Timberwolves’ Kevin Love’s Case for MVP, Another Most Improved Player Award
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost Ricky Rubio a few weeks ago and, with him, any real hopes of winning a playoff series this season. Budding star Nikola Pekovic is hampered with bone spurs in his ankle, and depending on the team’s success, he might be shelved for the rest of the year.
Kevin Love, who won the NBA‘s Most Improved Player last season, might actually be in line to win it a second consecutive time. Since the award’s inception in 1985-86, no player has ever won it twice, let alone in consecutive seasons.
When Love first won the award, he improved his scoring from 14 points per game to 20, and improved his rebounding from 11 per game to just over 15. This season, he is averaging over 26 points, just under 14 rebounds, two assists and a block per contest.
The biggest statistic for Love is the wins and losses. In this lockout-shortened season, Love has the Wolves at 22 wins. Last season they only managed 17 wins in a full season.
Love is taking ball games over this season. There is not a defender in the league who can contain him.
In the month of March, when wins matter most, Love is averaging 31 points and 14 rebounds per game. In a double-overtime thriller against the best in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Love poured in a franchise-record 51 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
When the Wolves need a big basket, or several, Love has stepped up. I know the MVP is almost exclusively from a winning team, but isn’t the true spirit of the award to reward the player who is most valuable to his team while exhibiting an elite level of personal excellence?
Never has the award been given to a player on a losing team. The Wolves still might end up with a winning record and may even sneak into the playoffs, but will that be enough to give Love any serious MVP consideration? It probably won’t, but it should.
No other player in the league is capable of dominating a game like love can. He is maybe the best rebounder in the game, and can go for 30 points and 20 boards on any given night. After Love trounced his Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon, Nuggets coach George Karl had some thoughts.
“I think we used to call him kind of a poor man’s Larry Bird,” Karl said. “I think you can take ‘poor man’s’ off that comparison now. His ability to rebound is incredible and his offensive tools and skills are growing.”
He is right on point. Love looks like he can do whatever he wants on the basketball court. He made himself into a dominant three-point shooter over the offseason and will most likely improve another aspect of his game this coming offseason.
How good this kid can be is mind blowing. It is tough to remember sometimes that he is just 23 years old.
Timberwolves’ fans must have thought they were spoiled by having Kevin Garnett‘s talents here for so long—now they must be rejoicing at their future. Love is on pace to make several runs at MVP awards over his career, and the Timberwolves will only improve around him. Rubio will be back next season, Derrick Williams will be one year seasoned, and maybe Wes Johnson will keep improving.
Love might be overlooked in the MVP discussions this year, but I would expect him to be a serious candidate as soon as next season.
It almost goes without saying, but he is a favorite to be the league’s most improved player again. His stats along with his team’s success this year show how much better he is from last season’s version.
You have a lot to look forward to, Minnesota fans. Enjoy the ride—I have a feeling it’s going to get a whole lot better in the next decade.
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Heat’s photo in support of Trayvon Martin case
If you haven’t been living under a rock the past week, I’m sure you’ve heard about the Trayvon Martin case. Well, now, the Miami Heat are now doing their best to bring more awareness to the unfortuante incident by taking a team picture with their hoodies on.
LeBron James tweeted the photo with the hastags of #WeAreTrayvonMartin, #Hoodies, #Stereotyped, and #WeWantJustics.
The significance of this photo is because on February 26, a man by the name of George Zimmerman, called 911 repeatably to report “suspicious behavior” by Martin. Zimmerman claimed there was “a guy who was up to no good” loitering around the neighborhood with a sweatshirt on and his hood up. Of course, whenever someone has their hood up on a rainy night, they are always up to no good /sarcasm.
Long story short, since I’m sure most of you have heard the case by now, Zimmerman chased down Martin – ignoring the requests from the 911 operators – creating an altercation that ended with Zimmerman shooting M…
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NBA Rumors: Move to Lakers is Best Case Scenario for Raymond Felton
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ need for a point guard is well documented and discussed ad nauseum.
To some degree there is not much reason to blame the talking heads considering Derek Fisher, Steve Blake and Darius Morris continue to underwhelm. In their impressive victory over the Miami Heat, Fisher and Blake combined for just seven points, seven assists and five turnovers.
