Around the League: Week 20 3/6-3/12

[In2ition]

It's crazy the numbers that Westbrook is putting up, but I'm also leaning Harden for how the team is winning. Although, maybe it's Mike D that gets the COY and Westbrook you just can't ignore the numbers he's putting up. It would be somewhat of a travesty if he doesn't win it.

[ShelC]

Harden gets it because of his beard. And he dumped Khloe because she was distracting him. He's the real MVP.

[In2ition]

Harden gets it because of his beard. And he dumped Khloe because she was distracting him. He's the real MVP.

Haha

[UglyTruth]

Kawhi is easily the MVP. Harden's next. Everyone else including Westbrook is far behind.

I can't remember the last time an MVP came from a 7th seed.

[Superbone]

Kawhi is easily the MVP. Harden's next. Everyone else including Westbrook is far behind.

I can't remember the last time an MVP came from a 7th seed.

2017.

[carey]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/3/8/14 ... he-hornets

Dion Waiters hit another dagger to give the Miami Heat another win. It's not even surprising at this point. It's more like, "Hey, are the Heat playing?" If the answer is yes, Dion Waiters is hitting a dagger and the Heat are winning. It's science.

Miami has won 20 of 24. Over the last month, Waiters is hitting 45 percent of his threes and averaging 19 points per game. The Heat have been killer on defense, Erik Spoelstra has probably earned Coach of the Year, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic are earning their considerable contracts and the Dwyane Wade saga is fading quickly into history.

Speaking of D-Wade and his new club: Miami is just a half-game behind Chicago for the No. 8 seed in the East, despite the Heat starting the season 11-30. The Pistons have slipped, actually, so by the weekend the Heat could be the No. 7 seed. This is outrageous.

One curious note in all of this: the four losses for Miami since MLK Day have come against Philadelphia, Dallas and Orlando twice. Meanwhile, in that span the Heat have beaten the Warriors, the Rockets twice and the Cavaliers twice. This team is mystic in ways mere men cannot understand.

If they make the playoffs it would be an incredible story. Teams don't just turn it around from 20 games under .500 in the NBA.

[The Bobster]

Other Notable Mid-Season Turnarounds -

1976-77 Chicago - 2-14 start, 42-24 finish
1977-78 Seattle - 5-17 start, 42-18 finish
1980-81 Portland - 7-19 start, 38-18 finish
1982-83 New York - 14-26 start, 30-12 finish
1996-97 Phoenix - 0-13 start, 40-29 finish
2003-04 Miami - 25-36 start, 17-4 finish
2004-05 Chicago - 2-13 start - 45-22 finish
2004-05 Denver - 24-29 start, 25-4 finish
2011-12 Boston - 15-17 start, 24-10 finish
2016-17 Miami - 11-30 start, 20-4 and counting

[carey]

None more than 13 games under .500. Interesting.

[3rdside]

None more than 13 games under .500. Interesting.

There is very possibly a d'Antoni / Nash / Harden effect happening with Dragic:


Career Averages Pre 2016 - 2017 (Pts / Rbd / Ast)
James Johnson - 9 Seasons - 6.4 / 3.2 / 1.7
Wayne Ellington - 9 Seasons - 7.1 / 2.1 / 1.1
Dion Waiters - 6 Seasons - 12.6 / 2.5 / 2.4
Hassan Whiteside - 2 Seasons - 13.0 / 10.9 / 0.3
Tyler Johnson - 2 Seasons - 7.3 / 2.8 / 1.8


This Season in Miami (Pts / Rbd / Ast)
James Johnson - 12.1 / 4.9 / 3.4
Wayne Ellington - 10.8 / 2.1 / 1.3
Dion Waiters - 16.1 / 3.5 / 4.4
Hassan Whiteside - 16.6 / 14.1 / 0.7
Tyler Johnson - 13.8 / 4.2 / 3.3

[The Bobster]

Seattle started 5-17, fired their coach (replacing Bob Hopkins with Lenny Wilkens), changed 3 of their 5 starters (making Dennis Johnson and Jack Sikma starters) and went to the Finals and went back and won the title in 1978-79.

