Logan's Sports Ratings: Derrick Rose

Showing posts with label Derrick Rose. Show all posts

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Saturday, December 7, 2019

NBA ROY/6th Man Rankings - 7 Dec

I posted my picks for the leading MVP candidates a couple weeks ago, so today I've got the leaders for the top rookie and 6th man, using a similar formula to the one I use for MVP, except that team success is not counted, since it doesn't seem to be a factor when you look at the usual winners of these awards. Here are my current award rankings:

Rookie of the Year

1. Ja Morant - MEM - 18.6 P, 3.2 R, 6.4 A, 1.4 S, .457 FG, .410 3P, .765 FT

Ja has missed the last few games with back spasms, but he is leading all rookies in scoring and assists, and is shooting well all-around, though he has to compete with a teammate for the chance to be the top rookie.

2. Brandon Clarke - MEM - 11.8 P, 5.9 R, 1.3 A, .630 FG, .826 FT

Morant's teammate is leading all rookies in rebounding, and is among the leaders in field goal percentage as well, all while coming off the bench. Like his teammate, Clarke is currently out due to injury, so it could open the door for another rookie to make a move, though these two are the current leaders by far.

3. Eric Paschall - GSW - 17.1 P, 5.3 R, 1.8 A, .507 FG, .811 FT

Paschall has played a lot this year due to all the injuries to Warriors starters, and he has played very well considering that he was a second-round pick. He has scored in double figures in 13 straight games and had a high of 34 points against Portland about a month ago.

4. Kendrick Nunn - MIA - 15.2 P, 2.5 R, 3.4 A, 1.1 S, .441 FG, .349 3P, .759 FT

It is extremely rare for an undrafted rookie to start every game for a team in playoff contention, but that is exactly what Nunn is doing, though his scoring has dropped off a bit in the last couple weeks. Still, for someone whose name wasn't called last spring, he is having a season for the ages.

Honorable Mention: Terence Davis - TOR, Rui Hachimura - WAS, Tyler Herro - MIA

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Lou Williams - LAC - 20.7 P, 3.3 R, 6.2 A, .422 FG, .357 3P, .848 FT

Williams was listed among my MVP contenders a couple weeks ago, but his production has dropped off a little since Paul George's return, though not enough for him to not be the leading contender for Sixth Man of the Year for a 4th time.

2. Montrezl Harrell - LAC - 18.7 P, 8.0 R, 2.2 A, 1.2 B, .597 FG, .625 FT

Another Clipper is sitting near the top of the Sixth Man standings due to a career year, and Harrell's production is not slowing down. Having such a solid bench is a huge part of what is making the Clippers a championship contender, and Harrell looks to be a big part of that all year.

3. Derrick Rose - DET - 15.8 P, 2.0 R, 5.7 A, .485 FG, .865 FT

Rose was a contender for 6th Man last year before his year was cut short by injury again, so hopefully this season ends differently for the former MVP, who has battled injuries ever since his initial injury right after his big season.

4. Brandon Clarke - MEM - 11.8 P, 5.9 R, 1.3 A, .630 FG, .826 FT

See rookie rankings

Honorable Mention: Christian Wood - DET, Jordan Clarkson - CLE, Bogdan Bogdanovic - SAC

Saturday, March 10, 2012

NBA MVP Rankings - 10 Mar

There are 7 active players in the NBA who have a Maurice Podoloff Trophy at home for winning an MVP award, and three of those players are in the running to add to their collection this season. Two of them happen to be leading the two teams with the league's best records so far, which is a major component in determining the winner in most cases, so they should remain near the top of the standings for a while, barring injuries. Here are the latest top 10, along with my top five Sixth Man candidates, with players in red dropping since last time and players in green rising.

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James - MIA - 27.7 pts, 8.4 reb, 6.7 ast, 1.8 stl, .555 FG%, .390 3P%, .769 FT%

LeBron James is currently posting numbers higher than his already impressive career averages in every category but assists, which is very close, and Miami is one of three favorites to win this season's NBA title, so how can he not be the MVP? Add in his performance since the All-Star Break, where he has put in 30 points per game while grabbing 11 rebounds and shooting over 60% from the field, and you're looking at a player who has no equal for his size in any era.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 28.0 pts, 7.9 reb, 3.4 ast, 1.2 blk, 1.4 stl, .499 FG%, .358 3P%, .836 FT%

Durant is also putting up MVP-caliber numbers this season, and he has his team atop the Western Conference, where they have been for almost the entire season. His shooting percentage has dipped slightly lately, but he is still putting up the scoring numbers, and it's been an entire month since he failed to reach 20 points in a game.

3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 23.7 pts, 4.8 reb, 5.6 ast, 1.8 stl, .466 FG%, .316 3P%, .817 FT%

Westbrook, who only reached double digits in assists once before the All-Star Break this season, has already done it twice since midseason, both of which were victories for the Thunder. But he wasn't just distributing the ball in those games, he was also putting it in the hoop themselves, averaging 30 points between the two wins for Oklahoma City.

4. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 28.9 pts, 5.7 reb, 4.8 ast, 1.3 stl, .434 FG%, .833 FT%

Kobe has been scoring a little more since the break, averaging 31 points per game and leading the Lakers to victories every time he reached that mark. One reason for that increase could be his improved free throw shooting. He has made 20 in a row right now, and he has the Lakers in the running for another Pacific Division title and home court in the first round.

5. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.9 pts, 15.0 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.2 blk, 1.5 stl, .567 FG%, .490 FT%

Last week, Dwight Howard had two separate games in which he eclipsed the 30 point plateau, and it was even more impressive because he only took 20 shots in each of those two games. His shooting percentage between those games was an incredible 75%, so we can forgive him for losing to the Thunder in one of those games.

6. Blake Griffin - LAC - 21.2 pts, 11.2 reb, 2.9 ast, .529 FG%, .554 FT%

Griffin came into March more like a lamb than a lion, averaging only 15 points and 9 rebounds through the first three games, but he did redeem himself somewhat in the past two, putting up a 26-12 and a 28-17, although those numbers were somewhat tainted by the fact that the Clippers lost both, one to the lowly New Jersey Nets.

7. Kevin Love - MIN - 25.5 pts, 13.8 reb, 2.0 ast, .448 FG%, .368 3P%, .831 FT%

Minnesota has won 4 of 7 since the All-Star Break, with two of those losses coming to the Los Angeles Lakers. The common denominator in those two losses? Kevin Love missed both games with back problems. Put Love in the lineup for yesterday's game, and the Timberwolves might not have lost, which would have put Minnesota on the inside of the playoff picture for the first time in years.

8. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 22.4 pts, 4.4 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.3 blk, 1.7 stl, .501 FG%, .804 FT%

Wade has been struggling with an ankle injury lately, which could be part of the reason that Miami has lost two games this month, but he has been playing through the pain, and he's still putting up 22 points per game. He hasn't been the same player he was last season, when there was some debate over which player was the best on the Heat, but if he gets healthy by the playoffs, the East better watch out.

9. Derrick Rose - CHI - 22.5 pts, 3.4 reb, 7.8 ast, .449 FG%, .317 3P%, .821 FT%

It's no coincidence that Chicago started an 8-game winning streak in the first game after Derrick Rose returned from injury, and it's also no coincidence that the streak ended after Rose had his worst shooting night since December, hitting only 6 of 22 shots against the Magic. He has, however, helped the Bulls regain the top record in the league, and he is making a strong case for MVP again despite having missed 10 games already this year.

10. Tony Parker - SAS - 19.5 pts, 2.9 reb, 7.9 ast, 1.1 stl, .465 FG%, .799 FT%

Parker improved steadily after the All-Star Break, scoring 11, 15, 25, and 32 in consecutive games, before sitting out last night's loss to the Clippers with a thigh injury. Parker has returned the Spurs to prominence without the need for rebuilding by taking over leadership of the team, which is now solidly in second place in the West and could cause trouble for the top-ranked Thunder in the playoffs.

Dropped Out

Chris Bosh - MIA
LaMarcus Aldridge - POR

Honorable Mention

Pau Gasol - LAL
Marc Gasol - MEM
Chris Paul - LAC
Rudy Gay - MEM
Carlos Boozer - CHI
James Harden - OKC
Chris Bosh - MIA

Sixth Man of the Year

1. James Harden - OKC - 16.8 pts, 4.3 reb, 3.5 ast, .479 FG%, .361 3P%, .853 FT%

Harden scored a season-high 30 points against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday as he helped lead the Thunder back from one of their largest deficits of the entire season to a comfortable win. There is no better bench player in the league this season, and he is guaranteed to be a finalist because he's only started twice so far this season.

2. Lou Williams - PHI - 15.9 pts, 2.3 reb, 3.7 ast, .407 FG%, .369 3P%, .816 FT%

Williams has been very consistent over the past 8 games, putting up double digits in scoring in 7 of those games. In the other game, against Chicago, he went 0 for 7 from the field and ended up with only 6 points as the 76ers lost a close one against the top-ranked Bulls, which is a time when they could have really used his regular contributions off the bench.

3. Thaddeus Young - PHI - 13.4 pts, 5.3 reb, 1.2 ast, 1.1 stl, .499 FG%, .763 FT%

Young has been the 76ers best bench player lately, putting up at least 20 points off the bench 3 times in the last month, and he's been shooting over 80% from the free throw line over that stretch as well, which has earned him more playing time. He's now getting over 30 minutes per game, even without starting any games.

4. Nicolas Batum - POR - 14.1 pts, 4.4 reb, 1.2 ast, 1.1 blk, 1.0 stl, .460 FG%, .414 3P%, .835 FT%

Batum's 29 points against the Timberwolves last week weren't enough as Portland continued to slump by losing at home to Minnesota. Portland has lost 11 of their last 16 games, which is the main reason LaMarcus Aldridge is no longer an MVP candidate, but there's nothing that says you have to play for a winning team to be named Sixth Man of the Year.

5. Kemba Walker - CHA - 12.7 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.9 ast, 1.1 stl, .372 FG%, .323 3P%, .805 FT%

One year removed from leading the Connecticut Huskies to the NCAA championship, Walker is in a very different situation in the NBA, playing for the 4-win Charlotte Bobcats, but he has been a very solid player at the higher level, despite having no other player worth guarding on his team.

