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NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

By Joe Boikess | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Dwight Howard - Keith Allison/Flickr.com

It's been two weeks since the last edition of my power rankings, where the East's mighty trio of Boston, Cleveland and Orlando took the top three spots. But that was last year, and now that 2008 has come and gone, it's time for a new leader: the Lakers. There was plenty of repositioning elsewhere as well, including the Detroit Pistons re-entering the top-10 for the first time since mid-November.1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-5) - Technically the Lakers are still a half-game behind the Celtics for the NBA's best record, but after L.A. beat Boston pretty convincingly on Christmas Day, then downed both Utah and Portland by double digits, there's no question who should be #1.2. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6) - LeBron couldn't rally the Cavs past the Heat last week on his birthday despite dropping 24 of his 38 in the second half, and I can forgive him for that. But...

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NBA Stock Market: Stuckey Has Pistons Pushing Forward

By Joe Boikess | January 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Tayshaun Prince is Detroit's most consistent player (Photo via flickr.com/Jeffrey Simms Photography)

Every week here at NBA Outsider we look at which teams and players are hot and who's not from the Association. Here's the contenders for the first week of 2009...Rising:Detroit Pistons - Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess have all missed time recently for Detroit, yet the Pistons have somehow found a way to win seven in a row. Their latest win came on Sunday night when a last-second Allen Iverson floater was goaltended by the Clippers' Al Thornton to give Detroit the 88-87 win. A big part of their success has been the play of Rodney Stuckey, who is averaging just under 23 points per game during their seven-game winning streak. The Pistons are 13-3 with Stuckey as the starting point guard, and it clearly seems obvious at this point that he'll be sticking around.Kevin Martin (Kings) - Martin had missed 22 of Sacramento's first 24 games with...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, NBA, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz

News-Herald: Cavs Interested In Gerald Wallace?

By Amar Panchmatia | December 30, 2008 | Cavalier Attitude

When you look at the 26-4 Cleveland Cavaliers, you don't find too many weaknesses.Yeah, there's the question of good depth and help off the bench. There's the question of the aging frontcourt and the need for a young big to help pick it up for Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace.But you don't think of the backcourt as being a problem - not even a tiny one. Which is why recent rumblings about the Cavs possibly having interest in Charlotte swingman Gerald Wallace is quite a stunner: "Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace's name remains out there on the trading block. He'd look great coming off the bench for the Cavs. Could they pry him loose by trading Eric Snow, Sasha Pavlovic and Tarence Kinsey? Pavlovic's deal reportedly has just $1 million guaranteed next year, which the Cavs could pay." The story was also picked up by RealGM, which posted a link to...

Read more | 8 Comments | Tags: Ben Wallace, Bob Finnan, Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Daniel Gibson, Danny Ferry, Delonte West, Eric Snow, Gerald Wallace, LeBron James, Mike Brown, Mo Williams, Sasha Pavlovic, Tarence Kinsey, Wally Szczerbiak's Expiring Contract

Ranking the top ten players 6'0" tall and under

By Stu Holdren | December 27, 2008 | NBA Noise

The NBA is a league of giant men, but it is the little guys who we often find the most endearing. Maybe is that us "average Joes" can relate to being the little guy, or even live vicariously through the short players in the league. Some of everyone's favorite absurdly small, but productive Lilliputians included the 5'3" Mugsy Bogues and the 5'7" Spud Webb - a former Slam Dunk Contest winner. Currently, there are 17 players on active NBA rosters who are 6'0" or less. While I don't even believe that many of these guys are as tall as they say they are, let's take a look at the top 10.1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets, 6'0" CP3 is undeniably one of the best players in the whole league. Even at only 6'0", people generally don't associate him with his diminutive stature. Maybe that is because of the diverse skill...

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Aaron Brooks, Allen Iverson, Charlotte Bobcats, Chris Paul, D.J. Augustin, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Jameer Nelson, Jose Barea, Kyle Lowry, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Sebastian Telfair, T.J. Ford

Another Statement: Cavs Dump Rockets, 99-90, in "Playoff Atmosphere"

By Amar Panchmatia | December 24, 2008 | Cavalier Attitude

Highlights ll BoxTrack of the night: Zion I - Silly Puddy (f. The Grouch)What you saw from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night should convince you that this team is ready to win a championship - a championship that has eluded this franchise in its 38-year existence and a championship that has eluded the city for 44 years and counting.Beating the Houston Rockets is no small task for the Cavs. Every team has that one team out there that gives them all sorts of trouble and is a thorn on their side no matter what. For the Cavs, it's Houston."That was a heavyweight fight," said LeBron James afterward. "It felt like a playoff game."The Rockets are a mirror image of the Cavs. Both clubs are based on the principles of a tough team defense with players who know their roles on both sides of the floor inside and out. Both...

