Bases and Baskets

LeBron James: to respect or not to respect?

2012-12-14T02:06:00.001-08:00

“Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven…”

LeBron James compounded the disgust that NBA fans outside of Miami had for him with these words. In an extravagant party for three players—two of which hadn’t even donned the Heat uniform on the court—LeBron James declared the Heat would win at least eight championships. The tattoo on his back, “The Chosen 1” wasn’t enough. Gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school basketball player wasn’t either. Even the despised “Decision” that aired on ESPN drew criticism that has still simmered lightly over the now NBA champion.

One of the first columns I wrote here on Bases and Baskets briefly touched upon this subjects and I concluded those thoughts with the general idea that we are all “just as mixed as before [LeBron’s move to Miami].” Some people are able to forgive him for the attention-seeking saga that enveloped the summer of 2010. Some people hate him for creating a superpower empire that looked down upon most NBA franchises. Some people are, well...Cavs fans.

To wherever you fit into the spectrum, my new proposition is simple: the dust has settled and LeBron has finally earned his title but more importantly evolved both on and off the court. Now we need to collectively respect LeBron James as a great player and ambassador for the game that we love.

Most superstars have egos through the roof. Kobe Bryant has ripped Pau Gasol, alienated teammates from Shaquille O’Neal to Smush Parker, and done countless other things that ~~he thinks~~ his Hall of Fame resume has entitled him to. The man is one of the greatest basketball players to grace this planet and he knows it, he worked for it, and he is going to revel in it.

Kobe will always have a home in Hollywood and his dedication to that organization is remarkable (even with the bumps in the roads…remember those multiple trade requests?) but he and other sports icons a la Michael Jordan don’t care too much whether people like them or not. And since they are that good, well…does it really matter?

Many would simply: no. While I agree that ultimately a player’s greatness and NBA legacy is determined by their on-court performance—as it should be—there is another part that should not be neglected: the people that idolize the NBA’s greatest.

Here is where we need to realize that LeBron James is the best ambassador that the NBA has ever seen. Google defines ambassador as “a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity.” With the on-court greatness that LeBron exhibits, he has become an international figure who benefits more so than Kobe or MJ from the Internet Age. People (like me) can write about him and analyze his effect on the game in a way that Jordan simply did not have available during his heyday as a player.

Perhaps a deeper scrutiny of MJ’s character would have forced him to change or maybe it would have highlighted more glaringly his character flaws. Either way, there is no way that the two major ambassadors of the game prior to LeBron (Michael and Kobe) were as ideal for the position. It’s just that their basketball ability muffled their arrogance and drama.

I have already written that we should not be surprised if LeBron drops in a greater performance this year as compared to last. Thus far his 26 points, seven assists, and nine rebounds per game complement an unfathomable 54 percent FG shooting and 44 percent three-point shooting. All of this with defenses improved overall and honing in on him in their game plans. Let us not forget that this is coming from a guy whose main basketball flaw was a lack of an outside shot.

So yes, I have dared to compare LeBron to Jordan.

But the reason why I respect LeBron is the way that he has ascended to where is he—and where he will be once his career is over. In one season, LeBron realized that in order to succeed he needed to wholeheartedly buy into the team effort and atone for the egregious mistakes that he made during the summer of 2010. Behind opting to make The Decision nationally televised was a hint that there is something in LeBron unlike previous superstars. People forget that that “show” raised $2.5 million for the Boys and Girls Clubs in Ohio and he still continues his charity work in Akron.

While those acts of generosity were hidden behind the superficiality of the show, a lot has changed since then. The mayor of Akron even went far enough to say, in 2012, that LeBron is the “greatest Akronite.”

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Basketball, as a popular American game, represents so much to kids in the US—from inner city Chicago to rural California. And who would you rather have a wide-eyed basketball fan idolize? A self-centered superstar or somebody who cares not only about his teammates and fans but about the community?

The answer to me has been clear.

The cliché goes that “America is the land of second chances,” and LeBron has done far less harm than the quantifiable acts of someone like a Tiger Woods, Michael Vick or Lawrence Taylor (among many others). Most importantly, LeBron has grown up and realized the error in his ways and changed under his own power.

Regardless of what anybody said of him, he took the responsibility to apologize for some tasteless remarks and decisions. Simultaneously, the Akron native figured out what it meant to become a champion on the court. Was it a coincidence that the two happened in the same year?

I’m not from anywhere remotely close to Akron or Miami but I recognize when a person has grown into what the game of basketball is all about. In the end, it is "just a game" but the applications of this beautiful game to daily life are what make it special. That is where LeBron is head and shoulders above previous NBA superstars…but I would be remiss to neglect the fact that Kevin Durant is competing for that spot.

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As a Warriors fan, I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was to see my team beat the Heat on Wednesday. (And *cough* how pleased I was to have picked Golden State to come away with that win, too.)

But every game that LeBron is not playing the team that I root for, you can bet that I will be cheering for him. The self-confidence he exudes does not overpower a sense of humility that took him some time to grow into. Now the question becomes: how long will it take NBA fans to fully appreciate this change and realize what he is doing for the NBA and its worldwide influence?

In the meantime, I will enjoy the on-court entertainment and skill set of LeBron James with a respect that he is intelligent enough to realize what he means to everybody from those closest to him to those fans thousands of miles away from him.

Will you?

Golden State Warriors: Predictions for the December road trip

2012-12-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

As Bob Fitzgerald has pointed out in multiple broadcasts, the next six games mark the longest road trip of the year for the Warriors. Luckily for Golden State, they play two of the NBA’s cellar teams in Detroit and Washington. While no game is guaranteed, the Warriors are in a great position to return home with a reasonably respectable road trip.

It’s been a while since I’ve done some predictions here on Bases and Baskets, but here’s a game-by-game look at a nine day and six game stretch for a team that has been gaining a lot of confidence.

Also, while I don’t want to exaggerate the importance of this stretch, the Warriors do have a decent amount at stake here. It doesn’t have a lot of importance as to whether or not they make the playoffs, but I think it will be a reasonable look at just how they might perform in the playoffs if they do make it that far.

12/5 – Warriors (10-7) vs. Pistons (6-13)

The Warriors have the bitter taste of losing from the final game of the home stand against Orlando. Expect them to come out ready to start this road stretch out strong. I’m looking for the Warriors backcourt trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jarrett Jack to go off even if Greg Monroe can keep David Lee to a modest game. This win would put the Warriors over .500 for the season on the road (5-4).

Prediction: Warriors WIN, 103-94

12/7 – Warriors vs. Nets (11-6)

The Nets have lost some tough games recently—and they can empathize with the San Antonio Spurs as to bad luck with the scheduling. Getting both of the 2012 NBA Finals teams is not easy, and they lost both of those but were on a five game winning streak before that, including big wins over the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers. Deron Williams dropped five threes on Tuesday and he will probably have his way with Steph Curry in this game.

Prediction: Warriors LOSE, 108-96

12/8 – Warriors vs. Wizards (2-13)

The Wizards just beat the Heat. The Warriors should learn from that and realize no game is a given win. They'll do that, and this one will be all Warriors.

Prediction: Warriors WIN, 101-89

12/10 – Warriors vs. Bobcats (7-9)

In 16 games, the Bobcats have managed to get as many wins as they did during all of the 2011-12 season. Somehow they have managed to put it together behind Kemba Walker and former Los Angeles Laker, Ramon Sessions. This should be a close team between two teams that are desperate to prove that they have changed their respective losing cultures. I still think the Dubs can pull this one out at the end of the game with David Lee and Carl Landry showing their energy on the inside is something to be expected on a nightly basis.

Prediction: Warriors WIN, 94-92

12/12 – Warriors vs. Heat (12-4)

This one’s either going to go really well or really poorly but I’m going to gamble on this one and say the Dubs can get it together and have a lights-out shooting night. The Warriors are much deeper than the Heat even though the front ends of their organizations have a tremendous disparity. Last season the Warriors beat the Heat in what was their version of the NBA Finals (since they didn't make the playoffs) and they know what needs to be done to beat the NBA’s best team…at least during the regular season, that is. I’m going to go out on a limb for this game in South Beach.

Prediction: Warriors WIN, 110-105

12/14 – Warriors vs. Magic (7-10)

The first night of a back-to-back will be another difficult game for the Warriors to pull off in the road. Although they are lucky to stay in the state of Florida after the Miami game, this one will end up similar to the last because the Magic are simply better than their record shows. Jameer Nelson and Glen "Big Baby" Davis will take this one in Orlando.

Prediction: Warriors LOSE, 105-99

12/15 – Warriors vs. Hawks (9-5)

The energy that the Hawks bring to the court is something that is respected by all NBA teams. For this game, the Warriors will struggle to keep up with an energetic Josh Smith and Lou Williams. Atlanta matches up very well against Golden State and this game will signal the Warriors are ready to head back to Oakland.

Prediction: Warriors LOSE, 104-94
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Overall, Golden State has a realistic shot to make this a solid road trip. If they can continue to play as a unit, their chemistry has the potential to overcome the lack of bona fide NBA superstars. Depth, shooting, post presence, and defensive energy can get the Warriors back home with a very respectable 4-3 record.

David Stern was right to fine Popovich and the Spurs

2012-11-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Gregg Popovich made one of the most controversial coaching decisions when he decided to send Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green home on a road game in Miami. Nobody is denying that. Where the debate comes in is David Stern’s decision to slap a $250,000 fine on the roster littered with Hall of Famers and NBA champions.

The popular position is to side with coach Gregg Popovich. He is responsible to the San Antonio Spurs for putting them in a place that best gives them a chance to win a championship. After all, that is the ultimate goal in sports.

Not only that, but Popovich has proven that he is more than capable of creating bona-fide championship managerial decisions. Resting Duncan and Ginobili—players well past their prime—is going to be part of the regular season. Players that are younger have been injured in less trying circumstances, namely Derrick Rose’s season-ending injury in the last minutes of what was a blowout win, so Popovich appears to be completely right in deciding to sit his stars.

More importantly, the San Antonio Spurs landed a terrible stretch of games by the NBA. Six away games in nine days is a bout of horrendously bad luck and should not have happened, especially when it involves trekking from Canada to Miami (among other stops, of course). The Heat, on the other hand, have played one game in the past week and it was against the Cavaliers.

So while the Heat fans did get the short end of the stick not being able to see some of the NBA’s best in action, Popovich’s decision was purely in the best interest of the organization. And the Spurs nearly won the game, too, so it’s not as if the Spurs gave the Heat a freebie. Taking it at its surface value, which Skip Bayless did in Friday’s episode of First Take, you might say that the amalgamation of these factors means that of course Gregg Popovich can rest his guys.

Initially, I was also infuriated that David Stern was going to drop the hammer on one of the NBA’s most respectable franchises. But, that initial overreaction probably had a lot to do with to the NFL saga that has gone on between the New Orleans Saints and commissioner Roger Goodell.

The reality is that David Stern was completely correct in deciding to fine the Spurs.

His words: “[The Spurs] did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."

Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili weren't even on the
bench vs. Miami on Thursday.

Stern articulated the perfect reason for the fine. Never does he say that the fine is directly because of benching Duncan and Co., but rather it’s the lack of timely manner that led to the fine. That is precisely the problem. A personal analogy: as a fan, I have specifically chosen to watch games that had the best players on the field. Back in the early days of what is now AT&T Park in San Francisco, Barry Bonds was bashing home run after home run. I was ecstatic one day to see the Giants in action.

And while I love cheering on my home team, my left field seat shows an equally valid intention for paying the price of admission: I wanted to be entertained by (a juiced up) home run hitting machine.

But he sat out that game.

Here we are, more than a decade later, and I still remember that game. I don’t remember any of the results of the game, but I remember the fact that I missed the man who would hit 756 career home runs. I was disappointed much for the very same reasons that Heat fans were probably disappointed (even though they are spoiled themselves with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade…).

I had spent good money to watch a game—to be entertained—by some of the best professional athletes in the world. I gladly would have bought tickets to a different game to see Bonds play (but since it was a Giants home game, nobody cared, of course). The point is clear: the Spurs come to Miami once a year. But the fans would rather pay to see most other NBA teams play the Heat than the second-string Spurs team that comes once a year.

Even though he has the right to choose when to rest his players, the way he did it this time was not right. Popovich is obliged to put the Spurs organization in the best position to win; however, he also has a responsibility to the league and its fans to let them know when such prominent NBA (super)stars will sit out when its for a reason like scheduling.

The integrity of the NBA—and ultimately his paycheck—depend on it.

Golden State Warriors, An Early Season Outlook

2012-11-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

Fourteen games into the season, the Warriors have seen both some of the “same old, same old,” and some signs that show brighter days ~~may be~~ are on the horizon. Andrew Bogut aggravating his knee injury and Brandon Rush losing the entire NBA season to an ACL tear was heartbreaking to say the least for a fan base that has all too often seen how high hopes can fall victim to untimely injury.

While that is a concern and a taboo topic in Golden State, there have also been some rather bright spots that should excite a fan base that has gone from an improbable 2007 playoff run to decimation with perennial disappointment.

For one, they have had put together excellent performances against some of the NBA’s best teams. Defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles was an incredible feat for a young team—the Warriors won with two rookies in the starting lineup against the likes of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. While the Warriors didn’t play particularly well against a soul-searching Lakers team, the Clippers game was a valid point of optimism for the Warriors faithful to say, “maybe…?”

36 points against the Thunder in the fourth quarter and a fairly convincing win against a stacked Brooklyn Nets team, there are ample reasons that show the Warriors are a team to be taken seriously. Here are three keys that have gotten the Warriors where they are…and must continue for a successful season:

Production from Harrison Barnes and the rookies

The Warriors just might have had one of the best low-profile drafts in recent memory. Oklahoma City has rightfully earned all of the accolades for picking up Kevin Durant, James Harden (now gone), and Russell Westbrook. But the Warriors were never ~~lucky~~ bad enough to land such a high pick in the draft. Nonetheless, general manager Bob Myers did the right thing when Harrison Barnes fell into his lap with the No. 7 pick in the 2012 draft.

Barnes has been a stud whose potential is sky-high. His jumper is impressive, he can create for himself and his ability to finish is nothing short of well, this…

10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game only begins to tell the story of what Barnes has meant to the Warriors. It’s early but let me just say that I’m not giving up on him as my pick to get that Rookie of the Year award. Damian Lillard is tearing it up in Portland but Barnes has earned a right to be in the early season discussion.

Barnes leads a rookie trio with two players who have stepped up big in Bogut and Rush’s absence. Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli have played solid minutes when asked and been energizers on defense. Ezeli has even landed the starting center role—although his minutes are not too extensive considering Carl Landry is waiting to make a (huge) impact off the bench.

Scoring and rebounding from the best power forward duo in basketball

As hinted at in the previous paragraph, the Warriors have the best 1-2 punch at power forward. David Lee is a nightly threat to go 20-10 and averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds over the past 10 games. His circus shot against the Timberwolves may have been lucky but his touch inside is incredible, having proven that his ambidexterity in the post is a true weapon.

Then there’s Carl Landry. Warrior Nation was quite excited for this pickup but nobody would have guessed this guy would establish himself as one of the best players on the Warriors this early in the season. Landry is a monster on the boards, both offensively and defensively. Just last night he out-rebounded Pekovic on a missed free throw and earned a quick put-back.

Landry is making an early season push for sixth man of the year, with 15 points and 7 rebounds per game to go along with 78 percent free-throw shooting and 60 percent from the field. Like the youthful energy brought with Ezeli, Barnes, and Green, the Warriors main big men need to continue to lead the way solidifying offensive scoring and securing rebounds.

