The Ball Blog - This Week in Basketball...

Power Rankings: october 25th

10/25/2016

The NBA season is finally upon us! So just so some of you can make fun of my power rankings at the end of the season (or maybe so I can brag about how perfect they are?), here you go:

East:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Detroit Pistons
6. New York Knicks
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. Charlotte Hornets
9. Milwaukee Bucks
10. Miami Heat
11. Washington Wizards
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Orlando Magic
14. Brooklyn Nets
15. Philadelphia 76ers

West:
1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Houston Rockets
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. Utah Jazz
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Denver Nuggets
12. Sacramento Kings
13. New Orleans Pelicans
14. Phoenix Suns
15. Los Angeles Lakers

Feb 27-mar 4

3/3/2016

TY LAWSON has just been signed by Indiana after being bought out by the Rockets on Tuesday. Lawson was having far and away the worst season of his career in Houston, averaging just 5.8 points and 3.4 assists per game. To put that into perspective, the point guard's career averages are 13.3 points and 6.2 assists per game, and his PER last season with the Nuggets (18.50) was more than double that of this season thus far (9.04). Putting it bluntly: Lawson is having an awful season, and given the Rockets "Run 'n Gun" system that a speedy point guard like himself should've thrived in, the poor performances are likely more of his own fault rather than Houston's. Thus I'm not so sure whether the 28-year-old can turn it around as George Hill's backup in Indy.
(also on the Pacers: the team and SF/SG Chase Budinger are "close" to a buyout agreement, according to sources)

STEPHEN CURRY:

I have no words. I just don't even know what to say. So I'll just show you this list: (of most threes in a single game, all-time)

And this one too: (of most threes made in a season, all-time)

Both of these records were set against the Thunder. Keep in mind that Curry still has 23 games to go for this 2015-16 year, and already broke his own single-season three-point record (twice, I may add)! This dude is absolutely unbelievable.

KRYRIE IRVING. Oh man. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN had a quite astonishing report: that star PG Kyrie Irving, who has played his entire career with Cleveland, "isn't happy" there, and that "under ideal circumstances he would prefer to be someplace other than Cleveland." Irving somewhat denounced the report in a sort of vague fashion, stating that "obviously there are going to be misunderstandings", adding that "my communication is open with all of my teammates." Imagining the Duke product anywhere other than Cleveland is quite difficult, and Irving has returned from his injury quite well, averaging 23.1 points and 5.2 assists per game in February. With the Cavs at 42-17 and tops in the East as usual, it's unlikely that this report actually comes to fruition, assuming that "winning cures everything".

DEMARCUS COUSINS, why is it that you always seem to make headlines for all the wrong reasons? I mean, here is just your average game more or less, with superstar Clippers PG Chris Paul and his incredible 40 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds edging out Sacramento and superstar C DeMarcus Cousins' 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists for a 117-107 LAC victory. But then Paul went for a steal on Cousins, and this happened (watch the replay starting from 0:29):

For the most part, Cousins has matured since leading the league in technical fouls a few seasons ago. But it's dumb stuff like this that reminds us that the Kings will always be the Kings.

TWIB: FEB 20-26

2/27/2016

Note: There was no TWIB for the February 14-20 week because I was making Trade Grades!

THE POST-DEADLINE ACTION was probably just as nuts as the trade deadline action itself! Let's break it down:

- SG/SF Joe Johnson was bought out by Brooklyn in the final year of his disastrous 6 year/$120 million deal. Johnson has since signed with Miami, where his 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season will be of great use.

- The Nets also waived PF Andrea Bargnani. He was the #1 overall pick in the 2006 draft, but is only averaging 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game this year.

- C/PF Anderson Varejao has been waived by Cleveland. Varejao has played all 12 years of his career with the Cavs, but is averaging just 2.6 points and 3 rebounds this season. He has since signed with the Warriors for the veteran's minimum.

- The Celtics released PF David Lee, who was then signed by Dallas. Lee is averaging 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season.

