#NBA2015: Players to Watch Part Three

With the 2014-2015 NBA season beginning in fewer than 10 days, I found it just right to look at some players we should all keep tabs on. There are no-brainers like LeBron, KD, CP3, and James Harden, of course, but there are also many other characters on whom we should put the spotlight. In this first of five parts, we’ll take a look at some key guys for the Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, and Timberwolves.

Two rookies who will struggle through their team's futility, two point guards who
are looking to make the jump, a forward who'll fall short of replacing the
best player in the world, and a center who can push his team to the top. 

DeAndre Jordan (LAC) - DJ had a breakout season in 2013-2014, averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, steals, blcoks, and field goal percentage while also helping the Clippers advance to the second round of the Playoffs. He averaged a double-double for the first time in his career (believe it or not) and, again, shot an eye-popping 68% from the floor! Who does that?! The 6’11 slotman is no longer just a highlight reel factory content on eating Brandon Knight alive for breakfast. As his numbers suggest, he protects the rim, finishes around the basket, and gets repossessions. One might argue he could be an All-Star this season if makes another jump in his game. If he can actually do that, then look for the Clips to make noise even beyond the second round.

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: 5 Players Who Will Make the "Jump"

Each season, we see players elevate their games into higher levels. These growths and improvements in their basketball skills are called making the "jump". You will notice the "jump" when a regular bench player becomes a consistent starter (Omer Asik) or an average starter becomes an All-star (Paul George) or an All-star becomes a superstar (James Harden).

This season, I expect these five players to make the "jump".

DeMarcus Cousins has the talent to be an All-star but
he is more known for tantrums and outbursts on the court 

1. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Boogie Cousins received a contract extension worth 4-year, $62 million from the Kings this past summer. Sacramento traded former ROY Tyreke Evans to the Pelicans and received a pass-first PG in Grievis Vasquez. With Evans gone, Cousins ultimately becomes the leader and franchise player of the Kings. The Kings believe that they can contend for a playoffs spot in the West with DMC leading the charge. Cousins has to stay on the floor and avoid getting technical fouls (and ejections) or fouling out. He is capable of getting double-doubles daily (17 and 9.9 last year) and being a 22 and 12 guy is definitely attainable. DMC must improve his transition defense especially after he takes a shot or doesn't get the ball. He is prone to complaining and jogging back on defense. Cousins needs to grow up now, on and off the court this season. Heck, Shaq is now a minority owner for the Kings, maybe he can mentor DMC for the better.

The NBA: 2013 WCF: Best of the West

It took the San Antonio Spurs 6 years to get back to the NBA Finals.
They await the Heat or the Pacers
(Image from: Manu Ginobili)

#GoSpursGo #sweep #BestoftheWest
It only took the Spurs 4 games to advance to the NBA Finals. This was a series that many predicted to be grueling and tight. Some experts even had the Grizzlies advancing instead of the battle-tested Spurs (I picked the Spurs in 6). San Antonio was in control for most of the series and Memphis was unable to retaliate and adjust. Sure, two of the games went into OT but the Spurs still prevailed after initially having big leads during regulation. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had impressive performances during the series while their supporting cast did just enough to propel them over the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Memphis struggled scoring and Zach Randolph was the biggest reason they were unable to defeat the Spurs for at least one game. Randolph could not find the bottom of the basket as he mustered only 16 total FGs in 4 games and shot 30% from the field vs the Spurs. Randolph was dominant in the previous 2 rounds but he could not overcome the Spurs' defense and strategy against him. Mike Conley also had a sub par series as Tony Parker destroyed him offensively. Parker averaged 24 and 9 while Conley responded with just 15 and 7. The Grizzlies needed more from Conley and Randolph especially since Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince are liabilities on offense.

