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

It’s our first NBA Position Battle of the 2013-2014 season, and this promises to be very interesting! The number one PG may not be a surprise, but more than a couple of the guys on this list might result in some eyebrows raised.

Note: All of the following stats were taken on December 6, 2013 (Manila time).

5. Michael Carter-Williams (PHI) – 17.7ppg, 7.3apg, 5.8rpg, 3.1spg, 1.5 triples per game, 20.1 EFF

The early season Rookie of the Year favorite reminds me a lot of Penny Hardaway. He has pretty much the same size, the same athleticism, and the same great offensive skills. And, of course, MCW gets it done on the other end with a league-leading 3.1 steals per! Now if he can only recover from his aching knee…

Michael Carter-Williams is the early favorite to win
the 2014 ROY.
(image by Howard Smith/USA Today)

4. Ty Lawson (DEN) – 19.3ppg, 8.2apg, 3.7rpg, 1.2spg, 1.2 triples per game, 20.1 EFF

Lawson isn’t exactly top-of-mind when it comes to the top NBA playmakers conversation, but he’s currently doing extremely well, and that has translated to the Nuggets’ 10-6 start. He’s a classic example of someone who doesn’t get a lot of print or hype, but delivers anyway.

The NBA: 2013 Playoffs: Day 7 - Wild Finish in SF

Ty Lawson had a big game with 35 points and 10 assists in Game 3.
But that was not enough for the Nuggets to win as they lost by 2
(Image from: Associated Press)

#BestSeries #WildFinish
The most entertaining and most exciting series did not disappoint for the 3rd straight game. The Nuggets and Warriors went down to the wire with crazy turnovers and impressive shots from everyone on the floor. The game went back and forth and it featured a wild finish. It started with a 5-second in-bounds call against the Warriors. Then Lawson slipped and lost the ball with the Nuggets down by 1. Barnes made 1 of 2 free throws which gave the Nuggets one last chance. Iguodala raced to the half court line and heaved a mid-court shot that almost went in. An overtime period (or 2 or 3) would have been perfect! Ty Lawson had a game-high 35 points but his turnover (could have been a foul on the Dubs) in the dying seconds cost the Nuggets a shot for the win. Meanwhile, Steph Curry continued his hot shooting with 29 and 11 assists. Curry was joined by Harrison Barnes and Jarrett Jack who had big games as well.

#NoMatch #Looking4Sweep
The Spurs walloped the depleted Lakers by 31 points at the Staples Center. The Lakers did not play Nash, Blake and Meeks and that left them with inexperienced players. Their starting back court consisted of Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock. WHO? Actually, Morris and Goudelock had decent scoring games as they combined for 44 points but both of them were -28. The Lakers also literally got nothing from MWP who had ZERO points while their bench produced just 9 points. The Spurs had more firepower and it was simply an impossible game for the Lakers to win especially with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan playing at a high level. The Spurs shot 61% from the field and grabbed 49 rebounds.

#BostonStrong #SwingingElbow
The emotional high and extra motivation from Boston fans could not lift the Celtics past the Knicks. The Celtics struggled early and were down by 16 points at half time. Boston did not really threaten the Knicks in Game 3 and now New York can sweep on Sunday. The Celtics have averaged 75 points in 3 games and they are now 1-6 vs the Knicks including the regular season. The major story in this game was JR Smith's swinging elbow striking Jason Terry's head. Smith was given a flagrant foul 2 and was ejected. IF the NBA decides to suspend Smith for one game, then the Celtics have a chance to avoid the sweep and steal Game 4.

#InjuriesSuck #TornMeniscus
It sucks that Russell Westbrook could potentially miss the rest of the playoffs due to a meniscus injury. There is no timetable for his return and the most probable recovery time is from 4-6 weeks, maybe even longer. Metta World Peace came back from a similar injury after 12 days but his play has suffered and his mobilty has not been the same. The Thunder could lose their series against the Rockets if they are unable to compensate for Westbrook's absence. Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin and Reggie Jackson all need to play more minutes and play better to overcome this setback.