- The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly close to a buyout with SG Kevin Martin, after they have already bought out PG Andre Miller. Miller is averaging 3.4 points and 2.2 assists in 10.8 minutes per game and has signed with the Spurs. Martin is averaging 10.6 points per game in 21.4 minutes, and is also a candidate to sign with San Antonio. Coincidence? (probably)

- The trade between Houston and Detroit, where the Rockets sent PF Donatas Motiejunas and SG Marcus Thornton in exchange for C Joel Anthony and a protected 2016 first-rounder, after Motiejunas failed his physical. Several key fallouts of this:
1. Thornton was then waived by Houston
2. The trade where the Rockets sent Anthony to Philly has also been undone, as Anthony remains in Detroit
3. Overall, this just sucks for Houston

ANTHONY. FREAKING. DAVIS. is an absolute beast. On February 21st, Davis dropped a career-high 59 points to go along with 20 rebounds in a 111-106 win over Detroit. The mark surpassed DeMarcus Cousins' (C, SAC) 56-point effort as the highest scoring output this season. The Pelicans big man joins Shaq as the only players to have dropped at least 55 and 20 in the past 40 years. On the season, AD is averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.

JAMES HARDEN, what are we ever going to do with you? A new report has been circulating that Harden had "pushed management" to fire ex-head coach Kevin McHale, and more recently, to trade C Dwight Howard. I've made my opinion on players doing anything but playing very clear in the past, and this situation is no exception. But Harden is still an elite superstar, a top-5 player in this league for sure, and the face of the franchise. The only problem is that the franchise is in absolute turmoil as this disaster of a season, both inside and out, continues to unfold.

TWIB: Feb 5-12

2/12/2016

CHAUNCEY BILLUPS got his No. 1 jersey retired by the Detroit Pistons this week, the fifth jersey retirement in Pistons history. "Mr. Big Shot" was no doubt an amazing player, a 5-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA selection, and 2004 Finals MVP with Detroit, during his 2002-2008 tenure with the team. Billups is also known as one of the greatest free throw shooters of all time, with a career 89.4% stroke. Ben Wallace had only recently got his number retired with the team, and rumor has it that third member of the '04 championship squad, Rip Hamilton, will have his jersey in the rafters soon enough. This team is basically the definition of "defense wins championships".

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LEBRON AND KOBE... traded for each other?! Apparently, the Lakers had actually called the Cavaliers back in 2007 to discuss a swap of the two legends. The then-28 Bryant was averaging 31.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, while the 22 year old LeBron was putting up 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in his fourth year. Cleveland declined the offer, saying LeBron was "untouchable", but counter-offered literally anyone else on their roster for Kobe, although LA obviously said no. This whole situation came on the heels of Bryant pretty much demanding a trade, but Kobe did have a no-trade clause.

"I never would've approved it. Never. The trade to go to Cleveland? Never. That wasn't one of the teams that was on my list. It was Chicago, San Antonio [or] Phoenix," Bryant said.

"I believe it. If you give up one big fish, you got to give a big fish too," LeBron said.

Obviously the 2009 and 2010 titles, of which The Mamba won both Finals MVPs, are proof that everything worked out in the end for the Lakers. Cleveland, however, is still waiting for that fairy-tale ending...

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TRADE RUMOR ROUNDUP:
- Hawks might have made Kyle Korver (ATL, SG), Jeff Teague (ATL, PG), and Al Horford (ATL, C/PF) available
- Cavs interested in Kyle Korver (ATL, SG)
   - CLE also looking at Tyreke Evans (NOP, SF/SG), Ben McLemore (SAC, SG), Trevor Ariza (HOU, SF/SG)
- Pacers and Magic are pursuing Jeff Teague (ATL, PG)
   - IND offered PG George Hill for Teague, and have made Hill available
- Raptors "eyeing" Thaddeus Young (BKN, PF/SF), Kenneth Faried (DEN, PF)
- Heat "gauge" interest in Hassan Whiteside (MIA, C)
- Unclear if Rockets have made C Dwight Howard available
- Celtics unlikely to get either Horford or Howard; GM Danny Ainge taking "cautious, prudent" approach...

...and so much more! The trade deadline isn't even for another few weeks (March 1st at 3:00 PM EST), so stay tuned!

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CAN WE PLEASE just take a moment to admire how incredible the Warriors are? I understand that the media (sorry) is constantly shoving them and Stephen Curry down your throat, but don't let that detract you from their greatness. For starters, Golden State is 48-4 (0.923). Wow. For perspective, the record is still Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Bulls' 72-10 (0.878) mark. If the Warriors were to finish the season 25-5 (0.833), they would beat the "untouchable" record!

