Hoopdarshan Episode 63: Warriors-Cavaliers Part IV Preview with Thejas Balaraman

The entire lifetime of Hoopdarshan - India's top basketball podcast - has had a singular inevitability: Warriors vs. Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. For the fourth consecutive time, the two franchises meet again, meaning more Steph, more LeBron, more Durant, and Klay and Green(s), and Love and even JR & Swaggy P! Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok invite Episode 63 guest Thejas Balaraman to wrap-up the Conference Finals & make our predictions for the Finals ahead!



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

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A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Counting down the top 10 must-watch players for the 2015-16 NBA Season

This feature was first published in my column for Ekalavyas on November 6, 2015. Click here to read the original article.

The new NBA season brings with it a new set of intrigue, drama, ambitions, and storylines. Basketball is first and foremost a team game, but in the NBA, it is the individual stories that truly elevate our sense of connection with the league and bring fans back thirsting for more. We obsess over the legacies of great players, we cringe when they come up short, sob when they’re injured, celebrate when they return, and scream in delight when they finally win a championship.

In a league full of must-watch personalities and stories, there are a few that stand head and shoulders above the rest. This is the league within a league of extraordinary gentlemen. Keep your eyes peeled for the intrigues, twists, and turns that these individuals traverse through for the next six to eight months. This isn’t a ranking of the NBA’s best players (you can find my contribution on this season’s SLAM Top 50 for that!); this is a ranking of the stories you can’t afford to miss.

10. Andrew Wiggins

A week ago, I made an outlandish prediction on the Hoopdarshan NBA Preview podcast that the Minnesota Timberwolves – the NBA’s worst team last season – will climb to eighth seed in the West. It’s the sort of dumb risk that could potentially rob me of all my crumbs of credibility and have a multitude of trolls destroying my online life. Or alternatively, it could make me look like a foreshadowing genius. There were a lot of reasons for my Wolves overrating: Ricky Rubio has returned healthy, Kevin Garnett – in perhaps the last season of his storied career – is shouting advice and blocking your practice shots. Number one pick Karl-Anthony Towns started the season looking like a completed project already. The supporting cast of Kevin Martin, Zach LaVine, Nemanja Bjelica, and Nikola Pekovic looks half-decent.

But the biggest reason for my projected T-Wolves jump is second-year swingman and reigning rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins. Every season, there seems to be one player that takes the leap from being a ‘prospect’ to a ‘superstar’ (see: George, Paul or Butler, Jimmy). I believe that Wiggins will take that leap this season. Wiggins has the talent to become one of the top wing players in the league and his ability on the defensive end ensures that he always earns ample playing time. As the season progresses, watch for Wiggins to blossom into a better player, realize the limitlessness of his own talents, and unleash hellfire on to the rest of the league. The future is very, very bright.

9. Kevin Love

Who is Kevin Love? Is he the slightly chubby rookie who was deemed tradeable on 2008 Draft Night for OJ Mayo? Is he the same guy who defied critics to become the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2011? Is he the person who wins rebound titles, three-point shootouts, and averages 26 and 12 for a season? Or is he only a numbers-monger, a classic good player on a bad team, high on stats but low on overall impact for a winning team? Is he a top 10 player in the league? Or is he a star who may never lead a team to the playoffs by himself?

Last season was Love’s chance to answer these questions once and for all. He was traded to the Cavaliers in exchange for Andrew Wiggins to join LeBron James’ return quest to finally bring a championship to his homeland. Instead, team chemistry (fitting out instead of fitting in) and a playoff injury (thanks for nothing, Kelly Olynyk) suspended the answers a little longer. Love’s first season for the Cavs was forgotten. Now, as he returns healthy and loaded with an extension to his contract, he will once again attempt to answer those questions. Is he overrated? Underrated? Overpaid? Underpaid? A perennial loser? Or a champion?

8. Derrick Rose

The youngest-ever MVP, a force of nature who brought intensity and pound-for-pound toughness to evoke memories of Allen Iverson, a player of passion and fury, and a Chicagoan in every sense of the word. Two and a half years ago, it seemed that Derrick Rose was heading to a legacy of greatness, en route to becoming one of the top players of the decade. And then came the injuries: the ACL tear, the torn meniscus, the hamstrings, and even the recent orbital fracture. Rose seemed curse, and off the court, his comments and controversies suddenly turned this much-loved young star into a figure of pity and annoyance.

