greatest day in Northeast sports history?

For a mid-April Saturday with no rings or trophies being awarded, it has been one of the most incredible sports days in the Northeast I can ever remember. In Boston, the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics were all in action, and after yesterday's heroic triumph over evil, what a day for celebration! For New York, the Yankees, Knicks, Nets, Mets and Devils were all playing and gave fans a great show.

Here's the rundown:

- Boston Red Sox triumphantly return to Fenway with a great ceremony, dramatic three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to win it; Ortiz returns and contributes, Buchholz goes to 4-0

- New York Yankees win in 11 innings; Kuroda pitches a gem and Rivera saves the game

- New York Knicks matched up with the Boston Celtics in playoff action

- Brooklyn Nets trampled the Bulls in a dominant playoff debut

- New York Rangers win in a shootout

- New Jersey Devils win big

- Boston Bruins returned to home-ice action with an emotional ceremony and played a great game

- New York Mets played a great game with the Nationals and at least got to see Bryce Harper show some magic

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Traveling a little farther south but still in the region...

- Baltimore Orioles swept a double header on the memorial day for the late Earl Weaver

- Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the first-place Braves

- Pittsburgh Penguins won their hockey game in dramatic fashion

- Philadelphia Flyers took care of business

- Afore-mentioned Washington Nationals won in dramatic fashion

- Washington Capitals won big over division-leading Canadiens

What more could you ask for?

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Miller's NBA Playoff Predictions

In my first year trying I dominated my fantasy basketball league, finishing 9 (Roto) points ahead of the next guy, grabbing the most assists, steals, blocks, and three pointers. Now that that is done, the next obstacle is the real NBA Playoffs.

Generally, the playoffs go to the teams that play better defense, shoot better free throws and stay healthy, and that is where I trend.  Here are my picks for the first round (in order of comment length). There are traditionally few upsets in the NBA, but I pick some.

- Nets vs. Bulls: When the Nets fired Avery Johnson back in the day when they were 14-14 I said it was a good thing for the team and that Brooklyn will improve and not only make the playoffs but they would win a series. Joachim Noah has a bad foot that makes him doubtful for Game 1 and compromised in the series. Derrick Rose could surprise everyone and decide to play, and that could change things as the Nets have struggled against quick and offense-minded point guards. But Rose hasn’t faced NBA competition in twelve months, so even if he did play he wouldn’t be effective. Meanwhile, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez are playing their best ball of the year right now, and a few extra days off should help Joe Johnson be in prime condition. Reggie Evans has emerged as the best rebounder in the NBA. Historically, D-Will performs at the highest level in the playoffs. Bulls are a trendy pick; in fact, it seems like the Nets are the underdogs. Nets advance in their first year in Brooklyn. Nets in 5

- Knicks vs. Celtics. Knicks set the record for most threes in a season. Historically, teams reliant on the three-ball have not done as well in the playoffs. Also, the Knicks haven’t won a playoff series in thirteen years. They are facing a Celtics team that is missing Rajon Rondo but still has KG, Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers, along with Jason Terry off the bench who has hit big playoff shots in his career. Celtics have been waiting for the playoffs for a month now. They don’t have much depth, especially in the middle, and that could cause concern, especially if Garnett gets in foul trouble. Carmelo Anthony is the best player in the series, but if he and J.R. Smith fall in love with the mid-range and shots from downtown, Boston will come away on top. And how nice that would be for a city coming off such a terrible tragedy. Celtics in 7

- Nuggets and Warriors. I like the Warriors’ team and I want to pick them here, but for a lot of the same reason as the Knicks, I’ve gotta go with Denver. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are great shooters but in the playoffs the better defensive team usually controls the game. Even in Curry’s best games when he takes over the Warriors still typically don’t win. And the Nuggets are really solid perimeter defenders. One concern for Denver is health; they are losing players (Gallinari, Faried, etc.) at the wrong time of the year. If Golden State can get the ball inside to David Lee and Andrew Bogut regularly rather than I like their chances but I’m afraid they won’t do that. Nuggets in 7

- Clippers vs. Grizzlies. These are two great teams in one of the best matchups of the first round and a rematch of last year. Lob City won in seven games last year, but I’ve gotta go with my gut and my heart and pick the Grizzlies; I like their defense and inside game with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. And to pick another stat I like, Memphis is a Top Ten free throw team while the Clippers are a bottom five, and free throws could make the difference in a long tight series. Grizzlies in 7

- Thunder and Rockets. An intriguing matchup as James Harden faces his former team. There was a lot of talk at the beginning of the season as to whether the Thunder made a big mistake “breaking up the band” so early but they still managed to finish on top in the West and are the favorites to represent in the Finals again. Rockets are exciting with Harden, James Lin, Chandler Parsons and Thomas Robinson but they just don’t play much defense and OKC is simply a much better team. Thunder in 6

- Spurs vs. Lakers. Lakers aren’t very good with or without Kobe. Tim Duncan is having one of his best ever seasons and now is where his focus has been. There is no focus in LA and Dwight Howard is going to be shooting about 18 free throws a game. How many can he make? Not enough. I like San Antonio big in this series. Spurs in 4

- Heat vs. Bucks.  LeBron and Bosh are playing their best ball of their careers and while Wade has played in just 3 of the last 10 games, he played 23 effective minutes in their last contest. Heat haven’t even been trying and they’ve still won 8 in a row. Won’t be a sweep, but the Bucks won’t challenge the Heat too much. Heat in 5

- Pacers vs. Hawks. Atlanta has been falling apart lately and they just aren’t that good! They haven’t beaten anybody good in over a month. Indiana’s defense will wear out the Hawks and end the series quickly. Pacers in 5

EAST
Heat in 5
Celtics in 7
Pacers in 5
Nets in 5

WEST
Spurs in 4
Thunder in 6
Nuggets in 7
Grizzlies in 7

FINALS
Heat over Spurs in 6

Derek Rose and the pathetic Derek-Rose-less Bulls

(March 14)



There were two pieces of news from Bulls camp today.

1): Derek Rose has been cleared to play. But he doesn’t feel confident dunking off his left foot so he is not comfortable about returning. Seriously.

2): Sacramento Kings blew out the Bulls by 42 on Wednesday. The Kings and their dead-last-ranked defense held Chicago to 79 points, including 38.6% shooting, 2-21 from three (they made their last shot in the final minute; were 1-20 before), and 17 turnovers. On the other side, the 23-43 Kings against the #3 ranked Bulls defense dropped 121 points, 54% shooting and just 5 turnovers. By the way, the Bulls had two days off, last playing Sunday.

That may be the ugliest and biggest upset of the NBA season.

The Bulls are free-falling in the East, going 7-12 since the end of January. After contending for the 2 seed (perhaps holding it for a short time?) they are now tied for the 7 spot with games @Golden State, against Denver, Portland and Indiana upcoming. Yikes.

And their superstar guard, who they desperately need back in a wide open Eastern Conference where they would have a legit shot for the Conference Finals, “doesn’t feel confident dunking off his left foot” so he is holding out.

