stay away John Wall and Nene, just stay away!

November 13, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (4) celebrates the Spurs 84-82 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Wizards (0-6) 76 @ Bobcats (3-3) 92

• Leading scorers: WAS – Trevor Ariza 19, CHA – Ramon Sessions 21.
• When Trevor Ariza is your only player in double figures with 19 points, you know you’re in trouble.
• The Wiz shot a woeful 29.8% (25-84) from the field, including the Beal/Price combination of 3 for 23.
• The Wizards had a 72% assist rate (assists on 18 of 25 made field goals).
• Ramon Sessions led the Bobcats from the bench (30 minutes) with 21 points and 5 assists.

Knicks (5-0) 99 @ Magic (2-5) 89

• Leading scorers: NYK – Carmelo Anthony 25, ORL – J.J. Redick 18.
• The Knicks “quality” shooting contined with a 48.8% (41-84 FG) effort.
• In what might be considered a small miracle, Ray Felton managed to put up more shots than Carmelo, 23 to 21 (though Melo outscored him 25 to 21).
• J.R. Smith with another solid game in putting up 21 points (9-14 FG), 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
• Nik Vucevic with another double double (12 pts, 10 rebs).
• Moe Harkless finally broke though with some numbers. In 19 minutes, he had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Raptors (2-6) 74 @ Pacers (3-5) 72

• Leading scorers: TOR – DeMar DeRozan 15, IND – George Hill 18.
• The Raptors scored 5 points total in the 4th quarter… andstillwon.
• Out of nowhere, Jose Calderon recorded a triple double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
• Coming off an insane 60 minute game the night before, DeMar DeRozan played another 40 minutes and scored 15 points in the victory.
• Interesting stat here: George Hill (who had 18 points) has led the Pacers in scoring in 4 of their 8 games.
• Paul George and David West combined to shoot 6 for 26 from the floor.

Cavaliers (2-6) 101 @ Nets (4-2) 114

• Leading scorers: CLE -Anderson Varejao 35, BKN – Deron Williams 26.
• Anderson Varejao had an absolute monster game with 35 points (16-21 FG) and 18 rebounds.
• Kyrie Irving wasn’t too bad himself with 34 points and 8 assists (14-14 from the free throw line).
• The stars finally came out in Brooklyn: Deron Williams (26 pts, 10 asts), Joe Johnson (25 pts, 5 rebs, 6 asts) and Brook Lopez (23 pts, 7 rebs, 4 blks).

Trail Blazers (3-5) 103 @ Kings (2-6) 86

• Leading scorers: POR – Damian Lillard 22, SAC – James Johnson 16.
• Lillard led the Blazers with 22 points and 9 assists.
• J.J. Hickson recorded another double double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
• The Blazers were on fire from outside, shooting 14-27 for 51.9% (Lillard 5-6).
• The Kings meanwhile, were 1-11 from behind the arc.
• Jason Thompson had 8 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in what might be considered the Kings best all around stat line.

Spurs (7-1) 84 @ Lakers (3-5) 82

• Leading scorers: SAN – Tony Parker 19, LAL – Kobe Bryant 28.
• Tim Duncan contined his assault with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks.
• Tony Parker, who was a game-time decision, finished with 19 points and 7 assists.
• Only 8 turnovers in the game for the Spurs.
• Another solid shooting performance from Kobe (12-19, 28 points) wasn’t enough to handle the Spurs at home.
• Dwight (13 pts, 15 rebs) and Pau  (10 pts, 10 rebs) both had double doubles.

Nov 3, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) wins the opening tip off against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Celtics (1-2) 89 @ Wizards (0-2) 86

• Leading scorers: BOS – Paul Pierce 27, WAS – Jordan Crawford 21.
• Pierce with a bounce back game with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists.
• A more obvious question to ask might be: How many games will Rondo not have a double double? Another 12 points, 12 assists in this one.
• The young bigs playing well for the Wiz: Trevor Booker with 19 points, 10 rebounds while Kevin Seraphin had 19 points and 7 rebounds off the bench.

Kings (0-3) 98 @ Pacers (2-1) 106 – 2OT

• Leading scorers: SAC - Marcus Thornton 26, IND - David West, George Hill 18.
• Double overtime games mean lots of numbers, including rebounds, which 3 Pacers had at least 10 (West 18, George 17, Hibbert 10).
• Paul George had another monster game with 16 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks in a game high 48 mintes.
• DeMarcus Cousins had big numbers (21 pts, 13 rebs), but shot only 9-27 (33%).
• The Kings managed to get up 102 field goal attemps in the game, making only 37 of them (36.3%).

Raptors (0-2) 100 @ Nets (1-0) 107

• Leading scorers: TOR – Kyle Lowry 28, BKN – Brook Lopez 27.
• Kyle Lowry continues to impress Raptor fans with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals.
• In the game after receiving a contract extension, DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points on 8-13 shooting.
• The Brooklyn backcourt is the big attraction, but Brook Lopez stole the show with his 27 points (11-15 FT).
• Williams and Johnson did have 33 points and 13 assists.

