NBA Playoffs 2019: PREVIEW

The NBA regular season is done and dusted and we’re now in the post penultimate stage of the NBA season; The Postseason, where the NBA Championship is up for grabs and a chance for stars to grasp immortality in their legacies. It’s only right we take a look at a few things to look forward to in this year’s Postseason but before we get ahead ourselves let’s being with a preview of the NBA Playoffs 2019.

LeBron-Less Playoffs

IMAGE CREDIT: SUPERSTAR SPORTS.COM

For the first time in a decade, we’ll be witnessing a Playoffs without the mega superstar that is LeBron James and to be honest, it’s still pretty hard to digest that considering that we’ve seen him dominate the Eastern Playoffs all decade long. With his switch to the West, it made things more challenging and harder for him to reach the Playoffs due to the high competition in the West. But this also gives a new hope in the East that we’ll be getting a new wave of competition in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. So don’t expect LeBron to just make a sudden appearance not unless he’s a spectator in the arena but otherwise the next time we’ll be seeing LeBron James will be next season.

A Rumble In The East

IMAGE CREDIT: USA TODAY SPORTS

With LeBron James out of the window, the vacant spot for King Of The East has caused some teams to suddenly evolve such as the Milwaukee Bucks who finished the season as the first seeded team followed by the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers. Although we were all expecting the Boston Celtics to immediately snatch the crown of the Eastern Conference, you can see that these evolved teams have made it harder for them to even try to snatch the crown. Although the Bucks aren’t officially the Kings Of The East as they still have to win the Eastern Conference Finals, the crown for the East is really anybody’s game. For all we know, the Brooklyn Nets could win the Eastern Conference!

The Warriors’ Defense

IMAGE CREDIT: BLUEMANHOOP.COM

The Golden State Warriors are complete now, with DeMarcus Cousin fully recovered, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson fully locked in, Draymond Green ready to bully players and Stephen Curry having full 20/20 vision on the court. However, critics have been quite critical of the Warriors stating that they’re not the same dominating team they once were. But that doesn’t really taint the Warriors because they’re still in the chase for a third consecutive title and a fourth championship in the last five years. But the Warriors will have to fend off the likes of Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and the unexpected Denver Nuggets of which all these teams have improved drastically. Sure the Rockets finished the season two places lower than they did last season but they’re just as lethal as they were last year. So it’s no secret that the Warriors are in for a heck of Playoffs run and don’t expect them to sweep roll their way to The Finals just as they did last season and the season before that. The Western Conference Playoffs will surely be a Wild Wild West.

The MVPs Will State Their Case

IMAGE CREDIT: USA TODAY SPORTS

The MVPs frontrunners James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been phenomenal all regular season long and we don’t expect them to slow down come Playoffs time as this will be there final opportunity to prove why one of them deserve to go home with the prestigious individual award. We cannot say either players have an easy case because they’re guaranteed to meet up with teams stacked with a lot of defense and firepower to distract them from attempting to pull MVP numbers. But one thing we should expect is to see both Giannis and Harden playing in a much more superior level than they’ve played during the regular season.

And there you have it, the NBA Playoffs is here and we will be clued to our phones and highlights of these teams battling their way to the allusive NBA Finals to grasp at opportunity at immortality and supremacy in the league. This year’s Playoffs are guaranteed to surely entertain us.

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NBA PLAYOFFS WILL NOT BE BROADCASTED ON SOWETO TV OR ANY OTHER DSTV CHANNEL. OPENVIEW HD VIEWERS WILL GET TO VIEW ALL PLAYOFF GAMES ON THEIR TV’S

 

 

 

LA-Bron: It’s Happening

Take your time to take these news in. Have a glass of water, sit down and just accept that the King LeBron Raymonne James is heading to Los Angeles to become a Laker. Yes, LeBron is officially part of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now this may come as a shock to many of you who were hoping for LeBron to move to the Houston Rockets or Philadelphia 76ers or even resign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But because we’ve been keeping close tabs on the King, we weren’t completely shocked by the news.