Yeah, I could've taken this segment to talk more about trade rumors, or more made-up Westbrook-to-the-Knicks junk, or (like I probably should have) discuss the HOF Finalists. But I'm asking you all to just relax a little bit on the hate. We are witnessing history here, people.

Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Izzo, and Kevin Johnson highlight the list. There, now I can't feel guilty.

TWIB: Jan 30-Feb 4

2/5/2016

JEFF HORNACEK has been fired by the Phoenix Suns, effective immediately. After leading a middle-of-the-pack roster to a surprising 48-34 mark in his inaugural 2013-14 season as head coach, Hornacek finished an average 39-43 last season, and was only 14-35 this season (0.286) at the time of his firing. Even with the Western Conference in decline, Phoenix clearly failed to capitalize, especially due to the season-ending injury of PG Brandon Knight and the turmoil still surrounding PF/SF Markieff Morris, who has been disgruntled (to say the least) ever since the front office traded away his brother, Marcus, to Detroit. Phoenix allegedly had “strong interest” in legendary floor general Steve Nash for their vacant HC role, but Nash is “not ready for a full-time head coaching role.” According to sources, don’t be surprised if GM Ryan McDonough makes a run at the coveted Luke Walton, who went 39-4 with the Warriors this season as a fill-in for Steve Kerr. The Suns promoted assistant coach Earl Watson to interim head coach for the time being.

ONE HECK OF A WEDNESDAY. February 3rd was arguably the most impressive day of basketball we have seen this season thus far. In the Magic-Thunder game alone, PG/SG Russell Westbrook had 24 points, 19 rebounds, and 14 assists, while SG Victor Oladipo for Orlando had 37 points. Tied at 114, Thunder PF Serge Ibaka blocked Oladipo’s potentially game-winning layup with seconds left, and SF Kevin Durant hit the decisive three-pointer (as part of his 37 points) with just 0.5 seconds remaining. What a game.
And then of course we have the Warriors-Wizards game, which was a blowout, but certainly the best blowout I’ve ever seen. Of course the whole conversation starts and ends with PG Stephen Curry, who had 51 points and 7 assists as part of Golden State’s 134-121 victory. His counterpart, Wizards PG John Wall, was no slouch either, dropping 41 points and 10 assists in the loss. SF/PF Draymond Green posted his 10th triple-double (could we call it a quadruple-double since it’s his tenth?) of the season as well, with 12 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks too for good measure.
For the record, Draymond and Westbrook now have a combined 18 triple-doubles. The rest of the league also has a combined 18 triple-doubles.

TRADE RUMORS are once again circulating like crazy. And guessing the man in the middle of it all would only take a guess or two: Celtics GM Danny Ainge. Ainge has a plethora of trade assets at his disposal, and has reportedly inquired, unsuccessfully, about Nuggets SF Danilo Gallinari and Rockets C Dwight Howard, but the asking price is steep for both stars.
The Bucks have also reportedly put PF/C Greg Monroe and PG/SG Michael Carter-Williams on the trade block, although GM John Hammond said that he “can’t imagine life without” Monroe.
The Pistons and Nets may also have mutual interest regarding Detroit PG Brandon Jennings, who has averaged 6.9 points and 3.3 assists on a dismal 36.6% shooting in just 14 minutes per game in the 20 games he has played since returning from an achilles injury. The starting point guard role is clearly Reggie Jackson’s in Detroit, which would make Jennings a perfect buy-low target for a team like Brooklyn, although Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy calls the trade rumors “made-up sh*t”.

ADAM SILVER has changed his stance on the “Hack-A” issue. Before this season, the Commissioner put the onus on the players, stating that “a guy’s got to be able to make his free throws” if fouled intentionally. But now, after 69% of the 300 intentional fouls committed this season were against just three players: DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond, and Dwight Howard, Silver has changed his mind: “I'm increasingly of the view that we will be looking to make some sort of change in that rule this summer… It's just not the way we want to see the game played." Drummond, for instance, set an NBA record by missing 23 free throws out of his 36 attempts. But super-duper-mega star LeBron James disagrees with Silver: "If that's a part of the game and you have a guy that is a bad free throw shooter and you put him on the line, that's a part of strategy.” No matter your stance on the issue, it’s quite ridiculous that your 10-year-old child can make a higher percentage of their free throws than someone making $20 million per year.