Nuggets (0-3) 116 @ Heat (2-1) 119

• Leading scorers: DEN – Andre Iguodala, Kenneth Faried 22, MIA – Chris Bosh 40.
• Chris Bosh went off last night with 40 points (15-22 FG) and 7 rebounds.
• Perhaps the only reason to feel concern for the Heat? Their size. Denver outscored them in the paint 72-40 and outrebounded them 47-32.
• Regular LeBron: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists.
• Ray Allen had 23 points (6-10 3PT) off the bench in 29 minutes.
• The ”Manimal” Kenneth Faried broke out with 22 points (11-15 FG) and 12 rebounds.
• 7 of the 8 Denver players that played in the game scored in double figures.

Hornets (2-1) 89 @ Bulls (2-1) 82

• Leading scorers: NOH – Greivis Vasquez 18, CHI – Luol Deng 19.
• With no Anthony Davis, the Hornets were led by Vasquez’s 18 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
• The Hornets only compiled 13 assists total in the game.
• Joakim Noah had another double double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
• Boozer, Hamilton and Hinrich combined to shoot a terrible 4-26 from the floor.

Trail Blazers (2-1) 95 @ Rockets (2-1) 85 – OT

• Leading scorers: POR – LaMarcus Aldridge 27, HOU – James Harden 24.
• Well, the James Harden show didn’t stop, but it was slowed down. He posted 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
• Chandler Parsons played a crazy 47 minutes and put up 9 points and 12 rebounds.
• Blazers starters filled the stat sheets: Aldridge (27 pts, 11 rebs, 6 asts), Batum (17 pts, 9 rebs, 6 stls) and Lillard (20 pts, 6 rebs, 9 asts).

Cavaliers (1-2) 102 @ Bucks (2-0) 105

• Leading scorers: CLE – Kyrie Irving 27, MIL – Mike Dunleavy 29.
• Brandon Jennings tied his career high with 13 assists again and had 13 points, one of them being this ridiculous game winner.
• Mike Dunleavy went off: In 35 minutes off the bench he put up 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.
• Larry Sanders continues to show big improvement with his 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.
• 32 assists for the Bucks in this game.
• Varejao with another big game with 20 points and 17 rebounds.
• 0 blocked shots in the game for the Cavs.

Bobcats (1-1) 99 @ Mavericks (2-1) 126

• Leading scorers: CHA – Ramon Sessions 22, DAL – O.J. Mayo 30.
• The Mavs scored 126 points on a blazing 61.3% (49-80 FG) shooting, including 16-25 (64%) from behind the arc.
• O.J. Mayo dropped 30 points (10-17 FG) and 6 rebounds and had a +27 rating.
• Chris Kaman didn’t start, but in 20 minutes off the bench, scored 16 points (8-9 FG).
• Bryon Mullens with a double double (16 pts, 10 rebs), but another 8 threes attempted.
• Ramon Sessions with a solid game off the bench: 22 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

Jazz (1-2) 100 @ Spurs (3-0) 110

• Leading scorers: UTA – Mo Williams 29, SAN – Tony Parker 24.
• Parker (24 pts, 10 asts) and Duncan (19 pts, 11 rebs, 3 blks) with more solid production.
• Mo Williams had a terrific game with 29 points and 9 assists.
• What’s up with Ty Corbin slowing Enes Kanter’s minutes? After a great preseason, Kanter only logged 11 minutes, scoring 0 points and grabbed 2 rebounds.
• Paul Millsap had 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 31 minutes.

Warriors (2-1) 114 @ Clippers (2-1) 110

• Leading scorers: GSW –  Stephen Curry, Carl Landry 23, LAC – Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford 27.
• Carl Landry has been great off the Warriors bench so far. 23 points and 10 rebounds in this one.
• Jamal Crawford strikes again! 27 points off the bench.
• Chris Paul scored 27 and was a ridiculous 19-20 from the free throw line.
• The Clippers took 52 total free throw attempts in this game (Paul 20, Griffin 16).

Oct 21, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the first half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

With less than a week to go before the real Christmas (obviously I’m talking about the NBA season), it’s time for that special opportunity to dangle your pride on a string. That’s right, it’s bold prediction time! See what I did there?

In a few days, The Skyhook will release our more “standard” predictions. You know, the standings, the playoffs, the awards… all the good stuff. And the Weekly Power Rankings will launch shortly thereafter. For now, in the spirit of being radical, here are 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season, along with some “rationale” (which you can determine how loosely that word applies on your own).

So. Here. We. Go.

The Chicago Bulls will miss the playoffs (the Toronto Raptors will make it).