Dropping Out

Andre Miller - DEN
Jason Terry - DAL

Honorable Mention

Jason Terry - DAL
Al Harrington - DEN

Saturday, February 11, 2012

NBA MVP Rankings - 11 Feb

Jeremy Lin may be the talk of the NBA right now, and rightfully so, but one week of outstanding play is not enough to earn you a spot on this list, although if he plays this well for the rest of the season it would be no surprise to find him fighting for a spot in the top 5. At this point, however, there are plenty of other guys who have been doing it every night all season long, and this post is dedicated to them. As usual, the players who are rising this week are marked in green, and those that are falling are marked in red. I have also ranked the top 5 sixth men below.

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James - MIA - 28.1 pts, 8.0 reb, 7.0 ast, 1.7 stl, .542 FG%, .370 3P%, .752 FT%

LeBron did not have the most dominant week, averaging only 22 points per game, and he has failed to score even 20 points in his past two games, and the Heat even lost in Orlando this week, but he is still the top MVP candidate today. How is that possible? He has been so much better than anybody else so far this season that he could afford to have an "off-week," although most players would be pretty happy to play as well as James does when he's not on top of his game. His lead has narrowed, so another bad week could cost him the top spot.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.0 pts, 8.2 reb, 3.3 ast, 1.4 blk, 1.2 stl, .505 FG%, .815 FT%

Durant is closing the gap on James this week, but two losses, along with his first game with fewer than 20 points since January 3rd, kept him from becoming the MVP front-runner and kept the Thunder from holding on to the league's best record, although they have managed to stay atop the West as the favorites to make the NBA Finals.

3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 22.9 pts, 4.9 reb, 5.7 ast, 2.1 stl, .466 FG%, .810 FT%

While Durant has not been scoring quite as much for the Thunder lately, Russell Westbrook has stepped up and put in the points they needed. Over the past 4 games he has averaged 30 points, and in the past 3 he has shot above 50% from the field as well, making him very efficient as well. To top it all off, he recorded 5 steals last night in Utah as the Thunder held off a late Jazz rally and proved that their loss to Sacramento was a fluke and that they are still the team to beat in the West, and you've just seen the two biggest reasons why.

4. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 29.4 pts, 6.0 reb, 5.2 ast, 1.1 stl, .442 FG%, .848 FT%

Kobe scored a lot of points this week once again, but he did it while shooting only 40% from the field, and as a result of all those misses, the Lakers won only one game this week, an overtime victory over the Celtics on Thursday. In that game, it was not Bryant, but Pau Gasol who was the hero, tipping in Kobe's miss near the end of regulation to send the game to overtime, and blocking Ray Allen's potential game-winner in overtime to seal LA's victory.

5. Blake Griffin - LAC - 21.2 pts, 11.0 reb, 3.1 ast, 1.0 stl, .533 FG%, .521 FT%

After a horrendous 1 for 7 night from the line against Washington last Saturday, Blake Griffin suddenly remembered how to make free throws, hitting 15 of his last 19, even though he missed the only two he attempted yesterday. LA's upset win in Philadelphia last night moved the Clippers up to second place in the Western Conference, a spot they have not reached at any point in my memory. It may not be long before we're seeing two members of the Clippers on the MVP watch, which normally would be unheard of.

6. LaMarcus Aldridge - POR - 23.0 pts, 8.4 reb, 2.8 ast, 1.1 stl, .511 FG%, .788 FT%

It's a little strange to see Aldridge moving up the MVP rankings after two consecutive games with fewer than 15 points, but this move has a little more to do with injuries to other players than to his own performance this week. He did score 39 points against Oklahoma City on Monday, but it was enough for Portland to take down the West leaders, as they fell to the Thunder 111-107.

7. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.9 pts, 15.5 reb, 2.0 ast, 2.1 blk, 1.5 stl, .565 FG%, .491 FT%

In Wednesday night's impressive 102-89 victory over the Miami Heat, Dwight Howard recorded 25 points and 24 rebounds, marking his 6th 20-20 game of the season, which gives him as many 20-20 games this year as every other player in the league combined. If the Magic hadn't lost to the Clippers and Hawks this week, there is a very good chance that Howard would be sitting ahead of Blake Griffin in the top 5, where a man of his talents definitely belongs.

8. Chris Bosh - MIA - 19.4 pts, 7.9 reb, 2.1 ast, .509 FG%, .820 FT%

Bosh came very close to falling from the MVP leaders this week before saving himself for another week with 24 points and 11 rebounds in Miami's victory over the Washington Wizards last night. Before that, he had scored between 9 and 15 in 6 straight games, and it's very likely that this will be his final week on this list, with Dwyane Wade back and making a strong push to be Miami's second potential MVP.

9. Kevin Love - MIN - 25.3 pts, 13.6 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.0 stl, .453 FG%, .368 3P%, .829 FT%

In the two games he played this week, Love was great, putting up 25 against Houston and 32 against Dallas, but he missed the two games in between due to a suspension for stomping on Luis Scola's head. Without him on the court, the Wolves lost at Memphis, and the outcome could have been different if the best player on either team had been allowed to take the court, and Minnesota would have been able to boast of a record above .500 as well.

10. Derrick Rose - CHI - 22.0 pts, 3.4 reb, 7.8 ast, .462 FG%, .841 FT%

Rose played sparingly this week, totaling only 10 points in 33 minutes since Sunday, but this time the time off is due to a back injury, rather than the toe injury that kept him out earlier this season. Chicago continues to win without its MVP on the court, which has allowed Carlos Boozer to start making a push for a spot among the top 10, but that will have to wait for another week.

Honorable Mention

Tony Parker - SAS
Carlos Boozer - CHI
Pau Gasol - LAL

Sixth Man of the Year

1. James Harden - OKC - 16.6 pts, 4.1 reb, 3.4 ast, .463 FG%, .364 3P%, .863 FT%

If he didn't have two of the best players in the league as teammates, you might very well be seeing James Harden on the list above rather than this one, but Harden has improved so much in just his third season that he is currently running away with this award. This week he did exactly what was expected of him, but he did amp up his defense a little, averaging over 1.5 steals per game, including 4 against Golden State on Tuesday.

2. Lou Williams - PHI - 15.6 pts, 2.2 reb, 3.6 ast, .412 FG%, .380 3P%, .813 FT%

Williams has put up at least 10 points in every game so far this month, including back-to-back 20-point outings against the Lakers and Spurs, all without starting a single game this season. He has been a very consistent member of the team all year, which has enabled the 76ers to keep themselves in position for a division title for the first time in years.

3. Thaddeus Young - PHI - 12.4 pts, 4.5 reb, 1.1 ast, 1.3 stl, .512 FG%, .722 FT%

Young is another important part of a deep bench in Philadelphia, and although he is not putting up the same numbers he did as a full-time starter 3 years ago, he seems to be adjusting to his new role, and he has become more of an inside player, shooting only 25 of them over the past two seasons after jacking up over 300 of them in the previous two seasons. The result has been a 5% increase in his overall shooting percentage, which is important for a player with limited minutes.

4. Andre Miller - DEN - 10.9 pts, 3.8 reb, 6.7 ast, 1.2 stl, .475 FG%, .775 FT%

Miller has been shooting well, but not often, for the Nuggets lately, hitting 53% of his shots, but only scoring 9.8 points per game. During that stretch, the Nuggets have lost 5 straight games, which caused them to slip from #2 in the West all the way down to #8, hanging on for their playoff lives. Perhaps time is finally catching up to the 35-year-old, who played in his 1000th game as a pro last week against the Clippers.

5. Jason Terry - DAL - 14.8 pts, 1.6 reb, 3.6 ast, 1.3 stl, .425 FG%, .376 3P%, .873 FT%

Terry has been making quite a push lately to earn another Sixth Man award, scoring 34 points in a win over San Antonio, then putting up 25 against the Thunder just 3 nights later. He has also started to find his range again, hitting multiple 3-pointers in 5 different games over the last 3 weeks, including 4 at Cleveland last Saturday.

Dropping Out/Honorable Mention

Al Harrington - DEN
Evan Turner - PHI

Saturday, February 4, 2012

NBA MVP Rankings - 4 Feb

There wasn't much movement at the top of the MVP rankings this week, because no player was particularly bad and no team did much to significantly change their playoff odds, but there is a familiar face reappearing in the top 10 this week, and one new face taking back his place among the also-rans, with a chance at a return later in the season. Here are the latest MVP and Rookie of the Year rankings, with rising players in green and falling players in red.

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James - MIA - 29.2 pts, 8.5 reb, 7.0 ast, 1.7 stl, .551 FG%, .425 3P%, .743 FT%

LeBron was on fire this week from the field, hitting 56% of his field goals and 55% from long distance, keeping himself among the top 5 in overall field goal percentage, the only non-center among the five. Miami beat both Chicago and Philadelphia this week, but a loss to Milwaukee kept them just out of reach of top seed Chicago in the East. The King's 40 points in that loss were a game-high, but it wasn't enough, even with Wade back in the lineup. Either way, James is still off to the best start of his very impressive career.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.0 pts, 8.2 reb, 3.1 ast, 1.4 blk, 1.2 stl, .511 FG%, .814 FT%

Durant scored the final 7 points for the Thunder in their 7-point victory over Memphis yesterday, so it seems natural to say that he was the reason for their victory, and his 36 points and 10 rebounds do little to refute that. Durant has put up 9 double-doubles so far this season, after recording only 14 all of last season, which shows that he has improved his already impressive game in his fifth season as a pro. The Thunder are one of the favorites to win the title this year, and Durant is the biggest reason why.

3. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 29.5 pts, 6.1 reb, 5.6 ast, 1.2 stl, .449 FG%, .836 FT%

Kobe's shooting and scoring weren't quite up to par this week, and he now holds just a small lead in the scoring race, but under his leadership the Lakers won three times this week, including tough road wins in Minnesota and Denver, both of which had a good chance at upsetting the perennial contenders. He was voted an All-Star starter yet again this week, an honor which he definitely deserves, even in his 16th season.

4. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.8 pts, 4.6 reb, 5.7 ast, 2.0 stl, .454 FG%, .800 FT%

Back-to-back 30 point games to start the week pushed Westbrook right to the brink of passing Kobe for the #3 spot in the MVP rankings, but his 21 points on 33% shooting against Memphis held him back from joining his teammate Kevin Durant in the top 3 candidates. The presence of Westbrook this close to the top may be the biggest thing preventing Durant from taking the MVP this year.

5. Blake Griffin - LAC - 21.4 pts, 10.9 reb, 2.9 ast, 1.1 blk, .535 FG%, .504 FT%

Griffin had a great week defensively, blocking 11 shots in 4 games, which is more than he had blocked in the first 16 games combined. He averaged nearly 10 rebounds per game, which is pretty normal for him, but he also shot 59% from the field this week, raising his average far above his free throw percentage, which continues to hover in a range that would embarrass Shaq. The Clippers, meanwhile, remain in 3rd place in the West, with Griffin leading the way.

6. Kevin Love - MIN - 25.0 pts, 13.5 reb, 1.7 ast, 1.0 stl, .446 FG%, .376 3P%, 816 FT%

Love was himself this week, putting up his normal numbers while the Timberwolves beat the teams they were supposed to and lost to the teams they could have upset. Nevertheless, he did nothing to hurt his candidacy this week, so he was able to take advantage of Chris Bosh's return to reality to move up one more notch in his quest for the MVP.

7. Derrick Rose - CHI - 23.5 pts, 3.4 reb, 8.0 ast, 1.0 stl, .459 FG%, .840 FT%

Chicago spent the entire week on the road, but even with Rose back on the court, they only won two of the four contests, losing to the #2 and #4 teams in the East, but Rose had his best week so far this season, scoring over 30 points three different times and passing out 13 assists in their 3-point victory in New York on Thursday. For the first time all season, he looked like an MVP, which is a good thing, since he has one in his trophy case.

8. Chris Bosh - MIA - 20.0 pts, 7.7 reb, 2.1 ast, .519 FG%, .811 FT%

Wade's return to the court reduced Bosh to the role of third option in the Heat offense, with averages this week of just 14 points and 7 rebounds. All that has really been proven by Wade's absence is that LeBron is the true star of the Heat, and that as long as he has one of the other two stars on the court with him, he can lead the Heat to another high playoff seeding and another deep playoff run. Oh, yeah, and Bosh still has the skills to be a star player when given the opportunity.

9. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.1 pts, 15.4 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.2 blk, 1.4 stl, .549 FG%, .479 FT%

Orlando finally won a couple of games this week, and Howard continued to play at his usual high level, but the two games the Magic won were against the Wizards and Cavaliers, neither of which has been playing well lately. Even with Howard playing this well, the Magic will not make it through the first round of the playoffs at this rate, and his chances at the MVP need that playoff success.

10. LaMarcus Aldridge - POR - 22.8 pts, 8.7 reb, 2.7 ast, 1.0 stl, .506 FG%, .766 FT%

Aldridge has scored at least 20 points in four straight games, but things did not go well for his Trail Blazers this week. They lost to Utah, which was somewhat understandable, but a loss in Sacramento is something that should never happen to a team that wants to make the playoffs, which is appropriate, since Portland has slipped to 9th place in the West because of the loss.

Dropping Out

Danilo Gallinari - DEN

Honorable Mention

Danilo Gallinari - DEN
Carlos Boozer - CHI
James Harden - OKC
Pau Gasol - LAL
Brandon Jennings - MIL
Andre Iguodala - PHI

Rookie of the Year

1. Kyrie Irving - CLE - 18.0 pts, 3.3 reb, 5.0 ast, .498 FG%, .404 3P%, .829 FT%

Irving has been incredible lately, making the #1 pick the Cavaliers spent on him seem justified, even if he hardly played as a college freshman due to injuries. Cleveland has been steadily falling down the standings for the past several weeks, but Irving has already established himself as their best player and could be the cornerstone they need to build around for the future.

2. Ricky Rubio - MIN - 11.3 pts, 4.6 reb, 8.8 ast, 2.3 stl, .384 FG%, .365 3P%, .820 FT%

Rubio has continued to impress in his first season in the States, moving up to 4th in assists and 3rd in steals, making him the best pure point guard of this rookie class. His addition to the Timberwolves has made quite a difference this year, giving Kevin Love somebody to receive the ball from, and the pair has Minnesota closer to the playoffs than they've been in years.

3. Kemba Walker - CHA - 11.9 pts, 4.0 reb, 3.6 ast, 1.1 stl, 362 FG%, .757 FT%

Kemba has been scoring a lot more lately, but the Bobcats have not, with a losing streak of 10 games heading into today's game at Phoenix, but his shooting percentage is dropping very consistently over that period, which may explain Charlotte's troubles to some extent.

4. MarShon Brooks - NJN - 14.8 pts, 4.4 reb, 1.6 ast, 1.1 stl, .459 FG%, .352 3P%, .774 FT%

Brooks' drop in the rankings is not due to poor performance, but the fact that he's missed four straight games with a broken toe, and it sounds like he may have a while longer to go before he's back on the court. When he was playing, he was still looking good, but he needs to get off the bench if he wants to stay in this race.

5. Brandon Knight - DET - 12.9 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.5 ast, .408 FG%, .355 3P%, .766 FT%

Knight has been putting up the same numbers all season long, but his shooting percentages have been slipping a lot lately, with averages of 36% from the field and 24% from three-point land, which have caused him to lose ground in the race for Rookie of the Year, which is still a race, but could quickly become a one-man show like last year if somebody doesn't step it up to Irving's level soon.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

NBA MVP Rankings - 14 Jan

The NBA season has been up and running now for nearly 3 weeks, and there has already been a lot of excitement. The Clippers are rising, the Heat are struggling, and there a couple of new faces among the MVP favorites in addition to many of the old standbys. This season I have finally discovered a method to reward players whose teams will reach and advance in the postseason and punishes them for games missed using pure statistical methods rather than my own opinions. Here are my initial MVP rankings, along with my first Rookie of the Year rankings for the 2011-2012 season.

Most Valuable Player

1. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 31.2 pts, 5.8 reb, 5.5 ast, .461 FG%, .832 FT%
Just when you thought that Kobe was past his prime, he came out on fire to prove everybody wrong. LeBron has been the best player in the NBA for years, but Kobe has his team winning while posting gaudy numbers. His scoring average is the highest he's had in 5 years, and at this point the Thunder appear to be the only obstacle preventing them from making it to the Finals yet again. Oh, and Kobe has scored at least 40 in 3 straight games. He could become the oldest MVP since Karl Malone back in 1999.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 25.7 pts, 7.2 reb, 3.6 ast, .491 FG%, .404 3P%
Durant may not be leading the league in scoring like he has the past two seasons, but he has improved his numbers in almost every other category, and he has the Thunder holding onto the best record in the West so far. He has recorded double-doubles in three straight games, something he has never been known for, and Oklahoma City is on a 5-game winning streak for the second time this season.

3. LeBron James - MIA - 29.5 pts, 8.2 reb, 7.4 ast, 2.0 stl, .578 FG%
James has been incredible so far in this young season, improving in every category but free throw shooting while playing without Dwyane Wade on quite a few occasions so far. Perhaps the most impressive number on his stat line above is his field goal percentage, which is nearly 7% over his career high and currently ranks #4 in the entire league, tops among all non-centers.

4. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.5 pts, 15.2 reb, 2.2 blk, 1.5 stl, .586 FG%
Despite all the trade rumors swirling around him, Howard continues to dominate in the paint, where he is currently looking at a new career-high in rebounding while ranking third in the league in field goal percentage and fifth in blocked shots. He also broke Wilt Chamberlain's 50-year-old record for free throw attempts in a game when he shot 39 against Golden State last night, and although he only made 21, it's still a record that could stand for a long time.

5. Derrick Rose - CHI - 21.1 pts, 3.4 reb, 8.5 ast, .448 FG%, .873 FT%
The defending MVP has been hampered by a toe injury, which could explain why he's not playing at the same level he did last season as he led the Bulls to the league's best record in the regular season. Although he's not playing at the level we're accustomed to, he's still got Chicago at the top of the standings, so expect to see him rise even higher once he's healthy.

6. Kevin Love - MIN - 24.5 pts, 14.7 reb, 1.7 ast, .429 FG%, .794 FT%
Love is scoring even more this year than last year, when he was among the most improved players in the league and led all players in rebounding, but he has been taking a lot more shots to do it. Minnesota finished last season as the worst team in the league, so the fact that he has led them to 4 wins already shows a lot of improvement, but he won't stay in contention for the MVP without getting them into the playoffs.

7. Carmelo Anthony - NYK - 25.5 pts, 6.2 reb, 4.3 ast, .439 FG%, .822 FT%
Anthony continues his strong play for the Knicks, and he has taken over as the clear top player in New York while Amare struggles with injuries. Unfortunately, Anthony sprained his ankle in New York's loss to Memphis on Thursday, and he will most likely sit out tonight's game against Oklahoma City, a game where the Knicks really need to have their star.

8. Blake Griffin - LAC - 23.3 pts, 10.8 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.1 stl, .531 FG%
Last year's runaway Rookie of the Year is playing at about the same level that won him the award and tons of fans last season, but the difference this year is that the Clippers have a real point guard to get Griffin the ball, which has them looking like a playoff contender for the first time in years. If he can get his free throw shooting up a bit and grab a few more boards, he has a real chance at being in the MVP running at the end of just his second season.

9. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 18.8 pts, 4.6 reb, 5.3 ast, 1.6 stl, .776 FT%
Westbrook has not been as dominant from the point guard position as he was last season, with his assists dropping from 8 to 5 per game this season, he is still the man getting the ball to the best player on the best team in the West. His scoring and shooting percentage have been increasing recently, so he may finally be getting used to being on the court again.

10. Pau Gasol - LAL - 16.6 pts, 9.7 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.5 blk, .553 FG%
Gasol does not look as good as he did last year, especially early in the season, where he was my MVP choice for the first two months of the season before he let off the gas down the stretch and disappeared in the playoffs. This season Andrew Bynum is looking like the #2 center in the league, and he may be replacing Gasol as the Lakers best big man before very long.

