OKC in PDX

PG13

There are not five players in the NBA playing better basketball than Paul George right now. I saw the Thunder take on the Trailblazers at the Moda Center last night and I walked away with an easy assessment; George was the best player on the court and it wasn't even close. Let me go off on a tangent and list the handful of players that are at the top of their game who could be debated as playing the best right now as of January 5th (not who is the best).

Harden is obviously a cheat code on offense what he's doing is crazy. The Beard is creating roughly 70 plus points on his own during his recent, blistering stretch. On the flip side he's not close to emulating PG's defensive presence. Giannis and Kawhi are similar in their two-way abilities. However, Antetokounmpo doesn't have a jumper and Leonard doesn't seem that fun to play with even when he does wreak havoc. LeBron is LeBron and in the playoffs we've seen how he reaches other levels not capable of basic humans. He's currently rehabbing and the Lakers have gone 1-4 in his absence. That leaves Anthony Davis who is playing out of his gourd and yet the Pelicans sit at the 13th spot three games under five hundred. Sure Durant deserves to be on the list but he's not playing that great right now and his attitude is suspect. I don't doubt his talents, he's probably the second best player on the planet, but you wouldn't know it by watching his team (which happens to also have Steph, Klay and Draymond). So I'm left with the idea that Paul George and Anthony Davis are perhaps the hottest and most talented two-way players in the Association right now. Of course I would build my team around Giannis or AD long term and I would choose LeBron or KD if it was one guy to take me to The Finals, but I'll ride with this Paul George anytime.

Now back to George... he's the best two-way player I've seen this year. He's so good and plays so hard while making it look so smooth. He's always in the right spot and intellectually he's reading plays before they unfold. Paul George would be so fun to play with and seems like a great teammate. Not only is he unselfish, he's also willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win, he has all the tools on both sides of the floor. It was a treat to see him display his talents in person. Through the years I have been wowed by a few players live—Giannis, Gobert and LeBron come to mind. George has now entered that list and not because of his physical size or alien-like gifts. Instead it's due to his fluid and poetic basketball style, he can do it all and does so with class. The Thunder won for the first time in Portland since 2014. The final score was 111-109. As a result the Blazers fell to seventh in the west and OKC rose up to the second spot. Only in the NBA.

Paul George @ Portland Jan. 4th - 37 pts (10-23 fg, 5-9 3pt, 12-14 ft) | 8 rbs | 2 ast | 1 stl 

eightychoices.

WHAT IF? WTF! WHY?

OKC Highlights | 2011-12

...because right now, there is no Basketball...

Two years prior they'd lost to the Lakers in the postseason and the next year to Dallas in the conference finals. During this campaign they would reach the NBA Finals by defeating the Mavericks, next the Lakers and then the Spurs. DAMN. Look at how young these dudes were, just out there ball'n, straight fly'n around. Three MVP's drafted by the same team...only in the NBA. Never forget the OG OKC Thunder; KD, Russy & Harden, plus a young Serge & Thabo. DAMN!

eightychoices.

ps. I've got a basketball jones. 

NBA Trade Deadline

Game Winner...

Let's not forget about the team with LeBron James. The Lake Erie LeBron's made some solid trades to upgrade their roster, and perhaps more importantly, improve their locker room chemistry. Clarkson and Nance will help the Cavaliers on both sides of the ball, they have size at their positions and are more dynamic athletes. It's bittersweet to see Frye and Shumpert leave. (LA just shed a ton of money as they clear the decks to pursue free agents this summer and beyond.) Cleveland also acquired Rodney Hood and George Hill. Hood is an athletic wing who can provide more offensive punch than any of the players Cleveland sent out. Hill is another perimeter guy who can matchup better defensively on either guard position and shoot the three. This made-over roster looks more apt to compete. All of these acquisitions add length, athleticism and better compliment James, they also got a lot younger. Personally I'm excited to see how this team gels over the next 29 games or so. By the way, the Cavs and Wolves played one hell of an entertaining game the night prior to the trade deadline.

