The NBA: How Much Do You (K-)Love the Trade?

Kevin Love and Andrew Wiggins swapped jerseys on August 23, 2014
(Image by: J3rs3ySwaps)

The trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves (and to a lesser extent, the Philadelphia 76ers) was first reported in the middle of July. Finally, after more than a month of rumors and speculations, the trade involving Kevin Love and Andrew Wiggins (plus a few other players and draft picks) has been completed and finalized. Kevin Love got what he wanted which was to be traded to a contender while LeBron James received a sweet shooting sidekick that can grab rebounds like there's no tomorrow.

The NBA: April 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Power Forwards Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five power forwards 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.

At the very top of this list is a guy who has really come into his own this season, even making a solid case for Most Improved Player. With him are two of the deadliest three-point shooters in the Association and two underrated veterans who have been able to lead their respective clubs back to the postseason.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on April 15, 2014 (Manila time).

The Top 4s in the NBA are led by the Clippers' own Blake Griffin.

The NBA: March 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Power Forwards Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five power forwards 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.

Despite how good he’s been playing and how the Clippers have won 11 in a row, Blake Griffin, statistically, is not the best power forward out there right now. The title of top dawg goes, instead, to a younger fella whose team might be floundering, but whose numbers are soaring through the roof. #Unibrow.

And, no, LaMarcus Aldridge doesn’t make this list. Not by a long shot.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on March 17, 2014 (Manila time).

The best 4s in the game right now.
(composite image by Enzo Flojo/Hoop Nut)

The NBA: The Best Players and Teams of February 2014

Valentine’s has come and gone. Ditto with the All-Star Weekend. Now we’re in what we hoop nuts call the stretch run of the Association. This is when all the teams who WANT to make the Playoffs try to string as many wins together to actually get into the top eight of their respective conferences (being a top 16 team like Minnesota doesn’t matter if you’re not in the top 8 of the West), and this is also when all the teams who WANT to take a stab at Andrew Wiggins will clear their reserves and give their starters their token 25-30 minutes of play. This is when we’ll get a clearer picture of who’s challenging the diabolical reign of the Heat (read: Indiana, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Houston, and the Clippers) and who’s in it to pile up the losses (read: Milwaukee, Philly, Utah, Sac-town, and maybe even the Lakers).

In the spirit of all the craze we're bound to see in this stretch run, let’s look at the guys who actually did well this past month of hearts.

This is the fourth in a series of “Best of the Month” citations based on the Efficiency Recap ratings on HoopsStats.com. Team citations will be based on Efficiency Recap Difference (Team Efficiency – Opponents’ Efficiency), while Player citations will be based on Player Efficiency. You can check out the Stats Glossary here.

 

(Clockwise from top left) The Rockets, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard, CP3, and Victor Oladipo
are among the best February had to offer.
(composite image by Enzo Flojo/HoopNut)

Hoop Nut Blogcast Episode 1 - Here Goes Nothing!

Finally! After about six PBA conferences, three UAAP seasons, two FIBA Asia Men’s Tournaments, and one Olympic basketball competition, Hoop Nut finally has its first proper blog (pod) cast! 

This is something my co-writer here, Rolly Mendoza, and I have been planning for quite some time, and today we actually got around to doing it! Predictably, we fumbled through it. We don’t have any tool remotely professional-grade, and I’m not entirely sure if our intro music/effects are appropriate, but, hey, figuring things out as we go is part of the fun, right?

#WeAreAmateursHere

Check it out as we talk about the following topics:
- Yeng Guiao’s meltdown in Game 6 of the 2014 PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
- Mark Barroca as 2014 PBA Philippine Cup Finals MVP.
- The OKC Thunder going 0-3 since Jet-Zero returned.
- The Best NBA PF in the West: Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, or Blake Griffin?
- Should Gilas play in the 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup?

The NBA: February 2014 Position Battle – The Top 5 Power Forwards Right Now

In this Position Battle post, we will focus on the top five power forwards 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.

You’ll be surprised at what you find here, what with All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap absent, but don’t fret too much, since the guys filling up the list aren’t too shabby in their own right.

Note: All of the following stats are based on each player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on February 16, 2014 (Manila time).

5. Serge Ibaka (OKC) - 14.6ppg, 8.0rpg, 3.2bpg, .571 FG%, .875 FT%, 21.0 EFF

While Kevin Durant has been the biggest reason the Thunder have supplanted the Pacers as the best in the league, nobody can sleep on the contributions of Serge Ibaka. I mean, this naturalized Spaniard blocks around 3 shots per game while flirting with a double-double and making more than half his field goals. He makes nearly 90% of his free throws to boot! All in all, he might just be the most underrated big man out there.

Serge Ibaka continues to shine for the OKC Thunder.
(image from Thunder.NBA.com)