Who cares? Aren’t you a former MVP? You are a point guard! Can’t you do anything else?

Deron Williams has had ankle pains (both) all season and hasn’t dunked in 11 months. But he has played nearly every game despite being less effective than he usually is, faced a lot of criticism, yet his Nets are right in the thick of it just two games behind the Knicks. Where would they be without D-Will? Probably not in the playoffs. That’s what a leader does.

I know the Heat are overwhelming favorites but you can't just throw away a year. What about Joachim Noah, Carlos Boozer Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng, you think they will be around forever? What if Noah gets hurt next year?

Derek Rose has had nearly a full year to get ready. It is a cryin’ shame that the only thing holding him back is his head and his pride. Suck it up and do your best; your team needs you, and they are paying you a helluva lot of money ($16.4M) to at least be mentally ready. Quit making excuses and figure out how to play.

Until then, the Bulls are likely to continue to get pounded and blow a good shot at a playoff run.

a good week for the Brooklyn Nets

March 10



After a crummy stretch it has been a good week in Brooklyn. Not only have the Nets won three in a row (pretty convincingly, I might add; average margin of 17 points) and D-Will had a historic game, but the Pacer, Bulls and Celtics lost Sunday, Hawks have lost two in a row, and the Knicks are hurting (lost Amar’e for the remainder of the regular season while Melo is also dealing with an injury).

The defense has been good all year, but has really stepped up recently, holding opponents to an average of 86 points over the last seven games. And for the offense where turnovers have been one of the biggest issues, after averaging 21 turnovers in four games, the Nets have had just 9 and 11 in their last two contests (and 4 of those in the last game were committed by the backup center). The third quarter has been Brooklyn’s bugaboo, but they have dominated it in their three recent wins. Those three games last week were to the Bobcats, Wizards and at the Hawks, not exactly Murderer’s Row; but a road win over a playoff team and another win against a Wizards’ team that stuck it to the Nets a couple weeks ago are still good wins.

After a poor first half, Deron Williams has been a renewed player since sitting out a couple games around the All-Star break. He is scoring 23.1 points a game (6.4 more than before) and is shooting 47% from the floor (up from 41%). He had one of the best games of his career this week, shooting the lights out against the Wizards (nine of his eleven three pointers in the first half, including nailing his first eight) and looks much more comfortable around the court.

Kris Humphries signed a $24M/2 year deal in the offseason. He is now not only out of the starting lineup but out of the bench rotation as well. Even though he is totally healthy he has not even been on the court the last three games, which have all been blowouts. (Even Tyshawn Taylor and Tornike Shengelia are getting minutes.) That makes Hump, unquestionably, the most overpaid player in the NBA. And to think Brooklyn had a chance to trade him before the deadline and didn’t…

The other player struggling mightily this season is Gerald Wallace. Offensively there are few players that have been more… offensive. On the season Crash is making just 30.1% of his jump shots, 48.6% of his layups (layups!) and 63.9% of his free throws. And in the second half he is a dismal 37.8% from the field.

There are still issues at power forward. Humphries is not playing and Gerald Wallace doesn’t help much. Reggie Evans is among the best rebounders in the NBA but also a liability on offense (missed 11 free throws on Friday). P.J. Carlesimo is giving Mirza Teletovic an opportunity to play more (58 minutes the last three games) but scored just 11 points last week. If he doesn’t pick it up then we may be seeing more Humphries back on the court.

With 19 games left the Nets are in good shape. Their next four are very winnable: @Sixers, Hornets, Hawks, @Pistons, and if they are able to win those they will be 41-26. But that is followed by their toughest stretch of the season, seven straight on the road (eight counting the Pistons) including games against the Mavs, Clippers, Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz. The Nets are taking advantage of this soft spot late in the season and should use it to get them ready for the playoffs, with those challenging games out West as primers.

I want to see more continued control of the basketball and some improvement by either Mirza or Humphries. But I like what I’m seeing out of Deron Williams. Considering their .333 winning percentage a year ago, a #3 playoff seed would be quite an improvement and a good spring into next season.

what's wrong with the Nets?

March 4



The Nets are in another one of their slumps, the third of the season (the other two both in December). Since winning four in a row around the All-Star Break they have lost four out of five and done so in spectacular fashion.

Four main issues have killed the Nets this year.

1) Turnovers. Nets throw the ball all over the court. D-Will is doing it a lot, but he’s the point guard who has the ball all the time anyway, so I can excuse it some (your NBA turnover leaders are Holiday, Rondo, Wall, Harden, Kobe, Westbrook, Durant and Irving; what does that say?). Especially lately he has been incredibly sloppy. With a chance to tie against the Grizzlies last week he threw the ball away with 10 seconds left. But as for the others, what excuse do Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace have? It is maddening to watch the games because those two in particular are notorious at dumb turnovers. Nets had 18 turnovers against the Grizzlies, 20 against the Mavericks, and 21 against the Bulls. In fact, the Nets have had 20+ turnovers six times this season. There’s no excuse for that.

2) Cold streaks. Brooklyn has had about three games this year where they played well for 48 minutes. Most often they will do well for about 38 and then completely shut down for the better part of a quarter (usually the third). Against the Rockets, a two-point deficit grew to 17. Nets led the Grizzlies by five two minutes left and the Grizzlies scored the games’ last nine points. The Mavericks outscored them by 15 in the third quarter. Nets were leading Chicago in the second quarter until the Bulls went on a 19-0 run into the third where the Nets remained scoreless for seven minutes.

This season the Nets have been outscored by ten or more in 30 different quarters (13 of which were the third). Think about that; in a 12-minute period they’ve completely gone in the tank 30 times. The reasons, besides Turnover City, are…

- Terrible shot selection. When things start going wrong, D-Will, JJ, Bogans, Watson, Stackhouse and Teletovic start chucking up three-pointers every possession instead of moving the ball around to get good high percentage shots.

- No offensive movement. One of the biggest gripes with Avery Johnson’s coaching was the isolation-heavy offense that led to a last-second contested heave as the shot clock expired. That has been creeping back. Consider this: the Nets are tied for 28th in the number of shots per game. The other two at the bottom are the Thunder and Heat. But those two teams are in the top three in field goal percentage and three-point shot percentage. So in reality, the Nets take the fewest shots and don’t get good looks when they do.

- They don’t use free throws to get out of droughts. One of the things I admire most about Dirk Nowitzki is how, even when he is ice-cold shooting, he still demands the ball, gets into the paint, draws fouls and hits the freebies. The Nets don’t do that. Gerald Wallace is shooting 63% from the free throw line, 17 points lower than a season ago. Reggie Evans is making exactly half of his (45% in Nets losses).

3) Powerless forwards. Kris Humphries got a new $24M/2 year contract last offseason and he’s now third on the depth chart at power forward. Hump is averaging just 5.5 points a game this season, including seven total in his last six games (62 minutes). Reggie Evans is a rebound machine but is a complete nonfactor on offense. Over the last three games (61 minutes) Evans has not registered a single point, shooting 0-8 (yet he has had six turnovers). For some reason GM Billy King opted not to go after an offensive power forward before the trade deadline (Josh Smith, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap) and that decision (or indecision) will likely cost the Nets.

