Friday Roundtable: All-Time Favorite NBA Jersey

What is your favorite NBA jersey of all time? (allball.blogs.nba.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What is your all-time favorite NBA jersey?

Alex: 
Retro is in, sure, but there are also legitimately classic jerseys when digging into NBA backlogs, be it because of simplicity or the way a logo melds with certain fonts and team colors. For my money, the most visually appealing -- and thus my favorite -- jersey in Association history is the Denver Nuggets kit that ran from the mid-1980s through the 1992-93 season. The franchise's logo from that time (a smart, technicolor imagining of the Denver skyline layered over the blank canvas of the Rocky Mountains at dusk or dawn) is a gem of geometry inside an over-arching half-moon shape.

Fat Lever, straight gettin' it in classic Nuggets gear. (bleacherreport.com)

Translated into jerseys, the colors are unencumbered by the half-moon and extend well beyond the caricature of the Rockies, wrapping around to the back number. The front features a number on the left shoulder and the team name emblazoned underneath the image with blue trim lining the arm holes and neckline. Matching shorts? Check. The colors pop and, to some, may be too much, too pop art. Essentially, though, that was what late '80s and early '90s fashion was about. I'll be damned if I didn't rock some of the flashiest Mickey Mouse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles designs as a child. The heart wants what the heart wants, and mine is wrapped in these Nuggets duds.

Kyle:
I've probably put way more thought into this question than needed, but it's a difficult one to answer. I grew up in a city that didn't have an NBA team, so I don't have a hometown automatic go-to. So many came to mind. Some I thought of because they are iconic. The Celtics jerseys from the '80s are as simple as it gets, and something about that makes them timeless and great, and like the Lakers uniforms from that time, it was a look everyone could instantly recognize. Some resonate with me because they remind me of growing up. The pinstriped Orlando jerseys. The '90s Bulls jerseys. The black-to-red Hawks jersey with the Hawk clutching the basketball in its talons. I've always loved the Celtics jerseys, and as far as current jerseys go, Golden State does it probably better than anyone.

I'm going to go old school for my choices. First off, the 1970s New York Nets jerseys, and more specifically, as shown below, Dr. J's Nets jersey. With this jersey, you're not just showing your love for the Nets, you're showing your love for America. It's a simple white jersey with red text, and then the red and blue lines down the side with the three white stars just take it to another level.

bleacherreport.com

I have also always really liked the 1990s Seattle Supersonics jerseys when they switched to the darker green and incorporated red. The '90s were an interesting time in uniform design. Teams were blowing up their mascot on the front of the jerseys, and it seemed like everyone was on board with pinstripes. Just so many pinstripes. Those jerseys all look outdated in 2013. The Sonics used colors other than the typical white, bright red and shades of blue of other teams. And the slanted, orbiting Sonics name with the basketball on the "i" just worked. The NBA may have taken your team, Seattle, but they can never take those jerseys. 

thesteelersnat.blogspot.com

Zach:

Above is a picture of myself, senior year of high school (2008) in an Amar'e Stoudemire jersey. I think, maybe, that's my Micheal Jackson impression or something but that's beside the point. The jersey is a retro-throwback, 1968, and was worn by the Phoenix Suns during Stoudemire's rookie season.  That's why the jersey is 32 and not 1; he hadn't changed his number at that point. This is the coolest jersey I own and have ever worn. It is not, however, my favorite uniform of all time.   

The release of the new Phoenix Suns jerseys sparked the idea for this week's roundtable, I think. I'll come right out and say that I'm not a fan of the new look. My favorite jersey is, however, one out of Phoenix. The black road alternates worn from 1994-2000 are the coolest jerseys the NBA has ever seen. Here is a picture of Micheal Beasley doin' it to somebody in the coolest threads possible.

Photo: USA Today

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Saturday Roundtable: Post-Superstar Free Agency

"I mean this much to the Pistons." (AP)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What non-superstar signing is the biggest thus far in NBA free agency?

Zach:
They aren't 'superstars,' but the Minnesota Timberwolves' additions of Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin are the best free-agent acquisitions made this offseason. The Wolves, after almost an eternity, have found the shooting guard they needed in Kevin Martin. Martin is signed for four years in a deal worth almost $30 million. Corey Brewer, once drafted by the Wolves, works out with Martin in the off-season. Brewer's deal is worth $15 million over three seasons.

There were times during games last season where the Wolves had three point guards on the floor. Luke Ridnour, now with the Bucks, acted as the shooting guard most of the season. Martin's ability to shoot the ball from outside compliments Ricky Rubio's past-first mentality. Brewer, a defensive specialist, has a game that compliments the Wolves' other swingman, Chase Budinger. Budinger is an offensive-minded player who will be a part of the 3-guard committee that head coach Rick Adelman will use this season. This article, written by Zach Harper of CBS Sports, explains Brewer's skill of leaking out in transition. Adding a defender who sneaks away in transition is sure to have Kevin Love licking his chops. Love's been known not only for his shooting, but his ability to throw long outlet passes since going to Minnesota from UCLA. The Timberwolves are ready to howl this postseason.  The additions of Brewer and Martin are the reasons why. The Wolves already have their stars in Rubio and Love but, President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders went out and got the guys he needed to make a serious run as a competitor this season.

Alex:
There have been plenty of solid pick-ups and team switches agreed upon to this point, but the Dallas Mavericks' acquisition of point guard Jose Calderon is major, especially for a team that just lost out on adding the league's most dominant center. With Dirk Nowitzki in the twilight of his career and Vince Carter carrying more than his portion of the scoring load, Calderon's talents are just what Dallas was severely in need of.

Splitting last season between Toronto and Detroit, Calderon managed to score 11.3 points per game while using only 17 percent of his team's possessions in 29.6 nightly minutes. His efficiency landed him in the top five for both true shooting percentage (61.6) and effective field goal percentage (59.4), but scoring is not the primary issue Calderon will resolve in Dallas. His court vision and selflessness resulted in an average of 7.1 assists per game as he facilitated on a very respectable 39.8 percent of his team's baskets while on the floor. Match this skill with Nowitzki's veteran savvy, not to mention Carter's knack for scoring and the gradual emergence of Jae Crowder, and the Mavericks should get many more open looks in 2013-14 than last season. Adding a player of Calderon's offensive abilities (he finished four in O-rating with a 124.0 grade in 2012-13) would be a game-changer for any franchise, let alone one suffering a steep slide like the Mavericks. If Mark Cuban couldn't snag a superstar, he made the smartest available move in signing Calderon.

Kyle:
While I think the Los Angeles Clippers were smart to bring in Darren Collison as a more-than-competent backup to Chris Paul, and I think Mike Dunleavey Jr.'s skills can help the Chicago Bulls, I'm going to have to say Josh Smith with the Detroit Pistons. I've never thought Smith was worth the hype and production for how much he shoots (15.6 shots per game last season), but the Pistons desperately needed a scorer.

