2014/2015
Projection: 42-40, third place Northwest Division, eleventh place Western
Conference
Actual Finish: 30-52,
fourth place Northwest Division, twelfth place Western Conference
|
Projected
2014/2015 Finish
19
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Actual 2014/2015
Finish
24
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Team
Statistics and League Rank
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders
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SDH’s Hero to Honor: +Jusuf Nurkic
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SDH’s Face to Forget: +JaVale McGee
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You have to feel sorry for the +Denver Nuggets because for their entire history they have been essentially been on the fringe of the +NBA getting little or no notoriety due to the team being essentially isolated in "no man's land." Whenever they have had a chance to be under the spotlight, the Nuggets time has been rather fleeting as they manage to only reach a certain point and upon reaching it, they slip away and are never heard from again. Once again, the Nuggets find themselves in that same predicament where after a decade of post season appearances with little or nothing to show for it, they are in danger of slipping and falling into the abyss once again never to be seen or heard from again. It took Denver eight years to return to relevancy in NBA and now after ten so-so years of just being at best a marginal playoff team, it is all coming a sad an abrupt end.If this sounds like a eulogy rather than a season recap and review, that is because it is supposed to be: after years of trying to avoid the inevitable, the "shroud of the darkness" has finally fallen upon NBA basketball in the Mile high City and Nuggets fans are left to pick up the pieces.
One have to give this organization for surviving so long in one of the smallest, most secluded sport markets in possibly the world while at the same time managing to remain competitive despite all the missteps taken and overall bad luck. The team spent a decade treading water in not only a world that ignored them, but a cruel and unforgiving Western Conference while having to endure losing hundreds of millions of dollars on failed free agent signings as they watched their hope fade away with each signed check. Such names as +Marcus Camby, +Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, JaVale McGee, and +Nene Hilario, have all disgraced the parquet floor of the +Pepsi Center to the tune of more than 200$ million total and both the fans and the organization watched as they fumbled on and off the court while picking up their undeserved paychecks. Although it owns some responsibility for their failed decision making, the Nuggets' front office basically had no choice but to overpay these free-loaders because otherwise, they would not be able to get anyone else otherwise to play for the team.As mentioned before, Denver can be considered as the black hole or the Bermuda Triangle of the NBA where many players come in, but few if any are able to come and by that time, it is too late and as their abilities, skills, and marketability have all been drained. +Carmelo Anthony saw this fate coming from miles away so before its cruel clutches pulled him any further and bleed his soul dry, he decided to take action by forcing a trade that would send him to the +New York Knicks--a move that would send both parties into a downward spiral. Nonetheless, even though the current marriage between the Knicks and Anthony has been a disaster thus far with both him and the team failing miserably to live up to fans' expectations, it is more than worth the price in Anthony's eyes to escape that frozen prison that he once called home. He would rather go down in history as one of the biggest free agent flops in not only Knick, but NBA history and suffer the pain and scars from are the arrows and rocks thrown at him rather than be remembered as a top tier star playing in a sports marketing wasteland on a team going nowhere. Sure, Nuggets may have survived and even temporarily thrived after Carmelo's departure, that was short lived as the team came crashing down to reality three years going from finishing among the top winners in the Western Conference in 2013 to completely falling off the radar the following season. No matter what anybody says about his lack of character, his selfishness being a detriment to his team, or his lack of effort to provide any effort on the defensive end, no one can say that Carmelo made the wrong decision leaving Denver because being the captain of a sinking ship is FAR better than being a king of a barren and desolate wasteland. Now with the Nuggets headed for yet another collapse, every player who has little or if any marketable value left on that team will be looking for a quick way out before the porthole closes and they are stuck to waste their best basketball player years of the harsh and dismal tundra otherwise known as Denver. So far the team's current leading scorer and assist man, +Ty Lawson has put up a brave facade saying nothing about wanting to leave the Mile High City in its most desperate hour; however, even he has his agent looking for a way out of having to waste his peak years of his playing career in an obscure, and indistinguishable city that is isolated from the rest of the world. The same goes for +Danilo Gallinari, who after this season, will have one year on his contract remaining and is probably headed to his homeland, make a pilgrimage to Vatican City and pray the rosary continuously until the Blessed Virgin grants him mercy and releases him from his bondage. +Wilson Chandler and +JJ Hickson are certainly almost in the clear because not only will their contracts at the end of next season, but unlike Gallinari who will be paid up to 11$ million, their deals are much more manageable and can be either traded or released before the season even starts. Unfortunately, some people just never learn because in spite off all the evidence