Of Game Sevens and Conference Finalists

The NBA should immortalize this day, as a pair of Game 7s showed exactly why this game is so magnificent. On one end, the Portland Trailblazers upened the second-seeded Denver Nuggets 100-96 to earn the right to face the Golden State Warriors.

On the other end, the Toronto Raptors proved they finally have championship mettle, as Kawhi Leonard hit the NBA's first ever Game 7 buzzer beater to propel his team past the Philadelphia 76ers, 92-90.

Here are three thoughts as we enter the Conference Finals:

KAWHI IS A BONAFIDE SUPERSTAR. He certainly made me eat major crow, after I basically pronounced that he wasn't that big an upgrade over DeMar Derozan. But he has certainly upped his game and had me mesmerized almost the entire Game 7. The man is relentless and may be, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, among the most complete players we have in the league so far. That being said, Milwaukee still has Giannis Antetokoounmpo (and Khriss Middleton, Eric Bledoe, Brook Lopez etc...) so I do still favor the Bucks. But it's going to be a dogfight (and maybe even another series that goes to a Game 7) and I give them a 49.99% chance of winning it.

Eastern Conference Playoffs: One Week In

As expected, the Beasts of the East have prevailed over their less illustrious brethren and are now ready to move onto the next round. Here are the things that surprised and didn't surprise us.

SURPRISING:
FIRST GAME UPSETS. No one really saw the Magic winning over the Raptors or the Nets winning over the Sixers in the first game. But it was really more the case of the higher seeds acclimatizing to the playoff atmosphere while the lower seeds went for the haymakers from the get-go. Of course, soon the NBA universe righted itself and the Raptors and Sixers won the next four games.

THE BOSTON SWEEP. The only matchup that truly seemed compettitive was also one that went via sweep. Boston leveraged on their playoff experience to bully their way into the next round, pounding the relatively less inexperienced Pacers into submission.

NBA Eastern Conference Playoff: Thoughts and Predictions

It's the NBA playoffs and here are some thoughts before we start with our do-or-die games.

Eastern Conference

(1) Bucks vs (8) Pistons - Bucks win, 4-1

The Bucks are the scariest team in the league. Yes, scarier than the Warriors, the Rockets, and the Sixers. And that's because they not only have the current best player in the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo, but also stud players like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Brook Lopez, with starter-quality role players in Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell, and Nikola Mirotic ready to contribute. The Pistons, on the other hand, are of the Eastern team favorites who underperformed in the regular season. There were modest expectations of this team, considering their roster, and they barely lived up to it. As things get tougher in the playoffs, there is no indication that they will suddenly find that higher gear they need to move up.

Matchup to watch out for: Giannis Antetokuonmpo vs Blake Griffin. The best players of each team will need to be even better. The Greek Freak should have no trouble stepping up while Griffin needs to fire up on all cylinders to give the Pistons a fighting chance.

Same-old, same-old In The West.

The NBA season starts tomorrow and while it seems to be shaping up as an exciting season, there really isn't anything new out West.

The power players are still the same and the cellar-dwellers, well, there doesn't seem to be any breakout teams among the West's few truly mediocre teams.

In fact, the top two teams in the West remain the same, but I have a surprise pick for the third. Without further ado, the three teams to watch out for in the Wstern Conference.

Golden State Warriors - Whaaaaaaat? You mean after a second championship, they're still the favorites? The loss of the likes of Javale McGee and David West has been totally negated by the signing of DeMarcus Cousins. Yes, he's still injured but the Warriors without a traditional center is actually more dangerous than the Warriors with one.

So the Warriors will hum along, with the same Fab Four outgunning everyone else. And when Cousins finally joins them, the Warriors may just be the most unbeatable team in the NBA's history.

The Shift Of Power In The East

We are about one week away from the start of the NBA season so we'll give you guys a quick rundown on hot topics, predictions, and things to watch out for.

First, we take a look at the Eastern Conference where the departure of Lebron James has created a seismic shift in which team will now reign supreme.

Here are the new "Beasts of the East":

The Boston Celtics. Last year, they didn't have Gordon Hayward for basically the entire season and Kyrie Irving for the latter part of the season, including their playoff series against the Cavs and they still looked like a juggernaut. Giving Brad Stevens an entire year to work with a starting five of Irving, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford should scare everyone in the Eastern conference. There is no better coach nor is there a better starting five than that Celtics lineup.

