Hawks Slide All The Way Down to Eighth Spot in the East

Just two months ago, the Atlanta Hawks seemed to have a firm grasp on the 3rd seed in the eastern conference. However, after suffering the team suffered through a litany of injuries that resulted to ever-changing lineups and rotations, the Hawks suffered strings of losses. Players on the team had struggled as their roles got changed from one game to another as the coaching staff tried to patch up the holes that is left by the absence of injured players.

 After going 2-8 in their last 10 games, the Hawks are now below .500 with 26 wins and 29 losses. The team is currently holding the 8th and the last playoff spot in the east.

Although they have comfortable lead over the 9th-place Detroit Pistons, they will have to turn things around in a major way if they wish to reach the playoffs. This is going to be hard considering the fact that the team is not out of the woods yet in terms of injury situation. It also didn't help that the front office didn't make any improvements before the trade deadline ended.

If the team is going to turn things around, it will have to rely on individual improvements from players.

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Despite Carmelo Wanting to Stay, Knicks Future Still in a Bind

With the horrible season the team is having, talks of trades regarding the New York Knicks didn't exempt anybody on the team. Even Carmelo Anthony, the franchise's prized star, was involved in trade rumors. Anthony is planning to opt out of his contract by the end of the season and this meant that the team could lose him for zero return. As such, talks of trades were only logical.

However, Anthony recently expressed his desire to stay with the team. In a story by Marc Berman of the New York Post, the 30-year old forward said:

"I don’t want to be traded. I came to New York, I said before I wanted to retire here. I said it, meant it. That’s how I feel. I still feel strongly about that. That’s why at the end of the season, everything has to be laid out — something that we can grow with and build on."

Despite his desire to stay, the future of the team is still in question. Anthony wants to compete but with the current salary situation of the team, making an improvement is going to be a very tough challenge as the Knicks are already locked to pay $91 million for next season. Unless the Knicks front office can conjure a miracle, the team is going to be stuck in a bad shape for at least one more season.

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No Westbrook No Problem for OKC Thunder

As of the writing, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a record of 43 wins and 12 losses. This record puts the team on top of the league. While having the best record is already impressive, what makes it even more amazing is that the team is winning games despite missing their best player in dynamic guard Russell Westbrook.

The driving force behind this success is forward Kevin Durant who has been playing absurdly well. The 25-year old is doing it all as he averages 31.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists so far this season. He is also making shots at high percentage as reflected by his 51% field goal percentage.

In the absence of Westbrook, backup guard Reggie Jackson has proven his capability to handle point guard duties. He is a solid  defender and also has the speed and finishing ability near the rim which makes him a tough cover for opposing guards. In a way, Jackson is what many thought Westbrook should be.

Since he entered the NBA to play alongside Durant, many criticized Westbrook for being too aggressive on offense. He looks for his own shot far too often which resulted for poor forced shots. While there are plenty of advantage to Westbrook's aggressiveness, Jackson has shown how the powerful and scary the team can be when it is able to take advantage of Durant's various abilities.

Watching the Thunder right now reminds me of the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks. The team that went on to win the championship relied on Dirk Nowitzki for offense. Dirk was impossible to guard on 1-on-1 back then and when he was doubled-team, he was able to make the right decisions. It is very much the dame for Durant right now who puts up points and facilitates well. The only difference is that Durant today is way much better than Dirk in 2011.

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Outdated Post: Grizzlies Slips Into a Playoff Spot, Mavericks Slips off

This is a bit late and thus outdated but for my personal record-keeping purposes, I've decided to just post this right here. It's about the time last week when the Grizzlies where able to temporarily slip into a playoff spot. Obviously, it's not true now but whatever.

Grizzlies Slips Into a Playoff Spot, Mavericks Slips off

After a strong run to start the year that saw them win 13 of their 16 games, the Memphis Grizzlies have slipped into the 8th playoff spot in the very competitive western conference. The team started season poorly due to a new and more fast-paced system the coaching staff was trying to put in place. A couple of weeks later, the team fell back on their old and lumbering system which allowed them to win a string of games. However, they lost their defensive anchor in center Marc Gasol as he injured his knee on November 22. The team struggled throughout the next month of December and the first two weeks of January.

However, after Gasol returned on January 14, the Grizzlies have improved their play. Their defense is back to its old stingy self and their offense is also much improved.

With the rise of the Grizzlies, it also meant that one other team had to fall. That team is the Dallas Mavericks who aren't exactly having that good of a run in January. Although Dirk Nowitzki is putting up some pretty good numbers, the team's unreliable defense has been its downfall. The team has only won 9 of their 17 games for the month which is far from being good and resulted to them slipping off the top 8 teams in the west.

