2014 NBA Power Rankings, Playoff Edition (Volume 5): Final

Consider this my last Power Ranking of this year's playoffs. Unlike the regular season, when my Power Rankings kind of reflect who I think in that moment is the best team in the league, the playoff version is written as not only that but as my own way of handicapping who I think has the best chance to win the Title at that time. Matchups and potential matchups down the road have to be considered. Well, with only 4 teams left, that seems like a pretty silly exercise to continue as each Conference Finals series moves along. How much can the Rankings swing 1 way or the other, anyway? In a perfect world, I would have liked to get this out prior to the 1st game of each Conference Finals series, but I digress.

1. San Antonio Spurs (PR=2)...The Spurs finally move past Miami back into the top spot for a number or reasons. They are playing great. Their matchup with OKC is a lot more favorable with Ibaka out. And they matchup well with the Heat and Pacers as well. As long as Tony Parker's hammies hold up, I think they have to be considered the favorite to win it all now.

TD may have his way with OKC.

2. Miami Heat (PR=2)...For me, they hold the slimmest of advantages over Indy. And most of that has to do with experience and LeBron. Let's face it: this team is not as good as either of the championship teams of the last 2 seasons. Those teams had a younger D-Wade. Role players like Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Udonis Haslem all played well. The free agent gambles they took last summer (B-EZ and Greg Odom) that worked in years past (Ray Allen, Chris Anderson, etc.) didn't pan out at all this time around. They are playing James Jones regular rotation minutes for Pete's sake! This postseason, it seems to be all on LeBron, as so aptly pointed out by a Bill Simmons piece this week. They still get those championship brownie points, but, honestly, it doesn't look great.

LeBron might have to be Hon Solo for Miami to advance.

3. Indiana Pacers (PR=3)...Their spot in each of the 5 Playoff Power Rankings thus far? 4th, 12th, 6th, 3rd, and 3rd. If that doesn't sum up how maddening the Pacers have been, I don't know what does. Look, their late season and early playoff round freefall was not over-exaggerated. But they've survived. And they are built to beat Miami. And other big time teams like Miami (especially Miami) seem to get their full attention. I think the underdog, nobody-believes-in-us role fits them much better than the big bad wolf playing against the sub-0.500, quirky, 3-point chucking Hawks or the upstart Wizards. It wouldn't shock me at all to see Indy beat the Heat without even going the full 7 games.

David West and the Pacers provide matchup problems for Miami all over the court.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder (PR=4)...Arguably, Serge Ibaka's injury hurts them almost as much as Russell Westbrook's injury did a year ago (maybe equally considering the other teams remaining). They have absolutely no rim protection at all now. And Ibaka was crucial to not only OKC's ability to go small (because of his shot-blocking) but still spread the floor at the 4 with more conventional lineups as well. Now, they have no one to contend with Tim Duncan in the post or deter Tony Parker's drives to the rim. And similar to Game 1 against the Spurs, Miami or Indy would live in the paint against them as well should Durant and Westbrook somehow carry them into the Finals anyway. Aside from KD getting hurt, this might have been the worst possible scenario for the Thunder.

No Ibaka is a big problem for the Thunder.

Doneski
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Houston Rockets
Atlanta Hawks
Memphis Grizzlies
Golden State Warriors
Toronto Raptors
Dallas Mavericks
Brooklyn Nets
Portland Trailblazers
Washington Wizards
Los Angeles Clippers

The Real Beast Mode

My wife is a beast. This is probably a term that most women wouldn’t take to very kindly…especially my wife, who admittedly battled weight problems through high school (and endured the very nickname the beast from her brothers in a not-so-nice meaning) before becoming her presently very fit self. But now she is a beast in the very best sense of the word.

A little context here: the name of this blog is kind of a self-deprecating look at my own athletic prowess. If you came to watch me play on a basketball court or football field of Average Joes, I might come across as the best player out there on that particular day. But that’s with “Average Joes.” If you did this with Krissy and replaced Joes with Josephines, she would not might come across as the best player…she would be the best player by light years. If she were the author of this blog, “B-Court All-Star” wouldn’t be an apt title; “A-Court Superstar” would be much more on point.

When healthy, I am a good all-around athlete. Good is the operative word. Relative to other girls, my wife is in the top 0.01%...I don’t really know the odds; she might be better than that even. I am admittedly totally biased, but it’s not just hyperbole. She was a 3 sport varsity athlete in high school (having never played before, she just picked up tennis because she didn’t have anything to play in the spring…picked up). She was a junior college All-American softball player in high school, and a Division I Team MVP in her senior season in the same sport. She passed on an opportunity to play professionally overseas after her college career ended.

To say she is a natural athlete would be the understatement of the century. I’m a terrible ice skater, but Krissy had never been ice skating before. We went a few years ago for her 1st time with my sister and my dad (a seasoned skater who grew up playing pick-up ice hockey on his backyard pond). She fell once within her 1st 5 minutes on the ice…after that she was skating around the rink 90 mph backwards right on my old man’s heals.

