How the Boston Celtics have turned things around in April

by Jordan Scurry | Apr 22, 2021 | Featured, NBA

April has been a great month for the Boston Celtics. After getting off to a rough start to the season, the Celtics have finally found a rhythm. The Boston Celtics are 12-10 since the All-Star Break in March. They finished the month of March going only 1-4 but, losing starting Center Daniel Thies to the trade with the Chicago Bulls and acquiring G Eric Fournier from Orlando, the Celtics were bound to go through an adjustment period. Luckily that adjustment period was pretty quick, as the Celtics have one of the best records in the league in the month of April. The Celtics have gone 11-7 over the course of the month and have a winning streak as long as 7 games. The Celtics’ success can be attributed to many key factors but the most compelling piece has to be the play of their star Jayson Tatum. Tatum is averaging about 28 points per game in the month of April. On top of that, the 23-year-old star recorded his first triple-double on Tuesday night at home against the Chicago Bulls. Tatum finished with 14pts, 13rebs, and 10ast, and if his first triple-double even though his team ended up falling short of a victory.

The triple-double wasn’t even Tatums most impressive performance of the month either, as he also outdueled 2 time MVP Stephen Curry in overtime this past Saturday. Steph put on an absolutely ridiculous performance hitting 11 three-pointers and finishing the game with 47 points. However, the seemingly unfazed Tatum finished the game with 44points and 10 rebounds and scoring the go-ahead layup with .49 seconds left in OT that ultimately gave the Celtics the win.

THE CROWD JUST WENT CRAZY FOR THIS PLAY! pic.twitter.com/lbmgvaHUZT
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 18, 2021

Tatum has shown tremendous poise and ability to be a clutch player over the course of this season and it has only been amplified as of late. The emergence of first-year all-star Jaylen Brown, specifically on the offensive end, has really opened up even more for Tatum. He doesn’t have to force much anymore and it is evident, he’s been very decisive about when and how he attacks the basket and has come a long way with his playmaking ability once he gets into the paint. Tatum is really solidifying himself as one of the primer players in the league and a lot of it has to do with his play late in games. Jayson Tatum is the best player in the clutch in the whole NBA this season. He averages a league-best 2.8 points when the game is on the line while shooting 43%. To put this into context for those who are not familiar with advanced NBA stats this stat is highlighting the fact that when the game is on the line Jayson Tatum has about a 43% chance of scoring 3 points which is even more impressive considering he’s taken the second most amount of game-tying or go-ahead shots in the whole league. His ability to get to his spots is unmatched and it’s evident when watching him play as of late. He has done an excellent job this season of not settling as much and attacking the basket especially when teams don’t have an adequate rim protector. He’s done a great job of balancing when to attack in transition and when to get a post touch every so often. He looks a lot more comfortable getting to his elbow jump shots and using his body around the basket to finish plays, particularly around the basket.

In addition to the impressive play from Tatum, the Celtics have also gotten improved play from key players like Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart. Both Walker and Smart have been pretty inconsistent for the C’s this year mainly having to do with injuries that kept them out for periods of time. Neither player had really been able to find their groove until recently but that could just be due to the fact that neither was 100% until now.

K3MBA!!! pic.twitter.com/Qj7XDl7OBU
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 18, 2021

Whatever the case may have been they picked a good time to get back to themselves because they need every bit of Kembas shot-making ability and Marcus Smart’s tenacity on both ends of the court if they hope to win AT LEAST their first playoff matchup. Smart and Walker who both hit HUGE shots in the Win against Golden State are going to really need to maintain their level of play for the end of the season for the Celtics to improve their standing to have a more favorable first-round matchup. With the play of Jayson Tatum only improving by the day it seems the supporting cast is going to have to be at their best as teams to relieve some of the offensive pressure off Tatum.

I LOVE AND TRUST MARCUS SMART pic.twitter.com/FgzdQCoUuF
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) April 18, 2021

The late addition of Jabari Parker for the Celtics is also something worth keeping an eye on. The former #2 overall pick has had his shares of up and downs since entering the League in 2014 but Boston could end up being the perfect fit for Parker. He reached the point in his career that no one is expecting him to perform like a top pick anymore so whatever positive contributions he can make at his position will help. When you think about what Jabari Parker does best it’s obviously his scoring ability. Just some of the moves he can make at his size are impressive and it actually might end up being just what the Celtics needed. The Celtics’ biggest problem this year has been bench scoring, and whether that has been mainly to do with injuries doesn’t even matter at this point they just needed to fix that somehow. Jabari Parker does that and might just find his niche with the Celtics because of it. The pressure is off for Parker which sounds odd to say about a player that is only signing a two-year deal but it’s the expectation. Up until this point, the teams Parker had been with were expecting him to at least show flashes of why he was the #2 pick and show that he could be a piece to build around. The expectation with Boston is a lot different, the core group is solidified but the problem has always been what surrounds that. Jabari Parker seems to be exactly what the Celtics need in just a solid piece that can positively contribute offensively and in his first two games has even shown impressive rebounding and defensive ability which is an added bonus. It will be fun to see how he plays as he gets even more integrated into the lineup but just a great underrated pickup for the Celtics.