He’s back (again). He’s 27. He’s rusty, but he’s healthy. If you’re a Rose fan, you’ve probably been jilted so often by his almost-comebacks that even you don’t believe them anymore. It doesn’t matter, because it seems that Rose never stopped believing in himself. So he’s back, now as perhaps the second-best player in his own backcourt (after Jimmy Butler), but the one player in the one team with a real opportunity to shake up the LeBron Dynasty in the Eastern Conference. He’s back on the court to aim for his top once again; whether he succeeds or he fails, it’ll definitely be a lot of fun to watch him try.

7. Tim Duncan

What more does the NBA’s greatest power forward ever, the most accomplished player in the league since Michael Jordan, have left to prove? Duncan has won five NBA titles in six Finals appearances over the past 16 years, been a three-time Finals MVP, a two-time MVP, a 15-time All Star, and has won over 70 percent of NBA games in an astonishingly dominant 18-year stretch. Now in his 19th season, as ever in the Spurs’ jersey that has become synonymous with his name, Tim Duncan returns as one of the NBA’s oldest players (39) for perhaps one last shot at the title.

While the keys to San Antonio’s destiny now rest firmly in the hands of Kawhi Leonard and new signing LaMarcus Aldridge, my eyes will be on Duncan as he approaches the end of the road. By the end of the NBA season, Duncan would’ve turned 40. He would’ve played a smaller role for the Spurs than ever before, but he would still be around schooling ignorant young’uns in the post offensively or positioning at an elite level defensively. The future is unclear, but if this is indeed the living legend’s final NBA season, it will be fascinating to see him lay everything on the line for one last hurrah.

6. Anthony Davis

On Grantland (RIP), Zach Lowe called Anthony Davis ‘Mr Limitless’, a perfect moniker for a 22-year-old superstar who is both the present of the league and its future. Davis is booming with talent, and is easily the NBA’s most valuable trade chip right now. He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s uber-talented, and he’s healthy. He finished the previous season with one of the highest PER’s of All Time and he’s still got over a decade of dominance left in him. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and a league-best 2.9 blocks per game. He could only get better.

Watching Davis test his limits will continue to be one of the most intriguing storylines of the season. His future is an empty slate, and he has the potential of filling it up however the need be. Will he become a Duncan prototype or the new-generation Garnett? Will he dominate the post or the perimeter? Will he be the NBA’s leading scorer or the Defensive Player of the Year? Will he be all of the above? The options are limitless.

5. Kobe Bryant

After 19 years in the NBA (longest ‘one team, one player’ tenure), five championships, an MVP award, 17 All Star games, Olympic triumphs, popularity on every corner of the globe, and that one night he scored 81, The Black Mamba is now 37 and transformed into more myth than man. Gone are the days when he challenged to be the league’s finest and carried his team into title contention. Now, Kobe is one of the NBA’s creaky senior citizens, coming off a couple of injury-plagued seasons, and is further plagued by the rebuilt of the team around him.

This was not the way that one of the game’s greatest ever players hoped to ride into the sunset. Will this be Kobe’s last season in the NBA? And if so, what will be the last basketball entry into our box-full of Kobe memories. For better or worse, his thoughts and actions both on and off the court have shaped NBA history over the last two decades and inspired multitudes around the world. Even in a season of potential despair, fans shouldn’t miss their last chance – maybe – of watching Kobe fight against the inevitability of Father Time.

4. Russell Westbrook

Watch him play with the fury of a rabid dog on a mission to destroy every breathing soul in his path. Watch him post 40-point nights back to back to back like it’s a savage stroll in the park. Watch him do that while also setting triple-double records. Watch him average 30-point triple doubles for an entire month. Watch him be the human equivalent of ‘basketball cocaine’, a one-man force of nature that descends upon helpless opponents like a tornado. Watch him run past opposing elite point guards as if they were nothing but scared matadors. Watch him score 50. Watch him challenge for the NBA’s scoring title. Watch him when he plays like an MVP. Watch him scream at the top of his lungs. Watch him for his emotional outbursts. Watch him for his athletic prowess. Watch him dunk, watch him shoot, watch him block, and watch him pass. Watch him make game-winning shots. Watch him challenge for a title.

Just watch him.

3. LeBron James

The story has been told multiple times. Small town boy becomes the top draft pick of his home-state squad, a suffering team in a city with a history of failure but expectations of success. Soon enough, the small town boy becomes the best player in the game and gives that team an outside sniff of that ever-eluding success. But he becomes disenchanted by his near-misses and leaves the small town to team up with better players in a bigger city. He is hated, he is booed, he loses; he is loved, he is adored, he wins. And then, four years after his own success played out as a mirror opposite to the failures of his home team, he returns home.