These two are the Warriors foundation.

Stephen Curry shooting…and shooting a lot

Klay Thompson will continue to find his position and comfort on the basketball court and is a huge part of the Warriors both now and into the future. He has had a roller coaster ride of a season thus far but one thing is certain: Thompson can drain threes. It’s a matter of time for Thompson to improve his consistency. In the meantime, the Warriors have nothing to worry about because Curry is one of the best shooters in the league.

Although Curry had a disappearing act against Denver last Friday, that shouldn’t concern Mark Jackson in the slightest (and hasn’t). After all, the very next game, Curry shot five of 10 from three.

With Jarrett Jack taking off some of the pressure ball-handling, Curry can take advantage of his No. 1 strength. Curry has one of the best shooting strokes in the NBA, as he has proven when he is on the court. That nagging worry of injury is what keeps the Warriors cautiously optimistic with their star, but Curry can shoot outside, inside, jumpers, and is a lights out free throw shooter.

If he can stay on the court, the Warriors will always be a hot shooting streak away from getting back in any game.

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The Warriors have every reason to be confident that they can make a strong push for more than just a mediocre season. Even Andris Biedrins, whose name makes the Bay Area cringe, has made an (albeit small) contribution when called upon. The depth that the Warriors have is scary and if they can get their stars to play like stars consistently, it will continue to be a fun season to watch. Ideally Bogut gets his act together soon and comes back completely healthy, which is another critical piece to the puzzle of the Warriors success. Seeing a seven-footer on the floor who actually knows how to play the game is surreal for an organization that has traditionally been undersized.

I originally picked the Warriors to settle around the seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference, but they should simply ride their confidence and deep roster as far is it takes them. Don’t look back, just keep playing and improving.

If these three keys can remain consistent, the Warriors might surprise a lot of teams in the West.

Kobe vs. Jordan: A Complete Comparison of Two NBA Greats

2012-11-21T12:19:00.002-08:00

The Black Mamba and Air Jordan. This comparison is one that will be made for years to come because of a multitude of reasons, namely the fact that these premiere NBA scorers are the two greatest shooting guards of all time. And while the argument that Jordan revolutionized the sport is valid, I will remove that consideration and take a closer look at Kobe and Jordan’s respective statistics (regular season and playoffs), awards (including championship titles), and clutch performing—which these two guys are generally considered some of the best ever.

This column seeks to provide a complete comparison of these NBA greats and show you who ultimately is both the better and the greater player. And as I always like to turn to first, let’s have a look at the regular season statistics of Kobe and Jordan:

Per game statistics	Kobe Bryant	Michael Jordan
Points	25.4	30.1
Rebounds	5.3	6.2
Assists	4.7	5.3
Steals	1.5	2.3
FG percentage	.453	.497
3PT percentage	.337	.327
Minutes	36.5	38.3
PER	23.5	27.9
eFG percentage	.487	.509

Note: All stats for Bryant are as of 11/20/12

Really there’s not much to debate here, Jordan is clearly the better regular season performer. The only statistic that Kobe has an edge in is three-point percentage, and that advantage is by a whole one percentage point. Truthfully, Kobe’s first three years did set him behind a bit, but even if you eliminate those years from consideration, he still has less points (27.8) and fewer assists (5.1) while most other categories remain relatively constant.

Kobe is known primarily for being a scorer and not only did Jordan score more than Kobe does, but Jordan also shot a significantly higher percentage—hence the large disparity in PER.

Now, how about playoff statistics?

Playoff per game statistics	Kobe Bryant	Michael Jordan
Points	25.6	33.4
Rebounds	5.1	6.4
Assists	4.7	5.7
Steals	1.4	2.1
FG percentage	.448	.487
3PT percentage	.331	.332
Minutes	39.3	41.8
PER	22.4	28.6
eFG percentage	.480	.503
Games played	220	179

Same story—only this time Jordan owns the better numbers in every single category. Something else worth noting is the relative improvement/decline of each players’ numbers from regular season to playoffs. Kobe’s stats remain relatively constant, with an insignificant increase in points as well as small increases in rebounds, assists, and minutes per game. However, his FG percentage, PER, and eFG percentage all decrease. And while comparing separate players PER may not be the greatest statistical measure, it is reasonable to look at an individual players increase/decrease in this number.

In utter contrast, Jordan’s points, rebounds, assists, and minutes per game all increase, as well as his three-point percentage. But he does have slight decreases in FG and eFG percentages as well as steals per game. But in the end, Jordan clearly has the better playoff numbers.

Of course, statistics do not tell the entire story and the major argument for Kobe Bryant as a great NBA player is his five championship titles. And while that may look favorably upon the Black Mamba in a comparison of Kobe and LeBron James, it does not do the same when comparing Kobe to Jordan.

Here is a chart of their respective playoff accolades and overall achievements/awards as of November 2012.

Kobe Bryant	Michael Jordan
5x NBA champion	6x NBA champion
2x NBA Finals MVP	6x NBA Finals MVP
1x MVP	5x MVP
14x All-Star	14x All-Star
N/A	NBA Defensive Player of the Year
N/A	NBA Rookie of the Year
2x scoring champ	10x scoring champ

This drives home the proof that there truly is not much of a competition in this comparison. Jordan has more titles, but more importantly he demolishes Kobe in Finals MVPs which is a much more telling tale of a great champion. Why? For three of Kobe’s championship titles he wasn’t even the best player on his team. Seriously, it’s like saying Derek Fisher’s five titles (all won as a teammate of Kobe Bryant) are equal to Kobe’s when comparing a player’s legacy.

That is as fallacious of a statement as saying that Kobe, as a champion, is on the same level as Jordan.

Now let’s address the other major points of this chart, the most important one being the MVP award disparity. One argument I want to address is the claim that Kobe should have won the MVP in 2006: this is erroneous because not only did Nash have a better season than Kobe, but so did LeBron James! In that year, LeBron had a statistically monstrous season and singlehandedly brought the Cavaliers into the playoffs, not to mention in his playoff debut he recorded a triple-double…

So, we stand firm at a measly one MVP award to a five-time MVP.

Then comes the Defensive Player of the Year award differential. Clearly, Jordan was a shut-down defender. And not only do I think that Kobe is an overrated defender, but so does his former coach, Phil Jackson. To quote the 11-time champion Zen Master on Kobe’s All-Defense First Team awards: “The voters have been seduced by his remarkable athleticism and spectacular steals, but he hasn’t played sound, fundamental defense.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

And what about those scoring titles? Kobe is supposed to be the greatest scorer in the league right? For one, two players, one of which has been in the league far shorter than Kobe, have more scoring titles than he does. Yup, Allen Iverson and Kevin Durant both reigned supreme as the NBA’s leading scorer three times each during Kobe’s career. So there could even be a debate if Kobe is the best scorer of his own generation!

Then there’s Michael Jordan. 10 scoring titles says it all—he netted baskets like nobody else, and is tied with Wilt Chamberlain for the all-time record of career points per game. Kobe isn’t even in the top 10.

If by now you still aren’t thoroughly convinced that Jordan is far superior to Kobe, there is one more thing to drive home that point: clutchness. This analysis comes in two forms: greatness during the playoffs and performance in the final 24 seconds of a game.

One’s performance in playoffs is “clutch” in the sense that it provides a glimpse into whether or not you can get it done in the games that matter most. Jordan’s six Finals MVPs to Kobe’s two only begin to tell the story. If you look at the greatest playoff performances of all time, Kobe has a grand total of zero in the top 10 compared to Jordan’s three which include the renowned “Flu Game,” as well as the 63 point game and the free throw jumper over Bryon Russell to seal the 1998 NBA Finals win for the Bulls. Not sold? Well, ESPN only gives Kobe one top-25 playoff performance all time (Jordan’s name appears eight times).

Is it any closer in terms of “last-second” shots?

Chasing 23 lists every single clutch shot of Jordan’s career, where clutch is defined as “shot attempts made with the intent to either win or tie the game within the final 24 seconds, during which a player’s team is either tied or trails by three or fewer points.” The final verdict Jordan is 9 of 18 in such situations—or an astounding 50 percent. How about Kobe? A similar study finds Kobe with an unimpressive 7 of 27, or 26 percent.

In other words, Jordan is about twice as good as Kobe in last-second shot situations.

Kobe is a great player and deserves to be on the same playing field as some of the greatest of all time, but the reality is that he is significantly inferior to Jordan. Stats, awards, clutch performing, it all points in the same direction: Kobe vs. Jordan may be a comparison, but it is not a very competitive one.

So, Kobe may believe that he has no rivals in the today’s game, but if he was playing in Jordan’s era, the great Air Jordan would express similar sentiments regarding Kobe.

Greatest NBA playoff performances of all time

2012-11-18T21:05:00.001-08:00

Legacies are verified and occasionally invalidated with a players’ postseason record. And while the NBA is very much a team game, individuals have the ability to take over games regardless of the four teammates that they have on the floor with them. These are the games where, as LeBron James said after a historic Game 5 performance vs. the Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals: “I was able to will my team to victory.”

Michael Jordan’s performances are, naturally, tattered throughout this top 10 list of greatest NBA playoff performances of all time…but may not be quite as high as ESPN ranks them. Here is Bases and Baskets ranking of a select few games that were jaw-dropping, mind-numbing shows put on by present or future Hall of Famers from 1980 to 2012.

10. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: 2011 Western Conference finals, Game 1 vs. Thunder

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
48	6	4	0	4	2	80	41

80 percent from the field and 24-24 on free throws… Dirk Nowitzki put on an absolute shooting clinic in this game, something he did quite frequently in his 2011 championship run. This game epitomized the absolute demolition that a jump shooting seven-footer could do to a defense. Kevin Durant got a taste of his own medicine this game but redemption was sweet for him against the Mavs in 2012. Regardless, this game cemented Dirk’s legacy as an all-time great, proving that he could perform at an elite level in the playoffs.

9. Tim Duncan, Spurs: 2003 NBA Finals, Game 1 vs. Nets

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
32	20	6	3	7	1	65	44

In one of the most dominating performances of all time by a big man, Tim Duncan went off on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. The stats pretty much say it all—not only did he get 32 points and six assists but he also grabbed 20 rebounds, seven blocks, and even three steals. Vintage Tim Duncan proved that he can thoroughly dominate the game regardless of the lack of flashiness in his game.

8. Isiah Thomas, Pistons: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 6 vs. Lakers

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
43	3	8	6	1	5	56	44

Isiah Thomas’ incredible performance was nearly top-10 worthy in and of itself. But the third quarter sprained ankle truly amplifies the greatness of the performance. On the NBA’s greatest stage, Thomas had a historic performance against a star-studded Lakers team led by Magic Johnson. Even though the Pistons weren’t able to pull off a win in this game, it lives on as a testament to the sheer will that can overcome the searing pain of injuries.

7. Michael Jordan, Bulls: 1998 NBA Finals, Game 6 vs. Jazz

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
45	1	1	4	0	1	43	44

This was a classic Jordan playoff game. Although he did not do much but score the basketball, he came through in the clutch and pulled off the single most iconic shot in NBA history. The crossover of Bryon Russell and the finishing touch at the free-throw line earned Jordan the 1998 NBA championship title as he simply posed with his hand in the air as if to say “you just can’t stop me.”

6. Michael Jordan, Bulls: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5 vs. Jazz

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
38	7	5	3	1	3	48	44

More so than Isiah Thomas’ broken ankle game, the legendary “Flu Game” was when Michael Jordan managed to handle the Jazz even though he could barely walk off the court under his own power. But he has a perfect NBA Finals record of 6-0 for a reason and the first of back-to-back wins against the Jazz in 1997 and 1998 was remembered best because of this game.

This Jordan performance lives on through commercials and pictures of Jordan holding on to Scottie Pippen as proof that adrenaline and a will to win can overcome some of the most trying physical adversities.

5. James Worthy, Lakers: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 7 vs. Pistons

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
36	16	10	2	0	5	68	44

“Big Game” James certainly earned that nickname with this triple-double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. In the ultimate clutch time performance, Worthy tore up the Pistons in every facet of the game, including shooting a staggering 68 percent from the field. This performance was a hallmark of Worthy’s career and certainly helped his Hall of Fame worthiness (pun intended).

4. Michael Jordan, Bulls: 1986 Eastern Conference first round, Game 2 vs. Celtics

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
63	5	6	3	2	4	54	53

Hall of Famer Larry Bird after this game said “that was God disguised as Michael Jordan.” Not much else you can say about that aside from the fact that this was Michael Jordan single-handedly tearing up a very good Celtics team with a spectacular NBA playoff record 63-point game.

3. LeBron James, Cavaliers: 2007 Eastern Conference finals, Game 5 vs. Pistons

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
48	9	7	2	0	2	55	50

This was the single most dominant finish to an NBA game in history. LeBron scored 29 of the Cavaliers final 30 points in a double-overtime win against a defensively-minded Detroit Pistons squad.

Nothing that Detroit was throwing at LeBron stopped him from getting to the rim and ultimately willing his team to win. This game defines what it means to put a team on your back. In the words of then-Cavs coach Mike Brown: “My words don’t do justice for what he did.”

2. LeBron James, Heat: 2012 Eastern Conference finals, Game 6 vs. Celtics

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
45	15	5	0	0	4	73	45

73 percent shooting on a night where the legitimacy of your career was in the balance. The Heat had managed to get their backs to the wall in the Eastern Conference finals, but LeBron came to the rescue and took over the game. From the first couple shots of the game, you could tell he was in the zone and it was going to be something special.

In one game, LeBron restored respect (at least for his basketball talent) and proved that his atrocious 2011 NBA Finals were in the past. It was the turning point pushed the Heat over the hump to winning LeBron’s first championship. As I discussed in my LeBron vs. Jordan column, “it’s the path through adversity that defines the champion, not just the grand finale.” This game defined LeBron’s 2012 championship title.

1. Magic Johnson, Lakers: 1980 NBA Finals, Game 6 vs. 76ers

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	TO	FG %	Minutes
42	15	7	3	1	5	61	47

In Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was out with a bruised ankle. So what does coach Paul Westhead decide? Only to throw his rookie point guard into the center position. 42 points and 15 rebounds later, the Lakers are champions.

Everything about what Magic accomplished during this game was spectacular and for good reason this is nearly unanimously regarded as the NBA’s greatest playoff performance. This game was one of the many brilliant shows by one of Hollywood’s most beloved players.

Thoughts on the Los Angeles Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni

2012-11-16T00:12:00.000-08:00

When you have Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard on your team, everything will be okay…right?

Outspoken Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Magic Johnson spoke up on Wednesday, and he veered from his normal praising self:

The reason I haven't tweeted in 2 days is because I've been mourning Phil Jackson not being hired as the Lakers head coach.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 14, 2012

That’s a far cry from the guy who we hear on a nightly basis gushing that so-and-so had a spectacular night and is headed for great things. Not only that, but it’s about his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.

First he said that Mike Brown wasn’t suited for the job. That proved to be true. Now he says the exact same thing about D’Antoni…if I was a Laker fan, I would be at least a little bit worried.

We should heed Magic’s words because when he does question something, there is probably reason to do so 1) because he usually only points out the strengths in a player or situation and 2) he knows the game and in particular his Lakers. While I’m not ready to give up one of the top spots in the Western Conference for the Los Angeles Lakers, I do think they might lose their reservation to other persistent customers. The Clippers are for real, the Spurs will do their usual under-the-radar thing, and the Harden/Lin combo in Houston is ready for liftoff.