4) Coaching. When P.J. took over the Nets got on a nice winning streak. People asked him what he’s doing different and he always answered “Not much, we’re basically doing the same things.” Like earlier in the season, “the same things” isn’t good enough. Besides the litany of turnovers and poor shooting, Carlesimo has no clue what he’s doing with the lineup. His All-Star center Brook Lopez, the MVP of the Nets season, did not play at all in the fourth quarter three times recently. Defense, in general, has not been the problem, yet he sticks with Evans, Wallace and Bogans so much (instead of Lopez + Blatche, Mirza and Brooks) and the Nets then struggle to score. Like early in the season with Avery, the Nets are blowing great first halves by completely falling apart at halftime.

I’m sorry, I know everyone smirks when you blame the coach but there is no question that Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo are not getting the most out of the talent on the team, or using them effectively.

There is still time to turn things around, and especially in the weak Eastern Conference the Nets still have a good chance to advance in the playoffs. Overall, they have a good makeup: one of the league’s best backcourts (despite their struggles this season) in Deron and Joe, the highest-scoring center in the league (Lopez), lots of bigs (Blatche, Evans, Humphries) and a good bench (Teletovic, Brooks, Watson and Bogans). They are virtually in a three-way tie for the four seed and just four games behind the Pacers for #2. But as a team they are wildly inconsistent, especially on offense, and P.J. Carlesimo has got to figure out how to turn things around and get them back on track. He gets four days to think about it and fortunately that starts with a trip to Charlotte on Wednesday.

Hey, I thought it was supposed to be like...

Sometimes things don’t happen exactly like you expect, especially in the NBA.

1. Nets can’t beat good teams. (Four straight wins over teams at or above .500)

2. Pacers are a poor offensive team. (Drop 125 on New York Knicks)

3. Warriors are one of the more dangerous teams in the West. (Six straight blowout losses)

4. On the Rockets instead of the Thunder, James Harden will struggle in the second half as defenses gang up on him. (Scores 46 in a win over his old team, the Thunder)

5. Kobe is the only player on the Lakers doing any good. (Bryant is just 1 for his last 35 three point tries, dating back to January 20)

6. Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Hawks, Bucks, Celtics, Clippers and Jazz all want to make some moves. (All staying put hours from the trade deadline)

7. Grizzlies are mailing in the season by trading Rudy Gay. (Grizz win their 6th in a row)

8. Utah will slide out of the playoff picture as the Lakers catch up. (Jazz have won three straight and have a five game lead over the Lakers)

9. Knicks are a premier team in the East and are the Heat’s primary competition. (14-14 in their last 28 games, haven’t beat a .500+ team on the road since December 11)

10. Spurs are old and won’t be able to keep it up. (Won 15 of their last 16 games and hold best record in the NBA)

Just some observations. I guess it’s just one more reason why the NBA is such a great game.

NBA news and notes (All-Star Break edition)

Spring is coming but the only baseball chatter is about PED use and the associated lies and scandal, so NBA is still king right now; especially at the All Star Weekend. You’ve heard they play no defense in the Rising Stars Game? That would be true; Team Chuck scored 90 points in the first half, and the end of the game was nothing more than a slam dunk contest with players on the court as spectators. I actually tried listening on the radio but it was less interesting than play-by-play of a Home Run Derby.

Here’s your NBA notes of the week, and there is nothing bigger right now than some guy on the Miami Heat to start things off.



LeBron James is playing out of his mind. His streak of consecutive 30-point games is up to seven, and after missing his last two shots (three pointers as the play clock expires with a big lead) against the Thunder his streak of 60%+ shooting ended at six. It is obviously still remarkable. If you go back 13 games these are his combined stats:

– 244 FG attempts, 403 points (31 average), 62% FG, 49% 3pt, 8.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists

That efficiency is unheard of. And his effectiveness is making everyone else around him better. Bosh is shooting 65%, Wade is shooting 49%, and the Heat have won seven straight and most of them were quality games (@Thunder, Blazers, Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, @Raptors). Enough with the Jordan comparison; let’s just enjoy the show.

1. Snoozefests. Speaking of efficiency, we didn’t see a whole lot of it around the rest of the Eastern Conference this week. Two of the key matchups were Bulls/Celtics and Nets/Pacers. The Celtics scored just 19 points in the second and third quarters COMBINED on Wednesday and still won the game. Neither team shot above 37%. On Monday the Nets shot just 38% but won as the Pacers shot a pathetic 34%. Brooklyn had cold stretches all throughout the game, missing 7 straight shots in the second quarter, 9 straight in the third, and 6 straight in the fourth. Another top team, the Knicks shot just 35% at home in losing to the Raptors Wednesday. Seems like a good time for a few days off.

2. Celtics. Although they have been winning games, injuries continue to pile up for Boston. Rondo, big man Jared Sullinger, and now Leandro Barbosa is out for the year. Of the guys that are left: Kevin Garnett (36), Paul Pierce (35), Jason Terry (35) can’t handle 40 minutes for 30 more games (even before playoffs). They don’t have a true point guard. ESPN’s Skip Bayless declared that they were the Heat’s biggest competition in the East, and then they promptly lost to the Bobcats. Boston is fortunate to have built up some space, but 9 of their next 11 games are on the road, where they have struggled, so things could change in a hurry.

3. Knicks. New York is sitting pretty with a comfortable cushion for the 2 seed. You probably think that they have been dominant. Well, not so fast. Since their hot 18-5 start when everything was going down, they are 14-13. Jason Kidd’s three point shooting has fallen precipitously since November, when he made nearly half of shots from downtown (49% Nov, 42% Dec, 32% Jan, 18% Feb). And Carmelo makes you scratch his head. Against the Raptors he suffered a right arm contusion. It obviously affected him as he made just 5 of 24 shots (and 1-6 from the free throw line). Yet he still wants to play in the meaningless All-Star Game. Is that leadership, putting your team first? They have had one of the easiest schedules of the first half, so things will get tougher from here on out.

4. Nets. Amazingly, the Nets have now won nine straight overtime games. Because of their inconsistency this season, Brooklyn has been in a lot of trade rumors (Josh Smith, Ben Gordon, Paul Millsap, Carlos Boozer). They haven’t gone for any yet. Rookie Tyshawn Taylor has emerged as a legitimate backup point guard in Deron Williams’ absence, so C.J. Watson should be available trade bait, as is Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and Gerald Wallace (though I’d be surprised if anyone was interested in him). The Nets need another scoring threat.



5. Clippers. Altough Eric Bledsoe emerged as an effective player, the Clippers had a terrible time without Chris Paul in the lineup, losing 7 of 10, including a lot of blowouts. Since his return they have won four straight, averaging 110 points (after just 92 for the previous 10 games).