LeBron James – he of four MVP awards, two championships, five consecutive Finals appearances, and an early spot booked in the pantheon of basketball’s greatest – returned to Cleveland last season to share his talents with the place he calls ‘Home’ and bring a title to the Cavaliers. Branded as one of the greatest even as a teenager, LeBron has lived up to most expectations and answered nearly every question asked of his career – except one: can he bring an NBA title to Cleveland? Once again, reloaded with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving on his wings, he will try to achieve his lifelong mission. With his own legacy and the legacy of the Cavaliers on the line, this mission will be one of the stories of the NBA season.

2. Stephen Curry

Last season, many called him lucky, despite the fact that he broke shooting records without breaking a sweat, led his squad to 67 wins on a historically great point differential, defeated every other member of the All NBA team in the playoffs, and won an NBA championship. He sat atop the NBA throne, but many believed that this throne had been given away, not earned.

‘Many’ are wrong. Stephen Curry is one of the finest players in the NBA, and he just happens to be in his absolute prime right now. Single-handedly, Curry’s shooting, dribbling, and passing sprees have the ability to entertain and devastate with equal measure. NBA defences don’t yet have an answer for him, and by the looks of his early season success, no solution seems forthcoming. Curry deserved his MVP award and rapid rise to stardom last season, and going forward, he deserves to be in the conversation of the greatest players of the current era. Every Warriors game should be circled as must-watch TV for the rest of the year. This is a team aiming for 70 wins and another title, led by a player with the ability to score 70 if the night is right. Need I say more?

1. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is one of the NBA’s top players right now with the skillset of becoming one of the greatest ever. He had already confirmed his place next to LeBron as the most devastating force in the league before turning the dial all the way up to 11 in the 2013-14 season. Durant made that year his fourth scoring title (32 ppg) while also amassing 7.4 rpg and a career-best 5.5 assists per game. He shot over 50 percent from the field and largely in the absence of Westbrook and carried the Thunder en route to an MVP award. Last year was supposed to be a continuation of his growing prowess, but a Jones fracture put a pause to the ascent and placed uncertainty over his future.

Now, Durant’s career stands at a tipping point. He’s 27, and has come up short of his ultimate goal due to youth or injury every year. He’s also in his contract year and has been silent about his future in Oklahoma City. He’s playing for a new coach in the toughest Western Conference pile-up in years. Next summer, he’s going to be the NBA’s biggest free agent since 2010 LeBron. And meanwhile, his own teammate could challenge him for an MVP trophy. Early shines this season show that Durant is still a wizard on the court (pun intended) as he returns healthy back into the Thunder lineup. This season will define the path for the rest of his career. And this is why he’s the biggest story of the 2015-16 NBA season.

No Strings Attached: Who are the top NBA free agents available this summer?

The season of basketball is over, but the season of business is just about to begin. July 1 will mark the beginning of free agency, when a number of contracts of top NBA players will expire and there will be a several restricted or unrestricted free agents on the market. How many of these players will be wearing different NBA jerseys in a few months? Here is my look at the top free agents this summer, where I also predict the chances of them changing teams this offseason.

Check out my full feature on SportsKeeda.

The Kingsmen: Meet the role players in Cleveland stepping up around ‘King James’

‘King James’ stands nearly alone with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love injured. While the Warriors fire from all cylinders, the mammoth task of keeping the Cavs competitive in the Finals has fallen heavily on LeBron’s shoulders. Playing almost every position on the floor and having his hands over all of the Cavaliers’ activity on both ends, LeBron has been phenomenal. He’s currently averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game in the Finals and already has two triple-doubles in the series to go with three 40-point games.

However, as good as he’s been, LeBron has needed his underrated teammates to step up to the plate and play their role in Cleveland’s fight-back. The Cavaliers have indeed managed to win two games against the mighty Warriors and could force a Game 7 if they win tomorrow. Here are the ‘Kingsmen’ who have surrounded him in this injury-riddled playoffs campaign so far.

Click here to read the full feature on SportsKeeda.

Detour: Will Andrew Wiggins make Cleveland regret?

Andrew Wiggins was picked number one by the Cavaliers, but with LeBron James 'coming home', Cleveland traded him to Minnesota for Kevin Love. There could have hardly been a crazier way for Wiggins to begin his NBA journey – now, he has a chance to turn the shape this fantastic journey ahead on his own terms.

