Hoop Nut Podcast Episode 5 - We Guarantee KD the MVP and Critique the PBA Expansion Process!

This is Episode 5 of the Hoop Nut podcast! Rolly and I guarantee (GUARANTEE) that Kevin Durant will edge out LeBron in the MVP race, while also naming our picks for the other end-of-season awards. We also have some sound bytes from the 2014 US NCAA Champion UConn Huskies, and we give our take on how the three newest PBA clubs should be given a better shot at being competitive.

Episode 5 of the Hoop Nut Podcast is out!

Join us two basketball-loving blabbermouths as we continue to spew crazy comments and irrational ideas about the game we love. 

The NBA: March 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Point Guards Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five point guards at this point in the season. We will take into account just the players’ stats for the latest five games of their respective teams. This will, hopefully, give us a more current picture of each player’s production.

What’s very interesting in this list is that neither Chris Paul nor Steph Curry are included. Yes, maybe the two consensus best PGs on the planet aren’t among the current top five. Instead, we have a guy who’s bouncing back after being in sick bay, an All-Star snub, and a host of other great playmakers.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on March 11, 2014 (Manila time).

A lot of young 'uns in this set of top five.
(composite image by Enzo Flojo/Hoop Nut)

The NBA: February 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Point Guards Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five point guards at this point in the season. We will take into account just the players’ stats for the latest five games of their respective teams. This will, hopefully, give us a more current picture of each player’s production.

With Chris Paul not exactly his old self yet, the race is really wide open for the best PG in the NBA right now. The obvious choice outside of CP3, of course, is GSW’s Steph Curry, but how about other young guns like Kyrie Irving, John Wall, or Damian Lillard? You might be surprised, especially since an old favorite makes an appearance at #2!!!

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on February 11, 2014 (Manila time).

5. Brandon Jennings (DET) - 24.4ppg, 3.8rpg, 8.4apg, 1.6spg, 3.4 triples per game, .886 FT%, 23.8 EFF

The Pistons are one of the suckiest teams out there (just ask Mo Cheeks), but don’t tell that to Jennings, who has been enjoying one of his most productive NBA seasons yet. And, well, Detroit has won three straight, including today’s surprising win over the Spurs. It was Motor City’s first W under new coach John Loyer. As for Jennings, he didn’t do too badly, dropping 21 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals on the TP9 and the Spurs.

           

Brandon Jennings tries to blow by John Wall.
(image by Alex Brandon/AP)

The NBA: 2014 All-Star Snubs

At this time every year most of the deserving players are voted in by fans as starters. The final seven are chosen by the head coaches. It's uncanny to see how often the coaches manage to select the less "deserving" player for the All-Star game. Thus, the term "snub" was designated for those omitted by the coaches.

This year is no different from other years. There are snubs on both the East and West teams. Now, who are they?

Kyle Lowry has played so well that the Raptors are considering NOT trading him
(Image from: CBS Sports)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are potentially the 3rd best team in the East primarily due to Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. DD made it to his first All-Star while KL was snubbed. Lowry has been playing the best ball of his career. He is doing it all for the Raps: score, rebound, pass and defend. Lowry has career-highs for points, assists, steals and three-point shooting. He is arguably the best all-around guard in the East who can defend PGs and smaller SGs.

The NBA: January 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Point Guards Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five point guards at this point in the season. Unlike our previous posts, though, this time we will take into account just the players’ stats for the latest five games of their respective teams. This will, hopefully, give us a more current picture of each player’s production.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on January 10, 2014 (Manila time). Chris Paul actually has the highest EFF among all NBA PGs, but he played in just two of the Clippers’ last five contests, so I chose not to include him.

5. Steph Curry (GSW) – 24.2ppg, 8.8apg, 3.6rpg, 2.8spg, 2.8 triples per game, 89.3 FT%, 22.0 EFF

I hate his game-deciding turnover against the Nets, but let’s give Curry a break. The Warriors won 10 straight before that Brooklyn loss, and Curry was a bgi reason why. He had a bit of a slump against Milwaukee and Washington, but he did net five double-doubles in that win streak. Oh, and he also just surpassed CP3 in All-Star voting. Woot!

Steph Curry remains one of the league's
most productive playmakers.
(image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The NBA: April 2013 Position Battle – The Top 5 Point Guards Right Now

It’s great that most of the guys on this list will continue to see action in the postseason along with some other great playmakers who missed the top 5 cut like Tony Parker, Ty Lawson, Mike Conley, Jeremy Lin, and, yes, Steve Blake.

Note: All of the following stats are based on the last five games of each player’s team as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on April 18, 2013 (Manila time).

5. Goran Dragic (PHX) - 15.6ppg, 3.6rpg, 11.8apg, 2.8spg, 22.0 EFF

The only guy who won’t see a lick of Playoff action, and it sucks because look at his numbers. He scores, he assists, and he steals the ball! He’s like Euro Chris Paul! Only he’s on a Phoenix team that will likely struggle well into 2015 (yes, 2015). What if he were still in Houston…

Goran Dragic was the hottest Sun in the team's
last five outings.
(image by Matt York/AP)

4. Russell Westbrook (OKC) - 26.8ppg, 5.0rpg, 5.8apg, 2.0spg, .853 FT%, 25.4 EFF

Speaking of Houston, the Rockets are going to get a lot of face time with this guy. Maybe the most athletic PG on the planet, Jet Zero is likely going to run over J-Lin in their pivotal match-up. Westbrook has been playing some of the best basketball of his young career, and we still haven’t seen him pass the ball like we think he could. But he sure can dunk.

The NBA: March 2013 Position Battle – The Top 5 Point Guards Right Now

Of course Chris Paul is up there at the very top, but who else follows? A former #1 pick, a second generation NBAer, the top Euro guard right now, and a guy who was supposed to be too small to succeed at this level.

Note: All of the following stats are based on the last five games of each player’s team as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on March 28, 2013 (Manila time).

5. Kemba Walker (CHA) - 22.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 6.0apg, 2.8spg, 23.2 EFF

The Cats have won three of their last five and the cherry on the top was today’s game against Orlando. Walker dropped 34 big ones on the Magic, hitting nearly 57% of his field goals. He also dished out 9 dimes, had 7 boards, and 2 each for steals and blocks.

Kemba Walker has been terrific for the Bobcats.
(image by Kent Smith/Getty Images)

4. Goran Dragic (PHX) - 18.5ppg, 5.0rpg, 10.8apg, 1.5spg, 23.5 EFF

He’s a Slovenian who was born in Yugoslavia and now playing in Arizona. That’s a mouthful right there. The difficulty is worth it, however, as Dragic has been maybe the lone bright spot on a Suns team that has won just 3 games this month. Dragic won’t score a ton, but he’s the only guy on this list who has normed more than 10 assists in the last five games.

3. Steph Curry (GSW) - 26.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 7.2apg, 1.6spg, .467 3pt%, 24.4 EFF

Curry continues to battle a myriad of minor and major injuries even as the Warriors remain at 6^th spot in the West. This is the best GSW has done in the regular season for quite some time, and most would look at Curry as the catalyst. Think of him as a slightly watered down Chris Paul.