6. Raptors. I was pretty annoyed when the Grizzlies traded away Rudy Gay. It has worked out well for the Raptors as they have won four straight (including @Pacers, Nuggets and @Knicks). They have a tough stretch after the break, including two games versus the surging Wizards, Grizzlies, Knicks, and then a big road trip. They are not out of the playoff hunt yet, but they will need to win a lot of those games to get closer.

7. Thunder. Kevin Durant had a terrible game on Thursday against the Heat. He missed his first 7 shots and then fell hard on his hip in the first quarter, a play that would have likely sidelined anyone else in the NBA. For him it woke him up, as he scored 40 points the rest of the way. And yet it was still a bad game. Amazing.

NBA news and notes

(February 8, 2013)

The football season is finally over and with five weeks before March Madness sets in, NBA is king right now. Outside of Lakerland (the NBA’s equivalent to Jets camp), here are 7 weekly tidbits, starting with the biggest story, the Boston Celtics.

When Rajon Rondo went down the C’s were 20-23, the 8th seed, and desperation was setting in. Since then, the C’s are 6-0. (And actually, on Jan 7 the C’s beat the Knicks at MSG without Rondo too, so that is 7 in a row without Rondo.) It is quite remarkable that Boston continues to win without their best player (as well as backup big man Jared Sullinger). So the big question is, are the Celtics better without Rondo? They lost their last six games that he played and they’ve won their last seven that he hasn’t been active. Short term, in limited doses, the rest of the team can rally around this with a sense of urgency. Role players have a new opportunity to step up and show that they deserve more time. A couple weeks ago the Hawks had lost six in a row, were facing the Nets who had won 7 in a row, and they were missing suspended Josh Smith, one of their best players. They blew out the Nets. But over the long term, Rondo is one of the top point guard generals in the NBA and the Celtics will not be able to maintain this for the next thirty games.

The C’s have been streaky all year. Before this streak they had lost 6 in a row, and before that they won 6 in a row. Prior to that run they lost 8 of 10. The streaks tend to correspond with home/road trips. Coming up, the Celtics have a run playing 9 out of 11 games on the road. My prediction: on March 11 the Boston Celtics will be 30-32 and back in the 8th seed.

1. Warriors. It was a rough couple days for the Golden State Warriors, especially on defense. On Tuesday and Wednesday the Warriors played in Houston and Oklahoma City, gave up 259 points, allowed over 50% shooting both games, and got outscored by 52 points.

2. Grizzlies. Last week Memphis was 29-15, the 4th seed, and had one of the best balanced teams in the NBA. Then they traded Rudy Gay, have gone 1-3, and if they lose tonight to the Warriors they will be sitting in the #6 spot.

3. Nuggets. Has anyone had as impressive a season as Denver? By the New Year the Nuggets had played 22 of 32 games on the road and still managed to survive above .500, including wins at Golden State, Memphis and Indiana. The 2013 Nuggets have had nearly all their games in Denver but have still had a tough schedule with ten games against currently playoff-seeded teams. They’ve won nine of those, including six among their current eight game winning streak. Can you even name Denver’s best player?

4. Nets. With 2:33 left in the game, Nets had an 83-82 lead over the Lakers on Tuesday night in Brooklyn. Even without Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace the Lakers scored the next and last 10 points. And Kobe did this. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson disappeared, and had Gerald Wallace also disappeared Brooklyn would have been better off. It was the Nets worst loss of the season.

5. Clippers. On January 20, the Clippers had the NBA’s best record at 32-9. Starting in the next game, when Chris Paul reaggravated his bad knee and was obviously compromised (1-7, only 4 points, hasn’t played since) the “other team in L.A.” lost 7 of 9 games, including games to the Wizards, Raptors, and Suns. It makes it hard to disagree that Chris Paul is one of the most valuable players in the NBA.

6. Wizards. Speaking of them, is any team more unpredictable and inconsistent than the one on D.C.? The Wizards started 0-12 and are now 0-6 this season against the Bobcats, Cavaliers and Kings, yet they have wins over the Clippers, Knicks, Bulls, Nuggets, Thunder, Hawks, and Heat. Including the 25-24 Blazers, nine of Washington’s thirteen wins are against teams over .500. Look out Brooklyn.

7. Heat. Well, this is actually a LeBron James note. In a stretch of three games from the 4th quarter in Toronto, against the Bobcats, and the 1st quarter against the Rockets, James took 21 shots and made 20 of them. And replays show on the one he missed Bismack Biyombo clearly fouled him three times.

Last season LeBron had the highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in NBA history; this year he could be even better. After last year’s career best in field goal and three-point percentage, he’s now shooting even 25 points higher inside the arc and 46 points higher beyond. He’s also on pace for career-bests in rebounds and fewest turnovers. He’s a shoe-in for his fifth MVP in six seasons. However, his free throw shooting is his lowest in six years. At least we know he’s still mortal.

why, Memphis, why?

The Memphis Grizzlies have their best team in franchise history. They have the strongest starting lineup in the NBA with very good balance all the way around. They are 4th in the West right now and have as good a shot as any to make the Finals. But on Wednesday night they prefer pinching pennies over winning as they completed a three team, 7 player trade that sends Rudy Gay to the Raptors.

Grizzlies get:
Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye, 2013 2nd round draft pick

Raptors get:
Rudy Gay, Hamed Haddadi

Pistons get:
Jose Calderon

This trade makes no sense to me. Yes, Rudy Gay was having a below-average first half. His points and shooting percentage are down. He has a very large contract from two years ago and the Grizzlies are feeling financially strapped for the future because of it. But come on; how often does Memphis get a good opportunity to contend? Why break up the band now? Gay still leads the Grizzlies in scoring. He also leads in minutes played, gets a lot of rebounds, and plays good defense. He’s a star. On a very balanced team he has scored at least 18.9 points per game the last five seasons. He’s only 26 years old. There was a reason the team gave him a large contract in 2010, and why now in midseason, when all the pieces finally fit together, is it the time to confess it was a bad decision?

Memphis made another trade a week ago losing Marreese Speights and a couple other players, saving them $6.4 million plus a $4 million luxury tax hit. There was no need to trade Rudy Gay.

Grizzlies received several players in this trade. Ed Davis is probably the most valuable. But he’s a power forward; Memphis already has three other big men in front of him on the depth chart! How often will he be on the court? Another aspect I heard is getting Davis makes Zach Randolph expandable next year. Hold on, you got rid of Rudy Gay and you’re already planning to get rid of All-Star Zach Randolph too??

Memphis received Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to fill in the void left by Gay’s departure. Rudy Gay is 26 and in his prime. Tayshaun Prince is turning 33 next month and has been declining for three years. Austin Daye is a warm body that offers very little. Despite Rudy Gay’s down year, Prince’s and Daye’s combined scoring average is still less than Gay’s. How does this make a Bottom Ten offensive team better?

As to the pick, second round draft picks rarely make an impact.