Now, there is a point that should not be neglected, and that is the fact that Mike D’Antoni and Steve Nash do have a history. While it is a championship-less history, they have proven to be masterminds at orchestrating an offense. Should translate well to Los Angeles right?

I’m not sold. The selflessness of a mediocrely talented Suns squad (save Nash and Amare Stoudemire) does not compare very well to the Lakers because you have two stars that demand the ball a lot and the fact that Kobe is more of an isolation scorer rather than someone who reaps the benefits of offense created by a point guard. Why? The rather extensive list of average and below-average point guards that he has played with will provide that answer. Kobe just is not a catch-and-shoot type player, which is something that Nash sets up (aside from working the pick and roll). When Nash gets back from injury there will be some more growing pains.

This Magic Johnson/Lakers saga is not over yet, though.

Kobe Bryant spoke up on Thursday, saying that contrary to what Magic Johnson has said, Jim Buss has “made all the right choices.” My question to whoever reported that quote: did Kobe say that with a straight face? If he did, Kobe is either lying or clueless, and I highly doubt it’s the latter.

After all, Jim Buss admitted that Kobe should have been consulted on the hiring of Mike Brown the first go-round. Whether Buss was trying to make a statement that he is in control of the Lakers organization or not is up for debate, but the truth is that his decision was completely and entirely wrong. At least this time, Buss had the intelligence to get Kobe’s approval to hire Mike D'Antoni.

Truthfully it is not even ten games into the season, but if Los Angeles can’t figure out how to get out of their early season slump, the question becomes what next? Could you ever fire two coaches in the same year? Or if it comes down to players, who goes? We know one thing is for sure: Kobe and the Lakers front office won’t have the patience to merely wait it out.

Grab your popcorn, folks, this is a movie made only in Hollywood.

What do you think…will D’Antoni work for LA? Voice your opinion below!

LeBron vs. Jordan: debating the NBA’s greatest of all time

2012-11-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

The NBA player who sits in the NBA’s throne for greatest of all time is not the one who goes by King James. All the accolades that have been heaped on the shoulders of the polarizing superstar that is LeBron James are well earned, but the three-time MVP still has his work cut out for him if he seeks the crown that sets him apart from the other elite players in NBA history.

Michael Jordan is rightfully hailed as basketball’s GOAT. He embodies every characteristic that the greatest needs: elite technical skills, incredible athletic ability, and the potential to take over games as an individual. He transcended basketball and brought it to a level of popularity previously unseen by the game. No one can take that away from him, and LeBron will never be able to accomplish that same feat.

But in terms of on-court prowess, LeBron James has the ability to dethrone Michael Jordan as the greatest player that the NBA has ever seen. And with one ring in his pocket, LeBron can now strive to immortalize himself in basketball history. Through a comparison of what both have already accomplished and some thoughts of what is to come for LeBron, there very well may be a new king in the near future.

First, a statistical comparison of Michael and LeBron:

Per game statistics	LeBron James	Michael Jordan
Points	27.6	30.1
Rebounds	7.2	6.2
Assists	6.9	5.3
Steals	1.7	2.3
FG percentage	.484	.497
3PT percentage	.332	.327
Minutes	39.9	38.3
PER	27.3	27.9
eFG percentage	.516	.509

These regular season numbers show the remarkable equality between the two players. LeBron certainly needs to have the longevity of MJ, which is undoubtedly history yet to be written, but these guys are nearly equal in all categories. LeBron’s PRA (points, rebounds, and assists combined) equate to 41.7. Jordan is virtually identical, at 41.6.

Jordan has an edge in scoring ability, but LeBron’s overall offensive game is also based on a guard’s ability to facilitate.

The number that should strike you as most shocking is three-point percentage. LeBron is often criticized for being a one-dimensional scorer whose sheer strength propels him to the basket, but he has a slightly higher 3PT percentage than Jordan. LeBron is often encapsulated in what people think he should be—in part probably with a desire to defend Jordan’s legacy. But looking at the numbers provides the foundation for the argument that one day the two can likely be prepared.

Stats are the ticket to come in the door to the palace. But there is more to be done to overthrow the king.

Defensively, Jordan has a DPOY award to his name—something LeBron has yet to add to his résumé. But nobody in their right mind would say Jordan is a far superior defensive player. At 6’8”, the 250-pound monster can compete with big men like David West in the 2012 NBA playoffs. Not only that, but LeBron has proven he can defend the quickest players in the NBA. Remember the game when he shut down the 2011 NBA MVP, point guard Derrick Rose?

As LeBron said himself, defending power forwards and centers is taxing because of the physicality down low that is not necessary as a perimeter defender. Yet he still managed to put up staggering offensive numbers in 2012, when called upon to defend forwards/centers.

And at 6’6”, Michael Jordan can never claim that diversity in ability to defend all five positions on the court. Even 6’9” point guard Magic Johnson was able to play the center position at a high level on the NBA’s biggest stage. (The two MJ’s both roughly weighed 220 pounds.)

The edge defensively goes to LeBron—he can defend every position on the floor. Enough said.

The true discrepancies between these two players come in with playoff pedigrees and awards. Jordan is still head and shoulders above LeBron when it comes to this comparison:

LeBron James	Michael Jordan
1x NBA champion	6x NBA champion
1x NBA Finals MVP	6x NBA Finals MVP
3x MVP	5x MVP
8x All-Star	14x All-Star
NBA Rookie of the Year	NBA Rookie of the Year
1x scoring champion	10x scoring champion
6x All-NBA First Team	10x All-NBA First Team
4x All-Defensive First Team	9x All-Defensive First Team

LeBron has his work cut out for him to get on Michael’s level here. But in the nine-plus seasons that LeBron has been in the NBA, he not only has room before he catches up to Jordan, but he has time. Jordan’s 15-season career was shortened by his brief baseball stint, so if he stays healthy, LeBron very well could have a longer NBA career than Jordan did.

For the sake of argument, let’s give LeBron James nine more seasons—which is (hopefully for NBA fans) an underestimation. If he wins titles in three of those seasons, that puts him at four. And whenever LeBron wins a ring, that gives him a Finals MVP, too. There is no way that LeBron wins a title as the second best player on his team. He’s the best player in the game.

Three more MVPs is not an outrageous prediction for LeBron either, which puts him at six. The rest of the numbers will likely even out through the course of LeBron’s career, perhaps even giving him the edge.

The only exception to this is the scoring titles. LeBron James will never come near Jordan’s ten titles and that is in no way a pre-requisite for the discussion of these two players. LeBron has teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh—players whose career PPG averages are 25 and 20, respectively. And this plays directly into LeBron’s sensational ability to create offense not only for himself but also for his teammates. Jordan only ever looked to one other player to create offense (Scottie Pippen). Toni Kukoc and John Paxson helped spread the floor for Jordan but really Jordan was option 1, 2, and 3…and for good reason!

This leads to an argument that must be addressed: well, you might say, since LeBron is more of a facilitator and all-around player, he should be compared to Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, not Michael Jordan.

Sure, the comparison could be made since the Big-O averaged a triple double one season and was less than half a rebound or assist away from averaging one in all of the first four seasons of his career from 1961-64. The problem arises when looking at the era that Robertson played in. Statistics were staggering compared to today’s game. Furthermore, Robertson was not even the best player in the 60s: Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain each took home four NBA MVPs during the 60s.

In terms of playing style, compare these two all you want but the fact is this: LeBron is the best player in his generation. Oscar Robertson was no higher than the third best of his generation.

As for Magic Johnson, the comparison again can be made, but really who cares? Michael was the best player of his generation and LeBron is the best player of his generation. And if we’re going to compare the greatest player of all time, a pre-requisite is undoubtedly being the best player of your generation.

So, in this hypothetical situation that I have drawn up, LeBron has four Finals championships, four Finals MVPs, and six regular season MVP awards. He would probably surpass Jordan in All-NBA First Team and All-NBA First Defensive Team, too.

These numbers would put LeBron on equal footing with Jordan. Now, to consider who is better overall involves looking at some of their best playoff performances. Granted, in order for LeBron to be in the same discussion as Jordan, he will have a larger body of work to compare to but for now comparing LeBron’s best two playoff performances to Jordan’s will prove just how close these guys really are.

LeBron has two spots in the top 10 greatest NBA playoff performances of all time. Jordan has three—or only one more in six more seasons. Again, this is absolutely not to say that at this point LeBron is better but rather to just put it in perspective. Time is on LeBron’s side.

Now to look at the two best playoff performances in each players’ career:

The “flu game” is something that has immortalized Jordan. Commercials vie for this moment, coaches use it as motivation, and it lives on as the definition in the NBA of perseverance. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1997 vs. the Utah Jazz, Jordan put up 38 points in 44 minutes, along with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block. The pictures of him helped off the court and sipping Gatorade with a towel over his head are engrained in every NBA fans memory. It was historic.

LeBron’s performance in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals was at least as memorable. 48 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 50 minutes played. He threw down dunk after dunk, a signature of LeBron (and a reason everybody wants to see him in the dunk contest on All-Star weekend).

But the most memorable part was that he scored 29 of the final 30 points of the game. Against the Pistons.

I disagree with ESPN on this one, I’d take LeBron’s performance over Jordan’s. 29 of the final 30 points in the game? I’d love to see a basketball performance where someone was more unstoppable than this at the time when it matters most (fourth quarter and overtime).

Jordan’s Game 2 of the 1986 Eastern Conference first round was another defining moment in his career. Celtics Hall of Famer uttered seven of the most famous words in NBA history when asked about that game: “that was God disguised as Michael Jordan.” Jordan could fill up the stat sheet, too: playoff scoring record of 63 points in 53 minutes with five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. And coming off a season that was largely lost to injury…it was remarkable.

Maybe somewhere Derrick Rose is watching footage of this game, getting some ideas of his own…

LeBron’s most amazing playoff performance came this year, in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics in Boston. I say this with complete seriousness: LeBron had the pressure of his career heaped on him in one game. The Heat were one game away from elimination and the criticism would have landed squarely on LeBron’s shoulders. LeBron haters were warming up their LeChoke chants. Skip Bayless was ready to rant.

45 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists later, the Heat moved on to Game 7. LeBron shot a nearly impossible 19 of 26. And it wasn’t just dunks and drives, as LeBron has proven he is best at. It was jumpers, banks, post-up shots, even three pointers. Another iconic performance.

Let me use a baseball analogy to put this performance in perspective:

The 2004 Boston Red Sox were fighting 86 years of failed history when they were playing the Yankees in the ALCS. Similarly, LeBron was facing a career with zero championships in the 2012 ECF. The Red Sox had their back to the wall in Game 4 of the ALCS, and like the Heat, it was win or go home. Facing Alex Rodriguez, the best hitter in the game (he went yard in Game 4, too, even though he has come to be known as a playoff choker), and Orlando Hernandez, a former Cy Young Award winner, it was looking bleak. But the Red Sox pulled it off, winning four straight games against the Yankees.

It was unprecedented. Literally, such a feat had never been accomplished before. The takeaway from this that is relevant to the comparison to LeBron: the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox were not defined by their sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series. The comeback in the ALCS vs. the Yankees was the propeller that flew the Red Sox to the Promised Land.

Similarly, LeBron’s Game 6 performance made the statement that he had championship talent and desire. The argument that this performance was diminished because it wasn’t in the Finals does not hold up for the same reasons that the 2004 ALCS defined the eventual champion Red Sox.

It’s the path through adversity that defines the champion, not just the grand finale.

For those very reasons, I’ll take LeBron’s Game 6 performance over Jordan’s Game 2 or flu game. As for “clutch” storybook endings, LeBron and Jordan both have theirs. Somehow this is a requirement to be considered the greatest of all time because you need a moment that even non-basketball fans can say ‘wow, that guy is special.’ Jordan’s got the crossover of Bryon Russell when he sunk the free throw line jumper in the 1998 NBA Finals and LeBron’s got the fade-away three-pointer at the end of regulation in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Both were moments that you could capture in seconds and realize something about these guys just was not normal.

As for overall “clutchness,” you can argue until the next Jordan or LeBron comes (if they ever do), that Jordan was more clutch for such-and-such reason but again, the numbers show the pair are surprisingly close in this regard—while Jordan still does have an edge.

Chasing 23 names all of LeBron’s clutch shot makes (5) and attempts (12) through May 2012 which puts him at a 42 percent success rate. Jordan was 9 of 18 in his career in such situations, or a 50 percent success rate. Again, let’s give LeBron his full career but the dismissal of LeBron from the playing field of Jordan as GOAT is unwarranted and founded in 1) a desire to protect history or 2) simply a hatred of LeBron James.

LeBron James has room to go before he can be in the consideration with Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever to hit the court. And even after both have retired, not even a judge could satisfy both sides unless LeBron goes on an absolutely historic tear to match his “not one, not two, not three, not four…” claim. While I personally think that was merely hyperbole, he did earn himself a lot of disrespect in that first public party in South Beach.

For now, Jordan is clearly the best. But let’s marvel at LeBron James’ basketball talent and be open to the consideration that we just might be watching the greatest player of all time. Jordan earned the king’s crown, but LeBron has time left in his career to usurp the throne.

Why the Lakers were right to fire Mike Brown

2012-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

When Kobe Bryant gives you the death stare, your ticket out of Los Angeles has been written. Such was the case for former Laker coach Mike Brown.

Even though Bryant wrote on his Facebook page that he had a “good relationship” with Mike Brown, the BS meter on that one is going crazy. Magic Johnson said himself that Brown was destined to fail from the beginning.

Feel bad for Coach Mike Brown, who's a great guy, but don't think he was the right guy for the job in the first place.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 9, 2012

Kobe is the king of Los Angeles, as he proved to Jim Buss who many say went against Kobe's wishes with the hiring of Mike Brown in May 2011. The “top-down” managing decisions do not work when you have a five-time champion on your squad.

Age certainly may have been a factor in the failures of this coaching experiment—Bryant is 34 and Mike Brown is 42—because Kobe respects those who, with experience, have made a name for themselves. Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan are two coaches who can truly get the best out of an older Los Angeles Laker team, and have the respect of Kobe. Magic Johnson threw out another name that would be a perfect fit (but won’t happen): Pat Riley.

Notice the common denominator of all these names? Not only are they household names but they also have histories of basketball success. Mike Brown doesn’t have that. His defensive-mindedness rode the best player in the game (LeBron James) to the 2007 NBA Finals only to get a beatdown by the San Antonio Spurs. A good coach probably would have at least pulled off at least one win.

The most problematic part of Mike Brown was his insistence in running the Princeton offense which depends on “constant motion, passing…and disciplined teamwork” and is “designed for a unit of 5 players who can each pass, shoot and dribble at an above average level.”

Thinking about the Lakers running such an offense is comical. Kobe loves playing one-on-one basketball, disciplined teamwork is difficult for a newly assembled team (Dwight Howard, Steve Nash), and five players that can “pass, shoot and dribble at an above average level”? So many things scream that this won’t work. And it didn’t.

I disagree with the notion that the Lakers management is pushing the panic button so early in the season. This move needs to be looked at through the shrinking window of Kobe and Nash’s playing careers. This is an acknowledgement of a failed choice of coach and a desire to move forward quickly. Not only do Kobe and Nash only have limited time on an NBA court, but Dwight Howard is playing for a contract this year.

It’s hard to put max pressure on the Lakers this year and say championship or bust, but that just might be the case in Los Angeles. And there's no reason to say that should not be doing better.

