NBA Week 4 Recap

We are now officially a full month into the new NBA season, and it has been a great month. This first month of the season showed me how much I really missed the NBA, but I digress. This is about week 4, and I can define week 4 in one word... Historic.

They did it, despite all the doubts, despite all the skeptics, they made history.
The Golden State Warriors
The Golden state Warriors are 16-0. They have the best start in NBA history, winning their 16th straight game in a blowout win over the Lakers. The game wasn't close at all. I honestly thought the Lakers would end the streak, that the old Kobe would make an appearance, but boy was I wrong. The man behind it all, Stephen Curry, finished with 24 and 9 assists. Draymond added 18. The game to reach the milestone was easy, but the rest of the week was not. They started the week against the Clippers, the team I thought would end the streak, and it looked like they would. Clippers were up 23 at one point, but like always the Warriors started charging. Behind an 8/9 from 3 in the 4th quarter and 73% shooting, the Warriors mounted the comeback. Oh, and Steph finished with 40 and 11, hitting all the important big shots. 13-0. Next they played Chicago, another tough one, but even with Jimmy Butler going for 28, 9, and 7, the Bulls didn't have enough. 14-0. Next the Warriors played the Nuggets, who they handled fairly easily. Curry had his lowest scoring game of the season with only 19, and this happened to him.

Get 'em Rook!

Aside from that little embarrassing moment, 15-0. Then the rest is history.

So who else made history this week? A pair of former teammates

Dwyane Wade

Wade entered exclusive territory this week. Vs the 76ers, Wade scored his 19,000 point, allowing him to enter into the top 50 on the all time scoring list. He finished that game with 27 in a comeback win over them.

LeBron James

Why does it seem that every week LeBron has some new career achievement? Well this week, LeBron entered the top 25 in assists. Why is that so significant? LeBron is only the second player in NBA History to do this. Who's the other? The Big O, Oscar Robertson.

Since we're already talking about James, let's get straight to his team

The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs entered this week on a two game losing ship, and LeBron was not happy. Let's just say I think they got the message. They exacted their revenge against the same team that ended their win streak. In a blowout win vs the Bucks, LeBron led the way with 27. Next game they destroyed the Hawks in a game the final score makes seem closer than it actually was. LeBron finished just shy of a Triple double, with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Lastly, they closed the week out with their 3rd straight win vs the Magic. Lebron finished only 15 points, but he did add a season high in assists with 13. Kevin Love really took off this game with 34 and 8, including a 27 point first half. JR Smith pitched in 26 too. Look out for LeBron to make history yet again this week, he is only 6 points away from passing Reggie Miller on the scoring list. I'm pretty sure he'll reach that.

Porzingus

"Godzingus gon' Godzingus" Joe Budden couldn't have said it any better. Kristaps Porzingus has officially arrived. He has been making noise all season, but he woke up everybody when he erupted for 29 and 11 last week. Well it was no fluke, he kept it coming this week. He led the Knicks to a win over James Harden and the Rockets with probably his best game yet. He totaled 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 blocks. He followed that up with another solid performance with 20 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to the Heat. He's starting to look like New York's best player, yes over 'Melo. And you heard it here first, Porzingus will win Rookie Of The Year.  I know I predicted Mudiay, and I'm jumping ship about 15 games in, but this man is just too good too soon.

Paul George

I wish the NBA would introduce a Comeback player of the year award, because if they did, they would be forced to name it after this man. Coming off a fully broken leg, PG13 hasn't missed a beat, in fact he looks better. He started off the week by giving the 76ers 34 points and followed that up with a 20 piece to the bucks. He decided to save his best for last this week because last night he erupted for 40 including 7-8 from 3 to beat the wizards. Paul George now has 10 straight 20 plus point games for the first time in his career. He's averaging 25.9 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. To top it all of the Pacers are winning, currently 4th in the East and they have won 9 of their last 11 games. Superstar.

Russell Westbrook

I can't have a week recap without talking about Westbrook. Let's just say, Westbrook was Westbrook once again. Westbrook started the week off by going for 43, his 3rd 40 point game of the young season. He willed his team to victory with a performance that included 15 made free throws, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He would then fill up the stat sheet two nights later in a loss to the Knicks with 34, 7, and 7, but the losing would stop there. He played the Mavs, and gave them 31 and 11 assists. Westbrook took that game over in crunch time, hitting 2 mid range pullup jumpers with under a minute left to seal the game. The next game all was well in OKC because a certain someone arrived.

Kevin Durant

Durant finally returned from his 6 game absence, and he did not miss a beat. He came back and dropped 27 on 10/13 shooting. This man is unreal.

