#PumpedUpKicks: It’s Dame Time!

With just .9 seconds remaining on the clock, Damian Lillard drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to the tune of a sold-out Portland crowd that upset the Houston Rockets in Game 6 on May 3, 2014. Since then, Dame has earned the reputation of taking over in the clutch, and to honor the moments he lives for, adidas unveils the Dame Time edition of the D Lillard 2.           

“I’ve always practiced game-winning shots since I was a kid. My brother and I used to count down the finals seconds, and we wouldn’t leave the hoop until we made it,” Dame explained. “It’s a routine that’s helped shape my mentality in those final moments of a game. I’ll just point to the watch, and you know what time it is.”  

#DameTimeManila: Views from the Bench

#DameTimeManila rocked the Araneta!!!

*This was written by my former student, Karl Batungbacal.

I was one of the lucky 14 winners of the #DameTimeManila Instagram contest, and here’s my perspective on Damian Lillard’s promotional event at the Araneta Coliseum last week. Most people know me as an avid Phoenix Suns fan, so when I won the contest, some people said that I wasn’t even a fan of Lillard, but the fact of the matter is if you love basketball and underdogs, you have got to love Damian Lillard. 

I was scrolling through my Instagram feed after a long day, and I saw the advertisement of adidas wherein if your post gets chosen, you win a pair of Patron tickets to the #DameTimeManila and a chance to play on-court. I’m an avid basketball fan who cheers heavily for the underdog teams because I love seeing upsets. Knowing that Damian Lillard is one of the most underrated players in the NBA today, I took a chance on the Instagram contest, and I felt surprised when they messaged me and told me that I won. So I invited a friend of mine, and we both went to the event.

ADIDAS AND NBA SUPERSTARS TAKE ON SUMMER

ADIDAS and nba superstars take on summer

Damian Lillard, Derrick Rose and Jeremy Lin Headline Summer Tours

PORTLAND, Ore.  – After a season of playoff runs and making highlight reels, the league’s best will head overseas to Take on Summer. Inspired by the grueling off-season training, mentality and hard work that prepare the game’s best for the upcoming season, the latest adidas Basketball tours will connect millions of fans to their favorite athletes.

“My approach to basketball has always been this; you can only get out of the game what you put in – and that’s what Take on Summer is all about,” said point guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. “That’s the mentality I bring to my training and being able to share that attitude overseas to fans and players is an honor. I’m excited to get back to China, Taiwan and the Philippines to spend time with some of the best hoops fans in the world.” 

Fans attending the Take on Summer tours will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and interact with their favorite players at exclusive events including basketball demonstrations and games, in-store appearances, social media campaigns and more.

Damian Lillard Tour

Take on Summer tips-off when Damian Lillard arrives in Beijing on June 8 and his tour continues through June 14 with multiple stops in China and visits to Taipei and Manila. Damian is coming off an outstanding season where he posted careers high in points (25.1) and assists (6.8). His play and team dedication led what was widely believed to be one of the bottom teams in the Western Conference to the second round of the NBA Playoffs in one of the season’s biggest stories.

City                                      Date

Beijing                                June 9-10

Chengdu, China                June 11-12

Taipei                                  June 13

Manila                                June 14

Jeremy Lin Tour

Charlotte Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin will arrive in Guangzhou, China on June 18 and make multiple appearances in China. Lin’s consistent play helped lead the Charlotte Hornets to the NBA Playoffs.

City                                      Date

Shenzhen, China               June 18

Guangzhou, China            June 18-19

Shanghai                            June 20-23

Beijing                                June 24-25

Derrick Rose Tour

Derrick Rose is coming off one of his best seasons in recent years and showed his trademark playmaking and explosiveness. He will visit Asia August 10-17 with stops in China and South Korea. More specific plans will be announced at a later date.

For more information on the tour and photos from activations visit the adidas News Stream.

About adidas Basketball:

adidas has been providing innovative products to help the world’s best athletes perform at elite levels for more than 60 years, from past legends to today’s superstars, such as James Harden, Damian Lillard, Derrick Rose, Andrew Wiggins and Candace Parker.

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For more information, visit news.adidas.com, adidas Basketball Facebook page, www.adidasbasketball.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @adidasHoops with #CrazylightBoost.

