Top 100 NBA Players: #18

Scottie Pippen

(Kalb: #29, Simmons: #24, BBR: #22)

Scottie Pippen is one of the more interesting cases on this list. He spent most of his career as the second-best player on his team, but he won a lot of championships and was actually a much better player than most people realize. 

When I profiled David Robinson a few spots ago, I mentioned that he was the committee's #4 choice to be on the Dream Team in 1992, behind only Magic, Michael, and Bird. Do you happen to know who their #5 choice was? Scottie Pippen. After picking the best four guys who were franchise players and well-respected superstars, they picked Scottie Pippen, who wasn't even the best player on his own team. That's because they saw that the Bulls were more than just Michael Jordan.

In 1992, just before that team was selected, Pippen put together a season that very few have ever come close to. His averages for that year were 21 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and 51% shooting from the field. For reference, only 8 other players have ever averaged a 21-7-7, and only 5 others have done it while shooting over 50%. Those five? Bird, Wilt, Magic, Michael, and Oscar. Not bad company, especially considering each of those players has yet to make an appearance in these rankings.

Jordan and Pippen played together for 10 season, and in each of those ten seasons they made the playoffs and advanced beyond the first round together. Jordan played 5 seasons without Pippen, three before he arrived and two after they separated in 1998. In those 5 seasons his teams made 3 playoff appearances and never advanced past the first round. Pippen, meanwhile, played 7 seasons without Jordan, making the playoffs 6 times and advancing past the first round twice. I'm not suggesting that Pippen was better than Jordan, but it's significant that Jordan needed Pippen in order to be successful.

Scottie Pippen was also recognized as being one of the best defensive small forwards of all time, as evidenced by the 8 straight seasons during the 1990's that he was named to the All-Defensive First Team. He led the league in steals in 1995, and finished in the top 5 three other times. Pippen was the player that the Bulls used to guard the other team's best player at four positions, and it was a tipped pass and steal by Pippen that sealed the 1997 Finals victory over Utah after Steve Kerr hit his famous series-winning shot.

Another thing Pippen has going for him is that he is one of a select group of players who has too many championship rings to fit on one hand. He was the second-best player on 6 championship games in 8 seasons, and was also the second-best player on a Portland team in 2000 that came within one game of the NBA Finals. 

Pippen never quite reached the career heights that Garnett did, but that is because Pippen recognized that he had an important role to play to help his team win championships, and that didn't always involve him being the man. Pippen only missed the playoffs once in his career, in his final season when he was riding the bench in Chicago as a 38-year-old. Both Pippen and Garnett were great all-around players, filling up every part of the stat sheet, but Pippen gains the edge over Garnett because of the 12 season in which he advanced past the first round of the playoffs, with 6 championships as the result, while Garnett has only passed the first round 3 times with one title.

College Basketball Rankings - 27 Feb

Some conferences are starting their conference tournaments this week, while others are finishing up their regular season this weekend. That means a lot of games that matter to both teams, as everybody is either fighting to stay alive or trying to earn a good tournament seeding. The top 5 teams were shuffled this week, with the exception of the top spot, where Kentucky was able to hold on just as they did against Vanderbilt. Here are the latest rankings, with gaps between groups of teams representing different levels of performance.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall) Rating (ESPN)
1. (1) Kentucky (2-0) (28-1) -19.87 (1)

2. (4) Michigan State (2-0) (24-5) -18.36 (5)
3. (5) North Carolina (2-0) (25-4) -18.19 (6)
4. (2) Ohio State (1-1) (23-6) -17.74 (11)
5. (3) Kansas (2-0) (24-5) -17.72 (4)

6. (6) Syracuse (2-0) (29-1) -16.97 (2)

7. (8) Wichita State (2-0) (26-4) -15.66 (14)

8. (11) Wisconsin (1-1) (21-8) -14.74 (15)
9. (7) Missouri (0-2) (25-4) -14.72 (8)
10. (10) Duke (2-0) (25-4) -14.61 (3)

11. (13) Marquette (2-0) (24-5) -13.49 (7)
12. (15) Belmont (3-0) (24-7) -13.31 (NR)
13. (17) Indiana (2-0) (22-7) -13.14 (20)
14. (18) Memphis (2-0) (21-8) -12.88 (37)
15. (12) Florida (1-1) (22-7) -12.80 (13)
16. (14) Georgetown (1-1) (21-6) -12.78 (12)

17. (9) New Mexico (0-2) (22-6) -12.12 (29)
18. (16) Saint Louis (0-1) (22-6) -11.75 (NR)

19. (20) Baylor (2-0) (24-5) -11.18 (10)
20. (22) Vanderbilt (1-1) (20-9) -11.08 (30)
21. (19) Louisville (1-1) (22-7) -10.64 (18)
22. (21) California (1-1) (23-7) -10.54 (37)
23. (NR) Alabama (2-0) (19-9) -10.47 (NR)
24. (NR) Virginia (1-1) (21-7) -10.43 (27)
25. (24) UNLV (2-0) (24-6) -10.39 (17)

