HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

HOOPSWORLD’s Senior NBA Analyst Tommy Beer takes you through his weekly musings on the National Basketball Association in his latest installment of The NBA Six Pack…
 
1) Will Cinderella show up at the NBA’s Big Dance?
With NCAA March Madness in full swing and the NBA’s postseason tournament just around the corner as well (NBA playoffs tip-off on April 16th), I thought it would be interesting to preview the professional version of the Big Dance through NCAA-tinted glasses.  So, with VCU and Butler both making incredibly improbable runs to the Final Four, is there any chance of an NBA team replicating these mid-major’s success by shockingly knocking off a few favorites and advancing deep into the postseason?
 
In short, the answer is, almost certainly, ‘No.’
 
One of the reasons the NCAA tourney is so unique and exciting is because of its one-and-done format.  As opposed to the NBA, where the better team usually advances in a best-of-7 series, college upsets are obviously far more frequent because David has to win just one game in order to eliminate Goliath. 
 
Nonetheless, there are multiple NBA underdog candidates with a chance to at least frighten higher-seeded foes next month… 
 
* The Portland Trail Blazers, currently seeded 6th in the West and would likely be matched up with either the Dallas Mavericks or the L.A. Lakers, would qualify as one of those teams that nobody wants to play right now.  Portland has been playing terrific basketball of late, beating plenty of very good teams.  Since the trade for Gerald Wallace (where they gave up very little) the Blazers now possess one of the league’s deepest teams.  LaMarcus Aldridge is a beast down low; they have a slew of athletic defenders; and a solid PG in Miller.  If they can get anything out of Brandon Roy, they become that much tougher.  
 
* The Nuggets are another team in the West that is buzzing.  It was assumed once Carmelo Anthony was dealt the Nuggets would quickly fade from relevance.  Surprisingly, just the opposite has happened.  While Melo’s new team has taken a step backwards, the Nuggets have been firing on all cylinders thanks in large part to the infusion of depth and talent they received from New York.  After most pundits considered them road kill, the Nuggets are rolling right now and are basically laying with house money, which makes them a scary opponent to deal with.
 
* The Memphis Grizzlies, who have a 2.5-game lead in the race for the eighth seed in the West, have now beaten the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs (their likely first-round opponent) twice this month.  Even playing without the injured Rudy Gay, Memphis has also beaten the Thunder, Mavericks, and Magic in March.  All that said, it’ll be surprising if the Grizz win more than one game versus the vaunted, battle-tested Spurs.
 
* In the East, the Knicks, despite their horrid play of late, still have to be considered a threat to pull off an upset once the ‘real season’ begins in mid-April.  While the Knicks have proven they can lose to the worst teams in the league (during a recent 10-game stretch, the Knicks lost six games to teams that stood at least 10 games below the .500 mark), they have also proven they can beat the best when they bring their A-game, as New York proved when the topped the HEAT in Miami, or knocked off Orlando in OT on Monday night.  And while Amar’e, Melo, D’Antoni, and Billups are definitely NOT on the same page right now, the possibility they all somehow get hot at the same time is obviously a disconcerting thought to a top seed envisioning a championship run.  If the playoffs began today, New York would draw Boston in the first round.  The C’s have also had issues since making their own major deadline deal in late February in which they traded away starting center and defensive stalwart, Kendrick Perkins.  The Celtics, considering their collection of All-Stars and championship pedigree, are still arguably the odds-on favorites to advance out of the East.  Nonetheless, this Knicks team has an abundance of talent as well, and if they somehow start scoring like they are (theoretically) capable of, they are the very rare low-seed that could win a round or two in the postseason.  For what it’s worth, the last time the Knicks entered the playoffs as an eight-seed they advanced to the NBA Finals.
 
* The team just ahead of the Knicks in the standings, the Philadelphia 76ers, also can’t be considered walkovers.  Doug Collis (a legit Coach of the Year candidate), has done a masterful job in Philly.  The Sixers, who beat the Bulls on Monday, have one of the deepest team in the league, with six players averaging double-figures.  Since stumbling out of the gates early on, Philadelphia has been on of the East’s more consistent and efficient teams over the last few months.    