Why now? This trade hurts their chances of winning this year. Why not ride it out and get as much as you can with the group you have? I don’t know where they expect the points to come from. And the trade hurts them next year also, especially if they plan to shuttle off Zach Randolph.

The Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Heat, and Thunder all showed that putting together a Super Team, a group with three or four dominant players, is a recipe for winning in the NBA. The Grizzlies had a Super Team, with Marc Gasol, Randolph, Gay, and Michael Conley (and Tony Allen, a top-level lock-down defender). The Spurs, Thunder, Jazz and Pacers have shown you can have a winning team in the NBA from a small market. But once again, the Grizzlies prefer to play the martyr card and cry, “We’re a small market team!” and demonstrate that saving money is preferable to giving their fans a chance, as faint as it may be, to see a champion. Isn’t it worth a shot?

Oh well. For the Memphis Grizzlies, this seems par for the course. This is the same team that traded Pau Gasol midseason, a trade that immediately put the Lakers in the NBA Finals three years in a row. At least this trade took the front headlines Wednesday away from the Nets getting blown out by the Heat and the Lakers again choking on the road.

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a good weekend for the underdogs

With the Super Bowl approaching and the Lakers and Celtics struggling, some of you may have forgotten that basketball is still going on.

It was a tough weekend for the Eastern Conference. On Saturday, the #2 Knicks, #3 Bulls, #4 Nets, and #5 Pacers all lost (to teams with worse records). The Heat and Hawks (#'s 1 and 6) were off Saturday, but they played and lost on Sunday. The #8 Celtics won Sunday ending their six-game losing streak, but also discovered that their best player Rajon Rondo tore is knee and is out the rest of the year. So you can consider that a loss too.

The #7 Milwaukee Bucks bucked the trend by beating the hot Golden State Warriors. That win along with everyone else's losses made it a pretty nice weekend in Wisconsin.

It was a pretty wacky weekend out West, too. Along with the #5 Warriors, the #1 Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the terrible Lakers, #3 LA Clippers fell to the Blazers, and the #4 Memphis Grizzlies also lost to the Hornets/Pelicans.

The Spurs have won 8 straight but look out: Wednesday night they host the 11-32 Bobcats. Fortunate for them, the weekend shenanigans ought to be well behind us by then.

recapping the battle of New York

The season series between the Knicks and Nets concluded on MLK Monday. The Nets won this last one 88-85 at Madison Square Garden to split the four game series 2-2. Here's my biased but honest take on the (yes, I'll say it) new rivalry.

- With the Nets down by one with 25 seconds left, the ball was in Joe Johnson’s hands. JJ makes a move to get in position, gets a shot off and drained it. On the ensuing possession for the Knicks down by one, the ball was in Carmelo’s hands. Melo drove to the baseline, had a look, but put up an air ball.

- Everyone was quick to criticize Joe Johnson early in the season. But this was at least the third game that he buried the game winning shot. JJ scored 10 points in the fourth quarter (including two big threes). Carmelo missed all six shots in the final period.

- Brook Lopez has become a complete center. He scored just 14 points today (after 20+ the last three games) but added 11 rebounds and four blocks. Brook plays good defense and finally is getting rebounds, and is one of the best offensive centers in the NBA. Deserves to be an All Star.

- Nets are 11-2 since P.J. Carlesimo took over for Avery Johnson. Those wins include at Oklahoma City, at MSG, and home wins over the Pacers and Hawks. JJ and Deron Williams are playing very effectively. After their breakout start, the Knicks are 7-9 since December 17.

- The Nets are a puzzle with a lot of pieces that all fit very well together. Nets bench is very solid. Reggie Evans is an elite rebounder and ultimate teammate. His emergence into the starting lineup leaves Humphries (11 points, 13 rebounds) becoming a solid contributor off the bench along with Andray Blatche, Keith Bogans, C.J. Watson, MarShon Brooks, and an up-and-coming Mirza Teletovic. They started somewhat slow this season but now that they are getting used to playing together, this is a complete team.

- Knicks are a very flawed team. They live and die with the three, and that is not a recipe for long term success. They can’t rebound. Today they were -15, including allowing 12 offensive rebounds. Knicks are without Raymond Felton right now, and earlier in the season they had him without Carmelo for several games. Without both out there they really struggle to score as a team. (And by the way, Felton scores but only because he is such a high-volume shooter. I don’t care for him.) They are depending on a bunch of ancient players (Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, and Amar’e Stoudemire) and players coming off injuries (Iman Shumpert and Amar’e, again). This plan is backfiring.

- Nets won’t continue an 11-2 pace and Felton will be back. We haven’t reached the All Star Game yet, and the Knicks are still a game up. But I feel much more comfortable with the Brooklyn Nets in the long run this season than the Knicks.

The one thing I am the saddest about is that this is the last time these teams play before the playoffs. Brooklyn/New York should happen ten times a season, not four all before February.

a Nets fan happy with the coaching change

After another ugly loss to Milwaukee, the Nets' tenth loss of December, Avery Johnson was finally "relieved of his coaching duties." Most of the attention and blame has been directed at Deron Williams. I don't agree. In fact, I thought this coaching change came late enough.

Avery Johnson is not a great coach and he was underachieving with the Nets. His record with New Jersey/Brooklyn was 60-116. You want to point at his record in Dallas? Then remember that he lost three straight playoff series, including 2007 when a 67-win Mavs team got blown out by the Golden State Warriors. He was fired because he couldn't get his team to play to their best potential. And this season he was given a lot of talent but he doesn’t get the most out of his players. It was not working.

Deron Williams did not force Avery out. This was an ownership move. Deron Williams has certainly played poorly and is having a bad season. But so are Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries. They are all having the worst seasons of their careers. I like the guys on the bench, but C.J. Watson, Keith Bogans, and MarShon Brooks are not being used effectively or playing effectively, either. So what is the coach doing? All Deron Williams said was that he was having a hard time adjusting to the current system. Is that so heinous? Everybody on the team can say the same thing!

Gerald Wallace has called out his teammates, saying “guys are content with the situation that we are in, and I’m **** pissed off about losing, especially losing the way we are losing.” Kris Humphries was benched and didn't even get off the bench, even before he got hurt. Yet D-Will is the reason Avery Johnson was fired. Gimme a break.

The Nets have been the slowest-paced team in the league. The majority of their offense is isolations. That's fine if you have LeBron, Durant or Kobe. But that doesn't fit the players on the Nets. It shouldn't be a surprise that D-Will enjoyed and thrived in a "system offense" like Jerry Sloan's Jazz. So what is Avery Johnson doing about that? The defense has been bad, especially in December. And two things that surprise Nets fans the most is how they have lost. They get outplayed in the third quarter every single game. Isn't halftime when coaching adjustments are supposed to happen? Johnson gets outcoached every night. And on top of that, not unrelated, the Nets have lost four straight games in which they had a double digit lead. That is pathetic.

Brooklyn is starting new; new home, new logo, new players. They have plenty of talent on the team and an owner who is anxious to spend money to make his team better. Avery Johnson has done nothing to impress during his time with the Nets, and while the season hasn't even made it to New Years, it’s as good a time as ever to make a change.