#Celtics Jabari Parker putting the Warriors team in a blender! pic.twitter.com/Gp5JmtdMl0
— Celtics News (@CelticsNewsNBA) April 18, 2021

Jabari Parker came in the clutch pic.twitter.com/Ld7dPdEjAr
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 18, 2021

I think this Jabari Parker thing might be good for the Celtics..
— Jordan Scurry (@Jordan_S09) April 18, 2021

The Boston Celtics currently sit at 6th Place in the Eastern Conference. The team is 5 games above .500 with a 31-27 overall record. They actually only 4 games behind the 3rd seed Milwaukee Bucks and 1 game behind the 4th seed New York Knicks. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. With only 14 games left in the regular season, they are going to have to keep up their play as of late to keep from potentially matching up with the 76ers or Brooklyn Nets in the first round. If the season ended today the Celtics would be in a first-round matchup with the Bucks and that is not a fun first-round matchup for anybody. The Celtics’ focus has to be on trying to pass the Atlanta Hawks and NY Knicks in these last 14 games to have a much more favorable first-round matchup to at least give this team the confidence of getting past the first round for the playoffs. The best case for these Celtics is that this play they were able to display in the month of April propels them into the playoffs and they can enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the NBA posied to make a run in the playoffs regardless of how the season went before the All-Star Break. Much like the Miami Heat of last year, the Celtics are just going to have to rely on getting hot at the right time, chemistry and connectivity.

Apr 22, 2021 No Comments

Kicks Through the Lens (Week 17)

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by Brendon Schunck | Apr 21, 2021 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Have we been spoiled with the plethora of Nike Kobe Protros that have released over the last handful of years? Is this final slew of Kobe 6 Protros the last we will see from the Kobe line? Amidst hearing the news that Kobe’s Nike contract ended effective April 13th, many questions are currently up in the air as far as the future of the Nike Kobe line. As for the time being, Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa (along with the Kobe Bryant Estate), have chosen to not renew Bryant’s contract with the Swoosh. Vanessa Bryant is now free to explore other opportunities for the “Mamba” brand, with rumors that this is the route that her late husband wanted to explore prior to his passing. Only time will tell to see what will in fact happen to the Kobe line and its sneakers.

From now on we will cherish each Kicks Through the Lens week because we truly don’t know how much longer Nike Kobe sneakers will be in the market. The Nike Kobe line has been a staple for NBA players on court for over ten years now. It’s hard to fathom a basketball world in which the Swoosh and Kobe aren’t connected on a sneaker endorsement. Six out of the ten shoes that made the countdown this week were Kobes alone. That right there goes to show you just how popular his Nike models are. Scroll below to see what rounded out week 17’s Kicks Through the Lens list.

10. New Balance TWO WXY – Dejounte Murray

9. Reebok Answer IV OG “20th Anniversary” – Josh Richardson

8. 2012 Nike KD 4 “N7” (Home) – John Wall

7. 2011 Nike Kobe 6 “Helicopter” – Talen Horton-Tucker

6. Jordan XXXV “Raging Bull” P.E. – Carmelo Anthony

5. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – P.J. Tucker

4. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Trevor Ariza

3. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – Devin Booker

2. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – Tyler Herro

1. Nike Kobe 6 Protro P.E. – Devin Booker

Apr 21, 2021 No Comments

Jordan Brand Unveils Zion Williamson’s First Signature Shoe

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by Akeem Ivory | Apr 21, 2021 | Featured, NBA, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers

For many athletes that have dreams of playing in the NBA, The first big goal is to be drafted (preferably No. 1), sign endorsement deals to take care of yourself and loved ones, Then you want to establish yourself by gain recognition from your peer showing you belong, and lastly you man hope to have a signature sneaker that men and kids alike will fawn over for years to come. (Just to be like Mike)

Today Zion checks another box in the everything NBA players want to accomplish which is having a signature sneaker. Jordan Brand has officially unveiled Zion Williamson’s first signature shoe, the model will officially be called, the Zion 1.

As the first Gen-Z athlete in Jordan Brand’s history, Zion not only signed an unprecedented five-year $75 million deal with before even making his NBA debut, with a roster that can be consider the smallest among all the big sneaker brands. Also have a signature sneaker with Jordan Brand puts him in smaller company with the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook the only players to have been granted that unique honor in 20 years.

“I remember talking to Zion once when he was close to the draft, when he said that he needed to go back to class,” says Howard “H” White, VP, Jordan Brand Affairs. “He said that he was in the middle of a few projects with his classmates and that they depended on him. He couldn’t leave them hanging. Boy, that sounds a lot like the Black Cat, doesn’t it? We all have a responsibility to a certain standard. When a mountain of a man stands with the common man, that’s when phenomenal things happen.”

Playing a majority of his first two seasons in Air Jordan 34 and 35 PEs ( “Bayou Boys” being his exclusive colorway) with the New Orleans Pelicans it’s safe to say he’ll be finishing his breakout second season wearing the long-anticipated Jordan Zion 1.Debuting them tonight against the Brooklyn Nets on TNT.

Often a process that starts a year prior to the sneakers release, players are subjected to seemingly endless concept meetings, design analysis, and player testing. Zion involved his family in the process, one Jordan Brand team member recalls Zion and his mother showing up to an early Zoom meeting with a homemade cut-and-paste mood board. They’d included pictures of Zion’s favorite Jordans, inspirational quotes, and even some of his favorite superheroes and anime to give the team an idea of where he wanted to go with the shoe.

“We knew that one of Zion’s main inspirations for the look of the shoe was superhero armor. But when we thought about an icon or symbol that could clearly draw out the shoe’s benefits, the “Z” made perfect sense to us,” says Vianney de Montgolfier, Senior Footwear Designer of Jordan Sport. “It’s the letter for speed, it has the base for power, and it’s maybe the most distinguishable letter in the alphabet. There’s nothing else like it.”