Almost anything would be better than that right about now—possibly even the disappointing Raymond Felton.
Chris Haynes, a Portland Trail Blazers insider for CSNNW, wrote about the mutual interest between LA and Portland regarding Felton:
According to the source, talks have been ongoing for weeks and it is likely to involve Lakers’ guard Steve Blake in the deal.
CSNNW.com has also been told that terms of this potential deal “haven’t got off the ground” but it is one that is being considered by both sides.
Felton lost his starting job to Jamal Crawford as he was one of the many problems that contributed to the Blazers’ slump.
He regained his starting spot Monday night, recording 11 points and 10 assists, but it came against a lowly Hornets team. Crawford is very comfortable coming off the pine, where as Felton proved he is anything but so far this year.
Giving up Felton for Blake certainly can’t hurt the Lakers much at all.
Felton played like an All-Star in Mike D’Antoni’s system last year before being traded to Denver, where he played behind the ever-improving Ty Lawson. He played well with the Nuggets, though, and helped them close the season as one of the hottest teams in the league. He has failed, however, to find his spot in Nate McMillan’s system since joining with Portland this offseason.
His numbers are a career-worst and a change of scenery is exactly what he needs. This isn’t the first time a player’s career has hit a low in Portland, and it won’t be the last.
The Lakers, meanwhile, cannot be hurt by trying something new at the point. Can it really get much worse than what Fisher and Blake have been like this year? Doubtful.
Felton to LA is far from a big deal, but it is one that benefits both sides. In Felton’s case, a chance to start fresh for a team starved at the point guard position it the most he could ask for.
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Boston Celtics: Making a Case for Mickael Pietrus as a Starter
Prior to the All-Star break, Mickaël Pietrus was content to launch three-point bombs. This made it look like he was trying to be a poor man’s Ray Allen, though he was shooting it at a 50 percent clip prior to joining the team.
It seemed like time and time again, he was unable or reluctant to drive to the hoop.
Fast-forward to today and Pietrus has looked like an entirely different player. He is doing more than shooting threes and seems to have fully recovered from the offseason procedure that he had done on his knee.
Pietrus got his first start of the season against New Jersey Friday night and quickly gave the old men in green and Rondo a sleeker, faster option at the 2-guard spot.This did two things: increase the overall speed of the offense and actually show the potential of having more than one athletic option with Rondo at the point.
This begs the question of whether or not Ray Allen should be traded or have him as part of the second unit. I think Ray coming of the bench gives the Celtics a more viable shooting threat and may help them increase leads.
MP does not lack for confidence; he is athletic, plays excellent perimeter defense and can actually stay in front of his man. He can also hit the occasional three to help stretch the defense. It is fair to say that defense and Ray Allen have never been mentioned in the same breath.
Rumors abound about the Celtics getting rid of Rondo, but you see once you surround him with the right type of player, the team excels. This was quite evident in how the team responded with Mickaël in the lineup and gave fans a glimpse of what could be.Pietrus’ presence in the starting lineup allows the Celtics offense to flow and the ball doesn’t get stuck—something that happens quite often because Rondo will pound the ball at the top of the key as Ray runs around screen after screen trying to get open. This causes the offense to bog down and everyone stands around hoping he does get open.
Boston can no longer afford to operate like that, and “Air France” gives them a more viable option. This is not to say that the Celtics should trade Ray, but if they chose not to, it may behoove them to relieve him of his starting duties. Of course, he would be in the game in “crunch time.”
Doc Rivers has to be drooling at the possibilities of his team running unfettered and unburdened by a lead-footed veteran who, athletically, is on the decline.
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UNC Basketball: Tar Heel’s Tyler Zeller States Case for ACC Player of the Year
After an outstanding senior night in Chapel Hill, Tyler Zeller has become the top candidate for the 2012 ACC Player of the Year honors. It will be a tight race between Zeller and Virginia Cavaliers’ Mike Scott, but ‘Z made a pretty solid case for himself, on Wednesday night in the Tar Heels’ win over the Maryland Terrapins.