Yes, you read that lineup correctly. Unfortunately for you Windy City natives, that means that there will be no running of the Chicago Bulls in my projected postseason. Seven of the teams on this list are really anything but bold predictions, in fact they are quite common among the “experts.” The bold element comes with not only saying the Bulls aren’t going to make it, but that the Toronto Raptors will make it into the playoffs.

Obviously with the Bulls, I’m assuming Derrick Rose doesn’t make it back before even the All-Star break. I just think this team downgraded the entire roster this offseason, it’s a radically different team. That luxurious point guard depth they had last year with C.J. Watson and John Lucas III? That’s gone. I’m sorry, but Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson do not make up for that. They lost two above-average defensive players in Omer Asik (having a great preseason in Houston) and Ronnie Brewer. Their best pure shooter, Kyle Korver was also shipped to Atlanta. Instead, they brought in Marco Belinelli, Nazr Mohammed and Vlad Radmanovic. Throw in the injury risks to Luol Deng/Richard Hamilton and the added responsibility on Carlos Boozer to be a major scoring option at this point in his career and I really don’t like this team.

On the other hand, the Raptors seem to be going in a different direction. Without a true superstar like Rose in the equation, they’ve collected enough talent through a series of moves and draft picks to be at least “interesting.” Kyle Lowry a game-changing, quick, tough point guard playing with a chip on his shoulder is a big deal in Toronto and as a hard-nosed on the ball defender, he fits perfect into what Dwayne Casey is trying to do with this team defensively. Jonas Valanciunas, the anti-Bargnani, is only similar in size and European decent. He loves to bang inside, hustle and play defense, which the Raps need. New additions Landry Fields and lottery pick Terrence Ross should also serve as upgrade from what the Raps were sending out last year. Another small step forward for DeRozan and a hopeful (at least I am) minor breakout from Ed Davis would put this team in the East playoffs, which is what I think is what will happen.

October 25, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Valley View Casino Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

DeMarcus Cousins will make his first All-Star team. So will Kyrie Irving. So will Greg Monroe.

“Boogie” Cousins WILL be an All-Star this year. The NBA’s recent announcement to remove the “Center” position from All-Star balloting helps his case even more. But aside from position technicalities, Cousins will prove to an even greater extent this season that he’s one of the best power forwards in the West, and in the entire league. He averaged a double double with 18.1 points per game and 11.0 rebounds a game (good for 4th in the league). Apart from the slightest dip in rebounding (11.3 to 10.6), all of Cousins’ numbers were improved post-All-Star break, meaning he improved over the season. I’m expecting him to be at a 20 and 12 this year, making his All-Star selection a no-brainer, despite him playing on a bad Kings team. This will be the true beginning of the Western Conference big man youth movement with guys like Duncan and even Dirk on the way out. It’s time for Boogie, whether you like him or not.

Kyrie Irving makes the leap this year. He turns into a 20 point, 8 assist, 2 steal per game guy that carries his team on most nights. Just check his 4th quarter stats and highlights from last year, this kid just has it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he took it further than that and warranted many Most Improved Player votes. Expect him to represent the Cavs at the All-Star Game in Houston.

I think Greg Monroe, given the simple fact that he’s the number one big man option in Detroit now, will make the All-Star team this year. While his numbers won’t be eye-popping, I think the coaches will appreciate what he will do with limited resources around him. If he goes 18 and 9 with close to 2 blocks, that gets the job done.

The league MVP voting will finish in this order: 3. LeBron James 2. Kevin Durant 1. Rajon Rondo.

Yes, Rajon Rondo will win the MVP of the league this year. He’s simply ready for that kind of year. Could LeBron or Durant win the award? Yes, of course, they will both be incredible again this season. In fact, it’s more likely that one of them win. But picking Rondo to straight up win the MVP is highlighting the “bold” part.

This Celtics team is no longer a “big three” team, this is Rondo’s team now. Coming off an absolutely bad ass performance in last year’s playoffs only proved what we all thought… that he is completely fearless. The fact that he’s a nightly triple-double waiting to explode also helps his case.

I like this Celtics team even better than last season, which means the wins will help Rondo stack up to LBJ/Durant. At this point, the Jason Terry and Courtney Lee combination is an upgrade over the gimpy Ray Allen, the successful return of Jeff Green will be another dimension to the offense, and I do like the potential Bass/Sullinger combination in the frontcourt. This all means assists upon assists for Rondo. I think he will have a Nash MVP-esque season, easily lead the league in assists, but instead of sparkling shooting percentages, he will play more meaningful minutes, increase his scoring (he’s been working on his shooting again) and attribute more on the defensive end and rebounding. To go a step further, I’ll put Rondo down for 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 12.1 assists per game and 1 MVP award.

The new Flopping rules will actually not be a flop.