#Big3 #Timmy #Manu #TP
The Spurs Trio will have a chance to win their 4th title together in the Finals. Tim Duncan will be gunning for his 5th ring which further cements his place as the best PF in NBA history. At 37 years old, Timmy has eluded "father time" this season and his play vs the Grizzlies was amazing. Duncan outplayed Gasol and Randolph for most of the series including hustling down the court for fast break/transition opportunities. Manu Ginobili struggled scoring and shooting but he still produced all-around numbers with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. If Manu ever finds his shooting stroke again, the Spurs look unbeatable. Lastly, Tony Parker is playing at MVP levels. He eviscerated the Grizzlies' defense with 37 points (season-high), mostly on easy and uncontested layups. He shot 15 of 21 (53% for the series) as he constantly got to the paint with no challenge coming from Memphis. The Spurs had 52 points in the paint compared to only 32 for the Grizzlies. The Spurs were the best assist team in the regular season and they are doing the same in the playoffs.

#Grizzlies #Grit&Grind
The Memphis Grizzlies did not win a game versus the Spurs in the WCF but this season can still be considered a success. Memphis finished with 56 wins in the regular season and they won 2 rounds in the playoffs. The Grizz traded Rudy Gay away but they still finished with a winning record and their team defense improved immensely. Other players developed and got better as well. Marc Gasol established himself as one of the best centers in the NBA and he received the DPOY award. Mike Conley emerged in the playoffs as a dependable player who can take and make clutch shots. Tony Allen remains a premier defender on the perimeter but he needs to vastly improve his jumper. As for Z-Bo, if he played like his 2011 version against the Spurs, then Memphis had a great chance of winning the series. It's unfortunate that Z-Bo failed to play like that and now the Grizzlies are going fishing. Overall, the Grizzlies took another step forward to becoming among the elite teams in the NBA. They just need more help/depth from the bench and Tony Allen needs to develop an outside shot.

#NBAFinals #Heat #Pacers
The Spurs will have more than a week to rest before the NBA Finals begin on June 6. If the Heat-Pacers reach 7 games, the Spurs will definitely have a big advantage when it comes to resting and preparing. That might mean impending doom for the Heat/Pacers because Coach Popovich is one of  the best coaches in the NBA. Some could argue that Pop is the best in the business and with all that time to game plan and prepare, the Spurs could be the favorites to win it all. Do the Spurs have a preference between Heat or Pacers? They beat the Pacers twice in the regular season while the Spurs lost twice to the Heat. The games against Miami dont mean much since both games featured a bunch of missing key players. The Spurs can match-up against the front line of Hibbert, George and West although Indy would have the overall advantage there. The Spurs have the advantage in the back-court and bench players. Meanwhile against Miami, a lot of the match-ups could cancel out each other (Allen-Ginobili, Duncan-Bosh, Wade-Leonard, Parker-James, etc). A series versus the Heat would rekindle the LeBron vs the Spurs story-line of 2007 where the Cleveland Cavaliers got swept. Do you think Heat-Spurs is a better match-up than Pacers-Spurs?  

#Player of the Night
Tony Parker (Spurs) - 37, 4 rebounds, 6 assists on 15-21 FGs 

#Highlight of the Night
Top Plays of Game 4

#Tweets of the Nights

Arash Markazi ‏@ArashMarkazi

As far as "Big Three" combos go, it's hard to top what Duncan, Parker and Ginobli have done the past 10 years.

JALEN ROSE ‏@JalenRose

Hate it or love it...Parker IS the 3rd best player in the ENTIRE NBA. Period. Behind only LBJ & KD

The NBA: 2013 WCF: Spurs Escape in OT

Tim Duncan stepped up in OT as the Spurs survived for a 2-0 lead.
(Image from: Eric Gay/ AP)

#OT #Tony #Timmy
It almost appeared that the Spurs were gonna blowout the Grizzlies again with an 18-point lead in the 3rd quarter. Tony Parker was on his way to a career-high 18 assists while the Spurs were making their shots. But unlike Game 1, the Grizzlies did not quit and they competed hard in the last quarter. They woke up in the 4th quarter and delivered an impressive comeback led by Zach Randolph and Mike Conley. The Grizzlies went on a 15-2 run to tie the score at 85 and force overtime. There was a debatable flagrant foul called against the Spurs that helped the Grizzlies but everything that led to that moment was due to the effort and hustle from Memphis. In OT, the Grizzlies had no answer for Tim Duncan decided as he decided to take over. Timmy scored 6 points and played good defense which reminded us that he is arguably the best PF in NBA history. Duncan also had 5 fouls halfway during the 4th but he managed to avoid fouling out. After the game, Duncan commented that he was happy to be playing in the clutch. TD got benched in the 4th quarter during their last game and he sat for a few minutes after getting his 5th foul.