Click here to read full feature

The Next Reign: Who snatches the NBA’s next MVP trophy after the LeBron-Durant era.

Who is the most likely candidate to snag the MVP trophy away from the LeBron-Durant two-headed monster? I’m here to take a peer forward into the near future to identify the future stars of the league, and who among them will have the best chance of starting a new reign at the top of the league’s player standings.

Click here to read full feature.

A Weekend of Stars – and Damian Lillard: Predicting the 2014 All Star Weekend

Taking part in a record five events, Damian Lillard will by default become the most-mentioned name listed literally, everywhere, but will he be the most successful? With revamped energy (word to the new Commissioner) in all the All Star programmes – particularly for the Slam Dunk Contest – it’s promising to be a big year for the event all around. Here is my preview and some bold predictions looking forward to the NBA All Star Weekend.

Click here to read full feature.

Playoff Blues: The NBA’s top five players to have never made a playoff appearance

The NBA would be a whole different world if legacies and greatness was measured on the performance of the regular season alone. Unfortunately for many – it isn’t. The regular season is just heating up the oven and aligning of the positions, the real fun and games begin with the playoffs. Which is why no amount of All Star appearances or big stats can be a substitute for a role in a post-season game.

Here are NBA’s five best players at this very moment who – despite their talent and achievements – have yet to qualify for the playoffs.

Click here to read full feature.

Whole Lotta Love: Kevin Love is back - and looking like he never left

This feature was first published in the 122nd edition (2014 - No. 1) of SLAM China magazine. Here is my original English version of the story.

The NBA surveys the General Managers of all 30 of their teams before the season begins, polling them on topics such as the most-likely champions, the most-likely MVP, the best players at every position, the most improved team, and more. One of the (frankly, quiet ridiculous) questions on the survey annually has been “Which players makes the most of their limited natural ability?” to ‘reward’ the guy who does the most with the least talent. And for the third consecutive year, that dubious ‘honour’ went to Minnesota’s Kevin Love.

On his Twitter account, Love laughed off the backhanded compliment – or the glorified insult – after being praised for his lack of talent. But his reaction ultimately opened up a can of worms, and paved the way for a more philosophical thought: what, exactly, is ‘natural ability’? What is talent?

Two years ago, Kevin Love was on the fast lane to superstardom, maturing as one of the best power forwards in the NBA and developing into a unique talent that could lead the league in rebounds and win a three-point shooting competition as well. But after breaking his hand twice last season and missing 64 games, the breakout was put on hold. The NBA’s reigning ‘player who makes the most of their limited natural ability’ was limited even further.

But at the start of the current season, memories of the injury-riddled year were quickly replaced with awe and wonder. Love started the season in historic fashion: through the first nine games of the season, Love averaged 27.1 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 2.3 three-pointers a game. He became the first player in NBA history with 240 points, 125 rebounds and 45 assists after nine games. After the first month of the season, Love continued his surge as the top rebounder in the league, as well as finding his name amongst the NBA’s top five players in the efficiency rating.

Pouring in stats has never been a challenge for Love. Here is a player who once had 31 points and 31 rebounds in the same game. Who had the longest streak of double-doubles (53) since the ABA-NBA merger. Who is well on his way to shattering several statistical records, and creating several new ones.

Despite all the on court production, Love gets underrated, complimented for his achievements with a patronizing pat on the back for being able to do it supposedly with lesser natural ability. We could credit hard work and training of course, but if being able to do what he does on a nightly basis isn’t ability, then what is it?

So, sure Love doesn’t boast the speed of a John Wall, the strength of a Dwight Howard, the leaping ability of Blake Griffin, or the combination of athletic talents that LeBron James has been blessed with. Those are what traditionalists define as ‘natural abilities’. Love’s abilities are different, but no means lesser.

Love has an uncanny sense of positioning on both ends of the floor, always finding himself at the right place at the right time to grab any loose ball or a rebound. Rebounding is an elite art, where only the toughest survive, and one just doesn’t become one of the top rebounders of their generation without having the natural ability to do so.

And for a player who spends so much effort battling for the boards, Love has the unlikely skill of also stretching the floor like a shooting guard. Any opponent daring to defend him has to be strong enough to handle him in the post and quick enough to chase him to the perimeter. Love has become an elite scorer overall, a near-guarantee to drop 20-25 points on any given night. He is also improving as a passer, with assists numbers nearly doubled this season (4.1) compared to his career numbers (2.1). Those outlet passes have earned some classic Wes Unseld comparisons.