The Gen Zion Colony of the Zion 1, commemorating Williamson’s ascension to the spotlight and representation of the game’s next generation, releases beginning April 23. The Colony releases in limited quantities April 23 at Nike Community Store in Elmwood (New Orleans)

The launch colorway of Black/White will officially launch in stores on April 23rd, but three more have already been confirmed. The purple “ZNA” speaks to Zion’s duality of stardom and relatability as it represents the crossover of being out of this world, but also down to earth. The wild “Noah” colorway nods to his younger brother. The bright fuchsia “Marion” commemorates his hometown and middle school in South Carolina.

The shoe itself is a mid-top construction with the forefoot and heel sectioned off by the “Z” design on the midfoot. In addition, a full-length Air Strobel unit and a Zoom Air cushioning unit are encapsulated within the midsole for extra protection. Fore-foot Zoom adds even more explosiveness to Zion’s feet, which should provide ample containment, a certain point of interest given the aforementioned sneaker mishap in college.

Oddly enough there was a emphasis put on the tongue of this sneaker siting Zion often pick a pair of shoes out of his closet based on how the tongue looked and felt, often gravitating towards chunky silhouettes like the Jordan 3 and 5. Taking that into play the Zion 1 has a prominent tongue made of a lightweight material and accented with geometric padding, intended to call to mind the costumes worn by some of Zion’s favorite superheroes.

Look for the Jordan Zion 1 to release in the “Gen Zion” colorway on April 23rd at select retailers and Nike,com. The “ZNA” colorway releases May 5th followed by the “Noah” pair on May 19th and the “Marion” makeup on May 26th set at $130 each.

The dual qualities that define Williamson’s game – powerful and graceful, strong and smooth, understated and dominant – inspires the ZNA colony, celebrating the star’s meteoric rise. The clolrway releases May 5.

Inspired by the unbreakable bond between Williamson and his little brother, the Nioah colorway features drawing and doodles inspired by Noah’s visits to Nike’s world headquarters. The colorway releases May 19.

The Marion colorway represents Williamson’s home in South Carolina – the place that made him who he is today, and where he learned the value of family, friendship and hard work. The colorway releases May 26.

Apr 21, 2021 No Comments

SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 17

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by Marcus Van Diver | Apr 20, 2021 | Featured, NBA

The race for the highest positional placing is tightening up in the Eastern Conference, and as the games between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets are under a tight microscope, it’s growing likelier by the day that the Sixers will finish with the best record in the East. Brooklyn is mulling their options on whether to give that extra push and fight for the No. 1 spot in the East with home-court advantage through the playoffs to boot or resting their most integral championship-winning parts in the waning weeks of the last full month of the regular season, but below the two, Milwaukee, Boston, Atlanta, and New York have relatively kept their distance amidst the current standings but are inching closer as the season winds down.

That being said, the same could transpire for the West-leading Utah Jazz, who are going through their own myriad of injuries. Donovan Mitchell will have to miss a few games due to an injured right ankle and without him so far, the Jazz lost to the Lakers in a thriller where they just went flat in extra time, scoring a mere five points in a 127-115 road loss. They currently hold a 2.5 game lead over the Phoenix Suns but are eeking by as winners of six of their last 10.

Another thing to watch: at season’s beginning, the Wizards were an afterthought, always appearing as an inefficient, talent-anemic team with its reigns carried by both an initially struggling Russell Westbrook and offensive aficionado Bradley Beal. Not so much now. Washington has won four straight games and if the season were to end today, would be smack dab into the mix as a participant in the play-in tournament — thanks to Russell Westbrook returning to his old triple-double-acquiring form.

The final four weeks of the season are upon us, so let’s get to this week’s Power Rankings and see where all 30 teams lie.

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1. Philadelphia 76ers (39-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Philly got some insurance on their lead over Brooklyn in the Easter standings this past week per their downplay and outside circumstances leaning toward their benefit, and over the past seven days, they’ve moved an entire three games ahead of the Nets with only 16 games left on the schedule.

The Sixers have looked, at more times than not, the NBA’s most efficient offensive and defensive team, due to their ample spacing, an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid scoring on whoever, Ben Simmons playing as the clear Defensive Player of the Year favorite, and as a team, have possessed the league’s best net rating from April 10-18. But they’re not exactly out of the woods just yet.

Two duels in a series with the Milwaukee Bucks will be their litmus test of just how dominant they can be before the season ends, and especially so considering they’ll have to outlast either Milwaukee or Brooklyn to advance to the Finals this year.

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2. Utah Jazz (43-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

Utah went 1-1 on the short week, but more importantly, they’ll be tasked with finding a contingency plan to deal with the temporary loss of Donovan Mitchell, who sprained his right ankle after going for a loose ball against the Indiana Pacers. They haven’t had difficulty in adjusting without him, since the Jazz are 3-1 in games without him this year.

Their only loss? Though some heroics by Jordan Clarkson by way of a spot-up three-ball with mere seconds on the clock sent Saturday’s tightly-contested game to overtime, the Lakers kept the perimeter-swinging Jazz to only five points in OT and gave Utah their 12th road loss on the year. That game was a back-to-back and not quite exactly a game the Jazz were sweating since they rested both Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, but their grip on the West’s best record is slipping a bit heading into their final 16 games.

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3. Phoenix Suns (41-16, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

Though it ended abruptly against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, Phoenix’s 10-game winning streak was one to marvel. At one point during their streak, they stood at arm’s length and at the cusp of touching the top-seeded Jazz to claim the No. 1 seed in the West.