#Stats #News

• Jarrett Jack had 23 points, 7 assists and 7 turnovers including the 5-second count
• Kenneth Faried started and played 30 minutes: 15 points and 7 rebounds
• Andrew Goudeluck was the MVP of the D-League
• Dwight had 25 and 11 and Gasol a triple-double but Lakers lost by 31
• Spurs were +14 on the glass and +11 in assists
• Celtics had 4 fast break points and 17 turnovers
• Carmelo failed to score over 30 for the 2nd time in his last 11 games

#Player of the Night
Steph Curry (Warriors) - 29 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-9 FTs

#Highlights of the Night
Iggy with the reverse OOP
JR Smith and his elbow

#Tweet of the Night

Holly MacKenzie ‏@stackmack

seems unfair for one of these teams to lose when we've had some ugly ass basketball in the east in the last 24 hours.

#GameRecaps


Final Score: New York 90, Boston 76
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The New York Knicks used another dominant half to guide them to victory. This time it was during the opening 24 minutes. Carmelo Anthony netted 26 points and the Knicks took a commanding 3-0 series lead following a 90-76 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of this Eastern Conference first-round series. Raymond Felton added 15 points and 10 assists for New York, which is a win away from advancing past the first round since sweeping the Toronto Raptors during the 1999-2000 season. The Celtics played their first home game since the Boston Marathon bombings 11 days ago, but the raucous Beantown faithful were quickly taken out of the contest. Boston committed to double-teaming Anthony in the first half and the Knicks made the Celts pay from beyond the arc, where they went 7- of-14 from 3-point range. Pablo Prigioni nailed three of those triples. Boston, meanwhile, shot just 35 percent. New York took a 16-point advantage into the break and was never seriously threatened in the second half. The Knicks had excelled during the second half of games during the first two tilts of this set. In Game 1, New York held Boston to just eight points in the fourth, and 25 overall in the final 24 minutes. Boston shot just 25.9 percent in the second half and made just three baskets -- 27.3 percent (3- of-11) -- in the final frame. The Knicks used their stifling defense in the second half of Game 2 as well. Boston recorded just 23 points and shot just 19.4 percent over the last two stanzas. J.R. Smith was tossed out of the contest following a flagrant foul two with 7:06 remaining for throwing an elbow into Jason Terry's face. The league office will look at the replay to determine whether to discipline Smith further. Jeff Green tallied 21 points for the Celtics, who went 27-13 at TD Garden during the regular season. New York will go for the series sweep Sunday in Boston.

Final Score: Golden State 110, Denver 108
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - It was a lightning fast-paced battle and Stephen Curry's ankle held up just fine. Curry tallied 29 points and 11 assists in the Golden State Warriors' 110-108 triumph over the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of this Western Conference first- round series. It was a hectic final few moments as Wilson Chandler nailed a left corner three to pull Denver within 109-108 with 16.5 seconds remaining. The Warriors called timeout with 9.4 ticks left, but were called for a five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds. Ty Lawson, who finished with a playoff career-high 35 points, turned the ball over on Denver's next possession with 5.3 seconds to go. Harrison Barnes split a pair of foul shots with 3.7 seconds on the clock and Andre Iguodala's heave from the right side of the midcourt line clanked off the front of the rim as Golden State escaped with the victory to take a 2-1 series lead. Curry rolled his left ankle late in the third quarter of his team's 131-117 Game 2 win, but returned for the start of the fourth and ended with 30 points and 13 assists. Although he gave the ball away seven times, Jarrett Jack added 23 points and seven assists in the triumph. Lawson also dished out 10 assists, while Corey Brewer deposited 16 points off the bench for the Nuggets.

Final Score: San Antonio 120, LA Lakers 89
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - With four guards sidelined, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris for a boost against the San Antonio Spurs. What they got was the worst home playoff loss in Lakers history. Now, they're are on the verge of being swept in the first round of a playoff series for the first time. Tim Duncan registered 26 points and nine rebounds and Tony Parker scored 20 in San Antonio's 120-89 rout of the Lakers in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Spurs, who shot 61.2 percent from the field, also got 13 points from DeJuan Blair, 12 from Kawhi Leonard and 11 from Danny Green. Pau Gasol had a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, who also received 25 points and 11 boards from Dwight Howard. Morris scored 24 and Goudelock 20. Metta World Peace was held scoreless in 17 minutes. Steve Nash sat out for Los Angeles with a strained right hamstring and Jodie Meeks missed a second game with a sprained left ankle. Steve Blake (strained right hamstring) and Kobe Bryant (torn left Achilles tendon) were already ruled out. San Antonio took command early by hitting 61 percent of its shots in the first quarter, led by eight points from Duncan. Conversely, the Lakers went 8-of-23.

