[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

The Basketball Report

The Spurs are on fire and the Knicks are streaking. We might see a Spurs vs. Knicks Lockout Rematch this summer. I love the Jeremy Lin story. You always want to pull for the underdog, and this story is taking place on Broadway. The Knicks picking up J.R. Smith is another big development for them. Smith can shoot and score on anybody. If Carmelo doesn’t stop the ball when he comes back then this team will be dangerous. They have everything you need in a superstar who can hit clutch shots (Carmelo), a legit number two guy (Amare), a great third option/first rate point guard in Jeremy Lin, a defensive-minded back stop at center in Tyson Chandler, and multiple glue guys in Landry Fields, Shumpert, Jared Jeffries, and Josh Harrellson. Plus a 6’10 sharp shooter in Steve Novak who might just be this generation’s Matt Bullard.

The Knicks seemed poised for a run, especially if Baron Davis can come in and coexist with Lin. Lin’s play is stunning and a real breath of fresh air for the league. I am sure that others have noticed this, but Jeremy Lin might turn into the guy the Knicks needed when they really wanted Steph Curry in the draft a few years ago. This team is loaded and looks like the sort of team who can compete in the playoffs and also in an abbreviated season. In the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season the Knicks entered the playoffs as an eighth seed, but ended up beating the one seeded Heat in the first round and making it all the way to the Finals against the Spurs. That ’99 Knicks squad was a funky team for a funky year. This Knicks team is kind of like that, but more explosive and deeper. That team had Marcus Camby. This one features Tyson Chandler. That team featured Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, and Latrell Sprewell. This one has Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and J.R. Smith. That crew was led by a former CBA journeyman (Chris Childs) and a former Heisman trophy winner (Charlie Ward). The 2012 Knicks are led by the undrafted, international sensation Jeremy Lin, and the guy who threw the most famous pass in dunk contest history (Baron Davis).

Out West the Spurs are deep and hitting their stride. Tim Duncan isn’t at his peak anymore but the rest of his team is picking up the slack. Tony Parker is on fire and Manu will be easing into playoff form fairly soon. Tiago Splitter is a nice young player and I think that Kawhi Leonard has really helped revitalize that team. He’s the young energy guy they need at the 3 spot. Matt Bonner is still hitting deep balls with his unorthodox shot. If the Knicks are the team that no one wants to face in the East, then the Spurs are the team that no one wants to face out West.

The Lakers are a sleeper team to win it all. They don’t have the depth for a great regular season but they still have Kobe, Pau, and Andrew Bynum. McRoberts and Murphy provide points, rebounds, and fouls off the bench(and not necessarily in that order). The Lakers might be geared more to the playoffs where you need a well-established Alpha-meter pecking order and enough tough guys off the benhc ot make things interesting (and painful) for the opposition. They supposedly have a dilemma at the small forward spot, but I think they need to start Matt Barnes who is younger and a better shooter. Barnes makes for a better fourth offensive option for the Lakers than the former basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest. I like Artest more off the bench since he can be their go to guy on offense, setting up on the low blocks or the high post and using his fat a$$ to get position on offense and rebounds on defense. He is a solid passer and has a solid reputation as still being a solid defender. If he can defend the premier wing players and hit a shot every once in a while then he might turn into this year’s DeShawn Stevenson (who, ironically, was LAST YEAR’s Ron Artest). Devin Ebanks is now in the D League (or somewhere else) and should be moved to Utah for Devin Harris for the best Devin for Devin trade in decades. The Lakers need some more help at point guard, the Jazz need an athletic small forward (Gordan Hayward is many things as a 3 with athleticism, however, being somewhat down the list) as well as an excuse to semi-tank the rest of the season. The Jazz could throw in some cash with the Lakers throwing in some Darius Morris or a second round pick to make this deal a done deal. Steve Blake is hurt but serviceable when healthy while Derek Fisher can (purportedly) walk, dribble, and chew gum at the same time (and necessarily in that order). I still think that D Fish has a few more three point bombs in him as well as a few free throws. If so, the Lakers are a great dark horse candidate to send chills down a playoff opponent’s spine.

The Clippers are another solid Western team, but losing Billups really hurts them. The Clips have a nice two man game in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and a very nice young big man in DeAndre Jordan but I am not sure what else they have. Do they have enough to make a title run? Caron Butler helps but can he along with Chris And Blake (CAB City) be enough to get it done?

If Z Bo gets back to full strength this spring then I really like the Grizzlies’ chances to do some damage. Mo Speights is playing very well and could turn into the new Z Bo. Marc Gasol is playing some great ball as the Eli to Pau’s Payton. Pau started his championship winning, all star vote getting career off strong, but the younger brother is coming into his own. Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Mo Speights gives Memphis a legit 3 big man rotation. Rudy Gay is hitting his stride and is the West Coast Carmelo Anthony as a semisuperstarsmallforward. Mike Conley is very solid and is starting at point guard for the Memphis Point Guard Farm System Team formerly the home of Kyle Lowry and Greivous Vaszquez and even the still serviceable Earl Watson and Shaun Livingston. Ironically, current Farm System point guard is now in the D League (Josh Selby). Coach Hollins has stated that he isn’t sure if Selby is a point guard or a shooting guard (um, yeah, we knew that). Basically he is whatever Keyon Dooling was. Tony Allen is beasting it, playing like Gary Payton on defense and (at times) Jeff Hornacek on offense (herky jerky defense meets herky jerky offense). OJ Mayo likes to shoot. Occasionally, he likes to make his shots. He can handle and pass some too. In this current Post MJ post-shooting guard Shooting Guard Era that makes OJ Mayo a top tier shooting guard (as well as a top notch sixth man). The Grizzlies miss Shane Battier but the wiry, high-motor Dante Cunningham does his best to fill in (and to fill in the lanes). Cunningham can play both forward spots and gives the Grizzlies (with a healthy Z Bo) a potent 8 man attack. The Grizzlies could still use a three point shooter (hopefully they can pick one up in this year’s draft) and a backup point guard (they might need to go with a veteran– perhaps former Memphis Point Guard Farm Club member Earl Watson), but Conley, OJ, and Rudy can get hot from 3, and even Z Bo can hit some deep balls. If the Knicks are the team that “no one wants to play” in the East, the the Grizzlies are the team that “no one wants to play” in the West.