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Indiana Pacers Interested in Bynum

Skilled 7-footers are rare and very valuable in the NBA. That is why it isn't surprising that the Indiana Pacers are reportedly interested in making recently waived center Andrew Bynum a part of the team. It was reported a day ago that Bynum and his agent are in Indianapolis and are very much likely in discussion with the Pacers.

Although Bynum has lost some mobility due to injuries, his elite skills can still allow him to contribute to a team despite playing limited minutes. The question now is if he can play as a backup behind Roy Hibbert who's one of the best centers in the league right now. If he can, then he will be a very big boost to the Pacers second unit as there's really no second-unit centers that can compare to his combination of size and skills.

Another point of interest with the Pacers signing Bynum is the fact that it will allow to stop other teams from getting their hands on the center. The team's advantage has always been their size and that is why it makes sense for them to deny opposing teams from getting players who could decrease their advantage.

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Kawhi Injures Right Hand Against OKC Thunder

During the January 22 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs wing Kawhi Leonard suffered a broken finger in his right hand and had to be taken out of the game and did not return after coming in contact with the arm of Thunder center Steven Adams in the second quarter of the game.

There is still no timetable for his return. The Spurs are already without two starters as guard Danny Green and center Tiago Splitter have also been out for a while due to injuries. These injuries are unfortunate as the Spurs are just about to enter the tough part of their regular season schedule and are competing with the Thunder and the Trailblazers for the best record in the western conference.

Leonard has been averaging 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds this season. He is the team's premier wing defender who often gets the unenviable assignment of checking an opposing team's best player. With him out for a while, the Spurs defense is certainly going to suffer.

76ers Looking to Trade Hawes and Turner

They are tanking. That there is the story for the Philadelphia 76ers during the off-season. Stuck in mediocrity for years as they reached the playoffs but just never looked competitive enough, many believed that the best plan for the team is to throw away the season and improve their chances for the 2014 draft.

During the off-season, the management decided to trade away fast-rising point guard Jrue Holiday for a Nerlens Noel, a rookie recovering from ACL injury and likely to miss the entire season. It became clear that winning wasn't a part of the plan for the team this season. The is looking for building blocks and the upcoming draft provides quite a few of those. The worse the record, the better the chances of the team getting a good player. Obviously, losing was the way to go and bookmakers have pegged the 76ers to win around 12 games this season.

Spencer Hawes

However, the season didn't went the way many expected it to go. They played fast and aggressive and teams who weren't prepared were surprised by the pesky energetic team. Racking up some unexpected wins that the anticipated 12-win team has already surpassed the mark only mid-way to the season. Several players on the team has been playing quite well this year and have become attractive to other teams and thus have had their trade value increased. Two of these players are Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner who are now reportedly being shopped around for trades.

Evan Turner

Both Hawes and Turner have expiring contracts after this season which are valuable by itself for other teams looking to have a cap room to sign free agents in the next off-season. They are also quite valuable for their abilities. Hawes is a big man who can stretch the floor with his shooting while Turner has been a better dynamic guard who can make plays and can score.

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Weak East is Bad for the West

As of writing, among the 15 teams in the NBA's eastern conference, only 4 teams have above .500 records. The western conference, on the other hand, have 9 teams with above .500 record. This data paints an unflattering picture of the lopsided situation the team is in. I guess this isn't really something new as the east always seemed to be the inferior of the two conferences for years now.

It is also this long-standing status of unbalanced conferences that have resulted to many debates among basketball fans whether the NBA should adapt a new playoff structure. After all, if the playoff season is supposed to feature the best teams, why are bad teams get to play while good teams miss out due to geological reasons? I don't think anyone can argue with the idea that those who perform better should be rewarded better. 

Anyways, more than just about giving the deserving teams the proper rewards, there is also the issue of the weak eastern conference giving some advantage to the some of the teams. When the playoff season comes around, eastern teams like the Heat and the Pacers are going to have an easy time reaching the finals as they'll be playing against the inferior teams in preceding rounds while western teams like the Spurs, Thunder and other good teams in the west will face tough challenges from round 1.

Aside from the playoffs, playing in the weaker conference will also allow teams to give their stars some much needed rest during the regular season as they don't have to play as many tough teams compared to the stronger conference.

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Defense Still a Problem for the Mavs

After winning the NBA championship for the 2010-11 season, one would thought that the Dallas Mavericks might have figured out the formula for winning titles or, at the least, being elite contenders. However, the team hasn't had much success since then. In the 2012 playoffs, they got booted out in the first round. In 2013, they missed the playoffs.