Los Angeles Clippers

Whats going on with the Clippers? These Clips have looked horrible this season. Is it injuries? Is it Coaching? Or are they just not good enough? I'm starting to think it's the latter. They were on a 3 game skid, until they won last night bringing them back to .500. One of those loses include the debacle vs the Warriors. They were up 23, and still lost vs the Defending champs. When it's crunch-time, the Clippers cannot develop offense. They are very stagnant in the 4th quarter. Blake can't create his own shot, and it seems like Chris Paul loses his. They need to fix this as soon as possible or they'll be looking at a very early playoff exit.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are probably the best team in the NBA that no one is talking about, but is that really surprising? They are currently 2nd in the Western conference with an 11-3 record. They have an upcoming superstar in Kawhi Leonard that leads them in scoring, while almost single handedly locking down the opposition's best player. LaMarcus Aldridge is starting to fit in the system making them even scarier. And to top it all off, Tony Parker has got out of his slump and is starting to look like the Tony Parker we know. I think people need to start realizing that these Spurs are no joke this season.

Well that's it for week 4! Y'all know the spot by now, WhyToby.blogspot.com

follow me on twitter to see my live NBA Tweets. Link in blog! Be back next week.

NBA Week 3 Recap

Week 3 of the NBA season was packed full. Packed full of good games, packed full of injuries, packed full of highlights, and surprisingly packed full of drama. After three weeks, we have two teams who are still perfect, and we'll start with one of them.

Philadelphia 76ers

Yup the 76ers are still perfect, perfect losers. They are currently the only winless team in the NBA this season with a 0-11 record. They are currently 6 straight loses away from matching their start from last season, and if they are trying to enter the record books, 8 straight losses from having the worst start in NBA History. The 76ers are awful, Gawd awful. If we are to go back to last season, they are actually on a 21 game losing streak, their last win came on March 25th. With all this losing, they do have one thing to be happy about, one bright spot about this season.

Jahlil Okafor

Okafor is having an excellent rookie season. He is currently averaging 19.2 Points per game, which is first among rookies. Honestly, that's really not a surprise. Everyone knew he could score, but it's his defensive that's been surprising. He's currently averaging 1.8 blocks per game, second among rookies. This week was an excellent week for Okafor too. He started the week by going off on the Raptors, dropping 26. His next game vs OKC was probably the worst of his young career, he finished with only 6 points and 6 rebounds, but he came back nicely. The next two games he had 2 big double doubles of 21 and 12 and 19 and 11 to end his week pretty good. Well at least so far in this terrible season, the 76ers found their big man of the future.

Now for the truly perfect team in the NBA...

Golden State Warriors

I feel like I talk about them too much every week, but honestly they deserve it. The Warriors are a perfect 12-0. I'll say this, this was definitely the hardest week of the season for them . It started in Memphis. Y'all remember Memphis though right? The team they embarrassed by 50 two weeks ago? Let's just say it didn't get much better for them this game, especially when Stephen Curry had the ball. Curry actually struggled this game, going 9/ 21, yet he still finished with 28. And he did this to end the 3rd quarter. 

Then as if he was just playing with them, he threw this up.

The torture of Memphis continues. But hey, at least they ain't lose by 50. Well you've heard the saying "another week, another Steph 40 Piece"? Well, it's true. He burned the Timberwolves for 46. Curry's 3rd 40 point game of the season. Then things got interesting for the Warriors. Their next game was vs the Nets, one of the THE worst teams in the league. They entered the game with a 97% chance of winning. Well Brooklyn took it to them, HARD. The Warriors were down as much as 17. Come 4th quarter time, the Nets looked like they were gonna end the Warriors streak... then this happened

Game goes to OT. I knew it was over, that was Brooklyn's worst mistake. The Warriors score the first 10 points of the extra period and pull away. Improving to 11-0. Steph finished with 34, and Draymond added a triple double of 16 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. One of the best games of the whole week was last night, the Warriors faced the Raptors. Competitive game, looked like the Raps would end the streak. Toronto had the game in their hands, down 1 with 24 seconds left and in the bonus. Then Kyle Lowry makes two crucial mistakes on back to back possessions, effectively sealing the game for the Warriors. Steph finishes with 37 and 9 assists, and the streak continues. It's now up to their next opponent, who gave them their toughest game of the year so far.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have been having an up and down season so far. They are currently 6-4. It's been hard for them since their best player, Chris Paul has been out most of the season with a strained groin injury. Luckily, their second best player, Blake Griffin, has been a monster. Blake's been averaging 26 and 9 rebounds this season. They started this week on a two game losing streak, but thanks to a herculean effort from Jamal Crawford, they were able to pull out a victory vs the Pistons. Crawford went OFF for 37, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Will they be able to end the Warriors streak tomorrow? 

Let's keep it in California shall we? 