And then you get the likes of Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, Daniel Theis, Aron Baynes, Semi Ojeleye, and Guerschon Yabusele on your bench and that is just staaaaaacked. They're basically a superteam, except no one seems to have realized it yet.

Breaking News: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green to Raptors for DeMar Derozan, Jakob Poeltl and Protected 1st

Well, that happened quickly.

Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are headed to the North for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first round pick (protected from 1-20).

This is perplexing on several fronts. Here are my three quick thoughts:

Thought #1 Spurs could have gotten more.

DeRozan is an amazing player but Leonard is on a very short list of two-way impact players (Lebron James, Giannis Antetokunmpo, Anthony Davis) and the Spurs could have definitely gotten more for Leonard and Green.

And The New Best Player In The Eastern Conference is...

With Lebron James taking his talents to LA, there is now a void which the remaining players in the Eastern Conference must filll...and that is the position of best player in the East.

It's a task easier discussed than decided on, given that no one seems to be clearly the best player. But here are my top four candidates for that position.

Candidate #1 Kyrie Irving
Lebron's former teammate in Cleveland averaged 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in his lone, cut-way-too-short season in Boston. He's a dynamic scorer, very dangerous in the open court, and starting to learn how to be a playmaker for others.

His defense is suspect though and his athleticism may have taken a hit with this season's knee injury. Until he comes back and shows he is the same player he was in his days in Cleveland plus improve his defense and playmaking, I'd hesitate to crown him as the East's best player.

Three Quick Thoughts on the Lebron Signing

So. Lebron James has signed a 4 year, 154 million dollar deal with the LA Lakers.

Here are three quick thoughts about it.

Thought #1 Happiest about it:Sixers and the Celtics.
You'd think that the Raptors would be the happiest about it because they'll think they may now actually have a chance of making the NBA Finals. But the Sixers and the Celtics would be happier because now, they KNOW that one of them will go to the Finals.

Thought #2 Saddest about it: Kevin Love.
He left Minnesota because he wanted to be in a team good enough to not only go to the playoffs but also have a realitic chance of winning a title. Now, he's on a team that's even worse than the team he left behind. Seriously, would you rather be on a team with Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and George Hill than a team with Ricky Rubio, JJ Barea, Corey Brewer, Gorgui Dieng, and Nikola Pekovic?

Thought #3 Basketball is a Business.
And business is good. Until Jordan came along, basketball was a passion and a profession. Michael Jordan turned it into an enterprise. And now, Lebron James has elevated it into a global conglomerate. James has approached everything from the business standpoint and he has done it tremendously well. The era of the sportsman-magnate is firmly in place.

Why Stephen Curry Won the MVP Award In a Landslide.

We’re one month into the new season and some people are still talking about whether Stephen Curry or James Harden was last year’s most valuable player. Add the fact that James Harden won the MVP award from the NBPA Awards and you’ve got a controversy that just refuses to die.

Now, whenever people talk about MVP candidates, the conversation inevitably turns into personal production. And why shouldn’t it? After all, the Most Valuable Player Award of the NBA is defined as the award that goes to the “best performing player of the regular season”. So, simplistically, the player with the best stat line should win the Most Valuable Player Award. 

The problem starts when you have to evaluate what seem to be equally sterling regular season performances against each other. Take, for example, the top three vote getters for the NBA MVP in 2014-2015.

PLAYER	PPG	APG	RPG	STEALS	THREES	3P%	FT%
Stephen Curry	23.8	7.7	4.3	2.4	286 (NBA record)	44.3	91.4
James Harden	27.4	7	5.7	1.9	208	37.5	87
Lebron James	25.3	7.4	6	1.6	120	35.4	71

Now, while eventual MVP winner Stephen Curry has a distinct edge in three pointers made, three-point percentage and free throw percentage and a slight edge in assists per game and steals per game, are those really enough to say that he was the clear cut most valuable player among the three?

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Basketball Game On!

And yes, it is finally on!

The NBA and the players' representatives have come to a tentative agreement on their new CBA, paving the way for an abridged NBA season that is slated to start on Christmas Day.