The NBA Roundup: April 15, 2013

I wouldn’t want to be either Tony Parker or Ty Lawson. Why, you ask? Simple – either one will have to face Steph Curry in the first round of the Playoffs, and, the way things look, Curry is out to spice up the postseason (see what happened there?) with his insane handles and killer jumper.

Today’s Best:

•        Curry’s torrid shooting carried the Warriors to a huge win over the Spurs. This means that, for now, the Warriors reclaim sixth spot in the West ladder and put Houston back down to seventh. Curry rattled in 35 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in a superb performance. Oh, and did you catch that sick move he put on Gary Neal? Damn.
•        Don’t knock Ty Lawson down, however. The former Tar Heel knocked down a game-winning pull-up over Monta Ellis that deflated the Bucks and, more importantly, secured home court advantage for Denver in the first round.
•        Now how about Kevin Durant? KD unloaded an all-around 29-7-8-1-2 line while shooting 10-of-16 from the field to lead the Thunder all the way to the Western Conference’s top overall seed. Don’t be mean, KD. Don’t be mean.

Steph Curry put on some sweet moves against the Spurs.
(image by Jose Sanchez/AP)

Today’s Worst:

•        It’s kind of a good thing the Mavs won’t make the Playoffs because if they did make it, then we’d see more of OJ Mayo’s mediocrity. Against the Grizzlies, Mayo had 4 turnovers and shot 1-of-6 from the floor in 26 minutes. That’s money… wasted.
•        The Bucks had a scintillating run in the fourth quarter against Denver, but they wouldn’t have had to do that if not for Brandon Jennings bricking on all but one of his 11 shot attempts.
•        Ummm… this is not the way to go into the final game of the season against the Lakers, James Harden. I’m a huge fan of the Beard, but today its seems his shot was more of a mess than his grill. He shot just 5-of-18 from the field and 6-of-11 from the line. Kablooey.

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

He probably won’t win the MVP award this season, or maybe in any season, but that will not dim the fact that Tony Parker has been the best point guard of the past week or so. Joining him on this list are four young guns who will probably figure in the “Best PG” conversation long after Parker’s time is up.

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

5. Kemba Walker (CHA) - 22.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 4.2apg, 2.0spg, .494 FG%, .536 3pt%, .905 FT%, 21.4 EFF

Prior to his most recent game against the Clips, Kemba dropped a total of 99 points over four games. All but one of those games were losses, but, hey, that shouldn’t dampen the awesome production from this combo guard. He struggled from the field against CP3, but he made up for it with 4 steals and 5 rebounds. Charlotte has nothing left to lose this season, which means Kemba will probably play out the rest of the Bobcats’ games with no pressure – just the way he likes it.

4. Steph Curry (GSW) - 24.8ppg, 3.8rpg, 6.0apg, 2.2spg, .511 FG%, 23.8 EFF

Curry just scored FIFTY-FOUR points against the Knicks. That’s all we really need to know. Yes, GSW lost despite that, but one has to remember that the only guys who’ve scored more than that at the current MSG (a.k.a. Garden IV) are (you might know them) Bernard King (60 in 1984), Michael Jordan (55 back in 1995), and Kobe Bryant (61 in 2009). And don’t even get me started on his FG%. This Curry is mighty hot!

3. Ty Lawson (DEN) - 24.2ppg, 4.2rpg, 8.0apg, 24.6 EFF

The Nuggets’ 8-win and 4-loss February has pushed them to second in the Northwest and fifth in the Western Conference, and Lawson has been maybe the biggest factor in their solid play. He has scored double-digits in every February game, and scored less than 20 only twice. The former UNC Tar Heel should remain one of the best under-the-radar playmakers as the regular season enters its last quarter.