Carolina should have blown away Maryland in the seniors’ final game at the Dean Dome. The Terps turned the ball over 17 times, but the Heels just couldn’t capitalize due to a poor shooting performance. Everyone was struggling with their shot—except John Henson and Tyler Zeller. The pair accounted for 49 of North Carolina’s 88 points on the night.
As for the POY candidate Zeller, 30 of those points were his. It wasn’t just about the points, though. He snagged eight rebounds—six on the offensive glass—along with two steals and three blocks.
I’m sorry. Did I mention that was in 27 minutes of play?
Tyler Zeller was pulled with 6:39 left in the game. Holding a comfortable 74-46 lead, Roy Williams decided it was time to put the workhorse back in the stable. No need to take any chances in a blow-out.
Before he was yanked, Zeller had dominated the paint and helped Carolina stay in the bonus for most of the game. He sank 20 of his 23 free throws for a Dean Dome record—previously held by Tyler Hansbrough with 17 made free throws. Zeller fell just shy of the all-time record of 21—held by York Larese—and of Lennie Rosenbluth’s free throw attempts record of 24.
It was a signature night for ‘Z.
If UVA’s Scott gets ACC Player of the Year, I will not argue—at least not too hard. Scott has been stellar this year for the Cavaliers and is very deserving of the honor. In ACC play, the two forwards have dominated the game and are very close in their major statistical categories. Zeller has the edge in most of them, but not by much.
Let’s break it down.
In 15 ACC games—according to the ACC’s website—Scott and Zeller are tied for 2nd in scoring with an 18.5 points per game. Zeller is also 2nd in rebounding—behind Henson—with 9.7 per game. Scott sits at 10th in the ACC with a 7.5 average.
As for field goal percentage, Zeller and Scott are first and second respectively. Zeller has knocked down 55.3 percent of his shots, while Scott has made 54.7 percent of his attempts. Of the categories Scott didn’t crack the ACC top ten, Zeller is 5th in blocked shots with an even two per game and leads the ACC with 4.1 offensive rebounds per game.
Going by statistics alone, Zeller appears to have the edge over Virgina’s Scott in the race for ACC POY. There is still one more game for ‘Z to make his mark. North Carolina will face Duke Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This will not only be for bragging rights, but for the 2011-12 ACC regular season title. A win for the Tar Heels and a strong performance from Zeller should seal the deal. If awarded, Carolina would tie Duke for the most ACC Players of the Year with 14.
Though Tar Heels Nation would love to see Zeller get the award, he isn’t as worried about it. As quoted by Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes.
“If I won it, it would be a great award, don’t get me wrong. But that’s an individual award, so it’s right at the bottom of the list because it’s is a team sport. If I go out and score 30 points, great. But if I go out and score 10 points and we win, that’s great, too. I’m just trying to win games and if it comes out that I win it that would be incredible and I’d love it, but you have to focus on the team before you focus on yourself.”
It’s hard not to love that attitude. And it’s just as hard not to love Zeller’s game.
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Decision on moving Fine case delayed (AP)
A judge said he’ll likely rule by Wednesday whether to move a slander case against Syracuse University and its head basketball coach to Syracuse from a New York City court, where the defendants say they can’t get a fair trial. State Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph heard arguments Tuesday in Syracuse on moving the trial location for the defamation lawsuit bought by former ball boys…
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Jeremy Lin: A Case for Why Race Matters in Sports
I’m continuously amazed by the fact that, in a country as culturally diverse as the United States of America, people are still uncomfortable discussing race.
We’re OK with it when done in a comedic form like “The Chappelle Show” or stand-up (unless you’re Michael Richards, then it’s never OK), but when it comes to serious conversations about race, we get very queasy and skittish.
The emergence of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin is just the latest personification of one of our innermost insecurities.
On Monday—in what was the latest example of the message being distorted by the messenger—boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. set Twitter ablaze by suggesting that the hype surrounding Lin was due solely to the fact that Lin is Asian (Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock made waves as well with a stereotypical remark about Lin, but his misguided attempt at humor fell flat because it was neither funny nor thoughtful).
Mayweather has been known throughout his career to make inflammatory remarks about members of various nationalities—most recently in a 2010 video where he is seen making vulgar and disparaging remarks about fellow boxer Manny Pacquiao—but that doesn’t mean that this particular tweet wasn’t without merit.
