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Who Will Top The East This Season?

By Eric Sandi | January 5, 2009 | Cavalier Attitude

The race is on for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and subsequent home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. Right now it is a three team race between the Boston Celtics (29-6), the Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6), and the Orlando Magic (26-8). I would like to take a moment to mention to the fans of these teams that losing is inevitable in the NBA. Even the finest teams in NBA history lost occasionally. I make this obvious overstatement because every fan of the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Orlando Magic will be taking each loss for the remainder of this season as if they just belly-caught a cannonball shot at close range and were blown into a vat of used razor blades. Yesterday, all three of these powerhouse teams lost to teams that, on paper at least, they should have beaten; as Boston lost to the...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Daniel Gibson, Danny Ferry, Darnell Jackson, Delonte West, Doc Rivers, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, J.J. Hickson, Jameer Nelson, James Posey, Joe Smith, John Hollinger, Keith Bogans, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Mike Brown, Mo Williams, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Paul Pierce, Portland Trail Blazers, Rajon Rondo, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, San Antonio Spurs, Sasha Pavlovic, Shaquille O'Neal, Tony Allen, Utah Jazz, Wally Szczerbiak, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

NBA games of the night: Friday, Jan. 2

By Stu Holdren | January 2, 2009 | NBA Noise

Miami Heat at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. ESTIf watching the league-leading scorer (Dwyane Wade), rebounder and shot-blocker (both Dwight Howard) aren't enough for you, then how about the clash of two division rivals? The Heat (17-13) have won five of their last six games and are coming off of a huge win against the Cavaliers. The Magic (25-7) are also rolling, as they've won nine of their last ten contests including wins against tough teams like the Spurs, Lakers and Hornets. Add in the fact that it's an in-state matchup and we've got ourselves a ballgame!New Orleans Hornets at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ESTWhile it looks like Blazers guard Brandon Roy is listed as questionable in tonight's game, this should still be an entertaining matchup between two of the future Western Conference powerhouses. The Blazers are coming off of a dramatic win against the Boston Celtics, so hopes should...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Brandon Roy, Chris Paul, Games of the Night, LaMarcus Aldridge, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Peja Stojakovic, Portland Trail Blazers

Vote for the fourth Slam Dunk Contest participant

By Stu Holdren | December 25, 2008 | NBA Noise

Dwight Howard is back to defend his Slam Dunk Contest title, and he will be up against some familiar competition. Competing against Howard will be Memphis' Rudy Gay and New York's Nate Robinson. Because of Howard's height, he has had to rely on his creativity, while Robinson has the ability to wow the crowd with the huge hops necessary for a man of his stature to throw down. Gay is more of your prototypical acrobatic high flyer that we have come to expect in the Dunk Contest.What makes this year different is that the fans will have a say as to who the final participant in the contest should be. Among the contenders for the final spot include Milwaukee's Joe Alexander, Portland's Rudy Fernandez and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. Despite my homer tendencies, I'd honestly be surprised if Fernandez doesn't get the bid, he's just got too much flavor....

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Dwight Howard, Joe Alexander, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Nate Robinson, NBA, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Rudy Fernandez, Rudy Gay, Russell Westbrook

My NBA Christmas wishlist

By Stu Holdren | December 25, 2008 | NBA Noise

I've already torn through my litany of gifts (beard trimmers, underwear, power scissors, etc.) but being the greedy bastard I am, I want more. But as we all know, some of the best gifts are free. But if I'm getting free gifts (again, a greedy bastard), they better damn-well be NBA related. Here are some of the things I'm hoping for in the remainder of the season.Let Stephon Marbury play. His off-court antics are only good for a bit of coverage. Sure, it's entertaining, but it's getting to the point of not being applicable to NBA fans. If I could only cover one player on this blog, it would be Starbury - but if he's not on the court I'm left high and dry.Allow Greg Oden to learn how to not foul an exorbitant amount of times. Oden has shown he has the ability to positively affect the game when...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Dwight Howard, Greg Oden, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Stephon Marbury, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming

Power Rankings: Green Comes Out on Top

By Celticsfanatic | December 24, 2008 | Celtics 17

Rajon Rondo on the Jumbotron - culhanen

Today on Celtics17, we will be having our very own power rankings! We will be breaking the top fifteen teams in the NBA. Who comes out on top? We'll see soon enough.2008 Power Rankings1. Boston Celtics - Ranked second in John Hollinger's power rankings, first in Marc Stein's power rankings, and first in Joe Boikess's power rankings, the Celtics are near the top in just about every single one. Heading into the Staples Center, they have a 19 game winning streak, and a record 27-2 start this year. Now thats impressive.2. Cleveland Cavaliers - Ranked first in John Hollinger's rankings (link above), the Cavs are one of the toughest teams you could think of in the NBA. Their league leading margin of victory is +13.04, and they have one of the most dominant players in the game, LeBron James, who is averaging 27.6 points per game.3. Orlando Magic - Their...