Love’s work on the defensive end is still a work in process, but a player with his strength, agility, and more importantly, his incredible will to become the best, can surely grow to become one of the top tier defensive players in the league in the future.

There is another, and more important blemish on Love’s career so far, one which he won’t simply laugh off with a joke on Twitter. Despite his burgeoning superstar status, Love has yet to play a single playoff game in his five year career. He may rank as the best active player in the league today without post-season experience. Playing in the stacked Western Conference hasn’t helped his chances, and although the Minnesota Timberwolves had a decent start to the season, they had settled to .500 mediocrities for the season at the time of writing. That may have been good enough for home court advantage in the weaker East; out West, the T-Wolves will have to continue sharpening their edges to turn those close losses into victories and close the gap against the top teams.

Luckily, this year, Coach Rick Adelman has the roster to do just that. With Rubio and Love finally healthy together, Minnesota can begin to find inside-outside cohesion as the season progresses. In Kevin Martin, the team has found the ideal dead-eye shooter to compliment Rubio on the back-court, and Martin has responded by having a career-best start to the season. In the post along with Love stands strongman Nikola Pekovic, who is quickly developing into a dominating force on both ends of the floor and commands the inside whenever Love stretches the floor to shoot from the three-point line.

But it’s Love who can make or break the fortunes of this team. He is the center-piece, and on a good day, can see the NBA’s best players eye-to-eye. For Minnesota to bolt up the standings, he will have to have those good days every day.

In the long run, the Timberwolves have another worry. Love’s contract has an opt-out clause, and while Minnesota concern themselves with the hope of keeping him, every other team with cap space and a bigger market will be wooing him to their shores. The answer to all questions is winning: Love can either move to a winning team or make his current team into winners. The key to both outcomes lie in his own hands for now. And the eyes of the rest of the league will closely keeping watch.

One thing’s for sure: if Love continues to play at an elite level, the honours will eventually have to change, from the overachiever with limited abilities, to one of the most talented players in the NBA.

Challengers to the Throne: Who can snatch the MVP award from LeBron?

It will take a mammoth effort by another superstar to end LeBron James' MVP streak. But as Derrick Rose proved in 2011, however difficult it may seem to dethrone The NBA’s King, it is certainly not impossible. Chasing a three-peat more than a personal accolade, LeBron may take his foot off the pedal a little this season, and give an opening to more motivated players. His lead at the head of the pack isn’t secured, and if has any missteps, there are a horde of capable and motivated players hungry to shoot for the top spot.

Here are the top contenders for LeBron James’ MVP crown this season.

Click here to read full feature.

Everybody Hurts: The NBA's Injury Crisis

Russell Westbrook’s name has only been added to a growing list of NBA stars watching from the sidelines this season, which includes Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger, David Lee, Danilo Gallinari, and many more. Put those names together in full health and you have a squad that can challenge any NBA All Star team. The growing number of these injuries had already been a serious problem across the league, but now as Westbrook goes down, the alarm bells start ringing even louder. If it can happen to Iron Man – the durable, young, and healthy talent like him – it can happen to anyone.

Click here to read full feature.

OJ Mayo: No Surprises

OJ Mayo’s brief basketball career has taken more tumbles and more rises and falls than an oscillating sound wave. If you told a Mayo fan in 2007 that he would playing at an All Star level in the NBA in 2012, you wouldn’t be met with surprise. From earning comparisons to Kobe Bryant as a high-schooler to an underwhelming start to his NBA career before skyrocketing again… The surprise isn’t the destination where he is currently at, but the journey which he took to arrive at that destination.

Click here to read full article

Superballers

NBA players – in terms of their freakish talent and personalities – are a little like superheroes, too. They are colourful, larger than life, they carry the hopes of millions of fervent supporters, and they can be more-than-capable of some super-stuff every once in a while. Just like the myth of superheroes has drawn them out to be idolised as the perfect human beings, NBA players are idolised as perfect basketball players.

I bring you my list of top 10 superheroes and the NBA players who most match them. Which one of these ‘Superballers’ would you pick to come and save the day (or your favourite team)?

Click here for full feature.

NBA 2012/13: 21 questions… And a thorough preview of the new season

Don’t listen to anything the Mayans told you about 2012. The new season is here, and it’s going to bring a whole lot more sunshine to our lives. I say Bah! Humbug! to all the pessimism. It’s the start of the new NBA season and no amounts of freezing cold weather, Sandy-like hurricanes, corrupt politicians, or doomsday preppers can douse my enthusiasm.

