Mid-Year Basketball Review –

With the NBA midway through it’s shorten season and college basketball wrapping up their regular season and about to enter conference tournament play and the NCAA Tournament, I thought I would do a 2-1 mid-year basketball review. Now that football is behind us (although the NFL Combine is coming up and with the NFL Network finally coming through my cable box, I’m looking forward to actually watching the Combine this year), I’ve been watching a lot of basketball, both college and pro. I very much appreciate this NBA shorten season as there are multiple, watchable games on almost every night, instead of it just being sprinkled throughout the season. And college basketball this year has been exceptionally good due to some of its stars from last year returning to their respective schools. That, along with an exceptional freshmen class, has created great parody in college basketball this year, making for exciting conference and rivalry games. So let’s take a look at where we are at with basketball so far:

NBA –

NBA Finals Champion Miami Heat? – After watching the Heat thump my Kings last night (although a quick shout out to Isaiah Thomas, who is playing like a man-child on the court and is the only bright spot for the Kings at the moment), it is quite obvious that the Heat are the best team in the NBA at the moment and have the best collection of talent. With a healthy Udonis Haslem, and with relatively consistent point guard play out of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole, the Heat have to be the front runner to win the East and probably the NBA Championship. I don’t see any team in the East, including the Bulls, taking them out in the playoffs. In the west, I think the Thunder have the best shot at overtaking the Heat for the title. They have a similar type of team that the Mavs had last year. The Thunder have a scorer who can carry the team on his back in Kevin Durant, a point guard who can create and hit outside shots in Russell Westbrook, and they have two defensive presences in the paint in Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. At the moment, they pose the only real threat to the Heat and stopping their run for the title.

MVP – LeBron James is averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assist per game so far this season. Really??? Debate over. Ok, serious mode. I know Kevin Durant is also having a nice season, and I know that I have on multiple occasioins on this forum blasted LBJ for being a 3 quarter player and not delivering in the playoffs or last year's NBA Finals; but this is a regular season award, and right now LBJ is the best player on the best team in the NBA.   

Trade Dwight Howard Already – Could it be that the Orlando Magic let two of the most dominating big men of our generation walk, and not get anything in return for them? It was 15 years ago that the Orlando Magic played chicken with Shaquille O’Neal and instead of trading Shaq for young talent to rebuild with, they called his bluff and tried to convince him to stay in Orlando. Obviously we know that didn’t work and he would leave Orlando for the Lakers (coincidentally a team that is on Dwight’s “wish list” to go play for). Will they do the same with Dwight Howard? If the rumors are true regarding some of these trade offers, why wouldn’t you pull the trigger if you are the Orlando Magic?  Lakers offering Bynum and parts for Howard? Clippers offering Griffin and parts for Howard? Warriors offering Ellis, Lee, and parts for Howard? Knicks offering Amare, Chandler, and parts for Howard? Something is better than nothing, right?  But depending on whom you believe or what you hear, this whole scenario may play out like it did 15 years ago and become Shaq 2.0.

College –

Kentucky National Champs? – Is there any team playing better basketball than Kentucky right now? Is any team in the country as talented as Kentucky is right now? Thought so (Syracuse fans, slow your roll with your arguments, I'll get to you)! Right now, Kentucky is my favorite to win the NCAA Tournament. They have been so consistently dominate throughout the entire year, with no bad loses on their schedule (only lose of the season was to Indiana in Bloomington, in no way a bad lose). They have a dominating big man in freshman Anthony Davis, and they have good guard play, which all NCAA Tournament Champion hopefuls need. They’ll get stiff competition from possible teams like Syracuse, Missouri, Ohio State, UNC, Michigan St., Kansas, and Duke (can’t believe I just said that), but right now, Kentucky is playing the best basketball in the country, with Syracuse a close second. The only question is, and it’s always the case with Kentucky, will their immense talent finally overcome their lack of experience?

Now to address Syracuse fan. Yes you are the number #2 team in the nation, and yes you only have one lost like Kentucky does; but I feel you lack the offense firepower needed to win the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse only has two scores that average in dougle figures, and your leading rebounders, Fab Melo and CJ Fair, only average 5.5 rebounds per game. Frankly, I find it hard to believer that you even have the record (28-1) that you have. On a neutral court, Kentucky would roll you guys. 

Race for the National Player of the Year Award – The race for National Player of the Year seems to be a two-horse race with Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Kansas’ Thomas Robinson; and really, in Mr. Armchair’s humble opinion, this shouldn’t even be close. Anthony Davis should be the clear winner. He is the best big man in the college basketball and best player in the country. He will undoubtedly accomplish a feat that has never been thought of before (see next topic). His stat line isn’t that sexy, averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds; but he is netting a ridiculous 5 blocks a game, and that is even a misleading stat because he alters so many other shots in the pants. Thomas Robinson is a load and hard to handle, Draymond Green is finishing strong, and Harrison Barnes has been consistent; but throughout the year, no other player has been as dominate as Davis.

Completing the Trifecta – Might as well continue the lovefest with Anthony Davis by mentioning that he has an opportunity to accomplish something that has never been done before in NCAA College Basketball history (at least to my knowledge). Anthony Davis has a chance to knock out college basketball’s trifecta: winner National Freshman of the Year, National Player of the Year, and being the first player drafted in the upcoming NBA draft (should he leave school). Add all that to him winning National Defensive Player of the Year and possibly a National Championship, and he will go down as the greatest one-year player in college basketball history. How big is his mantle going to be?

Mr. Armchair Speaks