Honorable Mention

LaMarcus Aldridge - POR
Luol Deng - CHI
James Harden - OKC
Ryan Anderson - ORL
Andre Iguodala - PHI
Josh Smith - ATL
Danilo Gallinari - DEN

Rookie of the Year

1. Kyrie Irving - CLE - 17.0 pts, 3.1 reb, 5.1 ast, .473 FG%, .892 FT%
This year's Rookie of the Year field is a lot more open than last year, but there is no doubt that the best youngster so far has been the #1 pick from Duke. He has scored at least 20 points in 4 straight games, and even though the Cavaliers lost three of those, they are currently in position for the #8 seed in the playoffs, which is much better than last year, when they were very close to setting a new record for futility.

2. MarShon Brooks - NJN - 14.5 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.0 ast, .462 FG%, .765 FT%
Brooks was the #25 pick in the draft out of Providence, but he has played so well lately that he has cracked the starting lineup in New Jersey just two weeks into his rookie season. He reached 20 points for the third time this season in last night's victory over Phoenix, and it doesn't appear to be a fluke. He should be in the picture all season long.

3. Ricky Rubio - MIN - 10.4 pts, 4.1 reb, 8.0 ast, 1.7 stl, .421 3P%
Rubio has been as good as advertised in his first NBA season, which comes two full years after he was drafted #5 by Minnesota. His scoring has been very consistent, between 10 and 13 for 6 straight games, and he's already had 4 double-digit assist games, which has him ranked #8 in the league in assist average already.

4. Brandon Knight - DET - 12.3 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.8 ast, .454 FG%, .875 FT%
The second point guard taken in the draft last season becomes the third-best of his class so far because of Rubio finally getting into the league, but Knight has been a legitimately solid player so far, putting up double-figure points in 6 straight games, although his assist numbers have been pretty lousy for a point guard, and can't be helped by the anemic Pistons offense.

5. Kemba Walker - CHA - 10.1 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.8 ast, .377 FG%, .735 FT%
Yet another guard picked in the top ten makes my early-season ROY rankings, but Walker has not been a very consistent player so far this season, shooting worse from the field than almost anyone else in the league, but last night he went 6-8 against Detroit. Now we'll have to see if it was just a fluke or a sign that he's getting comfortable.

Honorable Mention

Markieff Morris - PHX

Check back tomorrow to see my first NBA team rankings and predictions of the season.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Top 100 NBA Players: #54

Steve Nash

(Simmons: #38, BBR: #31)

Steve Nash is one of my favorite players of all time, so it hurts a little bit to have to put him clear down here on the all-time list, but he has been slightly overrated by the fact that he won two MVP awards that he probably shouldn't have. But just because I don't quite feel he was MVP-worthy does not mean that he his shown some major feats of greatness during his career.

Steve Nash is the holder of several impressive records. One of the biggest is that he has the highest free throw percentage in the history of the NBA. Only two players can claim an overall free throw percentage over 90% for their career, and Nash is one of them. In 2010, he broke John Stockton's record as the oldest player to lead the league in assists, and he broke it by 3 years. The following year, he did it again, setting the bar even higher by winning the assist title at age 37. There has never been a point guard who played this well this late in his career, and that includes Jason Kidd and Stockton.

He is also one of only five players in history to achieve a 50-40-90 season, shooting 50% from the field, 40% from long range, and 90% from the free throw line. Only five players have ever achieved this: Larry Bird, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Mark Price, and Nash. But Nash hasn't just joined that club, he is the captain of it. Nash has achieved it 4 times, including three straight seasons from 2007-2010, while the other 4 have done it only five times combined. Nash barely missed out on making it five straight years in the 2006-07 season, when he finished the season shooting .899 from the free throw line. He is, without a doubt, the best in-game shooter in the history of the NBA.

Steve Nash is one of only two MVP's in history to never make an appearance in the NBA Finals (the other is 2011 winner Derrick Rose). Even with that fact, he hasn't had a complete lack of playoff success. He has been a top 3 player on 4 Western Conference Finalists, but he has never been able to get over that hump. In addition to his eight seasons in the top 3 in assists in the league, which includes 5 times as #1, he has also led all playoff players in assists average 4 times, with an average of 13.3 per game in 2007 as his best performance.

I said earlier that I didn't believe Nash should have won those two MVP awards. It hurts more than you can imagine for me to write that, but it's true. In 2005, when he won his first award, Nash was credited with the Suns' success because he was the new guy in town, but Amare was very impressive that year, and probably should have won the award himself. Here are their stats from that season:

Stoudemire - 26.0 pts, 8.9 reb, 1.6 ast, 1.6 blk, .559 FG%, .733 FT%
Nash - 15.5 pts, 3.3 reb, 11.5 ast, .502 FG%, .431 3P%, .887 FT%

Each was impressive in his own right, but because Amare showed so much improvement that year, people assumed it was because of Nash. Having a great point guard to get you the ball has to help, but it also can't hurt that Amare was 22 years old and still growing as a player. The next year, Amare went down with a knee injury, and the Suns weren't expected to go anywhere, but Nash led them to a respectable record and a return trip to the Conference Finals, so he was able to repeat as MVP, but Dirk led the Mavericks to a better record with better numbers, which are listed below:

Nowitzki - 26.6 pts, 9.0 reb, 2.8 ast, .480 FG%, .406 3P%, .901 FT%
Nash - 18.8 pts, 4.2 reb, 10.5 ast, .512 FG%, .439 3P%, .921 FT%

Nash's resume was definitely stronger statistically in 2006, but his team was not one of the top 3 record-wise in the league, which makes him the only MVP in the past 25 years who can say that. There's no doubt that he's a star player, and he may not be done yet. He could still make a run at the top 50 of all time, but it might take a championship to do it.

The interesting thing about Nash is how he started rising to his peak at the point in his career where most players start to drop from relevance. His peak is higher and has lasted longer than Hamilton's, but Hamilton's playoff success kept him somewhat close to Nash overall. Nash, even though he's several years older than Hamilton, still has a chance to add to his career accomplishments, while Rip seems to be on the downside of his career.

Friday, May 13, 2011

NBA Playoff MVP Rankings - 13 May

I know I'm going to hear some complaints about a certain Maverick not being among my top five playoff performers so far, but there is a good reason for it. In the clinching game, he was not the reason Dallas won. It was partially due to Los Angeles giving up and partially due to Terry and Peja shooting the lights out. Dirk was just along for the ride in this one. It doesn't mean that he's out of the running, just not a current favorite. Here are my current top 5, with previous rankings in parentheses.

1. Derrick Rose - CHI - 28.8 pts, 4.5 reb, 8.2 ast, 1.5 stl (5)

Last week I criticized Rose for his poor shooting percentage throughout the playoffs, and he responded this week by shooting nearly 50% over 4 games, including a 53.8% mark over Chicago's 3 wins. He also averaged 32.5 points this week, and his numbers in every other statistical category have increased over his regular season averages. Also, Chicago is in the conference finals for the first time since MJ retired, as if all the other reasons to rank him here weren't enough.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 29.7 pts, 7.6 reb, 2.4 ast, 1.0 stl (3)

Durant's week was highlighted by his 35 points in a triple overtime win over Memphis in game 4 and 19 points in just 31 minutes in their game 5 blowout which allowed them to take control of the series back from the Grizzlies. He has upped his league-leading scoring average by 2 points in the playoffs to remain the leader.

3. LeBron James - MIA - 26.1 pts, 9.4 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.3 blk, 1.3 stl (2)

LeBron only scored 15 points in Miami's lone loss to Boston, but bounced back nicely with 35 and 33 in consecutive games to close out the series. The most impressive part was the ending of the final game, in which he scored the final 10 points of the game, which Miami won by that exact margin.

4. Zach Randolph - MEM - 22.0 pts, 10.7 reb, 2.7 ast, 1.2 stl (NR)

Randolph has been the driving force behind Memphis' playoff success so far, but in the past 4 games he has shot an abysmal 31.9% from the field as the Grizzlies have lost 3 of 4. His best game came in their lone win this week, in which he tallied 21 points and 21 rebounds to control the paint for Memphis.

5. Marc Gasol - MEM - 15.9 pts, 11.8 reb, 2.4 ast, 2.1 blk, 1.1 stl (NR)

Marc has outplayed his older and more famous brother by far in the playoffs, making that Memphis-Los Angeles trade a couple years ago look a little less one-sided than it did at the time. Marc had 26 points and 21 rebounds in the triple overtime loss to Oklahoma City, a game in which he made two of the most crucial plays, a block near the end of regulation, and a tip-in near the end of the second overtime, both of which allowed the Grizzlies to hang around.

NBA Player of the Day

Carlos Boozer - CHI - 23 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast, 10-16 FG, 3-3 FT

While his MVP teammate may be #1 in the playoff MVP rankings, the clinching game of the Atlanta series belonged to Boozer, who finally broke out of his playoff slump and led Chicago to the conference finals with the with his second straight double-double.