Dropped Out

(25) BYU (1-1) (24-7) -10.15 (NR)
(23) Florida State (0-2) (19-9) -9.30 (22)

Ranked Teams by Conference

SEC - 4
Big 10 - 4
Big East - 4
ACC - 3
Big 12 - 3
MWC - 2
Atl 10 - 1
Atl Sun - 1
CUSA - 1
MVC - 1
Pac 12 - 1

Michigan State used its strongest defensive performance of the season to jump up to the #2 spot this week, displacing fellow Big Ten rival Ohio State up there. When the Nebraska Cornhuskers came to visit, the Badgers allowed them only 34 points, 6 points fewer than the previous low for Wisconsin opponents on the season, but they still have two very tough games left, which means two wins could make them #1 heading into Championship Week.

I am officially back on the Belmont Bus. Last season, I had the Bruins ranked around the top 10 all season long, and their strong performances against ranked teams early in the season were the reason why. This season, they've lost a few more times, including a couple of conference games, but this team did lose by a single point at Duke to open the season, and they have not lost in over 5 weeks. The conference tournament is being held at the home of Mercer, the next best team in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but Belmont has already beaten them twice, so they shouldn't have a problem doing it again.

New Mexico followed up one of the most impressive weeks by any team this season with one of the worst, losing road games at Colorado State and TCU, allowing their 2-game lead in the conference to evaporate as quickly as it appeared. While they fell from the national rankings this week, they are still among my top 25, but they took a huge drop as a result of their hangover from last week's premature celebration.

One team that is in the top 10 nationally does not appear in my top 25, and that team is Murray State, which was the last undefeated team this season. The reason they aren't here is partially because of their extremely weak schedule, which includes only one team I have ranked (Memphis) and one team the nation has ranked (Saint Mary's). They have not dominated their conference in the way other teams, such as Belmont, have, so they will most likely get a higher seed than they deserve, and could be in line to be upset in March.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Tuesday

(3) Duke at Wake Forest - Blue Devils by 12
(5) Michigan State at (20) Indiana - Hoosiers by 1
(13) Florida at Vanderbilt - Commodores by 4
Minnesota at (15) Wisconsin - Badgers by 16
Xavier at Saint Louis - Billikens by 12
UCF at Memphis - Tigers by 15

Wednesday

Maryland at (6) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 24
(7) Marquette at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 1
Iowa State at (8) Missouri - Tigers by 12
(11) Ohio State at Northwestern - Buckeyes by 6
(17) UNLV at Colorado State - Rebels by 1
South Florida at (18) Louisville - Cardinals by 11
(23) San Diego State at Boise State - Broncos by 1
Massachusetts at (25) Temple - Owls by 12
Jacksonville vs. Belmont - Bruins by 19
Auburn at Alabama - Crimson Tide by 18
Air Force at New Mexico - Lobos by 20

Thursday

Georgia at (1) Kentucky - Wildcats by 23
(16) Michigan at Illinois - Illini by 1
(22) Florida State at Virginia - Cavaliers by 7

Friday

Providence at (19) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 14
Drake vs. (24) Creighton - Bluejays by 10
East Tennessee State vs. Belmont - Bruins by 12
Tennessee Tech vs. (9) Murray State - Racers by 11
Indiana State vs. (14) Wichita State - Shockers by 15

Saturday

(18) Louisville at (2) Syracuse - Orange by 12
(6) North Carolina at (3) Duke - Blue Devils by 2
Texas at (4) Kansas - Jayhawks by 14
(12) Georgetown at (7) Marquette - Golden Eagles by 6
(8) Missouri at Texas Tech - Tigers by 14
Tennessee State vs. (9) Murray State - Racers by 10
(10) Baylor at Iowa State - Cyclones by 2
Illinois State vs. (14) Wichita State - Shockers by 13
Wyoming at (17) UNLV - Rebels by 11
San Francisco vs. (21) Saint Mary's - Gaels by 7
(23) San Diego State at TCU - Horned Frogs by 1
Evansville vs. (24) Creighton - Bluejays by 7
(25) Temple at Fordham - Owls by 12
Saint Louis at Duquesne - Billikens by 5
Memphis at Tulsa - Tigers by 3
Vanderbilt at Tennessee - Volunteers by 1
Boise State at New Mexico - Lobos by 17
Alabama at Mississippi - Crimson Tide by 3
Florida Gulf Coast vs. Belmont - Bruins by 16

Sunday

(1) Kentucky at (13) Florida - Wildcats by 1
(11) Ohio State at (5) Michigan State - Spartans by 6
Illinois at (15) Wisconsin - Badgers by 16
(16) Michigan at Penn State - Wolverines by 3
Purdue at (20) Indiana - Hoosiers by 10
Clemson at (22) Florida State - Seminoles by 10
California at Stanford - Cardinal by 1
Virginia at Maryland - Cavaliers by 5

Prediction Results

College Basketball: 42-14 (.750) 476-124 overall (.793)
Upsets: 5-4 (.556) 46-33 overall (.582)

There could be some games scheduled later in the week due to conference tournament schedules, so check back later in the week to see if I've added a few more predictions to the list.