Houston looks legit

Elsewhere in the NBA; the two best teams I've caught (in a single game) this year are Houston and Oklahoma City. I was able to watch the Rockets absolutely destroy Cleveland. Chris Paul looked as good as he has all year and Harden did things only he's probably capable of. Houston's defense was solid and their hustle was how I wished every game looked; their role players are super solid. They won by 30 without Trevor Ariza or Eric Gordon. When Houston has Harden, Paul and Clint Capela, their record's insane. Cleveland's effort was lackadaisical to say the least, regardless, Houston showed them firsthand the competition that looms out West. The NBA has taken notice, so have I.

OKC is figuring it out

The Thunder went into Oracle and hung 70 on Golden State in the first half, eventually winning by 20. Russ was in attack mode from the jump. He puts so much pressure on a defense with his relentlessness, especially when he couples his ability to get the rim with high quality decisions. Paul George looked like the best two-way player in the NBA, guarding damn near every Warrior at some point. George's ability to play stellar defense while still dropping 30 is amazing. This game meant something to Oklahoma City, their tenacity was on full display, highlighted by their two stars; Russ and PG showed out in Oakland. Melo barely played due to a tweaked ankle. I'll go on record, Steven Adams is their third best player, dude's a beast. He owned the second half and no one on Golden State could guard him. The Thunder played exceptionally well on defense with tight, controlled rotations, that took away threes. It was a dominating win on both sides of the ball.

Only in the NBA,
eightychoices.

5 NBA Teams to Watch

New Teammates in Minnesota!

Once again I'll be blabbing about five teams to watch in the NBA, even if they're not your team. I should be clear, I intentionally omitted the Cavs and the Death Stars, they're both too obvious a choice, plus they're both likely to mash through their conference playoffs. So here are five teams you should try to watch during the regular season. 

1. Minnesota Timberwolves - They were on my list last year, I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. One thing is for sure, their roster is very different from a year ago. There will definitely be two new starters, Jimmy Buckets and Jeff Teague. Coach Thibodeau may insert a third new face into the starting lineup if he chooses to go with Taj Gibson; Gorgui Dieng will probably get minutes too. Adding reliable veterans to their young athletic core could be the combination needed to finally unlock this team's potential.

There are many projections suggesting they will make the proverbial leap, I sure as hell hope so. The top teams out west can all score. What remains to be seen is, can these Wolves adopt and adapt, to Thibodeau's defense-first mentality? Two former Bulls will help bring that edge and some late game poise, to a franchise hungry for the playoffs. One subplot will be the growth of Andrew Wiggins on defense. He's far too athletic to be so mediocre on that side of the ball. The key ingredient to this recipe is Karl Anthony-Towns, the best player in the Association still on a rookie deal, his upside is limitless. I believe he's already a top 15 player and he's certainly a franchise cornerstone. Please Minnesota, show us that you're ready.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder - Last year Russy went zenith and returned to earth as a triple-double machine. He's also being recognized as the first real-life Marvel super hero, and now he has a son, so that's cool. This year he gets some serious help with the addition of Paul George—thanks Indiana for giving him away for nothing, because you were too narrow-minded to flip him to an eastern rival for a better package. Russy thanks you too. 

PG and Russy alone will increase OKC's win total. Mix in a little 3 & D from Patrick Patterson, who signed a team friendly deal and some added reps with Doug McDermott, and that's four perimeter/wing players with the potential to mesh well. Of course there's Steven Adams, the blue collar big, who could realistically wipe the floor with the ball-kickers of the NBA. Nobody wants a piece of Adams, he's for real tough. They also have the defense of Roberson to throw at teams and bench scoring from Kanter. They appear to have the pieces to host a first round series, let's hope so.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

3. Milwaukee Bucks - Two words, Giannis Antetokounmpo. I'm a big believer in his threat to the Eastern Conference. I realize that they have some holes in their lineup, but damn if he doesn't have the potential to be LeBron-like. I also think a full season with Kris Middleton will help create more space for Giannis on offense, Kris is a solid defender too. Should Thon Maker continue to develop his game, look out. The Bucks have an obvious penchant for the super long diamond-in-the-rough-type players, an advantage when playing in, or against a switch heavy defense. If they can get some reliable outside shooting they could threaten the eastern teams at the top. I'm in the camp that also thinks Brogdon can further blossom from last year's ROY campaign. I also hope Parker can come back in a contract year after injury. There's real reason to believe the Bucks can secure home court in the first round; they'll battle Toronto for the fourth seed.