The Mavs are still the Mavs and Dirk is still Dirk. If your favorite NBA team wants to avoid getting Dirked in the playoffs it is best that you avoid getting matched up with them in the first round. For instance, if your team is a 6 seed and the Mavs are a 3 seed then you might want to throw a couple of games and getting a more favorable match up against the Spurs or Thunder in the 2 vs. 7 match-up. Or, if your favorite team is sitting in the eighth spot and the Mavs are the top seed then you might want to rest your starters, book your travel plans, tank the rest of the season, miss the playoffs and make an entry for the Unibrow Draft Sweepstakes (I am looking at you Jazz fans).

Other contenders this year include the Bulls and Thunder. The Bulls are built around a (now somewhat fragile) superstar in Derrick Rose, but the rest of the cast might just be a better regular season team than a playoff team. Deng is an all-star and Noah is solid but they might not be able to take it to another level in the playoffs. I got the feeling last year that I was watching the Cavs with LeBron in the playoffs. One great guy surrounded by a bunch of players without the extra gear. Grit and depth go along way in the regular season, but every team plays hard in the playoffs and nearly every playoff team has a couple of guys off the bench who can get it done.

The Thunder are looking great. They have a great big 3 in KD, Westbrook, and Harden with some solid big men and a few other guys who can hit shots (Cook, Thabo, if Maynor is healthy). If I were them I would start Harden and then he would be the Pippen guy with KD being the new MJ. I would make KD the clear cut go-to guy and Harden the playmaker and primary ball handler. Then let the energetic, athletic, enigmatic Russell Westbrook (the Dennis Rodman of offense) be himself which is a combination of Wade, Rose, and Monta Ellis. Maybe not the best alpha dog, but not bad for the third wheel. Ibaka and Perkins can defend and rebound and put the ball in the basket occasionally. If these guys put on big scoring numbers then they are very tough to beat. Nick Collison is a good third big man off the bench with a better jumper. With Harden no longer coming off the bench then the OKC Thunder lack a lot of scoring punch off the bench. However, Cook can light it up when he gets hot (getting him his touches in his spots will be a key in the playoffs) and the new thinking will be to have your starters get up big and then bring a tougher, defensive-minded to hold onto the lead and give the starters a rest. Their second unit of Maynor, Cook, Sefolosha, Collison, and Nazr Mohammed can do enough things to be solid in the playoffs and isn’t really that much different in terms of personal and talent than the overrated Bulls’ bench.

The Miami Heat are my favorite team to win the title. They have the best player in the game (LeBron) and the best Big Three in the game. They also are deeper and a more cohesive unit than last year’s edition. Picking up Shane Battier was a great touch. He really brings a sense of calm and leadership to a team (he helped the Grizzlies with that last year). He is a smart defensive player who can go up against dangerous scorers like Carmelo Anthony in the East and Kevin Durant out West. He is still a threat from 3 and a somewhat better rebounder than I remembered. I like Chalmers as a player (except when he hit that 3 against the Memphis Tigers) and I compare him somewhat to a poor man’s version of Chauncey Billups (tough point guard, good size, can hit the big shot). Joel Anthony can defend, rebound, and block shots. He is mostly a bouncier, less doughy version of Kendrick Perkins. If Kendrick Perkins is this era’s Bill Cartwright, then Joel Anthony is this generation’s Mark West. Anthony doesn’t put up flashy numbers but he gets the job done without getting in the way. Although you could make a point that LeBron is a stats black hole. With his domination of the ball and unparalleled athleticism LeBron gets most of the points, assists, and rebounds as well as the weak-side blocked shots. I never saw the Big O play, but I would bet that LeBron is a modern day Oscar Robertson who is a walking triple double threat and a dominator of the stats sheet. Wade and Bosh get theirs too which means the rest of the squad has to fight to get their fantasy points. Ironically, Joel Anthony is a great No Stats Guy along with No Stats Guy Hall of Fame candidate Shane Battier. … Norris Cole is playing very well as the second member of the Cleveland to Miami basketball exchange program. Udonis Haslem is healthy and is the prototype power forward off the bench. Mike Miller is getting older and more beat up by the day but I still think that he has a few more good playoff games in him (which would be the FIRST good playoff games in him). The biggest obstacle for the Heat this year will be health for the stretch run. A healthy Heat would make Miami the odds on favorite to win the NBA title for David Stern’s Marketing Machine (formerly known as the NBA).

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