TWIB: Jan 23-29

1/30/2016

THE TORONTO RAPTORS have now extended their winning streak to a franchise-best 10 straight games after their 103-93 win over the Knicks on Thursday night. Now, #WeTheNorth sits at 31-15 and just two games back of the Cavaliers for the East’s top spot. Their success can be largely attributed to the All-Star backcourt duo of PG Kyle Lowry and SG/SF DeMar DeRozan, who have averaged a combined 48 points per game over the course of the win streak. But Lowry and DeRozan, albeit even better now, have always been good; perhaps the biggest reason for the team’s improvement as of late has been C Jonas Valanciunas, who since returning from a hand injury in late December, has averaged 16.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per 36 minutes. Toronto now ranks in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, after finishing 23rd in the latter category last year. The future return of defensive specialist SF DeMarre Carroll will only further help the defensive cause, but unfortunately Carroll will likely be out until at least late February with a knee injury. Just in case you were wondering what all the ruckus was aboot, eh?

THE ALL-STAR RESERVES have been announced! Here you go people:

In the East, few can be disappointed with the backcourt decisions of Butler, DeRozan, Thomas, and Wall. Perhaps the next closest candidate would be Pistons PG Reggie Jackson or Bucks SG/SF Khris Middleton, but you’d have a hard time making the case to me to remove any of the aforementioned four. In the East frontcourt, many wanted Bulls PF/C Pau Gasol, who actually came close to taking Carmelo’s spot as a starter in the fan voting, or Cavaliers PF/C Kevin Love, but again, it’s difficult to say which of Bosh, Drummond, or Millsap should lose their spots for Pau or Love. In the West backcourt, I have to say, as great as Klay is, I legitimately believe that Lillard should have that spot. Lillard averages more points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game than Thompson, and defeats the Warriors’ SG in PER 21.7 to 18.2. In the West frontcourt, many are upset over the decision to add Spurs PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge over the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Gordon Hayward, and Dirk Nowitzki, but the case is far from stone-cold for either of the three over the second-best player on the second-best team. What is most surprising is that new Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue will be coaching the East, and his career record as head coach is a whopping 2 wins and 1 loss, while his counterpart, West head coach Gregg Popovich, has well surpassed the 1,000 win milestone, not to mention 5 championships along the way.

BLAKE GRIFFIN made headlines for all the wrong reasons this week. On Tuesday, Griffin “came to blows” with close friend and assistant equipment manager Matias Tasti. Even worse, he suffered a spiral fracture in the incident, and after undergoing surgery, LAC announced the superstar PF would miss 4-6 weeks. Griffin may also miss additional time due to a potential suspension from the league following the incident, as Commissioner Adam Silver reviews the case. Quite shockingly, according to ESPN, "I've always heard rumblings, and I don't know if I really believe them, but what I've heard is that if Doc had to pick one to trade, he would pick Blake...". It's worth noting that the Clippers have been 13-3 since the Oklahoma product went down with a quad injury and some stats point towards Griffin not meshing well with his teammates this season. Still, Blake has no doubt remained a superstar, averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game on 51% shooting.

JUST IN CASE there haven’t been enough Kobe-Jordan comparisons in the past two decades, there have been more! After Dirk Nowitzki recently called Kobe “our generation’s Michael Jordan”, Derrick Rose came up with an unbelievably original comment that nobody has ever seen or even thought of before. Brace yourselves, people, for these quite riveting and absolutely revolutionary words:

“He’s our generation’s Michael Jordan.” -Derrick Rose

No. Freakin’. Way! Who would have ever thought to compare Kobe to Jordan?!

"One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael's superior skills as a leader.” -Phil Jackson
"He ranks right there with Jordan." -Pat Riley
"He reminds me of Michael Jordan.” -LeBron James
“I see a lot of myself in him. No doubt about it.” -Michael Jordan

Oh, I guess quite a few notable people.
Ok, yes, props to Derrick Rose for showing respect to two legends. But my point is that it’s almost annoying that this makes headlines every single time someone says it. We get it already -- Jordan and Bryant had/have similar play styles.

Relax.

But then again, this is a headline about complaining about headlines...