4. Boston Celtics - One of the top coaches in the Association has been given perhaps the best bucket getter and the kid he coached in college who turned into an NBA all-star. Nice work Danny Ainge. The Celtics definitely acquired the top-end type of talented needed to truly challenge LeBron in the east. Not only did they sign free agent Gordon Hayward, whom I'm a big fan of, and trade for Kyrie (I'm still reeling), they also drafted Jayson Tatum and picked up a Morris twin. I'm not sure who will start for Boston, but it would be interesting to see a five man group that features Uncle Drew, Commissioner Gordon, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and the rookie Tatum. Assuming Tatum is serviceable on defense, which they will need having lost Bradley and Crowder. The Celts could allow Marcus Smart to assert himself on the second unit with Marcus Morris. The cupboard looks pretty bare after that—Terry Rozier anyone? Could we get a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference finals? Only time will tell.  

5. Philadelphia 76ers - The process is processing, rooks on rooks on rooks, will the process manifest? Their collective talent is young and unproven to say the least. Embiid, Simmons and Fultz, plus Saric and McConnell sounds great, but they are also the great unknown. As much as I want to believe, there's not much to go on, unless you think 31 games from Embiid over three years actually means something. At this point he's more akin to Greg Oden, let's shelf the Hakeem Olajuwon talk please; his upside is not in question. Often times the best ability is availability and thus far he's proven to be a fragile tease.

Elder statesmen JJ Redick will help open up the lane with his three point prowess, we know what he's capable of. Do we know what Ben Simmons can do? Did he learn how to shoot while red-shirting? Can Fultz get his shots off against NBA talent? Will Joel Embiid Play in 70+ games? Are Saric and Covington actually their best young pieces? Can the Sixers make the playoffs? There are plenty of questions and boundless intrigue, with only one way to find out, play the season. We finally get to see the 76ers young talent on the floor together. Sam Hinkie's process could become validated.

Honorable Mention: Lonzo Ball and De'Aaron Fox - The Pacific is brimming with point guard plot lines. These two rookies will be competing in the same division, they'll also have to guard Curry and Dame. I have serious concerns about Lonzo's defense, but he possesses outstanding feel for the game with incredible vision. The Lakers will be way more fun to watch if the contagious passing they showcased during summer league persists into the regular season. Sacramento could be well served to just give Fox the keys to the car. Hell, give him all the run he can handle, he bleeds competitiveness. It's going to be entertaining watching these two young players battle each other. Also, Patrick Beverley may try to steal their lunch money now that he's a Clipper? Check back soon for even more NBA conversation, bold predictions and the forecast for standings.

eightychoices.

5 NBA Teams to Watch

Wolves ready to Howl

The 2016-17 NBA season should be FANtastic. There will be plenty of storylines and some amazing teams to watch for this year. Beyond the obvious two, the defending champs and the death star, there are some intriguing teams in the NBA, if not entertaining. You're probably thinking this is too soon, you're probably right. I am here furthering my confessed loved of hoops. Below is a list of the five teams I'm most interested in watching coming into the much hyped NBA season. Explanations are as given, along with two honorable mentions.  