[O_Gardino]

Celtics beat the Warriors last night. Celts are a good team, and coming off a couple of losses. But the Warriors lack of depth is starting to show. They have 4 good players, and 4 OK players. After Iggy, Livingston might be their best role player. I don't hate McCaw, or Pachulia, or West, or even Barnes, but none of those guys are really starter material.

[carey]

They have 4 all-stars, not merely good players. That's enough to win a title. They just can't suffer bad shooting nights by 2 of them when 1 of them is out.

[O_Gardino]

Obv, the Warriors are still contenders. But they are very mortal, and other contenders should take note of the game last night. The Ws can be beat.

Last night, the Celtics one allstar shot 35, and they won because they rest of the team is pretty good. The Warriors had 3 allstars shooting 50%, 48%, and 40%. They lost, because they don't get much help beyond their stars. If I'm Utah, for instance, I'm looking at games like this one and thinking that I have a chance.

[The Bobster]

If you can do a good job guarding either Curry or Durant, they're beatable. And as we see now, if one of the two is out, they're also beatable (2-3 in their last 5).

Green and Thompson aren't good enough to carry them through a playoff series against a title contender if the Warriors are short-handed.

[ShelC]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/3/8/14 ... he-hornets

Dion Waiters hit another dagger to give the Miami Heat another win. It's not even surprising at this point. It's more like, "Hey, are the Heat playing?" If the answer is yes, Dion Waiters is hitting a dagger and the Heat are winning. It's science.

Miami has won 20 of 24. Over the last month, Waiters is hitting 45 percent of his threes and averaging 19 points per game. The Heat have been killer on defense, Erik Spoelstra has probably earned Coach of the Year, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic are earning their considerable contracts and the Dwyane Wade saga is fading quickly into history.

Speaking of D-Wade and his new club: Miami is just a half-game behind Chicago for the No. 8 seed in the East, despite the Heat starting the season 11-30. The Pistons have slipped, actually, so by the weekend the Heat could be the No. 7 seed. This is outrageous.

One curious note in all of this: the four losses for Miami since MLK Day have come against Philadelphia, Dallas and Orlando twice. Meanwhile, in that span the Heat have beaten the Warriors, the Rockets twice and the Cavaliers twice. This team is mystic in ways mere men cannot understand.

If they make the playoffs it would be an incredible story. Teams don't just turn it around from 20 games under .500 in the NBA.

I don't want to harp but look at their roster and then look at ours. On paper, we have a ton more talent. Spo gets almost no love as a coach but he's legit....of course as I'm writing this Wilbon is on PTI talking about how he gets no credit. But damn...he's taken a Heat team that lost Bosh to retirement and basically only had Dragic and Whiteside as known quantities heading into the season. Winslow was injured early and guys like Dion Waiters and James Johnson, who had become journeymen, have become dangerous players. He's winning with guys like Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, and Willie Reed. It's almost Spurs-like how he has his (Riley's) system and they don't miss a beat.

[Shabazz]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/3/8/14 ... he-hornets

Dion Waiters hit another dagger to give the Miami Heat another win. It's not even surprising at this point. It's more like, "Hey, are the Heat playing?" If the answer is yes, Dion Waiters is hitting a dagger and the Heat are winning. It's science.

Miami has won 20 of 24. Over the last month, Waiters is hitting 45 percent of his threes and averaging 19 points per game. The Heat have been killer on defense, Erik Spoelstra has probably earned Coach of the Year, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic are earning their considerable contracts and the Dwyane Wade saga is fading quickly into history.

Speaking of D-Wade and his new club: Miami is just a half-game behind Chicago for the No. 8 seed in the East, despite the Heat starting the season 11-30. The Pistons have slipped, actually, so by the weekend the Heat could be the No. 7 seed. This is outrageous.