Of course there are a million opinions floating around about the new Flopping rules and how effective they can truly be. Personally, I think the new Flopping rules and penalties will be good for the league. I was happy to see the extent to which players can be punished for being so ridiculous (I’m looking at you Reggie Evans). Watching these guys flop around from minimal, meaningless contact is the one part of the game that truly frustrates me.

I think the opportunity for the league to dip into the players pockets will ultimately be a threat to the players and will have them being subconsciously conscious of contact (I know, that doesn’t really make sense, but it does). Players don’t want to lose lumps of paychecks for something so stupid. While it seems outrageous to them, even the most serial offenders will eventually back down on the issue relatively quick.

I also think it will go the other way as well. I think once the season is in full swing, refs will become a little more lenient on the calls, if only to avoid the scrutiny and attention the media will bring to it. I would be surprised if we get to the point of a suspension (6th flopping violation = 1 game suspension), but we will definitely see some fines handed out. All in all, the “threat” of flopping punishment will slightly raise the awareness of an issue that really does make the game less enjoyable to watch.

Oct 19, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson (7) and point guard Deron Williams (8) on the court against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Barclays Center. 76ers won 106-96. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The new “Battle of New York” inner city rivalry will end in a tie, but not really.

Ah yes, the next great inner city rivalry is upon us.

Now, by “tie” I mean exactly that… but exclusive to the regular season. They will have the exact same record of 46-36. When it then comes to playoff seeding, the Nets will have the advantage and will get the 4th seed in the East. The kicker, is that if the Nets are 4 and the Knicks are 5, they will play each other in the first round of the playoffs, which the Nets will have home court and win. People will always talk about the atmosphere at The Garden for the Knicks, but I think this will be a pretty hyped up Brooklyn fan base, especially in the first year and especially if the team is winning. That will be enough to win a playoff series again them.

In terms of the rosters, there are enough storylines, unpredictability and polarizing players to create a case for either team to outperform the other. The bottom line is the New York the state, wins. I’m sticking with a tie.

The race for the NBA scoring title will come down to a battle between two Kevins. Correction: Durant wins the scoring title again.

Update: The next day after I posted this, Kevin Martin was dealt TO the Thunder as part of the James Harden deal, making his run at the scoring title completely impossible. So much for my favorite reach.

Now THIS is bold. But think about it, isn’t Kevin Martin in the perfect situation to pull this off? 1. He’s in Houston where he’s the definite number one scoring option (sorry, but Jeremy Lin is NOT the number one option). 2. He’s in a contract year and 3. Historically, he’s always been a very efficient (and wildly under the radar) pure scorer. So in what should be the peak of his career, barring injury, and having to carry the Rockets on any given night (which could end up being most nights), why couldn’t he be upwards of 28-30 points per game? I think he does it. I think Kevin DURANT wins the scoring title yet again with a 29.4 average, while Kevin MARTIN finishes second at 28.9 per game.

Alvin Gentry (Suns) and Scott Skiles (Bucks) will be the first coaches fired, while George Karl (Nuggets) will win Coach of the Year.

The Suns, while expectations aren’t exactly high, will be bad. Don’t get me wrong, I like some of their players, but it’s such a uneven collection of players. Ultimately, Gentry will take the fall and they will make a change mid-season.

It’s a very similar situation for Scott Skiles in Milwaukee, as the clock seems to be running out. With the average coaching tenure being as low as it’s ever been, Skiles could be in trouble. He’s been with the Bucks since 2008 and hasn’t really accomplished anything of note. The East didn’t get any easier this offseason and unfortunately, the Bucks didn’t get any better. I expect Skiles to be let go close to the All-Star break when the Bucks are sitting 10-12 games under .500.

George Karl, on the flip side, is just one of those guys. He’s a guy that players, the fans and the league in general loves. Now, he’s got an extremely talented and versatile roster that’s been brilliantly put together. This team will win a lot of games this season. Their current Win total Over/Under is sitting at 50.5, which they should easily surpass. They led the league in offense last season and could easily do so again this year. They addition of Andre Iguodala and the development of Kenneth Faried should give them a little stronger backbone on defense. Toss in all the other unmentioned, talented weapons (Lawson, Gallinari, McGee, Brewer, Chandler, Miller) and the Nuggets suddenly have a trendy “outside contender” label cast upon them with a pretty flexible roster. Worst case the Nuggets win 50 games and aim for home court in the playoffs and best case, they chase 60 wins and Karl is almost a lock to win Coach of the Year. But I think mid-50′s will be good enough for him to get the nod over Spoelstra and Brooks.

All five Atlantic Division teams will make the playoffs and will be the league’s new “toughest division.”

Once considered the laughing stock of the league, the Atlantic Division (Celtics, Knicks, Nets, Sixers, Raptors) would appear to be the best division in the league right now. Operating under the “toughest division” logic, especially in terms of parity among it’s teams, I think only the Northwest Division (Blazers, Jazz, Nuggets, Thunder, T-Wolves) compares. Every other division has it’s 1-2 teams that are going to be stinkers, but in the Atlantic, it’s not that difficult to fathom that all five teams could finish over .500 for the season.