Over the off-season, the Mavs management tried to go after the big free agents. They failed and had to resort to finding what many considered lesser basketball talents. It wasn't exactly a bad move as I honestly think they've made some smart signings.

However, more than two months into the season and the team doesn't really look primed for a successful run this season. Their records isn't that bad with 20 wins and 15 losses. However, the way they are losing games, it is hard to imagine them winning games against the top teams in the western conference. 

While their offense has been decent, their deficiency on the defensive end is stopping them from consistently winning games. Due to have Mavs not having a good enough defensive wing, the team's defense is quite vulnerable to penetrating drives. This wouldn't have been so much of a problem if the team has a rim protector to somewhat patch the hole. However, the team doesn't have that guy and as a result, the entire defense ends up being compromised.

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Can the Nets Salvage their Season?

The Brooklyn Nets have mortgaged their future for a chance to win now. They have traded draft picks and are set to pay over $180 million in salary and luxury taxes that resulted from going over the salary cap. I could also add the lack of flexibility in terms of cap hold for the next season, but when the owner is willing to overspend, it really doesn't matter.

Anyways, we are all currently seeing what is happening with the win-now plan. The Nets right now are 11-21 and similar to the Knicks, have become a butt of jokes. In the first couple of weeks, many tried to explain the poor performance due to team chemistry and injuries. However, after two months into the season and the Nets are finally out of excuses.

As they are right now, I just don't see enough improvement from the team that would make me believe that they could still save the season. The injury to Lopez was a huge blow as the team lost one player who could produce consistently.

With him being out, the guys who will have to produce are a bunch of old guys who have been very inconsistent and unreliable this season. While they could surprise in some games, I doubt they can play consistently enough to save the season.

The Nets might be able to reach the playoffs due to the sheer volatility of the eastern conference, but I just don't see them having much of a success this year or the next unless some big moves are made, which is still very unlikely.

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NBA: Dragic Keying Suns Success

Talk about surprises. The Phoenix Suns right now are in a position that nobody expected them to be in. Their formula for success is simple. They play at a breakneck pace that not many teams can match up to. They are like a sports car that when they get it going, it is very hard to stop them. As all sports car, someone needs to be driving. On the driver seat right now is Goran Dragic.

The Slovenian point guard is not perfect by any means. His half-court game still could use some polishing here and there. However, is aggressiveness is just what the team needs.

He is so good in taking the ball to the basket and finishes quite well. In transition, he is almost unstoppable as he uses his explosive speed and contorts his body while in the air to make difficult layups look much easier.

EPL: Paulinho Suffer Ankle Injury

Hotspur midfielder Paulinho  has suffered a right ankle injury that could take him out for at least 4 weeks. Here's the announcement from the club's official website:

Following a MRI scan, the Club can confirm that Paulinho has sustained significant ligament damage to his right ankle after a heavy challenge from Charlie Adam during Sunday's win against Stoke City. The Brazil international was forced off as a result of the injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks.

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Atlanta Hawks Make Eastern Conference a Better Place

This was supposed to be a year of rebuild for the Atlanta Hawks. The team has finally let go of their long-standing franchise player in Josh Smith. Then there's the hiring of new coach Mike Budenholzer, a former long-time assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. During the time, this moves hinted a drastic change to the team, not only for the roster but with the system and culture.

In the NBA, drastic changes is often synonymous with a disastrous season. That is why prior to the start of the season, many Hawks fans were preparing for a tough year, consoling themselves with the potential to get a prime talent in what is expected to be a very talented draft pool next summer. The expectations were low.

However, two months into the season, the Hawks have been a pleasant surprise not only for its loyal followers but also for the general basketball fans. Despite the lack of a big-named player on the roster, the team has been playing great, competing well and winning against the better teams in the league. They are doing this with good ball movement on offense and solid work on the defensive end. The new way the team is playing is simply refreshing to watch, especially for Hawks fans. And to general basketball fans, the Hawks make the eastern conference a little bit more bearable.

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Spurs Continue to Struggle Against Good Teams

Despite their impressive 22-7 record, not everything is going smoothly for the San Antonio Spurs. So far this season, the team has been struggling when playing against the better teams in the league. Here are the teams and the number of losses they have so far this season:

• Trailblazers - 1
• Thunder - 2
• Rockets - 2
• Pacers - 1
• Clippers - 1

Each one of their losses had them being dominated throughout the game.  Why are the Spurs having a hard time against the better teams?