So before the league tips off tonight I present to you 21 questions that have been brewing most in my mind about the new NBA year, and then, in my season preview, perhaps attempt to predict some of those answers.

Click here for full feature!

Dreaming up a Team: USA 2012 ‘What If’ Squad

If all the talent was willing and available, USA could’ve fielded one of the greatest basketball squads of all time in 2012.

So I’m going to pretend to be Jerry Colangelo – the director of USA Basketball, and the man responsible for building the team – for a while. I’m going to pretend that every injured player was healthy, every old player willing to sacrifice his body for the team, every young player given a chance, and no other players unfairly ignore. I’m going to reconstruct the team as I see fit based on talent and a winning system. I’m going to imagine a team that could be really capable of beating the 1992 Dream Team.

Click here to read full feature.

The New Wolfpack

The off-season is an exciting time, because everything we know is conjecture and hypothesis, and thus an optimistic fan can choose to believe that everything will be right until proven wrong. Love, Rubio, Roy, Kirilenko and others could end up becoming another failed David Kahn experiment. Or the new wolfpack could live up to their potential and make the 2012-13 Timberwolves one of the most exciting teams in the league.

Click here to read full article

Kevin, Kobe, & Kyrie: Special ‘Ks’ leave a mark at the All Star Weekend

Kevin Durant won the All Star MVP Award. Kobe Bryant broke Michael Jordan’s All Star scoring record and had his own nose broken. Kevin Love won the three-point shootout. Kyrie Irving was the best young star amongst a host of young guns at the Rising Stars competition. And a certain ‘King’ James – for his brilliance and for his mistakes – made some headlines in Orlando during the mid-season festivities.

Click here to read full article

NBA Playoffs- The Best Absentees

The playoffs are now only days away and I'm sure that if you're like me, you're barely able to sit still with all the potential drama that's going to follow in the NBA's postseason. But like every postseason, there are always those who aren't good enough to make it. 14 of the NBA's 30 teams are going fishing early, and some of these 14 teams have serious talent, too.

In the playoffs, we will get a chance to watch the likes of Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and many, many more stars... But before we splurge into the future and see who amongst these will rule the roast, let's take a moment to celebrate those whose season has already ended.

Steve Nash - Suns: Steve Nash is once again going to be the league leader in assists, and its a shame that he will not be able to step into the postseason to battle once more. The 2-time MVP perhaps saw his finest moment last year when he took the Suns to only a few games away from the NBA Finals. Ever since, Amar'e Stoudemire left and the team has been subpar at best without him. Of course, the 37-year-old point guard's efforts are not to be blamed, as he continues to be one of the strongest players not making an appearance in the post-season.

Deron Williams - Nets: Oh, poor Deron... Remember him? Just last year he was considered to be perhaps the best point guard in the league. With a mid-season trade to New Jersey, went from a team contesting for a playoff spot to one just hoping to not be the league's worst. His departure saw Utah plummet away playoff contention too, but this perennial playoff superstar will be missed this post-season.

Kevin Love - Timberwolves: Yes, Love has never made the playoffs before, and no, there wasn't even a chance for the lowly T-Wolves to make it this year, but he is the league leader in rebounds - that has to count for something, right? Hopefully we'll see his hustle in the playoffs soon in the near future.

Blake Griffin - Clippers: Along with Deron Williams, Kevin Love, and Yao Ming, Griffin is the fourth all-star this season not in the playoffs. Too bad, because the electrifying rookie would've been the toast of the league for a couple of games. At least he'll be able to drown his sorrows with the Rookie of the Year trophy.

Monta Ellis - Warriors: Some believe Monta is only a few steps away from being one of the most talked-about players in the NBA. After all, he did spend the season averaging 24.1 ppg, which by the way, makes him the highest-scoring player not in the postseason.

Special Mention - Kevin Martin & Yao* (Rockets), Al Jefferson (Jazz), Stephen Curry & David Lee (Warriors), Brandon Jennings & Andrew Bogut (Bucks), John Wall (Wizards), Tyreke Evans (Kings).

*Yes, I had to mention Yao.

And then there are those who are missing due to injury; these guys have teams in playoff contention but we will probably not be seeing them in action this postseason - Caron Butler (Mavericks), David West (Hornets), Greg Oden (Trailblazers). Fans will be wishing to see the likes of Shaq (Celtics) and Udonis Haslem (Heat) return to their squads sometime in the course of the playoffs.

The NBA - where even the losers are pretty damn good!