One curious note in all of this: the four losses for Miami since MLK Day have come against Philadelphia, Dallas and Orlando twice. Meanwhile, in that span the Heat have beaten the Warriors, the Rockets twice and the Cavaliers twice. This team is mystic in ways mere men cannot understand.

If they make the playoffs it would be an incredible story. Teams don't just turn it around from 20 games under .500 in the NBA.

I don't want to harp but look at their roster and then look at ours. On paper, we have a ton more talent. Spo gets almost no love as a coach but he's legit....of course as I'm writing this Wilbon is on PTI talking about how he gets no credit. But damn...he's taken a Heat team that lost Bosh to retirement and basically only had Dragic and Whiteside as known quantities heading into the season. Winslow was injured early and guys like Dion Waiters and James Johnson, who had become journeymen, have become dangerous players. He's winning with guys like Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, and Willie Reed. It's almost Spurs-like how he has his (Riley's) system and they don't miss a beat.

Agreed. He's a really good coach.

There are a number of teams in the league that look worse on paper than we do, but significantly outperform us. The Mavs and Hornets immediately come to mind. Carlisle and Clifford are both terrific coaches.

[O_Gardino]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/3/8/14 ... he-hornets

Dion Waiters hit another dagger to give the Miami Heat another win. It's not even surprising at this point. It's more like, "Hey, are the Heat playing?" If the answer is yes, Dion Waiters is hitting a dagger and the Heat are winning. It's science.

Miami has won 20 of 24. Over the last month, Waiters is hitting 45 percent of his threes and averaging 19 points per game. The Heat have been killer on defense, Erik Spoelstra has probably earned Coach of the Year, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic are earning their considerable contracts and the Dwyane Wade saga is fading quickly into history.

Speaking of D-Wade and his new club: Miami is just a half-game behind Chicago for the No. 8 seed in the East, despite the Heat starting the season 11-30. The Pistons have slipped, actually, so by the weekend the Heat could be the No. 7 seed. This is outrageous.

One curious note in all of this: the four losses for Miami since MLK Day have come against Philadelphia, Dallas and Orlando twice. Meanwhile, in that span the Heat have beaten the Warriors, the Rockets twice and the Cavaliers twice. This team is mystic in ways mere men cannot understand.

If they make the playoffs it would be an incredible story. Teams don't just turn it around from 20 games under .500 in the NBA.

I don't want to harp but look at their roster and then look at ours. On paper, we have a ton more talent. Spo gets almost no love as a coach but he's legit....of course as I'm writing this Wilbon is on PTI talking about how he gets no credit. But damn...he's taken a Heat team that lost Bosh to retirement and basically only had Dragic and Whiteside as known quantities heading into the season. Winslow was injured early and guys like Dion Waiters and James Johnson, who had become journeymen, have become dangerous players. He's winning with guys like Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, and Willie Reed. It's almost Spurs-like how he has his (Riley's) system and they don't miss a beat.

You're right. He was good when he was coaching a bunch of stars, and he's good now coaching a bunch of nobodies. He's good.

[carey]

I don't want to harp but look at their roster and then look at ours. On paper, we have a ton more talent. Spo gets almost no love as a coach but he's legit....of course as I'm writing this Wilbon is on PTI talking about how he gets no credit. But damn...he's taken a Heat team that lost Bosh to retirement and basically only had Dragic and Whiteside as known quantities heading into the season. Winslow was injured early and guys like Dion Waiters and James Johnson, who had become journeymen, have become dangerous players. He's winning with guys like Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder, and Willie Reed. It's almost Spurs-like how he has his (Riley's) system and they don't miss a beat.

You mean aside from being touted as a CotY candidate? People know Spo is good. This is the first I've seen of someone suggesting otherwise.

[ShelC]

Turn on PTI tonight!

[Superbone]

Turn on PTI tonight!

Why?