Since crossing over from the collegiate ranks to the B-Court with me, she definitely has distinguished herself. Wherever I have played pickup basketball over the years, she has always played along with me. And she doesn’t simply play…she is one of the best players on the court, and that is as the only girl playing with a bunch of dudes.

In our coed touch football league, she started out as one of the all-around best girls in the league. For the past 4 seasons, she’s operated as our full-time quarterback. She’s the only girl that I know of who has done that even for 1 season…did I mention that she was pregnant for 2 of those seasons? Not just like conceived-halfway-through-the-season pregnant…like, super-pregnant…like played-our-last-game-in-November-and-gave-birth-in-January (or May-and-due-in-September) pregnant. Did I mention we’ve made the playoffs in 3 of those 4 seasons – 2 of them the pregnant variety – as well?

So, this Saturday when we lost our playoff game, Krissy was super-pissed the entire car ride home. But all I could think of was how improbably it is to do what she has done. I mean, she should have an article written about her in the paper or something…but since The Baltimore Sun hasn’t come calling, this is probably the best I can do. To my wife, Krissy: the beauty and the beast.

2014 NBA Power Rankings, Playoff Edition (Volume 4): Timberrrr

It's bad enough that no-talent hack Pitbull was on the NBA's playoff theme song last year , but this year's theme is just too much.

Now I have to see his mug 30 times a night with this garbage. Not only is the actual song 1,000 times worse, but Pitbull's stupid midget face is stamped across the screen the whole time. Just...what exactly was ABC/ESPN thinking? Playoffs...playoffs...playoffs...get the f*** outta here, you wannabe piece of s***!

1. Miami Heat (PR=1)...The Spurs actually had a chance to knock Miami off of the top spot last night, but they couldn't complete the sweep. LeBron's 49 and 4th quarter passing pretty much shows why the Heat should still be the favorites despite their obvious shortcomings.

2. San Antonio Spurs (PR=2)...Do you see me worried? Spurs in 5, you guys. Ho, hum, big whoop.

3. Indiana Pacers (PR=6)...Definitely the biggest fluctuator (word or not a word?) in this list. Here's their high point thus far. Inconsistencies, disappearing big men, and fist fights aside, they have won 5 of their last 6 games now. Suddenly, a knock down, drag out Conference Finals with Miami seems within the realm of possibilities again.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder (PR=5)...Hard to differentiate much between them and the Clippers, but I'll give them the nod based on getting home court advantage back (and looking like the better team for most of 3 straight games)...most.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (PR=4)...I would love to see them advance, but they need someone to make a basket once in a while besides CP3 and Griffin. They're still only the West's 3rd best though.

6. Portland Trailblazers (PR=3)...They win the best spot of the 3 losing teams only because they won last night. (See San Antonio Spurs bullet though.)

7. Brooklyn Nets (PR=8)...KG and Pierce are warriors, but it's time for the very loud, very old, very expensive Nets to go away for the summer. Please don't forget to take your parting gifts on the way out. (Spoiler: there are no parting gifts.)

8. Washington Wizards (PR=7)...If losing 2 home playoff games in the manner that they did doesn't spell not ready for this stage yet, I don't know what does. Hopefully, they will be better next year for having this experience.

Doneski
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Houston Rockets
Atlanta Hawks
Memphis Grizzlies
Golden State Warriors
Toronto Raptors
Dallas Mavericks

Ad Nausem: "I Don't Always Find Kevin Hart To Be Funny..."

...but when I do, I prefer him in this Inside the NBA commercial. His imitations of all the guys on set are pretty on point. Even I could laugh at this one. He got me...he really got me.

Oh, and the real reason behind Roy Hibbert's 28 point explosion last night? It's because Roy is an avid reader of B-Court All-Star of course. Didn't you know? I guess with that being said, I should leave the prognosticating to the real Shaq, Ernie, Kenny, and Chuck (well, maybe not Shaq).

And yet, I got the Heat tonight in a much closer contest than Game 1 and the Spurs in another route...sorry, Portland. That's all I got for today. Barbecue chicken...right, Shaq? Right!

The 'Real' Roy Hibbert

Poor Roy Hibbert...I know the man has put up donuts in multiple categories in this year's playoffs, but has it really come to this? It's one thing for Samuel L. Jackson to rag on Hibbert on Twitter, but Gilbert Arenas? The man who single-handedly killed the Wizards franchise for about, I dunno, 5 seasons? The player who's greatest accolades are doing number 2 in a teammate's shoe and nearly setting off a fire-fight in a locker room? Or Tracy McGrady? The superstar who never even got out of Round 1 of the playoffs until he rode San Antonio's bench to the Finals last year? (I actually like and feel for T-Mac, but still.)

No, this is too much.

The truth is that Hibbert's demise has been of epic proportions. Name another All-Star center who had multiple 0 point, 0 rebound postseason games. You can't, because it's never happened before. Everyone is postulating as to why this is. Was it simply a match-up issue against Atlanta, who uses big guys that hover around the 3-point line and shoot 8,000 triples a game? But the Wizards, who Hibbert also vanished against in Game 1 of this series, play 2 traditional bigs in Nene and Gortat. And Hibbert gave Miami, who plays more of a small-ball lineup, fits last year. So, maybe it's partially that, but there are counterarguments to be sure.

