How Derrick Rose Impacts MVP Race

As I'm sitting here at 2:05 AM typing this, scrolling down my news feed I see lots of Derrick Rose memes like usual. I think its funny because people are so ignorant and forget just how great Derrick Rose is when he is healthy. Before I get into this article let me just state that this coming NBA season Derrick Rose will come off a huge ACL injury and will win the MVP award over the likes of Kevin Durant and Lebron James. I will now allow you to take this time to curse me out via twitter @TruSchoolSports and question my knowledge of basketball.

As we all know Derrick Rose missed all of last season, sitting on the bench in street clothes watching every Bulls game. Some have even called him “the highest paid fan ever”. Joke all you want about him riding the bench last year but the fact of the matter is that this guy during the 2010-2011 season became the youngest MVP in league history at the age of 22. His level of greatness during that season was so undeniable that out of 120 first place votes, 113 were awarded to Rose via the NBA sportswriters and broadcasters. That same year he was the only player in the league who ranked top 10 in scoring and assists. His return impacts every superstar in the league as far as the MVP race is concerned.

Lebron James

The guy that benefited most the Rose injury was Lebron James who captured back to back titles while he was recovering. Although he did beat Rose in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals the fact of the matter is that the Chicago Bulls and Rose are Lebrons biggest threat and many could argue that his road to finals greatness was easier because Rose wasn't healthy. Now I have heard many people here in South Florida say “Lebron should have won the MVP that year, Rose didn't deserve it”. That’s nonsense and the fact of the matter is that he didn't even finish 2^nd place in voting, he finished 3^rd behind Dwight Howard. That’s right at 643 points Howard had more then Lebron's 522 points. The return of Rose has a huge affect on Lebron so he better make sure that he leads the Miami Heat to the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference as well as winning head to head battles vs Rose.

Kevin Durant

With the exception of maybe Rose himself, I don't think any player in the league is more upset about Lebron's title success than Kevin Durant. Last season KD and the Thunder (Minus Russell Westbrook) were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies. This season the Thunder are expected to be in the NBA Finals once again to meet the Miami Heat. Durant's ultimate priority is to win a championship but I'm sure he would love to validate himself as the best player in the league with an individual accolade such as the NBA MVP award all while proving that OKC is the premier team in the Western Conference. It's hard enough for KD to win that award over a guy like Lebron but with Rose added to the mix its about to get even harder for Durant. He hasn't averaged 30 points per game in 3 seasons, if he can re establish himself as the premier scorer in the NBA along with dominating the west then he has an incredible chance to take home the MVP hardware this season.

Chris Paul

No current superstar in the whole league has more to prove with the return of Derrick Rose more than Chris Paul. CP3 has a newly improved roster to go along with a new contract extension that will keep him in LA over the next 5 seasons. Many consider him the best point guard and now that Rose is back he will have more motivation than ever to prove why he is the best at his position. Winning a championship for the Clippers is enough to keep CP3 motivated but with Rose returning he has to prove why he and the Clippers are the best this season.

There many other players I could list who will be in the discussion for MVP but some won't win it for many reasons. Carmelo won't win because the Knicks will not improve on their #2 seeding from last season. Tony Parker won't win because basketball “experts” think the Spurs are boring. Kobe and the Lakers won't be good enough this year to garner him enough votes for an MVP award this season.

As we can see the return of the former MVP drastically impacts the race for the award. It should push players in the conversation to up their game and be razor sharp skills wise once the season starts. October 29^th the 2011 MVP (Derrick Rose) takes on the MVP of the last 2 seasons in Lebron James as the Chicago Bulls go on the road to take on the Miami Heat who will be raising up their championship banner. Expect Rose to announce himself to the basketball world against the defending champs with a statement performance for what will be an MVP-caliber season.

Orlando Summer League Final Summary

Sorry for not posting the day 5 and 6 summary’s of the Orlando summer league, I was kind of busy the last few days and didn’t have a chance to give you guys my first class, premium analysis I love to give. Orlando Summer league has now concluded so with that said lets focus on some of that players who left a great impression with fans and teams alike.