warning of an apocalyptic future, +Kenneth Faried decided to sell his soul and stay on with the Nuggets signing a five year extension worth 60$ million (10/6/2014) freezing himself and his career to a bleak future indeed squandering his talents on a team that will at best be in the periphery of the NBA spotlight and nothing more. Many hardcore Nuggets fans living in Denver--because it is doubtful that there are many that are outside the state of Colorado--may consider this piece as a hack job to their believe team and they are right in most respects; however, whether they want to admit it or make, everything that has been said thus far remains the unequivocal truth. In its entire history, the Nuggets have not been more than a flash in the pan team that temporarily shines in the corner of the media's eye only to flicker off without anyone ever noticing it left. Credit the team's front office for keeping both the city and its NBA franchise remotely relevant for a decade before the red carpet for the post season was finally pulled up from under them after performing their redundant disappearing act qualifying for the first round of the playoffs only to be eliminated soon after. Now it is finally time to say that their 15 minutes of fame is over as the sky closes and both the team, its fans and the city will sink back into obscurity once more; however, it should be noted that in most eyes, the Nuggets had never left obscurity in the first place. So to conclude, here is a farewell toast: to the Denver Nuggets, who whether they win or lose, will always be a team that is ignored and disregarded by the NBA, its fans and the rest of the sporting world. |
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Showing posts with label number 24. Show all posts
Showing posts with label number 24. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 24. Denver Nuggets
Sunday, December 29, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 24. Detroit Pistons
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 6-9, third place Central Division
|
16
|
This Month:
24
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank
Points
Scored: 99.4 (18th)
Points
Allowed: 100.0 (19th)
Team
FG%: .455 (12th)
Opponent’s
FG%: .477 (30th)
Team
FT%: .690 (30th)
Team
Three Point FG%: .298 (30th)
Rebounds
per game: 41.7 (19th)
Opponents
rebounds per game: 40.8 (3rd)
Turnovers
per game: 14.5 (6th)
Opponents
turnovers per game: 17.9 (4th)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders
|
|
SDH’s Worst of the Month: Josh Smith
 He was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Detroit's busy off season, but has so far failed to live up to expectations as Josh Smith has come out of the gates struggling and his team's performance as a whole has been far from spectacular. From leading the +Atlanta Hawks in almost every statistical category last season and being regarded as one of the league's most dynamic and electrifying players, Josh Smith has yet to live up to the close to 60$ million contract that the Pistons signed him to. Both his scoring and rebounding numbers have significantly dropped from the previous season as he has produced as scant 13.4 points per game--far from his nearly 19 per game last season--while he has shot equally as terribly from the field at .381. Much of his decline in productivity has likely to do with the fact that he has played out of position at the small forward spot--a place where it has proven that he has been far less effective than his more comfortable power forward spot. Instead of getting the ball on the low block or in transition, he is forced to lurk around the perimeter since the paint is virtually clogged up by the presences of Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe thus not able to utilize his strengths which can certainly to pointed to the coaching staff not him. |
SDH’s First of the Month: Rodney Stuckey
 At a point where both the team and its fans have given up on him, Rodney Stuckey has come into the new season on fire posting probably the best numbers in his career at the Motor City. At November's end, Rodney finished the month of November leading the Pistons in scoring with all 17 points from the game while shooting a career high field goal percentage of .495. Not only is he lighting it up on the offensive end, but the 6'5"combo guard has also become quite a threat from the defensive end as well grabbing at least one steal per game--second behind team leader Josh Smith in that category. What is most notable facet about these numbers is that Stuckey has been doing this coming off the bench playing just 28 minutes per game thus making him possibly the most effective and efficient player Detroit has at this moment. If he continues at this pace, Rodney will certainly deserve consideration for both the NBA's most Improved Player,Sixth Man of the Year, or even both award upon season's end. |
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After four straight years of floundering in futility, it seemed as the wait was finally over for the long suffering fans of the Detroit Pistons as they have watched both their team and their city crumbling around them at all sides. With the news broadcasted worldwide that their city had filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy making it the largest US city to do so, Motor City denizens would at least have some hope to cling to after watching their NBA team have quite possibly its best off season in quite some time. First they went out and signed one of the most athletic and electrifying players in the game in Josh Smith, who has been undeservedly snubbed for a mention on the All Star team despite performing just as well or even better than those named ahead of him. They then went out and acquired via sign and trade another game changing player in Brandon Jennings, who filled in the team's desperate need for a quality point guard and further bolstered the position by welcoming back a former piece in the team's past championship glory, +Chauncey Billups, to add even