Is it purely psychological? Personally, Hibbert doesn't strike me as having a killer's demeanor. This is a guy who was basically a nothing-player until his last season of college ball, and he was a late bloomer on the NBA level as well. Could he be a little bit fragile? You bet your a** he could be. But then again, this doesn't seem like Chuck Knoblauch not being able to throw to 1st base either.

Is there so much turmoil on the Pacers right now, that Hibbert can't function? Now, I'm not a beat reporter, but the troubles within the Pacers' organization are well documented. Larry Bird isn't sold on Coach Frank Vogul. Lance Stephenson is a ticking timebomb ready to go off at any moment, and he apparently has gotten into it with teammates at times this year...at least he did with Evan Turner. Others we aren't so sure about yet. We all know Indy traded away veteran locker room presence (and apparently very well liked and well respected dude) Danny Granger to bring on Turner and malcontent Andrew Bynum. The point is that this is a team with a lot of strong personalities. When things have gone well for them in the past, the ball moves on offense, and that usually starts with pounding the ball inside to Hibbert. Lately, even when Hibbert's in the game, it doesn't seem like he's getting many touches. The ball seems to stick to Paul George, Stephenson, or David West's hands, and the possession usually seems to end with some version of iso-hero-ball. As dominant as big men can be, they still rely on guards to get them the ball, and that doesn't seem to be happening right now. But even that doesn't excuse Hibbert for not grabbing a rebound or blocking a shot.

I think all of these things play a roll, but truthfully I just don't think Roy Hibbert is that good. In basketball terms, this age should be known as The Death of the Center. Look at the best centers over the last 10 years or so. A fat old Shaq, Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, and Tim Duncan (sorry, he's not a power forward). Duncan is truly great, but if this were the 70's, 80's, or 90's, I think Yao Ming would've projected to a slightly better Rik Smits. Maybe that is sacrelidge for me to say, but that's how I feel. And in those eras, I'm not sure Howard would have ever even made an All-Star game. Sure, he's a freakish athlete, but I think guys like Patrick Ewing, young Shaq, Hakeem Olajuwon, and David Robinson would have eaten him alive. And who is on that next level of recent centers? Joakim Noah, Bynum, Marc Gasol, and Hibbert maybe?

Honestly, it's tough to come up with names for that list.

So, I guess my point is this: lay off of Roy Hibbert a little bit. He's a 2 time All-Star, but even in his best statistical season (2011-2012), he only averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds a game...those are pretty pedestrian numbers if you ask me. I think the fact that he matches up well with Miami and got hot against them in last year's playoffs put the spot light on him too much. I watched this guy play at Georgetown; Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mouring he is not. When he was a freshman in college, he ran in such a way that made you wonder if he could even get up and down the court and back. When you think about the improvements he made to actually be an NBA-level player, it's amazing. I'm not giving him a complete pass either. I think he can do better than a line of 0, 0, and 0. But he's not what we've made him out to be either.

2014 NBA Power Rankings, Playoff Edition (Volume 3): Round 2!

Phew, what a whirlwind of a day...and what whirlwind of a Round 1! Listen, I will still argue to the day I die that Round 1 should go back to a best of 5 format, but if you ever wanted to argue in favor of the current best of 7 format, 2014 would be Exhibit A...so good that now my last 3 posts have been NBA Power Rankings posts.

1. Miami Heat (PR=1)...I mean, they are the only remaining team to not even play a game since the last edition of the Rankings, so this top spot is pretty elementary.

2. San Antonio Spurs (PR=2)...I know the Mavs pushed them to 7 games, but I never even got the sense that the Spurs played poorly; the Mavs were just good!

3. Portland Trailblazers (PR=3)...Boring...a repeat of last week's top 3, but it's tough to put anyone else ahead of Portland right now.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (PR=4)...I can't f***ing wait for this Clips-Thunder series. Slight edge goes to LA because OKC's style of play plays right into the Clips' hands, but KD may average 45 a night too.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder (PR=4)...I'm not sure if they can stop CP3 or Griffin though, and as evidenced by the last series, Russell Westbrook is due for at least 2 games this series where he goes 10 for 28 with 6 TOs while Durant gets less than 20 shots.

6. Indiana Pacers (PR=12)...Oh yeah, almost forgot about the Eastern Conference! Although I think the Pacers will regain a little bit of footing in this series playing against a much better team that they also match up a little better against.

7. Washington Wizards (PR=8)...Dropping below Indy on gut feeling alone this week. Although I'd love to see them get to the Conference Finals.

8. Brooklyn Nets (PR=9)...If not for them having a couple old Celtics who still hate Miami and them beating Miami 4 straight this year, I'd have no interest in this series at all...but I'm saying there's a chance.

Doneski
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Houston Rockets
Atlanta Hawks
Memphis Grizzlies
Golden State Warriors
Toronto Raptors
Dallas Mavericks