Moving forward, the Lakers will be better off with virtually anybody besides Mike Brown—as they proved on Friday, beating an improved Warriors team handily with an interim coach. But who should they pick as their new coach?

Well, the obvious choice is Phil Jackson but as Bryant told USA Today, the decision is “really just a matter of health.” And isn’t that the reason that Jackson retired in 2011? Personally, I am surprised that Jackson would even be considered because his decision to retire was based on health reasons. Kobe will certainly do everything he can to get Phil back, but if it comes down to health, the door is not even open.

On the other hand, if Phil says yes, the job is his. In the words of “one person in the organization,” there is a 95 percent chance that Jackson will return as the Lakers coach (per the LA Times).

If that happens, the Triangle offense will be back in some form, Kobe will be happy, and the rest of the league should get ready for yet another Big Three to start plowing their way through the field. The real question then becomes will they be able to follow the Boston model and win in their first year together or will it take more time, like it did in Miami?

Looking at the coaches of the two teams (Doc Rivers and Erik Spoelstra), a Phil Jackson presence could very well be the deciding factor.

Kevin Durant must take command in OKC

2012-11-04T01:32:00.002-07:00

Russell Westbrook is back to his old tricks.

Only two games into the season, he is back to jacking up more shots than Kevin Durant. Not only that, but Durant is, yet again, shooting a significantly higher percentage. Scott Brooks needs to get the memo: this is inexcusable.

Kevin Durant is arguably the best offensive player in the game. It’s utterly pathetic that there is somebody on KD’s own team getting more shots than he is—and a teammate who shows time and again that he does not deserve those shots.

Westbrook’s selfishness has held the Thunder back and now, with Harden gone, there is no buffer.

Westbrook will be fully exposed for what he is: the most selfish player in the NBA. More than Kobe, more than Carmelo, more than anybody else in the league, Westbrook just does not share the ball. Want some more proof? Durant has more assists (12) than Westbrook (11). The math here just does not add up. Westbrook is a point guard and Durant is a three-time scoring champion! Why would the scoring champion ever have more assists than his point guard? Shouldn’t he be the one racking up the assists to the lights-out shooter?

Sure, it was one of the more surprising turn of events when Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti dealt James Harden to the Houston Rockets. Maybe the financial disparity was not that large and the end result had to be a trade.

If that was the case (as it appears to have been), Presti should have traded Westbrook.

And it was not hard to do either, that is what I find particularly disappointing. The Thunder did not need Chris Paul or Rajon Rondo dishing dimes to Harden and Durant, just a mediocre point guard would have worked wonders. Harden could even run the point if necessary.

Westbrook’s trade value could have satisfied that and more.

But, to OKC’s dismay, three games into the season, Harden is absolutely demolishing the competition. Granted, the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trailblazers are not the NBA’s best, but a Lin and Harden backcourt looks like the perfect match—a pair of unselfish scorers. That duo has the potential to be a second-tier version of the Miami Heat’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Unfolding before our very eyes is proof that Westbrook was holding back Harden’s true potential…as he is no doubt continuing to do with Kevin Durant.

There is no other way to put it: Sam Presti kept the wrong number two player. Even though Russell Westbrook may be a more gifted athlete than Harden, the Bearded One would have been a better match with Durant. Chemistry is important and that is one thing that Russell Westbrook does not bring to the basketball court.

I gave Westbrook a favorable preseason ranking with the NBA’s best, but he has slapped me in the face, screaming only two games into the season that he might not even deserve a top-10 spot. I thought he could change his shot-happy ways, but Westbrook cannot figure out something as simple as giving the ball to Kevin Durant. We don’t need a basketball analyst to figure out that the best player should be taking the most shots for his team.

Without Harden, this is a ship waiting to get wrecked.

Don’t be surprised if Harden shows us this year that he is a better basketball player than Westbrook, either. And with that statement whisks the excitement away that has been built in OKC after incredible drafts over the past couple years.

Before we jump to conclusions about this season, all hope is not lost. There is time for change.

There are two solutions, however. For one, get Russell Westbrook out of the point guard position. How? …Well Presti put OKC into this mess so he should be able to find someone to fit the bill.

The second, and more critical adjustment, involves a change in a Thunder player with a non-zero number on the back of his jersey: Kevin Durant must stand up to Westbrook and insist on getting the ball more often. Durant does not have to make a public scene, because that’s not him. But he needs to make an emphatic statement to a clueless Russell Westbrook.

In no situation should the box score ever show that Westbrook took more shots than Durant. None. Oklahoma City will not win a championship with Westbrook trying to run the show like he is.

In the end, Kevin Durant is the captain of this ship. He has to command a change of direction or else prepare for wreckage.

2012 World Series Champions: San Francisco Giants are the perfect model of a team

2012-11-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Winning the championship twice in three years is a feat in any sport, but baseball in particular. In basketball, teams are often defined by the individual superstar—from Bill Russell to Larry Bird to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. In football, you live and die with your quarterback, as Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and the Manning brothers have shown.

But in baseball, even the best hitters come to the plate only once every nine at-bats. Even the best starting pitchers can only throw every five days. This fact may have something to do with the decline in popularity of baseball over the past decade…but we’ll leave that discussion for another day.

For now, it is time to give credit to the 2012 World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Quite honestly, as a fan and a San Francisco Bay Area native, I am stunned that they have managed to pull this off—but in only the best way. After the BALCO scandal, I could not see how they would dig themselves out of a hole that baseball had finally decided to clean up. But they have done just that, and more.

It’s nothing short of utterly remarkable for a team that had only two returning position players from the 2010 championship team.

The Giants have had the never-say-die attitude for more than just an incredible playoff run. They’ve had it for the decade since they lost to the then-Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series. Now they have two World Series trophies to show for it.

(On a side note, I found it odd that Joe Buck and Tim McCarver failed to mention once that was the second time the Giants and Cardinals have met in the NLCS since 2000. Not only that, the Giants won in seven games both times…but I’ve already established a position on their ~~suspicious~~ ascent to becoming MLB playoff announcers for FOX.)

There are so many ways to approach how great the Giants were this year—and to be honest, I would argue that 2012 team was one of the greatest in baseball history. You cannot pinpoint one hero because Marco Scutaro, Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum, and many others played pivotal roles in their march to a second title in three years.

Game 4, the World Series clinching game, is the perfect place to turn to. Within one game, the Giants embodied a lot of what they represented in 2012. You’re more than welcome to let me know what you think in the comments, but give this extended metaphor a shot…

-------------

Bruce Bochy stuck with his season-long ace for the Game 4 start. Matt Cain had been struggling mightily earlier in the playoffs, but Bochy was not phased. He had stuck with Tim Lincecum throughout the regular season despite his struggles, and he was going to stick with his ace in the postseason. The trust within the organization was not limited to the 25 players on the roster, but the coaching staff also had faith in their guys (see Madison Bumgarner’s Game 2 start).

What does Cain do? Throw seven solid innings, battling through a Miguel Cabrera home run that traveled 350 wind-assisted feet. (There is no way that would have been anything but a fly-ball out at AT&T Park in San Francisco.)

Then there’s Buster Posey. Although the consensus National League MVP had a postseason average more than 100 points lower than his .336 regular season average, he quietly called brilliant games for the pitching staff. Something I found overlooked was his ability to work with Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum throughout their appearances during the playoffs. Why? For the majority of the season, Hector Sanchez caught the two former Cy Young award winners.

Of course, Posey managed to make it work when it mattered most. As I have said before, you will be hard-pressed to find another player in all of MLB with a higher baseball IQ than San Francisco’s All Star catcher.

Game 4 in particular, Posey showed up. After the triple-crown winning Miguel Cabrera went yard in the third inning, it looked like the Giants might have to wait until Game 5 to beat the Detroit Tigers. But only three innings later, Buster Posey made his statement.

A two-run homer that wrapped around the left-field foul pole made up for the long list of strikeouts that Buster had been accumulating over the postseason. The heart and soul of the Giants organization made the statement that they had been making all season long: we’re not done yet.

Even though the Tigers were quick to respond and tie up the game, there was a feeling that something good was still bound to happen. Hunter Pence’s fiery pre-game speeches had led the assault from a 2-0 deficit to the Reds in the NLCS—a tie ballgame in the sixth inning? No problem.

This was in large part due to San Francisco’s outstanding bullpen. Going from Jeremy Affeldt to Santiago Casilla to Sergio Romo without a run in the eighth through 10th innings has managed to become expected—even in the wake of a Brian Wilson season-ending injury. A closer-by-committee bullpen gave way to a stellar Sergio Romo whose antics mirrored that of Brian Wilson, from the beard to the hilarious dugout scenes even to the unique post-save celebration.

But before we get to the bottom of the tenth inning, the Giants offense deserves even more credit. They made the league’s best pitcher look like a rookie. Pablo Sandoval’s ownership of Justin Verlander in Game 1 came in the form of two home runs against the former Cy Young and MVP award winner. The Panda was and is intimidated by nobody. However, Game 4 saw a less impressive 1-for-5 performance with two strikeouts from Sandoval.

The Giants offense as a whole was there to pick up the man who would become the 2012 World Series MVP. The final box score tallied nine hits for the San Francisco Giants—from eight different players.

And the (second) most important one came in the top of the tenth inning from Ryan Theriot, who was starting his first professional game at DH. Theriot did not have a consistent contribution to the Giants in 2012, but his lead-off single in the tenth inning was an all too perfect representation of the little guy stepping up. He didn’t care that it was an extra-inning game against a flame-throwing lefty who had struck out the past six Giants he had faced.

He had a job to do and went out and executed it.

Brandon Crawford was the next batter that Phil Coke faced. Crawford’s brilliant defense has become his signature, but he quietly had some big at-bats for the Giants. And this situation called for a bunt, something that Crawford had had very limited experience with.

Like Theriot, he got the job done.

The bunt that Crawford laid down was not quite as flashy as Gregor Blanco’s one earlier in the World Series that tip-toed the third base foul-line, but he moved Theriot to second base. Two batters later, Marco Scutaro stepped to the plate.

If there is any single player that bests represents the Giants 2012 run, it would be Marco Scutaro. Nicknamed “Blockbuster” as a play on the fact that he was the Giants acquisition after the Dodgers dealt for Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez, Marco Scutaro had a greater impact than all three of those players combined. Nobody in baseball had more hits than him from the time the Giants acquired him.

And in the playoffs, Scutaro was cold-blooded. He was an assassin at the plate who got every big hit the Giants needed from him. All too perfectly, it came down to him in the bottom of the tenth inning with two outs and Ryan Theriot on second. (It nearly reminds me of Dave Roberts on second with Bill Mueller at the plate in the 2004 ALCS, but maybe this metaphor thing is starting to push its limits…)

Chills still shoot down my spine when I think of Marco Scutaro’s single back up the middle. He had done it. Again. Ryan Theriot’s emotion after scoring the final run in the World Series said it all: it’s us against the world and we’re about to do it again.

As expected, Bruce Bochy gave the ball to Sergio Romo. Maybe the most underrated reliever in baseball, in over 130 appearances since 2011, Romo’s regular season ERA is less than 1.75—and his fastball doesn’t even hit 90 MPH.

Opposing hitters know Romo’s going to throw a slider and it’s still untouchable—eerily reminiscent of Mariano Rivera’s renowned cut-fastball. Romo threw four straight sliders against Austin Jackson, the first batter in the inning. End result? Strikeout.

Romo followed that strikeout with another one for the second out of the inning. And with two outs, how perfect that 2003 World Series champion Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate, having launched a home run only four innings earlier.

Five sliders later, the count to Cabrera was 2-2. With the sixth pitch in the at-bat, Romo threw…a fastball.

Buster Posey jumped before the umpire could even ring up Cabrera. A four-seam fastball at 89 MPH on the outside corner. Even the Giants’ dugout was probably surprised that Romo elected not to throw his nasty Frisbee slider.

This final pitch mirrors the surprise that baseball felt when San Francisco manhandled a team that had just swept the New York Yankees. For the second time in three years, the Giants proved to be the best team in baseball.

-------------

Six playoff wins in elimination games and a sweep of the best team in the American League.

Brian Wilson’s season-ending injury. Posey returning from a season-ending injury. Melky’s suspension. Lincecum’s regular season struggles. Cain’s perfecto. The 14 consecutive Giant wins in Barry Zito’s final 14 starts. Pence’s pre-game speeches. Marco Scutaro’s (clutch) hit after hit. Pablo Sandoval’s three home run game. Zito’s NLCS Game 5 brilliance. Seven consecutive wins to finish the 2012 playoffs. All beautifully finished with a humble, classy interview after the Game 4 win with Sergio Romo.

The spectacular Giants 2012 World Series championship unfolded in front of our eyes, a movie you couldn't make up. They defined—they perfected—what it meant to be a team.

2012 World Series: San Francisco Giants and the East Coast Bias

2012-10-27T12:42:00.002-07:00

The Detroit Tigers came into the World Series as favorites—and it is not hard to see why. Justin Verlander has a Cy Young and MVP award to his name and Miguel Cabrera just won the first Triple Crown since 1967. Quite frankly, the Tigers came into the World Series with both the best pitcher and the best hitter in baseball.

That’s nothing to shrug your shoulders at, but ignoring the efforts of the other competitor is ridiculous.

Look at MLB.com, and you’ll see the vast majority of the media personalities surveyed have predicted the Tigers to win the World Series. (Thankfully at least those at ESPN were a bit less biased in that survey.) While the World Series is far from over—as the Giants proved in their comebacks in both the NLDS and NLCS—it is ridiculous to see such a bias in World Series predictions. Didn't the Giants just prove twice not to count them out?

This east coast/anti-West coast bias prevailed throughout the first two games of the World Series, too. The infamous two check marks were insane. How badly did the Giants prove Tim McCarver wrong? Verlander got rocked and Zito threw a gem. Pablo Sandoval had a three home run game.

And yet, somehow it was often attributed to luck. After all, who could hit a 95 MPH fastball, never mind some dude nicknamed Kung Fu Panda?

Well, before Sandoval took his first swing against Verlander, my thoughts were: “if anybody can hit Verlander, Sandoval is that guy.” I would be lying if I told you that I predicted that he would hit three home runs, but Sandoval’s free-swinging nature is made for a flame-thrower like the former Cy Young winner.

Verlander loves to elevate his fastball—which Tim McCarver repeatedly called “unhittable” (until Giants hitters made it look like a watermelon)—and guess what Pablo loves swinging at? You guessed it: the high fastball. Rewind a couple years and that is exactly what Pablo’s problem was because he could not catch up to the high heat. But now, two years later and 40 pounds lighter, Pablo has shown that his free-swinging nature works. His career .303 average does not lie.

For those who do not buy the hitting ability of Sandoval, how about his All-Star performance against Verlander? The three-run triple proved that Verlander is not unhittable. He is underrated and a bit overweight, but the Panda can hit. And he owns Verlander.

An even more ridiculous claim: the Giants have gotten lucky in games one and two. Even former San Francisco Chronicle writer Gwen Knapp wrote that the Giants “have been so fortunate in the last week that even their mistakes end up working to their advantage” and “the Giants’ luck took on a paranormal quality late in the NLCS.”

Again, who knows how it will play out in the rest of the World Series, but from Game 5 of the NLCS through Game 2 of the World Series, the Giants have played nearly perfect baseball. To point to Blanco’s bunt, Pence’s broken-bat knock, or Pagan’s hit that bounced off third base as reasons for the Giants three consecutive wins is insane.

Offense, defense, pitching, managing—it has all been nearly perfect from Game 5 of the NLCS through Game 2 of the World Series.