This news is greeted by cheers and, admittedly, a few jeers. Some players still expressed their discontent with the proposal but for a majority of players, it is met with enthusiasm and relief.

Several tours have already been cancelled in preparation for the opening of training camp, including those of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul.


More on this story here.

QUICK HITS IN THE NBA'S FIRST WEEK!

SURPRISES:

ATLANTA HAWKS. 2-0 already, lording it over fancied teams like the Magic (2-2) and the Heat (1-2). Josh Smith and Joe Johnson have been turning it on but for how long can they keep this up?

MARK GASOL. For four years, the younger Gasol labored in Europe with comments like "plodding", "not as skilled", "a lesser talent" when compared to big brother Pau. Mark stepped out of Pau's shadow in the Olympics and, in the Grizz's first four games, has managed to become the more talked-about Gasol. He logged in three solid games as the Grizz starting center before totally demolishing the Golden State Warriors with 27 points in 9-16 shooting, 16 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and a win over the Warriors ending a 7 game skid to them.

MIAMI HEAT. Wade was pure gold in the Olympics. Beasely is an offensive beast. Marion is a defensive stud. So why are they 1-2?

SPURS. Is Manu Ginobili this important to the Spurs basketball machine? The Spurs have now gone 0-3, their first such start since 1973. If they go 0-4, they'll tie their worst ever start which came when they were still in the ABA. 

NON-SURPRISES:

LAKERS ON TOP. They already had Kobe, Pau and Odom when they made their Finals run. Now, young Andrew Bynum has returned and seems to be well on the path to full recovery. How much better can these Lakers get?

DERRICK ROSE. Every thought that this young man would be a very special player somewhere down the road. The good news is he's a very special player, just four games into hi NBA career. This early, he has become the starter, led the team in scoring and assists and looks to have adjusted to the NBA pace.

KNICKS AT THE BOTTOM. I know a coach is important but how could anyone expect the '05 Phoenix Suns to emerge from the '08 Knicks? With practically no new players and some 08 starters banished (Curry, Marbury), D'Antoni will have to do a David Copperfield and pull out some unexpected victories over tough division rivals to avoid languishing in their familiar spot: last place.

NBA OPENING DAY!

Tomorrow we start another season of the NBA. Here are three key things you can expect to see tomorrow.

1) WHO IS REALLY THE BEAST IN THE EAST? Cleveland goes to Boston in a bid to kick start their championship campaign. The Cavs need to go back to the Finals to have any hopes of keeping LBJ. If they don't, expect the King to start listing down which players he wants to play with in NJ. For Boston, it's all about hunger. Many have said age and the satisfaction of finally winning a ring have dulled the edge of the Celtics' desire. Now, their mission is to prove they can do it again.

2) WHO IS THE BIG MAN OF THE FUTURE? Dwight Howard and Chris bosh reign supreme today. In 3 or four more years, either Greg Oden or Andrew Bynum will be the Hulk of the NBA. That road starts tomorrow, as post surgery Bynum takes on post surgery Oden. Oh yeah, they might also break their brittle knees (again!) in the next two  or three years which would make LaMarcus Aldrige and Marc Gasol the big men of the future.

3) BULLISH OR BUCK-ISH? Maybe we should call the game the Bulls versus Skiles. Bucks coach Scott Skiles brought the Bulls back to playoff respectability after years of futility. He also drafted, recruited and traded for 90% of the current Bulls lineup. But last year's team imploded, set off by the selfishness of key players (yes, I'm talking about Deng, Gordon and Ben Wallace). Now, Skiles is back, trying to resurrect a Bucks team that has offensive firepower but has more holes that a cheese grater. The Bulls players are trying to prove that last year was Skiles' fault and not theirs. Motivation on both sides to one up the other is at an all time high.

PROPS TO: Andres Nocioni. Goes up to Skiles and assistant coach Jim Boylan and gives them a hug. Plasters Richard Jefferson for knocking super rookie Derrick Rose out of the game.

BOOS TO: Deng, Gordon. Deng and Gordon are out with toe injuries. Toe injuries, fer Gawd's sake! Gordon's toe injury has kept him sidelined for more than 2 weeks now. Cut it off, Ben, and start shooting. That way, we can trade you by January.