2. Russell Westbrook (OKC) - 27.2ppg, 5.2rpg, 7.0apg, .500 FG%, .615 3pt%, 24.6 EFF

For the past week or so, I haven’t heard any statement (nor read any Tweet or Facebook status) referring to Jet Zero as Westbrick. The former UCLA star has shot 47% or better from the floor in 8 of OKC’s 11 February games.  In those games, the Thunder went 6-2. Conclusion? Can Westbrook shoot this well at a consistent pace? For the season, his FG success rate is just a shade above 43%, so OKC fans should be wary of the law of averages catching up soon.

1. Tony Parker (SAS) - 25.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 7.0apg, 1.5spg, .544 3pt%, 27.3 EFF

Will Parker be the second foreign-born point guard to win the MVP in the past 10 years? Will he follow in the trail of one Steve Nash? Nope. The way things are going, the MVP race is just really between LBJ and KD, but, hey, if stats and team performance were the only criteria, Parker would be a prime choice. The Spurs’ success this season may be attributed to TD’s resurgence and the rise in the play of guys like Danny Green, but Parker’s solid playmaking has, by far, been the real x-factor.

Tony Parker is the best PG right now. Will he also
be the first French MVP?
(image by Ben Margot/AP)

The NBA Playoffs: Day 13: Live To Fight Another Day

Ty Lawson and the Nuggets race past the
listless Lakers to force Game 7
(Photo by the Associated Press)

#game7 #ArtestToTheRescue
The day did not start so good for the Lakers when they found out that Kobe Bryant had a stomach virus. Of course Bryant still played but he was limited. Kobe scored 31 points but he tired easily and he was hobbled defensively. He even committed a flagrant foul on Kenneth Faried that ignited a 15-4 run for the Nuggets. The day ended far worse for the Lakers when the Nuggets tied the series and forced a Game 7. Ty Lawson led all scorers with 32 points while Corey Brewer came of the bench to contribute 18 points in 19 minutes. Brewer was injured during the last game but he managed to outwork and outplay the likes of Gasol (3 pts) and Bynum (11 pts). The Nuggets were hot from the field as they made 10 of 20 three-point shots after shooting below 30% for the series. Game 7 will be in Los Angeles and Ron Artest (MWP) will be eligible to play for the Lakers. With the way Lawson and Faried are playing, the Lakers will need Artest to provide his physical presence and possibly scare Lawson from driving to the hoop due to the fear of receiving a head shot.


#asterisk #BadLuckBulls
The Sixers beat the Bulls in thrilling fashion to win the series in 6 games. On paper, it will be called an upset due to their regular season record but in reality, it was somewhat expected. The Bulls were unable to overcome their injuries to key players: Rose (ACL), Noah (sprained ankle) and Boozer (broken jumper and bruised self-confidence). Luol Deng and Richard Hamilton kept the Bulls in the game but they needed Boozer to be exceptional just like in Game 5 and that did not happen as Boozer shot 1-11 and scored 3 points. Andre Iguodala had his best scoring game of the series and he provided the winning sequence for the Sixers when he rebounded a missed freethrow then raced to the other side where he got fouled. He calmly sank both shots to give the Sixers the lead. The Bulls had no timeouts and with 2.2 seconds left, all CJ Watson could do was throw up a prayer which was not answered. The Sixers advanced to the next round to face the Celtics. Meanwhile, the Bulls finished a disappointing playoffs by limping to the finish line and they might miss the playoffs next year since Rose wont be back for a  year. Tough break for the Bulls.

#vintageKG #LuckoftheIrish
Kevin Garnett reminded the fans and the co-owner of the Hawks that he was the league MVP once. He erupted for 28 points and 14 rebounds plus he nailed a jumper to give the Celtics the lead with 30 seconds left. The Hawks had a chance to tie but Al Horford missed one free throw and that was the ballgame. KG was upset that people call him old and dirty and that sparked him into a scoring and rebounding frenzy. Al Horford playing in the series was a great story for the Hawks and he almost tipped the scales into their favor. Unfortunately, it was not enough. Horford also struggled with 7 turnovers and he was late on defensive rotations often as Garnett buried a bunch of jumpers on him. This loss will linger for the Hawks over the summer because they had the personnel advantage over the Celtics especially when Horford came back and started producing like an all-star. The Celtics had a very limited Ray Allen and Paul Pierce played with an injured knee for two games yet the Hawks were unable to capitalize on those. Suddenly, things are looking good for the Celtics as they will host the Sixers on Saturday with the Cs having home court advantage.  