further depth in the backcourt. With these three quality veteran additions added to their already emerging young core of talented and developing players, it looked as if the long wait would finally be over and NBA fans in Detroit will finally have something to cheer for, but as with everything else that is associated with this crippling city, the Pistons have once again failed to deliver for this long struggling fan base. To say that the Piston's start of the regular season was poor would be an understatement as they finished the month of November on a less than stellar note with a 6-9 record, but statistically they looked nothing like the roaring comeback team many projected them of being. For starters, they have started the regular season with one of the worse defenses in the league as the Pistons allowed their opponents to score more than 100 points per game on them, but also do so at a rather impressive clip at nearly .480 from the field to say the least. What is most disturbing about this trend is the Pistons' opponents are doing this against a supposed physically and athletically gifted front court consisting of smith, who is widely regarded as one of the best all around defenders in the league, and a couple of strong and powerful bruisers in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. Smith's all around game has struggled thus far in the early stage of the season posting some of the worst numbers in his career scoring just 13.4 points per game off of .381 shooting and although his defensive numbers remain somewhat solid at 1.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game, he certainly has not lived up to all his hype upon arriving in Detroit. At the same time, both Drummond and Monroe, despite performing rather well on the offensive end of the court, seem to be out of sync defensively as they allow themselves to get waxed on the court by their opponents on a regular basis and not looking like the dynamic front court force that they billed as coming into the season. Although it is early in the season, it still remains very shameful that such a stacked team blessed with so much size, skill and athleticism would allow themselves to be steamrolled defensively on a nightly like this and it could spell disaster if this trend were to continue. To make matters worse, Detroit's other major off season acquisition, Brandon Jennings, has not really disproved any of his doubters saying that he is not even worth mentioning when talking about the top point men in the league. For many years people in Milwaukee tirelessly hoped that Brandon Jennings would live up to the superstar potential he showed his rookie year when he surpised the basketball world logging two 55 plus games in his NBA debut. Unfortunately, that never really came to pass as try as he might, Jennings was never able to capture the same magic as his he did in his phenomenal rookie season and often got criticized for his less than spectacular assist numbers while at the same time posting less than efficient scoring numbers with his poor field goal percentage. Many thought that a change in scenery along with surrounding him with far more talented players may actually help Jennings reach his full potential and become the star that so many hoped and projected him to be. Sad to say, that has not happened, however, as Jennings has shown pretty much the same as he did in Milwaukee and have many doubting that he will ever emerge to be a true elite point guard in the NBA thus making him another major disappointment for Motor City fans who expected to get far more than what they have been getting thus far. In spite of the rather slow disappointing start to the regular season and the even more disappointing performance of their two highest profile players, the Detroit Pistons can at least have a couple positives in which to hang their hats on. For starters as a team, they execute one of the league's most efficient offenses as they rank among the top teams in the league in field goal percentage and limiting turnovers. And despite the team's inexcusable transgressions on the defensive end allowing their opponents to shoot nearly .500 from the field on them, they do force them to turnover the ball at a higher rate than most teams in the league which essentially balances out their flaws and does not expose them for being worse than they really are. Finally, the Pistons are very fortunate to be in an Eastern Conference that currently sucks beyond any measure with just three out of the fifteen teams having winning records while the rest currently wallow under the .500 mark. In such a bad conference, it is not a stretch to envision the Pistons still being able to earn themselves a playoff appearance despite their less than stellar performance to date, but that will still be considered a failure to basketball purists who expected so much more that the team has been giving thus far. With the team it currently has, Detroit should be performing at a far higher level than they have been doing thus far with the players that they brought in and the money that they had invested in them as well. They certainly should not be lingering in mediocrity with a less than stellar 6-9 record either; instead, with the talent and the depth the team possesses, Detroit should at least have the the inverse of that record at 9-6, or at worse finish 8-7. One can only hope that this month will be the exception and not part of the disappointing trend that has thus far afflicted the Eastern Conference with all the teams that were supposed to be title or playoff contenders falling well short of expectations. It has certainly been painful for fans and proponents for the East Conference to see it falling apart as it has been thus far and the poor start of the Pistons can be considered as one of the disappointing story lines of this young season. It is the hope that not only the Pistons, but the entire Eastern Conference will wake up and finally start playing to the expectations of their fan bases or else it certainly be a long season especially for those in Detroit, who have already had to endure so much without their team stinking up the court. |