Predictions - 13 May

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Thunder at Grizzlies - Grizz by 1

MLB

Giants at Cubs - Giants by 0.9

Mariners at Indians - Indians by 1.4

Royals at Tigers - Royals by 0.3

Red Sox at Yankees - Yankees by 1.4

Marlins at Nationals - Marlins by 0.2

Orioles at Rays - Rays by 2.3

Cardinals at Reds - Cards by 0.8

Phillies at Braves - Braves by 0.1

Angels at Rangers - Angels by 0.3

Mets at Astros - Mets by 1.7

Blue Jays at Twins - Jays by 1.9

Pirates at Brewers - Brewers by 0.3

Padres at Rockies - Rockies by 1.1

White Sox at Athletics - A's by 0.0

Diamondbacks at Dodgers - D-Backs by 0.1

Prediction Results - 12 May

NBA Playoffs: 1-0 (1.000) 46-18 overall (.719)

MLB: 5-2 (.714) 209-195 overall (.517)

Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 240-169 overall (.587)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

MLB Rankings - 11 May

Rank. Team (Wk) (Overall) Off/Def (Prev)

1. Atlanta (5-2) (20-17) 1/1 (5)

2. Saint Louis (4-2) (21-15) 2/2 (3)

3. Philadelphia (4-3) (23-12) 3/3 (4)

4. Florida (3-4) (21-14) 6/4 (6)

5. Cleveland (3-3) (23-11) 5/5 (1)

6. NY Yankees (3-3) (20-13) 4/8 (2)

7. Cincinnati (6-1) (20-16) 10/6 (14)

8. NY Mets (4-3) (16-20) 7/11 (15)

9. San Francisco (5-1) (19-16) 9/10 (21)

10. Colorado (2-5) (19-15) 13/7 (17)

11. Washington (3-3) (17-18) 8/12 (12)

12. LA Angels (5-2) (21-16) 12/15 (9)

13. Arizona (2-4) (15-19) 11/18 (19)

14. Kansas City (2-4) (18-17) 15/14 (11)

15. Texas (3-4) (19-18) 14/17 (7)

16. Milwaukee (3-5) (16-20) 17/13 (16)

17. Detroit (6-1) (19-18) 20/9 (25)

18. Tampa Bay (4-2) (20-15) 18/16 (18)

19. Pittsburgh (4-2) (18-18) 16/20 (23)

20. Oakland (4-3) (19-18) 19/19 (22)

21. Chi Sox (3-3) (14-23) 23/21 (29)

22. LA Dodgers (2-4) (17-20) 22/22 (27)

23. Boston (3-4) (17-19) 24/24 (8)

24. San Diego (2-4) (14-22) 26/23 (26)

25. Chi Cubs (2-3) (15-19) 25/25 (28)

26. Houston (1-6) (13-23) 21/28 (20)

27. Toronto (3-4) (16-20) 28/26 (10)

28. Seattle (2-4) (16-20) 27/27 (13)

29. Baltimore (2-4) (15-19) 29/29 (24)

30. Minnesota (2-4) (12-22) 30/30 (30)

Making their Mommas Proud

Atlanta started the week with 4 straight wins, including two shutouts, then lost a game to Philadelphia, the team with the best record in the National League. They ended up winning 2 of 3 over the Phillies and are now the best team in the league.

The Chicago White Sox made a huge improvement this week, reeling off three straight wins for the first time this season, and winning two of those games by shutout, and all three on the road. Their no-hit loss to last-place Minnesota a week ago was pretty embarrassing, but they rebounded nicely for a bad team.

The San Francisco Giants have won 4 straight games and 6 of their past 7, including a very impressive sweep of their weekend series over the division-leading Colorado Rockies. Their pitching staff gave up only 10 runs over 6 games this week, for a staff ERA of 1.67.

Only Their Mothers Could Love Them

Toronto was looking decent until this week, when Detroit outscored them 24-7 over the course of three games spanning Saturday to Monday. Luckily for them, they will be spending this weekend in Minnesota, the home of the worst team in the Major Leagues.

Seattle is now on a 3 game losing streak to teams that were ranked in last week's bottom 7. Prior to that, they had won 8 of 10, but those three inexcusable losses dropped them down into the territory of those teams.

Boston may have won 3 games this week, but all three of those wins came against Minnesota, who would lose to some Little League teams at this point. Before those three wins, they lost 11-0 to the Angels and 9-2 against those horrible Twins.

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 33 pts, 2 reb, 9 ast, 11-24 FG, 1-5 3P, 10-13 FT

With Joakim Noah contributing almost nothing to the Bulls' cause, Derrick Rose raised the level of his game again to give Chicago a 3-2 lead and the inside edge for a spot in the Conference Finals. The MVP even shot well for the first time in the series, which would be a big help to a Chicago team that has struggled more than expected in the playoffs.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Predictions - 7 May

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Thunder at Grizzlies - Grizz by 2

Heat at Celtics - Celtics by 1

MLB

Rays at Orioles - Rays by 2.4

Twins at Red Sox - Sox by 1.3

Reds at Cubs - Reds by 1.4

Tigers at Blue Jays - Jays by 0.6

Brewers at Cardinals - Cards by 2.1

Braves at Phillies - Braves by 0.1

Astros at Pirates - Pirates by 0.1

Athletics at Royals - Royals by 1.0

Dodgers at Mets - Mets by 2.4

Nationals at Marlins - Marlins by 0.8

Yankees at Rangers - Yankees by 0.4

Diamondbacks at Padres - Padres by 0.1

Indians at Angels - Indians by 0.3

Rockies at Giants - Rockies by 0.9

White Sox at Mariners - Mariners by 0.8

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 44 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 16-27 FG, 4-7 3P, 8-9 FT

Rose validated his MVP award last night by destroying the Atlanta Hawks and taking complete control of their second-round series. He hadn't hit more than 25 points in a game since game 2 of the first round, and the 44 points he scored became his new career high. Even Magic Johnson said that Rose reminded him of Michael Jordan with his performance.

Prediction Results - 6 May

NBA Playoffs: 2-0 (1.000) 39-15 overall (.722)

MLB: 9-6 (.600) 177-166 overall (.516)

Upsets: 5-0 (1.000) 234-163 overall (.589)

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Predictions - 17 Apr

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Grizzlies at Spurs - Spurs by 5

Hornets at Lakers - Lakers by 8

Knicks at Celtics - Celtics by 7

Nuggets at Thunder - Thunder by 2

MLB

Orioles at Indians - Indians by 3.7

Pirates at Reds - Reds by 3.0

Blue Jays at Red Sox - Jays by 2.6

Mets at Braves - Braves by 1.9

Marlins at Phillies - Phillies by 1.8

Brewers at Nationals - Nats by 0.5

Twins at Rays - Rays by 1.9

Padres at Astros - Astros by 1.6

Angels at White Sox - Angels by 1.9

Mariners at Royals - Royals by 2.5

Cubs at Rockies - Rockies by 2.1

Tigers at Athletics - Tigers by 0.5

Giants at Diamondbacks - Giants by 1.4

Cardinals at Dodgers - Cards by 2.8

Brewers at Nationals - Nats by 0.5

Rangers at Yankees - Rangers by 2.1

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 39 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk, 10-23 FG, 0-9 3P, 19-21 FT

Rose led Chicago's charge back from a huge deficit in game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, scoring the basket that tied the game with 1:27 to play, then getting the assist on Kyle Korver's 3-pointer that gave Chicago its first lead with 48 seconds left, and closing it out with two free throws with 14 seconds left. He may have missed all of his 3-pointer attempts, but he shot over 90% from the free throw line, and the Bulls maintained the home court advantage they'd worked so hard to earn.

Prediction Results - 16 Apr

NBA Playoffs: 3-1 (.750)

MLB: 9-5 (.643) 42-33 overall (.560)

Monday, April 11, 2011

NBA Rankings - 11 Apr

This week I've increased the strength of the momentum factor in my formula in hopes of being able to continue increasing the accuracy of my predictions, and as a result there is a bit more movement than usual in this week's rankings. Each team's name is followed by its weekly record, overall record, rating, and previous ranking.

1. Chicago (4-0) (60-20) -8.12 (3)

2. Miami (2-1) (56-24) -7.64 (1)

3. LA Lakers (0-4) (55-25) -7.11 (2)

4. Denver (2-2) (49-31) -6.99 (6)

5. San Antonio (3-0) (61-19) -6.91 (4)

6. Oklahoma City (4-0) (54-26) -5.80 (9)

7. Orlando (2-1) (50-30) -5.53 (7)

8. Boston (2-2) (55-25) -5.46 (5)

9. Dallas (2-1) (55-25) -5.18 (8)

10. Memphis (2-1) (46-34) -4.47 (10)

11. Houston (1-2) (42-38) -4.19 (11)

12. Portland (2-1) (47-33) -4.14 (12)

13. New Orleans (2-1) (46-34) -2.69 (13)

14. Philadelphia (1-2) (41-39) -2.34 (14)

15. New York (4-0) (42-38) -1.79 (15)

16. Phoenix (1-3) (38-42) -0.38 (17)

17. Milwaukee (2-2) (33-47) -0.10 (18)

18. Indiana (2-1) (37-44) 0.45 (19)

19. Atlanta (0-3) (44-36) 0.48 (16)

20. Golden State (2-1) (35-45) 0.51 (21)

21. Utah (1-2) (37-43) 1.12 (20)

22. LA Clippers (1-3) (31-50) 1.34 (22)

23. Detroit (3-1) (29-51) 2.48 (23)

24. Sacramento (2-2) (24-56) 3.13 (25)

25. Charlotte (0-4) (32-48) 3.73 (24)

26. Minnesota (0-3) (17-63) 4.76 (26)

27. Toronto (1-3) (22-58) 5.17 (27)

28. New Jersey (1-3) (24-56) 5.46 (28)

29. Washington (2-2) (22-58) 6.64 (29)

30. Cleveland (2-2) (17-63) 7.80 (30)

Feeling Hoppy

Last week there was talk that Oklahoma City could fall behind Denver into the 5th spot in the West, but they made sure to end that talk this week with four straight wins, including 2 over those Denver Nuggets. They capped off a perfect week with a huge road upset of the Lakers last night, which put them only one game behind the Lakers and Mavericks for the 2nd seed in the West. What a difference a week makes.

The Dallas Mavericks rebounded from a loss to Denver early in the week by beating down the Clippers and Suns over the weekend, which was enough to pull them into a tie with Los Angeles for the #2 spot in the West. They still have two tough games left, but even their recent 4-game losing streak didn't knock them out of contention.

The New York Knicks won four straight this week, including two close wins over the teams closest to them in the Eastern Conference standings and two blowouts of teams that have known they will miss the playoffs for months. Their seven straight wins negated the damage caused by the preceding 6-game losing streak, and they are now sitting in 6th place in the East.

Laying Eggs

If you were paying close attention to my rankings above, you may have noticed that the worst team in the playoffs is not the Indiana Pacers, but the Atlanta Hawks, who may still end up with the East's 5th seed. They got consistently worse this week, losing by 7 to San Antonio, then 12 to the Pacers, and finally 32 to the Wizards.

10 days ago, the Lakers were looking unstoppable, having won 17 of 18 games since the All-Star Break, but this week they failed to win a single game, and two of those games were against non-playoff competition. Just when it looked like the had the second seed all sewn up, now they're in a 3-way dogfight with just two games to go.

Boston didn't play a close game all week, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. They did win two of those games, but both were against teams much lower in the rankings than the Celtics. The bad part was the two road losses to the other top Eastern teams, Chicago and Miami, who both beat Boston by at least 16 points, showing that there may be a new team representing the East in this year's Finals.