Greg Monroe led Detroit in scoring last year at 16 points per game and Brandon Knight was a distant second at 13.3 ppg. Ranked No. 22 as a team in points per game last season with 94.9, the Pistons offense could benefit from Smith's 17.5 ppg average last season. The fact that Smith will play and take jump shots on the wing should free up Monroe to be more productive inside. Along with scoring, the Pistons need a player with some name power to grow excitement and gain national attention. Smith may be frustrating at times, but he is a name fans know and people in Detroit will come out to watch and will help pump life into a sometimes-stagnant offense.

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Friday Roundtable: The NBA's Uninjured MVP

 Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving lock eyes during a charity game. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: With Kobe Bryant's injury potentially putting the Los Angeles Lakers in a holding pattern, which uninjured NBA player is most valuable to his team?

Kyle:

The "most valuable player" category is always tricky because people naturally think of the most talented players. While I consider this player one of the best in the NBA, he is not one of the four or five elite scorers that first come to mind.

My most valuable player that a team can't afford to lose to injury is one of the best floor generals in the game; Chris Paul. I considered Carmelo Anthony and James Harden, who both lead their teams in scoring by more than 10 points more than the second leading scorer, but imagine the type of office the Clippers run without Paul. Paul finds his teammates so well (9.6 assists per game) that it almost overlooks the fact he scores 16.6 points per game. Paul's defense and 2.4 steals per game is just as valuable. Other players on the team should be good enough to at least somewhat make up for a lack of scoring, due to injury, on a playoff-caliber team. But good luck finding a backup point guard that can match what Paul brings to the table.

An injury to LeBron James or Kevin Durant would draw questions to the Heat or Thunder's title chances but Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook are both capable of taking over scoring loads. How Paul is able to run the Clippers while he's on the floor is a thing of beauty that fellow Clippers point guards Chauncey Billups and Eric Bledsoe, along with most of the other point guards in the NBA, cannot emulate.

Fred:
Dwight Howard. The Lakers with a healthy and motivated Howard look like a completely different team. Since the All-Star break, Dwight is averaging 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks on 55% shooting. Not surprisingly, the Lakers are 9-3 since then. He’s finally starting to regain his athleticism. He fights hard for rebounds and leaps high for blocks. His demeanor has changed as he finally seems to be having fun on the court again.

The Lakers simply do not have good defensive players outside of Dwight and Metta World Peace. Howard has a tremendous amount of responsibility to protect the paint as speedy point guards blow by the Laker perimeter defense. As soon as Dwight has to come out of the game, the opposing team drives the lane relentlessly without fear. His responsibility is magnified with Jordan Hill and Pau Gasol both being out, forcing the Lakers to go as far as playing World Peace at center while Dwight rests.

There is no denying Kobe has been fantastic this season, but the Lakers wouldn’t have a chance at the playoffs without the recent play of Dwight Howard.

Zach: 
My answer is Kyrie Irving. I just cannot help myself. The guy is not CP3, but he doesn't play in Los Angeles, either. Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers not being a playoff contender this season, Irving has taken fans' recently broken hearts and has begun mending them back together, possession by possession. Irving has brought basketball life back to Cleveland sooner than anyone expected.

This season, Irving averages 23 ppg, shoots over 40 percent from both the field and behind the arc, and dishes away nearly six assists per game. It's not about the numbers. Irving is a showman. Pepsi's 'Uncle Drew' documentaries are enjoyed by everyone, young and old, basketball fan or not. Irving was this year's three-point contest winner at the All-Star Game in Houston. His game presents cunning elements of flash, style and technique all appealing to the eye.

Before Irving even has turned 21, Cleveland has seen plenty of disappointment. We remember Micheal Jordan beating the buzzer, jumping in celebration. We remember 'The Decision', the removal of 'We are Witnesses' posters, and jerseys set aflame as a town feeling betrayed cursed their once hometown hero. Irving will be able to enjoy a well-deserved cocktail a week from tomorrow.

Irving's importance to the Cavaliers is clear. He is the guy and, barring injury, he will be for a long time. 

Alex: 

If Bryant suffered a more serious injury – one that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season – the answer would be Steve Nash. He would be the captain capable of solidifying the Lakers as the eighth seed or possibly overtaking the Rockets to move higher. In the absence of an alternately ball dominant or uber-facilitating Kobe, Mike D’Antoni would hand Nash the reigns to a slightly diluted Seven Seconds Or Less offense that incorporated pick-and-rolls with Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol.

As it stands, however, Bryant only has a (badly) sprained ankle and a reputation for playing through pain. Instead of Nash, another point guard is the most important, uninjured asset of his team: Jrue Holiday. Working with the Philadelphia 76ers’ patchwork roster of under-developed young players, journeymen and aging role players in the absence of could-have, should-have, would-have been game changer Andrew Bynum, Holiday has been the brightest spot for a team that was competing for a playoff spot until a few weeks ago.

Aspects of Holiday’s game could certainly use improvement, namely his main duty of ball handling. The fourth-year PG has committed 232 turnovers this season (third in the NBA), but that is due more to his position as a crutch in the Sixers’ offense. It only becomes troubling if the trend continues if/when Bynum returns and Philadelphia’s strategy shifts, as Holiday’s miscues have spiked this season by 1.8 more turnovers per game.

Luckily for his team, the good outweighs the bad: Holiday is fourth in the league in assists with 8.7 per game and second in the overall category with 521. Not surprisingly, he is assisting on 39.1 percent of his teammates field goals when on the floor. Presuming those numbers sustain through the end of the season (or even if he can rack up just 11 more assists), they will all be career highs. While a .445 field goal percentage – brought down by a .326 percentage from long range – does not jump off the page, Holiday is shouldering the 76ers’ burden by playing 38.6 minutes per game, leading the scoring charge with 18.6 points per game (which, if he keeps it up, will make for a career-best season 4.6 ppg higher than his current record) and facilitating at a high rate to teammates of a lesser quality.

Holiday’s Win Shares per 48 minutes has dipped since he became the team’s focal point this season, but his career-high 17.7 player efficiency rating and first All-Star nod validate his performance. Philadelphia is 8.5 games out of the eighth seed. Barring a miracle, the Sixers will miss the postseason. But with even a slightly better supporting cast or even a few games swung by a healthy Bynum? We could get caught up in the pre-playoff rush and be talking Holiday up to be the NBA’s next great point guard.

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Friday Roundtable: Best NBA Playoff Matchup

The newly heated rivalry between Indiana and Golden State is just one of the possible playoff matchups
we would love to see. (gamedayr.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: As the teams near the middle of NBA standings shuffle for the last playoff seed, which match-up would you like to see in postseason (other than Miami Heat-Oklahoma City Thunder)?

Alex:
Indiana Pacers vs. Golden State Warriors. Hear me out now, since neither of these teams is an especially sexy pick on their own, let alone in a series with the other one. The Pacers and Warriors split the two games they played this season, each grabbing an 11-point victory. The last contest, on Feb. 26, was chippy as Golden State tried to prove it had the fortitude to rebound from a six-game losing streak they had recently ended. Picking the Pacers to do it against was the right choice, but trying to pick on Indiana? Not so much. Roy Hibbert was ejected before he and David Lee were hit with suspensions for starting the skirmish. Three other players incurred $35,000 fines, but the fight ended up as the Warriors’ secondary story of the week after Stephen Curry dropped 54 points against the Knicks the following night. The two teams may not have a long, contentious history, but they have a fresh memory to feed off.

