Post by Keyser Soze on Apr 29, 2024 21:50:07 GMT -6
Who's Hot
The Chicago Bulls had a roster makeover during the off-season. Gone are the likes of Damon Stoudamire, Penny Hardaway, and Jabari Parker. In fact the only Bulls players that remain from last year are Sam Bowie, Ken Bannister, and Walter McCarty. Which means there are 12 new players on this roster. That's 80% of their team. With those kind of wholesale changes, team chemistry was going to be lacking to start the year. Which explains the Bulls slow start. But lately it seems like this group is beginning to click. They have won 6 of their last 7 games. Including quality road victories @ Boston and @ Indiana. In the most recent 122-119 Win vs the Celtics, one of their newest additions Dave Bing, stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points 9 rebounds 9 assists and 6 steals. Bing, who was the 2011 ITP Finals MVP, is having arguably the best season of his career (23.2 PPG 10.6 APG 5.5 RPG). He is the engine of an offense which ranks #6 in the league in scoring (117.3 PPG) and #4 in three pointers made (9.3 3s per game). Surrounding Bing is a trio of uniquely different players. Jerry Stackhouse was a 29.3 PPG scorer back in 2009. But his numbers have been plummeting ever since. Especially last year when he hit rock bottom with a career low 7.0 PPG. With those numbers and his age (36), Stackhouse looked cooked. Fortunately he's been able to find the fountain of youth in Chicago. He's averaging 23.4 PPG this season. A 16.4 point increase from the previous year. Peja Stojakovic is another guy that's rebounding from a poor season. In 2012 Peja averaged 14.3 PPG, his lowest scoring average since his rookie year in 05. However, in 2013 he's up to 20.5 PPG while knocking down nearly 44% of his three point attempts. Finally you have LeBron James, the former 06 #1 overall pick. After playing almost his entire career at Small Forward, LeBron has pivoted to the Power forward position in Chicago, and it's paying dividends. LeBron is shooting by far the highest field goal percentage of his career (49.4). In addition to that he's averaging 19.5 PPG and a career best 10.5 RPG. It's a fun team with Bing, Stackhouse, Peja, and Bron all flying up and down the court in the Bulls fast paced offense. The center position is a question mark though. Sam Bowie nor Mitch Kupchak look like the solutions. While defense seems to be optional with this team. They're 28th in the league in scoring defense (117.3 OPPG) and 23rd in field goal defense (46.4 OFG%). So they're scoring about 117, and they're giving up 117. Shouldn't surprise you to learn that they're playing around 500 basketball (16-15 W/L Record). But they're Hot right now and they've been enjoyable to watch.
Who's Not
The Portland Trailblazers haven't been as easy on the eyes. Especially for the Blazer fans that anticipated a nice jump from their favorite team. Portland was busy in the off-season adding big names throughout the summer. Which created big expectations in Rip City. Unfortunately, they are not living up to the high hopes. The Blazers are dead last in the Western Conference. Their record stands at 14-22, and they've lost 7 of their last 8 games. Carmelo Anthony has really been struggling lately. Over his last 5 games he's averaging just 9.6 PPG on 17/62 FG shooting (27.4 FG %). These are not the numbers that you expect from a career 20 PPG scorer. But this has not been a season that you expect from Carmelo. He's averaging 16.1 PPG, the lowest it's been since his sophomore season. His 43.6 FG% and 34.8 3PT% are both career lows. With Carmelo slumping, the Blazers offense as a whole has become very inconsistent. They're #19 in field goal offense (45.2 %). They're way too talented to be ranked in the bottom half of the league in that statistic. Recently they made a lineup switch inserting rookie Damian Lillard into the starting 5. Hoping he could add a little jolt to their offense. We'll see what happens there. But overall this team just doesn't look right. More changes may be needed. And according to reports they have just put multiple players on their trade block.
Injury Report
Mickey Johnson (45) - Changes will be needed for the Houston Rockets depth charts. Mickey Johnson will be out for 2 months with Patella Tendonitis. Mickey is no longer the 4 time all league first team performer of the early 2000s. But he's still a productive player (7.4 PPG 5.6 RPG 50.6 FG %) and a respected veteran leader for this young Rockets roster. Tough loss.
Greg Oden (39) - This loss was a lot tougher. The Charlotte Hornets have lost the crown jewel of their defense for a very long time. Greg Oden has suffered a broken leg, and he's gonna be out for 39 days. Oden is the Hornets leading shot blocker with 3.0 BPG. The rest of the team combine for 3.4 BPG. So as you can see he was their one lone rim protector. Greg has already been dealing with some serious injuries early on his career. Back in 2011 he missed 56 games. And now 2 years later he's dealing with major injuries again. Hopefully this trend does not continue like in real life. Hopefully Oden can return healthy and stay healthy.