#flagrant? #flop? #acting?
With the Spurs up 85-81, Tony Allen got a steal from Ginobili and went for a fast break layup with 26 seconds to go. Allen didnt make the shot because Manu fouled him hard by grabbing Allen's arm. Allen fell to the floor hard and rolled/screamed in pain while holding his head. The referees decided to call it a flagrant foul 1 (no ejection) on Manu after reviewing the play. Without the use of a replay, I thought it was just a hard foul, definitely not flagrant. But after seeing Allen holding his head in pain, I reconsidered my stance and accepted that it could be a flagrant foul. Then I saw the slow motion replay which showed that Tony Allen did NOT hit his head on the court. So, was it a flop or good acting? Allen is a smart guy and he sold the foul/injury very well to the referees. The writhing in pain and holding his head tactics were a bit excessive and I expect the NBA to fine him for his acting. It's just weird that the referees ignored the fact that Allen "acted" because without the acting, the foul did not look that bad at all. He was actually fine and he made both FTs plus he played in overtime. Now, if Allen did hit his head on the floor, the NBA should require him to take concussion tests. Good thing the Spurs recovered and did not lose the game due to a debatable call.

#Game3 #Preview #GrindHouse
The Spurs are up 2-0 but the Grizzlies are definitely still in this series. They are going back to Memphis where the Grizzlies are undefeated in the GrindHouse (5-0). The Spurs also lost 2 games in Memphis during the regular season. Zach Randolph had a better game and finished with a double-double (15 points & 18 boards) but he struggled from the field and foul line.Marc Gasol also had a double-double as Memphis dominated the boards. Jerryd Bayless played great with 18 points off the bench but he took a bad shot in OT with the Spurs up 3 in the final seconds. For the Spurs, Ginobili continues to struggle shooting and scoring (7.5 points, 5-12 FGs). Their supporting cast has been great with the likes of Splitter, Green and Leonard scoring in double digits for the 2nd time in the series. I think the Grizzlies will take Game 3 in another close one.
 
#DraftLottery #Cavs
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been very lucky when it comes to landing the 1st overall pick in the NBA Draft. Nick Gilbert, son of the owner, provided the good luck charm again as the Cavs got the 1st pick for the 2nd time in 3 years. They drafted Kyrie Irving in 2011 and when healthy, Kyrie is among the best players in the league. It has been rumored/reported that the Cavs could take Nerlens Noel of Kansas, a PF/C to improve a young front line that already has Tristan Thompson and Cody Zeller. The 2013 draft class is not that deep so trading the 1st pick is also a big possibility. There are already lots of theories that LeBron James could come back to Cleveland in 2014 due to their influx of young talent. The Cavs need to start winning more though before LBJ even entertains coming back.

#Stats #News

• Grizzlies dominated the glass 60-46 but they shot a measly 34%
• Spurs had the edge on points in the paint, 40-38
• Parker had 18 assists, the Grizzlies had 19
• Tim Duncan was +22 (game-high)

#Player of the Night
Tony Parker (Spurs) - 15 points, 18 assists (career-high), 5 rebounds and 3 steals 

#Highlights of the Night
Quincy Attacking the Paint

#Tweets of the Night

J.A. Adande ‏@jadande

Was it a flagrant foul on Manu Ginobili? Tony Allen: "Yeah, most definitely."

chris palmer ‏@ESPNChrisPalmer

Given his overall body of work Tony Parker could be the best PG of his generation.

The NBA: 2013 Playoffs: Heat, Grizz Advance!