Don't Match Up Well With Athletic Teams

Having watched all their games this season, I have come to realize how poorly the Spurs match up against athletic teams. The team has a hard time stopping penetrations from speedy ball handlers which results to the entire defense being compromised. That is why against teams with an aggressive offensive player, the Spurs struggle to make stops in crucial parts of the games.

This shouldn't have to be a problem if the Spurs don't have a...

Lack of a Go-To Scorer

The lack of a go-to scorer is hurting the Spurs just as bad as the lack of an on-ball defensive stopper at the guard position. When the Spurs offense gets disrupted by the defense, the lack of a player that can create an offense by himself means that the possession is doomed to fail or requires a ton of luck to succeed. In recent years, this has become the responsibility of Tony Parker and his become quite good at it. This season, however, Tony is struggling in such situations and as a direct result, the Spurs are too.

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What's Wrong with the Spurs Resting Their Stars?

Recently, as I was visiting various forums and fan sites for NBA teams, I had a bit of argument regarding the Spurs and the way that coach Popovich is resting the old core of the team. I'm pretty sure you will remember last year's hullabaloo when he decided to send Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green back to San Antonio prior to the game against the Heat that resulted to a hefty $250,000 fine.

In Thursday's night game against the Warriors, Pop decided to sit Duncan and Ginobili. One reaction that really caught my attention was about how Pop is doing a disservice to the league by taking out the stars. There's the argument that it doesn't bode well with the spirit of the competition that the poster defined as playing at their highest level. The Spurs as they say with the decision to sit out players at certain games are smart, effective but wrong. 

Now, I don't mind someone telling me that they don't like these moves by the Spurs. However, saying that it is wrong is what is wrong. Saying that something is right or wrong is presuming  that the person saying it knows all about the morality of it.

If Pop sits out his stars, it is not with the intention to give the game away. What is morally wrong with that? If coaches are careful at managing his players on a per quarter minute basis for health reasons that would play an important role in the future, what makes Pop's decision to manage his team players' health in a bigger per-game basis wrong?

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As Cavaliers Falter, Irving Deserves Some Blame

Although he did miss a good chunk of games last season, Kyrie Irving was impressive when he played. His impressive play didn't always translate to wins, but I always alluded it to the inexperience of the team and the lack of key pieces. I thought about how scary the Cavaliers can be if he is surrounded with the right talent.

During the off-season, the Cavs loaded on players that in theory could work with Irving very well. The team signed Andrew Bynum to have reliable scorer down low. They added Earl Clark for to be a versatile forward who can hit shots and has good energy on defense. They also signed Jarrett Jack to back Irving in point guard duties. The rest of the roster looked solid and many believed that they could be one of the better teams in the eastern conference.

However, we are already almost two months into the season and the Cavaliers are currently out of the playoff picture at the number 9 spot of the east and have looked so bad in a handful of games. Just like many struggling teams, drama has brewed within the team. Many tried to find the reason for this debacle and as it stands right now, majority of the reason has been on Irving.

Irving hasn't quite lived up to the expectations many had for him. Looking at his stats, it doesn't look like he has improved much at all. In fact, he has struggled with his 3-point shooting. He is also being exposed as a liability on defense, often finding himself out of position and not being able to follow the defensive scheme that the coaching staff wants the team to be playing such as getting through screens. This puts the defense in peril as they don't really have guys who can cover for his mistake.

So far, the Cavs have faltered amidst expectations and Irving's performance is a primary reason for it. If the team is doing well, Irving would get plenty of credit as he is the best and currently the most important player on the team. Thus, it is also only fair that he deserves much of the blame if the team is underperforming as they are now.

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Lakers Coaching Faces a Tough Challenge with the Return of Kobe

With the return of Kobe Bryant, there are many questions that needs answer. For basketball fans, a major concern is whether he will be as good as he was before the injury. For the Lakers, the main concern is how to Kobe will be able to fit into the lineup.

The Lakers have surpassed the expectations of many who predicted the team to greatly struggle this season. In what seems like a plot for a movie, the roster full of misfits are playing surprisingly well, always giving a hundred percent effort and showcasing a brand of basketball that is simply fun to watch. Aside from taking advantage of their athleticism through transition offense, they are also moving the ball quite well in half-court sets.

There comes the concern. Kobe has always been the type of player who needs the ball in his hands to be effective. This means that his return could adversely affect that good ball-movement that the team is showcasing right now.

The Lakers coaching staff who has done a marvelous job to start this season will have their biggest challenge yet as Kobe returns. They will need to figure out how to get Kobe to fit in the system while not disrupting the way that team has been playing.

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NBA Coaches are Underappreciated

A team is winning? Go players! A team is losing? The coach sucks! Fire him!