And it hasn’t magically appeared, either. Take another wildly miscalculated Giant player for example: Barry Zito. First of all, the guy has been, well…perfect. In his past 14 starts, the Giants are a 14-0. Luck? Give it a break…he won a back-to-the-wall elimination Game 5 in the NLCS and Game 1 of the World Series. Any argument as to the validity of Zito’s pitching ability is outdated and lacks a factual basis. He deserves a large amount of credit for the Giants success. He earned the “Barry” chants at AT&T Park.

On that note, Joe Buck mentioned the “Barry chants” were a first since another famous Barry. Tim McCarver’s response? “When Barry Manilow was playing in a concert.” He forgot the most renowned Giant of all time. East coast bias or a lack of baseball knowledge? Who knows, but I find it embarrassing that these guys are in the announcers booth on baseball’s biggest stage.

Something would surely change in Game 2, right?

Similar claims of luck were made as to Madison Bumgarner’s seven innings of shutout baseball. The excuse this time was his recent struggles and 11.25 postseason ERA. No mention was made of Bumgarner’s 0.00 ERA in the World Series (which still holds true after his Game 2 start). He is the first pitcher since 1986 to allow 0 ER in his first 15 IP in the World Series.

How many times did you hear that mentioned on ESPN or during the game on Fox?

Nothing was made of the fact that the Giants have, as Brian Sabean said after the Giants won the pennant, the best coaching staff in baseball. Dave Righetti has seen some great pitchers in his 12-year tenure as the Giants pitching coach and Bruce Bochy has seamlessly integrated a Brian Wilson-less bullpen. Bumgarner’s mechanical flaws were no problem to fix for this staff.

How about now that the World Series shifts to Detroit? Well, home-field advantage means that the Tigers have nothing to worry about. In fact, they “won’t waste time winning the World Series.” We could pull up article after article on national media that would lend Stephen A. Smith to repeat one word: disrespectful.

Even the east-coast biased Joe Buck called AT&T Park the most electrifying ballpark in baseball, and he's announced playoff games in Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

The Giants have one of the league’s best shortstops. They have a catcher with the highest baseball IQ in the world—and a likely NL MVP award to complement his masterful management of the Giants pitching staff. And, oh yeah, a 2010 World Series championship banner.

They have talent, baseball intelligence, and a brotherhood that has proven to be crucial in playoff runs (see the “idiots” in Boston in 2004 and the “fear the beard” team of 2010).

49ers quarterback Alex Smith made a controversial stand to support San Francisco by wearing a Giants hat in a postgame interview. Smith plays a completely different sport but has respect for a Giants team that has proven they know how to get the job done. Jim Harbaugh voiced similar sentiments after Bochy wore a 49ers hat in a postgame interview of his own.

Harbaugh’s words, more than a month ago: “[The Giants are] a team that just never gives up. They're always fighting and they're coming back. It's a never-say-die type of team.”

While their road to winning the World Series will mean holding on to a 2-0 lead, those thoughts quite accurately echo their road to the Series.

Maybe someone should give Harbaugh—a football coach—a spot on ESPN or Fox as a baseball analyst. Sadly, he seems to know more about baseball than too many of the so-called “experts.”

Top 10 NBA Players of 2013

2012-10-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

Blockbuster trades and signings have placed some of the NBA’s best in new homes. While it remains to be seen how the players who were a part of the Dwight Howard trade will fair, there is no doubt that Howard himself will vie for a position among the best players in the NBA today.

And so, with the 2012-13 NBA season only about a week away from commencement, here is a ranking of the best players. (Note: Kevin Love and Derrick Rose are not considered because of injuries.)

10. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Although the Jeremy Lin saga took center stage in New York last season, Carmelo Anthony still put up over 21 points per game. He is one of the best scorers in the NBA along with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James—all who accompany him in this top-10 list.

The Knicks have not performed well in the postseason over Anthony’s tenure in New York but injuries have not helped. The addition of Jason Kidd should help get the best out of Anthony because unlike Lin, Kidd is more of a pass-first point guard, with a career 9.0 assist per game average.

If Anthony can keep himself collected when the Knicks find their rough patches, he may finally play more than just one playoff series in 2013.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 22.3 PPG / 5.3 RPG / 2.0 APG

9. Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets move to Brooklyn included the additions and re-signings of big names that included Deron Williams, Brooke Lopez, and Joe Johnson. This group of players and a slight change of scenery from New Jersey to Brooklyn will bring out the best in their star point guard.

Williams is an excellent hybrid of a scoring and facilitating point guard and is in the midst of his prime. The lack of depth in Brooklyn will make it difficult for the Nets to succeed in the playoffs, but Williams will continue to show that he is one of the best point guards in the game.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 20.7 PPG / 3.5 RPG / 8.9 APG

8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Even in the shadows of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade has proven to still be one of the best players in the NBA. Like James, his incredibly well-rounded game has led to both individual and team success.

His points per game average has steadily dropped over the past four years—but when you average over 30 points per game, that drop is relative. The 30-year-old Wade still has more than a good amount left in the tank. In fact, he is still the second best shooting guard in basketball behind one Kobe Bryant.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 22.9 PPG / 5.6 RPG / 5.3 APG / 1.2 BPG

7. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

CP3 has been one of those guys who steadily produces for his team and always seems to know how to best manage the offense. Like Deron Williams, his playmaking ability involves both scoring and facilitating aspects and he is a double-double threat.

Paul has also established himself as one of the best defensive point guards in the league. A four-time NBA steals champion and two-time All-Defensive first team, he is a leader on both ends of the floor.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 19.6 PPG / 3.3 RPG / 9.8 APG / 2.4 SPG

6. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

I have criticized Russell Westbrook’s style of play more than once, but you cannot argue with the results that he and Kevin Durant have had over the past three years. However, I will continue to question his and coach Scott Brooks’ thought process in having Westbrook take more shots in a game than Durant, his teammate who happens to be the best scorer in the game.

But it has produced results, with the Thunder steadily progressing in the postseason over the years. Westbrook’s fastbreak pull-up free-throw line jumper has become deadly. With some modification to his gameplay, there is no reason why Westbrook could not make it at least to the list of top-five NBA players.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 23.8 PPG / 4.8 RPG / 7.3 APG

5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Even a couple years into his 30s, Kobe Bryant is still a top-five player in the NBA. He has proven year in and year out that he does everything to keep his body and his shot in top shape. I have been a critic of Bryant’s style of play in the past and it remains to be seen if he can coexist with Steve Nash and Dwight Howard—both players who will command the ball a lot, something that Kobe will have to get used to. Pau and Andrew Bynum are/were much more passive than D12 and Nash, so even though they are highly capable players, they let Kobe run the show.

That will not be the case in 2013.

Like Wade, Kobe’s points per game will decrease in 2013. But when you were nearly the scoring champion, a decrease to 25 PPG (which is what I have predicted) is surely nothing tragic. He will be one of the best scorers in the game until he retires but whether or not he can win a sixth championship remains to be seen.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 25.1 PPG / 5.0 RPG / 4.1 APG

4. Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

The second Los Angeles Laker to hit the top-five best players currently in the NBA, D12 is a monster. His exit from Orlando was anything but pretty, but a change of scenery could be something that truly sets Howard above all other centers in the NBA.

He will prove to be one of the best defensive players in 2013 at roughly 14 rebounds and two blocks per game. But again, the dynamics between him, Kobe, and Nash will determine how far the Lakers can go as a team because each star will want his share of the spotlight. The “Big Threes” in Boston and Miami took a couple years to pull it together and if Bryant retires at age 35, that puts a large amount of pressure on Howard and the Lakers to succeed now.

Regardless, Howard is the best big man in the league and is ahead of Kobe Bryant mainly because of age. At this point in their respective careers, Howard’s ability to impact the game on offense and defense is greater. Either way, the Lakers should be pleased to have two of the NBA’s best wearing their purple and gold.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 20.7 PPG / 14.2 RPG / 1.6 APG / 2.2 BPG

3. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

This may appear to be a controversial pick, but for one Rajon Rondo is the best traditional point guard in the league. Both Chris Paul and Deron Williams are better offensive scorers than Rondo, but the Celtic point guard runs the show like nobody else in the NBA. His ability to get the ball to his perimeter players and post players is uncanny.

He carried the Celtics to nearly beating the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals almost singlehandedly. Rondo even went off for 44 points, something that was amazing considering the fact that he is not the greatest scorer. Rajon even proved that he could hit jump shots and the occasional three-pointer. Undoubtedly, that performance was the exception rather than the norm, but Rondo will come into 2013 an improved player.

More so than the other seven players behind Rondo on this list, he made his team better than they would have been without him. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen were not young and the up-and-coming Avery Bradley got injured at the most inopportune time. Rondo was a workhorse who almost never rested during the 48-minute game and gave the Celtics a chance to go farther in the playoffs than most people were expecting.

He jumped up quite a few spots from where I ranked him for 2011-12, but he earned it. He may have some room to improve his scoring ability, but Rondo is the best overall point guard in the NBA.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 13.4 PPG / 5.1 RPG / 11.9 APG / 2.1 SPG

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

There is not much to say about Kevin Durant that has not already been said. Will he finally get a ring in 2013? Who knows, but what we do know is that this guy is the best scorer in the NBA from the tip-off to the final buzzer. Put the ball in his hands and something good is bound to happen.

Durant is one of the most likable players and quietly led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top of the Western Conference (having lost in the NBA Finals in 2012). Look for him to improve on the areas that he was weaker in in 2012 (namely rebounding) and compete for another championship in 2013. The future is bright for this young star.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 30.4 PPG / 7.8 RPG / 3.0 APG

1. LeBron James, Miami Heat

“It’s about damn time.” Those were the first words from LeBron James in a post-game interview after winning the 2012 NBA Finals and finally capturing that elusive first title. Having done that, LeBron has lifted a tremendous weight off of his shoulders, and like I have said before, he will be better than ever in 2013.

The inability to decide how exactly to take advantage of opposing defenses has been difficult for LeBron because they are at his mercy. He can do nearly everything you want on offense better than nearly everybody else (save outside shooting).

But what he does not as often get credited for is his ability to impact the game on defense. He can do something that nobody else in the NBA can: defend all five positions, point guard through center. Granted he is best at defending opposing small forwards, but LeBron will do whatever he is called upon to do. That is something that helped lead the Heat to the 2012 NBA championship, considering they were weaker on the inside with Chris Bosh as the only natural post defender.

Everybody else is looking up at the reigning regular season and NBA Finals MVP.

Predicted 2013 statistics: 28.3 PPG / 8.0 RPG / 7.6 APG / 2.0 SPG

2012 NLCS: Barry Zito’s resilience, a microcosm of the Giants organization

2012-10-20T02:38:00.001-07:00

The San Francisco Giants are now a perfect 13-0 in the last 13 times that Barry Zito has taken the ball, including two starts in the playoffs. Some of those starts have not been pretty—twice he did not see the end of the third inning—but the end result is what matters. And in Game 5, as he did in the previous 12 starts, Zito led the Giants to a win.

Let there be absolutely no mistake: the past couple months (and the season as a whole) have seen some of the most bizarre, unexpected events for the Giants. Starting pitching has been the crux of the organization ever since they won the 2010 World Series. Everybody except Barry Zito has faulted at some point during Zito’s winning streak and that includes a former two-time Cy Young Award winner and a right-hander who threw a perfect game. At the start of the season Brian Wilson went down and a successful return from injury by Posey was anything but guaranteed.

Posey has become the face of the franchise and is now the likely National League MVP. Melky Cabrera, a juiced-up hitting machine, helped lead a Giants offense that has been at least as critical to the success of their team as the pitching. San Francisco concluded the 2012 regular season top-five in all of baseball in batting average at nearly .270.

Three years ago the Giants had two players above .265 (among qualifiers).

Bruce Bochy deserves a large amount of credit for the work that he has done as manager with an erratic organization. San Francisco has often defied who they have defined themselves as over the course of the past couple years. He should be manager of the year (even considering the incredible work of rookie manager Mike Matheny of the St. Louis Cardinals), but an incredible amount of accolades deserves to fall with Barry Zito.

What he has given the Giants this year has been quintessential to their success. His contributions arguably equate to Buster Posey’s incredible comeback.

Although he only had one win to show for it, Zito started off the 2012 season with a miniscule 1.67 ERA in 27 IP in the month of April. That includes a four-hit complete game shutout. Sadly, he did not maintain that performance, but with a $126 million contract lingering over his head and the disappointment of San Francisco weighing him down, it has been anything but easy for the former Cy Young Award winner. I still have a hard time believing this guy was once the best pitcher in the American League, but that’s a separate story…

Nonetheless, he kept his head down and continued plugging away—which is exactly what the Giants have been doing over these 2012 playoffs. Sometimes it has been downright ugly, but Zito (like the Giants) have not given up.

And it bears repeating a second time: the man has led the Giants to wins every single of his past 13 starts. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and Zito has had his fair share of luck…but being perfect is a completely different story. You ride that as long as you can. And while I disagreed with Bochy giving Lincecum the Game 4 start in the NLCS, giving Zito the ball in Game 5 proved to be season-saving. Sometimes luck and hard work have a funny way of coinciding and discerning the two should not really matter.

In Game 5, Zito had all of his pitches working. He threw perfect “Zito ball.” He made an 86 MPH fastball look like it was 96 by commanding both sides of the plate with his infamous curveball and excellent changeup.

But the numbers that Zito put up were not what impressed me most. Manager Bruce Bochy gave the ball to him in a situation that Zito has failed miserably in in the past. Clutch was a gene that had apparently escaped him. Even the great Joe Buck remembers that Zito was left off of the playoff roster in 2010.

That was a move added insult to injury but Zito sucked it up and went with the flow.

This time he got his chance and threw lights out. He pulled himself out of a second inning jam and got some help from Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence on defense. It was somewhat surreal, but he was cool for the 7 2/3 innings that he pitched. He accomplished something that probably nobody else on the Giants pitching staff could do.

His post-game interview with Fox Sports solidified this renewed respect that I have for Zito. As the reporter said, the “weight of San Francisco [was] on his shoulders, [Zito] you certainly carried it well tonight.” The humble look about him is further proof that Zito is as grounded as you could possibly get, even after a fabulous outing. He acknowledged that this was the best start of his career “especially doing it in a Giants uniform.”

In his words: “most important thing for me is doing everything for San Francisco right now.”

He knows the pain that he has caused Giants fans over the years, something that probably was not really his fault. Outrageous expectations in the form of dollar signs were met with hard reality and Zito was the recipient of a lot of harsh criticism (myself very much included). But as a Giants fan I recognize and appreciate that Zito has powered through it despite that the circumstances and criticism—and this performance in the NLCS against a high-octane offense was spectacular.

It was inspiring.

He weathered the storm and has been the representation of a “never-say-die” attitude. He has provided the postseason magic that the Giants desperately needed.

While there may be no way to quantify it, the Giants do seem to play harder behind Zito. His constant effort edges them on—maybe because he does so perfectly represent what their team has been about over this season. Resilience has often been the only thing that the Giants could look for when they were underperforming and it led them to completing a historic comeback in the NLDS.

Zito acknowledged that the Giants still have their work cut out for them. San Francisco is still down three games to two against the Cardinals heading back to city by the bay. It truly does come down to this: World Series or go home.

Fittingly, it represents the dichotomous nature of Zito’s pitching: either come through in the clutch or pack your bags and hope something changes next year.