IMAGE CREDIT: WALL STREET JOURNAL

The news broke this morning as ESPN insights reported that LeBron will be committing to the Lakers for four years, signing a $154 million contract. Just the word “committed” should tell you just how ready and bad the King wanted to make his move to the city of angels.

And if you were one of those that paid very close attention to the report we kept singing about, you’d know that Bronny James move to a LA high school already narrated the story of where LeBron James would be taking his talents.

IMAGE CREDIT: ETONLINE.COM

All we can say is that we’re happy LeBron is moving to the Western Conference and that this move will usher in a new era in the NBA. Now what we can say is that the Lakers aren’t done just yet but we will give you guys an even more broader breakdown of the new sunrise looming across the NBA from the Los Angeles Lakers.

KEEP TUNING TO THE BASELINE FOR MORE ON THE NBA OFFSEASON

All Hail The Free Agent

It’s official. LeBron James is an official unrestricted free agent for the 2018 Offseason, can you believe it? Well if you’ve been MIA or went AWOL on the NBA for the whole year, then it’s safe to assume that you’re certainly in awe at the fact that the King is a free agent. While some of us, yes we’ve BEEN expecting this.

The news broke out on a fateful Friday evening as it was announced that LeBron would be opting out of his $35 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, making him an unrestricted free agent and putting him in the same position he was in 2010; The Decision.

IMAGE CREDIT: USA TODAY SPORTS

So where will LeBron be heading to? Well that is still a mystery on its own. There have been many and plenty of reports that LeBron would be heading to these following teams; Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. These teams are going all out to have the King’s signature signed on whatever contract they willing to put to have LeBron on their team.

Right now, LeBron is out with his family on vacation, probably on some island resting his 2017-18 woes away and is probably taking his time to make his decision(2.0) as to where the James Gang should head to. And it’s expected that LeBron will make his decision in the coming month of July much like how KD broke out his decision on July the Fourth (American Independence Day). And much like how Paul George’s decision will reshape the NBA come next season, LeBron’s next destination choice will break grounds in the whole Association.

IMAGE CREDIT: CBS NEWS

But here’s a one thing you should know; Gary Payton reported that LeBron’s eldest son, Bronny James Jr will be attending a high school in the city of Los Angeles. That by its’ own should give you a clue of LeBron James’ The Decision 2.0

STAY TUNED TO THE BASELINE FOR MORE ON THE 2018 NBA OFFSEASON

The Final Yet Early Curtain Call for The Land

Let’s face it, this past 2017/18 NBA season for the Cleveland Cavaliers has been ridiculous. From trade demands to trades galore, this isn’t the same inspiring championship winning team we all adored. Yes, nothing lasts forever but it almost feels like this is the end of the Cleveland Cavaliers era which began when LeBron James echoed the words “I’m Coming Home” to the world. Yet we can’t help but feel like all of this is ending quicker than we expected, now we might go back to watching the Cavs tank and tank and tank to the point they become the joke of the NBA.

The Cavs had to endure so much this past season. Never mind the Kyrie Irving trade demand as that trade demand was made to benefit the Cavs more yet two of those players traded to the Cavs would later on be axed and shipped off along with other players who were supposed to reinforce the team but only for locker room drama to weaken the team. Now the Cavs is reduced to a very young and rather inexperienced team that may never get to see the NBA Finals and can only listen to the tales of The Finals by JR Smith, Kevin Love and LeBron James.

Now we’re reduced to watching a single player carry the whole load of a team and it’s inevitable for that player to make his way out of Cleveland, besides he made a promise of bringing a championship to The Land and he has fulfilled that promise. But don’t get it twisted, it’s a delight watching LeBron take charge of every game but it’s a sore to the eyes to watch a man put in so much effort only for his teammates to not deliever the same fire and intensity LeBron brings in to a game. It’s totally unfair.
The Cavs ended the regular season as the fourth seed and that’s enough evidence that this isn’t the same spectacular basketball team that we all enjoyed to watch, most people have rather jumped on the Raptors and 76ers bandwagon. There’s only so much a team can endure but to watch the Cavs struggle unnecessarily is just too much!