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 39 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 13-17 FG, 3-5 3P, 10-10 FT

Even though they Bulls have already clinched the best record in the East, Rose has not let up, beating yet another of the top contenders in the East yesterday in Orlando by scoring 39 points and hitting four important free throw down the stretch in a probably second round playoff preview.

Predictions - 11 Apr

Upset picks are in italics.

Possible upsets are underlined.

NBA

Heat at Hawks - Heat by 5

Bobcats at Nets - Nets by 1

Magic at 76ers - Magic by 1

Celtics at Wizards - Celtics by 9

Cavaliers at Pistons - Pistons by 8

Jazz at Hornets - Hornets by 7

Raptors at Bucks - Bucks by 8

Mavericks at Rockets - Rockets by 2

Warriors at Nuggets - Nuggets by 10

Thunder at Kings - Thunder by 6

Timberwolves at Suns - Suns by 8

Prediction Results - 10 Apr

NBA: 4-5 (.444) 716-303 overall (.703)

Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 173-118 overall (.595)

Friday, April 8, 2011

NBA MVP Rankings - 8 Apr

With only one week left in the regular season, the top two records in the league have basically been clinched, one by a team with lots of stars but no superstar, and the other by a team led by a true young superstar. Barring a huge collapse from Chicago to end the season, it is looking like Derrick Rose will be the MVP in 2011, but there are still a few players positioning themselves for second place. Here are the second-to-last rankings of the season, with last week's rankings in parentheses.

Most Valuable Player

1. Derrick Rose - CHI - 25.1 pts, 4.2 reb, 7.9 ast (3)

Rose hit for 30 points twice this week, the most important coming in last night's win over Boston that basically locked up the top seed in the East, and the Bulls have won 5 straight games. They now sit 1/2 game behind the Spurs for the best record in the league, and if Rose can lead Chicago past them, he will not lose the MVP race.

2. LeBron James - MIA - 26.7 pts, 7.5 reb, 7.0 ast (1)

LeBron played pretty well last night, tallying 29 points and 8 assists on the night, but his Heat lost for the second time in 9 days to a team that will miss the playoffs, and along with it lost their shot at the top seed in the East, which means a probable second round date with Boston.

3. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 25.7 pts, 6.5 reb, 4.5 ast (2)

Wade sat out Miami's loss to Milwaukee last night, and his slim MVP chances have all but evaporated now that the Heat won't finish at the top of the East. Without being the best player on his own team, he won't get many votes as the most valuable player in the league.

4. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 25.1 pts, 5.1 reb, 4.7 ast (4)

Kobe would have moved up into third place this week if the Lakers hadn't gone from incredibly hot to a 3-game losing streak almost overnight. The loss to Utah can be pinned directly on Kobe, after he let the ball slip out of his hands in the final seconds of a 1-point loss.

5. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.8 pts, 6.9 reb, 2.8 ast (6)

Durant had 32 points and 9 rebounds in Oklahoma City's win over Denver this week, which was doubly important for the Thunder, who will likely face the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. To add to that, the Nuggets had been one of the hottest teams in the league heading into that game, and the Thunder shut them down behind Durant's leadership.

6. Pau Gasol - LAL - 18.9 pts, 10.1 reb, 3.3 ast (5)

Pau did not reach 20 points in any of the Lakers' 4 games this week, and the Lakers lost 3 of 4. The Lakers are a team that needs both of their stars hitting on all cylinders to be successful, and Kobe has been doing his job, for the most part.

7. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.8 pts, 4.6 reb, 8.2 ast (7)

It wasn't a great week for Westbrook, but he didn't do enough damage to his overall season to justify dropping him any farther in the rankings. There is a good chance that he could be passed up next week, but that depends on how Dwight Howard finishes.

8. Dwight Howard - ORL - 23.1 pts, 14.1 reb, 2.4 blk (9)

Howard scored 31 points against Toronto on Sunday, then had 18 points and 17 rebounds against Milwaukee on Tuesday, but in Wednesday's game against Charlotte he was charged with his 18th technical of the season, meaning that he will have to sit out Orlando's showdown with Chicago on Sunday.

9. Dirk Nowitzki - DAL - 23.0 pts, 7.0 reb, 2.5 ast (8)

Dallas has lost four straight games, and Dirk's highest scoring output of the week was 20 points in their loss to Denver on Wednesday. If they're not careful, they'll slip down to the 4th seed and have to face the red-hot Nuggets in the first round.

10. LaMarcus Aldridge - POR - 21.8 pts, 8.7 reb, 2.1 ast (10)

Aldridge did nothing special this week, other than keeping his Trail Blazers in the 6th spot in the West. With a playoff berth already wrapped up, Aldridge needs to make sure he can stay healthy for the playoffs, because the last thing Portland needs is another injury.

Rookie of the Year

1. Blake Griffin - LAC - 22.5 pts, 12.2 reb, 3.7 ast (1)

Griffin put on a show in his hometown on Wednesday, scoring 35 points to go with 11 rebounds and 8 dunks as the Clippers nearly pulled off the huge upset of the Thunder, who clinched their division title that night.

2. John Wall - WAS - 16.3 pts, 4.6 reb, 8.5 ast (2)

Wall came back after missing a game and a half with a very strong week, scoring 26 points to go with his 12 assists against Detroit, and helping the Wizards to their first 3-game winning streak of the season.

3. DeMarcus Cousins - SAC - 14.1 pts, 8.7 reb, 2.5 ast (3)

Cousins posted two straight double-doubles in Texas this week, a pretty good feat for any rookie, especially one who had not posted back-to-back double-doubles in three weeks.

4. Greg Monroe - DET - 9.3 pts, 7.4 reb, 1.3 ast (5)

Cousins wasn't the only rookie not named Blake Griffin to post consecutive double-doubles this week. Greg Monroe did it too, and both of his came with 20-point scoring outputs as well.

5. Landry Fields - NYK - 9.8 pts, 6.3 reb, 1.9 ast (4)

Fields has become the forgotten man in New York lately, averaging under 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game in New York's five-game winning streak. Maybe it would have been better if he had been sent to Denver in the Carmelo trade.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Lamar Odom - LAL - 14.3 pts, 8.7 reb, 3.0 ast (1)

I believe that Odom should have this award wrapped up, but I'm not sure that the voters quite see it that way yet. After he completely showed up the player (Jason Terry) that most believe to be his closest competitor a week ago, how can you argue with giving it to him?

2. Ramon Sessions - CLE - 13.0 pts, 3.2 reb, 5.2 ast (NR)

Sessions has returned to his role as a backup, which has made him eligible for this award once again, and the Cavaliers are playing better with him in that role, winning two in a row for the first time since early November.

3. Jason Terry - DAL - 15.9 pts, 1.9 reb, 4.2 ast (2)

Terry has only scored in double figures twice in the past five games, and the Mavericks have only won once in that time. With both him and Nowitzki struggling, Dallas is limping into the playoffs in a season where they were once threatening for the best record.

4. Shawn Marion - DAL - 12.3 pts, 6.8 reb, 1.3 ast (3)

At least one Maverick has been on his game this week. Shawn Marion averaged over 20 points per game this week while grabbing nearly 8 rebounds to go with it. Marion made 67% of his shots this week and looked like the Matrix of old for a while.

5. J.R. Smith - DEN - 12.1 pts, 4.1 reb, 2.2 ast (5)

Smith's 23 points in Dallas on Wednesday were enough to just barely keep him holding on to this spot ahead of Thaddeus Young, who was at #4 last week. The Nuggets seem to be just fine with Smith streakiness, just considering it a bonus when he's on.

Most Improved Player

1. Dorell Wright - GSW - +9.1 pts, +2.0 reb, +1.6 ast (1)

Wright shot under 25% for the week and dealt a bit of a blow to his MIP candidacy, but when looking at his improvement overall from last season, it's obvious that he should be among the top few candidates.

2. D.J. Augustin - CHA - +8.0 pts, +1.6 reb, +3.5 ast (2)

The Bobcats have finally been eliminated from playoff contention, but Augustin did all he could this week to keep them in range of the Pacers. Two straight games of 20+ points weren't quite enough, but Augustin should be a solid point guard for Charlotte going forward.

3. Kevin Love - MIN - +6.2 pts, +4.2 reb, +0.2 ast (3)

Love is most likely out for the season, but what a season it was for the new rebound king. He broke Moses Malone's modern record for consecutive double-doubles and played in his first All-Star Game, all despite playing for a team that is now in last place overall.

4. Nick Young - WAS - +8.8 pts, +1.3 reb, +0.6 ast (4)

Young is another player who had a huge improvement while playing for one of the league's worst teams. Young did not make an appearance in the All-Star Game, but it may not be too far off in his future if he continues his upward trend next season.

5. Jrue Holiday - PHI - +5.9 pts, +1.4 reb, +2.6 ast (5)

Philadelphia has slipped to the 7th spot in the East with 3 straight losses, but Holiday has scored in double figures in 9 straight games now, his third-longest streak of the season. He will be the only player from this list who gets to keep playing after next week.

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 30 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 9-16 FG, 2-5 3P, 10-10 FT

Rose showed why he is the leading MVP candidate last night as he tore apart the Boston Celtics, Chicago's nearest competitor in the East, en route to a win that nearly clinched the top spot for the Bulls. Chicago will be the top seed in the East next time they win or Boston loses.

Predictions - 8 Apr

Upsets picks are in italics.

Possible upsets are underlined.

NBA

Hawks at Pacers - Pacers by 2

Knicks at Nets - Knicks by 4

Raptors at 76ers - 76ers by 10

Wizards at Celtics - Celtics by 16

Bulls at Cavaliers - Bulls by 13

Bucks at Pistons - Bucks by 1

Bobcats at Heat - Heat by 13

Suns at Hornets - Hornets by 5

Nuggets at Thunder - Thunder by 1

Kings at Grizzlies - Grizz by 10

Clippers at Mavericks - Mavs by 9

Lakers at Trail Blazers - Lakers by 1

Prediction Results - 7 Apr

NBA: 2-0 (1.000) 698-295 overall (.703)

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Predictions - 3 Apr

Upset picks are in italics.