Meet Me Halfway: Mid-Season predictions

It is now roughly halfway through the 2010-11 season, and you know what that calls for? Mid-Season predictions! Last year, cautious over all of the changes that might befall at the trade deadline, I waited till the end of Feb to make my mid-season predictions. This time around though, I'm going to take a brave plunge and do the predictions a month earlier, just to make the process fairer, math-wise.

Last year, I'm proud to say that I was correct in several categories. Lakers won the title, Kobe was Finals MVP, LeBron was MVP, Tyreke Evans was Rookie of the Year, Scott Brooks was Coach of the Year, Aaron Brooks won the Most Improved Player award, and Jamal Crawford was the sixth man of the year. The only category where I went way wrong was with the Defensive Player of the Year, as I underestimated eventual winner Dwight Howard by handing out my honours to Gerald Wallace instead. Of course, I also predicted that the Cavs will be in the NBA Finals. Ya, that was way, way, before a certain Game 5.

But again, I credit the late submission of my predictions for my accuracy. This year is going to be way, way tougher. LeBron's Decision and the Car-MeloDrama have raised a lot of questions about this season. Can James become MVP again, now that he shares his responsibilities with Dwyane Wade. Are Heat contenders? Are the Lakers worse. Should the Celtics never be doubted again. Why are the Spurs playing so well all of a sudden? Did anyone expect Derrick Rose and Amare Stoudemire to be THIS good? What about Magic/Mavericks/Thunder. And how will the end of the Carmelo Anthony saga (the end for this year = trade deadline) influence any predictions I make now?

So, very gingerly, I move on to my bold predictions for the 2010-11 season...

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Derrick Rose This year might be the most closely contested and most widely debated MVP race in my many years of NBA watching. There are at least 11 strong candidates, each of whom can put up a legitimate argument for the coveted award. And since it's such a close debate, I think they all deserve a shout-out.
Amar'e Stoudemire: The league's second-highest scorer. And he has transformed the lowly Knicks into a solid playoff team this season.
LeBron James: The stats leader in one of the best teams in the league. Heat have gone from being first-round fodder to potential title-challengers since his and Bosh's addition.
Dwyane Wade: LeBron's SuperTwin. James and Wade are Batman and Batman. Wade is playing equally well as LeBron is, which is why I argued that either both could be co-MVPs, or neither of them will get it.
Kobe Bryant: Still one of the best in the league in still one of the best teams in the league. Kobe and the Lakers have been ageless this season.
Dwight Howard: Never to be underestimated, as the only true mega-star in a great Magic team. The league's best post defender added a potent offensive arsenal, too.
Kevin Durant: His chances are hurt a bit, simply because of the rising play of Westbrook. But he's NBA's top scorer and Thunder are much better than last season.
Dirk Nowitzki: The Mavs were the NBA's second best team all of this season, until he got injured and they lost six in a row. That's a good argument for a second MVP award.
Manu Ginobili: A Spur HAS to be here. Spurs are terrific this season, currently on an NBA-best 36-6 record. Ginobili is the best player on the best team.
Rajon Rondo: A Celtic HAS to be here too. Too many options in Boston, but Rondo is the best/most consistent of them all.
Chris Paul: Has carried a very average Hornets team on his frail shoulders... They are still in the playoff hunt.
As you can see... A tough, tough challenge to predict this. But my vote goes to Derrick Rose. Rose has excelled in all the categories that the above players have done well in, and then some. He is averaging 24 and 8, leading the Bulls to third place in the East, and they have shown again and again the cojones to beat the league's best. Despite other teams' ups and downs (or in the case of Celtics/Spurs, their balanced ups), Bulls, led by Rose have done well when they have been without Carlos Boozer or without Joakim Noah.
That is why I vote Derrick Rose, 2010-11 NBA MVP.

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin From the toughest decision to the easiest one. Blake is not only the best rookie this year, he may be having the best rookie season for over a decade. Averaging 22.5 and 12.8, scoring regular 40 point games, posterising any and everyone that dare mess with him under the basket, and most importantly, making the Clippers (who have won 10 of 13) into a REAL threat. No debate here. John Wall and Landry Fields are having good years too, but they aren't good enough to stand in Blake's shadow.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard No one candidate stands head and shoulders above anyone, so I'm going with the safe choice here. Howard is the most consistent good defender in the league, and I think he will edge out Kevin Garnett, LeBron, Wade, Andrew Bogut, Kobe, and Josh Smith for this award.