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#DameTimeManila : June 14-15, 2016

It’s #DameTimeManila

adidas brings NBA star Damian Lillard to Manila this June

(Image from: Bleacher Report)

Manila, Philippines (June 2, 2016) – Portland Trail Blazers Point Guard, Damian Lillard is set to hit the streets of Manila this June 14-15, as part of his Summer Tour 2016.

Lillard started his #NeverDoubt journey in 2012, after being drafted 6^th overall pick and winning Rookie of the Year. The 2-time NBA All-Star has been unstoppable since then, becoming the number 6 scorer for the season and recently being named to the All-NBA Second Team.

“Being such a huge basketball nation, the sport is basically part of the our culture, so every basketball athlete we bring in would instantly find that connection with the Filipino fan. We saw that when we brought in D Rose and Ricky Rubio in the past, and we’re expecting the same excitement when Lillard visits this June,” shares Jen Dacasin, Brand Communications and Sports Marketing Manager for adidas PH.

Adidas: D Lillard 2
(Image from: Sole Collector)

For the tour, Lillard will be lacing up with his signature shoe, the D Lillard 2. A new colorway and a limited edition of his signature shoe will also be dropping in adidas stores during his visit.

For the latest news about his visit and how you can be part of #DameTimeManila, follow adidas PH and adidas Basketball on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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The NBA Position Battle – The Top 5 Point Guards after the 2016 All-Star Weekend

Images from the NBA.

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five point guards in the NBA after the 2016 All-Star Weekend. Not surprisingly, most of the guys on this list play in the Western Conference, and the only East playmaker isn’t even on an American team. Go figure, right?

There shouldn’t be any shockers at #s 1, 2, and 3, but some top-of-mind players may not even make the “On the bubble” list. Among these? No Kyrie, no D-Rose, TP9, and Jeff Teague. 

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on March 26, 2016 (Manila time).

Pumped Up Kicks: The adidas #DLillard1 NYC All-Star

It’s been a great season so far for Damian Lillard. He made his second straight All-Star Game, the Blazers will return to the Playoffs, and he has taken on a bigger role as a top-tier endorser for adidas, which launched his first signature shoe earlier this year. 

To pay tribute to the awesomeness that is Damian Lillard, adidas added a new CW to his signature line — the D Lillard 1 NYC All-Star edition.

Pardon the hairy legs.
(image from my IG account)

This recently-released CW  features a predominantly white textured upper composed of nubuck and leather, perforated black toe box panels, a mesh Techfit inner lining (a great touch for a more contoured fit), Lillard’s signatur branding logo on the left heel, a dope speckled midsole, adiprene+ cushioning tech, and a gray/black translucent outsole.

The Top Five NBA Point Guards Right Now in the 2014-2015 Season

The All-Star Weekend has been etched in memory and the craziest trade deadline in recent memory has just passed. Goran Dragic got his wish to bolt Phoenix along with every other point guard the Suns had, while the Bucks did the smartest thing ever by trading away their best player for a former Rookie of the Year who hasn’t really done much since. OKC may have just become the league’s most dangerous team, while, sadly, we might have seen the last of Chris Bosh this season after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lungs.

It’s been a crazy past week or so in the NBA, but here we are now, with only about 27-30 games to go per team and the Playoff race reaching fever pitch. By all indications, it looks like things are going to get even crazier.

And with that backdrop, here they are – the top five point guards RIGHT NOW in the 2014-2015 NBA regular season (this is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as calculated by HoopsStats.com as of the evening of February 21, 2015 – Manila time):

Ready for Launch: The D Lillard 1

NBA All-Star point guard debuts first signature shoe at exclusive “Dame Love the Fans” event

Damian Lillard got his.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Damian Lillard has earned a reputation for being one of the hardest working, confident and clutch players in the NBA. From the courts in Oakland, California, where he grew up, to being overlooked in high school and college, to becoming an NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Star for the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard has surpassed expectations in every stage of his career. Today, Damian Lillard and adidas unveil the D Lillard 1 – the first in a line of signature products designed for the point guard, which will be available on February 6.

#NBA2015 December 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 entire season up till December 5, 2014 (Manila time). This will, hopefully, give us a more current picture of each player’s production.