From a basketball perspective, Golden State and Indiana are fundamental opposites. The Pacers are a gritty, defense-oriented team. They rank first in defensive efficiency (a 95.5 rating, according to ESPN’s John Hollinger) and are tied for first in rebound rate (52.7). Indiana plays an inside-out game that is far removed from the Warriors’ strategy centered around efficient perimeter scoring and using their offense as the “best” defense. They are top 10 in offensive efficiency for the NBA (103.8), but clean the defensive glass better than Indiana despite trailing in total rebound rate (50.9) and being far behind in defensive efficiency (103.4).

Some of the best games come out of these kinds of matchups. Pacers-Warriors wouldn’t be particularly popular – or statistically likely, since they would have to meet in the Finals – but it would be a great series. Trust me.

Kyle:
I would love to see a Western Conference matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets. This would be an offensive explosion, as both rank in the top nine in points per game (Nuggets third, Clippers ninth) and average more than 100 ppg. The other intriguing part of this matchup is these teams are both so good at home. Denver has only lost three games at the Pepsi Center this season (27-3), while LAC isn't doing much worse at 24-7. Both teams can also get on hot streaks. The Clippers won 17 games in a row earlier this season and the Nuggets are currently riding a seven-game streak. This screams a six or seven-game series that could come down to which team can steal a win on the road.

While the Nuggets, or Clippers for that matter, will not get the attention in their conference that the Spurs, Thunder and Lakers do, this matchup would include its share of firepower. The Nuggets have a hall of fame coach in George Karl, and this series would provide great matchups in the post (Blake Griffin vs. Kenneth Faried) and at the point (Chris Paul vs. a blooming Ty Lawson). Both of these teams are extremely entertaining, making this series a must-watch. 

Fred:
With the Lakers struggling, the Clippers are seeking to make a name for themselves in Los Angeles. What better way to show the NBA that you're serious than with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Both teams rank in the top 10 in points per game and are filled to the brim with young, athletic players. A very quick, uptempo series is certain with OKC being the third best scoring team off the fast break, the Clippers just five spots below. OKC is coming off a stinging finals loss against the Miami Heat, but the Clippers are carrying nearly 33 years of mediocrity on their back. Both teams have a lot to prove to not only doubters, but to themselves.

A playoff series between the two would combine explosive dunks from DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin, showstopping blocks from Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant pouring in points, a Westbrook and Chris Paul matchup and the marquee showdown between Billups and Fisher.


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Friday Roundtable: College National Player of the Year

Trey Burke and Victor Oladipo are No. 1 and 2 in the latest Player of the Year straw poll and will be two of a handful of players battling for the award in the last month of the season. (espn.com) 

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: If the season ended today, who would be your choice for college basketball's National Player of the Year?

Alex:
If voting ended today, Trey Burke would be at the top of my ballot. However, it doesn't and after a few surprising losses, Creighton is poised for a late comeback with Doug McDermott leading the Bluejays.

The junior is third in the latest NPOY straw poll after making a run at the award last year and with good reason. He is averaging 22.5 ppg, 7.8 rebounds per game and nearly as many nightly assists (1.8) as Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, who came in second in the same poll.

McDermott's race toward NPOY could mirror Jimmer Fredette's. Preceded by a stand-out year on the national stage, Fredette shouldered the workload for his team and won the title the following season. Both players are from schools outside of Power Six conferences, and an argument could be made for this year's Missouri Valley being tougher than the Mountain West in which Jimmer competed when he won NPOY.

Voters have soft spots for athletes from mid-major schools and players whose teams succeed based almost entirely on their play. McDermott fits both those descriptions and Creighton is on the path to finish at or near the top of the MVC before playing in the NCAA tournament.

Kyle:
Trey Burke has been one of the front runners in the NPOY race all season, and for good reason. Burke is one of the best scoring guards in the game and yet is still a great passer and makes his team better. If the season ended today, Burke would receive my vote, but there's still another player that I think has a legitimate chance to overtake Burke in the final month of the season.

I've always been a fan of Doug McDermott, but I'm afraid Creighton's struggles will keep him out of the race. I think Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga has been the most improved player in the country and has turned into one of the best and most versatile big men in college basketball. Again, playing in a weaker conference without the national attention on a weekly basis as a Burke or Mason Plumlee will keep him from being in the top three.

Then there's Indiana's Victor Oladipo. While he averages fewer points per game than Burke (14 to 18.6), although he is one of the best rebounding guards in college averaging six boards per game, Oladipo seems to make big play after big play for the Hoosiers and has proven to be their most valuable player. Take the Michigan State game Tuesday as an example. Oladipo tallied 19 points, but more importantly, every time a game-changing play needed to be made for Indiana, Oladipo was the one with the ball. With Indiana inbounding the ball with under a minute left in the game against the Spartans, it was Oladipo who broke free from his defender for a wide-open dunk that all-but sealed the Hoosiers' victory. Not to mention Oladipo had nine rebounds and five steals in the contest.

Burke still has the upper hand at this point in the season, but if Oladipo's numbers remain consistent and if he continues to be the most clutch player on the nation's No. 1 team, I could see Oladipo taking the crown from Burke.

Eddie:

The point guard is the most important position on a basketball team. He sets the tone defensively and is the quarterback for the offense. So how is it, then, that no point guard has won the Wooden Award since Jameer Nelson in 2004 (there is some dispute regarding whether Jimmer Fredette classified as a true point guard)? If the Player of the Year were to be chosen today, I believe that streak should finally come to an end, as Trey Burke (G, Michigan) and Marcus Smart (G, Oklahoma St.) have pushed out in front of a crowded field of contenders.

Burke dominates the statistical categories that are typically strong for a point guard, posting 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game. Meanwhile, Smart does it all. He has a remarkably strong stat line across multiple categories, with 15 points, six rebounds, 4.4 assists, and three steals per game. It may be that no single player in the country is more valuable to his team than Smart. He has time and again led the Cowboys to victory, seemingly by will alone. Not to mention, Smart is still a freshman.

All said, I would ultimately cast my ballot for Burke. He has excelled as the premier floor general in the nation's best conference. He is a consistent scoring threat, whether he is shooting from deep or taking his defender off the dribble. Most impressively, though, he posts an eye-popping 3.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Michigan and Burke ran into a rut recently, but he has averaged 23.5 points the last two games and looks poised to gain momentum down the stretch.

There is no position more important than point guard, and no one I would rather have filling it than Trey Burke. At least until Marcus Smart proves me wrong.

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Friday Roundtable: Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose and Injuries

Will Rajon Rondo's knee injury hurt the Celtics more than Derrick Rose's hurt the Bulls?  (Elise Amendola/AP)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, just as Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose begins taking full contact in practice after suffering a similar injury in April. Both are premier players at their position, but whose injury affects their team more?