Chris Paul should likely land some MVP votes for how he has revitalized this franchise, dare stated, overnight, as the Jazz are primed to make the postseason with home-court advantage for the first time in 11 years. Paul also passed Maurice “Mo” Cheeks on the all-time steals list, further adding to his legacy as one of the best guards in the history of the game on both ends of the court. Another thing to mention: CP3 passed Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list last night against the Bucks in a 128-127 barnburner.

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4. Brooklyn Nets (38-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

The Nets are undergoing a bit of turbulence, which explains why they’ve fallen out of the top 3 in the Power Rankings for the first time in months. Let’s go down the list. First, they were quite undermanned and while they played until the final whistle, they couldn’t beat a fully healthy 76ers team in a marquee primetime showdown as the Sixers regained control of the East.

After that, James Harden would express further discomfort due to a hamstring strain and Kyrie Irving would miss a game due to a “personal issue” before returning to play against Philly one game later. Then, LaMarcus Aldridge, unknowingly, retires out of the blue due to an irregular heartbeat.

Finally, when it seemed like this black cloud flying over the heads of the Nets was finally passing, in came the thunder and lightning.

Kevin Durant scored eight points in nine minutes before leaving Sunday’s contest with a left quad contusion after it inadvertently made contact with Trevor Ariza’s knee on a routine drive to the hoop. The Nets then lost to the Miami Heat (who lost 3 of their last four games prior to Sunday’s contest) via a Bam Adebayo fadeaway jumper from 10 feet away from the rim.

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5. Los Angeles Clippers (40-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

A seven-game winning streak came to an end this past Friday night, though it wasn’t quite a loss that the Clippers would be mulling over since star Forward Kawhi Leonard didn’t play. A fiery second-half comeback effort by the Clippers, led by Paul George’s 39 points on 14-29 shooting with four threes, came up short during their loss to the Sixers but quickly did these Clips ever rebound. Health is wealth to Tyronn Lue’s team, and the more rested they will be, the more optimal they’ll perform in the postseason.

That has to be the most emphasized point heading into the last four weeks of the season, and to see just how well they play when they’re at full strength, take a gander at what they did last night to the Timberwolves during their 124-105 home win where George scored a game-high 23 points off an efficient 9-of-17 shooting and four threes made in nine attempts. In his return, Kawhi Leonard scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off 55 percent shooting.

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6. Los Angeles Lakers (35-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

The Lakers rise a spot in this week’s rankings, thanks to a rather productive week that saw the defending champions go a pedestrian-but-acceptable 2-2 on the week. It was capped off with an upset over the top-seeded Jazz in a battle that expanded to overtime, but in that same week that they beat the Hornets and Jazz, they lost in embarrassing fashion to the Knicks and Celtics by an average of 11.5 points.

But still, Lakers fans should have their heads kept up high; Anthony Davis is making his return to the court in a matter of a few days, as his Achilles Tendinosis is all but healed up. The Lakers are already the NBA’s leader in defensive efficiency (105.8) and are still second in the league when it comes to opponent points scored per game (106.1 points allowed per 100 possessions). LeBron James’ return is also imminent, so the Lakers are likely content with finishing in the top-5 of the conference and running the table until they meet up with either the Jazz, Clippers, or Suns at some point in the playoffs.

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7. Milwaukee Bucks (35-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

When it’s mentioned that the Eastern Conference is an impending dogfight just waiting to go down in the season’s last four weeks, that sentiment should not be taken lightly. Milwaukee is having one of those under-the-radar seasons where they’re in a position to knock off one of the top two seeds in their conference, but at the same time, look susceptible to succumbing to a lower seed in an early round of the postseason.

This is a big week coming up for the Bucks, who have won six out of their last 10 games and sit four games behind the first-place Sixers and two in the loss column behind the Nets. Consider this stretch of games their biggest of the season, for they’ll go against the 76ers in two games and battle the Hawks next, following their OT loss to the Suns. They have the potential to shake things up in the East down the stretch, and if this week goes according to plan for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, we’ll get a glimpse of just how good this team is and how serious their chances of coming out of the East as championship contenders are.

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8. Denver Nuggets (37-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

What a horrible week to be a Nuggets fan, and that’s putting it lightly.

As said last week, Denver saw whatever chance they had of having an extensive playoff run evaporated into thin air last week, as Jamal Murray tore his ACL on a typical hop-step into the lane, and awkwardly planted his left knee into the hardwood against the Golden State Warriors inside the Chase Center in San Francisco, California during what was a comeback attempt down six points with only but a few minutes to go.

The devastating blow to the Nuggets’ backcourt will be annoyingly and inconspicuously felt throughout the rest of the regular season and the postseason, for the Kentucky product is capable of dropping 40-50 points on a nightly basis as the team’s purest isolation creator at all three levels. And while Nikola Jokic is playing like the easy choice for the MVP award this year and Aaron Gordon fulfilling the role of being the 3-and-D wing stopper and lengthy floor stretcher on the other end, it’s really hard to produce in the playoffs without your main bucket getter who can break anyone down off the dribble when spacing is non-existent.

Mike Malone has no other choice but to throw Michael Porter Jr. into the role of that No. 2 guy slot and will have to run the offense through the second-year player out of Missouri as their primary shot creator.

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9. Portland Trail Blazers (32-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Though previously hypothesized that the Blazers would’ve done better with all of their pieces fully healthy, the outcome of that experiment is anything but what was predicted. They’ve lost six of their last nine, and are only two games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the seventh seed after an ugly 1-3 week that saw them lose to the likes of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Charlotte Hornets, in which they lost to on the road without Damian Lillard, who missed Sunday’s contest with a hamstring strain.