TWIB: Jan 16-22

1/24/2016

DAVID BLATT has been fired! News broke on Friday that Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin pulled the plug on Blatt, and LeBron "was not consulted, only informed" of the decision. But one can assume that The King had everything to do with the firing: when Blatt was initially hired in the summer of 2014 (as LeBron came back home), James and his agent Rich Paul had already drawn up Blatt's replacement: ex-Warriors coach Mark Jackson. Blatt also had trouble adjusting to "LeBron World", where James would talk openly about his issues regarding the staff, had more coaching power than did Blatt, and sometimes wouldn't even do the drawn-up play.
Still, Blatt led an injured Cavs team to a 53-29 record and a Finals appearance last year, and was 30-11 and #1 in the East so far this season. Coaches around the league were disappointed with the firing, and Celtics coach Brad Stevens said that Blatt "won't be unemployed for long."
Assistant head coach Tyronn Lue was named as the new head coach and signed to a 3 year/$9.5 million deal. It should come as no shock that: "James' fondness for Lue and his desire to be coached by a former player were well known in the organization, as were issues with Blatt." For the record, Cleveland lost 96-83 in Lue's debut. Lue has been very respectful about the whole process, even stating that Blatt should coach the East for the All-Star game.
We're told that LeBron had nothing to do with the firing, but we know that's not the case. As a wise man once said: "Let the managers manage, let the coaches coach, and let the players play."

THE ALL-STAR VOTING RESULTS are in for the starters. In the West (in order of most to least votes): Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook. Why Kobe was there, again (over the likes of Draymond Green, James Harden, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Chris Paul, etc.), is beyond me, and my opinion on the entire voting process can be read here. In the East (sorted same way), we got LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Paul George, Kyle Lowry, and Carmelo Anthony. Pau Gasol missed out on taking Carmelo's starting spot by a mere 360 votes (they each received around 567,000). Remember that these 10 starters were voted only by the fans, and the remaining 20 spots (10 for each conference) will be selected by the coaches. The All-Star game itself will be on Saturday, February 13 in Toronto. Because the NBA is "going international", right?

STEVE KERR on the other hand, is back! After spending half of the season recovering from offseason back surgery, the 6-time champ returned to the bench for Saturday night's win against the Pacers. Kerr, of course, led the Warriors to a league-best 67-15 record last season, as well as the team's first NBA title in 40 years in six games over the Cleveland Cavaliers (and David Blatt). Luke Walton stepped up admirably in Kerr's absence, however, leading Golden State to a 39-4 record. But unfortunately for him, Walton will get credit for none of those wins, as he was only an interim head coach while Kerr was still the official head coach, and wins can only be credited to the head coaches. Walton, who still won Coach of the Month in November, has an official record of 0-0 with the Warriors, while Kerr will usurp those wins and now has an official record of 107-19. Poor Luke, but on the bright side his father isn't Darth Vader (or should I say light side? Or dark side? Forget it).

JOSH SMITH is also back... to Houston. The Clippers' forward was just not working out, averaging 5.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 14.5 minutes per game on a mere 38.3% shooting from the field. After a colossal failure in Detroit for a couple of years, Smith signed with Houston partway through last season, and actually played a key role for the team: 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while knocking down a respectable 33% of his three-pointers. The teams swapped the draft rights to Sergei Lishouk (to Houston) and Maarty Leunen (to LA) in the deal. Smith needs the Rockets, and the Rockets need Smith, but Houston, you still have a problem.

TWIB: Jan 9-15

1/15/2016

THE TRADE BLOCK is heating up. Again. According to Cleveland.com, “influential figures in the Cavaliers locker room” are open to acquiring disgruntled PF/SF Markieff Morris from Phoenix. Whether or not “influential figures” means LeBron, we don’t know. However, the Cavs do have a $10.5 million trade exception that is perfect for Morris’ reasonable $8 million contract, and the quality forward’s trade value is at an all-time low… The Pelicans have also reportedly rejected a Kings offer to swap New Orleans’ PF Ryan Anderson with Sacramento’s SF Rudy Gay. An interesting proposal for sure, but the money wouldn’t work anyways if the trade was just these two players, so it would depend on who else was involved, which again, we don’t know… Celtics PF/C David Lee is rumored to be available, and for good reason. For one, Lee is a disastrous fit in Boston, as he was in Golden State, because these two teams are first and fourth in pace, respectively. Lee, who is better suited in post-up situations and to crash the glass rather than spread the floor and hustle up and down, is thus an unnatural fit. In addition, the 32 year old’s $15.5 million expiring contract makes him the perfect chip to even out the money if the Celtics were able to flip some draft picks for say, C DeMarcus Cousins (or even for someone realistic too!).