Kyle Davis: 
Derrick Rose is clearly the better scorer and probably best of the two, but Rajon Rondo's injury will affect the Celtics more than Rose's injury will the Bulls because of two factors: age and style of play. The age factor is pretty obvious in the fact that Boston's best players, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, are in their mid-30s and past their prime (although credit them for still playing at an outstanding level for veterans their age). The less obvious but more important factor with the age is that Rondo's injury takes a huge chunk of the little time remaining for this group. Rose's supporting cast will probably have an average of four or five years left in the league or with the Bulls, which still gives him plenty of time to get healthy and make a run at a title with a group that has proven it can get close. No one can be certain Garnett and Pierce will still be around when Rondo returns, if the injury takes him out into next season. This was looking like a final run for this aging Celtics group and Rondo may return to a rebuilding process instead of an Eastern Conference contender.

Rondo also is more crucial to his offense and makes the players around him better than any other point guard (or player) in the league. The C's point guard can make highlights out of broken plays and get everyone on the court involved. Rondo is like an effective quarterback who may not have the strongest arm (or best shot) but makes creative plays and his performance on the court makes the players around him better. The Bulls had to adjust to replacing a great scorer in Rose, but there are five other guys on the court that can help with that. Rondo has more than three assists, two rebounds and one steal per game this season than Rose did last year. Those aren't as impressive as points per game, but they still are difficult stats to replace. No one else on the Celtics roster can pass and run the offense like Rondo, and that's why he will be sorely missed while recovering from this injury.
 
Alex Skov:

Derrick Rose’s ACL tear happened at one of the worst possible times for the Chicago Bulls — in the waning minutes of game one of a first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The game was already in hand for the Bulls and Rose was just getting over a nagging ankle injury when he landed awkwardly and crumpled to the floor. Although the Bulls won the series, they failed to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals where they were supposed to challenge the Miami Heat for a trip to the championship round. Chicago signed Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson in the offseason to make up for Rose’s extended absence and both have performed admirably as the Bulls have locked down on defense (the fourth best in the NBA), often looking like the best team in the Association and likely securing a top-four playoff seed.

The Boston Celtics are not going to be as fortunate as Rajon Rondo recovers from his torn ACL. Where the Bulls have Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, the Celtics have Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. There’s nothing inherently bad about this — quite the contrary, actually, as they’re both performing at a high level — but age was already a factor in Boston, and losing the franchise’s youngest star to injury brings even more speculation to how long this core should be kept intact. There were questions about whether or not Luol Deng should be traded before and after Rose’s injury, but he also led England’s Olympic team this summer and still hasn’t hit 30 years old, let alone Pierce’s 35 or Garnett’s 36.

Rose often looked like a one-man show before being confined to the sidelines; Rondo, for all his ball-handling mastery-bordering-on-sorcery, did not. Neither relied on a jump shot to get his points, but Rondo consciously looked for his teammates, which led him to 37 consecutive games with double-digit assists. He also racked up triple-doubles like it was nothing when playing on national television.

The Bulls had a youthful group to rely on even before Carlos Boozer decided to be a good basketball player again. The Celtics’ roster was already questionable outside of its three biggest names, and things will get even more indistinct with the undisputed leader out for the foreseeable future. Whether that means Garnett and Pierce become trade bait while Boston can still get value back for them or the Celtics have to make a panic move in an attempt to hold onto eighth place in the East, the Chicago Bulls will be in the playoffs after playing most — or all — of the season without their star. If this is the beginning of a downhill slide for the Celtics, one of the most historically successful franchises in NBA history may be headed underground.

Shawn Deegan:
As a Bulls fan, I’m itching to say the loss of Derrick Rose impacts the Bulls more than the loss of Rajon Rondo impacts the Celtics. I’d love to say Rose is more important to his team than Rondo. However, the unbiased sports writer in me won’t allow for a homer pick. The answer is unequivocally Rondo. The records are the big indicator for me. Even with Rondo, the Celtics are sitting below .500 this season. The Bulls haven’t had Rose from the beginning of the season and are first in the Central division in the Eastern Conference. The combination of Kirk Hinrich, Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson has held down the fort in the backcourt for the Bulls. Richard Hamilton is healthy. While none of these options are spectacular, collectively, they make up a solid group that has done as good of a job as any Bulls fan could have hoped for without Rose. The Bulls have played good defense and have a well-rounded team that produces enough offense with great ball movement to win the Central division, even without a playmaker.

Now, when you look at the Celtics, the individual numbers of the backcourt surrounding Rondo are comparable to those of the Bulls. However, those numbers are largely due to Rondo’s ability as a playmaker and a passer. Without Rondo, the Celtics don’t have another creator that can break down a defender, draw the defense to him and make a perfect pass to a cutting teammate or to a spot-up shooter. The supporting cast of Jason Terry, Leandro Barbosa and Courtney Lee is a good one, if there is someone who can create opportunities for them. Lee can’t break down the elite defenders off the dribble. Barbosa is past his prime and not the scorer he once was. Terry is the best of the bunch and while he can handle the point, he’s much better coming off screens, spotting up around the three-point arc, or taking a couple of dribbles to his right before pulling up from 15 feet. He doesn’t have the ability to take a game over like Rondo. This team doesn’t play good defense anyway, and when you remove its best defender, it’s only going to get worse. This team is built around Rondo and without him this team will fall even further than it already has.

The key to all of this is the system that each of these teams play in. Chicago has a much more team-oriented style of play that accentuates the strengths of its players. Hinrich doesn’t have to score; he just has to play defense and handle the ball. Robinson doesn’t have to start; he can come off the bench and spot up around the three point line. Belinelli and Hamilton are getting more opportunities to score without Rose, but neither one is expected to take over a game. While their points per game are good, neither Paul Pierce nor Kevin Garnett is as effective as they appear on paper without Rondo on the floor. The supporting backcourt of the Bulls is based on defense and accentuating its strengths. The Celtics’ backcourt is based around Rondo’s ability to create. Defensively, the Bulls are good enough to survive without Rose. The Celtics are not without Rondo. Overall, no matter how you look at it, the loss of Rondo affects the Celtics far more than the Bulls losing Rose.

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Friday Roundtable: Is One-And-Done the Right Rule for College Basketball?

Freshman classes like Kentucky's last year can be great while they are in college, but Kentucky is proving it's tough to rebound when they're gone. (claysdaze.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: John Calipari, the maestro of pulling successful performances from freshmen, coached the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship last spring. With UK (12-6, 3-2 in the SEC) facing a down season and showing flaws in the all-freshmen strategy, is now the time for the NBA to think about changing the one-and-done draft rule?

Kyle Davis: 
The one-and-done rule, even with all of its flaws, would make it seem like it is best for both parties. The NCAA gets a piece of the limelight from the biggest stars, if only for a season, and NBA gets players who are a little more seasoned and won't have to make such an extreme jump in talent level.

