HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

HOOPSWORLD’s Senior NBA Writer Tommy Beer takes you through his weekly musings on the National Basketball Association, in his weekly column – The NBA Six Pack…

1. LBJ is the MVP.  End of Conversation. 
Last week I examined the Rookie of the Year race and concluded that although Tyreke Evans definitely deserves the hardware, Steph Curry has elbowed his way into the conversation on the strength of an incredible second half.

However, when it comes to the Most Valuable Player award there is no such debate.  LeBron James is the 2009-2010 NBA MVP. Period.  If people want to argue about who should come in second, that’s fine.  If they want to deliberate whether Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, or Dwight Howard deserves the silver – then that’s a worthwhile endeavor.  But the MVP belongs to LBJ.

We can get into the numbers if need be, but I think we can all agree Lebron’s stats this season are mind-boggling.  He has a higher scoring average than anyone in the league.  And he has dished out more assists than point guards such as Baron Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Derrick Rose.  And LeBron has grabbed more rebounds than many teams’ starting centers/power forwards.  And he averages more threes than Kevin Martin and Joe Johnson. And he averages more steals than Josh Smith and Gerald Wallace.  And, yes, he is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 1 block, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 treys.  Oh, and he shoots better than 50% from the floor. 

And although we all know just how statistically dominant he has been, just being a prolific stat-sheet stuffer does not an MVP make.  That’s why we all have to look at the Cavs record – which currently sits at 61-17, head and shoulders above the rest of the league (five games ahead of the Lakers).  Now, take each MVP-contender off their respective teams and compare/contrast the talent on each squad’s respective roster.  The Lakers still have a top-15 All-NBA force in Pau Gasol, in addition to Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, etc.  The Magic boast max-contract talent in Rashard Lewis and an aging Vince Carter.  Durant’s Thunder don’t have a hoard of all-stars, but have 12 fewer wins than the Cavs and are buoyed by up-and-comers Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green.

Looking at the Cavs roster through this prism makes LeBron’s "value" even more pronounced.  How many games would Cleveland win without James? Who has been the Cavs second-best player these last two years (prior to Jamison’s arrival)?  Maybe Mo Williams?  Anderson Varejao?  This season Mo Williams, averaging 15.5 PPG, is the Cavs second leading scorer.  Last season, Mo was second in scoring as well, at 17.6 points per game.  I went back and checked to see how many recent MVP’s have had such limited offensive support.  It turns out that the last time (prior to LeBron last season) an MVP didn’t have at least one teammate averaging over 18 PPG was Timmy Duncan back in 2002-2003.

This is not meant to disparage studs like Durant, Kobe, and Superman – but there is no real debate as to who deserves the hardware this season.  King James is about to enter an elite club by becoming just the 10th player ever to win back-to-back MVP trophies.  The other nine: Steve Nash (2005 and 2006), Tim Duncan (2002 and 2003), Michael Jordan (1991 and 1992), Magic Johnson (1989 and 1990), Larry Bird (1984-86), Moses Malone (1982-83), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1976 and 1977, 1971 and 1972), Wilt Chamberlain (1967-68) and Bill Russell (1961-63).

The only real question is whether or not he’ll become the first ever unanimous MVP in league history.  It says here LeBron special season is recognized accordingly…   

2. Wild Wild West -
A great sprint to the finish is developing in the Western Conference.  As of Tuesday evening, much has been made of the fact that, incredibly, four of the top five teams have identical 50-27 records.  Amazingly, a team that is tied for the #2 seed with about a week (and five games) left in the regular season, will begin the playoffs on the road!  And then we have OKC, San Antonio, and Portland not only fighting to move up in the standings, but also battling to avoid the dreaded #8 seed and a matchup with the mighty Lakers in the first round.     

Henry Abbott of Truehoop does a nice job of setting the scene:
"The conference’s top three teams, after all the tie-breakers, are the Lakers, Mavericks and Nuggets, and they’re doing their best to keep things interesting. Over their last 10 games, they have combined to create a tepid 16-14 record. (And even the Lakers, who are a cinch for first in the West with 22 losses, are still fighting for homecourt advantage in the Finals against Orlando, which has 23 losses. Every team is still trying.)  Meanwhile the five lower-seeded Western playoff teams — the Jazz, Suns, Thunder, Spurs and Blazers — have combined to create a 38-12 record over their last 10 games. And five of those 12 losses came from within that group of five.  The point being: If momentum matters, there’s a lot it in the West’s seeds four through eight, who are bunched up very tightly behind the teams ahead of them." 
• Wednesday, April 7: Nuggets at Thunder, Spurs at Suns
• Thursday, April 8: Lakers at Nuggets
• Friday, April 9: Suns at Thunder, Mavericks at Blazers
• Saturday, April 10: Spurs at Nuggets
• Sunday, April 11: Blazers at Lakers
• Monday, April 12: Thunder at Blazers
• Tuesday, April 13: Nuggets at Suns
• Wednesday, April 14: Spurs at Mavericks, Suns at Jazz