Reggie Jackson (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Summer League Stats: 19.5 Points Per Game 2.5 Rebounds 2.5 Assists 1 Steal 53%FG

Reggie Jackson in his Boston College days was one talented scorer. I can attest to that seeing him the ACC lighting up the Hurricanes. As a pro though it seems like Reggie is finally coming into his own. Last season as Russell Westbrook was injured in the playoffs Reggie gained valuable experience and played some good basketball. A more matured game and demeanor seem to be a bi product of that invaluable experience for Jackson. This summer league he wanted to show Thunder management that he should be in their plans moving forward. He did all that and more as he lead all Orlando summer league players in scoring at just under 20 a game and actually set a new Summer league record for points in a game with 35.

Final Analysis: Reggie has shown the ability put the ball in the basket and moving forward as he continues to mature and develop I see the Thunder running small line ups with him at the 1 Westbrook at the 2 and Durant at the 3. The better he plays the more line up flexibility it gives OKC which makes them much more dangerous. Reggie Jackson took some great steps in this summer league season.

Kelly Olynyk (Boston Celtics)

Summer League Stats: 19.5 Points Per Game 8 Rebounds 2.8 Assists 2.3 Steals .5 Blocks 57%FG

I have to say I had a lot of doubts about Kelly Olynyk and I still do but he proved to me in Summer League he can play. He isn’t overpowering in strength but he is crafty and knows how to score the basketball. With his perimeter jump shot he stretches the defense and with his footwork in the post he can create his own offense. I was thoroughly impressed with Olynyk.

Final Analysis: Kelly Olynyk granted this was summer league was dominant and the guys he will see when the season starts will be way more experienced and polished but he is going to be a good fit with Rondo. New coach Ben Stevens needs to get Rondo and this guy on the same page. I think a lot of high pick and pops with Rondo and Olynyk will do wonders for the Celtic offense. I’m looking forward to see how the Celtics use him in this years rotation.

 

Victor Oladipo (Orlando Magic) 

Summer League Stats: 19 Points Per Game 4.3 Rebounds 2.3 Assists 3 Steals 37%FG

If you’re a Magic fan then this season is going to be an exciting one and that excitement comes in the form of first round draft pick Victor Oladipo. This guy has a motor on him and just gets after it on the defensive side of the ball. If you watched him at Indiana you would know he broke the SEC record for steals set by Isaiah Thomas. Watching him at summer league he was all over opposing players causing deflections and forcing turnovers he averaged 3 steals a game. I knew he had a motor and could lay defense but I didn’t know he had the ability to run the point. In many summer league games the Magic had Oladipo running point guard and he did a good job of setting up his teammates.

Final Analysis: The youth movement in Orlandohas to be exciting if you’re a Magic fan with young guys like Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and Tobias Harris all having the chance to grow with each other. Throwing a guy like Oladipo into that mix just gives them a guy who can potentially be an All-Star and I’m excited to see what’s in store for the Magic youth.

Terrence Jones (Houston Rockets)

Summer League Stats: 15.8 Points Per Game 7 Rebounds 2.5 Assists 1.2 Blocks 42%FG

Terrence Jones is a very talented player. After being sent to the D-League because the Rockets couldn’t find minutes for him in the Houston rotation. It was a blessing in disguise for him because he had a chance to work on his game and polish up. He clearly showed that he improved as he now can handle the basketball, plays with a purpose and every now and then can hit a 3 pointer. Terrence Jones is a man and he plays like one on the glass and gives you great effort.

Final Analysis: Terrence Jones proved this summer league he is no D-League lifer if anything he proved why he is the Rockets future starting power forward. I really hope that’s the case because he is a solid player and I’d hate to see that talent go to waste.

Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons)

Summer League Stats: 15.7 Points Per Game 15 Rebounds 1.3 Assists 2.7 Steals 2.7 Blocks

Andre Drummond is for lack of a better term a “Stat Sheet Stuffer”. Looking at his summer league numbers will indicate that for you. The Pistons recently picked up Josh Smith and I feel that him, Monroe and Andre Drummond can be the best frontcourt in the NBA. They all know how to rebound and score in the post but all of them are very flawed fundamentally in some areas, Andre Drummond showed that during summer league.

Final Analysis: Drummond has all the physical tools to be an elite center in the NBA but he needs to play smarter and become more efficient from the free throw line. Beside all of that though I think that he is a phenomenal talent and will continue to progress as long as he doesn’t get lazy.

Stay tuned for my new Vegas Summer league series coming soon.

Orlando Summer League Day 2 Summary

Day 2 of the Orlando summer league was in full swing this morning and afternoon so lets get into this breakdown.

Andre Roberson (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Day 2 stats vs Magic: 6 Points 9 Rebounds 3 Steals 1 Block 3-4 FG in 26:25 minutes of play

In the NBA Draft a few weeks ago it was said by many that the Oklahoma City Thunder made the best value pick when they traded with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andre Roberson. Monday in his game vs Orlando he showed why people were saying those things about him. He was efficient, tough and athletic. He shot 3-4 from the floor showing that he had the ability to be efficient. He ate the glass collecting 9 rebounds providing some stability on the interior for the Thunder. He also showed a knack to be able to get his hands on the ball on the defensive end forcing 4 turnovers with 3 steals and a block. Roberson is a solid player who can help the Thunder but he still has some things to work on.

Final Analysis: Solid performance today by Roberson but as efficient as he was on offense today he still needs to expand and refine his offensive game in terms of range in his shot and creating his own offense besides all that though solid showing by him but he needs to build some consistency off of this.

Maurice Harkless (Orlando Magic)

Day 2 stats vs Thunder: 14 Points 5 Rebounds 2 Assists 3 Steals 1 block 3-8 in 34:46 minutes of play

Until the later parts of the 2012-2013 season Maurice Harkless didn't see consistent minutes in the Orlando Magic rotation. When he got his time though he showed he was a very talented player he wasn't just some scrub from St.Johns. In his game against the Thunder Monday he put on a good performance. Harkless from the get go was in attack mode earning himself 12 trips to the free throw line. The only problem was he converted only 8 of them, free throw shooting was a big problem in his game last season shooting only 57%. anyway its still good to see him playing a lot more aggressive most young guys play scared and shy. Harkless will get a chance to have a bigger role on the Magic this season.

Final Analysis: Harkless is a good player with some upside in the free throw and perimeter shooting areas of his game. I liked what I saw from him today he needs to keep that aggressive mentality because it will help him improve on the floor. All in all good things happened when Harkless was on the floor he had a team leading +14.

Solomon Hill (Indiana Pacers)

Day 2 stats vs Sixers: 22 Points 9 Rebounds 4 Assists 1 Steal 7-11 FG in 28:35 minutes of play.

I didn't know much about Solomon Hill before Mondays game against the Sixers so in many ways this was a first impression for me and man did he impress. The small forward standout out of Arizona displayed the range hitting 4-5 three pointers. He also displayed the ability to grab rebounds pulling in 9 of them. So far it was on of the best performances in the Orlando summer league so for now I got nothing but great things to say about Solomon Hill.

Final Analysis: If Danny Granger doesn’t come back to the Pacers Solomon Hill may be able to find some minutes in the Pacer rotation. Indiana isn't the best perimeter shooting team in the league so if Hill can consistently bring that to the table he will find a home somewhere in the league

Guys like Kelly Olynyk also had an impressive showcase in day 2. Stay tuned for my day 3 summary coming soon.

Playoff Time 2013: James Harden

In life no matter what the profession may be we all strive to advance in the company or have a much more broad expanded role that pays better. Well in case of James harden that's what has happened this season. He was with a great company in the Oklahoma City Thunder but he decided to go with the up and comer Houston Rockets for more money and an expanded role. He made the right career decision for himself and has had a nice season in leading the Rockets to the Playoffs.

This season James Harden had to make an adjustment from 6th man to Franchise Player which is not eazy but he had himself many Memorable performances. In his first two games as a rocket he scored 37 and 45 in two wins vs the Pistons and Hawks he put no doubt in anybody's mind that he can be the go to guy on a good team. The Rockets became one of the most exciting teams in the league to watch on a nightly basis with Harden being the Marquee player Houston has someone to build around for a long time to come.

James Harden leads the boys from H-Town against his former teammates and employer the Oklahoma City Thunder. He proved earlier this season that he has no problems scoring on OKC when he dropped 46 points in a win. The Thunder are heavily favored and for good reason they have more talent around their franchise players the Houston does at this present moment. James Harden is a competitor though so don't expect him and Houston to go down quietly.