As for Zito specifically: in this article that I wrote nearly exactly a month ago, I said that he “has the power to change Giants’ fans opinion of him in the next month.”

He has done just that.

2012 NLCS: Analyzing Lincecum and the Giants' rotation

2012-10-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

Two disheartening losses at home in games 1 and 2 of the NLDS were not a good sign of things to come—and history said a comeback was impossible. So what did the Giants do? Come back from a 2-0 deficit to win three games on the road. It was historic. It was a magical performance that reinvigorated the Giants organization as well as their fan base.

The NLDS was eerily reminiscent of the 2004 ALCS when the Boston Red Sox came roaring back from a 3-0 deficit of their own in what was the greatest comeback in sports history. (Okay maybe the Giants comeback was not quite of that magnitude, but you get the idea.)

While it should be clear that manager Bruce Bochy will choose what is best for the Giants, as he has always done, here are my thoughts of what the NLCS starting rotation should look like (something quite different from my original thoughts of their playoff pitching). This is a question that largely comes down to the use of five starters that have been inconsistent and, for 80 percent of them, under-performing. Yet that only matters so much because the potential for greatness has already been seen on the mound from each starter.

First, and most importantly should be a consideration of when each pitcher threw in the NLDS and this chart gives you a succinct look at that:

	Pitcher	Innings pitched	Earned runs
Game 1	Matt Cain	5	3
Game 2	Madison Bumgarner	4.1	4
Game 2	Tim Lincecum	2	0
Game 3	Ryan Vogelsong	5	1
Game 4	Barry Zito	2.2	2
Game 4	Tim Lincecum	4.1	1
Game 5	Matt Cain	5.2	3

Of course, Matt Cain cannot pitch on Sunday’s opener. But is that really a bad thing? Definitely not. If Cain pitches in Game 3, then he would be pitching on full rest in a Game 7 situation, which would be ideal. Regardless of the fact that he struggled mightily in his two games in the NLDS, Cain is a workhorse and has earned the right to be the primary focal point of the pitching staff in the decline of Tim Lincecum.

You might say what decline of Tim Lincecum? Certainly his two performances in the NLDS earned him the right to return to the starting rotation! While that may be true, the reality is that he may be more valuable to the Giants as a long reliever and a Zito-buffer. If Lincecum comes out of the bullpen, the Giants have flexibility on which games to use him. Compare that to Bochy giving the ball to Lincecum as a starter—a situation where all flexibility is lost. Presumably the games in which Cain pitches the Giants would go to their traditional bullpen pitchers where Bochy is a master at mixing and matching based on matchups and who is pitching well. Also, a Zito-Lincecum game gives Posey the game off at catcher.

The other starters have been a toss-up. Since it comes down to it, Vogelsong was the only pitcher other than Cain to make it to 5 IP so the Giants should have no problem moving him up to a Game 1 or Game 2 start. However, they should be hesitant to give Vogelsong the Game 1 start because he or Lincecum could be used out of the bullpen if necessary—possibly paving a way for Lincecum into the starting rotation.

Also, Bumgarner has more experience—namely the 2010 World Series championship run. So I would give the Game 1 start to Bumgarner; he gives the Giants the best chance to win after eliminating Lincecum and Cain from consideration (based on what was mentioned in previous paragraphs). If you disagree with the previous paragraph, perhaps giving Lincecum a Game 1 start is feasible and reasonable.

Putting my thoughts into action means the first three games will look like this:

Game 1: Madison Bumgarner

Game 2: Ryan Vogelsong

Game 3: Matt Cain

…Now the tough question: who starts Game 4? You can say Tim Lincecum but the reality is that Barry Zito works. Why? First, the Giants have won all of his past 12 starts. Regardless of how utterly ugly they have been, the end result has been, dare I say…perfect. Second, Lincecum coming out of the ‘pen is a great option if things go south quickly. Lincecum is so different from Zito that he will surely disorient the Nationals/Cardinals hitters. Finally, this is the ideal situation for Timmy because he can replicate precisely what worked in the NLDS. Lincecum could relieve in Games 2 and 4…and possibly in Game 7. That is another consideration when trying to maximize the benefits of "The Freak."

Lincecum clearly proved me wrong when I said that Vogelsong would be the best “starter-reliever”, and he showed that he may be more valuable in that relief role during these playoffs. So give Game 4 to Barry Zito.

If neither NLCS team sweeps the series, games 5 through 7 are all fairly straightforward. A re-hashing of the game 1-3 starters leaves the final three games looking like this:

Game 5: Madison Bumgarner

Game 6: Ryan Vogelsong

Game 7: Matt Cain

Again, there are so many variables to take into account. Which Bumgarner is going to show up? Is 2010 playoff Cain going to be in the NLCS or will it be the one who pitched in the 2012 NLDS? Can Barry Zito pitch more than a couple innings? The list goes on because each of the five regular season starters has questions surrounding him.

The one thing that we have learned from the NLDS is that Lincecum is back in the discussion. Should he start? I say not in the NLCS, but if the Giants make it to the World Series, that argument should (and would) be re-evaluated.

Bochy’s decision will probably become apparent shortly. His protection of his pitchers in the NLDS and appropriate use of them all shows that he not only knows what is best for his team but that he also has the trust of his players.

One thing is certain: Bochy’s management of the rotation and closer role have been nothing short of spectacular, so whomever he puts on the field is for a reason.

…Well probably more than just one reason.

A conversation with John Brenkus of ESPN's Sport Science

2012-10-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Fans from all sports have seen the great looks that Sport Science gives into the spectrum of world-class athletes. John Brenkus gives us something that SportsCenter just does not cover. Here is an exclusive interview that John did with me (which was my first since talking to NBA Hall of Famer, Clyde Drexler). We covered two main subjects: baseball and John’s recent involvement with extreme sports, namely the Iron Man triathlon.

Elijah Abramson: Let’s start off with a little baseball first, and Miguel Cabrera winning the triple crown. What are your thoughts on that and the surprise in him winning the batting crown because of the difficulties of right-handed hitters getting to first base. Is there any merit to that notion?

John Brenkus: I think it’s being a little overblown. The argument that it’s surprising that anybody would win it now is valid. With all sports, there are numerous athletes at the top and just better overall. It’s not surprising that it hasn’t happened in a long time because there are so many good hitters and pitchers. It’s difficult for everything to line up in such a way that this can happen. For an athlete to be in the groove for such an extended time is amazing.

EA: Why hasn’t there been as much talk about this historic performance? Do you think that this has anything to do with the emphasis of sabermetrics and de-emphasis of traditional stats?

JB: In terms of the reaction, I think that stories will gain weight based on who is doing it and what the circumstances are. The Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow explosion media might outweigh the triple crown because of the person, city, time, and place. The triple crown in baseball is over such an extended time that you can’t have as much sort of intense focus. The back story wasn’t nearly as interesting as Tebow or Lin.

EA: Obviously you discuss a lot about physical limits, talk a little about Aroldis Chapman. He hadn’t given up an earned run for a good portion of the season. Can he last throwing so hard and has he reached the physical limits of velocity of a fastball at 105 MPH?

JB: Certainly, as I mentioned in my book, I think that we are pegging out at the top of how hard a human being can throw. The best illustration of that is in the explosion of the steroid era where home runs were flying out of the ballpark, the average velocity of a pitch was relatively consistent. There is a limit to how fast an arm can move. We are reaching that point where you simply can’t move any faster. Throwing the ball that hard that many times—there are only so many times that is possible.

There are many schools of thought: older pitchers think that newer ones aren’t throwing enough and the newer pitchers think, ‘well we’re just throwing faster than anyone has.’ Half of all starting pitchers at some point wind up on the disabled list. There is a very high rate of injury. If you get injured while pitching it is often very difficult to get that confidence back because of the worry of re-injury.

EA: So what do you think about the Stephen Strasburg situation and shutting him down for the playoffs?

JB: There are two legitimate arguments to be made. Regardless of what I think, there is the team that made the investment, ultimately it is their call. If they weren’t paying athletes so much money maybe I would say differently. Some people think he should be throwing and make his arm stronger and other people think being cautious is better.

EA: What do you think about Tim Lincecum's mechanics and can he rebound? His velocity definitely decreased this past year.

JB: I think that great athletes can always rebound. They can always get there. The question is well he ever throw as hard as he has? I don’t think that’s a requirement for a “rebound.” You look at someone like R.A. Dickey, there are a lot of different ways to pitch.

Lincecum is one of those guys who has a peculiar throwing motion so those mechanics are very built in to him and in terms of trying to explain why he isn’t throwing as hard or is it a lack of confidence or is it trying to learn his patterns as a pitcher. It’s probably a combination of all of those. I do think he can rebound and I don’t think he will regain his max velocity—but that’s not required.

EA: Will his career be shortened because of that stress? Is a 10-15 season career within reach?

JB: You never want to under-sell somebody and say that they can’t do it but I would say that if I had to bet, I don’t think that he is going to flame out. How long of a career he has, well who knows?

EA: How do you think steroids will impact how Melky Cabrera can come back? Do steroids have a lingering effect; basically, did his entire performance hinge on steroids and he will return a mediocre player at best?

JB: We now have a significant sample size of players coming back from PEDs. A subset of players continues right along and are just fine. They might not be as good as they were but are just fine. Others are nowhere near where they were. Largely, that answer comes down to psychology.

The big thing with PEDs is that they are oversold as a “magic potion” for amazing performance in terms of what they do to you. Yes, you can recover faster. However, the psychological component may be as responsible as the physical effect. PEDs have that “superman effect” for players making them feel invincible.

And they are hitting home runs, which is positive feedback that reinforces that idea. [After getting off steroids] some may change psychologically while others may have completely lost that mental edge. It really depends on that psychological dependence.

EA: Moving on to the extreme sports, can you give me your thoughts on their rise and popularity? Can they ever come close to approaching the Big Three sports in America or are they more designed for a subset of people?

JB: They won’t be as popular on TV but in terms of participation, something like the Iron Man has become the new marathon. As people are seeing what the body is capable of, the marathon used to be that event that was the most grueling thing that you had to do in a day. It was a goal that needed to be worked toward in order to achieve. It’s been around so long and so many people are looking at what’s more difficult.

The Iron Man is the perfect confluence of what you can’t do to just roll out of bed and it’s one day so it’s not an eco-challenge over multiple days with team members. It’s running, biking, swimming. It’s self-contained. It will continue to grow because you can wrap your brain around it. Even though it’s unbelievably difficult and covers incredible distances, the Iron Man is at that modern day limit of what the marathon used to be.

EA: Talk a little bit about your training and tips for people who might be considering it.

JB: There is a strong psychological component. After all, you are swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112, and running 26.2. Those are huge numbers.

What you need to do in training is take certain distances and commit to finishing them no matter what. That way when you run 18 miles you say, ‘wow I know I can do it, I am strong enough, healthy enough and have sound enough of a mind’ and you prove to yourself that you can do that. Then training as a whole becomes easier. You say, ‘well if I can bike 80 miles, certainly I can bike 112!’

Once you overcome the psychological barriers, you can go into the event knowing you can do it. The real question is how much are you going to enjoy yourself? There are a lot of different philosophies in training for an endurance event. I subscribe to the ‘don’t over-train’ mentality. The over-training is what gets you injured and more psychologically exhausted. It changes your mental perspective too much. It can take the fun out of it and make it more like a job. If you want it to become a lifestyle you still need to enjoy it.

Variety is key. Cross-training is important. Changing up your workouts is important.

EA: How do you think a professional athlete like LeBron James would fair if he decided to do something like this? Would his (or any pro athletes’) sport adequately train them for such endurance based events?

JB: I think LeBron would do great. The intense focus that professional athletes sustain over a long time—LeBron’s got an 82 game season plus playoffs and the Olympics—just shows the commitment and endurance that these guys have. Sure, they may need more practice with the swimming and biking components, but they could definitely do it if they dedicated themselves to it. It would take some adaptation but it is definitely well within reason.

EA: Alright, well what about comparing someone like LeBron or Calvin Johnson to Usain Bolt in a short-distance running event?

JB: That’s a great question but I still think Usain would come out on top. The nuances come in when you talk about lateral movement.

Bolt doesn’t have nearly the elite side-to-side ability of someone like a running back. And even with short distance sprints, [Titans RB] Chris Johnson actually has a faster 40-yard dash than Bolt but over 200m, Bolt would still come out on top. These guys are all the best at what they do and we should appreciate that. It would be tough for the best player in their sport to go into another sport and compete with the best in that sport.

EA: I agree. Well thanks again for taking the time to talk to me, I really appreciate it.

JB: You got it. Have a good one.

If you want to read or see more of John Brenkus’ work, be sure to check out the TV Series Sport Science as well as his book, The Perfection Point.

Previewing the 2013 NBA sleeper teams

2012-10-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

The faces of the NBA currently reside in Los Angeles, Miami, Boston and a few other select cities. While fans and analysts alike are quick to pick their favorite Goliath, there are always teams like the 2012 Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers ready to give them a run for their money.

Even if the concentration of talent in the NBA has lended itself to rooting for a team away from home, there is a ray of hope for those who still manage to pull for a select group of small market teams. And all of those teams follow a formula of scavenging around for young talent and players capable of putting up All Star-type numbers on occasion.

In no particular order, here are five NBA teams that you should not sleep on.

Golden State Warriors

A tumultuous four or five seasons after upending the number one seeded Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs, the Warriors are legitimately ready to rebound. Monta Ellis had led the way for the majority of those years but it was not working. His scoring ability was unquestionably elite; in his heyday for the Warriors, he could get to the basket with the best players in the NBA. And the reality is that there is really only one way to go for a team that did not even win 25 games in 2012.

Monta’s selfishness played a part in the lack of success in Golden State. So although the pieces the Warriors received when they traded Monta to the Milwaukee Bucks may have been suspect at the time, the trade looks better as time passes—although on-court performance will be the true judge of the trade. The centerpiece of the trade, Andrew Bogut, fulfilled a void that has plagued the Warriors for years because Andris Biedrins has become a disaster.

Now add Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, David Lee, and a host of other highly capable role players to the mix and the Warriors have reason for optimism. Injury is the taboo topic for Bay Area fans with the fragility of Curry and Bogut’s recent history, but at least for now, the Warriors should be excited for more than merely a rebuilding season.

Fending for your life in the western conference is by no means easy, but time is on their side and a playoff berth is within reason. As they have shown before, once the Dubs are in the playoffs, all bets are off for favorites—there is energy at Oracle that few (if any) NBA fan bases can match.

Where will they be seeded at the end of the 2013 NBA season: 6-8, the Warriors will be heading back to the playoffs.

New Orleans Hornets

Building your organization around a player like Anthony Davis certainly bodes well for the future of your team—but the Hornet who is often forgotten is Eric Gordon. Although he played a grand total of nine games in the 2012 NBA season because of injury, Gordon has proven that he is a force in the NBA. In 2011, he scored over 22 points per game.

The Hornets are also the epitome of youth with only one player on the entire team over the age of 30. Does this remind you of a team who has thrived with superstar-caliber youth? Oklahoma City has been the definition of supremely talented youth in the NBA and although Anthony Davis may be nowhere near the scorer of Kevin Durant that may not be necessary with Eric Gordon running the scoring show.

For the Thunder, an issue that was brought up again and again (whether or not it had merit) was that they lacked a big man. New Orleans definitely does not lack that. And how Davis matches up to future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan will be particularly fascinating to watch when the two big men compete in what will likely become more than a joke of a division rivalry.