3. Wining Time?!? C’mon, Really?
I paid Reggie Miller the ultimate compliment in last week’s Six Pack by describing, in vivid detail, the pain he inflicted during Game One of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi’s.  However, with that sad but true anecdote out of the way, let’s examine into ESPN latest 30-for-30 mock-umentary entitled "Winning Time: Reggie Miller versus the New York Knicks."  And let’s start there.  For the life of me, I can’t figure out why it’s called "Winning Time." In actuality, the Knicks beat the Pacers two out of the three series these two teams played during that era.  And, truth be told, in some of the most important moments in many of those series-deciding games, Reggie Miller was the one that choked and couldn’t get the job done.  Let’s review, shall we?  And, unlike ESPN, we don’t have to sensationalize; we can stick to the facts. 

The first issue we have to address is the fact that, by far and away, the biggest and most important series these two teams ever played was the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. (By 1995, both teams were no longer at their collective peaks, and the Orlando Magic – with Shaq and Penny – were clearly the class of the Eastern Conference.)  Yes, that 1994 series was a matchup those two franchises had dreamt about for years.  When Michael Jordan announced his "retirement" in the summer of 1993, the sense of urgency throughout the league, and especially amongst the contenders in the Eastern Conference reached a fever pitch.  This was the opportunity that Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks; and Reggie Miller, Larry Brown, and the Davis Boys had been waiting for all decade long.  MJ’s Bulls were seen as immovable objects, an impenetrable barrier guarding the Larry O’Brien trophy.  But with Jordan chasing sliders in the dirt instead of blocking Charles Smith lay-up attempts, the path to immortality was finally clear.  Starting in training camp, it was if every team in the NBA had been given a life-saving reprieve.

{AUTHOR_BOX}So, when the Pacers and the Knicks squared off in the Eastern Conference Finals that Spring, it was do-or-die.  The Knicks franchise hadn’t been to an NBA Finals since 1973.  They went 57-25 during that 1972-73 regular season, and eventually knocked off the Lakers for the title.  In 1993-94, the Knicks once again finished with an impressive 57-25 record.  And after dispatching the Nets in first round, they vanquished the Bulls in seven games in Round Two.  Four wins a way from the Finals, each game in the ECF felt like life or death.  However, in actuality, Reggie Miller didn’t do much "Knicks Killing."  (With a little help from the incomparable basketballreference.com, we’ll pour through the box scores from each game of that series and search for the facts.)

In Game One (NY win), Reggie Miller shot 5 for 11 from the floor and scored 14 points (Rik Smits scored a team-high 27).  In Game 2 (NY win), Miller missed 13 of the 21 FG’s he attempted.  In Game 3 (Indy win), Miller finished with 14 points (Derrick McKey scored a game-high 15).  Reggie had a very good game in Game 4 (Indy win); he shot only 38% from the floor, but hit 17 of 19 free-throws and finished with 31.  Game 5 was by far his best game of the series, when he lit up the Knicks for 25 fourth-quarter points.  The Pacers took a commanding 3-2 lead in the series.  They were one win away from the Finals. 

Now, you would think the star of a film entitled "Winning Time" would step up in Game 6, right?  Let’s be frank, Game 6 of the 1994 ECF was arguably the most important game in Pacers ‘Reggie Miller Era’ history.  Indiana had a game in hand and was coming back to raucous Market Square Arena, to play in front of their home crowd.  Even Miller himself discusses the importance of this game in the movie.  But Mister (sometimes) Clutch didn’t have it on this particular night.  He shot just 8-of-21 from the floor (38%), and 2-of-7 from three-point land.  Moreover, his inability to knock down free-throws in the closing seconds of the game cost his team the chance to knock off the Knicks.  Oh, and John Starks (who Miller laughs at in the movie for missing key free-throws) hit 8 of the 11 field goals he attempted that night, and canned five of six treys.  This brings us to the deciding Game 7 at MSG.  After Ewing’s epic tip-dunk put the Knicks up one, there were still 27 second left in the game.  Enough time for one last Miller basket.  Reggie peeled off a screen and fired away from 18 feet away, but the ball never even grazed the rim and the airball sailed out of bounds (one of Reggie’s 10 misses that night).  Then, Miller compounded the miss by committing a flagrant foul on Starks after the Knicks inbounded the ball.  You want to talk about winning time?  Take a look at Patrick Ewing’s stat line in that all-important seventh game: 24 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks.  ‘Nuff said. 