In this list, we have two members of the Team USA iteration that dominated #Spain2014, a couple of veteran playmakers, and the kid who had maybe the best game-winner of last season.

Best PG in the Association? Who's your pick?

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on December 5, 2014 (Manila time).

5. Kyrie Irving (CLE) - 22.4ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.7apg, 1.6spg, 49.2 FG%, 2.2 triples per game, 42.5 3pt%, 22.1 EFF

Did you see how he ruined the Knicks? No, I mean, did you really see him drop 37 big ones on the team that ruined LeBron’s homecoming? In the process, did you notice how the Cavs moved up to 10-3 and fifth in the East? Man, if Uncle Drew can keep dropping the boom for the wine and gold, then don’t be surprised if the Cavs keep winning till they face Memphis on December 22 (Manila time). Heck, maybe they even beat the Grizz, too!

          

PR: The adidas Crazy Light Boost and D Rose 5 Boost!

adidas BRINGS GAME-CHANGING ENERGY TO THE COURT WITH boost Basketball Shoes

NBA superstars Derrick Rose and Damian Lillard to debut Crazylight Boost and D Rose 5 Boost

PORTLAND, Ore. (July 27, 2014) – adidas today introduced its game-changing Boost cushioning technology to basketball with the all-new Crazylight Boost and D Rose 5 Boost performance basketball shoes. Boost is an industry-first cushioning technology designed to deliver maximum energy return, responsiveness and comfort to players.

The new Boost line of kicks from #trefoil will surely shake up
the sneaker landscape!

“Having the Boost cushioning in my new signature shoe makes it the most favorite of mine that we’ve ever done,” said Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. “I’ve played in them for a couple months, but every time I put them on it feels like a new shoe and it’s the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. Now, I can’t imagine playing without Boost in my shoes.”

True to adidas’ mission to make athletes better, Boost features innovative material made up of thousands of capsules that help store and release energy efficiently as athletes perform. The Crazylight Boost will be available in the Philippines on Aug. 15 for Php 6995 while the D Rose 5 Boost will drop Oct. 16 for Php 7995.

Guards of the Future: John Wall and Damian Lillard

Action in the 2014 NBA Playoffs has undeniably been among the best for several reasons. One of these is how the road teams have virtually negated homecourt advantage, winning an NBA Playoffs record 24 times in the first round and 32 overall. Games have been extraordinarily tight, too, with 8 first round games going into overtime (including four straight between the Grizzlies and Thunder — another NBA Playoffs record) and five first round series going the full seven games. One of the best reasons, at least for me, however, is this — we have seen the emergence of some young stars. These young guns have really impressed so far, coming up big in crunch time and showing the entire NBA fanbase that they belong in the Playoffs. Among these are Jeff Teague, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, and LaMarcus Aldridge. The ones I really want to talk about right now, though, are two guys who, despite their youth, are already among the best point guards in the NBA — Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s John Wall.

Two guards who are sure to continue to rise in the future:
John Wall and Damian Lillard!

The Top 10 Players in the 2014 NBA Playoffs (May 5, 2014) Part 2

The 2014 NBA Playoffs have given us, arguably, the best first round so far, what with five series going the full seven games and the lower seeded or “weaker” teams surprising fans and quashing experts’ predictions left and right. Simply put, the past few weeks of postseason action have been nothing short of awesome.

In this second of two parts, I will present five of the current Top 10 players in the 2014 NBA Playoffs. This will be based on the players’ stats for their first round games. They are ranked according to Player Efficiency for that duration of time only.

In this list, we will find the five best players so far in the postseason. Here you’ll find two Trail Blazers, a soon-to-be disgruntled Houston Rockets big man, and the two best SFs in the Eastern Conference.

Ladies and gents, presenting your top performers in the 2014 NBA Playoffs thus far.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on May 5, 2014 (Manila time).

Damian Lillard: That Footlocker ad and adidas extension!

A few days ago, I saw what will go down as one of the most brilliant basketball ads this year. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or hiding from the insane summer sun, then you’ve probably seen it, too. I’m talking about, of course, the crazy Footlocker x adidas ad featuring Damian Lillard. 