Now they’re in the NBA Playoffs playing for their lives IN THE FIRST ROUND against the Indiana Pacers and so far, the Pacers are bossing it out as they’ve already beat the Cavs at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland and have taken a 1-0 lead. And should the Pacers intensify themselves, we could be witnesses one of the greatest upsets in Playoff history that will for surely determine the fate of the Cavs as to if we’ll be seeing a tanking boring Cavs or a Cavs that somehow convinced the King to stay and reset themselves to become the Kings of the East again.
The NBA Playoffs 2018 might just be an early curtain call for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Next year this time, they could be as irrelevant as the Brooklyn Nets.
IMAGE CREDITS
HEADER: kingjamesgospel.com
IMAGE 1: factoryofsadness.com
IMAGE 2: deadline.com
IMAGE 3: cleveland.com

NBA All Star Game 2018: The Teams

After weeks of voting, days of excitement for the captains and starters and hours of rating the snubs, the All-Star teams have finally been drafted by the team captains, LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Both men say their decisions took long to process and implement as they had choices of stars to select in their teams. But the captains have made their decisions and have gladly revealed their teams.
The Captains made their decision on the 25^th of January and went on to reveal their team sheets on their Instagram pages (@KingJames and @stephencurry30). Because LeBron was the leading vote-getter he had the first pick.
Take a look at the teams. The names in bold are the starters.
TEAM LEBRON

• LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Kyrie Irving (Boston Celtics)
• Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
• Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)
• DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans Pelicans)
• LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs)
• Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
• Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers)
• Kristaps Porzingis (New York Knicks)
• John Wall (Washington Wizards)
• Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)

TEAM STEPH

• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• James Harden (Houston Rockets)
• DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Jimmy Butler (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
• Al Horford (Boston Celtics)
• Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers)
• Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
• Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
• Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)

There you have it. The Captains, the Starters and the Reserves and even the jerseys.

All is set for the All-Star Game and it’s clear that this will be one of the greatest All-Star Games to date. Who’s to say that we might have the same captains in next year’s All Star Game.
The All Star Game will be played on the 18^th of February
All we have to do is await the participants of the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest and Dunk Contest.
Stay tuned for more on the NBA All Star Weekend
IMAGE CREDITS
HEADER: https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/720/529/hi-res-7bc0d90251df0be4fbe224a211b7a47a_crop_north.jpg?h=533&w=800&q=70&crop_x=center&crop_y=top
IMAGE 1: https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/styles/marquee_large_2x/public/2018/01/20/lebron-30000-points.jpg
IMAGE 2: https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_960w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2017-10-31/AP/Warriors_Clippers_Basketball_06084-83f36.jpg&w=480
IMAGE 3: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s0M0J25RTNG1vZcesYLocfkNl8c=/800×0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10099665/DUbWrIOW0AA_JJx.jpg
IMAGE 4: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c_hFaUpbxipHt-qlwXCT_W640LY=/800×0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10099661/DUbWqNtX4AEqSw7.jpg

NBA All Star 2018: Starters & Captains Selection

In the early hours of 19 January 2018 Central African Time, the NBA had finally made their announcement of who the NBA All Star Starters are and who the Team Captains are. Bear in mind, due to the awful performance from last year’s All-Star Game, the NBA have changed the format of the All-Star Game to a more streetball like format where the Captains select the members of their team. In this matter, the Captains get to choose who will play in their respective teams from the list of the players who are voted to be All Stars. The Captains will start by selecting from The Starters and onwards to the bench players.