It doesn't look to be as positive for the NCAA as the organization may think. The NCAA gets players like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist winning a championship one year, and Kentucky being on the verge of missing the tournament the next. Players leaving early did the same for UNC, although many of them were sophomores and juniors. This puts the college coaches in a much more difficult situation. They spend an entire season incorporating these great players into their systems and then have to start over the next year when they leave, making it much more difficult to win at a high level for multiple years.

The problem is some special players are talented enough to make the jump from high school to the NBA, but countless more are not and head to the Association before they are ready, damaging their careers. Instead of having a hard one-year rule for everyone, let a player enter the draft out of high school if he is truly ready, but if they do not, make the rule similar to the NFL where players have to be three years out of high school in order to enter the draft. That way the players who truly could be ready can go to the NBA (I actually really like my colleague Alex's idea of having them in the D-League for a year) and the rest of the players will benefit from three years of college or overseas basketball to hopefully prevent them from ruining their careers by leaving before they are physically and mentally mature enough. It will also improve the college game as it may lose out on the occasional Anthony Davis's, but overall this would enhance the playing field as the other great players have three years to awe the college basketball world and learn from great coaches.
 
Alex Skov:

The ball is in the NBA’s court here since the league decides age limits for the draft, though the player’s union could request/pester a reversion to the former high school-to-the-pros standard. From a business standpoint, the answer lies somewhere between one-and-done and the direct route. Rather than requiring a player to spend one year (or any amount of time, for that matter) in the NCAA or with an overseas club, the NBA should allow players to enter the D-League straight out of high school. This not only allows the NBA to enhance the branding of its second tier, theoretically making it more marketable and appealing to some kind of broadcast deal, but it also means the players would be competing at a level between collegiate and professional ball. They would be exempt from call-ups and 10-day contracts, obviously, but would be eligible to enter the draft after one season. Thanks to the NBA-ready coaching they would receive, these young talents would have more refined skills upon entering the selection pool. There are many flaws to this plan (losing the marketing momentum of those with the skills to make a direct jump, missing out on promotion received on the NCAA stage, etc.), but I’m just spitballing here. The Association pays other people to resolve these issues.

Some people are loyal fans of either the college or pro games, while some like me have interest in both. As a member of that demographic, I would love to see a rule that requires a player to be 20 before entering the draft. This would give them A) an undergraduate experience that connects them to a program’s fan base and B) a sizeable amount of time to develop their game under one coach, whom they have had a say in selecting for themselves. It also gives them time to mature personally and from a basketball perspective with progressively serious stakes under typically more experienced coaches at each level.

Champ:

Ever since the one-and-done rule was conceived, there has been a lot of controversy over the rule. There are some good arguments for the rule, but personally I think the rule is a joke.  

It seems the main reason for the rule is to make the player at least try college for a year, but the players rarely do that. In many cases, like Josh Selby at Kansas, they only go to class the first semester and then ignore classes the second semester, since it doesn’t count toward their eligibility.  The rule makes a mockery of higher learning systems.  

The second reason the rule fails is because it makes the game much less exciting. Who wants to watch a final four when you know that all of the players are going to bolt next year? I know this was a problem before the rule, but it is definitely a problem now. The rule should be changed to make the kids go for two years or for none at all. Two years is enough to make the students take some serious classes and help with their maturity. But I also understand that these kids have a freedom of choice and shouldn’t have to go to college if it isn’t necessary. As of right now, the rule is of little benefit to anyone.

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Friday Roundtable: Who Should Be The NBA Midseason MVP?

Our roundtable panel discusses if LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant would be our midseason NBA MVP. (sportsnet.ca)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Who would be the NBA midseason MVP?

Kyle Davis: 
Nike's ad campaign tries to convince you that Kevin Durant is not nice, but his game sure is. This is really a three-horse race between Durant, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, but I think Durant is the close winner, and if I had a ballot, that would be my order. Durant has really evolved from being a pure shooter to a complete scorer. His post game has improved, he is great in transition and he is the best shooter out of the three. Durant is also continuing to improve in all other aspects of his game as well. His numbers this year are higher than his career numbers in rebounding, assists, blocks, steals, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Not bad. And remember, he's only 24 years old. These numbers could get even better.

James is still the most complete player in the game and Anthony probably would have been my pick after the first month of the season, but has battled injuries that are keeping him out of games. Neither player has been able to get their team to where the Thunder are right now, which always plays a factor in MVP voting (which is why Kobe Byrant is not in this conversation, and the fact he's needing too many shots to get his points). The Thunder look to be on a clear path back to the NBA Finals with Durant scorching opponents along the way. 
 
Alex Skov:
Kevin Durant, already an All-Star and scoring champion, has taken his play to new levels since the Oklahoma City Thunder traded their vaunted sixth-man to Houston. Carmelo Anthony, too, has put together impressive an impressive case for himself with his usual array of offensive weapons (he's second in points per game at 29.3, fifth in total points with 878) and by finally improving the other aspects of his game (his new willingness to pass and play defense have helped him get to fourth in the league in Player Efficiency Rating). Even Chris Paul is worth of candidacy for midseason MVP, having turned the Los Angeles Clippers into a freight train, but he plays relatively few minutes each night (he's outside the top 20 in mpg) and LA's excellent bench makes his impact less apparent when he leaves the floor.

LeBron James is more important to his team than all of those stars and he's still playing at a level competitive to or exceeding them. He's doing it playing the third fewest nightly minutes of his career, too. Miami's Big Three is not Dwyane Wade, a Mega-Pippen and Chris Bosh. It's not even James and two Pippen-type sidekicks. The Big Three is LeBron; an aging and, because of nagging injuries and a loss of explosiveness, often ineffective Wade; and an inconsistent Bosh playing center.

With the weight of three big contracts on his shoulders, James is ranked 10th in assists, 13th in defensive rebounds and tenth in field goal percentage, the latter being a category where Durant barely cracks the top 20 and Anthony is not in the field. Though James may be trailing Durant in other statistical fields (points, Win Shares, Win Shares per 48 minutes), he is the league leader in PER. Part of reason Miami is viewed as "struggling" with a 26-12 record is because of the big names on its roster and the intense speculation that LeBron draws, but he is also the reason this isn't a just-over-.500 team right now.

Shawn Deegan:
My midseason MVP has to go to Kevin Durant. Despite moving James Harden this past offseason, the Thunder have improved again this season, boasting the best record in the NBA. This is in no small part due to Durant’s performance this season. Durant is shooting a blistering 52 percent from the floor so far this year and is again in the top three in points scored per game with nearly 29. He also has raised his game from behind the arc, hitting 40 percent of his shots from downtown, his best since his sophomore season. He has a career high in assists per game and is still rebounding very well. I seriously considered picking Lebron James or Carmelo Anthony. ‘Melo is having a career year, and Lebron is as good as he’s ever been. However, neither has been able to propel his team to where Durant has the young Thunder squad. Durant has been a leader for the Thunder since before the team ever moved to Oklahoma City and it’s showing up this season more than ever. All these components are why Durant is my pick for midseason MVP.