Sacramento Kings

Before this week, the Kings were having a terrible season. They had lost 6 straight games leading to a player's only meeting and a very angry Demarcus Cousins. Cousins early in the week blew up on his head coach George Karl, cursing him out in front of the whole team. Well that must've done the trick because after that the Kings took off! They've won three straight since the incident, mainly on the backs of two players, you can probably guess one of them.

DeMarcus Cousins

He has been outstanding this week. Starting the week off he went for 33 and 9 vs the Pistons. Then he absolutely demolished the Nets to the tune of 40 points and 13 rebounds. They had no answer for him in the paint, doing anything he wanted in there. He then followed up that performance in a win vs the Raptors, he gave them 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Excellent week, good enough to earn him Western Conference player of the week honors.  Behind most good big men, is a good point guard, and the King's PG finally re-emerged.

Rajon Rondo

Y'all remember a couple years back when there was a debate that Rondo was a top 5 PG in the league? And if he had a jumper, he would be the best by far? Well if he keeps up what he did this week, that conversation might just come back up. Rondo looked like the Rondo of old this week. Rondo had two straight TRIPLE DOUBLES to start this week. First he gave one to the Pistons, tallying 14 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds, then he followed that right up by giving an even better one to the Nets, 23 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. He finished his week with another strong performance of 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 14 assists. Rondo used to be the best passer in the league, and it's starting to look like it again. 

There's another player in the league known for getting Triple doubles too

Russell Westbrook

When Durant is injured, something takes over Westbrook. We saw it all last season, and this week we were graced with it again. Triple Double madness. Durant went out in the first half vs Washington, and you didn't have to tell Westbrook twice. He recorded his first one of the season finishing with 22, 11, and 11. The next game the madness continued, Westbrook tallied another one in a win vs the 76ers, he had 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists. The rest of the week was good for Westbrook, but not in the win column. OKC ended up losing to the Celtics with Westbrook scoring 27, then Westbrook gave the Memphis Grizzlies 40, yet they still lost. Let's hope OKC can get back to their winning ways.  

Week Three was also the week of returns, a lot of players faced off against their former teams this week. 

LaMarcus Aldridge

He made his return to Portland for the first time since he left them for San Antonio, and he didn't disappoint. Aldridge gave his former team 23 and 6 rebounds, and most importantly came out with the win. He later played Portland again later in the week, but had a pretty bad game, recording only 6 points and 6 rebound, but at least the Spurs pulled out another win.

Nicolas Batum

I'm gonna give it up to Batum, he had a fantastic week, so good he earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. He had a string of good games, his best which he saved for his old team. He started the week of beating the Knicks and giving them 24 points along with 5 rebounds. Next game, in a loss to Chicago, he dropped 28 and 8 rebounds. He decided to save his best game of the season so far vs Portland. He gave them 33 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, and took the win. 

Dallas Mavericks 

The team everybody suspected to drop off this season, including myself, has done just the opposite. They look better. The Mavericks are currently 3rd in the Western Conference with a 7-4 record. They are on a 4 game win streak , which includes a win against the Clippers, or more so, DeAndre Jordan. They,specifically Nowitzki, spoiled DJ's pretend homecoming. Dirk dropped 31 and 11 on the Clippers, including 5-6 from 3. The other big name free agent, Wesley Mathews, the one that actually followed through with his deal, gave the Clips 25. Then the icing on the cake, courtesy of the Mavericks twitter account (it's funny if you followed the whole DeAndre saga)

This week had some surprises too

Phoenix Suns

The Suns have been a pretty decent surprise this season. They were expected to be a below average team, one that wouldn't make the playoffs. They just are not good enough to compete in the West. Well on the season the Suns are 6-4, currently on a 3 game win streak, and their two guards are the reason why 

Brandon Knight

Remember when Brandon Knight was the joke of the NBA? 

You know when Kyrie did this

Then DeAndre Jordan did this

Well it looks like those days are over because now a days, Brandon Knight has been putting people on the highlight reel, especially this week. 

Victim Uno- Lakers Rookie PG Huertas

Victim dos- Paul Pierce

Trust me, Brandon Knight has been doing more than just making fools of people this season. He's averaging 20.2 points per game and 5 assists. Aside from giving the truth to The Truth, he dropped 37 on the Clippers heads, then he went to the other side of Los Angeles and gave them a triple double to the tune of 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. Brandon Knight has been snapping this year, but so has his Co-Star.

Eric Bledsoe

Eric Bledsoe busted on the scene last season, and he's been continuing his amazing play this season. On the season, he's averaging 23 a game, almost 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. This week vs the Clippers he almost had his own triple double finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. He gave the Nuggets 30 and 7, and he completed his week vs the Clips with a respectable 21. The Suns have one of the best backcourts in the entire league, and they are showing it. 