So, who are this year’s All Stars that will (HOPEFULLY) set the court alight with their All-Star performances…
WEST
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• James Harden (Houston Rockets)
• Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
• Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)
• DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans Pelicans)
EAST
• Kyrie Irving (Boston Celtics)
• DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors)
• LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
We’ve seen nine of these players in recent All-Star games but one player who is set to debut as a first time All Star is the highly calibre player from Philly, Joel Embiid but that will be a topic for another day.
Back to the All-Star Game selection, the Team Captains of the All-Star Game are…
Drum roll please
FROM THE WEST

STEPHEN CURRY

FROM THE EAST

LEBRON JAMES

So yes, we won’t be seeing an East vs West team format. This year it’s all about Team Steph vs Team LeBron and we are highly anticipating the picks from the respective captains. Could it be possible that LeBron picks KD or Steph picks Anthony Davis? We don’t know at the moment but this surely will be an exciting All-Star Game that we all will have to watch.
IMAGE CREDITS
HEADER: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53315611/usa_today_9888923.1487562403.jpg

IMAGE 1: http://cdn1.thecomeback.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/94/2017/02/642999630-832×447.jpg

IMAGE 2: https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/gty_642992014.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1

IMAGE 3: https://mk0slamonlinensgt39k.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/GettyImages-642673112.jpg

MLK Day Match Review: Warriors Conquer The Land

Every January 15 of every year is celebrated as Martin Luther King Day in the United States of America. This is the day to celebrate the life and honours of the late revolutionist who would pave way for many of the successes of African Americans and other races who believe in unity. And what a way to celebrate the day with a classic match between the Warriors and the Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

Despite the Cavaliers’ recent struggles, they stood a good chance at giving the Warriors a run at their money but that’s the issue with the Cavs…they can’t seem to rid the “struggle” out of their team plays and system of the team. Meanwhile the Warriors kept their sizzling hot form at display with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the whole Warriors dismantling the Cavaliers.

The match ended as a 10 point game as the Warriors defeated the Cavs 118-108. It may not have been a potential Finals match up but it surely was a great MLK Day match up between the two teams. However there were some aspects of the game that really need to be looked and discussed

Such as…

LeBron is on Finals-Mode but what about the rest?

LeBron James is a superstar destined to be great and he’s in the league of the All Time Greats such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson. But unlike the greats, Bron has a very large sharp thorn that’s BEEN keeping him from limping to the promise land, the Warriors. But LeBron is never short of bringing his complete arsenal against the Warriors and he always puts his body and talent on the line but what about the rest of his Cavaliers? Why don’t they bring their greatness to the table? As much as I’d love to give you an answer, it’s just unknown. Okay, there has been games where a select few have risen to the occasion but they just don’t bring enough firepower to help LeBron. If and IF the Cavs make it to The Finals, every single player that dons the Cavs jersey will have to outperform themselves to stay intact with the Warriors or else the Cavs will be a victim of THE SWEEP.

KD is close to grabbing the King’s tail

All of Kevin Durant’s basketball career, KD has always been regarded as the second best and even in today’s game KD is seen as second best only behind LeBron James. But in the NBA Finals last year, the recent Christmas game and the MLK Day game, we may be seeing a change in powers. KD is just tips away from being better than LeBron and that will truly be his greatest accomplishment as he will dethrone the King, something no other player in our generation has truly achieved. And in the MLK Day game, KD was all over the place, knocking down threes, defending the perimeter and pushing LeBron to get out of his way for his dunk…okay, LeBron may have blocked KD’s layup but KD was owning the court taking every single Cavs player as his prisoners! And although LeBron has way more career points than KD, many people believe KD has what it takes to overtake LeBron and even break the forgotten career points record of 38,387 points set by the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar. KD is on course of becoming the best of the game

The Warriors have already won the NBA Championship

It’s still January in fact it’s only the beginning of the New Year but it’s not difficult to see that the Golden State Warriors have already taken the title back to back (JUST LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE IN 2016). It’s far fetched to assume a champion at this stage but take this into consideration; LeBron charges the Cavs past the Eastern Conference Playoffs and meets the Warriors in The Finals only to get beat down completely. How do I know this? Well take a look at the MLK Day game and try simulate it into a Finals game. Both teams will surely play better but the Warriors will surely perform better. Kevin Durant will steal the show, Stephen Curry will only prove that he indeed is the greatest shooter of the game, Draymond Green will trample the Cavs’ spirits, Klay Thompson will set the perimeter alight and the bench will make the Cavs’ second unit look like a B-team college squad. This may just be the final year of the great Cavs-Warriors rivalry but the Warriors dynasty will live long and it may be time for LeBron to find the squad to dethrone the Warriors.