2. Revamping the NBA Playoffs
Last year I authored story (here’s the link) arguing the NBA should be consider revamping the playoffs by allowing the top 16 teams in the league (regardless of conference affiliation) to qualify for the postseason.  The impetus behind the piece last season was addressing the potential travesty of having the Oklahoma City Thunder being excluded from postseason play, as they were on the outside playoff picture looking in at the time.  Halfway through the 2009-2010 season, OKC had posted an undeniably impressive 23-18 record.  However, had the season ended at that point, they would have not qualified for the playoffs out West.  Meanwhile, the Bulls were just 18-21 at that point, yet were firmly entrenched as the East’s eighth seed.  

{AUTHOR_BOX}Here was the crux of the argument:

If David Stern and the NBA powers-that-be decided to re-format the playoff seedings upon each regular season’s completion, and allowed in the teams with the 16 best records, regardless of conference affiliation.  It would not only reward all 16 teams that performed best over the entirety of the regular season, but would also set up some intensely interesting first-round matchups in the playoffs, as opposed to some of the boring blowouts usually featured early in the postseason.

And if the league trimmed the fat, and took in only the 16 top teams (note that 11 of the 16 teams in the NBA Postseason Tournament would be from the West), there wouldn’t just be fantastic first-round matchups, there would be increased competition every step of the way.  An additional benefit would be avoiding a scenario where the undisputed two best teams are stuck in the same conference.  We have seen this situation in the past, when the NBA Finals are all but a formality and a big letdown, after an intense Conference Finals. 
 
The template would be very similar to the NCAA tournament, with each of the sixteen teams placed into brackets.  The winner of the 1 vs. 16 game would play the 8 vs. 9 winner; while the winner of the 2 versus 15 game, would take on the winner of the 7 vs. 10 contest.  

There would obviously be some concerns raised.  For instance, some might feel the travel would be overwhelming.  But it would be tough for anybody to justifiably complain about the travel, considering how drawn-out the first round is already – with all the off days, it usually takes weeks for the first round to finally be completed anyway…
 
All things considered, there are more pros than cons.  So let the pros dance like the college kids.  It might add some necessary spice and bring new fans into the NBA fold, which would be a big positive for a league always looking to generate positive publicity, increased attention, and of course additional revenue.  Imagine how many ‘NBA Tourney Pool sheets’ would be filled out in offices across the USA and the world.
 

Well, that article generated some heated discussion (it was even a talking point on PTI the day after the piece was posted).  Supporters of both sides of the argument loudly voiced their opinions and the reasons the NBA should either keep the status quo or consider a massive shift. 
 
That premise doesn’t carry quite the same bite this season, as there isn’t a situation comparable to the OKC squad this year.  Nonetheless, the argument remains valid.  Here’s how the playoffs would look this season if the Top-16 teams advanced this year and were seeded 1 through 16:
 
1) San Antonio Spurs
2) Chicago Bulls
3) L.A. Lakers
4) Dallas Mavericks
5) Boston Celtics
6) Miami HEAT
7) Orlando Magic
8) Oklahoma City
9) Denver Nuggets
10) Portland Trailblazers
11) New Orleans Hornets
12) Atlanta Hawks
13) Memphis Grizzlies
14) Houston Rockets
15) Philadelphia 76ers
16) Phoenix Suns
 
It is interesting to note that the two teams (the Knicks and the Pacers) currently sitting in the 7th and 8th seeds in the East would NOT qualify for the postseason in this revised format while the Rockets and the Suns would sneak in.
 
Don’t think New Yorkers would be big proponents of this concept right now… 
 
3) Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
Speaking of the aforementioned Knicks, not trade generated as much controversy or created nearly as many headlines as New York’s deal for Carmelo Anthony.  However, the Knicks have surprisingly taken a step backwards since adding Melo.  The other blockbuster deal that went down in the tri-state area that week was the Nets deal for Deron Williams.  D-Will has been dinged up (wrist) since arriving in New Jersey, and has made a minimal impact.

However, one trade that seemed to fly under the radar was Portland’s acquisition for draft picks and spare parts. As referenced above, the Blazers have been very well of late, and Gerald Wallace’s contributions on both ends of the floor (particularly on defense) have sparked Portland.  

On the other end of the spectrum, the Celtics trade Kendrick Perkins at the deadline, and Danny Ainge gambled that the move wouldn’t compromise his team’s momentum.  Instead, the Celts have come to a screeching halt.  However, Boston did struggle over the season’s second half last year (27-27 over their final 54 games), and then backed into the playoffs – losing seven of their final 10 contests.  We shall see if the C’s can flip the switch again this year.