The following season, the Pacers once again grabbed a 3-1 series lead.  Yes, they went on to (finally) beat the Knicks in Seven, but it wasn’t exactly Miller carrying the Pacers on his back.  In Game 5 (Pacers loss), Miller was 8 of 20 from the floor and 3 of 11 from distance.  In Game 6, Indiana once again had a chance to vanquish the Knicks at home, but blew the opportunity.  Miller shot a putrid 4-of-13 from the field. (Ewing finished with 25 and 15, just saying.)  Credit to Reggie (29 points) and the Pacers for taking Game 7 at MSG; but it should also be noted that series was only the semis, and Indiana went to lose to Orlando in the next round (Miller scored just 12 points and missed 8 of the 13 shots he took in the deciding Game 7 of the ECF.)

So, if we compute some quick math, over two seasons the Pacers played the Knicks four times up in the series with the chance to eliminate New York.  In those four contests (Games 6 & 7 in ’94 and 5 & 6 in ’95), Miller shot a combined 38% from the field (27-for-71).  Those are the numbers of "one of the NBA’s greatest clutch shooters?"  Those stats earned the moniker "Knick Killer?" Really?    

Again, not trying to disrespect Reggie Miller.  He was an above-average NBA shooting guard.  And he knocked down some incredibly impressive clutch baskets.  But, looking at his post-season career as a whole, it leaves a lot to be desired.  He failed more often than he succeeded in the big spot.

In addition, his professional resume has some major holes.  He averaged 3 boards and 3 assists for his career, and even less than that in the playoffs.  He was never named either a first or even second-team All-NBA performer.  He was never considered an MVP candidate at any point in his career (he never finished in the top-12 in MVP voting).

Nothing wrong with Reggie getting props for hitting a few big shots, but let’s keep things in perspective before drastically overrating him. 

4. Clips of the Week:
Dunk of the Week – Amar’e on James Johnson (Amar’e has a fixture on the Dunk of the Week over the season’s second half)

Block of the Week – Yi should have tried to flip this over Emeka Okafor

Old School Clips of the Week – In honor of the newest HOF inductees -
The Mailman //  Scottie Pippen // and Dennis Johnson (RIP DJ)

5. Elias Sports Bureau Stats of the Week:

* LEE’S SUPER-SIZED TRIPLE-DOUBLE – David Lee’s first NBA triple-double was one to remember. Lee scored 37 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in the Knicks’ 128-117 loss at Golden State over the weekend. Lee is the first player with at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in an NBA game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 35/20/12 against the Warriors in Los Angeles on March 5, 1976. And the last player to put up those numbers in a loss was Wilt Chamberlain. On February 13, 1963, the Big Dipper had 51 points, 29 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Warriors lost to the Pistons at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

* Dwight Howard pulled down 20 rebounds in Orlando’s 97-82 win at Dallas on Friday night. Howard has had at least nine 20-rebound games in each of the last three seasons (11 in 2007-08, 10 in 2008-09, 9 in 2009-10). Over the last 30 years, the only other NBA player with nine or more 20-rebound games in each of at least three consecutive seasons was Dennis Rodman, who had a seven-year streak from 1991-92 through 1997-98.  Howard’s 20 rebounds for the Magic in its win over the Mavericks ended an unlikely streak. Before Thursday night, the last eight

* Amar’e Stoudemire was 13-for-15 from the field (.867) in Phoenix’s 109-94 win at Detroit on Friday night. That’s the second-highest field-goal percentage in a game this season by a player who attempted at least 15 shots. Stoudemire himself accounted for the only better performance. He was 14-for-16 (.875) in a game against Utah last month.

6. Rimshots:  A few quick thoughts on the epic NCAA championship game.  Coach K is a genius and deserves all the credit in the world for capturing his fourth title, but his decision to have Brian Zoubeck miss that final free-throw was insanity.  I understand the thinking behind it, but totally disagree.  It opens up the possibility that Duke could lose in regulation, albeit with a prayer, which was almost answered.  Have Zoubeck hit the free-throw and then have him pressure the in-bounder, and hope Christian Laettner isn’t in the building…  The only thing worse decision than missing that final free-throw was plastering in Jenifer Hudson’s mug all over One Shining Moment.  You would have thought Hudson was named MOP of the Final 4, considering she got far more face time than Kyle Singler.  And she tried to over-sing it.  Here is a link to how it should have looked, via the classic version of the song… T.J. Simers and Kobe aren’t exactly B.F.F… And let’s finish up with an article for each HOF’er – Scottie (courtesy of K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune), and Karl Malone (Jody Genessy of the Deseret News), and DJ (via Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette)