Basketball – MrSportsGeek Blogs

Top 10 reasons why we love the NBA

The NBA is a sport we love and for many reasons. It’s a star dominated league with from past superstars like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, to current players such as LeBron James, Steph Curry and Ja Morant. It’s a fast paced sports with nonstop action, but that’s just the beginning of it. Here are out top 10 reasons why we love the NBA

Exciting gameplay: NBA basketball is known for its fast-paced and high-scoring gameplay, which can be thrilling to watch. The combination of physical athleticism and strategic team play makes for an engaging and exciting sport to follow.
Talented players: The NBA features some of the most talented and skilled basketball players in the world. From high-scoring superstars to defensive stalwarts, the league is full of players who can put on a show with their impressive abilities.
Intense rivalries: Many NBA teams have long-standing rivalries with other teams, which can add an extra level of excitement to the games. These rivalries can be fueled by geographic proximity, past playoff matchups, or simply a longstanding competitive tension.
Passionate fan bases: NBA fans are some of the most passionate in sports, and the atmosphere at NBA games can be electric. From the energy of the crowds to the creativity of the team mascots and cheerleaders, the NBA has a strong culture of fan engagement.
Memorable moments: The NBA has a rich history of memorable moments, from iconic buzzer-beaters to record-breaking performances. These moments can become etched in the memories of fans and help to add to the excitement and drama of the league.
High-level competition: The NBA is a global league with teams from across the United States and Canada, and it features some of the best basketball players in the world. As a result, the competition in the league is consistently high, and the games are often closely contested.
Accessibility: NBA games are widely televised and streamed, making it easy for fans to follow their favorite teams and players. The league also has a strong presence on social media, which allows fans to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments.
Off-court storylines: The NBA is not just about the games on the court, as there are often storylines and controversies that extend beyond the games themselves. From player trades to coaching changes to off-court drama, the NBA has no shortage of interesting storylines to follow.
Cultural impact: The NBA has had a significant impact on popular culture, with many players becoming household names and cultural icons. The league has also been a leader in social and political activism, with many players using their platforms to speak out on important issues.
Love of the game: Ultimately, many people love NBA basketball simply because they love the game of basketball itself. Whether it’s the thrill of the competition, the excitement of the gameplay, or the sheer beauty of the sport, there are many reasons to love NBA basketball.

Will Los Angeles Lakers become the New Cleveland Cavaliers?

Los-Angeles-Lakers

You know the pedigree of LeBron James, an all-around player that will go down as one of the best players to have ever graced a basketball court, if not the best. 8 consecutive NBA Finals is something that even the most diehard LeBron skeptics will admit that doing that it takes special talent, skill, dedication, and hard work. While he may have had help in Miami, but when he came back to his hometown, his team wasn’t as talented, but yet again they managed to reach the Finals four times. If we go more into details, his last season with the Cavs, he singlehandedly dragged his team until they reached the Finals.
After getting disappointed 3 times out of the last 4 with the Cavs, he saw that it was time for a new adventure, and what place is better than sunny California. Los Angeles has one of the biggest markets in the world, especially for an NBA player that is looking to become a worldwide name, this was a wise move financially. However, basketball-wise, LeBron knew that he didn’t have the best players, especially with the Western Conference, being the jungle that it is now, having a bunch of young players that haven’t even reached playoffs yet, is quite the risk.
Despite this, LeBron is no fool, he saw that there is potential on this young squad, and the first year of his contract may not be a championship year for him, but the 2nd year, will definitely be a year where he will want more, from the Franchise, from the players and everyone involved. While it’s not completely hopeless. They brought some seasoned veterans in the team that can help the young core develop. The addition of Rajon Rondo at the beginning of the season was one of the smartest moves that the FO has made during this season.
The beginning of the season was very harsh for Lakers, they lost their first three games and they were looking lost out there. No team chemistry, it was just run and gun with some rare sparks of what the showtime 2.0 could look like, but the defensive end was horrible. In those first three games, they conceded 131 points per game, that’s a very high number for a team that wanted to get into playoffs. However, good things come to those who wait and of course to those who do smart trades. On November 6, they signed Tyson Chandler, a player that is not flash but does those small little things that win you games. He is not afraid to fight for any ball, he can box out players like his arms were made of steel. As soon as he joined the team, we started instantly to see the results. They have won 10 out of their last 13 games and at the moment they are on a four-game winning streak.

They have found a winning formula apparently, and I’m sure that the front office and the fans are more than happy, but it’s not that great if we scratch the surface. LeBron James has started to do what he did in Cleveland last year, whenever his team was slacking, he had to bring his A game and bring the bacon home. If we start looking more in depth at the roster, most of them have never played with a superstar in their team, let alone someone of LeBron’s caliber. Lonzo Ball is a sophomore who has underperformed or performed like a true point guard, depends who you ask. He compliments LeBron James perfectly, a defensive-minded player in a team that is offensive-minded is a valuable asset, while Kyle Kuzma has continued to be a solid player with a bright future. The problem with his game is that he’s quite profficient in offense, but in defense he struggles sometimes, especially in off-ball defense, he seems to be lost.
Josh Hart, has been a real spark in the bench, providing valuable minutes while allowing Luke Walton to rest the first unit. That leaves us to Brandon Ingram, who was probably even more hyped with LeBron joining the team, since LeBron isn’t a player that is only scoring-oriented. Surprisingly, ever since Lebron joined, he has been struggling a bit, he can’t find his rhythm, his points per game average has fallen from 16.1 ppg to 15.2 and his 3pt% was 39% last season and this season so far it’s only 32%.
There is still no room for panic, we’re only 24 games into the season and Lakers have been playing their basketball in years, they have a bright future and one of the best players of all time, add to that quite the cap freedom for next year to sign another superstar, and LeBron is proving himself even in the tough Western Conference. I would have to say that things aren’t looking that bad in LALA land.

What on earth is going on with Boston Celtics?

boston-celtics

The Boston Celtics of this year, have been underperforming, to say the least. After LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers last year to go and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, there was a sense of relief for teams from the Eastern Conference, since he had been into 8 straight NBA Finals, and he made all those appearances while wearing a jersey of an Eastern Conference team. Last year, during the regular season they had 55 wins and 27 losses, ranking them 2nd in the Conference. When the playoffs came they played like a 2nd seed should, in the 1st round they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 4 – 3 and in the Conference Semifinals, they annihilated the Philadelphia 76ers 4 – 1. They were facing LeBron James and his Cavaliers on the Conference Finals, without Gordon Hayward who had a gut-wrenching injury at the beginning of the season.

The funny thing about this series was that, they managed to get so far in the playoffs race without Hayward and they were leading 2 – 0, and then again 3 – 2, only to lose 4 – 3, behind the monstrous performances of LeBron James, whom singlehandedly put his team on the back and carried them, to yet another NBA Finals. From what has been said here so far, you can see that a squad without Gordon Hayward who was expected to flourish with the Celtics managed to almost to reach the NBA Finals, this season have a record of 13 wins and 10 losses. While as of this moment, they are on a three-game winning streak, it’s still only three games away from .500 record. They have the 6th best record in the Eastern Conference, behind teams like Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, teams that ironically, they defeated last year, without one of their best players, Gordon Hayward. So, what is the problem with the team that was touted to be the next Eastern Conference dynasty?

Well Terry Rozier, sort of gave an answer for this. While speaking with The Athletic’s Jay King, he said that it’s tough playing on a crowded roster this year; “it’s definitely tough. Some guys have more leeway than other, and that’s just what it is. That’s on a lot of teams.” In other words, he said that the organization has been picking sides, and when you have a player like Kyrie Irving on the team, of course, that you will remain his back-up. This may be one reason as to why the team is underperforming so far, but it is not the only reason.

When Gordon Hayward joined the famed franchise, the expectations were quite high from everyone, and rightfully so. He was the leader of Utah Jazz, a reliable scorer that had the talent and the skill to lead a team to new heights. When you add the pedigree of Kyrie Irving and the solid game of Al Horford, you have the instant recipe for success, but that’s not how it went down. After missing the first season with the Celtics due to a gruesome injury, the 2018-19 season was expected to be his time to shine again. He is playing an average of 26.8 minutes per game while scoring a career low of only 11.2 points per game, that’s including his rookie season. As a comparison, he averaged 21.9 points per game in his last season with the Utah Jazz, while shooting 47% from the field and almost 40% from the 3-point line, while this season he is only shooting 42% from the field and 32% from the 3-point line.