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Friday, September 20, 2013
SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 24. Atlanta Hawks
|
|
Last Season’s Rank
9
|
Projected 2013/2014
Finish
24
|
Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
|
Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
|
Projected
Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact:
|
Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact:
|
|
Analysis:
After a run of six years of heading into the playoff, it seems as if the Atlanta Hawks have finally stopped flying high as one of the teams to best in the East and has started on its slow descent to a crash landing. The team had been heading into free fall since it reached its peak in 2010 having won 53 games that year--their first 50 plus win season since 1998--and were essentially trying to keep itself up in the air; however as the years passed, it seemed that this team had run its course and it was time for a change. It started in the off season last year when they traded their star player of the past seven years, Joe Johnson, to the +Brooklyn Nets in return for what can be essentially considered as spare parts and expiring contract. Then came the news after this past season that the Hawks would no longer continue with head coach Larry Drew and would part ways with one of the key members of its playoff roster, Josh Smith allowing him to leave in free agency and to sign with the +Detroit Pistons. Now all that is left of that once young and exciting playoff team +Al Horford, the team's starting big man and returning leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker, and he may not stay there for long as it has become creepily obvious that Atlanta looks to start from scratch once again which is pretty sad considering the team's history. Here is a team that in its entire history, has not gotten any farther than the second round in the playoffs and has peaked at best as an average, if not marginal or mediocre team. In fact there is so much apathy in the concerning the Hawks in city of Atlanta that it seems as the denizens have all but given up on their team resulting in Atlanta having one of the worst arena attendances in the league and who can blame them? Throughout its entire history of more than 60 years in the NBA, the Hawks have had just eight season where the team has won 50 or more games with their best being in 1987 where they won a franchise record 57 games. Before their successful six year playoff run that may have already ended, Atlanta had spent eight years prior out of playoff contention and now the city has to look forward to potentially another five to ten year long playoff drought. And its so sad to watch once again this team only reach so far to have everything taken away from it forcing it to start over, take years to rebuild, reach a certain point and have it end with little or nothing to show for it. Although it seems as if Atlanta will be coming into opening day with a roster capable of making the playoffs once again, it has come blatantly apparent that the Hawks time has simply passed. They had the good fortune of being in a rather weak Eastern Conference where a mediocre 44-38 season can earn the fifth or sixth spot in the playoffs, but is no longer the case. This time they were be entering the season with far improved Eastern Conference where there are five teams looking to surpass them and make a run for the playoffs themselves. Two of those teams actually happen to be in the same division as the Hawks and had been at one time been pushovers, but now look to give Atlanta a run for its money--namely the +Washington Wizards and +Charlotte Bobcats. Although Washington just won 29 games last season, it was arguably one of the best defensive teams in the league finishing in the top five in points and field goal percentage allowed. With their star point guard John Wall coming into opening day healthy and in shape, the lowly Wizards who Atlanta had paid little or no attention to over years may finally surpass them leaving the Hawks coughing in their dust. Once all the dust clears, the Hawks will suddenly get mauled and torn apart by another team climbing out of the league's cellar in the Charlotte Bobcats. Last season, despite a sheer lack of talent, the Bobcats still managed to triple their win output from a league worst seven games the previous year to twenty one this past season and they have gotten even better in the off season. They signed one of the league's best scoring and probably most underrated big men in Al Jefferson giving the team a 20 point and 10 rebound per game player to go along with their growing young core of players in +Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, +Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and +Bismack Biyombo. Add a second unit that includes last year's Sixth Man of the Year candidate +Ramon Sessions , sharp shooting veteran Ben Gordon, defensive specialist Jeffery Taylor, and the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft +Cody Zeller, the Bobcats look to be quite the formidable team coming into the 2014 season. With such stiff competition coming up from behind, it has become blatantly aware that these two team will not only surpass the Hawks, but tear the feathers of them in the process. In stark contrast, all Atlanta can boast for this off season is resigning their starting point guard from last season Jeff Teague who they could have lost had they not matched the offer sheet given to him by the +Milwaukee Bucks. Teague had the best season in his career positing career highs in scoring while leading the Hawks in assists and looks to be a major piece in Atlanta's future plans; however as the losses start to mount, it is doubtful that the Hawks will be able to keep Teague as he'll probably look for greener pastures once his four year contract expires. Atlanta also made an attempt to fill in the massive void Josh Smith keft behind by signing former +Utah Jazz player Paul Milsap, who is an adequate option at the power forward spot; however, don't expect Milsap to come even near the impact that Smith gave as he is not nearly as athletic or capable to be the presence on the defensive end that Smith once was. As for the rest of the team, save for Al Horford, the cupboard is virtually bare as it consists of used up has beens such as Elton Brand and Dahntay Jones, an undersized and overrated chucker coming off the bench in Lou Williams, and a one trick poney in Kyle Korver. With such a team coming into opening tip off, it is not only going to be a really ugly season for the Hawk, but potentially the start of a long hard road back to respectability. |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
