The Warriors took the 2015 NBA season by storm finishing with an extremely impressive 67 and 15 record and more importantly an 11 game lead on the closest Western Conference team which showed how dominant they were.
Their first opponent in the playoffs was the New Orleans pelicans and boy did the Dubs make it look easy. They ran through Anthony Davis and the Pelicans beating them in four games and clearly showing that the Pelicans were no match for them. There was way to many mismatches and the depth of Golden State proved to be way to much for the Pelicans.
Moving on to the next series, The Warriors squared off against the ultra tough Memphis Grizzlies, a team that is known for its physicality and its ability to ware teams down in the playoffs. The Warriors were victorious in game 1 but suffered in back to back losses in game 2 and game 3. The deadly combination of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph got the best of the Warriors in those games and some feared this series could where the Warriors ran out of gas. However, the Warriors ability to bounce back is a big reason why they were so successful this season and they handled the Grizzlies in three straight games beating them by 17, 20, and 13. The depth of the Warriors was clearly to much for the Grizzlies to handle as well and their road to the championship would now go through the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets were coming off an extremely impressive comeback in a series against the Los Angeles Clippers in which they were down 3-1 but stormed all the way back to win in seven games. Many expected a very close series between the Warriors and the Rockets but it was the exact opposite of that. Granted the first 2 games of the series were close as they were only decided by a combined total of six points but regardless the Rockets were backed into a corner trailing 2-0 as the series shifted to Houston. The Warriors handled the Rockets in game 3, they went into halftime with a 62-37 lead and ended up beating them by a wide margin of 115 to 80. The Rockets finally showed some life in game 4, James Harden played with a chip on his shoulder and put up one of his best playoff performances finishing with 45 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists and he lead his Rockets to a 128 to 115 victory. Game 5 was similar to game 3 as
Monday, June 22, 2015
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Why the Grizzlies shouldn't be slept on
(courtesy of Fantasywired.com)
The Memphis Grizzlies are putting together an impressive
season but despite having the third best record in the NBA they still don’t get
much attention. The Memphis Grizzles are currently second place in the ultra
competitive western conference ahead of teams like the Trail Blazers, Rockets,
and Clippers who seem to receive much more attention.
Perhaps its because the Grizzles lack that jaw-dropping
superstar like Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard but what the Grizzles do have,
is a great team from top to bottom.
You have no choice but to start off down low with one of the
best frontcourts in the NBA, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Marc Gasol is easily having the best season
of his career, Gasol is averaging a career high 18.2 points per game, he is
getting to the free throw line 4.7 times a game which is another career best.
Moving on to the definition of stability, Zach Randolph.
Over the last 4 years Randolph has scored between 15 to 17 points per game with
9 to 11 rebounds per game. His shooting percentage is always in the high 40s
and he is someone that the opposing teams have to constantly game plan
for.
The Combination of Randolph and Gasol is absolutely lethal,
they have built great chemistry with each other in their years in Memphis and
have constantly caused problems for opponents. The combination of the Memphis
big men wears down opponents and creates a rebound differential, which is
usually a key factor to winning the game.
Now on to their backcourt, one of the most slept on point
guards in the league has to be Mike Conley. He is scoring 16.4 points per game
which is the second highest in his career and he is also shooting an impressive
39.1 percent form the three point line.
Between Conley, Gasol, and Randolph they average 51.1 points which
proves that they are one of the most lethal big three’s in the league.
The next three players add a lot of versatility to the
Grizz, Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, and Tony Allen. Jeff Green can provide a spark
on both offense and defense. He is someone that can guard three positions on
defense, which will be very beneficial to Memphis in the playoffs.
Courtney Lee is another key piece to the success of the
Grizzles; he is that dominant three-point shooter that every good team
has. Shooting almost 44 percent from
downtown this season and scoring 10.8 points per game he provides a scoring
punch from the two-guard position.
