Heat Struggling Early On

Well it hasn’t been an ideal start for the Miami Heat and now there are rumblings within the Heat and its players that there are issues with coach Erik Spoelstra.  It was discussed before the season that if Spoelstra couldn’t get the job done that team President Pat Riley would take over and coach for the team.  The Heat have had a hard time defeating teams with winning records are currently have an overall record of 10-8 which is 4 games back of first place Orlando Magic.

There are many reasons as to why the Heat have struggled.  The first is Chris Bosh who has struggled a bit finding his place within the offense.  He is averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds but hasn’t given the Heat and inside presence on the offense of defensive end like they have needed.  Also, Wade and James seem to struggle on deciding when to take over the game.  Recently, Wade has been struggling mightily from the field as he can’t seem to get a rhythm offensively.

As far as team statistics, the Heat rank 23^rd in assists per game which is big indicator as to why they have been struggling.  Carlos Arroyo has done a decent job at the PG position but isn’t someone who looks to distribute all night.  There hasn’t been much offensive flow and the ball tends to stick too often.  It seems that there are too many 1 on 5 positions.

It is a long season and it is still hard for me to believe that the Heat won’t get it together and become a solid team but I do have more doubts about this team’s ability to win a title.  Unless they become better defensively and have a more fluid offense, the Heat may be looking at an early playoff exit.

Wall and Griffin Off to Hot Starts

John Wall is an absolute freak.  Tonight he had his first of many triple doubles.  He had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists.  He also had 6 steals which means he was 4 short of having an unheard of quadruple double.  Wall’s athleticism has helped him in these categories and he is jump shot is much better than people originally thought coming into the league.  For the year he is averaging 19 points and nearly 10 assists a game.  He is also averaging nearly 3 steals a game.  Wall has been having a lot of fun and bringing a lot of energy to a team that last year was as dead as a door nail.  I am happy that Wall is off to a good start and I hope he can continue his success for the year.  He is good for the league and is definitely good for a bad Wizards team.

Another rookie making a big splash is Blake Griffin.  Even though he was drafted last year he is technically considered a rookie since he did not play last year due to injury.  He is averaging 17 points a game and 10 rebounds for a Clippers team who I think is underachieving.  Griffin athleticism is unmatched for a guy of his size and he has no problem dunking on your head if you get in his way.  He still needs to develop a better perimeter game but his ability to rebound and finish around the rim is as good as it gets in the league.  He and Wall are really going to battle it out for Rookie of the Year this year.

Hot and Slow Starts

The NBA season is off to a great start with a number of great starts from teams and players as well as a few disappointing starts to the season.

Hot Starts

Lakers-   The Lakers are looking like the 2-time defending champs and look to be even better than last year.  They are incredibly deep and will only get deeper once Bynum returns and Odom returns to the bench.  Blake and Barnes off the bench have done a great job and Shannon Brown has improved his game as well.  The Lakers are off to a 7-0 start on the year.

Hornets- the Hornets have been one of the surprising teams this year as they are also 7-0.  Chis Paul is off to a great start and the thing that has contributed to their hot start is their commitment to defense.  They are currently third in the league in points allowed.  Paul is averaging a double-double and David West is averaging 18 points a game.

Monta Ellis- With the Warriors being 5-2 much can be accredited to that record because of Ellis.  Averaging nearly 28 a game, Ellis is looking to win the scoring title at this rate.  He is also averaging nearly 3 steals and 4 assists a game.  Maybe he and Steph Curry will work out after all.

Slow Starts

Chris Bosh- Bosh can’t seem to get much going as of yet only average 14 points and 5 rebounds a game.  The Heat are playing a high tempo style and Bosh isn’t getting the looks like he used to in Toronto.  LeBron and Wade and crew need to find a way to get the big man more involved.

Rockets- I thought the Rockets would be much better than what their record currently indicates at 1-5.  They can’t seem to figure out how to use Yao Ming yet and their defense is horrendous as they are 29^th in points allowed.  They are a jump shooting team with Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin and need to figure out how to better use Yao in the future.