SDH Presents the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 24. Detroit Pistons
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End): 29-53, fourth place Central Division
|
28
|
At
Season’s End:
24
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Team
Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End)
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Taking a Look Back at the Season that Once Was . . .
|
SDH Player of the Year:
Jose Calderon 
While in Toronto, he was underappreciated and often criticized for his shortcomings instead of being appreciated on what he was actually giving on the court; however that all changed once he arrived in Detroit mid season. On a team that was in desperate need of a point guard, Jose Calderon immediately filled that need upon arriving as he gave the team, its fans and the city Detroit what they had yearned for so long. He was a player who actually looked to pass the ball and get his teammates involved and certainly proved, at least for a short time, that he can be considered an elite point man in the NBA. Along with leading the team in assists, Jose also proved to be quite an offensive spark, if need be as he shot close to .500 from the field along with leading the league in three point field goal percentage. With such an impressive performance, Joe Dumars might have to consider resigning the Spanish play maker as he will become an unrestricted free agent in July.
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Analysis:
With the 2013 regular season officially in the books, it has been five years since Joe Dumars took a team that was once a powerhouse in the league and turned it into complete garbage. Most GMs on any team in any professional sport would have been sent out on their backsides for far less, but Dumars has still managed to remain holding the reins on the Detroit Pistons despite crashing the team into oblivion. For five years, he has somehow managed to remain untouchable from any kind of criticism or sense of accountability for his actions by shielding himself with the coaches that he has hired and fired making them the scapegoats for the mess that was his fault in the first place. Recently another victim of Dumars' arrogant and wreckless bumbling has been added in the form of recently deposed coach Lawrence Frank, who had a highly respected reputation as an NBA coach before having it ruined thanks to his dealings with Joe Dumars. So the question remains: who will be the next patsy that will take the fall for Dumars as he continues to run the Pistons into the ground and the team along with its fans continue to suffer watching the trainwreck that he had originally created? Dumars has remained relatively unscathed despite his part in being responsible for the disaster than hoop fans in Detroit have had to endure and it seems as if he might even earn himself a reprieve. Despite winning just 29 games, the Pistons exhibited great improvement in not only their offensive execution, which ranked among the worst in the league, and their defensive effort making them a team to keep an eye on in coming years. In the regular season, the Pistons seemed to have gotten back to its roots of playing tough and physical defense as they had made it difficult for teams to beat them only losing by just four points per game. The Pistons, despite being on the wrong side of the regular season win/loss column, also managed to out rebound their opponents, albeit by a slim margin, and have managed to at least keep at par statistically will their opponents as well. So it is safe to say that Dumars, despite all his past transgressions, may have found himself redeemed after all the damage he has caused as the same Pistons team that he had ruined have started to show signs of improvement and thus possibly lead to him taking all the credit for it--credit that he certainly does not deserve in the least. Dumars does deserve some credit, however, in that he was able to get rid of two of his biggest personnel errors--signing Ben Gordon to that 50$ million contract and the resigning of Tayshaun Prince two seasons ago. Just right before the regular season, Dumars found a sucker willing enough to take Gordon's erroneous contract in the Charlotte Bobcats; however, as it with everything, he take to take garbage in order to give it away. In order to relieve the burden of Gordon, Dumars was forced to take broken down swing man Corey Maggette, who would just play eighteen games for the entire season. At least Maggette's contract expired at the end of this season whereas with Gordon, Dumars would have had to have waited another season to be rid of him which made the move worth enough to execute. With the contract of another free agent bust Charlie Villanueva's contract expiring as well, Dumars can finally take a sigh of relief that he is finally rid of the two contracts that he had the folly of giving in the first place. Dumars also managed to kill two birds with one stone as he managed to get rid of another flawed signing while at the same time acquiring the player that his team desperately needed. He sent veteran Tayshaun Prince, the last remnant of the 2004 and 2005 Pistons teams that reached the NBA Finals twice, along