Damian Lillard renews his being a top brand endorser for adidas.

In the ad, he talks to someone on the phone about not wanting to be one of those guys who has never won any rings. Ironically, he shares the room with other athletes who have never won rings, like Chris Webber and Karl Malone. It’s a really funny scene, so check it out below.

Pumped Up Kicks: The adidas Crazyquick 2 rolls out!

As you wake up today, you should realize it’s April 1, 2014, but don’t be fooled, or, at least, don’t think you’re being fooled. The adidas Crazyquick 2, the sneaker of choice for world-beating cat-quick guards like John Wall and Damian Lillard, is dropping today in adidas Philippines stores.

Both Damiam Lillard and John Wall rocked the
adidas Crazyquick 2 in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
(images from SoleCollector.com)

Here’s the official press release from the trefoil company:

They Be All-Stars: Our West All-Star Reserves

In our previous post, we detailed our picks for the seven All-Star Game reserves in the Eastern Conference. This time around, we will look at the players whom we’d like to see as 2014 All-Star Game reserves for the West.

What makes this a little bit more challenging is that there are so many deep rosters and gripping storylines in the West. Compared to the East, the West is a much stronger conference, with maybe 10-11 teams capable of getting winning records by the end of the season. Not surprisingly, there are also SO MANY players worthy of All-Star Game consideration. Obviously, not everyone will be picked. 

With so many deserving players, will both Damian Lillard
and LaMarcus Aldridge be named All-Stars?
(image from NBA.com)

Before you continue reading, take note of the following assumptions:

• Assumption #1: Kobe Bryant will play his two minutes.
• Assumption #2: Chris Paul will not play. He will rest for as long as he can so he can be as healthy as he can for the Clippers’ inevitable late-season run.
• Assumption #3: Again, one or more of YOUR own picks is/are bound to be left out. That’s just how deep the West is.

Now, here are our picks for the seven who should-be All-Star reserves in the Western Conference:

The NBA: Can the BLAZERS Make the Playoffs?

LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard plan to take the Blazers to the playoffs

The Western Conference has been the tougher conference when it comes to making the playoffs (needs at least 50 wins to assure yourself a slot) for the last 8 years or so. This season appears to follow that trend with teams like the LA Clippers improving their coaching staff and bench, the Rockets signing Dwight Howard, the Warriors getting Andre Iguodala and the Grizzlies adding perimeter shooting. Meanwhile, the top of the class: Thunder and Spurs both made minor changes. These six teams are expected to make the playoffs which leaves two slots left for the remaining 9 other teams in the West.

Last season, the Blazers were in the running for the last playoff spot (against the Rockets, Mavericks & Lakers) until mid-March when they stood at 31-34 and only a couple of games from the 8th spot. Injuries to Aldridge, Matthews and Batum plus their lack of depth contributed to their demise as they finished 3-15 in the last 18 games and lost 12 straight to end the season.

The NBA Roundup: April 10, 2013

Damian Lillard was a sight to behold today, hitting 5 triples on his way to 38 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals, but Kobe Bryant was even better, hitting ALL EIGHTEEN of his free throws to finish with 47 markers and then some. And now the Lakers are a full game ahead of Utah for eighth spot. Also, you wouldn’t believe how monstrous (good monstrous) Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic were against the Playoff-bound Bucks.

Today’s Best:

•        After leading the Lakers over the Blazers, Kobe Bryant tweeted how Damian Lillard was for real. Coming from a guy who score 47 points on top of 8 boards, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals? That’s saying A LOT.
•        Get this – Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic combined for 60 points and 39 rebounds to lead Orlando’s conquest of Milwaukee. That’s like three Dwight Howards right there.
•        The Denver Nuggets might just be the scariest team in the West. They have winning records against 7 of the other 8 West Playoff-worthy teams (the only exception is San Antonio; they went 2-2 against the Spurs this season).