They’re likely looking at the play-in tournament spot for a second-straight year at this point, and certain questions arise on how the Blazers haven’t been performing to optimal standards: are opposing defenses finally catching up on how to stop Damian Lillard? Has his career-high usage (now at 31.9, previous highest usage was in 2016-17 at 31.5) finally caught up to him? They’ll have to adjust quickly if they’re to have a chance at making a deep playoff run like how they did in 2018 and last season in the bubble.

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10. Boston Celtics (31-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

It’s been a long season of twists and turns, bumps and bruises, valleys and mountains, but finally, the Celtics can say that they’re playing the best ball of their season as winners of six straight.

They are a whopping 7-1 in the month of April and led by the wonderous offensive efforts of both Jayson Tatum (34.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists off 55 percent shooting, and 50 percent shooting from deep with a 91 FT percentage in his past five games) and Jaylen Brown (28.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists off 56.7 percent shooting and 41.5 percent shooting from deep with a 71.4 FT percentage in the past five games) who have led the cavalry, it’s the resurgence of Kemba Walker that is the most salient topic.

Walker has averaged a little over 18 points and 6.4 assists with 6 rebounds in the same time span, a big step forward from his abysmal first three months of 2021 where he averaged an inefficient 17.6 points per game and was more of an offensive liability than an additional asset. The return of Marcus Smart has also done wonders for this Celtics team that needed leadership and a stern, galvanizing figure to set the tone defensively.

With a fourth-place finish in a stalemate of an Eastern Conference picture looking the Celtics dead in the face, their schedule is not the easiest, to put it lightly. After Monday night’s contest against the Zach LaVine-less Bulls which resulted in a loss, the Celtics will then have to compete in some back-to-backs against the Suns and Nets, while finishing their week against the Hornets.

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11. Dallas Mavericks (30-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

In a week that saw the Mavericks survive against the Memphis Grizzlies with one of the more skilled and “lucky” game-winners you’ll ever see from the likes of Luka Doncic, the underlying issues plaguing this team that’s likely primed to be a play-in tournament team are starting to come forward at the most inopportune time. In blowing an opportunity to move up the rankings with a struggling 2-5 slump by the Trail Blazers, a 1-3 week done by these Mavericks didn’t help matters at all. Losses to the Sixers, Knicks, and surprisingly, the Kings, has Dallas in the seventh seed at the moment.

And while Luka Doncic has averaged 30 points, 9 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in the Mavericks’ last four games, Kristaps Porzingis has not shown up the way Rick Carlisle has wanted him to do so. He’s still posting a horrible 110 defensive rating and is only a 47.3/35.9/85 scorer, which is, okay, but not to what the Mavericks are expecting of their second-best player.

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12. Atlanta Hawks (31-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Atlanta is in a dead-heat for the fourth seed with the likes of the Celtics and Knicks going into the final four weeks of the season, and while they’ve been productive thanks in part to a stretch of five games where they’ve gone 4-1, it hasn’t just been the Trae Young show.

While the former 3rd overall pick and Oklahoma standout guard has done everything and more to keep the Hawks within reach of the postseason for the first time since 2016, it’s been the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic and the All-NBA resume of Clint Capela built up this season. On Sunday, Capela posted 25 points and grabbed 24 rebounds against All-Star Domantas Sabonis and the Indiana Pacers, and after returning from injury, Bogdanovic has averaged 20.5 points (second behind Trae’s 25.4 points per game), 4.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting a little over 50.3 percent from the field and a startling 49.5 percent from deep on 8.1 attempts per game.

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13. Miami Heat (30-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

When things started raining for the Heat, it started pouring. Up until the end of this week, however. They lost three straight, including an embarrassing loss to the Timberwolves. But the heroics of Bam Adebayo saved the day against Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets, as he gave Miami their 29th win of the year and kept them within reach of the fifth seed with a buzzer-beater of a 10-foot fadeaway jumper. Six of their next seven games are against teams with sub-.500 records, and with Adebayo continuously finding his confidence offensively, now averaging 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over his last three games, Miami is certainly not off the radar just yet.

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14. New York Knicks (31-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

What difficult schedule? These Knicks keep on winning during the Tom Thibodeau era, now winners of six straight and winners of seven of their last 10. And they aren’t just beating rinky-dink sub-.500 teams here; the Raptors, Lakers, Mavericks, and Pelicans were all put on the mantle inside the cabin of ol’ Thibs, who has given this Knicks franchise a new sense of identity as the league’s No. 1 defense who will make it known that any opponent will have to work to get their offense going.

The goal isn’t the play-in tournament any longer now — these Knickerbockers are legit and have the best chance they could hope for at this point in the season as a potential team that could finish with a top-6 record in the vaunted Eastern Conference, hanging with the likes of the Celtics, Bucks, Nets, and Sixers.

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15. Memphis Grizzlies (29-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Grayson Allen has found his place here in the NBA. Last week, the Duke standout averaged 18.5 points off 53.3 percent from the field as a veteran swingman off the bench and knocked down 20 threes out of 37 attempts in the Grizzlies’ 3-1 week. Still, this is a win-loss, results-driven league, and so he was subject to slander from both Grizz media and fans for bricking consecutive free throws with 2.2 seconds left on the clock, which was enough time to give the Grizzlies a buzzer-beating loss to Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks last Wednesday night.

You can’t hang your head with losses like that and they will have to put that mishap in the back of their minds, and quite frankly they have no other option for they’ll have a rough stretch of games up next against the Clippers with two games against the Trail Blazers, for their contest against the Nuggets ended in an undesirable way as they allowed Nikola Jokic to score 47 points and rack up 15 rebounds with eight assists to boot during a 139-137 OT loss.