The MLK Day game was enjoyable and we can only hope that these two teams will meet at The Finals because they won’t bump into each other this season and the other team in the way of the Cavs’ journey to The Finals are the Boston Celtics (which will be discussed later on). Otherwise a game with the best of LeBron against the best of KD and Steph is and will always be regarded as a classic!

IMAGE CREDITS:

HEADER: http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/70/63/27/14890470/9/920×1240.jpg

IMAGE 1: https://2d6duw6ewj31kp7x2144a318-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cavs-660×400.jpeg

IMAGE 2: https://ukdailypost.com/sites/default/files/styles/708×398/public/field/image/959676.jpg?itok=U8N9KT27

IMAGE 3: https://s.hdnux.com/photos/70/64/37/14895071/5/920×920.jpg

The King Slows Down For None

When you look at the past NBA players who have donned us with their amazing talent, you’ll notice that their fifteenth season was just a season with no highlights, no remarkable moments or anything dazzling. Not only do athletes past thirty years of age have signs of slowing down but they aren’t the same hot-headed players they once were. All this goes for most NBA players…certainly doesn’t go for LeBron James.

Most critics in fact all the critics the NBA media can ever assemble will tell you what I’m telling you right now, that LeBron is having the best season of his career and the man is only 33. He may be past his “prime” but when you look at LeBron perform this season you’ll soon question yourself if this is LeBron’s true prime. He’s just proving to everyone that he is indeed the King…even though we should’ve paid attention to him saying there’s nothing more he has to prove.

From his early days in Cleveland to his reign in Miami and back to his hometown, LeBron has been evolving into a player that some regard as the “perfect player”. Now let’s be realistic, nobody on this planet is close to being perfect but on the court, within the baseline, LeBron rules all little lines and details of basketball. Many LeBron Haters will disagree and try throw in names like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook but those names have no impact the way LeBron does…okay with Steph, an argument can be made and that will be done later but for now, we have to focus on the King.

But, what is it about this fifteenth season LeBron that makes him better than the 2007 Finals LeBron and the 2013 Miami Heat LeBron? Simple, consistency and experience. This LeBron is literally putting his cards on the table, showing us just how much of a winner he is and he hasn’t even shown his full deck. Honestly speaking, this LeBron deserves another ring, another championship to his name and what could really stand in his way of cementing his possibly MVP season? Other than the Golden State Warriors but it’s the reality of facing the Warriors with a team that has less firepower than the Warriors. But…BUT…LeBron has what it takes (once again) to carry the Cavs back to The Finals.

Speaking of MVP, the King is in talks for the MVP award. Sure, James Harden is the main talk of the MVP conversations but LeBron is the main and possibly only contender that stands in the way of Harden claiming his first ever MVP award. It’s not fair to have the best player in the world as a contender of an award that he can win once again with ease but this is LeBron James we’re talking about, this is the LeBron in his fifteenth season who is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down. He’s averaging 28.2 points per game, 8.6 assists per game and 8 rebounds per game and surely those numbers will only increase.

Whether you love him, like him or hate him, you have to respect the hustle, the grit and the wisdom of King James because in this modern era, we are fortunate to witness a player of LeBron’s stature and talent and you will have to admit that LeBron (after Kobe) is the greatest basketball player…of this generation. Perhaps it’s too late for LeBron to be “chasing ghosts” (Michael Jordan) but this LeBron that we’re seeing is just making it hard for us to keep his name out of the Jordan-Kobe conversations. LeBron James is definitely a Once In A Lifetime player…especially seeing how his fifteenth season is his greatest yet.