NBA Rankings - 26 Feb

There were fewer games this week because of the All-Star break, so there was a little less movement in the rankings than normal, but a couple of teams have set themselves apart from the rest of the pack with hot streaks that have extended for more than a week. Here are the latest rankings, with gaps between groups of teams representing differing levels of performance.

TW. Team (Week) (Overall) Rating (LW)
1. Miami (2-0) (27-7) -10.37 (1)

2. Oklahoma City (4-0) (27-7) -8.51 (3)
3. Chicago (2-0) (27-8) -8.01 (2)

4. Portland (1-1) (18-16) -6.25 (8)
5. San Antonio (2-1) (24-10) -6.24 (4)
6. Dallas (1-1) (21-13) -5.52 (6)
7. Philadelphia (0-3) (20-14) -4.81 (5)
8. LA Clippers (1-1) (20-11) -4.74 (7)

9. LA Lakers (2-2) (20-14) -3.53 (9)
10. Orlando (2-1) (22-13) -3.29 (10)
11. Denver (1-3) (18-17) -3.18 (11)
12. Memphis (1-1) (19-15) -3.12 (13)
13. Houston (3-0) (20-14) -2.80 (12)
14. Indiana (3-0) (21-12) -2.11 (18)
15. Atlanta (1-2) (20-14) -1.79 (14)
16. Minnesota (2-1) (17-17) -1.64 (15)

17. Golden State (2-0) (13-17) -0.34 (19)
18. New York (1-2) (17-18) -0.27 (16)
19. Utah (0-3) (15-17) 0.42 (20)
20. Phoenix (2-1) (14-20) 0.96 (23)
21. Boston (0-3) (15-17) 0.99 (17)
22. Milwaukee (1-2) (13-20) 1.28 (21)
23. New Orleans (1-2) (8-25) 2.26 (24)
24. Cleveland (2-1) (13-18) 3.15 (22)

25. Sacramento (1-2) (11-22) 4.42 (27)
26. Detroit (1-2) (11-24) 4.93 (26)
27. Toronto (1-0) (10-23) 5.11 (25)
28. New Jersey (1-2) (10-25) 5.26 (28)

29. Washington (0-2) (7-26) 7.57 (29)

30. Charlotte (0-2) (4-28) 12.89 (30)

Hot

Portland won only once this week, but it was a big one, the game that ended San Antonio's 11-game winning streak, and while the Spurs were playing without their three stars, any 40-point victory in an NBA game is worth taking notice. They are currently sitting just inside the playoff line, but this week they are going to Denver and hosting Miami, so they will have to play just as well if they want to be taken seriously.

Indiana did not lose a game this week, but they also didn't play a team that wasn't in last place. The two wins over Charlotte were by healthy margins, but they had to go to overtime to beat the Hornets in between, which is somewhat embarrassing. They get to face the Hornets again this week, along with the Golden State Warriors, who have been heating up as well.

Not

Two weeks ago Boston had won nine of ten and had thrust themselves right back into the playoff picture, but they immediately turned around and went back to where they had been before. They have now lost 7 of their past 8, with 5 of those losses coming by double digits. Strangely, the Celtics are 6-4 in games without All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, and 9-13 with him in the lineup.

The Charlotte Bobcats are on pace to have one of the worst records in NBA history. Since this season has been shortened, they do not need to get to 10 wins to avoid the worst winning percentage ever, but they still need to get to 8 wins, which is the exact pace they are on right now. Unfortunately, 2 of their wins came in their first 6 games, with only 2 wins in the 26 games since, and with how few competitive games they've played, 4 more wins may be a stretch.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Tuesday

Boston at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 1
Golden State at Indiana - Pacers by 5
Philadelphia at Detroit - 76ers by 7
New Orleans at Chicago - Bulls by 13
Toronto at Houston - Rockets by 11
Washington at Milwaukee - Bucks by 9
New Jersey at Dallas - Mavericks by 14
Utah at Sacramento - Jazz by 1
Minnesota at LA Clippers - Clippers by 6

Wednesday

Oklahoma City at Philadelphia - Thunder by 1
Orlando at Washington - Magic by 8
Golden State at Atlanta - Hawks by 5
Milwaukee at Boston - Celtics by 3
Charlotte at Detroit - Pistons by 11
Cleveland at New York - Knicks by 7
Toronto at New Orleans - Hornets by 6
Dallas at Memphis - Grizzlies by 1
Portland at Denver - Nuggets by 1
Chicago at San Antonio - Spurs by 1
Houston at Utah - Rockets by 1
Minnesota at LA Lakers - Lakers by 5

Thursday

Oklahoma City at Orlando - Thunder by 2
Minnesota at Phoenix - Suns by 1
LA Clippers at Sacramento - Clippers by 6
Miami at Portland - Heat by 1