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16. Golden State Warriors (29-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

We have to say it again…

Look at Curry man, so inspirational.

The two-time MVP is playing some of the best ball of his 12-year career, and quite honestly, is emulating Kobe Bryant during his legendary 2006 season where it’s commonplace for him to score 40+ points with 10+ threes on a nightly basis. He did so last week and through Monday night, breaking Kobe’s record of 10-straight 30-point games by a player 33 or older. And in his last 10 games, Curry has averaged an astounding 40.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his last 10 games.

Kicking off the week with a 53-point explosion against the Nuggets, the Warriors survived a comeback attempt from Denver and a night after that, he dropped 42 against the lowly Thunder with 11 threes to help. Then, a 33-point performance against Cleveland followed that. To finish off the week, Curry went off on Saturday primetime, scoring 47 points and knocking down 11 threes in a loss to the Celtics.

Then on Monday night, Curry kept his streak going with an even-better 49-point showcase against top-seeded Philadelphia with 10 threes. The slew of six games in which Golden State went 5-1 in helped them find a silver lining in the wake of rookie center James Wiseman’s season-ending knee surgery.

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17. Charlotte Hornets (28-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Sunday’s win over the Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers ended a free-fall of a four-game losing skid for the Hornets, and at the moment they are well in the fight of contending for the play-in tournament with a two-game winning streak. And while they’ve felt the blow of injuries piling up and hindering their chances of competing at full strength, they could possibly look forward to the next 7-10 games in which LaMelo Ball could come back and rejoin the team, since he’s 100 percent healthy and cleared to return to basketball activities. Terry Rozier has fared well as the primary shot creator with an increased role in the wake of Ball’s absence and Miles Bridges continues to show his upward development, now averaging a little over 24 points in his last four games.

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18. San Antonio Spurs (28-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

San Antonio beat the Suns 111-85 after resting DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Jakob Poeltl, a decision that earned the team a $25,000 fine from the NBA for breaching the league’s player resting policy. San Antonio was a 12-point underdog going into the game against Phoenix but won by 26 points.

And then, they followed that with a 15-point win over the Pacers on Monday night, where Derrick White led all Spurs scorers with 25 points. While 4-6 in their last 10 games, they are smack dab in the middle of the play-in tournament picture as the 10th seed.

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19. Indiana Pacers (26-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

It’s not uncommon to see significant discrepancies in a team’s record at home and on the road, but teams usually do much better in their own house. The Pacers aren’t your regular team this season. Indiana has a 9-17 home record, making it the only Eastern Conference team without a ten-win season, yet.

The Pacers, on the other hand, have 17 road victories, which makes them tied with Milwaukee and Philadelphia for the most in the East. They lost to San Antonio on Monday night, pushing them to ninth in the East but still within the middle of the pack for the play-in tournament.

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20. New Orleans Pelicans (25-32, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

On Sunday, the Pelicans had a six-point lead with 1:48 remaining against the Knicks but lost in overtime, thanks in part to two poor plays on their behalf in the Knicks’ final play in regulation. It was the sixth time in Pelicans history that the team led by six points with less than two minutes remaining and failed to win. It’s also the Pelicans’ second such occurrence this season, since it happened on January 4 against the Pacers.

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21.Toronto Raptors (24-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The resilient Raptors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Despite all of the team’s misfortunes in recent weeks, Toronto is back in the Eastern Conference’s final play-in tournament spot after winning three straight games last week. The Raptors’ schedule doesn’t get any easier as the season progresses, but if they want to finish 10th, they should be able to fend off Chicago and Washington.

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22. Washington Wizards (24-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

Don’t look now, but the Wizards’ roller-coaster season is finally starting to turn around. And it came just in time. The Wizards have won four straight games and six of their last seven, thanks to Russell Westbrook’s triple-double revival. In April, Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in 11 of his last 13 games, averaging 22.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 11.6 assists. Bradley Beal is gaining a lot of traction, scoring 30 or more in the past four contests.

Bradley Beal is gaining a lot of traction, scoring 30 or more in the past four contests. And more importantly, they’re tied with Chicago in the standings and are one game behind Toronto in the win column, making the play-in tournament a real possibility.

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23. Chicago Bulls (24-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

The Bulls defeated the Cavs on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak, but it didn’t take away the sting of losing All-Star swingman Zach LaVine for an undetermined period of time due to COVID-19 protocols. LaVine’s absence highlights how far this team has fallen since acquiring Nikola Vucevic just before the trade deadline. Since making the switch, the Bulls have gone 5-9, thanks in part to an upset over the Celtis on Monday night. Also, Lauri Markkanen is averaging just 8.4 points and 4.2 assists over 10 April games.

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24. Sacramento Kings (23-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Kings showed some signs of life on the road on Sunday, defeating the Mavericks 121-107 in a game Sacramento never trailed in. Despite the fact that Luka Doncic outscored De’Aaron Fox 37 to 30, Fox had 12 assists and zero turnovers to Doncic’s 4-4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Still, this season is all but lost considering that the Kings are 1-9 in their last 10 games.

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25. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-37, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

This week’s matchup between the Cavaliers and Warriors was a bittersweet reminder of how much has changed since their annual NBA Finals showdown. Though Stephen Curry (33 points) and Draymond Green (10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) came close to matching their previous performances, Kevin Love was Cleveland’s only relic, scoring five points on 2-for-10 shooting with six rebounds.

Speaking of a blast from the past, Matthew Dellavedova (3 assists) harkened back to that golden-but-not-so-distant age from back to 2015-2018.