1. Minnesota T'Wolves - Karl Anthony-Towns (the most un-tradable player in the NBA due to his potential and being on a rookie contract) is the main reason all Wolves fans should be drooling, perhaps even howling. If you watched him play last year than you know what I'm talking about. Kris Dunn will hopefully fleece Rubio and steal his milk money for good. Wiggins ascension is vital, please be working on that outside game. Lavine's bounce has been put on blast but none other than Dr. J. Will the two-time dunk champ push Wiggins, or maybe win a sixth man award if he comes off the bench? Personally I'm a fan of him starting. Please say adios to Rubio &/or Pekovic if the youth movement whips into shape via the new mastermind. Either that, or they help to solidify the second unit. How will the Wolves utilize Muhammad & Dieng? Then there's Thibodeau, one of the top 5 to 7 coaches in the NBA, taking over a talented young team craving the playoffs. Roster

2. Utah Jazz - Defense, youth, length, a good coach who is modern and intense, mad depth, coupled with a smart franchise, equals a continued rise in the Western Conference standings. They're basically made to defend the small ball spread pick and roll. Hayward, Favors, Gobert, Hood & Burks, plus a healthy Exum,  equal one of the best young rosters in the Association. How will Diaw and Joe Johnson mesh into the mix, along with George Hill and the rookie additions? One's thing's for sure, Utah will play hard, play D and their fans will always fill the arena. Dare I say they're a lock to make the playoffs? I believe they will. Roster

3. Milwaukee Bucks - Freakish upside & length easily sums up the Bucks future. The Greek Freak, aka Giannis, whom I saw last year and was utterly impressed by—he was the best player on the court at times when I watched him at Golden State. Jabari has offensive skills but will he transform into a defender. Or be traded before we see him gel in Milwaukee? Is Thon Maker for real? Is Malcolm Brogdon for real? J. Kidd re-upping and getting to truly put his fingerprints on the team should help them reestablish the magic that took them to the playoffs in his first year there. Will MCW be a switch-everything perimeter stopper or a Shaun Livingston 2.0 off the bench? The Bucks could compete in the East and I haven't even mentioned the highly coveted Kris Middleton, or the trade bait that is Greg Monroe. Plus they signed Dellavedova, I loved him in Cleveland. Roster

4. Charlotte Hornets - Kemba will be fully unleashed now that Lin is gone. I love me some Kemba. MKG will be back and is bound to play his brand of tough-nosed defense and all-out hustle. Hopefully his jumper has been getting smoother, if not a bit more trust-worthy. The Hornets brought most of the roster back and will try to build on their momentum from last year. Batum got paid, Belinelli was brought in, psycho T returns to Carolina, Hibbert replaces big Al, and Steve Clifford is easily a coach on the rise. Plus this is MJ's team. And the East is wide open, other than the fact the LeBron plays in the same conference. Roster 

5. New York Knicks - Come on. Melo, The Zinger, D. Rose & his old pal Noah, Brandon Jennings off the pine/starting, coupled with the acquisitions of Courtney Lee (whom I like) & Tony Wroten, make the Knicks an early season must-watch. Even if I'm tuning in just to see how it all works (it could also be a hot mess of a dumpster fire). Holliday showed flashes last year and O'Quinn will do some dirty work. Really I just want to see Wichita State 2.0 in the pros mixing it up with the Zinger. Maybe the Zen Master could unleash Ron Baker and Cleanthony Early, all those guys did was win at the collegiate level with hard work, determination and real basketball skills that translated into team ball. Oh yeah, I forgot, Phil doesn't think modern players have the proper skills, patience or acumen to succeed in the triangle. Guess what Zen Master? You don't have Jordan and Pippen or Shaq and Kobe and now the NBA allows zone-like defenses—maybe you need to update your Windows '96. Jeff Hornacek coaching in the Big Apple with a former foe as his boss should also be fun to keep an eye on. Two important questions: Will Melo waive his no trade clause to join LeBron? And when will the Knicks realize their highest paid players could have competed for a championship in 2010-11? It's time to start playing the youngsters and build around Porzingis. Roster

Westbrook Snarl

Honorable Mention 
OKC Thunder - Two words: Russel Westbrook! Please basketball gods, keep Russ in a Thunder jersey so I can witness him ripping the NBA a new one. He'll be a triple-double machine, resembling something like an unstoppable mutant X-men alien.

Boston Celtics - They have the best young coach in the NBA (Brad Stevens). They have the most daring and draft stashing master GM (Danny Ainge). And they landed the second best free agent of the summer (Al Horford).



eightychoices. 