Friday

Memphis at Toronto - Grizzlies by 5
Milwaukee at Atlanta - Hawks by 6
New Jersey at Boston - Celtics by 7
Chicago at Cleveland - Bulls by 8
Dallas at New Orleans - Mavericks by 5
Denver at Houston - Rockets by 3
Golden State at Philadelphia - 76ers by 8
Charlotte at San Antonio - Spurs by 22
Miami at Utah - Heat by 8
Sacramento at LA Lakers - Lakers by 11
LA Clippers at Phoenix - Clippers by 3

Saturday

Oklahoma City at Atlanta - Thunder by 4
Milwaukee at Orlando - Magic by 8
Cleveland at Washington - Cavaliers by 1
Indiana at New Orleans - Pacers by 1
Detroit at Memphis - Grizzlies by 11
Utah at Dallas - Mavericks by 9
Minnesota at Portland - Trail Blazers by 8

Sunday

New York at Boston - Celtics by 2
Miami at LA Lakers - Heat by 4

Prediction Results

NBA: 29-12 (.707) 201-109 overall (.648)
Upsets: 5-2 (.714) 37-27 overall (.578)

NBA MVP Rankings - 25 Feb

It was a short week for the NBA due to All-Star Weekend, so there wasn't quite as much movement as you would see in a normal week, but there were still a couple of interesting changes among the top 10 players. Kevin Durant has been doing everything he can to overtake LeBron James, but the gap isn't closing very fast, with the streak the Heat is on. Here are the latest MVP and Rookie Rankings, with rising players in green and falling players in red.

Most Valuable Player


1. LeBron James - MIA - 27.4 pts, 8.1 reb, 6.8 ast, 1.8 stl, .547 FG%, .413 3P%, .773 FT%

LeBron was solid in all three games for Miami this week, racking up 8 assists in each, and even though nothing he did was incredibly spectacular, he has the Heat on a league-leading 8-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Break, and he is the best player in the NBA, playing for the best team in the NBA, which has the best record in the NBA. I can't see any way not to give him the MVP at this point.

2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 3.4 ast, 1.2 blk, 1.4 stl, .513 FG%, .365 3P%, .836 FT%

Durant was incredible this week, scoring a career-high 51 points against Denver last Sunday, and averaging over 30 points in each of his team's other 3 games, but the Thunder are still not as hot as Miami, and Durant isn't quite the all-around player that LeBron is, although he has definitely improved his rebounding and shot-blocking this season, which will make him an MVP candidate for years to come, but not this year, unless LeBron gets hurt or Miami collapses.

3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 23.5 pts, 4.8 reb, 5.5 ast, 1.9 stl, .471 FG%, .814 FT%

In the same game that Durant put up 51 points, Westbrook had 40 of his own, making his placement up here in the rankings not seem quite so crazy. Three straight 30-point outings this week were a big reason that the Thunder extended their winning streak to 5 games and tied Miami for the league's best record entering the All-Star Break. We could be in for a very star-studded Finals if everything goes the way it looks like it will.

4. Kobe Bryant - LAL - 28.4 pts, 5.8 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .435 FG%, .828 FT%

Kobe's best game of the week came in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, and his worst game came in their come-from-behind win over the Dallas Mavericks, so the disturbing trend of the Lakers performing better without Bryant continues. It just doesn't seem like a trait befitting an MVP.

5. Blake Griffin - LAC - 21.4 pts, 11.4 reb, 3.0 ast, .539 FG%, .539 FT%

Griffin has now scored over 20 points in 7 straight games, and the Clippers are leading the Pacific Division and looking like they will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, both situations foreign to this franchise. Against San Antonio he put up a 20-20, but then fouled out and the Clippers lost to the Spurs, but he may be the most valuable player in Los Angeles before long.

6. Chris Bosh - MIA - 18.4 pts, 8.3 reb, 2.0 ast, .494 FG%, .817 FT%

Bosh recorded back-to-back 20-point games this week, a tough feat on a team featuring Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, and although it doesn't appear that he has done much different than last year, he has been very instrumental in keeping the Heat from slipping while Wade was out, and has continued to play well even with him back in the lineup.

7. Dwight Howard - ORL - 20.1 pts, 15.3 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.2 blk, 1.5 stl, .554 FG%, .492 FT%

Two losses this week dropped Orlando to fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff race and prevented Howard from passing Kobe Bryant to move closer to Orlando's first MVP, but in both losses Howard scored only 12 points against teams that will likely be in the playoffs, while scoring over 20 points in wins against teams that won't make the playoffs.

8. Kevin Love - MIN - 25.0 pts, 14.0 reb, 1.9 ast, 1.0 stl, .446 FG%, .348 3P%, .833 FT%

The stat line is incredible, but Love is still playing for a team hovering below the playoff line. They have reached the .500 mark, and if they make the playoffs for the first time without Kevin Garnett in franchise history, Love should get serious consideration for this award, as he is the new face of the franchise.

9. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 22.4 pts, 4.4 reb, 4.8 ast, 1.4 blk, 1.7 stl, .502 FG%, .804 FT%

Wade's minutes increased a bit more this week, and so did his production in every major category. He scored 30 points in 30 minutes against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, and handed out 10 assists in the same game while missing only 5 times in 16 field goal attempts. With Wade at full strength, there's no telling how good the Heat will be in the second half of the season.

10. LaMarcus Aldridge - POR - 22.3 pts, 8.3 reb, 2.7 ast, 1.1 stl, .506 FG%, .798 FT%

Aldridge returned from an ankle injury and returned to the top 10 in the same week, and a large part of that was due to his 21 points in 27 minutes against San Antonio on Tuesday in the game that ended the Spurs' 11-game winning streak. He probably would have scored more, but the game was over midway through the third quarter, and Portland coasted to a 40-point blowout of the red-hot Spurs.

Dropping Out

Tony Parker - SAS

Honorable Mention

Tony Parker - SAS
Pau Gasol - LAL

Rookie of the Year

1. Kyrie Irving - CLE - 18.1 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.1 ast, .476 FG%, .415 3P%, .857 FT%

The game might have been meaningless, but Irving was named the MVP of the Rising Stars Game last night that opened All-Star Weekend, scoring 34 points and hitting all 8 of his 3-point attempts in the game. That performance was just more proof that he is the best rookie in the league this year.

2. Ricky Rubio - MIN - 11.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 8.4 ast, 2.4 stl, .375 FG%, .354 3P%, .812 FT%

Rubio has had a great rookie season for the Timberwolves, who waited for two season to get him from Spain, and he has been worth the wait, dominating all facets of the game that a point guard should, with the only noticeable flaw being his shooting percentage, which is among the worst in the league. His passing and defense, however, more than make up for that one weakness.

3. Kemba Walker - CHA - 13.3 pts, 3.8 reb, 3.8 ast, 1.1 stl, .370 FG%, .345 3P%, .800 FT%

Although his shooting percentage is still quite low, Kemba Walker has been steadily improving as his rookie season progresses, even though his team has not. He has had at least 5 assists and 2 steals in each of the last 3 games for Charlotte, and it's looking like he'll become a solid professional point guard.

4. Kawhi Leonard - SAS - 7.0 pts, 4.9 reb, 0.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .464 FG%, .348 3P%, .659 FT%

Leonard has not been getting as much playing time lately as he would like, but when Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out against Portland on Tuesday, Kawhi played 43 minutes, racking up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a losing effort. For a while back in December he was playing nearly 30 minutes per game, but his minutes have been a little more unpredictable lately.

5. Brandon Knight - DET - 12.8 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.5 ast, .413 FG%, .382 3P%, .817 FT%

Detroit has won 6 games in the last 3 weeks, which is pretty good for them, and Knight has been an important part of the equation for the Pistons. Last Friday he tied his career-high with 23 points while also passing out a career-high 10 assists, then bested his scoring feat 3 nights later with 24 points against Cleveland in a 1-point loss.

Dropping Out

MarShon Brooks - NJN

Top 100 NBA Players: #19

Kevin Garnett

(Kalb: #40, Simmons: #22, BBR: #27)

Kevin Garnett is the first of five active players to appear among the top 20 players of all time, and even though he is built like a praying mantis, he has been a force in professional basketball for 16 seasons, and he is still playing well in his 17th season, even though there are just a handful of players more experienced remaining in the league.

Garnett was a major trail blazer for the current generation of NBA stars, jumping straight to the league from high school, the first player in 20 years to do so, but his success caused many to follow in his footsteps, from future stars like Kobe, LeBron, and Amare to busts like Korleone Young, DeSagana Diop, and Kwame Brown. Four of the 5 active players among my top 20 did not attend college, and who knows if that wouldn't have happened without Garnett taking a risk in 1995.

Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it is because of him that the franchise even has any history to celebrate. They made the playoffs for the first time in Garnett's second year, which started a string of 8 consecutive playoff appearances, since which they have not returned to the postseason. Garnett was the team's best player every time they made the playoffs, and during that run he missed a total of 11 games, an incredible feat for a player who looks so fragile.

The eighth year of that run was a magical one for Garnett and the Timberwolves. It was the only time in franchise history that the Wolves won a playoff series, and they actually won two of them, advancing clear to the Western Conference Finals, where the Lakers dispatched them on their way to a three-peat. Garnett was named the MVP that season, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he deserved it. In my opinion, the only more dominant season in the last 20 years was Shaq's 2000 campaign. Here is a comparison of Garnett and Kobe Bryant, his nearest competitor, from that season:

Garnett - 24.2 pts, 13.9 reb, 5.0 ast, 1.5 stl, 2.2 blk, .499 FG%, .791 FT%
Bryant - 24.0 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.1 ast, 1.7 stl, 0.4 blk, .438 FG%, .852 FT%

I don't think I even need to do any explanation as to why Garnett was the MVP, because the numbers do the talking. In NBA history, there have only been six times that a player has bested Garnett's scoring, rebounding, and assists numbers from that season in any single year. It was done by Wilt three times, Kareem twice, and Elgin Baylor once. The most recent of those seasons was Kareem in 1976, and it hasn't been done by anyone but Garnett since.