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant has been bad this season... historically bad. Because of the fact it is Kobe Bryant, it's a shame to say this, but Kobe finally had a good game. It took him about 10 games, but Kobe is starting to play well. It started vs the Mavs, Kobe finished with 19, an inefficient 19, but 19 nonetheless. His first really good game came vs the Pistons. He finished with 17 points,8 rebounds, and 9 assists. Even though it was another inefficient game, he contributed in other ways aside from scoring, and what makes it more impressive, it was a win over a quality team. The Kobe of old is gone. You're just not being real with yourself to still think Kobe can come and still average 25 with ease, but I do believe Kobe can average 16 with 6 assists and rebounds. For the hope of Laker nation, let's hope Kobe continues to play this way.

Houston Rockets

The second best team in the NBA last season has went from bad, to good, to really bad this season, They've been battling bouts of inconsistency all season, and this week it was more apparent than ever. They are 4-7 on the season, currently on a 4 game losing streak. James Harden hasn't been himself. He's been super inefficient, even more so than usual, and very turnover prone. In each of the last 4 loses, Harden has had at least 4 turnovers. Then to top it all off, the Rockets just fired their coach, Kevin McHale, and he really didn't deserve it. Houston we have a problem.

And lastly we shall end with my favorite team.

Cleveland Cavaliers 

The Cavs started the week like they had been doing all season. Winning. They played the Knicks again. He's obviously been watching Kyrie because he broke this out

During the 4th quarter, he schooled Porzingus multiple times, and then with the game tied with under a minute left, LeBron hit a jumper right in Melo's face, to put the Cavs up for good. He also locked up Melo all of the second half, limiting him to just one field goal. He finished the game with 31, and the Cavs had won 8 straight... but since then, it's been going downhill. The next game the Cavs played the Bucks, which they lost in double OT. LeBron did what he does, finished the game with 37 and 12. Greg Monroe was huge with 16 points and 17 rebounds, and the game saving offensive rebound. Their next game was vs the Pistons, another closely contested contest which the Cavs couldn't pull out. Andre Drummond had another huge game with 25 and 18 rebounds, plus Reggie Jackson played huge also with 23 and 12 rebounds. LeBron went for 30, his 4th straight 30 point game, and his 5th 30 point game in 6 outings. During the game, he also passed the Logo, Jerry West, on the all- time scoring list, which he is now 19th on. The Cavs are now 8-3, all their losses coming against divisional opponents. The Cavs have some issues to work out; LeBron has been calling his team out lately, saying they're not hungry enough and feel too entitled to have lost in the finals. Let's hope they listen to him or that championship in Cleveland might be a pipe dream. 

Well I hope I have caught you up with all of week three. By now, Y'all know the spot. see you same time next week!

NBA Week 2 Recap

Week 2 has come and gone, but not without a lot of interesting developments. Week two had everything you could want in a good week; a lot of great games, and in those games a lot of spectacular performances. Their were highlight reel dunks from superstars and rookies alike, their were mighty comebacks, and hey even a lit buzzer beater. Some players started coming into their own, other players finally started getting their groove back. The Good teams remained good, and the bad teams... Well you should already know how that goes. But let's get into it!

Who should I start off with? Well it's always good to start with the best.

The Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are off to a sizzling start. They are currently 8-0. The ONLY undefeated team left in the league. They are dominating teams on both sides of the ball, and its starting to become ridiculous. They are beating teams by an average of 17.7 points with their biggest being a 50 point shaming of the Memphis Grizzlies. They did play some exciting games this week though. Their closest game of the season came against their rivals, The Clippers. They won that game by only 4 points. The Clips simply had no answer for Curry when it was crunch time. He finished the game with 31 and the go ahead 3 pointer with under a minute left. The Warriors are dominant, and it is primarily because of one man.

Stephen Curry
Come week 2, Steph didn't slow down one bit. He didn't go off like he did last week in any games, but he still played better than almost everybody else in the league. On the season, Stephen Curry is still averaging just over 32 a game, the league leader. He is seriously looking to repeat as MVP, and he keeps up these Numbers and his team keeps winning at this rate, it's all but his.

The Warriors have been the best team in the league so far, but who has been second best?

The Cleveland Cavaliers

Weird the best two teams so far are the ones who played in the finals last year? Not really. The Cavs are currently on a 7 game win streak, their only loss being the season opener to the Bulls. Since then they have been on a roll, and this week proved no different. They beat the Knicks,76ers, Pacers, and the Jazz this week, and each game was close until one man decided to put his fingerprints all over the games. Can we guess who that man was?