A re-tooled Celtics team, an Andrew Bynum-led Sixers squad and the star studded New York teams (barring catastrophe, which is always in play) should all finish above .500 and in the East, that means playoffs. Of course the Raptors may be the one argument against that theory. Personally I have them no worse than 41-41 and nabbing that 8th seed.

Oct 23, 2012; Raleigh, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap talks to Charlotte Bobcats small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) on the sidelines against the Miami Heat in the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-US PRESSWIRE

The Bobcats will NOT finish in last place.

It doesn’t get much worse than 7-59. Well technically, 6-60 is worse, but you get the idea.

I think the unfavorable distinction of NBA bottom-feeder this season will go to the Orlando Magic. Although the Bobcats are far from rebuilt, I do like what they did in the offseason. They didn’t whiff on their #2 overall pick by taking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and they added some veterans like Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions and Brendan Haywood for depth. It might sound crazy, but I think Charlotte can get to the 20-win mark. With MKG and Kemba Walker runnin’ and gunnin’, Byron Mullins jacking threes from the center position and Bismack Biyombo blocking shots, this team could be very entertaining to watch.

For the Magic, this is going to be a rough ride. With a roster decimated after #Dwightmare, there’s no clear structure and is ultimately just a collection of guys that few people know anything about. I love Aaron Afflalo, Andrew Nicholson and even Big Baby Davis, but c’mon, the Hedo Turkoglu’s of the world aren’t fooling anybody.

In a head to head matchup on a neutral court, I would expect the Bobcats to win the game, so of course I’m going to favor them over the Magic in the standings as well. Keep in mind, these two teams play in the same division together as well, so whether it takes the Bobcats beating up the Magic four times to finish with the better record, then so be it. Bottom line: Bobcats > Magic.

Team Jordan FTW!

Oct 19, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Barclays Center. 76ers won 106-96. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Deron Williams
Resume: 21.0 points (9th in league, career best), 3.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists (5th in league), 1.2 steals, 36.3 minutes, 115 threes made (career best), 40% FG, 34% 3PT, and 84% FT… Team record in games played: 21-34 (1-10 without)… All-Star

What exactly do we know about Deron Williams? He’s been selected as a back-up point guard for Team USA for the previous two Summer Olympics. He almost got into a fist fight with Jerry Sloan and is likely the reason that Sloan resigned as Utah Jazz head coach. Anything else? No, I’m being serious. I’m actually asking you guys for help because I’ve got nothing else. How the hell is a Top 10 player in the league so damn boring? Shoot, this isn’t good for the sake of this write-up.

It’s impossible not to find any humor in the fact that the Nets are making their move to Brooklyn (a city where basketball was played in the streets and self-expression, creativity and personality was a vital part of the game) with the most unenthusiastic and boring star player in the NBA (Williams) and the most unenthusiastic and boring 2^nd fiddle in the NBA as well (Joe Johnson) headlining the roster. That’s high comedy right there. I’m not trying to take anything away from the way the two of them play either. I love Deron Williams’ game. He does just about everything you could want a point guard to do, and he does it all extremely well. We just don’t know a whole lot about him. He’s a bit of a mystery.

Williams was the number 3 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, but wasn’t even close to being the most popular or talked about player on his own college team. That honor went to Dee Brown, who played in just 68 career NBA games, a number that was doubled by the 137 he played at Illinois. Maybe it was because Brown had cool cornrows and Williams hair looks like it is painted on his head, but we don’t know that for sure. Anyway, Williams has had just a tad bit more success than Brown did in the NBA. In his seven years in the NBA Williams has been in the top 5 in assists per game six times, a frequent mention in any discussion about the best point guards in the NBA, and a better postseason player than regular season player. That little nugget can’t be neglected.

The question now is what kind of team will the Brooklyn Nets be? Can Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, the overrated-in-my-opinion Brook Lopez, Kris Kardashian Humphries and a mediocre at best supporting cast make a splash in the Eastern Conference, and actually give Williams a chance to showcase himself on a bigger stage? The Nets are a playoff team but I can’t see them making an extended run in the postseason. There just isn’t enough from the rest of the roster outside of Williams and Johnson. An even bigger question that should be asked is can Brooklyn emerge as the number one basketball team in New York from a fan base standpoint? It doesn’t look promising in my opinion. I’m just not sure that the Nets can steal away Knicks fans, or even completely gain the approval of the casual fans in New York with the least charismatic superstar in the NBA leading the way. Then again, maybe I’m totally wrong about Williams. There is at least one person in the world who finds Deron Williams completely amazing.