And Then There Were 4

Point Guard Battle Royale | Western Conference Finals

The Conference Finals are set. The Warriors and Thunder get things started tonight out west and the Cavs will battle the Raptors on Tuesday, May 17th. Each conference has ebbed and flowed to create their own intrigue. With that said, I think every basketball fan is salivating over the Western Conference Finals—what a matchup of talent.

There will be three scoring champions, two MVP's, and most likely, five all-NBA selections on the court for game one at Oracle. Durant and Curry have taken home the last three most valuable player awards. Westbrook, Durant and Curry are the last three scoring champs, plus KD held that title from 2008-12. This series is going to be fire! Another amazing subplot to this star-studded, best-of-seven, is the likelihood that Curry, Thompson, Green, Durant and Westbrook will be named to the All-NBA team. I can't remember a time when that many top 15 guys squared off in the Conference Finals. All of this leads me to one thought; OKC might be the only team in the Association that can claim to have two of the three best players on the court when pitted against the Warriors (KD, Russ, Steph)—there's an obvious debate. I can hardly wait for this series to get started.

Speaking of my lack of patience; I can't wait to see what the Cavs have been drawing up with over a week's worth of rest and preparation. As the NBA approaches June, LeBron sets his sights on another title shot. Can he make a sixth straight Finals? Will it be a rematch against Golden State? Or will he face-off against OKC's dynamic duo for a second time in his career? First, he and his teammates will have to get through The North. Only in the NBA!

eightychoices.

NBA playoff picture

Uncle Drew gets buckets & James approves!

This years' playoffs have been marred by injuries. Golden State's MVP is out, as are the top two players on the Clippers. Plus the Celtics, Grizzlies and Mavs were decimated by key contributors in street clothes. But enough about injuries, they're too depressing and always seem to shape the title run for playoff teams. With that said, are the favorites now San Antonio, Cleveland or even OKC? 

At the start of the season I made predictions as to which teams would compete in the second season. I nailed 11 out of 16. In the East I underestimated the complete collapse of Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington. Maybe the nation's capitol should have made a coaching change. The exact opposite could be said of Chicago (the Minnesota Timberwolves would like to thank you!). In their place we saw a young Detroit team compete hard in it's first post season appearance in years—they'll continue to climb with Stan Van at the helm. Charlotte's been a nice surprise as they retooled their offense and have a solid leader in Steve Clifford. The Pacers fought back as well, it's great to see Paul George playing at a high level.

All of this leads me to believe that LeBron will once again represent the East in The Finals. In case you forgot, that would be six straight trips, which is utterly ridiculous. He might be carving out the greatest career this side of Russel and Jordan. It's not a reach to suggest that the East is better top to bottom. The lower seeds in this conference appear to be far more competitive than those out west. 

In the West I missed on two teams. I thought Utah would make the ascension this year and they nearly did. It's too bad for NBA fans because the Jazz would have been way more fun to watch as the eighth seed. New Orleans also failed to continue its climb, reaching back into the lottery may be a blessing in disguise—the Brow needs help. Mad props to the Trailblazers. After losing four of their starters, Video Game Dame took control of the team and aided in the rise of CJ McCollum. Terry Stotts probably should have won coach of the year (or Clifford who I mentioned earlier). Dallas also showed resiliency. Rick Carlisle proves that coaches are worth wins. 

The juggernauts of the West are obviously Golden State, San Antonio and perhaps, Oklahoma City. Assuming Curry comes back and shakes off any rust that may have formed, the Warriors should still be the favorites. If he's unable to operate at his alien levels, the winner of the Spurs Thunder matchup in round two could taint the Dubs historic season. 

My love of the NBA playoffs pretty much turns me into a basketball watching vegetable though June, which I'm completely fine with. Only in the NBA.

eightychoices. 

NBA Midseason Report

There are a few differences in the standings at this point in the NBA when compared to my predictions from before the season. Of course there is time for the current configuration of each conference to change, but who had the East with more .500 clubs than the vaunted West? Most of the prominent players coming back from injuries have stayed healthy thus far. The rookie college coaches in OKC and Chicago have shown some growth; success takes time. I think both of those clubs are primed for a trade. Speaking of success, the Dubs are straight rolling teams, while not being whole. The Spurs are insane, lock people down, and are beginning to unleash Aldridge. The East will go through Cleveland if they remain the one seed, which looks more likely now that they've begun to integrate their full roster. As far as my playoff predictions...