IMAGE CREDITS:

Header – https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O_CL5ZHzvhitZ59pmveMskqRg5o=/0x0:2480×2483/1200×800/filters:focal(1042×376:1438×772)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57894393/usa_today_10460483.0.jpg

Image 1 – http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.194046.1314069243!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/alg-cavaliers-lebron-jpg.jpg

Image 2 – https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/4252e7af1a3888197136b717f5f93523f21f8eb2/r=x1683&c=3200×1680/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/03/19/03-18-2013-lebron-james-16_9.jpg

Image 3 – http://dystnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Lebron_James_Cavaliers_ap_img.jpg?w=240

Image 4 – https://cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/LeBron-James-1-e1512396847875.jpg

Race to MVP – Week 8

The Race to the most prestigious individual award in the NBA has been no short of intense heat. We’re in the eighth week of The Association and for some, we already have an MVP yet for others anything is possible. Not to state the very much obvious, anything truly is possible but looking at the ladder we may have only two contenders who are setting the NBA alight. Take a look at the Race to MVP ladder of Week 8.

1. James Harden – Houston Rockets

AVG STATS: 31.6 PPG, 9.4 APG, 5.1 RPG
James Harden has been dominating the NBA has an individual player. By now you should be aware of the MVP calibre The Beard possess so it should not come as a surprise that James Harden is on the top of the MVP ladder. He currently leads the league in scoring and he’s doing so phenomenally and from the looks of his performances, he may be on the way to averaging a double-double. Not only is The Beard charging himself atop the MVP ladder but he’s charging the Rockets to the top of the Western Conference just ahead of the reigning NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. This season truly is the season to #FEARTHEBEARD

2. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers

AVG STATS: 28.2 PPG, 8.6 APG, 8.0 RPG
When you have a look at LeBron James you should have an idea of what the man is capable of: DOMINANCE. And not too many past players can brag about their fifteenth season in The Association but only the King holds that right. LeBron is doing wonders for the Cavs, pulling up unconscious three pointers, locking down the paint and changing every aspect of the game at every position he plays in. Only a handful of players currently active can play the same way LeBron does but none are King like LeBron. Having lead the Cavs to a twelve-game winning streak, LeBron is determined to prove that the Cavaliers are still relevant and the best in the East. This is the man who is said to be THE ONLY CONTENDER to the MVP front runner, James Harden.

3. Kyrie Irving – Boston Celtics

AVG STATS: 23.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.1 RPG
Once upon a time, a man by the name of LeBron James once said that former teammate Kyrie Irving has what it takes to be an MVP. And today, we are truly witnessing that. Kyrie is already fitting great in the Celtics and his numbers confirm this. Most star players that arrive in a new team, new city, often have to take plenty of time to settle well but with Kyrie, he’s past that stage. We can’t really compare Kyrie’s old “solo without LeBron days” to what he’s doing now because the Kyrie Irving that is consistenly clutch, forever splitting defenses and putting defenders on skids, has the experience and knowledge of actually winning a basketball game and he knows the ins and outs of taking a team through to the Playoffs and onwards to The Finals. But if you think this is the best of Kyrie, you haven’t quite seen anything yet.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

AVG STATS: 29.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 10.2 RPG
Beginning of the season we were (and had to be) marveled at what the Greek Freak had shown to the basketball world. During the first few weeks, Giannis was a front runner of the MVP race but due to the heavy talents of the Harden’s, LeBron’s and Kyrie’s, Giannis had to fall down the list. But this doesn’t mean he is out of the race completely because if he continues to push the Bucks to at least top 3 seed, shatter defenses and take charge of the league, we will have an official Greek MVP. It’s easy to assume that Giannis will be shortlisted for the award and from what we’re seeing from him, he really should be shortlisted. To be quite frank, he should win an MVP award, if not this season then at least by the next three years. The Greek Freak is showing the whole Association what he’s capable of and one person who should be proud of his MVP performances is the man who brought the challenge to the certainly future MVP: Kobe Bryant.