Aaron Gordon (33) - We mentioned Gordon's severe depression in the last article. But what we did not mention was that the Pacers immediately traded him afterwards. A guy is going through some things in life. He needs some help. And you turn your back on him send him packing. What a wholesome kind hearted organization.
Steve Francis (22) - Stevie Franchise will miss over a month with a torn abdominal muscle. Tough break for the Miami Heat. They're 21-11. Playing excellent basketball. And now they gotta move forward without their best player Francis (25.9 PPG 9.7 APG).
Carl Landry (18) - Another torn abdominal muscle. This time it's Carl Landry of the Timberwolves. The Wolves are already down Nerlens Noel (Hernia - 9 days), and now they suffer another loss to their front line. Landry was averaging 15.4 PPG on 51.0 % FG shooting in 31 games.
More News Around The League
- Going through the injury list I noticed Brad Daugherty is dealing with a minor ailment. A stiff neck that will sideline him for 4 days. But stiff neck aside, Daugherty is having an awesome season. He's averaging career highs in points (21.4) and rebounds (11.1). Big jump from the 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds he averaged last year in Sacramento. Signing with Cleveland this past summer has turned out to be an excellent decision for Big Brad.
- Another new face thriving in a new place is Marcus Smart of the San Antonio Spurs. Smart is #10 in the league in scoring (28.7). While also proving to be one of the best defensive guards in the league. Some questioned if the Spurs overpaid Smart in free agency (4 years/117 mil). I say hell no. An elite two way guard that takes care of the basketball is the greatest piece you can add to your team. And Spurs did it. That's why they're benefiting.
- The Spurs have been one of the best stories through the first half of the season. This struggling franchise has found it's footing in 2013. They're 23-16, which is good for 5th place in the Western Conference. Alongside Smart in the backcourt, Tyus Jones is also having a wonderful season (20.5 PPG + 7.5 APG/1.9 TPG ratio). While Bradley Beal (16.4 PPG 7.2 RPG) has won the first two rookie of the month awards.
- Draymond Green is another rookie that's played real well so far. He's averaging 14.4 PPG 6.7 RPG 3.7 APG 0.9 SPG 0.8 BPG. Doing a little bit of everything for the surprisingly competitive Orlando Magic.
- Staying with Orlando, I can't forget to mention Tom Gugliotta. Tom averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds. He averaged a double single. This year he's averaging 22.8 PPG and 9.4 RPG. He's also made 20 three pointers though 41 games. He made 19 three pointers in his first two seasons combined.
- Pee Wee Kirkland is leading the ITP in three point shooting. He's at 55.4 % (62/112). Kirklands improvement since joining Utah has been incredible. He's on his way to becoming one of the best point guards in the game.
- His teammate Shawn Marion might be on his way to becoming the best single season scorer of all time. He's now at 36.2 PPG (the league record is 36.1). Marion just had a 35 point game vs the Bucks. And a 45 pointer vs the Nets. So he's at 40.0 PPG over his last two. Meaning he's not slowing down.
- Neither is Paul Pierce. If Marion is the best small forward in the West. Then Pierce is the top SF in the East. He's averaging 32.1 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Unfortunately he's not getting a whole lot of help. Even with his amazing scoring numbers, the Hawks are still 2nd to last in the league in points. The Hawks are now 12-23, as it looks to be another lost year in Atlanta.
- Is it also going to be a lost year for the Los Angeles Clippers? The hardcap suspension on Moses Malone has put a damper on the Clippers season. They started in a hole, and they're still in it with a 15-21 record. They are currently the 12 seed in the West. Not a great position to be in with their first round pick belonging to Philadelphia.
- While the Clippers are outside of the playoffs picture, the Lakers are in it. The Purple and Gold are 15-16, which is good for the 8 seed. Chet Walker has been the key reason for the teams modest success. He's posting career highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal shooting, free throw shooting, and three point shooting. He's picked a perfect time for his breakout, as he's in his contract year. A big pay day is definitely coming Walkers way.
- A big pay day came Ricky Davis's way in the off-season. He signed a 3 year deal worth 48.5 million with the Knicks. Now he's a former Knick. Davis was just traded to the Nets. And in his 3rd game with the Nets Davis scored 37 points with 9 rebounds and 9 assists vs Utah. Great way to introduce yourself to your new team.
- Speaking of Ricky Buckets. Ricky Pierce, scoring machine out of Rice university, was one of the many college prospects that announced he's entering the 2014 ITP Draft. He will be joined by Dominique Wilkens, James Worthy, Clark Kellogg, and many more.