After that season the Timberwolves sank back into mediocrity, with Garnett toiling away as a superstar on a bad team, until the summer of 2007, when he was rescued by the Boston Celtics, who had decided they wanted to pursue a championship, since it had been over a decade since they had really tried, and with Garnett leading the way, Boston won their first title in over two decades. Paul Pierce was named the Finals MVP, but I think the award should have gone to Garnett, and here are the stats from the playoffs to back up my point:

Garnett - 20.4 pts, 10.5 reb, 3.3 ast, 1.3 stl, 1.1 blk, .495 FG%, .810 FT%
Pierce - 19.7 pts, 5.0 reb, 4.6 ast, 1.1 stl, 0.3 blk, .441 FG%, .802 FT%

Okay, now I'm no expert (well, maybe I am), but when one player is better in 6 of 7 statistical categories, and the other is reasonably close, that player is better, especially since being teammates eliminates the pace factor from the argument. Garnett was the MVP of the 2008 Finals, but Celtics fans helped select Pierce because he stuck with the team through the tough times.

Two years later, Boston returned to the NBA Finals, but this time Garnett was no longer the star, his body having finally worn down after playing over 1100 games in the NBA, but he was still one of the team's leaders, and he earned that second trip to the Finals, something very few superstars have gone without. In his career, Garnett won a championship, an MVP, and a Defensive Player of the Year award. He's a great all-around player, and he finally got to prove he was a winner while he was still a relevant superstar.

Barkley had a bit of a faster start to his career than Garnett, but the big man had caught up by his prime, and each peaked at the same level in his ninth season in the NBA. Overall, the chart of the two players is incredibly similar, and both had 16 years (not including the current one) in which to earn their spot on this list. There's one thing that separates Garnett from Barkley: the ring on his finger.

College Basketball Rankings - 20 Feb

The season is coming to a close, with just a couple weeks left in the regular season, so now is the time for teams to make their move, and two mid-major teams made huge statements this week and established themselves among the top 10 teams in my rankings. Kentucky began to pull away from the crowd and is looking like the current favorite to win the national title. Here are the updated rankings, with gaps between groups of teams representing different levels of performance.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall) Rating (ESPN)
1. (1) Kentucky (1-0) (26-1) -21.75 (1)

2. (2) Ohio State (1-1) (22-5) -19.16 (9)
3. (4) Kansas (2-0) (22-5) -18.85 (5)
4. (3) Michigan State (2-0) (22-5) -18.70 (6)

5. (5) North Carolina (2-0) (23-4) -18.11 (7)
6. (6) Syracuse (2-0) (27-1) -17.67 (2)

7. (8) Missouri (2-0) (25-2) -16.00 (3)
8. (11) Wichita State (2-0) (24-4) -15.81 (19)
9. (9) New Mexico (2-0) (22-4) -15.76 (21)
10. (10) Duke (2-0) (23-4) -15.37 (4)
11. (7) Wisconsin (1-1) (20-7) -14.96 (15)

12. (20) Florida (2-0) (21-6) -14.24 (11)

13. (16) Marquette (1-0) (22-5) -13.69 (10)
14. (15) Georgetown (1-0) (20-5) -13.55 (8)
15. (14) Belmont (1-0) (21-7) -13.51 (NR)
16. (13) Saint Louis (2-0) (22-5) -13.45 (30)

17. (12) Indiana (1-1) (20-7) -12.92 (24)

18. (18) Memphis (1-1) (19-8) -12.11 (NR)
19. (19) Louisville (1-1) (21-6) -11.87 (17)
20. (21) Baylor (1-1) (22-5) -11.55 (14)
21. (22) California (2-0) (22-6) -11.43 (28)
22. (NR) Vanderbilt (2-0) (19-8) -11.27 (33)
23. (23) Florida State (2-0) (19-7) -11.03 (16)
24. (17) UNLV (0-2) (22-6) -10.99 (20)
25. (24) BYU (2-0) (23-6) -10.96 (NR)

Dropped Out

(25) Texas (1-1) (17-10) -10.72 (NR)

Ranked Teams By Conference

Big 10 - 4
Big East - 4
Big 12 - 3 
ACC - 3
SEC - 3
MWC - 2
MVC - 1
Atl 10 - 1
Atl Sun - 1
CUSA - 1
Pac 12 - 1
WCC - 1


This week New Mexico got the chance to avenge both of its losses from the past 11 weeks, and it did so in style, beating both San Diego State and UNLV, the two ranked teams from the Mountain West, by double digits, and it just so happens that I predicted both of those upsets right here last week. They have cracked the national rankings for the first time this season, and they may get another chance against at least one of those teams in the conference tournament, which is only two weeks away.