And you know what, it’s not just about this season. I’m thinking about next season and the year after that. That’s been my stance ever since they moved to Brooklyn and got all these players. In a conference with the Miami Heat, the Nets won’t the Finals this year anyway. So they might as well finish putting the pieces together now to make a serious run for the next several years. That includes bringing in a head coach that can bring them up a level.

I thought this was the right move. The season is still salvageable. The Nets have enough talent to be a #3-5 seed in a weak Eastern Conference. They have been underachieving. But getting the right guy in can also prepare them for the upcoming seasons. Look at the difference in the Knicks with Mike Woodson instead of Mike D'Antoni. But unlike the Knicks who with all the age on their roster are built for now now now, the Nets have potential to contend for several more years.

I expect them to even win a playoff series this year. I know I've said a lot about "talent" and "potential." Of course, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson will have to play better than they have. Let's hope a new sheriff in town can make it work.

changing of the guard

On Saturday night I was glancing at the NBA standings. It was pretty shocking. Lakers, Mavericks and Suns are all on the bottom half of the conference while the typical punching bags of my youth (Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Warriors) are suddenly powers of the West. Seems like the league has turned upside down. So I dug a little deeper.

I know it's still relatively early in the season. We haven't even hit the new year. But the comparison is remarkable, and especially not just in the West.

(Click the picture, open in a new tab/window for a reference)

Of the seven teams outside the playoffs in the East five years ago, six find themselves on the right side now. And in the West, five of the seven would be playing postseason basketball. When I was thinking about this on Saturday night, Portland was 13-12 (.520) and Denver was 15-14 (.517), so that would tip the Blazers up and even things at six for both conferences. Only the Kings and Bobcats are left out of the fun.

And not only that. The Sonics-turned-Thunder and the Heat have gone from bottom to top in their respective conferences, and the Knicks have gone from second-worst to second-best. Of course, the Spurs continue to be the epitome of consistency in all of sports, staying in the #3 hole. In fact, San Antonio has missed the playoffs only one time since 1989, and that one year off year gave them Tim Duncan.

It is hard to believe that the Miami Heat only won 15 games in 2007-08. Dwayne Wade missed much of the season. And the following NBA draft they chose Michael Beasley. Imagine how they would be had they selected Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, or Brook Lopez.

So that's your daily NBA fun fact. Sports are usually cyclical. Especially in the NBA, where the superstars start with terrible teams. The recent new bargaining agreement changes also played a big role. Luck in the draft certainly helps. But seriously, twelve of fourteen teams outside of the playoffs find themselves firmly in the picture five years later! In the sport that is rumored to have the least amount of parity, it may just have the most!

Rajon Rondo, get a hold of yourself!

Late in the second quarter of the Nets-Celtics game, with the Nets up by 16, Kevin Garnett drove to the basket and Kris Humphries fouled him hard, sending him to the ground. Rajon Rondo took umbrage from the play, pushed Humphries hard, got in his face and threw some punches, starting a fracas that went into the stands.

(see the video here)

Rajon Rondo is a punk. What was he thinking? First off, going after another player will immediately get him ejected and he knows that. Doesn’t he know that he is the team’s most important player? Doesn’t he know that the Celtics can’t win without him? Doesn’t he know that this is a divisional rivalry game against a good team that has already beaten his team once? The game was still early enough for the Celtics to possibly come back. Isn’t he also aware that he has a personal streak, a historical 37-game streak of double-digit assists on the line?

The foul wasn’t even egregious. Garnett was driving down the baseline, Humphries was defending him, KG went up, Hump made a weak attempt at either blocking the ball or disrupting KG to make sure he missed it, knocked him hard as KG was already off balance, and Garnett helped the ref out by theatrically tumbling to the floor. Hump came down on his shoulder, not the face. It was a hard foul between two large men, one that happens in nearly every quarter of every NBA game. It was going to be a personal foul for two free throws. And Rondo decided to pick a fight over it.

Some will say, “Wow, what a great teammate, sticking up for his friends.” No sir, this is a bad teammate, one that stuck his nose into a play that didn’t even involve him, caused a huge fight that spilled into the stands, and the only question now is how many games will he miss because of it. Is KG so fragile that there is a need to start a fight because of a one-armed push during a defensive play? Does Rondo have that little control over his emotions that he must react to a hard foul by creating a brawl? Sadly, this isn't the first time RR has done something like this. Rondo is too important to his team to miss games because of immature, punk actions like this. This was an ugly mark for the NBA, and an incident that hurts Rajon Rondo’s teammates and team.

and these guys are professionals?

I know box scores don’t tell the whole story of a game but it can sure tell a lot. And there have been a couple crazy games already this week in the NBA that caught my eye.

On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 114-69. In the middle of the 3rd quarter the score was 79-25. And then the Thunder coach pulled the starters. If this was last year when they were the worst team in the history of the NBA it would be a little easier to understand the Bobcats’ struggles. But they have actually been competitive this season. In fact, coming into that game they had a record of 7-5 (as many wins as they had all last season).

On Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant was sick with the flu but played anyway. Meanwhile, his teammates didn’t. The Lakers lost 79-77 in Los Angeles to a 6-8 (now 7-8) Pacers team. Kobe Bryant committed 10 turnovers (understandable; he was sick) but scored 40 points. The rest of the team might as well have stayed home. Outside of Kobe’s and Dwight Howard’s shooting, the rest of the Lakers were 5 for 38 (13%). They turned the ball over (7) more times than they got it in the basket (5). Kobe scored 40, the rest of the Lakers scored 37.

And lest you think Dwight Howard also carried the team, his free throw numbers continue to leave even Shaq shaking his head in shame. Howard was 3-12 from the charity stripe. 25%. And he’s actually getting paid to play basketball. This was already the sixth time this year that he has missed at least 6 free throws, third time he’s missed at least 9. I don’t know what it is about playing center for the Lakers but the way things are going, three of the top five worst free throw shooters in history are Laker centers (Wilt Chamberlain, Shaq and Howard). Steve Nash or not, a team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard should not be 7-8. But especially in the NBA where games are usually close, leaving free points on the floor will continue to pile up losses.

the blooming of a Big Apple rivalry has begun

Wow, do I wish I had gotten tickets to the Barclay Center on Monday. The game had a playoff atmosphere and also resembled a high school rivalry game as the crowd was buzzing for both teams. It is the beginning of a really exciting rivalry. The Nets have established their position and the Knicks have assembled a very strong and deep win-now team. And New York certainly is big enough for both.