Possible upsets are underlined.

NBA

Suns at Spurs - Spurs by 9

Nuggets at Lakers - Lakers by 5

Pistons at Celtics - Celtics by 12

Heat at Nets - Heat by 10

Cavaliers at Knicks - Knicks by 12

Jazz at Kings - Jazz by 1

Magic at Raptors - Magic by 9

Wizards at Bobcats - Bobcats by 7

Pacers at Hornets - Hornets by 6

Hawks at Rockets - Rockets by 5

Mavericks at Trail Blazers - Blazers by 1

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 36 pts, 3 reb, 10 ast, 3 blk, 11-20 FG, 1-4 3P, 13-14 FT

Rose has been on fire lately, scoring 30 points for the third time in the past five games, and the Bulls have taken control of the Eastern Conference with another commanding victory over the Raptors. Rose is now the first Bull in 25 years to have at least six games of 30 points and 10 assists in one season, and the last person to do it is pretty easy to guess.

Prediction Results - 2 Apr

NBA: 2-3 (.400) 676-279 overall (.708)

NCAA Tournament: 1-1 (.500) 43-23 overall (.652)

Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 168-115 (.594)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Predictions - 27 Mar

Upset picks are in italics.

Possible upsets are underlined.

NBA

Kings at 76ers - 76ers by 9

Hawks at Cavaliers - Hawks by 6

Rockets at Heat - Heat by 7

Spurs at Grizzlies - Spurs by 1

Celtics at Timberwolves - Celtics by 8

Trail Blazers at Thunder - Thunder by 4

Wizards at Warriors - Warriors by 9

Hornets at Lakers - Lakers by 7

Mavericks at Suns - Mavs by 2

NCAA Tournament

(11) VCU vs. (1) Kansas - Kansas by 14

(4) Kentucky vs. (2) North Carolina - Kentucky by 2

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 30 pts, 3 reb, 17 ast, 9-17 FG, 12-12 FT

Rose set a new career high for assists and became only the third Chicago Bull to ever record at least 30 points and 15 assists in the same game as the Bulls strengthened their lead in the Eastern Conference with a road win in Milwaukee last night. Rose led the Bulls on a 12-0 run to close the game that took Chicago from a 4-point deficit to an 8-point win.

Prediction Results - 26 Mar

NBA: 5-1 (.833) 641-262 overall (.710)

NCAA Tournament: 1-1 (.500) 41-21 overall (.661)

Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 164-114 overall (.590)

Friday, February 18, 2011

NBA MVP Rankings - 18 Feb

With the Lakers struggling this week, both of LA's MVP candidates took a hit in the rankings this week. There was also some movement in each of the other award rankings, but the overall leaders remain unchanged yet again. Here are the rankings going into All-Star Weekend, with last week's ranking in parentheses.

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James - MIA - 26.1 pts, 7.4 reb, 7.3 ast (1)

Do you know who the last player to average at least those numbers for a full season was? Michael Jordan in 1989, when he averaged 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. It has only been done by 3 other players in history: Larry Bird, John Havlicek (twice), and Oscar Robertson (6 times).

2. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 25.4 pts, 6.9 reb, 4.3 ast (2)

Only two guards in the last 45 years have ever had the kind of season that Wade is having, Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler, both in 1989. While LeBron may be the better and more famous player of the pair, Wade is nearly his equal in both categories.

3. Derrick Rose - CHI - 24.9 pts, 4.4 reb, 8.2 ast (3)

Only two guards in history can match Rose's contributions this year, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, and none has done it in the past 40 years. Even the great Michael Jordan never reached the assist totals that Rose has attained so far, and now Rose is joining the two above him on this list as starters for the Eastern Conference this weekend.

4. Kevin Durant - OKC - 28.9 pts, 7.0 reb, 2.8 ast (4)

Kevin Durant, much like D-Rose, had his breakout MVP-candidate season in his third year in the league. Unfortunately, the only category in which Durant has shown an increase this year is minutes played, but even with him just a notch below last year, Durant is one of the best in the game.

5. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 22.2 pts, 5.0 reb, 8.6 ast (7)

Only one other player in history has had this kind of productions in one of his first three seasons, and his name was Oscar Robertson, who did it in each of his first three seasons. The only players to ever do it later in their career were Magic Johnson, Gary Payton, and Chris Paul. And to think he wasn't named an All-Star starter.

6. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 25.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 4.8 ast (5)

No player Kobe's age (32) has ever put up the numbers he is putting up this year, which is pretty good considering that he never seems to be completely healthy. The closest was Larry Bird, who put up similar numbers at age 31.

7. Pau Gasol - LAL - 18.8 pts, 10.4 reb, 1.8 blk (6)

Of foreign-born NBA players, only Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and Yao Ming have even had the scoring, rebounding, and shot blocking numbers Gasol has turned in this year. He's dropped off a lot since the beginning of the year, but it's still a career year for him.

8. Dirk Nowitzki - DAL - 22.7 pts, 6.6 reb, 2.6 ast (8)

Dirk's numbers may be average for him, but he is the best player on the team by far, and the Mavericks are having their best season since 2007, when they had the best record and Dirk was named the MVP.

9. Dwight Howard - ORL - 22.8 pts, 13.8 reb, 2.1 blk (9)

The last player to record the same scoring, rebounding, and shot blocking numbers that Howard has put up so far this year was Kevin Garnett in his MVP season (2004). If Howard can get the Magic closer to the top of the East, he would have a real argument for the award.

10. Amare Stoudemire - NYK - 26.1 pts, 8.6 reb, 2.2 blk (NR)

Only two players in history have had a season like Amare's in their first season with a new team: Shaq and Kareem, both in their first seasons in Los Angeles. Amare's career year has kept him in the MVP race despite New York's .500 record.

Dropping out:

Al Horford

Just outside:

Carlos Boozer, Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge

Rookie of the Year

1. Blake Griffin - LAC - 22.8 pts, 12.6 reb, 3.5 ast (1)

Griffin isn't the runaway Rookie of the Year just because it's a weak class this year. Only two other rookies in history have been this good, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elgin Baylor, both first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. He is very deserving of his spot on the All-Star team.

2. John Wall - WAS - 15.0 pts, 4.2 reb, 8.9 ast (2)

Wall's rookie season has been overshadowed by Griffin's, but the only other rookie ever to put up the numbers Wall has was Oscar Robertson, one of the greatest players of all time. Not bad company to be keeping, even if he's not Rookie of the Year.

3. DeMarcus Cousins - SAC - 14.0 pts, 8.3 reb, 1.8 ast (3)

In his last 10 games, Cousins is averaging 19.3 points and 11.6 rebounds, not too far off from what Griffin is averaging for the season. The problem is that he keeps getting in trouble, getting fined and suspended by the team for starting a fight with a teammate after he didn't get to take the last shot against Oklahoma City this week.

4. Landry Fields - NYK - 10.1 pts, 7.1 reb, 2.0 ast (4)

Fields is one of only two players in all of my rankings that finished college before jumping to the NBA (Jason Terry is the other). The maturity he gained in four years at Stanford are probably a big part of the reason that he's been able to contribute so quickly on a playoff team, which no other rookie can say.

5. Evan Turner - PHI - 7.2 pts, 4.4 reb, 2.1 ast (NR)

This year's rookie class is so bad overall that Turner has re-entered the rookie rankings after a bad week. He scored 10 points in Philly's win over Houston on Wednesday, the first time he reached that milestone in February.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Jason Terry - DAL - 15.9 pts, 1.9 reb, 4.3 ast (1)

Terry is still scoring at the same pace he has for most of his career, but his assist totals this season are the highest he's had in 4 years. He recorded 7 assists in each of Dallas' road wins this week.

2. Ramon Sessions - CLE - 12.3 pts, 2.9 reb, 5.3 ast (2)

Sessions scored a season-high 32 points in his return to the bench on Wednesday, and the result was a huge upset over the defending-champion Lakers. His stay on the bench may be short-lived, though, because rumor is that Mo Williams is injured again.

3. Jamal Crawford - ATL - 15.0 pts, 1.7 reb, 3.4 ast (3)

The people who still think Crawford should win this award just need to look at his stats compared to Terry's. Terry is averaging higher numbers across the board, and happens to be playing for a better team. Advantage Terry.

4. Shawn Marion - DAL - 11.6 pts, 6.6 reb, 1.2 ast (5)

Four straight double-digit scoring games from Marion off the bench results in 3 wins and a one-point road loss. Looks like Terry isn't the only important player coming off the bench in Dallas.

5. Thaddeus Young - PHI - 12.1 pts, 5.0 reb, 1.1 ast (4)

Young averaged 20 points over the 76ers' last 3 games, but only put up 4 points on 2-9 shooting against the Spurs last Friday. Maybe he's just more comfortable playing on the road.

Most Improved Player

1. Dorell Wright - GSW - +9.4 pts, +2.4 reb, +1.9 ast (1)

Wright bounced back from the absolute shutdown the Suns put on him last week by improving his scoring in each game this week, finishing up with 22 points in the Warriors' win at Utah on Wednesday.

2. Kevin Love - MIN - +7.1 pts, +4.5 reb, +0.1 ast (3)

Love has 51 double-doubles in 56 games this season, breaking the record for double-doubles before the All-Star break that was set by George Mikan in 1950. Love definitely deserves his spot on the All-Star team, and if the Timberwolves weren't so horrible, he'd be in the running for MVP.

3. D.J. Augustin - CHA - +7.8 pts, +1.6 reb, +3.7 ast (2)

Augustin is playing with an injured wrist, and it's obviously having an impact on his production. This week he averaged only 5 points on 26% shooting from the field. The All-Star break is coming at a good time for the Bobcats' point guard, because he'll be able to rest it for a few days.

4. Nick Young - WAS - +9.0 pts, +1.3 reb, +0.6 ast (4)

Young was great in Washington's first road win of the season, scoring 31 points as the Wizards beat the Cavaliers, but he scored only 4 points the night before against San Antonio, resulting in an ugly loss. He missed Wednesday's game against Orlando with a knee injury, but he probably wouldn't have played well anyway.