Wisconsin lost for the second time this month, and while both were to teams ranked in my top 4, they still did not perform well enough in either game to make them seem like real contenders in the conference. The Badgers have only one bad loss all season, but they also only have 3 impressive wins, to go along with 6 losses to good teams. They just aren't quite the same caliber as the Buckeyes and Spartans.


Florida bounced back nicely from its first losing streak of the season by taking down both Alabama and Arkansas on the road this week, the latter by 30 points. That win gave the Razorbacks their first home loss of the season, so you can't say it was an easy win. They face a relatively easy week before closing the season with the two best teams remaining in their conference, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.


UNLV had a very tough week, starting off with an overtime loss at big underdog TCU, then escalating with a blowout loss at New Mexico, which gives them as many losses in the past 2 weeks as the rest of the season combined. The Rebels should be able to finish strong, because they don't face another truly tough team until the conference tournament.


Predictions


Upset picks are in italics.


Tuesday


(1) Kentucky at Mississippi State - Wildcats by 11
Kansas State at (3) Missouri - Tigers by 12
(7) North Carolina at North Carolina State - Tar Heels by 6
(8) Georgetown at Seton Hall - Pirates by 1
Illinois at (9) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 20
Auburn at (11) Florida - Gators by 21
(13) Michigan at Northwestern - Wildcats by 2
(21) New Mexico at Colorado State - Lobos by 6


Wednesday


South Florida at (2) Syracuse - Orange by 18
(5) Kansas at Texas A&M - Jayhawks by 12
(6) Michigan State at Minnesota - Spartans by 7
Rutgers at (10) Marquette - Golden Eagles by 17
West Virginia at (18) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 6
(19) Wichita State at Illinois State - Shockers by 7
Boise State at (20) UNLV - Rebels by 16
(22) Temple at LaSalle - Explorers by 4
North Carolina Central at (24) Indiana - Hoosiers by 23
Wyoming at (25) San Diego State - Aztecs by 5
East Carolina at Memphis - Tigers by 17
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - Commodores by 19


Thursday


(4) Duke at (16) Florida State - Seminoles by 1
(12) Murray State at Tennessee State - Racers by 1
(15) Wisconsin at Iowa - Badgers by 7
(17) Louisville at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 2
(23) Saint Mary's at Portland - Gaels by 9
Belmont at Kennesaw State - Bruins by 21
California at Utah - Golden Bears by 18
BYU at Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 4


Friday


(10) Marquette at West Virginia - Mountaineers by 2


Saturday


Vanderbilt at (1) Kentucky - Wildcats by 16
(2) Syracuse at Connecticut - Orange by 4
(3) Missouri at (5) Kansas - Jayhawks by 9
Virginia Tech at (4) Duke - Blue Devils by 17
Nebraska at (6) Michigan State - Spartans by 24
(7) North Carolina at Virginia - Tar Heels by 2
Villanova at (8) Georgetown - Hoyas by 15
(11) Florida at Georgia - Gators by 6
(12) Murray State at Tennessee Tech - Racers by 4
Purdue at (13) Michigan - Wolverines by 9
Oklahoma at (14) Baylor - Bears by 15
(18) Notre Dame at Saint Johns - Fighting Irish by 6
Drake at (19) Wichita State - Shockers by 23
Air Force at (20) UNLV - Rebels by 20
(21) New Mexico at TCU - Lobos by 11
(22) Temple at Saint Joseph - Hawks by 3
(23) Saint Mary's at San Francisco - Gaels by 1
Colorado State at (25) San Diego State - Aztecs by 6
Saint Louis at Rhode Island - Billikens by 14
Belmont at Mercer - Bruins by 3
Memphis at Marshall - Tigers by 1
Portland at BYU - Cougars by 25


Sunday


(15) Wisconsin at (9) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 10
(16) Florida State at Miami - Hurricanes by 3
Pittsburgh at (17) Louisville - Cardinals by 13
(24) Indiana at Minnesota - Hoosiers by 1
California at Colorado - Golden Bears by 1


Prediction Results


College Basketball: 37-15 (.712) 434-110 overall (.798)
Upsets: 3-4 (.429) 41-29 overall (.586)

NBA Rankings - 19 Feb

This week a different state became the NBA hot spot, displacing the Texas triangle's dominance from last week, and one of those teams is now the top team in the league, both in my rankings and by overall record. Meanwhile, Charlotte actually won a game, although it was nowhere near enough to pull them from the cellar, where they will likely remain for the remainder of the season. With just 4.5 days left till All-Star Weekend, here are the current rankings of all 30 NBA teams, with gaps between groups of teams representing differing levels of performance.