This was a statement game for the Brooklyn Nets. In a game where Deron Williams didn't have his shot and Joe Johnson again struggled, the Nets did what they had to do to win. The main numbers:

- Reggie Evans 14 rebounds (in 17 and ½ minutes)
- Jerry Stackhouse 4 for 5 shooting three pointers
- Brook Lopez: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks
- Deron Williams: 16 points, 14 assists, 3 steals
- J.R. Smith, Rasheed Wallace, Ronnie Brewer, Raymond Felton combined 8 for 43 (18%) shooting
- Carmelo Anthony 10 for 16 shooting free throws
- Steve Novak 2 points in 18 minutes

A big talking point before the game was who had the better bench. The Nets proved, like they have all year, that they have a group of role players off the bench that don’t have the star power other teams’ second units provide, but are better overall. Reggie Evans is clearly one of the elite rebounders in the NBA. In his last three games he has grabbed 40 boards in just 62 minutes. Stackhouse, Watson and Bogans can all hit a three pointer off the bench, MarShon Brooks is a future star and Andray Blatche provides big man offense. Every player on the team knows his role.

The Knicks have been the toast of New York basketball for a long time, even though it’s been 40 years since they won a championship. But the Brooklyn Nets didn’t just move across the river and join the party as an annoying little brother like the Mets, Islanders or Clippers. They marched in to stay, to make a statement, and to compete now. Not only did they move, but they moved to Brooklyn with authority, created an identity, built a beautiful arena, and assembled a contending team.

The Knicks have a great team. Even without Iman Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire, on paper they have everything you want in a team: two strong point guards, a lock down perimeter defender, a defensive anchor in the middle who also owns the paint on offense, a scoring machine, and a bench with a sharp shooter from deep, a big man who can score from deep, a couple other big men defensive anchors, and a guy who provides instant offense. On the PS3, especially with Amar’e and Shumpert, this is a dream team.

But as history shows as well as we’ve seen early in this season, the Knicks are combustible and at times have a real lack of composure. When things start to go wrong they get bad in a hurry. Carmelo, J.R. Smith, Rasheed and Chandler are easily emotionally charged. And the other problem is they have a tendency to put up brick after brick enough to build a small house, especially Rasheed and Smith. Somehow at the end of regulation and in overtime, Carmelo never got the ball as Raymond Felton decided to take all the shots; and when he did get the ball in crunch time, Carmelo missed a half dozen free throws. What happens when Stoudemire comes back and expects to play? That sure didn’t work last year.

The Nets are set up to contend in the Eastern Conference for the next several years. Yeah, that probably sounds like an overzealous fan 13 games into the season, and this will probably be another Heat year, but next year and after that? The Nets made some crazy moves, trading for Joe Johnson and his bloated contract, signing Lopez to a max deal, paying top dollar for Kris Humphries, re-signing Gerald Wallace after giving up big picks, but what the Nets have is a championship nucleus. Humphries is signed for two years, but the rest of the starters (Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, and Joe Johnson) are all contracted to be together for the next four. This is how the Pistons made it to the Finals three years in a row including a championship, having the same group of players together for several years: Billups, Rasheed, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince. And this Nets group is better! Deron Williams is an elite point guard and Brook Lopez is quickly becoming an All-NBA center. Gerald Wallace does everything well, Joe Johnson has the potential to drop 40 on any given night (as spotty as he is from time to time there’s a reason he got a $119 million contract) and Humphries is a top level rebounder. They have size that can give the Heat trouble. I think they can develop the chemistry to be a championship team. And considering that I’m saying this two years removed from finishing 12-70, that is remarkable.

a fan perspective on the NBA's best rivalry

In the 2005 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Deron Williams with the #3 pick and Chris Paul went #4 to the New Orleans Hornets. Since that day this has been quite a rivalry. And frankly, it’s been pretty lopsided.

Actually, the rivalry started seven months earlier, when on December 1, 2004, Paul and the #1 ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons marched into Champaign and got buried by Williams and Illinois 91-73. The Fighting Illini promptly took over #1 and went on to play in the National Championship Finals. Friday night continued one of the biggest Player vs. Player rivalries in the NBA when the Nets faced and shut down the Clippers 86-76.

Everyone loves Chris Paul. In ESPN's silly poll he was the highest ranked point guard, #4 overall. I don’t know why. Because he’s small and fast. He had a quick start in the NBA winning the Rookie of the Year nearly unanimously and going runner up in the MVP a couple years later. He’s been selected to five straight All Star games. Okay, yeah, he’s really good.

But when push comes to shove, Deron Williams has dominated Paul. In fact, it seems that CP3 has never played well against D-Will. Heads up in the NBA, Deron Williams is now 14-4 against Chris Paul’s team after Friday’s win as Paul struggled again.

Deron Williams has played 20 more regular season games and has done better in the playoffs. Williams has led his team to win 4 playoff series compared to Paul’s 2. Williams led the Jazz all the way to the Western Conference Finals in just his second year, and then in 2010, D-Will became the only player to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in five consecutive playoff games.

If you think it is just a product of better teammates, I invite you to compare Carlos Boozer’s career before and after he had Deron Williams for a teammate. Deron makes everyone around him better.

I love watching D-Will play basketball. His expression never changes. He is always in control. He is the strongest point guard I think we’ve ever seen and he handles the ball with pure authority. He plays through pain. He is a masterful ball handler, great passer, and can score anywhere. (Not only that, I love playing with him on PS3, where on NBA 2K11 he earned MVP honors two seasons in a row for me. And he’s even better in 2K13.)

Deron Williams is finally getting recognition he deserves, making 3 straight All Star games. He joined one of the worst teams in NBA history and has helped them become a preferred destination in just a year and a half. Consider that Mikhail Prokhorov was willing to swallow Joe Johnson’s bloated contract just to pursuade D-Will to stay.

Whether it’s Wake Forest and Illinois, Hornets and Jazz, or Clippers and Nets, the result is usually the same. And while Chris Paul gets the attention, Derrick Rose gets an MVP trophy, and Russell Westbrook scores the other half of points leftover from Durant, I’ll take Williams who simply goes about his business quietly and doesn’t care who likes him or not. I look for him to win an NBA Championship before those other three guys.

But for my very biased opinion, Deron Williams is the best point guard in the NBA. And heads up, no one has proven otherwise.

early season love in the NBA

I bought NBA 2K13 on presale this year. I love it. I’m also in a fantasy basketball league for the first time, pretty much winging it. I recently just moved from New Jersey, where along with hearing about the Knicks constantly I became a big Nets fan even before they upgraded their team. These three factors have made me more interested in the NBA now probably than ever before.

I think there is more talent in the league than ever before. And while there are still some superteams, many teams are really solid. And after watching a couple great games the last couple nights (Nets-Celtics and Knicks-Grizzlies), I’ve never been more excited about basketball in mid-November.

The season is really early I know, but the best team in the league could be the Memphis Grizzlies. Sheesh, that sounds weird to say. Who?? I’ve pored through tons of statistics and the Grizzlies don’t stand near the top of any other than wins and points differential (like those matter at all). But this team is as fundamentally solid as there is in the NBA. And they are constantly improving. And the other thing I love about Memphis is that nobody talks about them and they couldn't care less.