boston-celtics-player

Hayward has admitted this himself, on an interview that he did with the Boston Globe he said; “I think there are times I feel good out there on the court,”
He continued saying that there are also other times when he feels like he is “just floating out there.”
One of the best players of your squad is having problems readjusting, and he doesn’t have enough minutes to find back his form, because the emergence of Jayson Tatum last year, has made him a fan favorite and also, he has shown that he has what it takes to perform at a high level. He proved that last year when he wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe with the best. On the other hand, you also have players that are frustrated that they won’t get more minutes. That is a recipe for disaster. Brad Stevens is having plenty of headaches, finding the winning formula and also keeping his players happy. But not everything is doom and gloom, as I mentioned earlier, they are on a three-game winning streak and maybe that will translate into more confidence and they will regain the lost ground from last year, if they play like last year, and Gordon Hayward gets back on his level, they have the potential to dethrone the Golden State Warriors.

Clippers surprising everyone

This season, the Western Conference is a den of wolves fighting for every playoff spot. Teams that were fighting to for playoffs last season now are running the conference, while teams that were among the best last year now are left fighting for a playoff spot. This has caught so many analysts by surprise as they didn’t expect teams like Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz and Portland Trailblazers trying to fight for the 8th spot. San Antonio are ranked 14th in the conference, while that may look bad, it’s not that tragic, since they are only 5.5 games away from the 1st seeded LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets. So, you may have noticed that I wrote, the 1st seeded LA Clippers, that’s not a typo, they have been playing out of this world this season. You expect a team that has traded, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and has in their team players like, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, Tobias Harris, to be at least fighting for playoffs and not leading the Western Conference.
It’s not that they have had an easy schedule so far, they’ve beaten the Rockets twice, Warriors and Nuggets once and a plethora of other teams. The thing is that they are just too damn good so far. Who knew that Doc Rivers would be playing better with a team that has no stars, than with a trio of Paul-Jordan-Griffin. Maybe it was the fact that as a team they weren’t playing with much pressure that was building up years ago due to the hype created in the regular season and then when playoffs came they would always fail spectacularly.
It also may be the fact that Tobias Harris has become the star that Clippers need out of necessity. He averages 35 minutes per game while scoring 21.6 points per game, he has the highest PPG average in the squad. He is also averaging 8.4 rebounds per game, again the highest average on the team. However, while he is playing great this year, he’s not the only player to do so. You have teams like Charlotte, where Kemba Walker is playing out of his mind, but he’s alone in that squad and you can see the results aren’t that pleasing. Danilo Gallinari has been doing what he does best and that is scoring. He’s averaging 19.2 points per game, while also adding 6 rebounds per game. However, the most important stat coming from him is that he has been shooting lights out from the 3-point line. He has been attempting 5.3 three-pointers per game, while hitting 2.5 of them, which gives him an average of 46% from three. That is some serious damage.
Lou Williams has been playing great as usual, with an average of 17.8 points per game and 4.4 assists per game.

Lou-Williams

The next player on this list is a player that in my opinion has a great chance of winning the most improved player of the year award. I’m talking about Montrezl Harrell, this man has managed to almost double his stats in just a year. Last year he was averaging 11 points per game, while this season that number has increased to 16.5 points per game, while shooting a team-high 65% from the floor. He was getting 4 rebounds per game last year, this season that number has gone up to 7.2 rebounds per game. He is also leading the team with 1.7 blocks per game and 1 steal per game. The best part about this, is that he is doing all of this incredible work in just 25.8 minutes per game. Doc Rivers has found a gem on his team of average players.
They are achieving so much by playing as a team and not relying on just one player. They are not over-reliant on just a couple of players. When they had Chris Paul on the team, everything had to go through him, while now everyone is a danger, you don’t know who is their most important player. Playing as a team has been their most important thing during this season. It’s hard to predict what they may do in the playoffs, after all these are the same Clippers that have impressed for quite some years now during the regular season, and once the playoffs came, they would disappoint everyone. Doc Rivers is definitely a happy man at the moment, seeing his team being 1st in the Conference. When you add the fact that the Western Conference has never been this competitive. Teams 1 to 14 have a chance of getting into playoffs, will be a thrill to watch. One thing is for sure, every team that will play against the Clippers now know that it is not an easy task to defeat them. They are hoping to continue with these performances and maybe even surprise teams in the playoffs.