TW. Team (Week) (Overall) Rating (LW)
1. Miami (5-0) (25-7) -10.64 (4)

2. Chicago (2-1) (25-8) -8.64 (1)
3. Oklahoma City (2-1) (23-7) -7.89 (6)
4. San Antonio (3-0) (22-9) -7.56 (2)

5. Philadelphia (1-2) (20-11) -5.85 (3)
6. Dallas (3-1) (20-12) -5.81 (7)
7. LA Clippers (2-2) (19-10) -5.04 (9)
8. Portland (2-2) (17-15) -4.49 (5)

9. LA Lakers (2-0) (18-12) -3.44 (12)
10. Orlando (3-1) (20-12) -3.31 (16)
11. Denver (1-2) (17-14) -3.02 (10)
12. Houston (1-3) (17-14) -2.57 (8)
13. Memphis (4-1) (18-14) -2.50 (11)
14. Atlanta (1-3) (19-12) -2.27 (13)
15. Minnesota (2-1) (15-16) -1.64 (17)
16. New York (3-1) (16-16) -1.29 (18)
17. Boston (0-2) (15-14) -1.18 (15)
18. Indiana (1-2) (18-12) -1.16 (14)

19. Golden State (2-3) (11-17) 0.07 (19)
20. Utah (2-2) (15-14) 0.28 (20)
21. Milwaukee (0-3) (12-18) 0.95 (22)
22. Cleveland (1-1) (11-17) 1.82 (23)
23. Phoenix (0-4) (12-19) 1.86 (21)

24. New Orleans (3-0) (7-23) 3.34 (26)

25. Toronto (0-3) (9-23) 4.53 (25)
26. Detroit (2-2) (10-22) 4.71 (27)
27. Sacramento (0-3) (10-20) 5.03 (24)
28. New Jersey (1-2) (9-23) 5.36 (28)
29. Washington (2-2) (7-24) 6.30 (29)

30. Charlotte (1-2) (4-26) 11.23 (30)

Hot

Miami has been living up to their team nickname this week, with 5 wins in 5 games, each of which was by double digits, with the first four coming on the road, and the final one coming today against Orlando after they returned from a 6-game road trip. Each of the Heat's Big Three made appearances on my MVP rankings this morning, and they should easily win their 7th straight on Tuesday before the streaking Knicks come to town Thursday in a game that should be a lot of fun to watch.

Orlando lost only once this week, and the loss came to Miami, so each game played by these two teams this week was won by a team from Florida, making the Sunshine State the hottest one this week. All of their victories came over playoff contenders, and Dwight Howard has to be excited to see Milwaukee tomorrow for the third time in 10 days, since he blocked four shots in each of the last two matchups.

Not

Indiana let its losing streak stretch to five games before finally beating the New Jersey Nets on Thursday, in what happened to be the Pacers' third game in three nights. Thankfully for them, their three games this week are against Charlotte and New Orleans, two teams which have combined for only 11 wins all season, so they may be able to at least feel like they're playing well before the break.

Houston had an odd week. After being smoking hot last week, they lost three times this week, to Golden State, Memphis, and Minnesota, but they did pull out one last-second victory this week, over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. They close out the first half of their season with a 3-game homestand against some decent competition, but they'll have to perform better than this past week if they want to compete for a playoff spot.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Sunday

Sacramento at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 6
Boston at Detroit - Celtics by 3
Charlotte at Indiana - Pacers by 15
Utah at Houston - Rockets by 6
Philadelphia at Minnesota - 76ers by 1
Milwaukee at New Jersey - Bucks by 2
Denver at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 8
LA Lakers at Phoenix - Lakers by 2

Monday

Atlanta at Chicago - Bulls by 9
New Jersey at New York - Knicks by 10
Boston at Dallas - Mavericks by 8
Memphis at Houston - Rockets by 3
Orlando at Milwaukee - Magic by 1
New Orleans at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 14
Washington at Phoenix - Suns by 7
Minnesota at Denver - Nuggets by 4
San Antonio at Utah - Spurs by 5
LA Clippers at Golden State - Clippers by 2
Portland at LA Lakers - Lakers by 2

Tuesday

Detroit at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 6
New Orleans at Indiana - Pacers by 7
Sacramento at Miami - Heat by 19
Philadelphia at Memphis - 76ers by 1
San Antonio at Portland - Spurs by 1

Wednesday

New Orleans at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 4
Boston at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 10
Sacramento at Washington - Wizards by 2
Detroit at Toronto - Raptors by 3
Indiana at Charlotte - Pacers by 10
Orlando at New Jersey - Magic by 6
Atlanta at New York - Knicks by 2
Milwaukee at Chicago - Bulls by 13
Philadelphia at Houston - 76ers by 1
Utah at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 5
Golden State at Phoenix - Suns by 1
LA Lakers at Dallas - Mavericks by 5
Denver at LA Clippers - Clippers by 5

Thursday

New York at Miami - Heat by 12
Orlando at Atlanta - Hawks by 2
San Antonio at Denver - Spurs by 2
LA Lakers at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 7

Prediction Results

NBA: 36-16 (.692) 172-97 overall (.639)
Upsets: 9-2 (.818) 32-25 overall (.561)