Of course Lin is getting major media recognition because he’s Asian! In other news, water is wet.
There’s a reason why many of my Asian friends—even ones who aren’t of Taiwanese or Chinese descent—have been blowing up my email, Twitter time line and Facebook feed with messages expressing their love for the kid. They feel a kinship with him and are understandably proud of his success, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
I openly root for African-American coaches to succeed, not because I’m a fan of their teams, but because it gives me a sense of pride to see other black men succeed in positions where opportunities are few and far between.
Jeremy Lin is the first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to ever play in the NBA, so it goes without saying that opportunities for players like him have been very few and even farther in between.
Sure, his performance plays a substantial role in the popularity of his story (Lin has been in the NBA for almost a year-and-a-half, and the story wasn’t getting near the attention it is now when he was getting cut by two teams and toiling in the D-League) particularly because it is happening in the success-starved, hoops mecca that is New York City. To suggest otherwise would be as disingenuous as implying that race is the only factor in his meteoric rise to folk hero status. But the combination of his unique (to the NBA) background and outstanding performance has created a perfect storm of media exposure, for which I’m certain David Stern is infinitely grateful.
As I complete this column, Lin has just helped lead the Knicks to their seventh consecutive victory, getting them to .500 and putting them squarely back into the Eastern Conference playoff discussion. Those are three incredible basketball storylines that seemed impossible to consider less than two weeks ago and have nothing to do with Lin’s ethnic background. But for those who continue to marvel at his novelty, I won’t begrudge them one bit.
I hope that his success is sustainable, because New Yorkers have notoriously short memories, and it would be a shame if all this excitement was for naught.
Besides, the last ethnic novelty to hit the New York sports scene just earned himself a Super Bowl ring, so the bar is set pretty high. No pressure there, Jeremy!
Contact Geoff at geoff@popflyboys.com, follow him on Twitter @snglemarriedguy, and read more of his takes on sports and pop culture at popflyboys.com
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Jeremy Evans states case for dunk contest
Last month, Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans made a comment that he might be able to jump over a car better than current NBA Slam Dunk Champion Blake Griffin. Well, the below dunk might be his golden ticket to Orlando for the 2012 All Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest as he jumps over Jazz teammate, Earl Watson:
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Jeremy Lin: New York Knicks PG Making Case for NBA MVP with Historic Start
It’s only four games into Jeremy Lin‘s full-time career with the New York Knicks, and already he is making a case for the NBA‘s Most Valuable Player award. Against the Los Angeles Lakers, Lin outscored Kobe Bryant 38 to 34, lifting the Knicks to their fourth straight win, and the first against the Lakers, after dropping the last nine.
It’s now safe to say that Lin is the real deal. It’s mind boggling that a player with this type of talent has been overlooked as much as he’s been, and never been given a sufficient chance to prove himself.
But now, coach Mike D’Antoni has given Lin the opportunity, and he’s making the most of it.
It’s hard to find another player who’s had such an impact this season. Better yet, I can’t remember another player who has single-handedly impacted a team like Lin has these past four games in NBA history.
When you start to list names of guys who fit that mold, you’re talking about some of the best of all-time.
What Lin is doing right now is a once in a lifetime happening, and more importantly, he’s making it look easy. That’s what makes the newest Knick and his miraculous rise to fame so special. This wasn’t the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz or Washington Wizards.
This was against Lakers. Say what you want about three games in a row for Los Angeles, J-Lin made it look easy, and not even his biggest doubters can deny that. It should never look easy against a team that has had the success of the one that took the floor tonight.
And what’s more astounding was the fact that the Knicks did it without their two best players: Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. It’s unimaginable to think about how much better this team will get with Lin running an offense containing Anthony and Stoudemire.
Before Lin’s arrival in the starting five, the Knicks were 8-15. With Lin at the point, the Knicks are 4-0, and in the process of turning their season around. If New York goes anywhere this year, Lin will be driving the bus.
With key players returning soon, the Knicks could be in the process of doing something special, and what Lin is doing might be history in the making.
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Judge rules past of Fine’s wife irrelevant to Syracuse case
Two men are accusing school and basketball coach Jim Boeheim of slander for comments after they accused a former assistant of molesting them
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