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: Anderson Varejao, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Mike Brown, Mo Williams, Orlando Magic, Rick Adelman, Ron Artest, Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Washington Wizards, Yao Ming, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

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

NBA Studs and Duds: 12/15/08

By Stu Holdren | December 15, 2008 | NBA Noise

Studs:Jameer Nelson, Orlando MagicNelson spearheaded the Magic's second-half scoring onslaught as he dropped 23 points in the second half to finish the game with 32. Nelson was also 5 of 9 from downtown and chipped in 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in a Magic win over Golden State. Not a bad day at the office for Jameer. [boxscore]J.R. Smith, Denver NuggetsAlthough Smith is the definition of an inconsistent player, he was on top of his game tonight. Smith was highly efficient, knocking down 11 of 17 shots to lead the Nuggets with 25 points off the bench. When Smith is on the Nuggets are a difficult team to handle, so he is an 'X-factor' every night. [boxscore]Duds:The Charlotte Bobcats backcourtIt's difficult to describe how ineffective the Bobcats' backcourt was tonight. Amongst their three primary backcourt players (Raja Bell, Raymond Felton, D.J. Augustin) shot an abysmal 10 of 34...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Charlotte Bobcats, D.J. Augustin, Denver Nuggets, J.R. Smith, Jameer Nelson, NBA, Orlando Magic, Raja Bell, Raymond Felton, Studs and Duds

NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

By Joe Boikess | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Dwight Howard - Keith Allison/Flickr.com

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NBA Stock Market: Stuckey Has Pistons Pushing Forward

By Joe Boikess | January 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Tayshaun Prince is Detroit's most consistent player (Photo via flickr.com/Jeffrey Simms Photography)

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, NBA, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz

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

NBA Stock Market: Spurs back among the West's elite

By Joe Boikess | December 11, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Tim Duncan posts up Big Baby (flickr.com/Lorianne DiSabato)

Here's this week's risers and fallers from around the NBA...Rising:San Antonio Spurs - This team's 2-5 start to the season sure does seem like it happened ages ago. As of today San Antonio has won four games in a row and is back to being in the thick of the Southwest Division. In the last week the Spurs have gotten wins in Denver and Dallas in addition to cruising to home wins over the Warriors and Hawks. Manu Ginobili returned to his usual role as sixth man extraordinaire, while Tim Duncan continues to be virtually unguardable. San Antonio might not contend with the Lakers for the West's top seed in the playoffs, but they have as good of a chance as any team to finish as high as second.Carmelo Anthony - Last night's Nuggets-Timberwolves game probably didn't get a whole lot of viewers outside of the Denver and Minneapolis areas,...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, Elton Brand, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Outsider, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs

NBA Roundtable: Breaking down Wednesday's trades

By Michael De Leon | December 11, 2008 | MVN Outsider

I got a chance to talk to Ryne Nelson of SLAMonline, Stu Holdren of NBA Noise, Zach Harper of TalkHoops and Ben of Ben's Suns Blog about the two trades that sent eight players packing and on flights to their new NBA homes Wednesday.The biggest trade had the Phoenix Suns sending Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and Sean Singletary in exchange for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second round pick.In the other trade, the Wizards acquired Mike James from the Hornets and Javaris Crittenton from the Grizzlies, while the Hornets get Antonio Daniels from the Wizards. Memphis comes away with a future first round pick.Listen in as we talk about the winners and losers, how this trade affects each team, and if Jason Richardson can help get the Suns over the hump and into the finals. Oh and we have some not too kind words about Mike James as...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: audio, Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Outsider, New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards

NBA 2008-9: Who Will Break Out, Who Will Break Down

By Bijan Bayne | October 7, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Each NBA season features a few performers who exceed previous performances or expectations, and others who demonstrate that they are no longer able to contribute at the level to which we and they have become accustomed. Which players will cross either the positive or negative threshold this season, any why? Comers: LaMarcus Aldridge, F, Portland Trailblazers- While a 17.8 scoring clip and 7.6 rebounds�are nothing to sneeze at, L.A. accomplished these things in a lineup where much more was asked of him than will be this season. The reason, of course, is that Greg Oden will be patrolling the pivot. Aldridge will continue to display his considerable defensive gifts, and blossom as a scorer, but free of primary responsibilties to police the lane. His defensive assignments will change. Their will be help when opponents penetrate. There will be more possessions and fast breaks triggered by Oden's rebounds and blocked shots....Read more

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats, Clippers, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, Trail Blazers, Warriors

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