Brooke Lopez- Lopez is averaging nearly 19 points a game and 5 rebounds which are decent stats for him.  However, his shooting percentage is barely 40% which should be a lot higher for a post player.  He hasn’t been the defensive presence that coach Avery Johnson wants and is taking more shots this year than last year.

Website Promotion: NBA Status

For this blog post I would like to promote my own website.  My website can be found at http://nbastatus.webs.com/.  I really like my website as my website as a number of different things to offer my readers.  I like to think that my website is a great extension of my blog and that readers can enjoy both.  Some of the things that my website offers are articles, top NBA news, and a link to my Cafe Press store among others.

I have written a number of different articles that range from some opinion pieces to a How-To article as well as a few recommended readings.  Some of the opinion pieces that I wrote talk about the fall of LeBron James as well as how David Stern has affected the NBA.  I also wrote about the rise of Kevin Durant.  I wrote an article to help my readers who may happen to be basketball players learn how to get that consistent shooting stroke.  Some of my recommended readings include books by Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson.

My Cafe Press store includes a large assortment of shirts, sweatshirts, and other merchandise that features the name of the website and blog.  Due to restrictions, I can’t sell anything with the name of NBA on it so I substituted it with Professional Basketball.  Hopefully I can design a logo in the near future and sell merchandise that features.

I also include a privacy policy page that discusses all of the legal aspects of my website.  My about us page describes who I am in more detail and discusses my experiences and how I obtained my NBA knowledge.  I also have a link named Contact Us that allows readers to fill out a form to contact me and ask me questions.  I have also included a link where people can donate to my site.

I encourage all my readers to check out my website and read my articles that I have written and donate to the cause if they are willing.

My Top 10 Current NBA Players

These are my top 10 NBA players in the league at the moment.  This list is certainly my opinion as many people have a hard time deciding who the best players in the league are at the moment. 

1.  Kobe Bryant- Many people want LeBron here but until LeBron shows that killer instinct I think Kobe hangs on to the spot.

2.  LeBron James- Would be #1 if we ranked in terms of athleticism but the lack of a killer instinct and lesser shooting ability compared to Kobe puts him at 2.

3.  Kevin Durant- Scary to believe that at such a young age he is as good as good as he is.  An absolute beast on the offensive side that can score in so many ways.  Needs to sure up on that defense and use his length more.

4.  Dwayne Wade- An overall great talent who is tremendously gifted and can certainly score.  Would like to see him become a better defender but can offensively take over the game at any time.

5.  Carmelo Anthony- Surprised he hasn’t been traded with because of his talent but ‘Melo is great scorer and such a tough player to defend.  Attitude can be a problem at times though.

6.  Dwight Howard- A tremendous defender and rebounder, Howard will probably win the Defensive Player of the Year for years to come.  Still continues to lack a strong offensive game but is working hard to improve.

7.  Chris Paul- Arguably the best PG in the game, Paul combines great scoring along with an amazing ability to pass the ball.  Doesn’t have much help in New Orleans but continues to put up great numbers.

8.  Pau Gasol- A surprise man on the list to some but I think Gasol is probably the most skilled big man in the league and can hurt you in so many ways.  A great back to the basket scorer but can also face up and shoot the mid -range jumper.

9.  Deron Williams- Close race between him and Paul as the best PG in the league, Deron is a much better player offensively.  I think Paul is a better defender and scorer compared to Deron.

10.  Dirk Nowitzki- Might be the best shooter in the history of the NBA in regards to his size.  Can light it up every night and can beat you in a number of different ways.  Not much of a defender despite his size however.

Honorable Mention- So many guys could of made those last 3 spots on the top 10 including Amare Stoudemire, Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, and Tim Duncan.

I am sure there are many people who don’t agree with my top 10, but this is how I feel it breaks down when looking at all aspects of the game and not just scoring.