Where will they be seeded at the end of the 2013 NBA season: 10-12, the Hornets will not make the playoffs. They are on the up-and-up but the Hornets are still at least a year away from a playoff berth.

Utah Jazz

Even though they got swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, the Utah Jazz are another solid young team. Led by Al Jefferson, the Utah Jazz have managed to stay in the playoff hunt after the departure of long-time Jazz player, Carlos Boozer.

And to add onto the obstacles in the pathway of the Jazz, Jerry Sloan’s retirement meant that some big shoes had to be filled. Tyrone Corbin has proven that he is a reasonably capable coach and now has more than a year’s worth of experience as the head coach of the Jazz.

Utah does not have the caliber of young studs that the other four teams mentioned here possess, but if they can click, the Jazz should be able to compete for another position at the bottom of the western conference.

Where will they be seeded at the end of the 2013 NBA season: 9-11, many fans have high hopes for the Jazz, but just aren’t there yet. Teams like the Warriors and Timberwolves are ready to make a move.

Minnesota Timberwolves

On paper, there looks like there is no reason that the T’wolves should not be competitive. With Kevin Love averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds a night, Minnesota should be able to put together a supporting cast to help them get to the playoffs.

Of course, injuries never help and Ricky Rubio was removed from the equation early in the season. And although the timetable for Rubio’s return is still set potentially months away, the Timberwolves have quietly assembled some excellent pieces for the upcoming season.

Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, and Greg Steimsma all have the potential to pay dividends and really bolster the overall offensive and defensive firepower of a fairly small-market franchise.

Where will they be seeded at the end of the 2013 NBA season: 7-8, the Timberwolves will finally make the playoffs.

Philadelphia 76ers

Finally dumping Andre Iguodala was a blessing for the 76ers. Not only did they get rid of a guy that they had been trying to sell for a while but Philadelphia received a top-two center in the entire league. The math does not add up but the Sixers will be the last to complain.

Bynum averages a double-double over the course of his career and is still only 24 years old! If the Sixers can hold onto the talented big man, they will have a great centerpiece to build their organization around for years to come. Granted, he may not be the most mature player, but he will not be doing much of the ball handling and Jrue Holliday has proven to be very capable of that aspect of the offense.

Spencer Hawes, Nick Young, Jason Richardson, and Dorell Wright are all more than proficient at their primary role on the basketball court and the team chemistry is what could make the 76ers a truly special team.

Their upside is nothing short competing with the top tier of the eastern conference.

Where will they be seeded at the end of the 2013 NBA season: 4-7, the 76ers are the strongest team of these five sleepers.

2012 MLB Playoffs: Analyzing the Giants pitching rotation options

2012-09-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Now that the San Francisco Giants have booked their ticket to October baseball, the inevitable topic of debate for the next couple weeks will be the pitching rotation. The Giants are in a tough position—but in a good way because they have excellent options to choose from. Typically a playoff rotation is only a four-man rotation so that the number one starter can throw two times in a five-game series or even three times in a seven-game set. This leaves one regular season starter riding the bench.

The Giants do not currently have any true back-of-the-rotation starter (save Tim Lincecum’s struggles that Bruce Bochy continually neglected). Instead, they seem to have a pair of aces as well as five arms who can all give San Francisco an excellent shot at winning a ballgame.

	Matt Cain	Madison Bumgarner	Barry Zito	Tim Lincecum	Ryan Vogelsong
W-L	5-2	5-4	5-1	5-3	5-4
IP	65.1	61.2	53.2	52.2	49
ERA	3.04	3.68	4.91	3.28	7.16
K	55	57	35	47	52
Team win percentage	.700	.600	.900	.667	.500

Note: Statistics from 8/1 – 9/23; team win percentage represents all games where named pitcher started

Even though his ERA is on the high side, Barry Zito should be a no-brainer to land a spot in the rotation. His recent performance has been outstanding in that the Giants have won nine of his past ten starts. Even though he was a disaster in the previous years that he donned the orange and black, Zito has been a quintessential member of the Giants pitching staff and has earned a spot in the rotation.

Matt Cain and his perfect game have undoubtedly been a crux of the staff, as well. He and Madison Bumgarner have been relatively consistent throughout the season and were instrumental in the Giants’ 2010 World Series championship. Cain did not give up a single earned run in 21 1/3 innings of postseason work.

Although Tim Lincecum was the face of the 2010 World Series championship, his shockingly terrible season this year has landed him in the discussion for the back-end of the rotation—if not out of the rotation altogether. Lincecum’s season as a whole has been well less expected from a two-time Cy Young Award winner, but his pitching has improved over the course of the past two months and in that time period he is right in the middle of the rotation, statistically.

This leaves out Ryan Vogelsong. While that would be a difficult decision to make considering he had such an incredible comeback season last year, Vogelsong just has not been playing as well of late and has been the worst Giants starter of late (see chart above). By no means does that mean that he is bad—the Giants have some of the best pitching in baseball—it just means that he is the odd man out this time.

As for the order of the rotation, that is a more complicated question based on matchups—something that Bochy has been a wizard with over the years. Take this season for example: Bochy has made a closer-by-committee bullpen work masterfully.

Based on the combination of factors such as recent performance and previous experience, the Giants rotation should look something like this:

1) Matt Cain

2) Madison Bumgarner

3) Tim Lincecum

4) Barry Zito

Truthfully, the last two are interchangeable. Moreover, if the Giants are able to get through everybody in the first round and somebody does particularly well (or particularly poorly), Bochy can fiddle with the rotation and add Ryan Vogelsong, if necessary. Additionally, having Vogelsong come out of the bullpen as a middle reliever could be very effective for the Giants—and that’s something Vogelsong could likely do better than any other starter.

Going into the playoffs, the Giants should be very happy with what they have. This rotation may not be as concrete as the 2010 team, but nothing about 2012 has been very concrete. Nonetheless, they pulled out the National League West title. It will be exciting to see who will step up in October and how Bochy manages the pieces that he has to work with.

Barry Zito and San Francisco Giants fans: is there hope for reconciliation?

2012-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Barry Zito has given the San Francisco Giants fans nothing short of 126 million reasons to hate him. As excited as the Giants organization and fan base had been to get the former Cy Young Award winner (can you believe he used to be that good?), San Francisco quickly came to despise the pitcher who all but robbed the bank of one of baseball’s most storied franchises.

In the five seasons that Zito has pitched for the Giants (2007-11), he posted a horrendous 4.55 ERA to go with a 43-61 record in over 800 IP. That fell far short of the Giants expectations of him. San Francisco had reason to believe that there was still something left of the pitcher who had won 23 games in 2002. That said, the argument that he was overrated certainly has merit: Zito had hovered around a .500 winning percentage from 2003-06 and never had an ERA below 3.30. The Giants were expecting a miracle to re-appear from the shadows of a one-hit wonder.

Fast forward to 2012 and actually, Barry Zito has been impressive by his (albeit low) standards. As of 9/22, Zito has 13 wins and an ERA just above 4.00. But the Giants have finally become accustomed to the results they will be getting when they put Zito on the mound. It is not Matt Cain or Madison Bumgarner out there, but a mediocre pitcher who can occasionally put together good starts.

If the ultimate judge of a pitcher is whether or not his team gets a “W” when the lights go off after the game, Zito has been outstanding. Yes, Barry Zito with his 4.18 ERA and his 84 MPH fastball has actually been outstanding in something.

The Giants have won every single of Zito’s past nine starts. A perfect 9-0.

Granted, the Giants have managed to amass over six runs per game for Zito during that stretch but the end result is what matters, and the end result has been quite pleasing of late. Believe it or not, Zito has actually put together an impressive month of September even by a traditional pitcher’s standards, having a 3-0 record to complement an impressive 2.66 ERA and only five walks in 23.2 IP. (He still has one more start in September to blow it though so the jury is still waiting to see if the real Barry Zito will please stand up.)

Is this enough to satisfy Giants fans? Certainly not. The stress he has caused and games he has lost are still all too fresh in the city by the bay. But is there a way out for Barry Zito? Now that is a much more complicated question. If he manages to continue to put together starts that may not be stellar but get the job done, it is a realistic possibility. Especially if the Giants make a deep playoff run supported by Zito in the back end of the rotation, who knows? Baseball is a funny game that is based on one fundamental idea: what have you done for me lately.

Look no further than the demise that has been Tim Lincecum. The Freak has two Cy Young awards to his name but the Giants no longer trust the former ace who led the Giants to lose 12 out of his first 14 starts of the 2012 season.

As Lincecum has shown, the “what have you done for me lately” philosophy will get you nowhere if the results are not consistent. Recently it has been looking better for Zito, no doubt. When it comes down to crunch time will be the true test of Zito’s grit (or whatever is left of it).

Barry Zito has the power to change Giants’ fans opinion of him in the next month. If he does not do it now, he may have cemented his unfortunate legacy as the most overpaid Giant of all time.

No pressure, Barry.

Can the San Francisco Giants make a closer-by-committee system work?

2012-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Brian Wilson personified the Giants’ bullpen in their 2010 World Series championship run. The ability for a manager to turn the ball over to a shut-down arm in late-inning situations is something that should never be taken for granted—Bruce Bochy can undoubtedly attest to that. Unfortunately for the Giants, Wilson went down early in the season with an elbow injury that resulted in a second season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Currently the Giants are sporting a closer-by-committee bullpen situation and thus far, it has worked. Santiago Casilla is listed as the closer but Sergio Romo (12 saves), Jeremy Affeldt (3), Clay Hensley (3), and Javier Lopez (7) combine to have more saves than him (24).

Perhaps one reason the Giants have been so reluctant to name a closer is because their best pitcher does not have the stereotypical persona of one. Sergio Romo is sporting a miniscule 1.98 ERA and only 10 walks in 50 innings of work; however, he does not possess the blazing fastball that Brian Wilson and former Giant great Robb Nen threw. In fact, Romo’s fastball does not even average 88 MPH.

Santiago Casilla, on the other hand, throws a respectable 94 MPH fastball. In the beginning of the season, it looked like he would be the closer for the Giants in Wilson’s absence. But midseason woes—namely an ERA north of 6.00 in June and July—forced Bochy to search elsewhere for ninth inning pitching.

Naturally, Sergio Romo was the guy to turn to. After all, he did not give up a single earned run in his first 13 appearances. A couple of bad outings led Bochy to stick with a closer-by-committee bullpen for the long term.

So the real question is: can the Giants win in the playoffs with such a system? Recent World Series champions were anchored by the likes of Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon, Brad Lidge, Bobby Jenks, and Brian Wilson. There was no question for those teams who would be taking the ball at the end of the game, something that made such situations slightly less nerve-wracking.

Even though the Giants have managed their bullpen skillfully, San Francisco Chronicle writer Henry Schulman points out a glaring problem: only four teams since 1969 have won the World Series while three different pitchers have at least eight saves each. All of those coaches are (or will be) in the Hall of Fame.

As great as Bochy has managed the great Giants pitching staff, he is not Cooperstown-bound just yet. (But winning a World Series with a closer-by-committee bullpen might give him a strong case.)

Realistically the Giants have no option but to ride it out, and if that means a closer-by-committee team, so be it. Casilla, Romo, and Lopez are all capable of closing the deal and even Affeldt can take care of late-inning relief, if necessary. Going with whoever is hot is the best idea until one pitcher stands out...and only two of those four relievers have a realistic shot at earning the role come the playoffs: Romo or Casilla. Romo has the playoff experience and Casilla has the mentality you want from a closer.

Bochy will not have an easy job deciding who gets to start the ninth inning once October baseball rolls around. But if anybody in today’s game is capable of pulling it off, Bochy is the guy. Will it work? That remains to be seen, but as the Giants organization has become accustomed to while dealing with injuries, the game is as simple as working with what you have.

Derek Jeter: the Captain, the record breaker, and a baseball icon

2012-09-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Surpassing the legendary Willie Mays in any category is astounding, and Derek Jeter did just that on September 14 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankee great passed Mays for 10th most career hits all-time. Think about that for a second… Only nine players in the history of baseball have gotten more hits than DJ in their career. Needless to say, this is another huge accomplishment that the Yankee shortstop has accumulated over the course of his 18-year career.

Now before we delve any further into Jeter’s career and accomplishments, take into account that this perspective is coming from someone who is a Giants and Red Sox fan. You would think that I would be the last person to give Jeter credit for his accomplishments. Even though I am not particularly thrilled as a Giants fan to see Mays drop in the record books, Jeter has earned every one of his 3,284 hits.

No explanation is necessary for the ~~hatred~~ lack of affection that Red Sox fans like myself have for the so-called “Evil Empire.” The fact is, Jeter has five World Series championship titles to his name and is in good position to make a run at number six. The Red Sox, on the other hand, won their first World Series in 86 years less than a decade ago (2004). Regardless, here is why I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Yankee captain.

In an era riddled by steroids, Jeter’s name has never been in the PED discussion. He has not been a prolific home run hitter but found a way to get the job done at a high level without the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Ironically, Jeter has won more championships than the trio of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco combined. Granted, the Steinbrenner ownernship has outspent every MLB team since 1999 and the 2011 Yankees payroll on Opening Day was over five times greater than the Kansas City Royals.

Jeter’s individual achievements in one of the largest spotlights in all of sports are nothing short of sensational: 13-time All Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and a career average well above .300. He is indubitably one of the top shortstops of all time and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Perhaps my conviction on Barry Bonds’ lack of Hall of Fame-worthiness has garnered Jeter more respect with me. You can argue the length of a baseball season whether or not Bonds and PED athletes deserve a spot in Cooperstown but one thing is certain: they tarnished the game and nearly a decade of baseball.

Jeter is the bright spot that shows steroids are not necessary to perform at a high level; talent can combine with a strong work ethic to get more than just mediocre results. Take for example the increase in no-hitters over the past couple years, something invariably connected to the fact that hitters are not ‘roided up. What does that say? Pitchers have always been good, but PEDs powered their 95 MPH fastballs over the fence much more than they should have been. However, Jeter has been steady before, during, and after the era, hitting .320 and above consistently throughout his career. Take this season for example: at age 38, Jeter has posted a .323 average and is nearing his eighth season of 200-plus hits.

Jeter’s on-the-field heroics have been coupled with a model attitude off-the-field, as well. “The Captain” is always one to preach the team concept, play through injuries, and commend his teammates before himself. It is very difficult not to appreciate his attitude, even as a fan of a rival team.

Not only that, but baseball has become more of a “business,” leading to lessened loyalty between a player and his team. Back in the days of Willie Mays and Yogi Berra, players consistently spent nearly their entire career with one team. Even today, Albert Pujols had been considered such a player…until he left St. Louis for the nice beaches and large paycheck in Los Angeles. Yet Jeter has remained a Yankee (although that is at least in part due to career salary earnings of $220 million—second most among all MLB players since 1985).

To the chagrin of the rest of baseball, each and every time that Derek Jeter has stepped in between the white lines, he has donned the Yankee pinstripes. The one time in his career that Jeter’s contract negotiations did becomes public, Jeter was “angry about it…the negotiations were supposed to be private.”

He respects and has certainly done his part to maintain the integrity of the game to its players and fans. As baseball’s darker hour begins to drift away, baseball still needs players like Jeter at least as much as players like Jeter need baseball.

The reality is that the kid who was drafted by New York as a teenager has embodied everything that baseball is supposed to be. You will not catch me rooting for the guy come the playoffs, but I can say without question that I respect everything about the Yankee shortstop.