The Battle of Marquette alumni Butler and Wade ended in Game 5 with
D-Wade having his best game in the series
(Image from: USA Today)

#OntotheNext #WoW
The Heat had a big 18-point lead in the 1st quarter and appeared headed for an easy win and a laugher. The Bulls had other ideas and never quit. Miami took their foot of the gas pedal and went on cruise control. Chicago made them pay with a 24-point turnaround that gave the Bulls a 6-point lead at the half. The Bulls were in control during the 4th quarter until D-Wade (Way of Wade) and the Heat decided to turn up the intensity and effort. Wade has been a non-factor for the first 4 games and could have rested for Game 5 due to a bad knee. Good thing Wade decided to play because he helped the Heat overcome the Bulls. Wade had 6 points, a couple of rebounds and a bigtime putback dunk to propel Miami to the win. He also played great defense down the stretch on Butler and Hamilton. Credit to the Bulls for giving the Heat a big scare and this was a tough series. If the Bulls were healthy, then maybe this could have been 7 games.

#Heart #InjuriesSuck
The Bulls battled hard without 3 starters (Deng, Hinrich, Rose) and they almost stretched the series to another game. They played with sheer determination and all heart. You could never count them out and their effort was palpable. Miami had more talent and more players. Chicago could not keep pace with all their missing players and fatigue caught up with them. The Bulls only played 6 deep and that included Hamilton playing major minutes, the same guy who did not play the first 3 games of the series. Critics and fans will lament the fact the Derrick Rose did not play even once. Personally, I thought that Rose should only play if he was ready mentally and emotionally. It does not matter that team doctors declared him physically ready. The decision should be up to Rose and if he felt he was not ready, then dont play at all. The Bulls were not going to beat the Heat even if Rose played during the series. It was safer to save himself for next season and go through training camp and preseason games. Maybe the Bulls have a better chance vs the Heat next year.

#GritnGrind #Z-Bo
The Grizzlies are going to the West Finals and they avenged their 2011 loss to the Thunder. Randolph led Memphis with 28 and 14 as he dominated the Thunder in the paint. OKC played small ball for most of the game which allowed Z-Bo and Marc Gasol to run rampant in the post. There were defensive possessions that had Durant guarding Gasol. It almost worked for the Thunder as they managed to cut a 14-point deficit down to 2 points during the final seconds. Kevin Durant tried to do it all but he was fatigued and shot poorly for the whole game and series. KD had a shot for the tie but he missed an open jumper. The Grizzlies escaped with a win due to their great defense and advantage on talent. Mike Conley has emerged as a Top 10 point guard in the NBA while Tony Allen and Marc Gasol continue to play awesome defense. The Grizzlies are definitely an elite team in the West and they have a realistic shot of making the NBA Finals regardless of who their next opponent will be.

#Harden #Westbrook #Ibaka #Perkins
The Thunder failed to advance to the next round without Russell Westbrook. They were not deep enough to compensate for his injury. Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin did not elevate their games to another level while Durant struggled with the extra defensive attention that the Grizzlies threw at him. Durant was not ready to carry the team by himself and his teammates failed to offer enough support. Now, the Thunder has to wonder if they did the right thing in trading Harden. I thought it was a BIG mistake to trade Harden at the start of last season. I felt that OKC should have at least tried one more year with their Big 3. That opportunity has vanished and next year could even be tougher. It was also a regretful decision to pick Ibaka (signed to a long contract) over Harden. The Thunder should have amnestied Kendrick Perkins last season which would allow them to have more flexibility with the salary cap. That extra money could have swayed Harden to stay and re-sign with the Thunder during the off-season.

#Stats #News

• Wade was averaging 11 points in the first 4 games of the series
• Butler played 48 minutes in 3 of the 5 games
• Nate Robinson finished the series shooting 33% after going 0-12 in Game 4
• Durant struggled shooting vs the Grizzlies, 42% from the field, 78% FTs
• Randolph averaged 19 and 11 vs the Thunder
• Sacramento will keep the Kings

#Player of the Night
Zach Randolph (Grizzlies) - 28 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists

#Highlights of the Night
Cole-Blooded Lefty Dunk
Prince over the Thunder

#Tweets of the Night

Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons

This tweet is going to be short for me, I have a game to get to in Oklahoma City. Anyway, congrats to Thibs + the Bulls for a great season.

Ramona Shelburne ‏@ramonashelburne

Caught Russell Westbrook leaving arena. "It's a little emotional right now, " he said. "but Ill be back. I'll be back"