5. Kevin Durant – Golden State Warriors

AVG STATS: 25.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, 6.6 RPG
With Stephen Curry out for the remainder of his two weeks out of action, it was expected that KD would take offensive leadership for the Warriors. In their past six away games, the Warriors have won all six games with KD recording a triple double and recording 36 points in a game. But why is KD on the list? Shouldn’t Steph remain on the top five like he did in the past two weeks? Well for starters, Steph is injured therefore there needs to be a replacement and secondly, KD is recognized as a top two basketball player in the whole world and he is amazing at what he does. Sure he’s not pulling off 40 points but why should KD do that when he’s already averaging 25 points and is already looking like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But only time well time and when Steph returns, the Warriors will have the best of their two MVPs…like they’ve always had.
OTHER CANDIDATES

6. JOEL EMBIID – PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
7. STEPHEN CURRY – GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
8. DEMAR DEROZAN – TORONTO RAPTORS
9. LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE – SAN ANTONIO SPURS
10. RUSSELL WESTBROOK – OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Stay tuned for more on the MVP ladder and the NBA!
IMAGE CREDITS:

Header – http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/warriors/sites/default/files/teamstoremvptrophies-1280.jpg

Image 1 – https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/james-harden.jpg?quality=100&w=650

Image 2 – https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hsvxGkx76gqJC__0aQcaug–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/4e6e140189e2b0ba98a12e37ad1b858c560

Image 3 – http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Giannis+Antetokounmpo+Milwaukee+Bucks+v+Boston+dpVsQIeP3C9l.jpg

Image 5 – http://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/888610200.jpg?w=620

Making The Right Calls

The NBA has been full of its ups and downs, from the sudden departure (but later return) of Derrick Rose to the valuable dominance of James Harden. Its expected for NBA players and coaches alike have been on the news front of the Association yet this season we’re seeing something different. A group of remarkable yet questionable people are taking the spotlight of the NBA. These people are THE REFEREES.

The referees have been shadows of the game and they’re the most forgettable people in the league and yet without them, there is no officiating or any rules in the Association. But when you look at them this season, you’ll ask yourself if the referees are doing too much of the officiating or if they taking their decision taking personally rather than professionally.

Not to take anything away from the hardworking individuals but the refs have this way of ruining a game especially at a fans point of view. Take the Carmelo Anthony ejection incident, all Melo did was pull a move that had him sort of elbow Jusef Nurkic but come on! A flagrant 1 would have been appropriate but not a flagrant 2 when Melo didn’t intentionally elbow Nurkic.

And the LeBron James ejection, which saw the very first career ejection of the King, was a simple or rather shaky disagreement between LeBron and the ref. When you look at it in a critical view you can say the ref should have called a technical foul but what did he do? He sent The King back to the locker room in what many saw as an oversensitive decision. We may not know what LeBron had truly said to the ref but it was not a great thing to see LeBron tossed out the game due to a missed call.

However one incident I can back a referee’s decision is the Shaun Livingston. See Shaun was posting up, may have gotten fouled but didn’t get the call. It’s okay to protest the ref’s decision and get back to the game but its not okay to storm to the ref, headbutt him and expect him to change his call. And that’s exactly what Shaun did to the ref and for a professional player like Shaun Livingston it’s not okay to approach the referee like that. So yes, the ref was right to eject Shaun.

We should all understand that referees take a massive toll at making calls in the game and they often take a lot of criticism from fans, critics and even the whole Association. But they don’t deserve to be treated with disrespect from players but they need to open their eyes more and start making proper calls that aren’t based on the players or the teams. However, the tension between the refs and players isn’t old and it certainly won’t stop but let’s hope Adam Silver (the man in charge of the NBA) will take this matter seriously and find a solution for refs and players.

IMAGE CREDITS:

Header – https://cdn.nba.net/nba-drupal-prod/2017-11/nba-refs-huddle_0.jpg

Image 1 – https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2017-_oklahoma_city_thunder_at_minnesota_timber.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C3272px%2C1962px&resize=1000%2C600

Image 2 –  https://cdn.nba.net/nba-drupal-prod/2017-11/lebron-james-ejection-cavs-heat.jpg

Image 3 – https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/24740557_10215042004220978_1182953498_n.jpg