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 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?