October 13, 2012; Atlantic City, NJ, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) spins past Philadelphia 76ers guard Evan Turner (12) at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Nets (1-0) 108 @ 76ers (1-1) 105 - OT

• Leading scorers: BKN – Brook Lopez, C.J. Watson 19, PHI – Nick Young 21.
• The “Brooklyn” Nets won their very first NBA game, with the ironic twist that the game was actually played in New Jersey. The Nets three biggest acquisitions (Johnson, Watson and Blatche) combined for 46 points on 16-29 (55%) shooting.
• Rookie Mirza Teletovic did not fair as well. He shot 2-11 from behind the arc and 2-13 overall.
• Even through Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner shot a combined 9-29 from the field (24 points), they did contribute elsewhere with 13 rebounds and 12 assists.
• An important non-stat: Andrew Bynum, 0 minutes played… again.

Knicks (2-0) 98 @ Celtics (1-2) 95 - OT

• Leading scorers: NYK – Carmelo Anthony 23, BOS – Jared Sullinger 14.
• The Knicks hung on the for the win, but it certainly wasn’t because of their long range shooting or their points in transition. They were 3-29 (10%) from 3-point range and had only 2 fast break points.
• Rookie Chris Copeland, hoping to make the team, contributed 21 points, all in the 2nd half.

Wizards (1-2) 99 @ Cavaliers (2-2) 95

• Leading scorers: WAS –  Bradley Beal, Jordan Crawford, Brian Cook 14, CLE – Tristan Thompson 18.
• Jordan Crawford (who once claimed he could be better than Michael Jordan) could potentially lead this team in field goal attempts… he loves to put ‘em up. He went 5-16 in this game and put up almost double the shot attempts than any other teammate.
• The Cavs must be happy to see the numbers Tristan Thompson put up. He had an impressive 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.
• After shooting 3-13 in this game, Kyrie Irving is now shooting 11-46 (24%) in 4 preseason games.

Bulls (1-2) 75 @ Timberwolves (2-1) 82

• Leading scorers: CHI – Kirk Hinrich 15, MIN – Nikola Pekovic 16.
• What an ugly game. The teams combined to shoot 47-135 (35%), including 7-29 (24%) from long distance.
• Double doubles from: Joakim Noah – 14 pts, 13 rebs and Nikola Pekovic – 16 pts, 17 rebs.

Pistons (1-2) 91 @ Bucks (2-0) 108

• Leading scorers: DET – Andre Drummond 19, MIL - Ersan Ilyasova 22.
• While everone wants to hand the award to Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond as a serious opporuntity to make a run at Rookie of the Year. If he consistently produces double doubles like in this game (19 pts, 10 rebs), he’ll be right there.
• Speaking of rookies, how about John Henson? 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in 27 minutes off the bench.
• The Bucks had 14 blocked shots in the game (Henson 4, Tobias Harris 4, Larry Sanders 5).

Jazz (2-1) 99 @ Lakers (0-3) 86

• Leading scorers: UTA – Marvin Williams, Enes Kanter 14, LAL – Kobe Bryant 18.
• Enes Kanter with another beastin’ double double: 14 points, 14 rebounds.
• Rookie Robert Sacre got another start and posted 9 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
• Kobe led all scorers with 18, most of which came from the free throw line (12-14). He also chipped in with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and a couple of steals.

April 15, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) drives to the basket and scores as he is defended by Charlotte Bobcats center Byron Mullens (22) during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

• BRANDON BASS, PF, Boston Celtics
  Last season: 31.7 MPG, 12.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 14.21 PER
  The Celtics certainly have a new look to them this season. The biggest changed occurred at the 2-guard spot with Ray Allen taking his shooting stroke to South Beach and the C’s bringing in Jason Terry and Courtney Lee to replace him (though Avery Bradley will eventually be the starter). However, the key guy in the Celtics equation isn’t a new addition of one of Rondo, Pierce or Garnett. It’s Brandon Bass, and particularly his growth in an increased front court role this season. The guy averaged almost 32 minutes per game last season, but beyond Pierce and Garnett, the Celtics had a lot of trouble scoring (26th overall) and rebounding (30th) up front. With the return of Jeff Green from heart surgery, the drafting of two very young forwards (Sullinger and Melo) and the career question mark this is Chris Wilcox, the Celtics depth at forward for at least this upcoming season is unknown. This is where even more weight shifts to the shoulders of Bass, who showed flashes of ability last season.
• 

  Apr 8, 2011; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez (11) drives to the basket against New York Knicks power forward Shelden Williams (13) at the Prudential Center. New York Knicks won116-93.Mandatory Credit: Jim O

  BROOK LOPEZ, C, Brooklyn Nets
  Last season: 27.2 MPG, 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 21.96 PER (5 games)
  As the “backup plan” to Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez cashed in with a HUGE contract this offseason, despite only playing in 5 games last year. With the Nets being truly thin at the center position, Lopez will need to be THE guy, meaning he has to stay on the floor for the whole season. Even though the Nets have some very high profile names on their roster (and of course added Joe Johnson), it’s Lopez that should feel the pressure to be an interior force, particularly defensively, in the middle. The Nets hope that the alarming 3.6 rebounds per game from their 7-footer in 5 games last year will be closer to triple that amount for this season.