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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Thunder have lost 11 games in a row, their longest losing streak since their inaugural season in OKC in 2008 when they lost 14 games in a row (which, if you remember, resulted in head coach PJ Carlesimo being replaced by a young, bushy-haired Scott Brooks). It has reduced them to the league’s fifth-worst record, only a few games behind/ahead of the Magic for the fourth-worst.

But, as has been the case throughout the season, even in the midst of a slump, positive things are happening in OKC. Luguentz Dort set a career-high with 42 points against the Jazz, then added 26 against Detroit and 29 against Toronto.

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27. Orlando Magic (18-39, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

During Wednesday’s victory, Wendell Carter Jr. avenged himself against the Bulls, who traded him last month as part of a package for Nikola Vucevic. Carter had 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first game in Orlando against Chicago, and he has continued to impress as this season winds down.

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28. Detroit Pistons (18-40, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

Last week, the Pistons faced the Thunder and won, despite the absence of Jerami Grant, thanks to some outstanding performances. Josh Jackson, a former lottery pick, scored 29 points, and rookies Isaiah Stewart (15 points, 21 rebounds) and Saddiq Bey (18 points) contributed significantly. Additionally, Bey, the Villanova standout, led the Pistons in scoring during their home win over Cleveland with 20 points off 6-12 shooting.

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29. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Although the optimistic energy that accompanied D’Angelo Russell’s return has faded, the Wolves’ success under Chris Finch must be commended. They’ve played at a faster tempo, with more discipline, and with more structure. And, perhaps most importantly, Karl-Anthony Towns’ position is changing, with him being featured in space and as a creator atop the key, similar to how the Nuggets use Nikola Jokic.

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30. Houston Rockets (15-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

Jae’Sean Tate, a 25-year-old undrafted forward who started his professional career in Australia, has been a bright spot for the Rockets during their difficult season, emerging as an All-Rookie nominee. Tate, along with Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, has averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 assists, and one steal per game.

Photo cred: Fox Sports 1430.

Apr 20, 2021 No Comments

SR – Power Rankings Week 16

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by Jordan Scurry | Apr 16, 2021 | Featured, NBA

The 2020-21 NBA season is now about 2/3 of the way completed. With less than half the season left, teams are finally starting to make sense of where they could actually end up in this year’s expanded playoff picture. While some teams are fighting for the top seeds, we have others still just fighting to get in. It will be interesting to see how things start to play out here in this final stretch of the season. The play over these next couple of months is going to really ramp up. With the expanded playoff picture, it’s only right to assume we are just going to playoff-type basketball even earlier so teams can better position themselves for their respective playoff pictures.

1. Utah Jazz (41-14, Last Week Ranking 1)

As the Utah Jazz hit this last third of the season, they must be getting a little nervous to see their lead in the western conference is now only by a few games. With the Suns, only a game behind and the Clippers trailing 1st place in the west by only two games Utah is going to have to finish out the season very strong. All the signs are showing that they will, they are coming off a game this week in which 3 players recorded double-doubles: Gobert (13 points, 14 rebounds), Mike Conley (15 points and a season-high 14 assists), and Georges Niang (18 points and 10 rebounds). Even more importantly this occurred while the Jazz were battling injuries with three of their main guys in Royce O’Neale (rest), Jordan Clarkson (sprained right ankle), and Joe Ingles (sore left knee). The Jazz have proven this season not only how valuable their depth is but also how talented. Georges Niang Made his first start of the season earlier this week and the team had no drop-off in efficiency especially on the defensive end. Looking at the remaining schedule for the Jazz, it’s hard to see them really slipping out of first place. As long as their defense is still clicking on all levels and guys are flying around on a nightly basis as they have shown no matter who is out there they should be fine.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (38-17, Last Week Rank 4)

The Sixers beat the Nets on Wednesday, while the Nets were without two of their three superstars in James Harden and KD. Early on it seemed that the Sixers were really able to capitalize with the Nets missing their two studs leading by as much as 20 at one point, the game was narrowed to just three points with two minutes left in the game. Brooklyn showed a tremendous amount of fight and the Sixers showed an ability to withhold a late fight from a real opponent but to be real the ending of this game didn’t really tell us much as Steve Nash Opted to bench Kyrie Irving for the final 2 minutes of the game which is basically admitting your okay with losing the game. What stands out the most about this game was the Dominance of Joel Embiid. With or without KD and Harden the question for the Nets is still who is going to guard Embiid. He controls the pace of the game for the sixers and because he can score it so well in the low post it takes away from the up and down transition style that Brooklyn wants to play and Brooklyn simply still just has no one who can really guard him. The Sixers offense still looks more fluid than the Brooklyn offense. They just have a lot of very good complementary pieces and a real MVP caliber type of player in Embiid as long as they can keep it up and stay healthy they are the best TEAM in the East.

3. Pheonix Suns (40-15, Last Week Ranking 3)

The Suns have been one of the teams to capitalize the most with the injuries that have happened to the LA Lakers. Only 1 game behind the Jazz, I wouldn’t be surprised if they overtook them at some point in the next few weeks as the Jazz are still battling injury. The Phoenix Suns have won 5 of their last 6 and they have been some notable wins (Jazz, Heat, Kings). Devin Booker is Averaging 25pts and 4ast this season while shooting an insane 42% from the field. His game has just looked so much more effortless this year with CP3. You can see how he doesn’t have to work as hard on a nightly basis to get good shots for himself. Chris Paul has really helped this team get over that hump that they had been so determined to get over so a while. They have a shot with a third of the season left to go secure the one seed and it will be exciting to see if they can actually make it happen.