LeBron James

LeBron was sensational this week. Started the week off by outplaying Melo in New York, but after that game the LeBron of old started making appearences. The first half vs the 76ers was a tightly contested game, but LeBron came out after halftime and dropped 18 of his 31 in the 3rd quarter to put it away for good. And oh yeah, He added a season high 13 assist too. The next game vs the Pacers, he was playing against a familiar foe in Paul George. He lost the stat battle to George, but LeBron's 29 was able to get his team that W. His best game of the week came last night vs the Jazz. The game was close all the way through tied at the end of the 3rd quarter. Then LeBron asserted his will. In the 4th quarter LeBron dropped 17 of his 31 points on 6-8 shooting to close it out. Remember I was talking about highlights? well here's the first one.

7'2 Rudy Gobert was shook to even try and go up with LeBron. Ya'll saying he too old though. I'm sleep.

But trust me when I say LeBron was not the only Cavalier doing his thing this week.

Kevin Love 

Kevin Love is back, and I mean it. He's starting to look like his old self again after a disaster of last season. K-Love is averaging 17 and 12 this season including a monster 22 and 19 performance vs the Pacers. LeBron said this season the offense would be based a lot more around Kevin Love and it has shown. 

Since we were already talking about Indiana, lets jump straight into the next topic.

Paul George

I don't know if yall are aware or not, but I'll gladly be the first to tell you, Paul George is BACK. After his gruesome leg injury and missing almost all of last season, Paul George is picking up right where he left off. He's looking like the top 10 player he was again. He is averaging 23.2 points, 5 assists, and 8 rebounds a game. This week with the exception of Orlando, he hit 26 and 7 rebounds every game. He went off for a season high 36 with 12 rebounds vs Miami, and he followed that up with 32, 11 and 6 vs the Cavs. I'm so glad to George back, he's gonna make Indiana very interesting this season.

Keeping it in the East, another team that's been suprisingly good?

 Detroit Pistons

Stan Van Gundy has had a history of turning teams around, and with this year's Piston's team, he's showing it again. The Pistons are at 5-2 and currently 3rd in the Eastern Confernce, no one, I mean no one expected them to look this good to start out, and it's mainly because of their 2 headed beast of Jackson and Drummond. Jackson is averaging 23 and 5 in his first full season as a starter, and that includes a 40 point outburst Vs the Blazers. Andre Drummond has been looking like the second coming off a young Dwight Howard with his crazy 20-20 double doubles. He had 14-15 vs the Warriors and that was his worst game of the season. That says it all right there.

The last headline of the week is someone who shouldn't be. Or at least that's what we thought.

Kristaps Porzingus

He was supposed to be a bust they said. He wasn't suppose to even play this year they said. Well he's playing... a lot, and he's playing well. It could actually be up for debate that he is the Knicks second best player. He's averaging 11 points and 8 rebounds per game and even a block. He is the league leader in putback dunks this season with 7. It might not sound all that impressive, but consider this, There are 6 teams in the league that doesnt even have one putback this season. He's pretty darn good. I'm not saying he's the next Dirk, but I will say one thing. He is a highlight reel. 

Now back to the rest of the Wild Wild West...

James Harden

The man got his groove back. He REALLY got it back. After starting the season horrible and losing their first 3 games, James Harden destroyed the Thunder to the tune of 37 points to end last week. It seems like all that momentum continued into this week because he has been going off. He started this week by dropping 28 on Orlando, then next game all hell broke loose. Harden went for 43 and 13 on the Kings, pretty much defeating them single handedly. The next game he didnt want to stop because he dropped 43 the Clippers. Now his team is on a 4 game winning streak. 

Week 1 Recap

What a time.... To be alive . The first week of the NBA was beautiful, and I mean great. Could we have expected any better ? The superstars came to play . Particular score. Multiple 40 point games in the FIRST week. And it got so crazy, we had two 40+ performances in the same game! But it wasn't all good. There have been a few disappointments from some players and teams already, which is not a good sign, but we'll be getting into all of that.

So what's probably the biggest headline of week one? Does it even need to be debated? Pretty Easy.

STEPHEN CURRY

This man has been absolutely insane to start the season. Through the first 4 games this season. Stephen Curry is averaging 37 points, 6 assists , and 5 rebounds a game. Oh yeah, nothing to serious, but has a PER ( Player Efficiency Rating) of 50.25. He has had 30 in 3 of the 4 games, including a 53 point outburst. He has had 3 20 point Quarters too. The rest of the NBA has a grand total of one. He has a total of 148 points in 4 games, the most since Michael Jordan. 

Steph Curry is NO Fluke. 

Oh Yeah, the Warriors are no Fluke either. They are currently undefeated, and have won all their games by at least 14, including a 50 point drumming of Memphis. 

Well what's been the second biggest story of this season? His name shouldn't be too surprising either.