Last but certainly not least is a player that a lot of NBA
fans would love to have on their team, Tony Allen. The feisty two guard is arguably
still the best on ball defender in the NBA. He does a great job of limiting NBA
Superstars day in and day out and he’s comes up huge for Memphis in the
playoffs.
(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Memphis is clearly a team that could make a serious run in
the western conference and if players like Beno Udrih and Vince Carter can play
well off the bench in the playoffs then look out for the Grizz.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
The Fast Break | Mid-Season MVP's
It is halfway through the season and for me there are 3
players right now that stand out as potential Most Valuable Players. There is
plenty of great talent but these 3 just stick out to me and are putting up
great games and are amazing to watch.
1. James Harden
(courtesy of nba.com)
Harden is averaging 27 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 6.8 assists
per game. A stat that really impresses
me is that he is averaging 2 steals per game; it sticks out because he is known
as a guy who is terrible defensively but has made it a point to step it up. He is
a great scorer because of the way he gets to the free throw line, his 3 point
shooting is impressive, and the way he can get by a defender and finish at the
basket. The Houston Rockets are currently the 4th seed in the west
and James Harden is putting the team on his back Since Dwight Howard has missed
a lot of games. The west is really competitive and Harden has lifted them to be
a playoff contender and definitely proves he is playing at an elite level.
2. Stephen Curry.
(courtesy of nba.com)
The Golden State Warriors are currently the number one seed in the west and looks like they will stay there until the seasons over. Stephen Curry is averaging 23 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He has been defending the point guards on the other teams in a Western Conference that is loaded with great point guards, which is different from last year when he was criticized on his defense and his buddy Klay would have to step up defensively and play the best guard. What’s great about Curry is that the team hasn’t changed much from last year(players) but he has stepped up big and is someone who is incredibly hard to defend. He is currently leading the NBA with steals at 2.2 a game and is shooting at almost 50% from the field. He is playing elite and could lead his team to the NBA finals the way he has been playing.
3. Anthony Davis.
(courtesy of nba.com)
His team is currently battling it out for the 8th seed in the West, but without him this team would suffer big. He is the key to the Pelicans having any success and has definitely carried that team to having success and having hope in the long run. He is impressing with 24 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game, and 2.7 blocks per game. He has missed some games this season but when he is playing the Pelicans proves that they can compete with some of the best teams in this league behind Anthony’s stellar game play. A team that last year was playing under .500 percent basketball is now a game over .500 and is still looking to improve under the guidance of Davis.
A couple of mentions that were left out are Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Demarcus Cousins. All these guys are having their own great season, but Harden, Curry, and Davis are just playing at an elite level.
1. James Harden
2. Stephen Curry.
(courtesy of nba.com)
The Golden State Warriors are currently the number one seed in the west and looks like they will stay there until the seasons over. Stephen Curry is averaging 23 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He has been defending the point guards on the other teams in a Western Conference that is loaded with great point guards, which is different from last year when he was criticized on his defense and his buddy Klay would have to step up defensively and play the best guard. What’s great about Curry is that the team hasn’t changed much from last year(players) but he has stepped up big and is someone who is incredibly hard to defend. He is currently leading the NBA with steals at 2.2 a game and is shooting at almost 50% from the field. He is playing elite and could lead his team to the NBA finals the way he has been playing.
3. Anthony Davis.
(courtesy of nba.com)
His team is currently battling it out for the 8th seed in the West, but without him this team would suffer big. He is the key to the Pelicans having any success and has definitely carried that team to having success and having hope in the long run. He is impressing with 24 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game, and 2.7 blocks per game. He has missed some games this season but when he is playing the Pelicans proves that they can compete with some of the best teams in this league behind Anthony’s stellar game play. A team that last year was playing under .500 percent basketball is now a game over .500 and is still looking to improve under the guidance of Davis.
A couple of mentions that were left out are Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Demarcus Cousins. All these guys are having their own great season, but Harden, Curry, and Davis are just playing at an elite level.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)