The importance of coaching in the NBA is often underappreciated by many fans. If a team wins, all the credit are directed towards the awesome performance of the players. The only time a coach can get attention is when the team is playing bad and he becomes the one to blame. There is a double-standard against coaches in the NBA and the reason for this isn't so complicated but can be offending.

Getting straight to the point, many NBA fans lack the necessary knowledge about the sport to grasp the importance of coach's role on the team.

A Perfect Example

A good example for this is Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra who gets disrespected a lot by fans due to having three elite players playing for him. A common slight is that any coach can win a championship with the amount of talent on the team.

Case in Point

However, you don't need to look farther than the Heat defense to see how good of a coach Spoelstra is. As potent as their offense might be, the Heat needed to have a very good defense to win their championships.

His scheme has allowed the Heat team which plays small lineups to have one of the best defense in the league. The team is playing an aggressive yet disciplined defense that negates much of their size disadvantage. It is chaotic yet methodical.

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Rose Injury: Early and Painful Conclusion to the Season for the Bulls

The return of Derrick Rose gave the Chicago Bulls and its throngs of fans a good reason to be hopeful prior to the start of this season. Everyone has seen what the former MVP can do when he is healthy and playing at his best. He gives the tough defensive team a boost on offense that allows them to stand toe-to-toe with the best clubs in the league.

However, less than a month into the season, the hope has been dashed with another potentially season-ending injury to Rose. This is a big blow to the team and the player who missed the entire previous season while recovering from a left knee ACL injury.

Rose injured his right knee on Friday when the team played against the Portland Trailblazers. It was late in the third quarter and he was trying to make a backdoor cut when his knee seemed to have buckled. He limped to the sidelines and had to be assisted while heading to the locker room. There wasn't any details released at that time, but the non-contact nature of the injury gave fans a big reason to be scared.

On Saturday, reports came out that Rose has suffered from a torn meniscus and will require him to undergo surgery. Recovery from such injury is estimated to last between 4-6 months.

The Bulls who have been playing impressive after a rough start has a murky future ahead of them. They can still make the playoffs, but any hopes of contending for a title is very much out of the question right now.

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A Good Way to Have a Bad Season

In the NBA, there are really only three ways a team can improve. The first one is the acquisition of talented players through trades. The second one are the free agency signings. The third one is through drafts.  There is the argument for the fourth way which is the development of the players, but there will always a be ceiling when it comes to individual improvement. When a team signs a player, the salary already covers the potential and whatnot.

Anyways, in the above-mentioned ways for improvement, the acquisition of a talent through drafts is one of the most cost-effective method. Topnotch talents that can be acquired through trades and signings can demands maximum contracts that could cost more than $20 million per year while the rookie-scale salary is just around $4 million.

That said, it is easy to understand why certain teams prefer to improve or build team's through drafts. However, in order to have a good chance of being able to pick the best players in the draft, a team has to be one of the worst in the league. And this is the reason why there are teams who are willing to throw away or tank the current season so that they can build a better future.

However, throwing away a season is not an easy thing to do. As wise of a decision it might be, the loyal fans of the team can't help but feel the pain of constantly losing. That is why teams need to find a way to have a bad season that is less agonizing. A team that is able to do so can be considered as one who is tanking the season right.

This season, the Philadelphia 76ers are tanking the right way. By winning against some big-named teams at the start and playing hard every game, the 76ers have allowed the fans to take a glimpse of the possibility of a bright future, thus giving them hope and making them understand that although the season might be bad, something great will come out of it at the end.

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Houston Rockets Defensive Problem Continues

Last reason, the Rockets had one of the most exciting offense in the league. With their youth, they were always attacking aggressively on transition that allowed for easy layups and uncontested three-pointers as there weren't many teams who were able to run with them. This type of offense gave them a chance even against the better teams in the league. The only weakness for the team back then was the lack of defense.

The acquisition of Dwight Howard over the summer made everyone believe that the defensive woes for the Rockets have been solved. However, more than two weeks into the new season, the same defensive problem from last year is still haunting the Rockets. And here's the reason why.

Just like last year, the team's backcourt struggles in slowing down or stopping penetrations and they are also unable to properly cover pick-and-roll plays. This flaw of the team compromising its entire defense and even the best defensive center won't be able to help the team.

The insertion of a pesky defensive player in Patrick Beverly into the starting unit was supposedly going to solve this problem. But as you can see, it seems like it hasn't really taken effect at all. After the injury early in the season, Beverly hasn't played the fierce defense that he showed last season. Also, opposing teams are more conscious of James Harden's pathetic defense and are taking advantage of it.

Although a better defensive scheme would help, the Rockets could really use some better individual defense.

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