Corey Brewer and the Nuggets might just be
peaking at the right time.
(image by Garrett W. Elwood/Getty Images)

Today’s Worst:

•        Cleveland’s Alonzo Gee didn’t exactly maximize his 31 minutes on the floor. Gee missed all of his three-pointers and ended up with a meager 4 points and 2 rebounds in the Cavs’ loss to Detroit.
•        Andre Iguodala has a nice triple-double line today – 12-13-10, but it was dampened by his day-high 7 turnovers. Yes, I am nitpicking, but he really has to cut down on those TOs if Denver is to achieve a deep postseason run.
•        Jeff Green’s anemic outing against the Nets doomed Boston. Green finished with only 11 points and 4-of-17 FG shooting while playing 35 minutes. This loss is Boston’s sixth in the last ten.

The NBA: March 2013 Rookie Ladder

Bradley Beal, Tyler Zeller, and Andre Drummond all got tossed from the top five. See who replaced them and joined Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis as the best freshies of the past week or so.

Anthony Davis might yet snare the 2012-2013 ROY
award from heavy favorite Damian Lillard.
(image by Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

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 29, 2013 (Manila time).

5. Damian Lillard (POR) - 17.6ppg, 3.6rpg, 6.2apg, .500 3pt%, .867 FT%, 15.0 EFF

Lillard really is more of a scoring PG than a playmaking one. Think guys like Rod Strickland, Stephon Marbury, or, more recently, Russell Westbrook. I wouldn’t be surprised if he runs away with the ROY, but I just don’t think it’s as solid of a lock as many people think. Gotta love his range, though.

4. Maurice Harkless (ORL) - 14.2ppg, 7.2rpg, 2.4spg, 1.0bpg, 15.4 EFF

The former St. John’s standout has good size and good skills for a combo forward. Orlando has won just 2 games this month, but the Magic’s failure cannot be pointed to Harkless’s game. I mean, this dude dropped 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks on KD and the Thunder a week ago.

The NBA: Who is your 2012-2013 Rookie of the Year?

The New Orleans Hornets have 17 games left in the calendar. The Portland Trailblazers have 20 more regular season games and still have a reasonable shot at the Playoffs (yes, they still do, don’t be mean guys). Why should you care? Because the Rookie of the Year of the current season will come from either of those teams, unless Bradley Beal goes Rambo on everyone and makes like 10 treys per game. Of course, that won’t happen. One – Rambo can’t shoot threes, two – Beal doesn’t have explosive-tipped arrows, and three – nobody speaks like Rambo.

Seriously, though, who will be this year’s ROY? The top overall pick who has been just… okay, or the 6^th overall pick who’s gotten majority of the press? Or someone else? Or, actually, Beal himself?

Note: All of the following stats are from HoopsStats.com. They were taken on March 12, 2013.

Presenting the TOP FIVE Candidates for ROY, statistically speaking.

5. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (CHA) - 9.0ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.0bpg, 11.7 EFF

MKG had a reasonably good start to the year, but he hasn’t really broken out the way many people thought he could. IF the Bobcats get rid of both/either Ben Gordon and/or Kemba Walker, then MKG could be a bunker buster of a scorer. Also, the 1 block per game? N I C E.

4. Bradley Beal (WAS) - 14.2ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.5apg, 12.4 EFF

He’s the third-best scorer among all rookies behind Damian Lillard and (drum roll) Dion Waiters (still wondering why the Cavs took him so early?), but, as you can see, he doesn’t really do much else. There’s great upside between him and John Wall, but there’s also the a great possibility they will just be… mediocre.

When healthy and on-target, Bradley Beal is an
amazing scorer.
(Image by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

  

3. Andre Drummond (DET) - 7.3ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.7bpg, .592 FG%, 13.4 EFF

Drummond is second among all rookies in both rebounds and blocks, and owns the highest FG% among all newbies who play at least 10 minutes per game. All indications point to him becoming a potentially dominant defensive force for Detroit maybe as early as next season. That’s a good thing, especially since Greg Monroe loves to just score, and Brandon Knight, um, just got run over by DeAndre Jordan.

2. Anthony Davis (NOH) - 12.9ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.1spg, 1.8bpg, .507 FG%, 17.1 EFF

I love the fact Davis doesn’t receive much hype (currently), but he still does the dirty work. His per minute EFF is actually quite higher than the #1 guy on this list, but I doubt if he can sneak in more ROY votes. The simple reason is he just has been off-the-radar for so long. As far as top picks go, he isn’t terrible by any means, but he has just not been dominant. He’s certainly no Kwame Brown, but he also hasn’t been quite like Dwight Howard.