PAU GASOL, however, is for sure the biggest name who is on a team that actually wants to trade him (sorry about that, DeMarcus). Chicago has reportedly put their three of their best big men, Gasol as well as C Joakim Noah and PF/C Taj Gibson, on the market. It is no secret that the Bulls have way too much frontcourt depth, as impressive youngsters PF/SF Nikola Mirotic and rookie PF/C Bobby Portis have each proved that they are deserving of more minutes. Chicago has made it clear that they are looking to get younger, so a young wing player to pair with star SG/SF Jimmy Butler would presumably be at the top of their wish list. Don’t be surprised if Gibson is the one traded, but of the available three big men, Gasol is perhaps the most valuable, averaging 16.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. Wasn’t one of the reasons that Pau left the Lakers was to escape the constant trade rumors?

THE NETS now need a long-term replacement at both head coach and General Manager, after owner Mikhail Prokhorov fired HC Lionel Hollins and pushed GM Billy King out of his job. The top rumored candidate is Bryan Colangelo, son of Jerry Colangelo, who is eminent Suns owner/GM and current Chairman of the 76ers. Colangelo has served as GM of both his father’s Suns as well as the Raptors, winning the NBA Executive of the Year award in 2005 and 2007. Danny Ferry, the ex-GM of the Hawks who was fired for making controversial remarks about Luol Deng and Africans, is also rumored to be a candidate. Regarding the head coaching vacancy, rumor has it that Prokhorov has “reached out” to former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, and iseven going after eminent Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari. Landing Coach Cal is a long shot, but then again, so are the Nets in general.

DEMAR DEROZAN is going to get paid. The Raptors’ star shooting guard has a player option for a mere $9.5 million next year in Toronto, which he is sure to opt out of. Obviously this doesn’t mean that he’s necessarily heading south, but what it does mean is that DeRozan can demand up to a $25 million per year max contract, and already both the Raptors and his hometown Lakers are each reportedly willing to offer the two-time All-Star a deal around that figure. The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is having a career year this season, putting up 22.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game on a solid 44.6% shooting from the field. Obviously an eight figure paycheck is awesome, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure there are two worse NBA cities than Toronto and LA in terms of income tax.

TWIB: Jan 2-8

1/7/2016

KOBE BRYANT leads all vote-getters for the 2016 All-Star Game. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Dwyane Wade round out the top 5. I understand that fans want to send Kobe out with a bang, so that they can appreciate the legend's last All-Star appearance and all. But I mean... really? Does a guy who has shot 34% from the field really deserve to have more votes than LeBron and Durant combined? Or are All-Star awards, used highly in contract discussions and when comparing legends, becoming popularity contests rather than talent contests? All I know is that these voting results would make a lot more sense if the year was 2006.

ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE AND STEPHANIE READY made history on Wednesday night, as the Suns-Hornets game marked the first to ever have a female analyst for both sides in a single game, if you follow. Ready (pictured on the right) worked alongside Eric Collins and Dell Curry (yes, Stephen's father) in Charlotte's booth, while Meyers (pictured left) broadcasted for Phoenix. Women in sports is actually nothing new, contrary to popular belief, as Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon made headlines for leading San Antonio to a Summer League title. In addition, female referees are in several professional sports, especially the NFL, and to address the elephant in the room: NBA commissioner David Stern created the WNBA in a landmark event as far back as 1996. It's good to know that we're not stuck in the past on this issue.