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Friday Roundtable: Introducing the Seattle ___________

Just some Pearl Jam shoes in Supersonics colors. (vshoessale.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: With this week's revelation that the Kings franchise will relocate to Seattle after a long-overdue sale by the Maloof ownership, what will the team be named as the NBA returns to Washington state? Kings, Supersonics or something else?

Kyle Davis: 
The right thing to do for the city of Seattle would be to return the Sonics (or go old-school with Supersonics) nickname and logo to the new team. That way, maybe the last four years will just seem like a bad nightmare for that fan base. Owner Clay Bennett, who took the Sonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City, left the brand, name and logo behind to start fresh, so Seattle might as well reclaim what is synonymous with Seattle and start a new chapter with an already recognizable name.

I get it. Maybe Seattle fans don't want to be reminded of their franchise being uprooted every time they watch a game. The simple solution would be to take the Kings' name. Sacramento kept it when the team moved there from Kansas City. It would just be carrying on the tradition.

Starting fresh is always an option, too. That's the route Oklahoma City took, and the Thunder name is quickly building its own legacy (that's what having Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on a team can do). It would never happen, but if Seattle fans wanted to have some fun, play off the "Zombie Sonics" name they lovingly gave to the Thunder. Call themselves the "Zombie Kings." The name is actually pretty bad ass. It's not only culturally relevant with America's love for zombie movies and shows, but sounds intimidating, which is what you strive for in a nickname. And think of the mascot potential. Who wouldn't want a zombie with a crown and sword standing on the baseline celebrating a 3-pointer? You're right, no one.

My final option may sound a bit strange, but let it soak in, because it actually fits Seattle perfectly. The new team name could be the Seattle Nirvana. Just hear me out. Not only do teams strive for a cultural relevance to their city (the Lakers were named in Minnesota, the Jazz in New Orleans) but Nirvana is the perfect way to encapsulate the mood and feeling of the fan base surrounding this team. For cultural relevance, you've got the reference to the most famous grunge band to come out of the city in Kurt Cobain's Nirvana. And not to get nerdy on you but Merriam-Webster says Nirvana also means a place that "transcends suffering" and is "a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable." You mean like how Seattle fans have felt for the past four years? They hoped a team would return to the city, but after losing the Sonics, the dream was still very far away. Plus, this new team will bring an end to the Seattle fan's suffering. Key Arena will again be a place of joy and love instead of pain and what used to be. It will be Nirvana.
 
Alex Skov:
Alliteration sounds good to the ears and Seattle Supersonics sounds swell (maybe not in this particular sentence, but it's generally nice). "Seattle Kings" is more of an ear drum rupturing scream. That could be due to unfamiliarity or knowing that, when settling the Western world, European royalty tended to focus on land east of the Mississippi River. It was tough to play an 82-game schedule before the advent of the internal combustion engine, after all.

Seattle's former NBA team had an all-time classic logo and it would be foolish to think that Chris Hansen, the primary proponent behind the new arena and acquiring a franchise, would not want to immediately connect the new franchise to its new home. Being that Hansen is both a businessman and a Seattle native, he will have to at least consider incorporating a portrayal of the Space Needle in the team's graphics, and some portion of him must wonder if a new visage would stack up to the one Seattle already knows.

Let me be abrupt: it won't. There is no chance. Money has been put up for the construction of a new arena and a very fast acquisition of a professional sports franchise. Compared to that, the cost of obtaining the Supersonics name will be minimal. They should go the extra inch and let fans air out the old green duds that have been collecting dust in a closet or pushed to the back of drawers. Or, yes, flecked with white face paint used to protest the relocation of a team they loved.

Champ:

The name of a city's professional sports team usual has something to do with the town’s culture. The city of Seattle has a long and rich history that spans more than a hundred years that has spawned many traditions…or at least I assume they do. I really couldn’t tell you much about Seattle so I decided to just make some names up and then write the pro’s and cons about them.

The Microsofties

Pro: A great way to celebrate Bill Gates, the richest person from Seattle, and formerly of the world itself.  

Con: Not as hip as Apple anymore.

The Pearl Jammers

Pro: Seattle is known for its alternative music, so just like the Jazz (before they moved to Utah where there is probably little Jazz) it makes sense to name a team after it.

Con: I think Eddie Vedder is a Chicago Bulls fan.

The Double Lattes

Pro: Celebrate Starbucks, another famous franchise started in Seattle.

Con: Getting fans hyped up on caffeine for four quarters might have mixed results.

The Vampires

Pro: A great way to cash in on the Twilight books, which were set in Washington, and the nation’s obsession with vampires.

Con: Too many 14-year-old girls at games.

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Friday Roundtable: Popularity Contests, Snubs and the NBA All-Star Game

An injured Yao Ming and the other 2007 Western Conference All-Stars. (NBA.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Voting for the NBA All-Star game is almost over (go here if you wish to cast a vote) and the starting line-ups are nearly set. But is the current process of letting fans vote for starters and having coaches choose reserves the right way to set an All-Star roster, or is there a better method?

Kyle Davis: 
I'm usually fine with any sort of fan involvement that makes those who watch the NBA and make it popular feel like they have a voice. But fans have biases and fans don't watch every team play every night. It's not because they are trying to ruin the system, but they'll vote for the names they know and for players on the team they support. It's easy to do. This last MLB All-Star Game was in Kansas City and I voted for a handful of Royals players (yes, it is as painful as you would imagine being a Royals fan) because I wanted to see them play in their city in an All-Star game, even though there were probably more qualified candidates.

The same happens in the NBA. How else do you explain why Jeremy Lin is third in the Western Conference Backcourt category, ahead of his teammate James Harden and Russell Westbrook? Steve Nash is sixth in that category, ahead of Tony Parker, Ricky Rubio and Stephen Curry and he's been injured for most of the season. Somehow Dwight Howard is second in the Western Conference Frontcourt voting and is ahead of the likes of Blake Griffin, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol and Kevin Love. Yet Anderson Varejao, currently NINTH in the Eastern Conference Frontcourt, leads the league in rebounds and is having a breakout season. Possibly most egregious is that LaMarcus Aldridge is seventh in the league in scoring, only Kevin Durant is a Western Conference forward scoring more, yet Aldridge sits at No. 11 among Western Conference forwards.

Some players who are having great, breakout years will likely be watching the game at home, unless their conference All-Star coach brings them in as a reserve. The system is more of a popularity contest than a reward for great performance, and that should change. Let the basketball writers select the starters. They have watched more basketball than anyone (coaches and players don't have a lot of time to watch games other than their own) and are paid to be unbiased and objective. The coaches can still pick the reserves, and if you want to keep fans involve, let them vote for the first player off the bench. Fans still get a voice and those players who have had tremendous seasons, but aren't household names, can still get the recognition they deserve. 



Alex Skov:
While the current voting system is one of the numerous ways the NBA has built a strong rapport with fans -- especially casual ones -- it has been sitting on a cracked foundation since becoming a rule. See: Yao Ming's starter status on the occasions that he had missed a majority of games due to injury. See also: Tracy McGrady's inclusion on the Western Conference roster as he got a glean of votes from being Ming's teammate on the Houston Rockets.