4. Brooklyn Nets ( 37-18, Last Week Rank 2)

Its no doubt that the Nets have the most talent in the NBA. Even now with the retirement of a 15-year veteran, 7-time all-star in LaMarcus Aldrige that still seems to be the case. The problem for the Nets that is defiantly a cause for concern is that their whole roster has just yet to play all together healthy and their 3 superstars still have e not all been active at the same time yet. The Nets have had some impressive games and good wins there is no doubting that but as much as I think they are the most talented team in the NBA they are not the best team and haven’t even really shown signs of it yet. Of the team in this top 5, the Brooklyn Nets are the biggest cause for concern because we have not seen any type of consistency or chemistry from this team and that is what the playoffs are all about.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (35-20, Last Week Rank 5)

Milwaukee has been quietly atop of the eastern conference all year and currently are only sitting 3 games out of first place. It isn’t unattainable for the Bucks to make a run at winning the east but they are just going to have to get back to full strength to really make that push. Giannis only retired last after missing a couple of weeks with a knee injury. The Hawks secured a win 120-109 over the Hawks to extend their win streak to 3 games but are going to need to keep stinging them together if they really want the Finals to at least go through Milwaukee.

6. LA Clippers (39-18, Last Week Rank 6)

The Addition of Rajon Rondo is paying off tremendously for the LA Clippers. Not only has Rondo provided the veteran and more verbal leadership to this young and talented clippers team but he has basically done for Paul Geroge, What CP3 did for Devin Booker. Rondo Has unlocked some of Paul Georges’s game and what I mean by that is he’s simply just making it easier for him. when you watch how the two play together you can see how Rondo knows exactly when and where PG likes to get the ball to go into his scoring and creating moves. ROndo always delivers the ball to him where defenders are at his mercy and he’s been much more aggressive now knowing he’s going to consistently get the ball in his spots. The Clippers may not make many jumps in the standings because of their tendencies to rest guys so that they are ready for the playoffs but as of now the clippers will probably be the toughest out in the western conference playoffs.

7. LA Lakers (34-22, last Week Rank 8)

The Lakers season started to look very worrisome after Lebron when down with a high ankle sprain but after only losing their first few after he went team and blowing the depleted nets out last week the Lakers showed that even without Lebron they are a .500 team. Schroder, Herrell, and Talen Horton-Tucker all showed this past week that they are players worthy of a little bit more credit. They have kept the ship afloat while Lebron and AD have been out and have not slipped too far down the western conference standings. The Lakers just need to stay within the top 6 seeds in the west and make sure they just don’t fall into the play-in games so when Bron and AD come back they won’t have to play more games than necessary before competing in the playoffs to defend their title.

8. Portland Trailblazers (31-23, Last Week Rank 9)

Although the Blazers are 1-2 in their last 3 games they have shown some hopeful signs as they look to capitalize in a western conference riddled with injury. The Blazers got a highly impressive 30 rebound game from Enes Kanter against the Piston Last week to Secure a win. This is promising because the performance came shortly after other Blazer Big Jusef Nurkic came back from injury early last week. If portland can figure of how to get their bigs healthy to pair with the savvy guard play of Lilliard and Mccollum, it wouldn’t be surprising if they made a late surge this season to secure a better playoff spot.

9. Dallas Mavericks (30-24, Last Week Rank 10)

The Mavericks are a team that it wouldn’t be springing to see a drop into the teams that have to compete in the play-in games but I would also be picking them to win those play-in games. Of all the teams at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture the one that is capable of getting catching the most momentum as this season ends, it has to be Dallas. They are the deepest team at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture and they seem like they are finding some type of rhythm offensively late. The Addition of JJ Reddick will really help this team especially as the games get more meaningful and they need consistent shooting. The Mavs are one of my picks to at least get past their first play in opponent in the west (if they end up there) because they have faired well against non-playoff and middle of the pack western conference teams all year long, they just can’t seem to beat a real western conference contender yet.

10. Denver Nuggets (35-20 Last Week Rank 7)

To keep it real, the Denver Nuggets saw whatever chances at making the finals fly right out the window when all-star Gaurd Jamal Murray Tore his ACL earlier this week. I don’t mean to make fun of the situation by any means, but there is no doubt that what Jamal Murray brought to this team cannot just be easily replaced. Murray was averaging 21 points per contest while shooting 47 % from the field and 40% from 3. He and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic were in a great position to lead this team into the playoffs before this injury. Since the Addition of Aaron Gordon the Team had not lost a game, they were a perfect 8-0 when they had the new Trio of Murray, Gordon, and Jokic. Now that lineup will have to wait a year and were going to have to see just how much Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets squad will be able to get done on their own.

Apr 16, 2021 No Comments

Kicks Through the Lens (Week 16)

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by Brendon Schunck | Apr 13, 2021 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

This past week we were reminded just how nice the Jordan XXXV P.E.’s are. We only wish that Jordan Brand would release more of these player exclusive colorways to the public. Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Carmelo Anthony, and Luka Doncic appear in week 16’s countdown all sporting the 35th signature shoe in MJ’s line. Nike Kobe 6 Protros are still coming out in full force, but don’t get your hopes up, they’re not going back on the customizable platform anytime soon. Lastly, Kevin Durant debuted his 14th signature sneaker on court this past week. The Nike KD 14’s are the first KD model to feature a strap since the 7’s. Unique patterns have graced the uppers of the first few colorways we have seen so far. Look for Kevin Durant to sport his 14th signature shoe for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Scroll below to see how many of your favorite players made this week’s top 10 in our Kicks Through the Lens.