with little used Austin Daye to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three team trade that also involved the Toronto Raptors and received point guard Jose Calderon. For much of his career with the Raptors, Calderon had always been put down by the fans despite being among the elite point men in the league. Now, in Detroit, he was now with a team that would truly appreciate what he brought to the court--playmaking, effort and leadership both vocally and by example. As for Prince, he left a team headed nowhere to one that would go as far as the Western Conference Final so in any event it seems that everybody won in the trade, especially Dumars who got another chance to dodge scrutiny yet again. Despite turning his team from a consistent playoff contender and one of the top teams in the East into a complete train wreck, it looks as if the Pistons have started to show signs of improvement and are starting to climb out of the hole that their GM made for them. Instead of brooding and disenchanted veterans who kept the team down through infighting ans discontent, the roster has now been infused with fresh young talent and a new culture of cohesiveness focusing on teamwork and defensive effort--the two main ingredients that kept the Pistons a force from 2002 to 2008. The turnaround has certainly helped Dumars to dodge a bullet as he made extremely wise draft picks along with a couple of well placed trades to help rebuild the Detroit team that he had unwittingly destroyed. Now Detroit looks like a team on the rise and are now a couple players and a solid coach away from returning to the playoffs. Although returning to championship form is still a long ways away, Dumars now has the franchise going in the right direction--so remain patient and keep the faith, Motor City, for you will return to the spotlight among the NBA elite sooner than later. |
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Monday, March 18, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for January and and February: 24. Cleveland Cavaliers
|
Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of February 28th) : 20-38 (fifth place, Central Division)
|
29
|
This Month:
24
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank (as of February 28th)
Points Scored:
97.8 (15th)
Points Allowed:
101.0 (22nd)
Team FG%: .434
(27th)
Opponent’s
FG%: .477 (30th)
Team FT%: .767
(12th)
Team Three
Point FG%: .354 (17th)
Rebounds per
game: 40.9 (25th)
Opponents
rebounds per game: 41.8 (13th)
Turnovers per
game: 14.1 (5th)
Opponents
turnovers per game: 15.6 (5th)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders (as of February 28th)
Scoring (ppg):
Kyrie Irving (23.3)
Rebounds per
game: Tristan Thompson (9.2)
Minutes per
game: Kyrie Irving (35.2)
Assists per game:
Kyrie Irving (5.6)
Field Goal
Percentage: Tristan Thompson (.486)
Free Throw
Percentage: Kyrie Irving (.850)
Three Point FG
Percentage: Kyrie Irving (.426)
Steals per
game: Kyrie Irving (1.6)
Blocked Shots
per game: Tyler Zeller (0.9)
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|
Worst Player of
the Month: Alonzo Gee
 Can someone tell me please why Cleveland fans are so enamored with Alonzo Gee? He is not that great a player as he is rather poor shooter and contributes do little despite being one of the team's leaders in minutes played. Offensively, he is rather inefficient shooting under .410 and averaging a little over ten points per game for the season while defensively he has proven to be average at best. More than likely Gee would not make the roster on any other NBA team, let alone start for one as he currently does with the Cavs thus he certainly cannot be considered as a fundamental piece of Cleveland's rebuilding process. Gee's glowing stat line is partially due to the fact of the volume of minutes he has played, and if this is the best that the fans and coaching staff can expect from him, then it would be best to part ways with him as soon as possible while he has everyone fooled that he is such a good player . |
First Player
of the Month: Tristan Thompson
 After having a pretty nondescript rookie season, not much else was expected from Tristan Thompson; however, that view has drastically changes over the course of this season. Over the last few months, this Canadian product has been making his countrymen proud proving how deserving he was to be picked 4th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Starting in place for the injured Anderson Varejao, Thompson has been simply spectacular as he averaged close to 14 points and 10 boards per game through January and February. In that two month span, Thompson posted a double-double in points and rebounds in eleven of twenty six games while scoring in double figures in all but three games in that time. If he continues to produce at this pace while continuing to improve his game, Thompson may possibly become only the second Canadian to make the NBA All Star team. |
|
Analysis:
Two years after the infamous "decision" that shocked and shattered the hopes and dreams of every hoops fan in the state of Ohio, the Cavaliers look as if they are on their way to a speedy recovery thanks to their new star, Kyrie Irving. What was one a destitute franchise with little or nothing to look forward to, Irving has got people talking about Cleveland yet again and has the Cavs on track to returning to the playoffs in a season or two. Supported in the backcourt by outstanding rookie Dion Waiters and two young up and coming anchors in the paint in Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson, the Cavs have the makings of a special four man tandem that will make their mark on the NBA sooner than anyone has ever expected. While many doubted that Cleveland will ever return to the prominence and recognition of the King James era, their doubts have now been silenced as the Cavaliers future looks even brighter than ever. And despite resting at the bottom of the standings in the Central Division, the Cavs still keep opposing teams sweating once they step upon the floor.