With Ming, and his worldwide popularity, in basketball retirement, there is no chance of a repeat incident, but the obvious arrow now points to another Rocket. After the explosion of Linsanity in the early half of 2012, the NBA felt compelled to have Jeremy Lin participate in All-Star weekend despite not qualifying or being pre-selected for any of the events. While he is not as visible to viewers in the United States since he downgraded media markets upon leaving New York City, the Linsanity outbreak showed that the point guard is capable of harnessing benefits similar to those received by Ming. Some of that could be due to race (although being of Taiwanese descent is very, very different than being Chinese) and some of it could be because, like Ming, Lin is a talented basketball player.

ESPN LA writer Arash Markazi recently revealed another flaw in the All-Star voting:

"That [Jamal Crawford] is not on the All-Star ballot while players who haven't played this season are, again shows why balloting needs to change."

It is the same Ming Theory, yes, but it also points out that against the popular vote, and likely against coach votes, even the most deserving players who typically fill back-up roles have no shot at garnering the same accolades as their starting counterparts. Some are designated as reserves simply because they perform better when coming off the bench, like Jason Terry during his Dallas Mavericks years and Crawford and the Knicks' J.R. Smith this season.

In response to Markazi's tweet, Crawford expressed his wish for 15-man squads with players voting on the last final three roster spots. That would at least be a start, but some kind of weighted voting between fans, coaches and players with minimum requirements for number of minutes played would make for line-ups that accurately represent the best interest of each of those three demographics. Maybe cater to viewers by giving them a majority of the votes for starters while splitting the remaining votes, including those for second-stringers, between coaches and players.

Champ:
The NBA made a great change this year to the All Star ballot system. Now instead of two guards, two forwards and a center, fans will just vote for three front court players and two back court players. This is a good addition in the age of basketball because positions are not clearly defined as they have been. Players like Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh spend a lot of time at the center position but don't play like one; meanwhile, Pau Gasol and Tim Duncan spend enough time in the low post to be considered centers, but are often times listed as power fowards because of bigger teammates.


The biggest criticism to this rule is that it takes away from the hard work that centers do every night. Some people, like Dwight Howard, insist that smaller players get flashier highlights than centers who spend most of their time with their backs to the basket, and more people will vote for forwards like Kevin Durant. I don't think this is true, though. Most fans know the value of a true center. Howard has the second highest number of votes among big men in the West and Tyson Chandler is high in the East. It's true that players like Marc Gasol and Anderson Varejao are low on their lists, but that has more to do with being in small markets.


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Friday Roundtable: What Team Will Remain Undefeated The Longest?

Will Michigan remain undefeated longer than Duke and Arizona? (mlive.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What college basketball team will remain undefeated the longest — Duke, Michigan or Arizona?

Kyle Davis: 
Even though Arizona has the easiest schedule of the three, I think Duke will remain undefeated the longest. If they can survive an always-scrappy Davidson team on Jan. 2, the next most probable defeats would come at No. 23 NC State on Jan. 12 and then Maryland on Jan. 26. The Blue Devils have already proven themselves by beating three top-5 teams this season, so they have clearly been tested. While they probably won't make it out of conference play undefeated, it won't be the in the next four games.

Michigan is about to begin a brutal Big Ten schedule that kicks off with Northwestern and then finds the Wolverines facing No. 10 Ohio State, No. 11 Minnesota and No. 12 Illinois all on the road in a four-game span starting Jan. 13. It just doesn't seem likely Michigan can survive that brutal of a stretch without getting banged up and suffering a loss.

Arizona has the easiest schedule with no teams currently ranked in the top 25 ahead, but I still think they'll slip up somewhere. Both wins against ranked teams have been by one point, and probably games they should have lost. Colorado is a talented squad that could give the Wildcats a run for their money on Jan. 3 and Oregon and Oregon State on Jan. 10 and 12 will be tough tests.

Alex Skov:

There are blue blood programs, there are perennial second-tier squads, and there are wildcards in college basketball. Come March, the scales of competition always balance themselves. The odds that Arizona makes it to the second weekend of play are good, barring a meltdown, but even coming into the season ranked 12th in the AP poll and 11th in the coaches poll, the Wildcats are a surprising team to be undefeated at this point. They scraped by against their only two ranked opponents in one-point victories at home, and one of those ranked teams — Florida — recently fell to a Kansas State team that Michigan downed by 14 with a second-half clinic. The Pac-12 is not a basketball powerhouse, but teams like Colorado, Oregon and Oregon State won't leave Arizona's schedule without a pockmark. I would put money on CU wrecking Arizona's 2013 early.

Michigan's situation is a study of contrasts (the program had a stacked roster last season, and the shock of losing an upset to Ohio in the first round of the NCAA tourney would theoretically make them more mature and capable this year) and similarities (the Big Ten offers too many capable opponents in too quick of a succession for Michigan to survive January without a loss) when juxtaposed with Arizona's schedule. That leaves Duke. A Davidson team that beat eventual No. 2 Kansas in Lawrence last season will be no pushover, but Mike Krzyzewski will have the Blue Devils well prepared to win that contest and a road game against questionably powerful but ranked NC State. Duke has already trodden a tough road and face the fewest potential bumps, respectively. The question may not be how long will they be undefeated, but how much regular season prosperity the Blue Devils can translate into the language of postseason play.

Shawn Deegan:

I’m usually uncertain about how to answer questions like this one and this time is no exception. There are so many variables; strength of schedule, talent, playing style and coaching all come into play. If I have to pick one team, though, I’m going with the Duke Blue Devils. First of all, the Blue Devils have few true challenges left on their schedule. The ACC is still a solid conference, but normal powerhouse program North Carolina isn’t what it’s been in the past, leaving Duke as the top dog by a wide margin. There is currently only one ranked team left on Duke’s schedule in NC State, and I don’t see the Wolfpack giving Duke problems if the likes of Kentucky, Louisville and Ohio State couldn’t. I just don’t see Michigan, as good as it is, continuing this run in the dominant Big 10. There are just too many landmines in that conference to think Michigan’s run will last as we approach league play. The Pac-12 has some solid teams but, again, not the marquee school to rival Arizona. So the Wildcats have a chance to make me look like a fool. However, I think Duke has better talent than the Wildcats and more options to go to in the event of an off night by one of its studs. The final factor is, of course, coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K is, in my humble opinion, arguably the greatest coach in basketball. His ability to get marquee talent to play together and excel as a unit is unparalleled and he can x-an-o it with the best of them. With Krzyzewski at the helm, I think the Blue Devils have the option to keep them up and motivated in order to continue their undefeated streak through the ACC. I love what each of these teams are doing this year, but in the end, I think Duke’s got the best chance to keep this undefeated streak going.