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Power Rankings, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz

NBA Studs and Duds: 12/23/08

By Stu Holdren | December 23, 2008 | NBA Noise

Studs: Joe Johnson, Atlanta HawksJoe Johnson is not so quietly developing into one of the best shooting guards in the league. He is (at times) unassuming, but he can affect the game in a multitude of ways. This was certainly the case as Johnson produced the second triple-double of his career. Johnson's 21 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds led the Hawks to a 99-88 win over Oklahoma City. [boxscore]Emeka Okafor, Charlotte BobcatsSince the departure of Jason Richardson, even more responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of Emeka Okafor. As the Bobcats matched up against the frontcourt-depleted Wizards, Okafor certainly stepped up to the plate tonight in a 80-72 victory. Okafor scored 29 points, snagged 18 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.[boxscore]Devin Harris, New Jersey NetsDevin Harris contributed an excellent line of 29 points, 11 assists, 5 boards and 2 steals. These are numbers that are beginning to come as...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Antawn Jamison, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Deron Williams, Detroit Pistons, Devin Harris, Dwyane Wade, Emeka Okafor, Joe Johnson, Joel Przybilla, Miami HEAT, Mike James, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Rodney Stuckey, Studs and Duds, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

NBA Stock Market: Rondo Keeping Celtics on Record Pace

By Joe Boikess | December 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Rajon Rondo surveying the floor (Photo via culhanen/flickr.com)

Note: We at MVN Outsider have re-organized our posting schedule in an effort to make our sports coverage more well rounded and timely. For those of you expecting to see the NBA Power Rankings today, that post has been moved to Tuesdays. With these changes, get ready to see more fresh content every day on every major sport. Thanks, and enjoy!Rising:Boston Celtics - Honestly, this team has been on the rise this entire season, piling up wins at a rate that we haven't seen since the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. They now have won 18 in a row and have tied the league mark for the best start (26-2) for a team with two losses. Their recent success has been due in large part to the play of point guard Rajon Rondo. When the team needs him to score, he does it (as we saw on Sunday in the C's win...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks

Brandon Roy: The Natural

By Stu Holdren | December 19, 2008 | NBA Noise

I was reminded last night about why I love the NBA, and basketball in general. Everything from the characters, the drama, the underlying plots, the unexpected contributors and the blood-pumping monster dunks. Every game we get to ride the highs and lows along with the some of the greatest athletes in the world. Every game we blindly believe that somehow our team will pull off a victory. And every game provides us with the potential to watch greatness unfold before our eyes.I unexpectedly got my hands on some upper deck seats for last night's game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns. I came in excited just to see the star-studded Suns team, and their new addition of Jason Richardson. I left witnessing one of the (if not the) greatest individual performances I've ever witnessed in person. Of course, I'm talking about Brandon Roy's 52-point outburst - the...

Read more | 5 Comments | Tags: Brandon Roy, NBA, Portland Trail Blazers

NBA Stock Market: Rondo Keeping Celtics on Record Pace

By Joe Boikess | December 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Rajon Rondo surveying the floor (Photo via culhanen/flickr.com)

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks

Chances Are That Brandon Roy Has Made a Fool Out Of You, Too

By Amar Panchmatia | December 19, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Most of America slept while Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy was busy dropping a career-high 52 points on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night as chants of "M-V-P" rained down from a packed house at the Rose Garden. Of those who were either sleeping or simply not paying attention, at least 105,345 believe that Dallas' Jason Terry, who doesn't even start for his own team, is more deserving of an All-Star starting spot than Roy. Just ask them: They casted a vote to prove it. Another 332,222 will tell you that Tracy McGrady deserves it more despite the fact that T-Mac has been in and out of the lineup and is averaging 16.5 points and 4.6 assists to Roy's 22.3 and 5.2, respectively. Still another 162,286 will tell you that Jason Kidd and his 9.3 points for a terribly underachieving Dallas team deserve it more than the leading scorer...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Boston Celtics, Brandon Roy, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Manu Ginobili, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Tracy McGrady