5. Eric Gordon - LAC - +7.2 pts, +0.6 reb, +1.5 ast (NR)

Gordon has missed the last 13 games with a wrist injury, but could rejoin the team after the All-Star break, which would be great news for the Clippers, who have struggled in his absence. He made his way back into the top 5 this week after Jrue Holiday had a very bad week, and no one else stepped up enough to take his spot.

NBA Player of the Day

Derrick Rose - CHI - 42 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 18-28 FG, 6-6 FT

Rose set a new career high in points last night and hit a ton of huge shots down the stretch as the Bulls pulled away to beat the league-leading San Antonio Spurs heading into the All-Star break. Rose has proven that he deserves his starting spot on the All-Star team and consideration for the league MVP.

Predictions - 18 Feb

Upset picks are in italics.

College Basketball

(12) Connecticut at (16) Louisville - Louisville by 6

Prediction Results - 17 Feb

NBA: 2-0 (1.000) 459-194 overall (.703)

College Basketball: 4-0 (1.000) 446-102 overall (.814)

Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 118-77 overall (.605)

Saturday, February 5, 2011

NBA MVP Rankings - 2008-2009

2009 was an exciting season for the NBA. LeBron James, who had been the league's best player for quite a while, won his first MVP award as he led the Cavaliers to the league's best record. Three teams finished with at least 60 wins, and one of those, the Los Angeles Lakers, ended up taking home the championship, with Kobe Bryant winning his first NBA Finals MVP award. I have re-ranked the contenders for each of the major awards that year statistically, and the following is where I would have ranked each one, with actual voting results in parentheses.

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James - CLE - 28.4 pts, 7.6 reb, 7.2 ast (1)

Not much of a question here. He was the league's best player. His team had the league's best record. He was name Eastern Conference Player of the Month 4 times. He was named to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team. He was 2nd in the NBA in scoring. The only knock on LeBron's season is that Cleveland failed to win the championship, but this award is for the regular season only.

2. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 26.8 pts, 5.2 reb, 4.9 ast (2)

Kobe's stats were down across the board from his MVP season, but I'm pretty sure you won't hear him complaining that he won the Finals MVP rather than the regular season version. His team won the Western Conference by 11 games in the regular season, then went 16-7 in the playoffs as Kobe earned his 4th ring.

3. Pau Gasol - LAL - 18.9 pts, 9.6 reb, 3.5 ast (NR)

If you want to know why the Lakers were able to improve so quickly and win the title despite Kobe having a decrease in production, look no further than the Lakers' new big man. Pau was the piece the Lakers had been missing since Shaq left, and while he took a small statistical hit when he moved to LA, the title makes it all worth it.

4. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.6 pts, 13.8 reb, 2.9 blk (4)

Howard led the league in rebounding and blocked shots while winning the Defensive Player of the Years award for the first time, then guided Orlando through upsets of Boston and Cleveland in the playoffs before losing to the Lakers in the Finals.

5. Brandon Roy - POR - 22.6 pts, 4.7 reb, 5.1 ast (9)

Roy had his best overall season as he led Portland to a tie for the second-best record in the West and a trip to the playoffs. The former Rookie of the Year set career highs that are still standing in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.

6. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 30.2 pts, 5.0 reb, 7.5 ast (3)

Wade led the league in scoring and was probably the only reason that Miami made the playoffs, but they were barely above .500 for the season and lost in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first time in three years that Wade had not missed significant time to injuries, and he took advantage, posting his best season to date.

7. Chris Paul - NOH - 22.8 pts, 11.0 ast, 2.8 stl (5)

Paul was another example of a great player on an average team, leading the league in both assists and steals for the second straight year while averaging over 20 points as well. It was also the only time that Paul had shot over 50% for a full season, and it remains the best season of his career.

8. Dirk Nowitzki - DAL - 25.9 pts, 8.4 reb, 2.4 ast (10)

Dirk had a better year statistically that he did in 2007, when he won the MVP, but the Mavericks were only good enough to grab the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, although they were able to upset San Antonio in the first round. It was his 9th straight season averaging over 20 points per game, and he isn't through yet.

9. Tim Duncan - SAS - 19.3 pts, 10.7 reb, 3.5 ast (11)

Duncan averaged under 20 points per game, just the 3rd time that had happened, and the Spurs ended up ranked 3rd in the West going into the playoffs, where they were upset by the Mavericks in the first round. Even though he wasn't at his peak anymore, he was still the face of the Spurs and their best player.

10. Tony Parker - SAS - 22.0 pts, 3.1 reb, 6.9 ast (8)

This appeared to be the year that the Spurs passed the torch from Duncan to Parker, who set career highs in scoring and assists as he led San Antonio to the playoffs yet again. Injuries have prevented him from duplicating his performance from that season, but he's young enough that he may still have a chance to regain it.

Not quite there:

Carmelo Anthony

Rookie of the Year

1. Derrick Rose - CHI - 16.8 pts, 3.9 reb, 6.3 ast (1)

Rose's stellar rookie year was a sign of things to come in Chicago. In just his first year, he was able to lead the Bulls back to the playoffs and very deservingly won the Rookie of the Year award against a pretty good class of contenders. As good as he was then, he is that much better today.

2. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 15.3 pts, 4.9 reb, 5.3 ast (4)

I can't quite figure out why Westbrook was voted 4th in the Rookie of the Year race after a season in which he showed that he could do it all. Besides his very solid numbers in scoring, rebounds, and assists, he averaged over a steal per game and didn't miss a single game, a streak that is still intact today.

3. O.J. Mayo - MEM - 18.5 pts, 3.8 reb, 3.2 ast (2)

Mayo may have been the highest scoring rookie, but Rose and Westbrook both had better assist and rebound numbers. Mayo has not been able to return to the form of his rookie year, with significant drops in every statistical category each season.

4. Eric Gordon - LAC - 16.1 pts, 2.6 reb, 2.8 ast (5)

Gordon may not be in the potential MVP class of Rose and Westbrook yet, but at least he hasn't fallen down where Mayo has. The current leading scorer for Los Angeles played his way into the starting lineup within his first month with the team, and he's stayed there ever since.

5. Brook Lopez - NJN - 13.0 pts, 8.1 reb, 1.8 blk (3)

Lopez immediately showed that he was ready to be an NBA big man with a very strong rookie year for the Nets. He shot over 53% for the season and has not missed a single game yet in his career. His career, like most on this list, continues to show a lot of promise.

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Jason Terry - DAL - 19.6 pts, 2.4 reb, 3.4 ast (1)

Terry had his best scoring season since his sophomore campaign with the Atlanta Hawks nearly a decade earlier and gave Dallas the firepower it needed off the bench. He also shot 88% from the free throw line, very close to his career high set 6 years before.

2. Nate Robinson - NYK - 17.2 pts, 3.9 reb, 4.1 ast (3)

The 5-foot, 9-inch Robinson showed that he was more than just someone to entertain at the All-Star Dunk Contest with his best season by far. He set career highs in every category, all of which are still standing, and ensured that he would be around the league for many more seasons.

3. J.R. Smith - DEN - 15.2 pts, 3.7 reb, 2.8 ast (2)

The long-range marksman got the most consistent playing time of his career and rewarded the Nuggets by having his best season up to that point. He may not score big every night, but when he's hot, no one in the league can stop him.

4. Lamar Odom - LAL - 11.3 pts, 8.2 reb, 2.6 ast (4)

Odom became a bench player for the first time in his career, but his production per minute didn't change at all. Odom's move to the bench opened up space for Pau Gasol on the front line, a move that proved to be very important for the Lakers in their championship run.

5. Ramon Sessions - MIL - 12.4 pts, 3.4 reb, 5.7 ast (NR)

In Sessions' first full NBA season, he showed a lot of promise after a great stint with the Bucks after being called up from the D-League the previous season. He may not have great shooting range, but his assist to turnover ratio was very close to 3 while guiding the team off the bench.

Most Improved Player

1. Nene - DEN - +9.3 pts, +2.4 reb, +0.5 ast (5)

My guess is that Nene didn't win this award because many saw him as a better candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year Award, which no longer exists. After missing 2 of the 3 previous seasons due to a torn ACL and testicular cancer, his strong resurgence in 2009 deserves recognition.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - +5.0 pts, +2.1 reb, +0.4 ast (3)

In the team's first year in Oklahoma City, Durant went from the runaway Rookie of the Year winner to superstar in just his second year. He finished 6th in the league in scoring before becoming the league scoring leader in his third year, a very tough jump to make when you're already a very good player.

3. Marquis Daniels - IND - +5.4 pts, +1.7 reb, +0.2 ast (NR)

Daniels took over as a starter in Indiana when Mike Dunleavy went down with an injury, and he had the best season of his career. It wasn't enough to convince the Pacers to keep him after the season, but he was able to land a spot on Boston's bench the next year, where he has been a solid role player.

4. Paul Millsap - UTA - +5.4 pts, +3.0 reb, +0.8 ast (4)

Millsap spent a lot of time starting in place of an injured Carlos Boozer, and looked a lot like a previous Jazz power forward from Louisiana Tech. His performance made Boozer expendable, and now that he is a full-time starter, he's living up to the high expectations.

5. Jeff Green - OKC - +6.0 pts, +2.0 reb, +0.5 ast (25)

Green's improvement wasn't noticed as much as Durant's, but he also proved that the was an important piece of Oklahoma City's future along with rookie Russell Westbrook. It was Green's best season so far, but he hasn't dropped very far in the two seasons since.

NBA Player of the Day

Elton Brand - PHI - 33 pts, 16 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk, 14-23 FG, 5-5 FT

This is not a throwback like everything else in this post, even if it looks like it. Elton Brand actually scored over 30 points for the first time in over 3 years as he led the 76ers to an upset of the Knicks last night. The 76ers used a 15-0 run in the 4th quarter to eke out the victory right at the end.

My rating system

When formulating any statistical rating system, the most important step is removing as much human bias as possible from the equation. I use Strength of Schedule, Home Advantage, and Margin of Victory data that is straight from the actual game results, along with an adjustment for momentum. I go 50 levels deep on the Strength of Schedule to ensure that all teams are connected, and what comes out is a highly accurate system for predicting future results based on past performance.

My college basketball pick of the day is done eliminator-style, meaning that each team can only be picked once in a season, and that team is being picked to win the game, not cover the spread.