NBA PREDICTIONS!

We've got 2 days to go before the NBA season opens so it's time to lay my proverbial eggs in a prophetic basket and say the sooth!

And so, here are my picks for:

Rookie of the Year - O.J. Mayo. Yes, I know, the safe choice seems to be Greg Oden, Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose. Now, while I think that  Oden is a future Hall-of-Famer and Beasley and Rose will be perennial All Stars, they will all be laboring under the wings of more established stars (Wade, Roy, Aldrige, Haslem, Deng, Gordon). My pick has the chance to be The Man (albeit of the Grizz),  right in his very first year. 

Sixth Man of the Year - Manu Ginobili. There's no better 6th man in the league as the unselfish Argentine would probably start for the 29 other teams in the league...but prefers to play his "spark of the bench" role to perfection. If current team rotations hold true to form, he'll face tough challenges from Andrei Kirilenko and Kirk Hinrich.

Coach of the Year - Jerry Sloan. While people look at New Orleans as a possible Finals contender, I cast a wary eye on the Jazz. Sloan will have this crew ready to rock and roll and Williams, Boozer, Kirilenko, Okur, Brewer, Millsap and Korver will make believers out of pundits.

MVP - Lebron James. Only because I feel like everyone is thinking he should get one already. There are too many people saying the same thing, which makes me wonder is the voting is already done and over with.

Eastern Champion - Celtics. I know the Big Three are old but they've got young guys who are way good and KG, The Truth and Jesus Shuttlesworth may have developed a hankering for the taste of championships.

Western Champion - Lakers. Bynum is back. You mean aside from Kobe, Pau and Odom, the Lakers also welcome back Bynum the behemoth? Rockets and Jazz have a chance against the Laker Machine. Hornets and Spurs will crumble earlier than anyone else thought.

NBA Champion - Lakers. I don't like it anymore than half the world does but the fact is, on a purely basketball world, I'd take Kobe, Pau, Odom, Bynum, Fisher, Radmanovic and Vujavic over KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Perkins, Powe and Davis.

Team I will be following - Bulls. I'm a Nocioni freak and Captain Kirk is also a favorite of mine. Here's hoping they make it to the second round where they can be shown the door by the Cavs.

CAN THE SPURS STEAL GAME 2?

They can but they probably won't.

The Hornets' biggest advantage is that they are an unknown playoff team. No one really knows their identity and character, things like who steps up, who chokes, who passes up his normal shots and stuff like that.

I think the Spurs need another game to determine how to attack the Hornets...then the fun begins for them.

Popovich is among the best coaches in the game (in fact, second only to Jerry Sloan, in my humble opinion). He'll figure out how to take West away, maybe with Robert Horry or with Kurt Thomas. He'll figure out how to tire CP3 out and maybe get Bowen to shut down Peja.

All in all, I think it'll come down to championship experience...and the Hornets just don't have the bling to bring down the defending champions...yet.

Spurs in 6games.

WILL THE SUNS WIN GAME 5?

We've all heard it.

Shaq doesn't fit the Suns' truly effective run-and-gun game. (true)

Amare is a selfish, bigheaded, childish pseudo-star (again, true)

Steve Nash is getting old (correct again)

Grant Hill is gimpy (yep)

Raja Bell is nothing but a younger Bruce Bowen (weirdly so)

Diaw is a hard foul away from a disappearing act (check)

Barbosa has no defense and, as of this week, little offense (oh why do we even go on?!)

So should we just show the Spurs the door to the second round and spare everyone the sweat and agony?

Now wait just a cotton-pickin minute.

I think the old, gimpy, ill fitting Suns might just give good old TD, Manu and Mr. Longoria quite a scare before fading off into the...well...the sunset.

Why? Coz the Suns got themselves a win. They proved that it could be done. They saw a Spurs team that they could beat. And, just like Atlanta beating up on Boston for the second game in a row, the Suns are just itching to do it again.

So don't write off the Suns yet. I think Shaq might actually come back to life in Game 5. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire could be logging in double doubles yet. And Mike D'Antoni might actually have a job for a few more days.

Now Game 6 is an entirely different proposition altogether.