First I'll go with who I feel should be the All Stars. I know basically who the names are, but I haven't even looked at the rosters.
Eastern Conference
Starters
Rajon Rondo
Dwyane Wade
LeBron James
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
No question about these five, these were the five most spectacular players in the East. Rondo's contribution to that Celtics team is undeniable; he's the reason that team has stayed afloat through all their injures. The rest are pretty self-explanatory.
Bench
Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Gerald Wallace, Derrick Rose, David Lee, Brandon Jennings
All three of the Hawks are deserving. Johnson is their Guy, Josh Smith might actually be their best player, and Crawford is their spark; plus he's always in for crunch time (and comes up big). Gerald Wallace is obvious, and Derrick Rose should be too (Derrick Rose...oh man...BEAST). David Lee is playing too well not to make it. The fact that it took injury for him to be invited is a joke. I couldn't really decide on a 12th man, so I took Jennings, mostly because nobody else stood out and he's ideal for All Star games, as he's proven. I thought about Stephen Jackson too, who has been huge for Charlotte.
Western Conference
Starters
Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
Dirk Nowitzki
Tim Duncan
These are pretty clear to me too. All five are legit MVP candidates.
Bench
Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Monta Ellis, Zach Randolph, Tyreke Evans, Russell Westbrook
These will be a little more controversial. For one thing, keep in mind that a small part of my reasoning is based on the fact that this IS an All Star game. But these really are the best players in the conference. Melo is another MVP candidate; would be in the top 3 if it weren't for injury...The Jazz are smoking hot right now, and D-Will is the reason why...Roy is still under-appreciated... Ellis is putting up numbers that are impossible for me to ignore; if he gets moved, some contender is gonna get a great player...Randolph is one of three players averaging 20 and 10 (Bosh and Lee being the others), and is one of the main reasons why Memphis has an outside shot at making the playoffs...Evans is an absolute STUD. Watch him play, his game is so impressive...Westbrook was a tough decision, but again, not many other players stood out. Amare and Pau Gasol were both considerations, but Gasol missed too many games and as big a fan of his as I am, Amare just isn't spectacular enough. Westbrook, meanwhile, IS spectacular.
Also, I kept Chris Paul off the list because of health (he's missed games and he's hurt now).
MVP Race
Right now, my candidates are: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash. In that order. Thing is, due to a few factors, these four are somewhat interchangeable. I have LeBron at the top because he provides everything for the Cavs, and when someone's hurt (as has been the case with much of his supporting cast), he more than makes up for whatever is lost. It's hard to deny LeBron at the top spot, since his impact on the game overall is so immeasurable...Meanwhile Kobe has been Kobe. As unstoppable as he's ever been, he's the undisputed Man on the 2nd best team in the league. Contrary to what Kobe haters would've prognosticated, the Lakers didn't miss a beat when Pau Gasol was out with an injury. And in related news, and as I've stated previously, Kobe is UNSTOPPABLE in the post...After a down year last year (thanks to Shaq), Nash is back averaging 18 and 11 assists. As always, he's the engine that makes that offense go...But Kevin Durant. This kid is a terror on the court, and he has Oklahoma City, of all teams, firmly in the playoffs (as of today). Just watch him play. If you don't think he's destined for a legendary career, I'll buy you a cyanide soda.
Trade Deadline
I'm gonna play GM for a couple teams who I feel should make deals. I wish I could've made the decisions for the Wizards, but hey, what can you do.
Kings get: Ray Allen
Celtics get: Kevin Martin and Kenny Thomas or Andres Nocioni
The Kings would obviously rather get rid of Nocioni and his contract, but it's clear that Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans just don't mesh well, and there's no sense in trying to make them fit. The Celtics get youth at the SG position, and a great shooter to fill Allen's role.
Cavs get: Amare Stoudemire
Suns get: JJ Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Cavs need to do SOMETHING. Make DAMN SURE LeBron doesn't leave. Because if he does, it'll be the worst thing to ever happen to a franchise. I mean, how do you come back from losing someone like LEBRON JAMES?? Essentially swapping Amare for Hickson (as Z would likely be bought out and return to Cleveland), it's only an upgrade. Amare and LeBron would be a scary combo playing together. Meanwhile, the Suns get Hickson who is a good prospect.
or
Cavs get: Antawn Jamison
Wizards get: JJ Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Makes perfect sense for both teams when you think about it. Jamison, while a great guy and still a good player, is on the wrong side of the hill. Hickson is a good prospect, and Z's money will be off the books at season's close, at the latest. The Cavs get a PF who can rebound and score, while spreading the floor.
As of now I'd say it's the Lakers' championship to lose. If LeBron wins the title then he's the best in the league, no question about it. But there's no way to project what happens until all the trading is finished.
No comments:
Post a Comment