BANDWAGONING. It's been around since time itself (kidding). It hit the Bulls in the '90's. The Lakers in the 2000's. The Heat in the 2010's. Basically, whatever team is the best, gets bandwagoners. That's just how it works. And despite a famously supportive fanbase over the past 40 tumultuous years in Golden State, the Warriors are only the latest victim. To be clear, bandwagoners are not criminals, they don't spread any infectious disease, and they're not bad human beings. They're just frustrating to us loyal fans, for obvious reasons, and they're perfect to make fun of. Like this poor guy pictured above, who likely represents millions but unfortunately for him (and fortunately for us) got caught. During the second quarter of Tuesday's game, where the Lakers hosted the Warriors at Staples center, this "fan" switched from a Kobe to a Curry jersey during the second quarter. Coincidentally the Warriors were up by double-digits at the time, and the defending champs took the game 109-88. Coincidentally.

TY LAWSON is suspended again on DUI charges, this time for three games by his own team, the Rockets. But this one is not his fault, though (well, it still is): the suspension is stemming from his DUI arrest in July, 2015 for being intoxicated while behind the wheel. If you recall, Lawson was promptly traded from Denver to Houston after the incident, and has actually stayed out of trouble since. Which to some, is somewhat surprising. Why? Because, if you recall (again), the July incident was Lawson's fourth DUI arrest since his college days at UNC. While doing well off the court this year, it is on the court that are the cause of Lawson's troubles this season: the point guard is averaging a meager 6.4 points and 4.3 assists per game (on 37.1% shooting) this year; a sharp drop-off from last season's career stat line of 15.2 points and 9.6 assists on 43.6% shooting. Here's to hoping Ty eventually puts together a good season both on and off the court.

TWIB: Dec 25-Jan 1

1/1/2016

CLEANTHONY EARLY is reportedly out for 6-12 weeks after being shot in the knee during a robbery early Wednesday morning. The Knicks forward is reportedly in stable condition, and his early MRI reports showed "no structural demage or surgery needed on the shot knee" which is good news. He thanked his fans via Instagram and Twitter: "Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers... this is a minor setback for a major comeback!" Superstar teammate Carmelo Anthony issued a plea for gun control following the shooting, stating that "We are all targets." Carmelo added that "We need to do a better job of putting ourselves in a safer environment" regarding the controversial topic of gun control. This is obviously not a politics blog, but 'Melo has a point. Wishing all the best for a speedy and healthy recovery for Cleanthony Early!

WEDNESDAY REALLY IS OPPOSITE DAY! Well, at least in the basketball world. The Warriors lost on the same day that the 76ers won, making Golden State 29-2 and Philadelphia 3-31. The 76ers actually have now won 2 of their last 3 with a narrow loss sandwiched in between, and might actually be finally figuring things out. New acquisition Ish Smith scored 18 points in the win -- maybe Philly deserved even higher than a B+. Golden State, on the other hand, took a beating at the hands of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, losing 114-91 in a game that wasn't even as close as the box score indicates. And the box score doesn't even indicate that it's close at all. In all fairness, the Warriors were without superstar PG Stephen Curry, who will miss a couple of games due to a lower leg injury. But then again, in all fairness, star SG Klay Thompson was awful in an attempt to step up for his fellow splash brother, scoring only 10 points on 4/15 shooting and was tied for the highest scoring Golden State starter. Yikes, I think the secret to the Warriors' success is pretty obvious (Curry).

THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS were supposed to take a step back after superstar PF Blake Griffin's latest injury, but that hasn't been the case. With Thursday's hard-fought 95-89 victory over the Pelicans, LA has just completed a perfect 5-0 road trip. Griffin, of course, will be out another week with a partially torn left quandon. But no Blake, no problem for the Clippers. You would assume that superstar PG Chris Paul and C DeAndre Jordan have stepped up in Blake's absence, and you would be correct, but SG J.J Redick has scored at least 25 points in 3 of the last 4 games, and was the leading scorer each time. LA has now willed themselves from a dreadful 6-7 start to a now 21-13 (.618) record, good for fourth in the West. To quote the movie 8 Mile with Eminem: "Don't choke this time."

THE SHOOTING STARS event at All-Star weekend has been scrapped, according to Heat star PF/C Chris Bosh. "Team Bosh", featuring Bosh, NBA legend Dominique Wilkins, and WNBA star Swin Cash are the three-time defending champions, but unfortunately the event will not continue in Toronto due to some currently unknown reason. This comes to the dismay of Raptors star PG Kyle Lowry, who wanted to perform in the event in front of his home crowd. It is unknown what, if anything, will replace the Shooting Stars event, which has been part of the All-Star festivities since 2004.