RUSSELL WESTBROOK

Westbrook is literally destroying who so ever dares to guard him. Currently averaging almost a Triple Double with 30, 9, and 7. Westbrook has been a nightmare for opposing teams this season. And San Antonio had to learn that the hard way. The very first game of the season, Westbrook torched Tony Parker and San Antonio to the tune of 33 and 10, but wait he wasn't done there. The next night he dropped 48, 11, and 8 on Orlando in a double OT victory, not to mention he pretty much hit a half court Jumper to send it to Overtime. 

So What about Kevin Durant??

If y'all had any doubts about him, he's just fine. He's averaging 29 points per game, including a 41 point effort vs Orlando also. I think that foot is just fine.

Another Interesting storyline of week one is this year's Rookie Class.

This year's class is good... REALLY Good. 

The Number 1 overall pick, 

Karl Anthony Towns is averaging 17, 10 with almost 3 blocks a game. His star performance came against Denver when he erupted for 28 PPG, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks .

Jahlil Okafor, the 3rd Overall pick, erupted for 26 and 7 his DEBUT game in the NBA. He's currently averaging about 20 and 6.

Remember the bust? Or the supposed bust, Kristaps Porzingus... Well he's pretty good. First NBA game he goes for 15, and his latest game he went for 13 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3 steals. Stop being disrespectful, the boy can play. 

And my pick for ROY, Emmanuel Mudiay? He's holding it down too. Opening game vs the The Rockets he went for 17 and 9. 

Let's get into some of the disappointments before the surprises of this season...

Kobe Bryant 

I won't even lie... He is awful, God awful. He started the season with an alright game with 24 in a loss to the Wolves. But since then he's been shooting his team outta games, air balling wide open shots, and just can't flat out score. Is this officially it for Kobe? 

Anthony Davis

He was suppose to be the MVP this season... He was suppose to make the leap and become the best player in the game this year... Well no. The Pelicans are 0-4 currently and he's partly the reason. Even though he's averaging 20-10, it's not the dominant Type. Davis will need to assert his dominance and be more efficient if he hopes to make the playoffs this season.

The Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets had the worst start through 3 games in... NBA History. They lost their first 3 games by 20 points or more. I don't know what's going on with them... James Harden is played awful too Maybe the Based God's curse is real. They were able to pull out a good win vs OKC. James Harden went off for 37. So maybe things are starting to change, we'll see.

Enough of the disappointments... Now for the surprises.

Andre Drummond

One of the biggest surprises of the first week of the Season has been the play of Andre Drummond. If someone told you they saw this coming, they are lying. Andre Drummond has become Dennis Rodman reincarnated so far. Check these stat-lines.

18 points and 19 rebounds vs Atlanta

18 Points and 10 rebounds vs Utah

20 points and 20 rebounds vs Chicago

25 points and 29 rebounds vs Indiana

What is going on?? He's lead the Pistons to a 3-1 start, and he took home Eastern conference player of the week honors.If he keeps this up, he might just take the title of the best big in basketball.

Giannis Antetokounmpo 

THE GREEK FREAK HAS ARRIVED. He was suspended the first game of the season, but since he came back, he has wreaked havoc . In his 3 games this week, Giannis has had at least 20 points and 8 rebounds. This kind of production wasn't expected for years down the line, he's showing it in year 3.

Week 1 of the new NBA season just showed me how much I missed it, and how glad I am that it's finally back! Can't wait to see how the rest of this season turns out.

NBA Season Preview... WhyToby?

It's been long awaited, very much so, but finally the NBA Season is back upon us. Last time we saw some NBA action, we were watching the Golden State Warriors put the finishing touches on the LeBron led Cavaliers( much to my disappointment), but since that happened, ALOT has changed to say the least.

Have you heard the saying the rich get richer? Well that was the case this offseason. 

• Spurs won Free agency by signing LaMarcus Aldrige, and the underrated signing of David West for basically nothing. Plus they locked up Kawhi and Danny Green long term
• Houston might've had the most underrated offseason acquisition of the summer with Ty Lawson. The one glaring hole on Houston's roster has now been filled by another All-star. Scary.
• Clippers FINALLY got Paul Pierce, the clutch 4th quarter scorer they've been missing. Added a Lance Stephenson who has a lot to prove this season and Josh Smith, who single handedly started their downfall vs Houston last postseason.
• And oh yeah, OKC got Kevin Durant back, apparently 100 %. 'Nuff said.

TO THE EAST.