I'm looking a little ragged in the Eastern Conference. Three teams I predicted who'd be in, but  are currently out, are Boston (+500), Washington (right there scratching), and Milwaukee (they're going to figure it out right?). In their place stands Indiana (who I thought would battle for the 8, but have reinvented themselves), Detroit (the Jackson/Drummond pick and roll plus good D) and Orlando (young players overachieving, what's not to like?). So I'm five for eight.

In the Western Conference I owe the Dallas Mavericks an apology. I just didn't think they'd be this solid. They compete and run what they're good at. Rick Carlisle is definitely one of the best coaches in the Association. Then there's dirty Dirk, he's sixth on the scoring list! Injuries and new schemes aside, what's up with the Pelicans? Will they deal Ryan Anderson? I thought they'd take the next step, instead New Orleans looks like a lottery team. We're almost halfway there. Only in the NBA.

eightychoices.

RING'R

     bron bron gets his ring, messes around to notch a triple double in the finals' clincher & shows us an incredible smile that only the NBA championship can deliver. way to silence the haters, albeit temporarily.
     en route to becoming the finals MVP, not only did he stymie the 3 time scoring champion (love durant too) while guarding positions 1-5 & playing focused team ball at a beast mode level, he shredded the finals to the tune of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds & 7.4 assists. as far as performances go, this has few rivals. jordan in '97 comes closest with averages of 32, 7 & 6 (and MJ is the greatest). he became just the third player ever to lead his team in points, rebounds & assists during the finals. the other two who have accomplished this feat go by the names of magic & duncan (two of the five or ten greatest ever). quite the showing considering the microscope of unfair scrutiny that james is constantly under. mad props to the best all around player on hardwood.
     shaggy 3 pop, aka mike miller, went off in game 5 connecting on 7 treys. prior to shaggy, there was the other former grizzlies forward, shane battier, putting his fingerprints on games. then there's mario chalmers, who may have become the heat's 4th man (kinda like rondo in '08). of course there's wade, one of the fiercest competitors in hoops, acknowledging the fact that it took "sacrifices" to accomplish their goal. that same sentiment of sacrifice came up a lot in post game interviews (love wade's mint slacks). and who can forget bosh-a-saurus-rex? he definitely showed us his value. way to go heat. i'm especially happy for lebron, he's both the gift & the gifted & such a joy to watch. we have all been witnesses, now we may be in wonderment. he's only 27, so there's most likely more to come. the association is in good hands right now.
                                                                           
     as an avid nba fan i can only hope that the zombies, aka the thunder, will learn from this setback as other aspiring champions have. i trust that they will improve during the off season, as all of them appear to be dedicated gym rats. this explosive & relentless group of personalities seem utterly devoted to the concept of team. they're too good & youth is on their side, potent ingredients when trying to conjure something special in sports. westbrook (aka westbeast & one of my three favorite players to watch), harden (who needs a contract) & durant (a real baller, who gets buckets) have some seriously absurd game. add to the mix ibaka "i block ya", sefolosha & perkins and you begin to realize why this team is not going away any time soon. they'll be back & i'll be rooting for them.
     i get the feeling that this heat/thunder match up has the potential to be celtics/lakers version 2.0! although this battle between two extremely skilled & athletic teams finished in 5, it was a joy to watch. i was genuinely excited for each game day. thanks to oklahoma city & miami for making it a hard fought series showcasing amazing talent. these were the two best teams, apologies san antonio & this was the match up i wanted to see. in case you weren't paying attention, they didn't disappoint. hopefully we get to see these two teams duking it out for the championship again. i wouldn't be surprised.

adios en bee ah, i'll catch you on the flip side.

~eightychoices


ps. the draft is june 28th, 4pm pst - where a teams' future can be made or delayed...