Thus far this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have given their opponents quite a fight despite winning just 20 games. In terms of scoring, rebounds and commiting and forcing turnovers, the Cavs have kept themselves, in most instances, almost at par with their opponents. Despite allowing their opponents to scorch them on the field shooting close to .480 from the field, they Cavs have still manage to only lose games games by an average three points or less. That is rather impressive considering the fact that Cavs sport one of the youngest and most inexperienced rosters in the NBA with all but five players having less than five years of NBA experience under their belts. Add the fact that the Cavs' starting five consists of two rookies, two second years players, and a 25 year old that has bounced around the league for three years before landing in Cleveland makes the accomplishments of this team even more special. Only two players can be considered as true NBA veterans on that team as there are over the age of 30 and have significant experience, especially in the post season; however, neither one of them can be considered as being a major factor on the team. Anderson Varejao, the team's "elder" statesman who has played eight years reaching to the playoffs in almost every one, has been all but invisible playing in just 56 games in the past two seasons. 32 year old Luke Walton, who has witnessed and basked in the glow of championship glory as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, has been collecting dust on the bench while being paid CONSIDERABLY MORE than his teammates that play much more than him. As for the final remnant of that once glorious Cavalier team of the past, Daniel Gibson has proven to be a all out bust since the departure of his once mighty King shooting rather poorly while his numbers and his impact have continued to rapidly decline. The Cavs have now become "a young man's team" as the older guard have been quickly phased out in favor of this new generation of budding young players. The rest of the roster can be considered quite green as they all range from 25 years old and under and have little or no real experience when it comes to winning games in the NBA. Credit head coach Byron Scott for getting this rather young and inexperienced team to overachieve and perform beyond anybody's most optimistic expectations or projections. This kindergarten crew of a Cavaliers team have held their own against the "big kids" of the league even giving the NBA's most powerful titans a run for their money as well. Just ask such reputable NBA teams as the Boston Celtics (1/22/2013), Oklahoma City Thunder (2/2/2013) and the Chicago Bulls (2/26/2013) whether or not the Cavs are for real as they were all shockingly upset by this young, wet behind the ears, team. Even two of the league's top teams, the San Antonio Spurs (2/13/2013) the Miami Heat (2/26/2013), have to tip their hats off to the Cavs only managed to scrape past this nubile squad narrowly beating Cleveland by a combined five points. So one can certainly see how things are quickly looking up for this once down and out Cleveland Cavaliers team that no one bothered to pay attention to. Many teams have thus far been caught sleeping on this underrated and underestimated squad of young guns and have either suffered humiliating defeat or barely managed to surpass this team just barely. Coming into the off-season, the Cleveland Cavs will certainly be a team to watch with another lottery pick coming its way along with plenty of salary cap space to boot as well. With their young core of rising stars in the forms of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, and Tyler Zeller along with a rather impressive cast of supporting role players such as Mareese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Omri Casspi and CJ Miles, the Cavs will certainly be a team to watch in the coming years. They may possibly prove to be just as good, if not even better than the team that was led by the player whose name cannot and will not be mentioned in the state of Ohio. |
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