• The "Weak" East is starting to get a little better.
• Chicago got the offensive coach Tom Thibodeau wasn't.
• Pacers look like they're ready to get back to the playoffs the way a healthy Paul George is looking, and the addition of Monta Ellis
• Milwaukee improved this offseason with the addition of Greg Monroe from the Pistons AND Jabari Parker will be returning from his ACL injury.
• Cleveland brought back their entire core AND added some viable backups in Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson.
• But who really won the offseason in the East? The Miami Heat. After missing out on the playoffs in their first post-LeBron season, they went out and wreaked havoc during the offseason. Locked up Goran Dragic Longterm, brought in Gerald Green and Amar'e Stoudemire; and got the steal of the draft in Justise Winslow.

What makes an NBA season interesting ?
Storylines. And this season is jam packed with them.

• Can the Warriors repeat?

Everyone is doubting them, calling their championship run a fluke, can they prove them wrong ?

• Kevin Durant... 2016

This season Kevin Durant will be a free agent, and will be commanding max money. But will he stay? Or will he go ? And he will be dealing with the rumors and gossip all season long. He is also entering his 9th season without a championship... Soon people won't be letting him slide no more 

• The Kobe Finale

We're all expecting this to be the Black Mamba's last. 1) will he be able to stay healthy and be the Kobe of old and 2) Can he actually lead the Lakers to some wins this season 

• Can LeBron finally get it done in Cleveland?

This is it. Cleveland are the favorites for the championship. By January, they should he everyone back healthy. Will Cleveland finally get that elusive title? 

Every NBA season, there's always surprises. Here are mine.

Surprise team of the East? MILWAUKEE.

 I'm warning y'all now. Fear the Deer. And I mean it. They surprised everyone last season by making the playoffs, and this year I think they're gonna take it further. With the addition of Greg Monroe, they finally got the inside presence they were missing. Jabari Parker will be back, and he will have a strong season. The Greek Freak Giannis is only getting better, and Michael Carter-Williams will have a full season under Jason Kidd, who is doing a sensational job as coach.

For the West? UTAH.

The Jazz finished the season after the all star break 19-10. Pretty good in the West, and they finished with one of the top defenses in the league. Rudy Gobert is poised to take the leap this season, and they already have their All Star in Gordon Hayward. They will make the playoffs this year. Watch out

Surprise player of the season? Damian Lillard.

 I can't even lie, Portland is gonna go through it this season. They lost 4/5th of their starting line from last season, and the only returning member they threw him 125Ms. Lillard is gonna have the season of his life for one reason, he's all they have. He WILL have the greenest of green lights this season, and I trust Lillard will take full advantage. If he's on your Fantasy team, you're a lucky man(or woman). Look for him to maybe lead the league in scoring, definitely at least top 5.

Now, sorry to keep y'all waiting, Prediction time!

Rookie Of The Year

Emmanuel Mudiay. 

The 7th pick in the draft I believe will be ROY. He is one of the few rookies that will be starting off rip, and he's one of the even fewer rookies that their team's offense will be built around. He'll have the minutes to do as he pleases, and based on his pre-season, he'll take full advantage.

Defensive Player Of The Year

Rudy Gobert

After the trade of Enes Canter it opened up playing time for Rudy Gobert, and he was a monster . He dominated the court defensively. And with even more minutes this season, he's gonna show you he's a force to stay. 

Most Valuable Player

LeBron James

Everyone is doubting LeBron. "He's getting old" "He's already falling off" well he shut y'all up in the finals. LeBron still got it, and I believe he will show it this year. With Kyrie out, if Cleveland wants to win, LeBron's gonna have to play.. A lot. He really deserved MVP last year after single handedly turning around the Cavs season after his "break", and this year, he will avenge it. He will get his 5th MVP award, tying Michael Jordan.

Playoff Predictions 

EAST:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers 62-20

2. Chicago Bulls 55-27

3. Miami Heat 53-29

4. Atlanta Hawks 51-31

5. Washington Wizards 48-34

6. Toronto Raptors 45-37

7. Milwaukee Bucks 43-39

8. Indiana Pacers 41-41

Eastern Conference Finals

Cleveland vs Miami Heat

Honestly, this is destined, it's fate. You might as well book it right now, because Cleveland Vs Miami will happen. It's almost too good to be true. LeBron's new team vs LeBron's old team. Dwayne Wade vs LeBron James for a chance at at NBA championship. Can it get anymore beautiful? 

But sorry Miami, y'all will get close, but the King will reign supreme. LeBron, Kevin Love, and Kyrie? Too much offense. 

Cleveland In 6

WEST

1) Oklahoma City Thunder 62-20

2) Golden State Warriors 61-21

3) San Antonio Spurs 58-24

4) Houston Rockets 57-25

5) Los Angeles Clippers 55-27

6) Memphis Grizzles 53-29

7) New Orleans 51-31

8) Utah Jazz 49-33

Western Conference Finals 

Oklahoma City vs San Antonio 

Why does it always seem like the West goes through San Antonio? Well this year won't be any different. These two teams have become pretty familiar with themselves in the Western Conference Finals. This will be the 3rd time in 5 years. Spurs winning the last matchup in 2014, and OKC winning back in 2012. This season tho, I don't see the OKC getting stopped. Who's gonna stop Westbrook? Expect him to average over 30 this series. 