NBA Week 6 Power Rankings

By Joe Boikess | December 8, 2008 | MVN Outsider

We have a new #1 this week, as the green and white has risen back to the top. L.A.'s loss at Indiana dropped them down a spot below Boston, which got wins against two other top-five teams in addition to a pair of wins over the Pacers. The Mavericks and Spurs also made their season debuts in my top 10, while the Suns, Jazz and Pistons took a fall from last week's rankings.1. Boston Celtics (20-2) - Let's see. Boston has won 12 in a row, they have the league's best record, the most efficient defense (according to John Hollinger), and wins over almost every relevant team. But can they keep it going against the Wizards, a team that Boston went 1-3 against last season, and the surging Hornets?2. Los Angeles Lakers (17-2) - Despite Kobe's down numbers across the board, Sunday's win over the Bucks meant L.A. has tied...Read more

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Outsider, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers

NBA Week 5 Power Rankings

By Joe Boikess | December 1, 2008 | MVN Outsider

As seems to be the ongoing trend a month into the season, the Lakers, Celtics and Cavaliers have established themselves as the NBA's teams to beat. The Magic, Blazers and Nuggets are also playing well and look to be in that second tier below them. Elsewhere in the West, the Northwest Division is shaping up to be as competitive as the Southwest, which is also looking stronger with the Spurs and Mavs on the rise. In the East, the Nets are playing well and might demand playoff consideration, while the 76ers can't seem to get it together like many people predicted they would this year. With the end of November comes new hope for many other teams, but here's how I'd rank the league entering the month of December. 1. Los Angeles Lakers (14-1) - I expected this team to be relatively high-powered on offense, but I don't think anyone...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Outsider, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers

Top ten surprises of the NBA season so far

By Jon Burkett | November 18, 2008 | MVN Outsider

With most teams past the 10 game point in the NBA season, subplots and storylines are emerging. While the Lakers and Celtics are clearly the top teams in the league, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing well as the best of the rest. Other teams have not been up to the challenge. Heading in to Tuesday's action, here are the top ten surprises of the NBA season so far... 10. Mark Cuban's alleged insider trading - The league's most entertaining and passionate owner has been on the wrong side of David Stern before. He has a reputation for being a bit of a rogue, but always follows the law. The most surprising aspect of the story to me is public reaction fueled by speculation. Sure, the NBA is still reeling from image issues of the Tim Donaghy scandal two summers ago. But every piece of gossip is not...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clipppers, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards

Ballers of the Week: Brandon Roy and LeBron James

By Jon Burkett | November 14, 2008 | MVN Outsider

MVN's NBA Outsider presents to you the NBA's "Ballers of the Week." Since this is a team game, major bonus points are award to players who lead their teams to undeafeated records in any given week. Individual stats are nice, but it's wins and losses that matter most. Here's who had the greatest impact on the bottom line for the week November 7th to November 13th...Western Conference: Brandon Roy, G (Portland)The Trail Blazers uberguard led the way to a 3-0 record following the big win on November 6th against the Houston Rockets. In the three games this week, Roy averaged 24.3 points, five assists and 4.3 rebounds in wins over the Timberwolves, Magic in Orlando and Heat in Miami. His main help so far is front running candidate for sixth man of the year, Rudy Fernandez. He's averaging a consistent Manu Ginobiliesque 16 points a game in 28 minutes so...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, NBA Outsider, Portland Trail Blazers

Why Brandon Roy's Buzzer-Beater Won More Than A Game For Portland

By Amar Panchmatia | November 7, 2008 | MVN Outsider

If you're like most NBA fans, then you aren't used to seeing the Portland Trail Blazers (yes, two words) on national television. This season started with the Blazers on TNT in Los Angeles against the Lakers with the much-anticipated debut of Greg Oden. Oden, as you surely remember, missed all of what was supposed to be his rookie year last season when he had to shut it down to rehab from microfracture surgery. And it was Oden who was supposed to take the young Blazers from a pesky fringe playoff team to an up-and-coming power knocking on the door to future NBA championships.When Oden couldn't even make it out of the first half of his first game unscathed, Portland's playoff hopes were supposed to go crashing down with him. Every team looking to be a championship team in the future has to start by taking their lumps, and for this...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

Fantasy Tracker: Target Gasol, Thompson to boost forward/center production

By Michael De Leon | November 5, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Every Wednesday, I'll highlight five players who you should either add to your fantasy team if you need the help or put on your watch list. I'll also list 5 players that should have their bags packed and may be on their way to free agency in your leagueADD/WATCH LISTNick YoungWhile Young was buried on the guard-heavy Wizards bench last season, he will get plenty of minutes this season with Gilbert Arenas out once again. The Wizards start Antonio Daniels to set up the offense and distribute the ball, but when they want instant offense, Young is their go-to guy. He has been averaging 16.5 points through two games, and I only see him getting better. Keep in mind that for the most part, he is mostly a one-cat guy. If you need assists or steals, you may want to go another route, but Young will provide points and he...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Outsider, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

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