• 

  April 15, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Raymond Felton (5) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas (22) during the first quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

  RAYMOND FELTON, PG, New York Knicks
  Last season: 31.8 MPG, 11.4 PPG, 6.5 APG, 13.46 PER
  After the Knickerbockers missed out on Steve Nash this offseason, they brought over Jason Kidd to handle mentorship duties. Kidd will provide endless leadership, but the real impact to the point guard position and to the team, will be the question of whether or not Ray Felton can have a bounce back season. Yes, Melo, Amar’e and Chandler are the stars, but the Knicks need Felton to really RUN this team for the important game stretches. After a terrible year in Portland and once again hearing the punchlines about his weight, he should have plenty of motivation to push this team to a playoff run. The Knicks may know right away how deep the commitment is when Felton and his frame show up for training camp.

• 

  May 12, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Evan Turner (12) shoots the ball against Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (back) during the first half of game one in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

  EVAN TURNER, SF, Philadelphia 76ers
  Last season: 26.4 MPG, 9.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 12.69 PER
  It’s obvious that the Sixers will live or die based on the degree of dominance displayed by Andrew Bynum. But aren’t we at a point of make-or-break with Evan Turner? A former #2 overall pick and once considered the best player in college basketball in his draft year, Turner’s Pippen-like point forward versatility has not translated to the NBA. With Thaddeus Young, Dorell Wright, Jason Richardson and Nick Young requiring a significant amount of minutes at the SF and SG spots, they will push for Turner’s playing time, especially if he starts slow. He needs to build upon Doug Collins’ increased trust factor in the playoffs where he played 34.5 minutes per game. That 12.69 PER has to come up.

• 

  Mar 29, 2011; Newark, NJ, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the basket against New Jersey Nets point guard Jordan Farmar (2) and power forward Kris Humphries (43) at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

  KYLE LOWRY, PG, Toronto Raptors
  Last season: 32.1 MPG, 14.3 PPG, 6.6 APG, 18.89 PER
  One could easily argue that Jonas Valanciunas will be just as big an X-Factor as Lowry. As of now, he’s the only “true” center on the Raptors roster. But without seeing a single minute of NBA action, it’s hard to set realistic expectations. Lowry however, acquired via trade and coming off a fantastic year in Houston, was given the keys to the entire offense in Toronto, while pushing Jose Calderon to the bench. Whether he averages close to 20 points or 8-9 assists per contest, production out of point guard position is something the Raptors sorely lacked. Combine that with his unquestioned toughness and he has a chance to be THE guy that leads the Raptors back to a playoff birth.

Joe Johnson (35)
Resume: 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 35.5 minutes, 125 threes made (8th in league), 45% FG, 39% 3PT, and 85% FT (career best)… Team record in games played: 36-24 (4-2 without)… Playoffs: 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 40.5 minutes, 37% FG, 75% FT, 2-4 record… All-Star, 15th in MVP Voting

Luol Deng (34)
Resume: 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists (career best), 1.0 steals, 39.4 minutes (1st in league, career best), 41% FG, 37% 3PT, and 77% FT… Team record in games played: 42-12 (8-4 without)… Playoffs: 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 46% FG, 36% 3PT (career best), 57% FT, 2-4 record… All-Star, 2nd Team All-Defense

Apr 17, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger (33) shoots a jump shot during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I hope this move doesn’t ruffle any feathers and turn people against me like I’m LeBron James, but I made the executive decision to group Danny Granger, Joe Johnson and Luol Deng together in one post. These are my rankings, so technically I can do whatever I want with them. Remember two weeks ago when I introduced the criteria for this list and made the point that as long as I gave you my reasoning you sort of have to take my word for it? It was basically the same premise as the Declaration of Independence? Well, I’m using those grounds to include these two players together and it’s probably going to happen again, so get used to it. Besides the fact that this is an attempt to cut down on my word count (an attempt that will all but certainly fail), it really does make sense to group together three players who have been forced into playing roles they shouldn’t be required to handle.

In the aforementioned criteria, one of the things I mentioned being important was a player’s role and how well he fit that role. It’s the exact reason why Serge Ibaka would make this top 50 list and Tyreke Evans wouldn’t. Ibaka is the 4^th best player on Oklahoma City, but he is the league’s most destructive help side defender/shot blocker, and as I mentioned before, the current title holder of Greatest Serge of All-Time. You can’t forget that little nugget. When Serge Ibaka is the 4^th best guy on your team, you are in good shape. Evans is the number one perimeter scoring option for the Kings but doesn’t even score 17 points per game. Evans’ role is more important than Ibaka’s, but he doesn’t fit that role nearly as well as he should. Ideally, Evans would end up the 6^th man on a title contender and provide an instant spark off the bench, because he clearly can’t continue to be looked at as the top perimeter scoring option. Along those lines, Luol Deng, Joe Hohnson and Danny Granger have both been miscast in their roles. Danny Granger and Joe Johnson are classic examples of a 2^nd fiddles being forced to be “the man” on a good team, and Luol Deng is suited to be the 2^nd or 3^rd best player on a title contender, but this year was frequently forced to be the number one option with Derrick Rose out a good portion of the year.