2010 vs. 2012 San Francisco Giants

2012-09-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Giants are looking to make another deep post-season run. Although they are currently sitting atop the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers are biting on their heels. It remains to be seen whether or not the Giants can hold onto their lead after Magic Johnson and the Dodgers’ front office decided to take on over $250 million in three players (Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carl Crawford).

Regardless of the blockbuster trade, the Giants organization and fan base still has something the Dodgers do not: the sweet aftertaste that came with a 2010 World Series championship. With that in mind, how does this years’ Giants roster compare to the 2010 World Series champions?

The chart to the left shows a comparison of the 2010 World Series and the current 2012 rosters (after I have widdled down the current 40-man roster to the players who would presumably be on the 25-man roster). One readily apparent difference is the discrepancy between continuity among pitchers and position players. Lincecum, Cain and Romo highlight the eight pitchers who have remained in the orange in black. Barry Zito, of course, was a Giant in 2010 but his 14 losses and 4.15 ERA earned him a spot as a spectator in the World Series.

Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval are the only position players whose names appear on both rosters. While that isn’t such a bad thing considering both are 2012 NL All Stars and Posey is an MVP candidate, it does show how inconsistency and big contracts have plagued the Giants offense over the past couple seasons.

When you compare the overall offensive firepower, which team has the advantage? On paper, the combination of Brandon Belt, Marco Scutaro, Xavier Nady, Angel Pagan, and Hunter Pence stack up only marginally better than Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Pat Burrell, and Aaron Rowand. Cody Ross provided an unquantifiably tremendous boost to the Giants against Roy Halladay and the Phillies as well as throughout the playoffs. Sandoval’s abysmal 2010 performance—something he has since rebounded from—is something that also needs to be factored in. He and Posey are both better players than they were in 2010. Strictly based on ~~lack of~~ offensive talent, the 2010 team put together an amazing run.

Comparing runs per game, the current team (4.36 runs) edges the 2010 team (4.30) by less than a tenth of a run. Of late, the Giants have been playing some of their better baseball, going 32-20 since the AS Break; by contrast, the 2010 team was below .500 in August. The 2012 squad has scored less than three runs only twice in the past 16 games.

An interesting indicator of the Giants’ offense is their tendency to get shutout by opposing pitchers. Even though the 2010 team clearly had a more powerful lineup, they still managed to get shutout 16 times by their opponent. How about the 2012 team? Thus far, only six times have they put a bagel on the scoreboard after the last pitch of the game has been thrown. This is a better representation of the two offenses.

Neither team is particularly great but the potential of the 2012 team is greater. Ross, Uribe, Renteria, Huff, and Burrell put together an incredible run and were able to pick up the slack if one of them was having an off-game. However, Pence, Sandoval, and Posey lead the way this time around and Brandon Belt has the ability to do something Cody Ross-esque if he continues his upward trend after gaining the trust of manager Bruce Bochy.

It’s a tough argument to decide which team is better and the difference is probably in the hands of Melky Cabrera, who is a huge question mark when he comes back from a PED-postive induced suspension. If Cabrera comes back and is even 80 percent as good as his juiced-up self, the 2012 team has a definite edge offensively.

2010 Player	BA	HR	RBI	2012 Player***	BA	HR	RBI
Buster Posey	.305	18	67	Buster Posey	.325	19	85
Aubrey Huff	.290	26	86	Melky Cabrera	.346	11	60
Freddy Sanchez	.292	7	47	Angel Pagan	.284	8	52
Juan Uribe	.248	24	85	Marco Scutaro**	.329	2	24
Pablo Sandoval	.268	13	63	Pablo Sandoval	.287	8	50
Pat Burrell	.266	18	51	Brandon Crawford	.248	4	41
Andres Torres	.268	16	63	Brandon Belt	.275	5	46
Edgar Renteria*	.276	3	22	Joaquin Arias	.277	4	30

*injury shortened, **stats after trade to Giants, ***stats as of 9/7

While Pence has 19 home runs this year total, only two have been for the Giants. This highlights the biggest problem of the 2012 team: power. Only two players on the current team have more than 10 home runs.

Home run totals by San Francisco’s HR leader by year

Call it the “Curse of Barry” if you will, but since number 25 hit 45 home runs in 2004 the Giants have had little success with the long ball, something that can be attributed to the lack of power hitters, ~~steroids,~~ and sheer size of AT&T Park.

Keep in mind that from the time Bonds was acquired by the Giants in 1993 up until 2000, the slugger never had less than 33 home runs. Since 2004, the Giants HR leader has never reached 30.

The Giants are getting by with fundamentally sound small ball. Well, what other way is there to score runs if you cannot hit the ball out of the ballpark, right?

Compared to the 2012 team, the 2010 champs look like they could be the Bronx Bombers… Yet all that matters is run total on the scoreboard, and the current team is on pace to score more than the 2010 team. Again, AT&T Park is at fault to a degree: the Giants have hit nearly three times as many more home runs on the road than at home. Being third in the league in average is something that can definitely muffle the lack of power in the lineup. At least for that reason, they should get a slight edge offensively.

In terms of pitching, there is no real comparison. The 2010 Giants gave up a mere 583 runs (3.59 runs per game) over the course of the 162-game season whereas the 2012 team has already given up 561 runs, or just over four runs per game. This is not solely a reflection of the pitching because the Giants’ defense is not good as it was in 2010. And again, let’s not diminish the pitchers that the Giants are sporting in 2012. Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner are anchoring a rotation that is trying to hide the 14 losses and 5.11 ERA of two-time Cy Young Award winner, Tim Lincecum.

Clearly, the Lincecum and Wilson of 2010 led arguably the best pitching staff in baseball—a hard standard for any team to live up to.

So overall, it does appear that the 2010 team was slightly better than the 2012 team. But if the upward trend continues into the playoffs, that may very likely change. And this should not be a disappointing tune for the Giants faithful because October always seems to be filled with unlikely heroes. Brandon Belt, Xavier Nady and Hunter Pence are three players capable of putting it together once the playoffs roll around.

The Giants still do have work to do. New Dodgers owner Magic Johnson made it clear that he is going to battle for the NL West title in the all-to immediate future. If the Giants make the playoffs, they will have to face the Reds and Nationals—clearly some of baseball’s best teams. Cincinnati and Washington do have a combined 9-4 record against San Francisco this year, but they have little recent playoff experience. Furthermore, the Giants are capable of defeating new-look Cardinals (without Pujols) and Braves headed by Brian McCann and a nearly-retired Chipper Jones are for the Giants.

If the Giants can make it to the playoffs, they will be ready to compete well into October baseball.

Why Buster Posey Should Win the 2012 National League MVP

2012-09-02T22:06:00.003-07:00

Buster Posey’s return from a horrendous season-ending injury last season has been nothing short of sensational. The collision at home plate with Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins drained any hopes the San Francisco Giants had of defending their 2010 World Series championship. One play put the opportunity for the Giants to even make the playoffs well out of reach.

Concerns arose as to whether Posey could even return to baseball the same player. (Cousins has not been the same since either, having grown up dreaming to play for Giants.) He was the rookie catcher who put down the fingers for the best pitching rotation in baseball—and the champions. The future of the Giants was dangling in the wings of a kid who was not even 25 years old at the time but the catcher has battled as the organization and fans expected he would.

Fast forward to today and Buster Posey is at worst the second favorite National League Most Valuable Player candidate behind Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Andrew McCutchen.

McCutchen has put together an MVP-caliber season for the Pirates. McCutchen’s 24 home runs and 80 RBIs are impressive. Even though Giants star Melky Cabrera still has a shot at the batting title, McCutchen is currently leading the league in average (.344) and runs (91) .

But Buster Posey’s numbers stack up very well against the Pittsburgh outfielder. First, his average is a solid .329. And playing half of his games at the pitcher’s friendly AT&T Park while managing 19 home runs and 83 RBIs is at least as good as McCutchen’s numbers. Don’t forget that Posey has been absolutely tearing it up of late. In the month of June, he hit .381. Last month he probably cooled off a bit, right? Well yes, if you consider .371 a drop to mediocrity.

Posey and McCutchen are very even statistically, and the final stretch of games could determine the fate of the MVP trophy. But if they are as (or more) even than they currently are, the MVP trophy will be in the hands of the first San Francisco Giant since none other than Barry Bonds. Why?

For one, it is the rare occasion that an MVP award is given to a player whose team does not make the playoffs. Barry Bonds’ 2004 season and Larry Walker’s 1997 season are two prime examples and both had absolutely incredible seasons. McCutchen is not on that level and not far and away the better player.

Contrastingly, Posey has propelled the Giants into playoff contention. Although he had some help from Melky Cabrera up until the suspension, Posey is the threat in the middle of the order that helps the Giants put runs on the board—something they have perennially struggled to do. Combine that with his scorching hitting of late and sportswriters will remember that Posey was a difference maker in a postseason run and McCutchen on a Pirates team that was in a division with two better teams than them.

Nobody has forgotten the extreme odds Posey was facing this season. The Giants were hoping for more than a mere shadow of their catcher who had fallen to injury in 2011 and got an MVP candidate.

In the end, the award is for most valuable player. The Giants won the World Series with Posey, failed to make the playoffs without him, and are on their way back to October baseball because of him.

This article was originally published on B/R.

Why the Giants Can Win the NL West Without Melky Cabrera

2012-08-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

by Elijah Abramson

Melky Cabrera’s suspension on August 15 for use of a banned substance was a huge blow to the Giants’ offense.

At the time, Cabrera was leading the National League in hits and was battling Pittsburgh star Andrew McCutchen for the league batting title. The follow-up drama with the fake site to justify his steroid use added to the disrupting media coverage surrounding the Giants most productive hitter.

But in the games since the suspension, the Giants have more than held their own. In three series that included the rival Los Angeles Dodgers and contending Atlanta Braves, the Giants have won seven of 10 games, with a five-game win streak headed with a sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

That was the first time the Giants have swept the Dodgers in five years.

Matt Cain has continued to hold up his end of the rotation since the suspension, going 2-0 in 15 innings of work with only 2 ER. Surprisingly, the same cannot be said of Ryan Vogelsong, who led the league in ERA earlier this year at 2.27.

Vogelsong has a posted an abysmal 6.39 ERA in the month of August.

While there is certainly hope that Vogelsong can rebound, other starters in the Giants rotation have picked up the slack and will be critical down the stretch.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum is pitching tonight for the Giants. While his ERA is a disturbing 5.30, he has the opportunity to salvage his first month this season with a winning percentage above .500 and is hoping to improve upon a 3.10 ERA since the All-Star break.

And after a forgettable start against the Mets at the beginning of the month, the Giants have won all of Barry Zito’s last four starts.

While that may have more to do with offensive output during his starts, performances like Zito’s last start (8 IP and two ER in the ninth inning due to Affeldt’s inability to prevent Zito’s two baserunners from scoring) might be enough to hold up the back-end of the rotation.

Buster Posey’s batting average is north of .370 since the beginning of July, which has held the Giants offense together—and put himself in the discussion for National League MVP.

Hector Sanchez has helped take some of the wear and tear off of Posey, and even though Sanchez’s offensive numbers of late are less than stellar he has proven to be capable of handling the Giants rotation—no easy feat for an inexperienced catcher.

Although he may be well under the radar, Joaquin Arias is an important player for the Giants to be successful. During Pablo Sandoval’s mid-season injury, Arias stepped up and his flexibility defensively is something that the Giants are very lucky to have.

Hitting .420 in the month of August is not too shabby, either.

While a closer-by-committee situation is less than ideal, the Giants do have multiple capable late-game relievers. Bruce Bochy is probably doing the right thing by riding whichever pitcher is hot, whether it’s Affeldt, Romo or Casilla.

The second team in the NL West
that Gonzalez has played for.

The recent blockbuster trade between the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox may worry Giants fans, but the reality is that it should not.

This season, Beckett has 11 losses and an ERA above 5.00. Carl Crawford has had season-ending Tommy John surgery and even though Adrian Gonzalez is a powerful bat in the middle of the order, he is not worth the $100+ million he is due over the next six years.

With no other real competitor in the NL West, if the Giants can hold off the Dodgers and continue to get timely contributions from their entire organization, the division championship trophy will soon be sitting in San Francisco.

2013 NBA Award Winner Predictions

2012-08-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

With a plethora of superstars from Kevin Durant to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and many more, the NBA has more than enough talent to compete for its most prestigious awards. But after predicting the fate of the 2013 NBA season, it is a little bit clearer as to who should take home the trophies.

Here is a complete preview of all six major awards from coach of the year to most valuable player.

Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers, BOS

Doc Rivers has put together an impressive run of playoff appearances and may only have one championship to show for it, but 2013 will be a year that he may lead the Celtics to another deep playoff run (or more).

With a revamped roster that features Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics have the potential to make a championship run and will fend for the two-spot in the eastern conference (behind the Miami Heat).

A 2012 poll of NBA players found Doc Rivers sitting atop the list of coaches “you would like to play for most.” Rivers motivates his guys and maintains the respect of the entire spectrum of rookies to Hall of Famers.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, LAL

Already a three-time defensive player of the year, Dwight Howard should not fall short of a fourth in his first season as a Los Angeles Laker.

Needing a change of scenery (and new faces to surround himself with), Howard chose to partner up with Kobe Bryant in a franchise that is rich in its history of big men, from the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the most recent dominant force in Shaquille O’Neal.

He averages 13 rebounds and over two blocks a game over the course of his eight-year career. And at 26 years old, he is just now hitting his prime.

Dwight Howard could be the first player since Dennis Rodman in 1997 to get over 16 boards a game.

Most Improved Player of the Year: Avery Bradley, BOS

Avery Bradley has already shown glimpses of a very bright future. At face value, Bradley had a mediocre season, with only 7.6 points and 1.4 assists per game.

But looking a bit deeper, you’ll see his per 36 minutes stats show 12.7 points per game average to go along with 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Perhaps most impressively was his performance in the month of April: 15 points per game, more than 50 percent shooting on field goals and three-pointers, six games scoring over 17 points and 28 against the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks.

Unless his injury limits him to less than 100 percent, Bradley should be a shoo-in for MIP, especially with an MVP-contending point guard running the show.

Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden, OKC

James Harden is capable of becoming the first player since Detlef Schrempf in 1992 to repeat as sixth man of the year. Harden would be a starter on most other teams and probably should be traded for the sake of Oklahoma City’s title hopes but has proven to be an important cog of Oklahoma City’s deep playoff runs.

Harden averaged 17 points per game in 2012—that’s solid for a starter. Even though Harden had a disappointing Finals showing, he should be able to rebound for a second consecutive Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Rookie of the Year: Harrison Barnes, GS

While popular opinion gives the nod for rookie of the year to number one overall draft pick Anthony Davis, Golden State’s used their (lucky?) number seven pick to grab former Tar Heel Harrison Barnes.

Barnes has more than a good shot at winning ROY after the Warriors traded away small forward Dorell Wright, who would have been the starter at the beginning of the season. With Wright gone, the job is Barnes’ to lose.

If Golden State makes the playoffs and Barnes contributes a reasonable amount, he will win it over Davis and the struggling New Orleans Hornets.

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, MIA

Injury is the only thing between LeBron James and a fourth MVP award.

Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo are among the other viable MVP options but LeBron James is the best player in the league. An unstoppable train, James has proven he can get to the basket at will. Most of the NBA just gets out of the way rather than get wrecked by the 6’8” and 250-pounder.

At 27 years old, James is in the prime—a scary thought considering what the “young” LeBron has already accomplished. The field will have a tough time beating the reigning MVP who has 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals and nearly a block per game over the course of his career.

This article was originally published on B/R.