Oklahoma City wins in 7

NBA Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Oklahoma City

Could this season get anymore better? We're all happy we don't have to see the Spurs in the finals again. And LeBron is back for a 6th straight try. And could we get better matchups?! MVP vs MVP, LeBron vs Durant. Westbrook vs Kyrie, the most explosive vs the most sauciest. We all remember remember last time these two met in the Finals. LeBron finally broke through and won his first championship. And I'm expecting the same result. 

Cavaliers win in 6.

LeBron James Finals MVP.

So there I have it. LeBron wins championship number 3. Dropping KD to 0-2 in the Finals. Cleveland wins the Elusive championship. 

So do you all agree? 

Is it really da Dream?

About 5 years ago NBA 2K, the official NBA video game, started something that destroyed all video game competitors. They introduced the My Player career mode, and it was a huge success. The My Player mode lets you become an NBA player and start your NBA journey. In NBA 2K16, they decided to change the game, and what a change it was. They brought in the legendary director, Spike Lee, to executively produce the My Player Mode. Spike Lee did his thing on this installment of the game, revolutionizing it, but he might have done it to a fault

            Spike Lee created a storyline with NBA 2K My Player this year called Livin' Da Dream, but he made it way too stereotypical. Livin’ Da Dream is the typical black man using sports to get out the hood story. The plot is very predictable, especially if you’re someone familiar with Spike Lee and the type of movies he creates. Spike Lee is an avid sports fan, and he often combines both sports and his upbringing into his movies. Livin’ the Dream displayed that perfectly. The storyline starts by introducing a protagonist named Freq. He is from the hood, and he is the top basketball recruit in the nation. He has both his parents in his life, and a twin sister, Ce-Ce, who manages him. We also get introduced to his girlfriend, Yvette and his best friend, Vic. We learn their backgrounds; they just keep afloat financially, both parents work together at the post office for 32 years and they live in the projects of Harlem. Freq’s dream is to make it to the NBA so his parents never have to struggle with money again. He eventually goes to a top college, and after one season of college basketball, he debates whether he should make the jump to the league, which he does. During his rookie season Freq encounters many off court obstacles, which the story mode is based on. He deals with conflict with his own family members, like accusing his sister of being a leech. He deals with the issues between his sister and his girlfriend. Lastly, the peak of the story mode is him and his family’s problematic relationship with his best friend. Throughout all of this, black stereotypes were very prevalent.

            The first stereotype is at the very beginning, at the introduction of the characters and their background. The post office career of Freq’s parents is the typical job in the hood; I’ve heard seen it many movies, and from rappers like J. Cole, whose parents were also poor. They are raised in one of the most notorious “hoods” in America, Harlem. Next are the “black” names of some the characters like Ce-Ce and Yvette, I’ve never met a white person with those names, and I doubt I will. Next are the problems Freq faces throughout the story line. Freq wants to head to the NBA quicker because he wants to help his parents out, and his mother even wants him to skip school to do it. Another example, the problems with his girlfriend and sister. The typical story line of the sister believes the girlfriend is gold-digging and that her brother shouldn’t be with her. I’ve seen this in so many black films, even in a Spike Lee movie.  There’s even a scene when he turns on his sister because he thinks she’s leeching off him. Then his friend Vic, which is the cause of most of the drama. Vic is the typical best friend who’s always up to no good and who the family dislikes. Even Freq knows deep down he’s no good, but still keeps him around. We eventually find out Vic killed someone for Freq.

            I’m not saying that everything about Livin’ The Dream was stereotypical and it made it bad. No, I actually enjoyed this My Player much over all the other previous installments. Spike Lee did an excellent job crafting this. All I’m saying is what about the majority of white people who buy this game? How does this appeal to them? How do these story lines apply to most of them, heck how do these story lines apply to black people who never ever been to the “hood” ? It doesn’t. Not every NBA Player came from poverty and the hood. This kind of gives that impression that this what a lot of NBA players had to deal with, or something close to; and in a league which is 80% black, it's easy to categorize all of us into that lifestyle. All in all, it was an excellent game, the best My Player yet, and I hope Spike Lee produces NBA 2K17 also, it just needs to a storyline that more people of all walks of life and races can relate to.

If you haven't yet played the game or you just don't play 2K at all, the link is at the bottom to watch the whole story. but I'm warning you now, its long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyf7cpJd1U8