The Chicago Bulls had a roster makeover during the off-season. Gone are the likes of Damon Stoudamire, Penny Hardaway, and Jabari Parker. In fact the only Bulls players that remain from last year are Sam Bowie, Ken Bannister, and Walter McCarty. Which means there are 12 new players on this roster. That's 80% of their team. With those kind of wholesale changes, team chemistry was going to be lacking to start the year. Which explains the Bulls slow start. But lately it seems like this group is beginning to click. They have won 6 of their last 7 games. Including quality road victories @ Boston and @ Indiana. In the most recent 122-119 Win vs the Celtics, one of their newest additions Dave Bing, stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points 9 rebounds 9 assists and 6 steals. Bing, who was the 2011 ITP Finals MVP, is having arguably the best season of his career (23.2 PPG 10.6 APG 5.5 RPG). He is the engine of an offense which ranks #6 in the league in scoring (117.3 PPG) and #4 in three pointers made (9.3 3s per game). Surrounding Bing is a trio of uniquely different players. Jerry Stackhouse was a 29.3 PPG scorer back in 2009. But his numbers have been plummeting ever since. Especially last year when he hit rock bottom with a career low 7.0 PPG. With those numbers and his age (36), Stackhouse looked cooked. Fortunately he's been able to find the fountain of youth in Chicago. He's averaging 23.4 PPG this season. A 16.4 point increase from the previous year. Peja Stojakovic is another guy that's rebounding from a poor season. In 2012 Peja averaged 14.3 PPG, his lowest scoring average since his rookie year in 05. However, in 2013 he's up to 20.5 PPG while knocking down nearly 44% of his three point attempts. Finally you have LeBron James, the former 06 #1 overall pick. After playing almost his entire career at Small Forward, LeBron has pivoted to the Power forward position in Chicago, and it's paying dividends. LeBron is shooting by far the highest field goal percentage of his career (49.4). In addition to that he's averaging 19.5 PPG and a career best 10.5 RPG. It's a fun team with Bing, Stackhouse, Peja, and Bron all flying up and down the court in the Bulls fast paced offense. The center position is a question mark though. Sam Bowie nor Mitch Kupchak look like the solutions. While defense seems to be optional with this team. They're 28th in the league in scoring defense (117.3 OPPG) and 23rd in field goal defense (46.4 OFG%). So they're scoring about 117, and they're giving up 117. Shouldn't surprise you to learn that they're playing around 500 basketball (16-15 W/L Record). But they're Hot right now and they've been enjoyable to watch.
Who's Not
The Portland Trailblazers haven't been as easy on the eyes. Especially for the Blazer fans that anticipated a nice jump from their favorite team. Portland was busy in the off-season adding big names throughout the summer. Which created big expectations in Rip City. Unfortunately, they are not living up to the high hopes. The Blazers are dead last in the Western Conference. Their record stands at 14-22, and they've lost 7 of their last 8 games. Carmelo Anthony has really been struggling lately. Over his last 5 games he's averaging just 9.6 PPG on 17/62 FG shooting (27.4 FG %). These are not the numbers that you expect from a career 20 PPG scorer. But this has not been a season that you expect from Carmelo. He's averaging 16.1 PPG, the lowest it's been since his sophomore season. His 43.6 FG% and 34.8 3PT% are both career lows. With Carmelo slumping, the Blazers offense as a whole has become very inconsistent. They're #19 in field goal offense (45.2 %). They're way too talented to be ranked in the bottom half of the league in that statistic. Recently they made a lineup switch inserting rookie Damian Lillard into the starting 5. Hoping he could add a little jolt to their offense. We'll see what happens there. But overall this team just doesn't look right. More changes may be needed. And according to reports they have just put multiple players on their trade block.
Injury Report
Mickey Johnson (45) - Changes will be needed for the Houston Rockets depth charts. Mickey Johnson will be out for 2 months with Patella Tendonitis. Mickey is no longer the 4 time all league first team performer of the early 2000s. But he's still a productive player (7.4 PPG 5.6 RPG 50.6 FG %) and a respected veteran leader for this young Rockets roster. Tough loss.
Greg Oden (39) - This loss was a lot tougher. The Charlotte Hornets have lost the crown jewel of their defense for a very long time. Greg Oden has suffered a broken leg, and he's gonna be out for 39 days. Oden is the Hornets leading shot blocker with 3.0 BPG. The rest of the team combine for 3.4 BPG. So as you can see he was their one lone rim protector. Greg has already been dealing with some serious injuries early on his career. Back in 2011 he missed 56 games. And now 2 years later he's dealing with major injuries again. Hopefully this trend does not continue like in real life. Hopefully Oden can return healthy and stay healthy.