When you assemble a hypothetical great team what do you want: a smart and skilled, thick center with a strong post game and soft touch who can hit the mid-range shot, is an exceptional passer, and gets to the foul line at will; a big, strong power forward who gives you 20 points and 10 rebounds every game (more like 14 rebounds); a smart playmaker point guard; an elite lock-down defender; and an acrobatic small forward averaging 20 points a game who does everything well. Marc Gasol has become one of the best centers in the league, perhaps second only to a healthy Dwight Howard. Zach Randolph continues to be a magnet rebounder, and those two are just too much size for smaller, “finesse” teams.

The Grizzlies are 7-1. In the last week they beat the mighty Heat by 18 points, Thunder in OKC by 10 points, and then knocked off the 6-0 Knicks by 10 points. Tough to have a better week than that. They finish it off with a game tonight against the Bobcats that should bring them to 8-1.

Yes, they caught the Knicks at a bad time; second night in a row on the road against two great teams. But watching the game, it was such a bad matchup for the Knicks that it probably doesn’t matter. Gasol put Chandler, Carmelo, and Rasheed Wallace in foul trouble and went 12-13 from the line. Randolph had like 5 offensive rebounds in the first quarter. There were a lot of fouls and most went the Grizzlies’ way. But it wasn’t just the whistles; the Knicks completely unraveled. Most of the calls were legit but the Knicks are too emotionally volatile that it got out of hand in a hurry. And that’s what bothers me and has always bothered me about the New York Knicks. And Memphis sure took advantage of it Friday night.

With the Grizzlies, Knicks, Heat, Lakers, Nets, Thunder, Celtics, Spurs and Clippers locked and loaded, with the 76ers, Bulls, Pacers, Mavericks and Timberwolves hopefully getting healthy as the season goes along, this is a great year to be an NBA fan. Look out for those bears.

five questions for the new NBA season

The NBA season is a couple days old and since the World Series quickly got out of the way, there is a lot of excitement about basketball. Here are 5 things to watch for this year.

1. Can anyone compete with the Heat in the East?

The Heat’s Big 3 have gone to the Finals in back-to-back years and look pretty unstoppable again this year. Injuries are certainly hampering everyone else. Derrick Rose’s entire season is in doubt, crippling the Bulls’ chances. The Pacers are starting the season shorthanded as their #1 guy Danny Grainger is dealing with a sore knee. The Knicks are down two starters as Amar’e Stoudemire is having surgery on his knee and will miss a couple months, and great lockdown defender Iman Shumpert could be out the whole year with a serious knee problem. Even the 76ers are dealing with a bad knee in their star Andrew Bynum. Playoff teams Orlando and Atlanta each traded away their best player. The Celtics are at full strength, but that looks significantly less than what the Heat have, as evident in the Opening Tipoff double-digit loss. Perhaps the new-look Nets can contend? Perhaps. Dewayne Wade looked great following his health issues from the summer, Ray Allen is a great addition to the bench and LeBron is as good as anyone ever. The Heat are a dead lock to run represent the conference in the Finals.

2. Who’s the king of New York?

Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy may be queen and forced a postponement of the Opener, but there is a lot of excitement with a new rivalry between the Knicks and Nets in the Big Apple. The Knicks really had a dreadful season last year and this season starts with some missing pieces (see above) but they also have lots of new playmakers, as old as they may be. In video games this is the most fun team to be. Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton replace Jeremy Lin. Ronny Brewer fills in for Shumpert. Dinosaurs Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby provide some depth while Amar’e is out, as does potential ‘diamond-in-the-rough’ Chris Copeland. Carmelo is still here and one of the best best scorers in the game.

The Nets have made a lot of news with their moves to Brooklyn and in their roster. It was shocking that they were able to retain D-Will, Wallace, Lopez and Humphries and also add Joe Johnson and Andray Blatche. People will say that it will take time for the roster to get used to each other, but the Heat and Celtics both made the Finals the first year of their new looks, and as noted, the Nets are returning four starters from last season so the transition should not be too bumpy. They are also surprisingly healthy.

The Nets and Knicks may not have any recent history but especially in a weak conference, both the teams form an instant rivalry and should both rise to near the top. The Nets are my team and I’m sticking my flag with them.

3. Are the Lakers the Best of the West?

On paper, but the games are played on the court where L.A. is already 0-2. This is a Hall of Fame roster but it will take time to get all the pieces on the same page. Each superstar comes with his own system and Mike Brown’s job is to make those compatible and it isn’t easy. Fortunately, this is an 82-game schedule. Dwight Howard in gold will get old quick if he has too many of those 3-14 free throw games where he also fouls out. (He did play much better in the second game). Nash, Kobe, and Gasol are all great but old. The Lakers’ road was helped as their top competition Thunder surprisingly traded their Olympian James Harden, who looked like a superstar in his Rocket debut. Thunder will still be strong, and the Spurs and Clippers will continue to push the standings.

4. Who will step up around all the injuries?

Seems like a lockout-delayed beginning to the season would have been welcome news this year with all the injuries already plaguing teams. Aside from the people already mentioned (Rose, Amar’e, Grainger, and Bynum) there are plenty more stars and important players that are starting the season in street clothes. In fact, the Knicks are one of four teams with playoff aspirations that have multiple starters out. The Timberwolves will be without Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio for a while. The Mavs are missing their two big men Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman. The Wizards are dealing with injuries to John Wall and Nene. A year ago Jeremy Lin took advantage of an opportunity created by several teammates getting injured to come from an unknown to banking on a new $25 million contract. Who will be this year’s Jeremy Lin?

5. Which team off the radar could surprise?

More than any other sport, the NBA has fewer surprises of teams busting out. The Pacers and Spurs did that last season, although who is surprised by anything involving Tim Duncan and Greg Popavich? The Knicks and Nets certainly haven’t been hiding this offseason and in a weaker Eastern Conference they should contend. But who are we not thinking of?

The recent trade of James Harden make the Rockets a candidate, especially if Jeremy Lin can continue what he began. This is a superstars league, and Harden has been hiding behind two of them in OKC. Perhaps he was a third, and this is his opportunity to prove it since there is no one to steal the attention. Harden and Lin should be great at first but on a team without much depth or experience, teams will game plan to take them out and Houston will have to find another playmaker. Who that is I’m not sure, as the Rockets are going with a completely revamped lineup missing their six highest scorers from 2011-12. But that void provides plenty of opportunity for the likes of Chandler Parsons, Patrick Patterson, Royce White and Carlos Delfino to step up and make a name for themselves.

Miller's NBA Playoff Predictions

No time for anything cute, straight to the point.

EAST

Bulls over 76ers 4-0
Heat over Knicks 4-0
Pacers over Magic 4-2
Celtics over Hawks 4-2

Bulls over Celtics 4-1
Heat over Pacers 4-2

Heat over Bulls 4-2

WEST

Spurs over Jazz 4-2
Thunder over Mavs 4-3
Lakers over Nuggets 4-3
Grizzlies over Clippers 4-2

Grizzlies over Spurs 4-2
Thunder over Lakers 4-2

Thunder over Grizzlies 4-2

FINALS

Heat over Thunder 4-1