July 13, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson addresses the media at a press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Nobody can convince me that Danny Granger or Joe Johnson can be the best player on a title team. You can’t do it. I dare you, try it. As much as I really like the Indiana Pacers (and trust me I like them a whole bunch. I just about wrote off Miami after Indiana went up 2-1 in the 2^nd round), they are not winning an NBA title with Danny Granger leading the way, just like the Hawks weren’t going to with Joe Johnson as their “marquee guy” either. First, look at Granger, who statistically he has been slipping for the last 3 seasons. Is a player who shoots 42% and scores only 19 points per game really going to lead you to a title? I’ll let Vince McMahon answer that one. If you watched the playoffs you didn’t need to know anything about the statistics to see that Granger wasn’t a number one guy. He was never going to close out a game with such cold bloodedness as Kevin Durant did against the Spurs. He most certainly wasn’t going to put up a 40-18-9 game like LeBron James did. Unfortunately, he was on the losing end of that 40-18-9 game.

Isn’t Joe Johnson the same exact player as Danny Granger? Someone who doesn’t even score 20 points per game, but has somehow convinced everyone he is good enough to be the best guy on a title team? The Hawks were hoodwinked when they gave Joe Johnson the biggest contract (6 years, $119 million) of any 2010 Free Agent (a travesty considering LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare’ Stoudemire were all better players at that point than Johnson). One individual was hoodwinked when they were foolish enough to toss a 5^th place MVP vote at Johnson this year. Seemingly, no one has caught on that year after year when Johnson is supposed to shoulder the heavy burden in the postseason he continuously disappears.

In a perfect basketball world Danny Granger and Joe Johnson would be the 2^nd or 3^rd best players on a really good team; a team that could win a championship. That’s why Joe Johnson going to Brooklyn is slightly exciting. If the Nets can get a few more pieces to put around Williams and Johnson they could thrive. A decade ago the story was the same with former Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller. As many great “Miller Time” moments that there have been, Reggie was never good enough as “the man” to win a championship. You have to give credit where credit is due though. The success of Indiana weighed heavily on the success of Danny Granger, and you can’t make that kind of connection with players who don’t matter. As Bill Simmons stated in his 2012 NBA Playoff preview, in Pacers wins Danny Granger averaged 20.5 points on 43.6% shooting. In Pacers losses Granger averaged 15.2 points on 37.2% shooting. That theory checks out. In the playoffs Granger averaged 19.7 points on 41.5% shooting in wins, 13.8 points on 36.8 shooting in losses.

April 15, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng (9) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe (10) during the first quarter at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Funny story: I was talking to my roommate Wes, a Chicago Bulls fan, about the top 50 list and he took a look at it and seemed legitimately surprised that I had put Deng in the top 40. “Wow, my boy Luol Deng in the top 40?” Yes, Luol Deng in the top 40. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t think Deng would necessarily get ranked that high, or if he didn’t really think of Deng as that good of a player. An even funnier story: For about 2 solid weeks when I was first putting together the list (after I had gathered the statistics of about 85 players) I completely forgot about Luol Deng. I double, triple and quadruple checked the list of about 85 to make sure I didn’t leave anyone out, and to my knowledge I didn’t. When it came time to make the list, I simply forgot about him. I didn’t have him included until I saw him at the Summer Olympics battling with a lackluster supporting cast for Great Britain.

This is partly to do with the fact that constructing this list was much more work than I expected it to be. It also has something to do with the fact that for a good portion of the season Luol Deng was forced to be the interim alpha dog for a championship contender. In most cases that puts the player in more of a spot light, but Deng thrives so well in a complementary role he didn’t stand out nearly as much when the expectations were upped. Sure, Chicago got away with it and succeeded without Derrick Rose in the regular season, but it wasn’t strictly because of Deng. Statistically, there was a miniscule difference in Deng’s numbers when Rose was in the lineup compared to when he was out (I actually went through the entire schedule and worked it out, and when I saw that there was virtually no difference I didn’t save the numbers out of frustration for wasting an hour of my time). Chicago succeeded because of great defense and great coaching. I have to give credit where credit is due though. Luol Deng was a worthy all-star this year. He’s one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders and could very easily be the 2^nd or 3^rd best player on an NBA champion. But just like Granger and Johnson, he isn’t a number one guy and never will be.

#33 on the list will be announced on Thursday September 27th.