1. Damian Lillard (POR) - 18.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 6.4apg, 1.0spg, 17.3 EFF

He tops all rookies in scoring and assists. His team was in the West’s top eight for a considerable amount of time, and, frankly, he might be All-Star material next season (a handful might argue that he already is). Lillard has the inside track to be this season’s ROY. Tapos.

Is Damiam Lillard your ROY?
(Image by Eric Gay/AP)

It is worth noting that both Waiters and Thomas Robinson were chosen ahead of Lillard and yet both aren’t on this list. Waiters is actually right behind MKG in terms of EFF, but Robinson is way off… like Top 19 way off.

The NBA: January 2013 Rookie Ladder

With some teams nearing and some teams already past the halfway point (41-game mark) of the season, I felt it would be best to take stock of the 2012-2013 rookies and see where they stand. Many people feel Portland’s Damian Lillard has been, by far, the best of the lot, but a look at the freshmen’s most recent stats indicate that the Weber State product might not be as far removed from the rest of the competition as may be advertised.

Some rookies have remained quietly consistent (Anthony Davis), while others have really busted out in the last couple of weeks (Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal). Lillard, by virtue of his overall impact on the Blazers’ performance, might still have the inside track in the race for the Rookie-of-the-Year plum, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s way ahead of everyone else. On the contrary, the following numbers actually show that Lillard is no longer the top newcomer in the Association.

5 - Tyler Zeller (CLE) - 9.0ppg, 8.4rpg, 2.4bpg, .895 FT%, 14.4 EFF

The Tar Heel is making the most out of Anderson Varejao’s absence. The near-double-double average and eye-popping blocks-per-game stat are all mouth-watering for Cleveland fans, and these have cushioned the crunch of another “rebuilding” season in Ohio. For Fantasy NBA peeps, he might be a really nice pick-up, too!

4 - Bradley Beal (WAS) - 16.2ppg, .545 FG%, .636 3pt%, 15.4 EFF

One of my students swears by the Wizards, and Beal has become his second-most-favorite player (the first one is Jordan Crawford and NOT John Wall – go figure). The rookie has really come alive of late, and the Wizards have been awfully scary because of him. Washington has won 5 of its last 7 games.

Bradley Beal is making waves in the East, and seems to
be muddling up the ROY picture a little bit.
(image by Don Ryan/AP)

  

3 - Damian Lillard (POR) - 16.4ppg, 3.8rpg, 7.2apg, 15.6 EFF

One of my students believes Lillard is the runaway ROY. His numbers have dipped a bit compared to earlier in the season, but this does not diminish his stock one bit. He’s made Portland relevant again, and perhaps no other stat is as important as that. It’s a bummer, however, that they’ve lost their last 6 games.

2 - Andre Drummond (DET) - 10.8ppg, 7.8rpg, 2.2bpg, .742 FG%, 18.6 EFF

Detroit has won 3 of its last 5, and Drummond is a big reason why. Whereas Greg Monroe is the legit low post threat, Drummond is the high-flying complement who does the dirty work around the rim like collaring rebounds and blocking shots. And would you look at that field goal percentage – nearly 75%!!! That means that, for the past 5 games, the rookie has made about 3 of every 4 shots. Now THAT should surely turn some heads.

1 - Anthony Davis (NOH) - 12.8ppg, 8.6rpg, 1.2spg, 2.4bpg, .651 FG%, 21.2 EFF

The top overall pick hasn’t made a lot of noise outside of a couple of highlight reels every week, but that’s mainly because the Hornets suck (yes, even if they’ve won 3 of their last 5). Still, Davis, at least in terms of the numbers, is the bona fide most productive rookie out there every night. His numbers actually aren’t that far off from the rookie numbers of another top overall pick big man, Dwight Howard, who normed 12.0ppg, 10.0rpg, 1.7bpg, and shot 67.1% from the floor in his first NBA season. If I may be so bold, I’d advise the Lakers to actually ship Dwight to New Orleans in exchange for Davis. Now THAT’s straight up trade that’ll jettison the biggest crybaby in California in favor of, potentially, the most dominant force in the 2012 class.