Before we delve into the "best of the week links," one last topic to discuss regarding Melo’s Knicks.  I’m sure most Knicks fans want to just bask in the glory of victory (finally), but there are some concerning trends that have popped up in NYC that likely needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.  I am referring to the wear and tear Carmelo and Amar’e Stoudemire have dealt with of late. 

Carmelo Anthony has played at least 36 minutes in each of the Knickerbockers’ last seven straight games.  Amar’e has now played over 38 minutes in six of his last seven. STAT is averaging 40 minutes a night over that stretch. Melo is at 38.7 mpg.  Keep in mind that, for his career, Amar’e has averaged 34.3 mpg, and has already intimated he is wearing down over the last few weeks.

The worst part for New York is that of those seven games, the Knicks have just one win to show for all that hard work and energy expended by their two stars. 

At this stage of the game, D’Antoni should take his foot of the gas pedal, especially now that playoffs have effectively been secured. D’Antoni needs his studs fresh in mid-April; he surely does not want to burn them out in late March…

4. Dunks of the Week:
* We haven’t had many Josh McRoberts apperances in our Dunks of the Week, but McBob earned with this nasty one-handed alley-oop…

* Pick any of these three dunks from Blake Griffin on the Cavs – you tell me which one is best
 
* The soon-to-be-MVP gets creative in the open court on a breakaway…
 
* Chris Bosh, meet Rodney Stuckey

* Your aren’t officialy an NBA frontcourt player until Amar’e Stoudemire bangs on you. Welcome to the NBA, Greg Monroe.
 
5. Tweets of the Week:
@NBAHistory: Since the 1st NBA All-Star Game (’51), ’10-11 Lakers are just the 5th team to win 15 or more of its 1st 16 games coming out of A-S break
 
@TheBillWalton: Butler hasn’t had this much impact on American society since the incomparable Robert Guillaume graced the airwaves as the acerbic Benson.
 
@EricStangel: ESPN should do a @30for30 about the 2 wackos who actually picked VCU, Butler, UConn & Kentucky for the Final Four…

  
6. Elias Sports Bureau Stats of the Week
* Per Elias: Derrick Rose scored three straight buckets in crunch time at Milwaukee on Saturday night, turning an 87-87 tie into a 93-87 lead, and then assisted on the game’s final field-goal as the Bulls earned a tough 95-87 victory. Rose finished with 30 points and a career-high 17 assists, becoming only the third player in Bulls history to reach those levels in one game. (Guy Rodgers had a 34/18 game in 1966, in the third game in Bulls franchise history, and Michael Jordan had a 33/17 game in 1989). Rose also became the first player in NBA history to reach 30 points and 17 assists in a game in which his team scored 95 or fewer points.
 
* Gerald Henderson scored the final seven points of the game in the Bobcats’ win over the Bucks on Monday. It was the third time this season that a player scored the final seven or more points of a game, all three happened this month: Brook Lopez scored the final seven points of the game in 94-90 win for the Nets over the Warriors on March 9; and Jason Kidd scored the final eight points in the Mavericks’ 91-83 win at Phoenix on March 27.  The last NBA player to score the final seven or more points of a game in a one-point win was Kobe Bryant in a 107-106 overtime victory for the Lakers at Milwaukee on December 16, 2009.
 
* The Spurs are the fourth team in NBA history to lose four straight games despite being at least 40 games over .500 at the start of the losing streak. The 1969-70 Knicks were 60-18 before losing their final four games of the season; the 1977-78 Trail Blazers were 53-12 before a four-game losing streak and the 2009-10 Cavaliers were 61-17 before losing their last four games of the season.

* Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points in the Knicks’ win over the Magic after scoring 36 points against the Bobcats in his previous game. Anthony is the second Knicks player to score at least 35 points in back-to-back games this season. Amar’e Stoudemire did it in November. It’s only the second time in Knicks history that they had two players do that in the same season: Allan Houston and Stephon Marbury was the other dynamic duo in 2003-04.

* Brook Lopez had no rebounds in 31 minutes of the Nets’ 98-87 loss at Atlanta. No NBA starting center had failed to grab a rebound in a game while playing at least 30 minutes since the Jazz’s Greg Ostertag did that (in 33 minutes) against the Timberwolves on Feb. 11, 2004.
 

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