#Tweet/Quote of the Night
"Thank you to their owner for giving me some extra gas tonight. My only advice to him is next time he opens his mouth to know what he's talking about with X's and O's versus checkbooks and bottom lines." - Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics


#RandomStuff #stats

• Bulls were the fifth number one seed to lose in the 1st round
• Rondo's 10+ assists streak ended at 28 games (Stockton at 29)
• Rookie, Kenneth Faried put up another double-double, his third in 6 games
• James Harden was awarded the Sixth Man of the Year 
• Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are game-time decisions for Game 6
• East match-ups are Heat-Pacers and Celtics-Sixers

Follow me on Twitter @rollzter

The NBA Playoffs: Day 7

Rajon Rondo made sure that the Hawks knew that
 he was playing by unleashing a triple double.
(Photo by Brian Snyder/REUTERS) 

#collapse #MomentumShift
Evan Turner said that he wanted to face the Bulls in the first round. He got his wish and he has backed up his word by playing great basketball in their last two wins. The Bulls were up 14 points in the fourth quarter when the Sixers made a 19-2 run anchored by Spencer Hawes (21 pts, 9 rebs) and Evan Turner (16 and 9) which gave the Sixers the victory, thus the 2-1 series lead. The Bulls were in good shape to win the game as they held Brand and Iguodala to 5 total points while Boozer and Hamilton were carrying the offensive load. Unfortunately, things turned bad for the Bulls as their offense became stagnant and shots were not going on. They certainly missed the playmaking skills of Derrick Rose. To make matters worse, Joakim Noah sprained his ankle and left the game. He was on crutches after the game. Game 4 is on Sunday.

#beatLA #NoSuperstarNoProblem
Ty Lawson has to be the fastest or one of the fastest guys who can go coast-to-coast. He was a blur in the first half as he blitzed his way past the Laker's defense, scoring 13 of the first 20 points for the Nuggets. The running style of the Nuggets gave them a 55-39 lead at halftime. Andrew Bynum woke up in the third quarter and the Lakers played half court basketball which allowed the Lakers to get back into the game. Kobe was having a bad shooting night (7 of 23) which meant that he kept on hoisting contested shots. His multiple attempts took away shots from Bynum and Gasol, thus lowering their effectiveness. The Nuggets front court combo of rookie Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee outplayed and out-hustled everyone from the Lakers. That duo combined for 28 points and 30 rebounds.


#TripleDouble #DidYouMissMe
Rajon Rondo did not apologize to his teammates for being suspended for Game 2. He decided that his actions speak louder than words so he played in Game 3 and got himself a triple double. The Celtics have a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 being in Boston again. Rondo amassed 17 pts, 14 rebs, 12 assts and 4 steals in 49 minutes of action. The Celtics needed every bit of his numbers as they had trouble putting away the Hawks who played without injured Josh Smith. Tracy McGrady played extended minutes (41) due to the depleted Hawks bench and scored 12 points. It was Rondo's night and he asserted himself more during overtime when he scored two buckets early to give the Celtics the lead. Rondo drove to the hoop during the last minute of overtime and faked Jeff Teague but Rondo missed the layup. Luckily, Garnett was there for the easy putback and that gave the Celtics a 4-point lead.
.
#injuriesSUCK
Here is a list of players that got injured during the playoffs:

• Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Amare Stoudemire, Caron Butler, Tiago Splitter
• Al Harrington, Josh Smith, Joakim Noah, Tracy McGrady

#Tweet or Quote of the Night
Michael Wilbon, ESPN @RealMikeWilbon "Evan Turner backing up what he said about wanting the Bulls. He's kicking their butts w talent/hustle...He's the best player on the floor."


#RandomStuff #stats

• Rondo has 7 career triple doubles which ties him with LeBron James
• Evan Turned was drafted at Number 2 during 2010
• Andrew Bynum had zero points in the first half. He finished with 18
• Kenneth Faried is 6'8" and he guarded Pau Gasol (7'0") for most of 2nd half
• Bulls are now 0-2 without Rose in the playoffs

#Follow me on twitter: @rollzter