Houston is an exciting team to watch but can their high scoring playing style translate to a 1st round Upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder?

The NBA Playoffs begin on April 21st for the Rockets as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Playoff Time 2013: Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook

The powerhouse over the past several seasons in the Western Conference has been the Oklahoma City Thunder. Last season they went all the way to the NBA Finals but met a Heat team on another level, it wasn't their time just yet. A big deal has been made out of the whole Russell Westbrook/Kevin Durant. Many people don't like Russell taking so many shots and would like to see KD get more aggressive on both ends of the floor. I can fully understand why people would say that but when Durant has a season where he shoots 40% from behind the 3-point line shoots 50% from the field It's kind of hard to argue that point.

Westbrook and Durant are polar opposites on and off the court. Westbrook plays with an aggression and is one hundred miles per hour all the time. Durant is much more smooth and calm and has a tendency to just go with the flow. The opposite personalities led the Thunder to the#1 seed in the Western Conference. If the Thunder want to win a ring then These 2 need to be the best players for the Thunder throughout the Playoffs, consistency is key.

The 1st round in OKC's Playoff run matches them up with an old friend-James Harden and the Houston Rockets. Last season Harden was a part of that OKC team that went all the way to the finals in a 6th man role. Prior to the season Harden was trade to Houston where he would make more money and be the guy. He is the face of the Rockets and now as the playoffs begin he and his friends from Houston will take on Westbrook, Durant and the Thunder. This series has that interesting story lines and I'm sure it will be fun with so many exciting players to watch. The leaders of the Thunder will need to take care of business early and not give the Rockets any Life.

They have proven they are elite but can OKC finally take the next step and become Champions?

The NBA playoffs begin April 21st for the Thunder as they take on James Harden and the Houston Rockets.

Playoff Time 2013: Ty Lawson

For the past several seasons Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl as urged his point guard Ty Lawson to take control of the team and become a leader. He proved he could do that in the regular season leading the Nuggets to 50+ wins and the #3 seed in the Western Conference. He was instrumental in beating opposing teams in the West such as the Grizzlies, Clippers and OKC. While those are great accomplishments TY will now be tested for real and will need to pick up the intensity.

If you look at Lawson's statistics compared to last season they aren't that much different. He has become much better at controlling the flow of the offense and getting the ball where he wants to go. Whether its a Pick and roll with Kenneth Fareid or penetrating the middle to kick out  to guys like Corey Brewer or Iguadola on the Perimeter Ty is getting it done for the Nuggets this season.

As the Playoffs begin later on Today the Denver Nuggets embark on a crucial playoff run. They are the third seed in the West and Lawson has said they could win the west if they just take care of their business. This Nuggets team has all the ingredients to become a champion. They score the ball better than anybody the league. They also rebound just about better than everybody else in the league as well thanks in large part to Kenneth Faried. If the Nuggets Can put a banner up at the Pepsi Center then that would be historic for a franchise that has never tasted that particular level of success. David Thompson, Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo and not Even Carmelo Anthony Delivered a championship to the city of Denver.

Before the Nuggets worry about banners they got to worry about passing their 1st round test-The Golden State Warriors. Like the Nuggets the Warriors score the basketball in the upper echelon of the league ranking at 7 averaging 101.2 points per game. Lawson's matchup Steph Curry has looked like an MVP for stretches of the season and has played the best basketball of his career. Lawson has to buckle down defensively and make sure Steph doesn't under any circumstance get hot from the outside because that will be the death of the Nuggets. It's going to be an exciting series between the two teams but the the team that buckles down better will take this series.

How far can the Nuggets go?

The playoffs begin today April 20th as Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Go Hard-en the Paint

So unless you have been under a rock for the last few days you pretty much know that James Harden is playing possesed. Since being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets he has dropped 82 points which included a 45 point explosion in Atlanta last night leading the Rockets to 2 wins over the Pistons and Hawks. He has and Jeremy Lin have been complimenting each other well. Can Houston continue this winning trend led by Harden and Lin? We will see but it's been fun to watch so far and the Hometown fans will get there 1st look at this years Rockets they take on rookie sensation Damian Lillard and the Blazers i will definetly be watching!

#FearTheBeard