Most Improved Player: Kevin Love Roy Hibbert of the Pacers looked like he was going to run away with this award earlier in the season, but Love has really made a case for himself halfway into the year. After averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds a game last season, he has picked his averages up to 21.5 ppg and 15.7 rpg, and he is the league's leading rebounder. Now THAT'S improvement.
But there are a lot of legit contenders for Love for this award too: Derrick Rose, if he wasn't an MVP candidate, Michael Beasley, if he wasn't Love's LESSER teammate, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Jrue Holiday, and Wesley Matthews are all in with a shout.

6th Man of the Year: Glen Davis That's right. Big Baby is finally going to get some respect coming his way. With Perkins out injured, KG and Shaq being missing a bunch of games, Jermaine O'Neal barely playing, it's been Davis who has had to carry the big man load often for the Celtics. And he has done if off the bench most of the time. He has nearly doubled his output this season, now averaging 12.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg.
Tyrus Thomas, last year's winner Jamal Crawford and perennial 6th man favourite Jason Terry have done well off the bench, too.

Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau Thibo (that's what I'm going to call him from now onwards to make life simpler for all) deserves to share the credit with Derrick Rose for Chicago's improved play. The former apprentice of Boston's Doc Rivers, Thibo has made this team into a defensive powerhouse, and has perfectly fitted in the new players that have joined the side. Erik Spoelstra (why do coaches have such hard to spell names?), Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan (he HAS to win one day, right? Right?) deserve to be mentioned in this race, too.

All NBA Team

G: Derrick Rose
G: Dwyane Wade
F: LeBron James
F: Amar'e Stoudemire
C: Dwight Howard

This list pretty much picked itself. And damn, it's a hell of a list.

All Rookie Team

G: John Wall
G: Landry Fields
F: Ed Davis
F: Blake Griffin
C: DeMarcus Cousins

I had a hard time finding a second forward for this team, Ed Davis will have to do. And I'm disappointed that Derrick Favors/Evan Turner haven't showed up yet.

Now, on to what I feel will be the Playoff Picture come May:

East

1. Heat
2. Celtics
3. Bulls
4. Magic
5. Hawks
6. Knicks
7. Bucks
8. 76ers

Since I'm Nostradamus (or Hoops-a-Damus) this is what's going to happen: Heat will chop open and each the 76ers, Celtics will molest the Bucks, Bulls and Knicks will be closer than most think, but Bulls will win in seven, and Hawks will revisit their nightmare, and just like last year, have no answer for the Magic.

In the second round, I expect Heat and Magic to play out an entertaining six or seven game series, but Heat's individual brilliance will take them past. Celtics should have little trouble beating the Bulls, despite Thibo and Doc River's similar ways, Celtics are saving themselves for this moment.

Conference Finals: Heat vs Celtics. THIS WILL BE EPIC. If there is anyone that knows how to thwart superstars, its Boston. If there are any superstars that know how to thwart defenses, it's Wade and James. It will take seven games, but Boston Celtics will be the last one's standing from the East.

West

1. Spurs
2. Lakers
3. Mavericks
4. Jazz
5. Thunder
6. Nuggets
7. Suns
8. Hornets

I see a couple of potential upsets here. If Melo stays in Denver (A HUGE IF), the Nuggets will be dangerous. But they will face a deeper Maverick squad, who should beat them in a close series. Thunder I say will upset the Jazz and move into the second round. Spurs over Hornets, Lakers over Suns, easily.

Spurs will be given a shock by Thunder's youth, but they will use their wily old experience to get past. Lakers will finally come to their own in the Mavs series and beat them in six.

Conference Finals: Spurs vs Lakers, just like the old times. Except now, the Spurs would've gotten worse as the playoffs progress, and Lakers, better. I expect Kobe and Los Angeles Lakers to play their best basketball of the year in this series and advance to the NBA Finals.

NBA Finals: Celtics vs Lakers Call it an easy, cop-out choice, but hey, I say it as I foresee it! LA's fourth straight finals appearance, Celtics third in four years. A repeat of 2010 and 2008. This one will be to decide who is truly the team of this era.
I think a lot of trends from last year's finals will repeat, but this time around, I feel the Celtics, despite their age, will come out on top. They have too much depth, toughness, defensive tenacity, and consistency to go down to LA again. I say Celtics win the NBA Finals in six games.

And once again, it'll be done through team-work. But there has to be an MVP, and for his improved playoff performance (like last year), the Finals MVP will be Rajon Rondo.

Let me reverse roles here and turn it over to you guys - what are your predictions for MVP, DPOY, ROY, Champions, etc this year? How much do you agree/disagree with me?