Aaron Gordon (33) - We mentioned Gordon's severe depression in the last article. But what we did not mention was that the Pacers immediately traded him afterwards. A guy is going through some things in life. He needs some help. And you turn your back on him send him packing. What a wholesome kind hearted organization.
Steve Francis (22) - Stevie Franchise will miss over a month with a torn abdominal muscle. Tough break for the Miami Heat. They're 21-11. Playing excellent basketball. And now they gotta move forward without their best player Francis (25.9 PPG 9.7 APG).
Carl Landry (18) - Another torn abdominal muscle. This time it's Carl Landry of the Timberwolves. The Wolves are already down Nerlens Noel (Hernia - 9 days), and now they suffer another loss to their front line. Landry was averaging 15.4 PPG on 51.0 % FG shooting in 31 games.
More News Around The League
- Going through the injury list I noticed Brad Daugherty is dealing with a minor ailment. A stiff neck that will sideline him for 4 days. But stiff neck aside, Daugherty is having an awesome season. He's averaging career highs in points (21.4) and rebounds (11.1). Big jump from the 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds he averaged last year in Sacramento. Signing with Cleveland this past summer has turned out to be an excellent decision for Big Brad.
- Another new face thriving in a new place is Marcus Smart of the San Antonio Spurs. Smart is #10 in the league in scoring (28.7). While also proving to be one of the best defensive guards in the league. Some questioned if the Spurs overpaid Smart in free agency (4 years/117 mil). I say hell no. An elite two way guard that takes care of the basketball is the greatest piece you can add to your team. And Spurs did it. That's why they're benefiting.
- The Spurs have been one of the best stories through the first half of the season. This struggling franchise has found it's footing in 2013. They're 23-16, which is good for 5th place in the Western Conference. Alongside Smart in the backcourt, Tyus Jones is also having a wonderful season (20.5 PPG + 7.5 APG/1.9 TPG ratio). While Bradley Beal (16.4 PPG 7.2 RPG) has won the first two rookie of the month awards.
- Draymond Green is another rookie that's played real well so far. He's averaging 14.4 PPG 6.7 RPG 3.7 APG 0.9 SPG 0.8 BPG. Doing a little bit of everything for the surprisingly competitive Orlando Magic.
- Staying with Orlando, I can't forget to mention Tom Gugliotta. Tom averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds. He averaged a double single. This year he's averaging 22.8 PPG and 9.4 RPG. He's also made 20 three pointers though 41 games. He made 19 three pointers in his first two seasons combined.
- Pee Wee Kirkland is leading the ITP in three point shooting. He's at 55.4 % (62/112). Kirklands improvement since joining Utah has been incredible. He's on his way to becoming one of the best point guards in the game.
- His teammate Shawn Marion might be on his way to becoming the best single season scorer of all time. He's now at 36.2 PPG (the league record is 36.1). Marion just had a 35 point game vs the Bucks. And a 45 pointer vs the Nets. So he's at 40.0 PPG over his last two. Meaning he's not slowing down.
- Neither is Paul Pierce. If Marion is the best small forward in the West. Then Pierce is the top SF in the East. He's averaging 32.1 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Unfortunately he's not getting a whole lot of help. Even with his amazing scoring numbers, the Hawks are still 2nd to last in the league in points. The Hawks are now 12-23, as it looks to be another lost year in Atlanta.
- Is it also going to be a lost year for the Los Angeles Clippers? The hardcap suspension on Moses Malone has put a damper on the Clippers season. They started in a hole, and they're still in it with a 15-21 record. They are currently the 12 seed in the West. Not a great position to be in with their first round pick belonging to Philadelphia.
- While the Clippers are outside of the playoffs picture, the Lakers are in it. The Purple and Gold are 15-16, which is good for the 8 seed. Chet Walker has been the key reason for the teams modest success. He's posting career highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal shooting, free throw shooting, and three point shooting. He's picked a perfect time for his breakout, as he's in his contract year. A big pay day is definitely coming Walkers way.
- A big pay day came Ricky Davis's way in the off-season. He signed a 3 year deal worth 48.5 million with the Knicks. Now he's a former Knick. Davis was just traded to the Nets. And in his 3rd game with the Nets Davis scored 37 points with 9 rebounds and 9 assists vs Utah. Great way to introduce yourself to your new team.
- Speaking of Ricky Buckets. Ricky Pierce, scoring machine out of Rice university, was one of the many college prospects that announced he's entering the 2014 ITP Draft. He will be joined by Dominique Wilkens, James Worthy, Clark Kellogg, and many more.