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Friday Roundtable: Merry Christmas from the NBA

Wade. Howard. Bryant. James. Durant. These are some of the NBA's Christmas Day stars. (Getty Images)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: The NBA season is closer to its halfway mark than it is to the opening tip-off. Each year, the Association schedules marquee match-ups for Christmas Day. This year's slate of holiday games includes a rematch of the 2012 Finals; Boston in Brooklyn; Knicks/Lakers in Hollywood; the Rockets visiting the Bulls; and the Clippers hosting the Nuggets. Which game will  be on your TV?

Shawn Deegan: 
It’s that time of year again. Lights on the tree, presents being exchanged, and basketball brought to the front of the sporting world. With the NBA taking center stage, there will be a handful of games to make sure you see. However, for my money, the one game that is a must watch is the Heat vs. the Thunder. Now, normally I’m a patron for the small-market, under the radar teams who don’t normally get to share the spotlight with the big boys. However, on the big stage, it’s all about the match-ups of the best against the best, and there are no better players than Lebron James and Kevin Durant. Both will play the three-spot in this game, so the odds we see these two square off one-on-one are high. Durant is one of, if not the elite scorer in the game, while Lebron has become arguably the best all-around player in the NBA. Both bring contrasting styles of play and sensational talent that is unparalleled. Any time two of the best meet, it’s a good time to watch, but adding the spotlight of the Christmas Day game should elevate the drama to another level.  


Kyle Davis: 
Knicks/Lakers easily has the most storylines and drama to surely make for a great game, the veteran Celtics taking on a renewed Nets team should be good basketball and who doesn't like a Finals rematch? I would like to cop out and say all three of them but since I have to pick, I'll take the Thunder/Heat matchup. No team is better than the Thunder (21-5) right now, who were on a 12-game winning streak before Thursday's loss to Minnesota. The Heat aren't playing too poorly either, especially at home, where they are 12-2.

This game isn't lacking star power either. This is the battle of Big Three's, and the Thunder's Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka are playing just as well as James, Wade and Bosh. Durant is scoring at will (nearly 28 points per game), while Westbrook is still finding plenty of shots. It's starting to look like Wade's prime is leaving him (although that's still with him averaging nearly 20 ppg), but LeBron doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. Not sure you'll find more pure talent from top to bottom in any other Christmas game, so you know there will be plenty of highlights.

The Thunder are not going to take this game lightly. Durant and Co. have been pegged to win a title at some point, and the Heat took away their first chance last year. OKC wants nothing more than to beat Miami any chance it gets, because Durant and this team are great competitors, and they know who is standing in their way of a title. Yet the Heat still have more to prove ("not one, not two, not three ...").  Both teams are going to want this one for Christmas.


Alex Skov:  
Thunder/Heat is tough to pass up, and, for my money, Rajon Rondo is one of the most exciting players in the NBA right now, but the most intriguing Christmas Day match-up to me is the first game in Staples Center. The New York Knicks are 19-6, but five of those losses have come on the road. New York has allowed opponents to go over the century mark in three of those losses, including giving up a whopping 131 points to the Rockets during a Thanksgiving hangover. The Lakers are under .500 overall, but 8-6 at home. Steve Nash should be back in the starting line-up, which may not solve all of the Lakers' woes (especially on the defensive end), but his presence will make the Knicks' defense show a level of respect that LA hasn't gotten during Gatsby's time away due to injury.

The first meeting between these two anchors of their respective coasts ended with New York winning by less than 10 in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13. Carmelo Anthony, looking like the early MVP candidate that he is, outdueled Kobe Bryant in that contest by scoring 31 points. While Bryant's attempt to save his team ended with the personal victory of a double-double (31 points, 10 rebounds), Kobe's never been one to take things lightly. The tension between Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni and Anthony led to D'Antoni losing his job in New York, a destination Nash considered as a free agent this summer.

The storyline of Kevin Durant and his ever-improving supporting cast taking on the world's best all-around basketball player and his All-Star teammates is an obvious one, but there are multiple plot twists in this Knicks/Lakers saga that make the drama even more appealing. It's not like Anthony, Bryant, Nash, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard are bad at basketball, either. There's an outside (read: across the street, past the city limits and over state lines) chance that former D'Antoni and Nash partner Amar'e Stoudemire will be healthy enough to suit up for the Knicks, too.

What was is that D'Antoni said in his first press conference for his new head coaching gig? “If we're not averaging 110 or 115 points per game, then we need to talk"? The Lakers aren't living up to that statement, but no one knows how to run D'Antoni's offense better than Nash.


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Friday Roundtable: Who Will Leave The Big East Next?

With conference alignment in full swing, we predict who will leave the Big East next. (businessinsider.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Conference realignment continues putting schools on the move, and the Big East has been hurt the most by the changes. Who will be the next team to leave the Big East?

Shawn Deegan:
The mad dash of conference realignment is picking up once again and the Big East is the focal point for the NCAA. The conference’s schools are leaving left and right, and the next one to jump from the sinking ship will be the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati’s basketball team is currently sitting at 9-0 this season. The Bearcats also had a solid year in football this season at 9-3 and 5-2 in conference play. They have historically been a good program with an undefeated year in football in 2009-2010, and a run to the Sweet 16 last March. This is a quality program that will not be given any recognition for any accomplishments it may attain, because it resides in a conference without any prestigious schools left. Cincinnati is going to need to move as well if it wants to gain national accolades once again.

Kyle Davis: 
I agree Cincinnati probably has the most momentum and attractive teams at the moment that another conference would want, but I'm going to say UConn is the next to leave. UConn wanted out of the Big East when Syracuse and Pittsburgh jumped ship, but got left behind. Still, UConn probably has the biggest brand of the remaining Big East schools and has a lot of recent basketball and some football success. And even though the Connecticut market isn't huge, the school is still close to NYC and other metropolitan cities. With UConn's former conference opponents Syracuse and Pitt in the ACC, I could see the ACC bringing in the Huskies and one other school to round out the conference. UConn has said it wants to be in the ACC, and I think eventually their wish will come true.

Alex Skov:  
Georgetown foiled my original answer by deciding yesterday that it will leave the conference along with the six other Catholic institutions. You just couldn't wait a couple more days, could you, Hoyas?

Cincinnati and UConn certainly are the front runners to find better perches before their current Big East peers -- although South Florida will probably be on their heels, given the Bulls' basketball and football competitiveness earlier in the 2000s that has declined in recent years, which makes them a perfect target for a mid-major conference.

Of the leading schools, though, I think Cincinnati will abandon ship before UConn. Football drives conference realignment and the Bearcats' gridiron resume is much stronger than the on-again-off-again flirtation with success that can be found in Storrs. The sad reality is that a strong basketball program is just consolation, although the Bearcats will compete for a mid- to high conference finish no matter where they end up. Cincinnati also has the edge in geographical location -- a laughable notion at this point, considering the Big East's present alignment and Maryland's foray into the Big Ten -- because it sits nearer the middle of the country. Conferences that have been reticent to expand far beyond current borders, like the Big 12 (save West Virginia), will recognize this appeal. So will the Atlantic 10, a surging hoops-only league that would give a school like Cincinnati the chance to immediately contend for a conference title while shopping its football program elsewhere.


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