Post Football, Basketball Primer

As the NFL season draws down and the sunsets on another quality football season, basketball will take the Main Stage as the primary sport of choice. The timing could not be better. We are currently in the meat of the basketball season and their are lots of story lines playing out amongst the various levels of basketball. Below I will break down a few of those to serve as a cheat sheet so that you can get caught up in a hurry.

The League

The Climate:

This NBA season got off to a bit of an awkward start. Several of the games ELITE stars and lottery picks were either on the mend or just returning from injury. Never before have injuries dictated so much so early in the season. Much of that you get to avoid if have been focused on football and not on the league. So where do we stand? Chris Paul should be back after the All Star Break. Both Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are expected to return within the next week. Derrick Rose could be back for the playoffs. Russell Westbrook will be back around the All Star Break and Rajon Rondo made his debut last night. Kevin Love has had a pretty strong season after missing most of last season.

The Rookies

Lottery picks Alex Len, Anthony Bennett and Shabazz Muhammad have all played sparingly with several degrees of disappointment. Michael Carter Williams, Victor Oladipo and Trey Burke have had strong seasons and are STUDS.

The Stars

So far its been business as usual for the stars. Kevin Durant and LeBron James continue to lead the pack as MVP candidates. Steph Curry, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul George all appear to be chomping at the bit. The duo of James Harden and Dwight Howard has been successful, but not dominant. The Brooklyn Nets older stars (Garnett, Pierce, Kirilenko, Johnson) had a rough start but have recently got back on track (6-1 in January so far). Carmelo Anthony looks ready to leave NY as soon as possible.

Pleasant Surprises

The University of Kentucky has produced studs! DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones and (before being hurt) Eric Bledsoe are having MONSTER seasons. At least 3 of these players should be in the All Star game. Darren Collison has played good in Chris Paul's absence. Aaron Afflalo looks like a legit star that needs a shot in a big market. Wes Matthews has played great. Lance Stephenson has fully blossomed in to an all round threat. Kyle Lowry began the season as potential trade bait, but has since become the leader of the rag tag Raptors.

Trades

Lots of movement so fart this season.

1. Rudy Gay to the Kings
2. Luol Deng to the Cavaliers
3. Jordan Crawford to the Warriors
4. Jerryd Bayless to the Celtics
5. Derrick Williams to the Kings

Teams

The teams at the top are not the usual suspects. With the exception of the Heat, Spurs and Thunder; the majority are teams with recent success. The Suns, Trailblazers and Pacers are achieving at a high level and beating quality teams. The Wizards and Raptors are both coming on strong, which is good because up until now the East has been horrific. Missing from the group of top teams are the Celtics and Lakers. They both appear to be heading to the lottery. The last time both teams picked in the lottery was 1994.


Potential End Game

While the Heat have hit a minor holding pattern, I fully expect Pat Riley to figure out a way to add one more piece to the Championship puzzle. Greg Oden looked good in his first minutes of the season and first in over 4 years. They just recently acquired Toney Douglas who can hit the open 3, lock down on defense and can play off the ball. Michael Beasley has been consistent and they are regaining their health. Meanwhile the Pacers look focused and will be a tough out. In the West the Spurs continue to defy father time, but for how long? The Clippers might be able to push through with the recent signing of Hedo Turkoglu and return of Chris Paul. Don't sleep on Golden State or Portland. The Thunder with a healthy Westbrook are still the most formidable. Durant is in a special place right now and I see him and LeBron meeting up once again.

The Draft Fanatic

Steph Curry and the Bay Area Madness

A few years ago a young man with a pretty good basketball pedigree was lighting up big name schools all over the country. He didn't fit the prototypical mold of the new age stars like Durant, Griffin or even more recently Parker. He had a ability to destroy dreams and create havoc for opposing defenses. Who is the player? Steph Curry (Davidson). That name created a frenzy while he was in college and did just enough to land him inside of the lottery in 2009. The son of the one time great shooter Dell Curry, Steph had an ability to hold a team hostage while carrying the weight of his team to new heights. Once selected, he was expected to play alongside then back court mate Monta Ellis and form a super quick tandem that could drive NBA defenses crazy. While there were flashes of potential, the two super quick scoring guards didn't deliver the way management anticipated. Enter the rebuilding phase.

Steph Curry, Davidson:

06-07: 21.5 ppg - Record: 29-5 (30 points vs Maryland, first round of NCAA tournament)
07-08: 25.9 ppg - Record: 26-6 (20 win, undefeated in conference play) (40 points vs Gonzaga, first round of NCAA tournament)
08-09: 28.9 ppg - Record: 27-8 (44 points vs Oklahoma)

With Steph Curry in place as the future star of the organization, the Warriors management began a massive overhaul that would land them in the spotlight and on the short list of potential contenders to come out of the deep Western conference. The team hired Hall of Fame point guard Mark Jackson as head coach,  signed NBA All Star's David Lee and Andre Igoudala. Traded for big man Andrew Bogut and drafted college studs Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli. Throw in veterans Jermaine O'Neal, Marreese Speights and Toney Douglass, now you have a potential contender. Rebuilding phase complete.

When healthy this team is capable of going BONKERS! In Miami against the defending champions they shot lights out and won a great game (123-114) at their pace. Curry led the way with 36 points (8 three pointers)  and 12 assists. As a team they shot over 50 percent from both field goal range and three point range against a Miami defense that has three straight trips to the Finals. This is a sample size of what this team should and could be capable of with a top 4 seed in the playoffs against anyone. They have depth at the leagues premier position (small forward), with Igoudala, Barnes and even Green able to match up with anyone. They have the size to bother or compete with teams that rely on large quantities of paint production. They have a good combination of youth and experience with a coach that has given their star player and his back court mate the ULTRA GREEN LIGHT and they can dunk you!

Golden State Warriors:

2010-2011: 36-36
2011-2012: 23-43 (lockout shortened season)
2012-2013: 47-35 (eliminated from 2nd Round of Playoffs)
2013-2014: Currently 22-13 (projected to win at least 50 games)

What's not to love about a team that is both entertaining and competitive? With Steph Curry as their leader and star they will keep eye's glued on the screen and opposing coaches frustrated. No matter how you plan, prepare and scheme if Curry, Thompson and Igoudala get hot its pretty much over. They can slow it down and pound it (they prefer to out pace you), but that will just lullaby you in to a false sense of security eventually opening the flood gates for the Splash Brothers. If you don't have league pass I suggest you get it, because you don't want to miss a moment of Steph Curry. No matter the moment (44 points, 11 assists vs Spurs second round of the 2013 playoffs), the stage (54 points, 11/13 from 3 against the Knicks in Madison Square) or opponent (38 points, 9 assists vs Chris Paul, second game of the year) he will show up and he will bring his friends with him.