NBA weekly Roundup (16/01-22/01/2012)

What a week. Improving offensive sets, some lockdown defense and injuries. Yup more injuries. I have the feeling, more so than ever, that this season will be decided by who can stay healthy longest. Case in point Chicago last night fielded a team without Rose, Gibson, Noah, and Lucas; meaning they started with CJ Watson while picking up Mike James (he is still alive?) as backup. Of course the Bulls beat the Bobcats, although Deng also picked up a knock in game and is listed as day-to-day. Now not every team has Thibbs at the coaching spot or is such a well oiled machine as the Bulls. Come playoff time and the weeks leading up to it, whoever can maintain as healthy squad as possible has to be in contention for conference finals.


Teams that impressed; 

Memphis (4-0) - Conley, Gasol and Gay are shooting a combined 60% from the field in the past week, shouldering the load while Randolph recovers. With the addition of Speights they will again have a healthy frontcourt rotation come playoff time. Gasol has been an absolute animal downlow, while recently also showing an ability to pass the ball not to dissimilar from his brother in LA, flirting with a triple double on numerous occasions already this season. To illustrate this point, he went a +102 in the 4 combined games Memphis played this week. Impressive.


Nuggets (4-1) - Took down Bucks, 76ers, Knicks, Wizards on a 4 game trip out East despite starting the week with a loss to the Jazz. The biggest win was going into Madison Square Garden and beating the Knicks in overtime despite Melo and Co's best efforts, with Gallinari going for 37/11. With each passing day this trade seems more lopsided as the Nuggets have gone 31-16 while going to the playoffs and the Knicks are 20-28.


Miami (3-1) - After a huge comeback win over the Spurs, aswell as big wins over the 76ers and Lakers, people were starting to question if this squad was more balanced with just the one alpha male in Lebron as Wade watches from the sidelines. Then the Bucks came to Florida and pummelled the Heat at their own suffocating defensive schemes, and alas normality has returned as people call for Wade to come off the injury list. Never fear however, as Eddy Curry is here! No but seriously how is this guy still on an NBA roster.

Teams that faltered;


Bobcats (0-3) - Continued rotation issues with Bismack Biyombo now the backup centre to Mullens, what an odd pairing, with Diaw being relegated to scrub minutes for the most part. Expect a trade here soon. And any squad that managed to make the playoffs last year but loses to a depleted Bulls this year does nothing but lose credit this week. Oh and they lost to the Nets and Cavs. Yes thats right, the Nets are actually winning now.

Knicks (0-3) - Losses to Orlando, Phoenix and Denver compounded a miserable week for D'Antoni's squad. Amare cant seem to get his head together and Melo is already questioning himself. New York seem to hope on a banged up Baron Davis to save this situation but with pieces that don't fit and only one real strength but plenty of weakness'es this squad is going nowere fast. Tyson Chandler was meant to bring intesity to the defensive end but as I have previously discussed he was expected to do to much and got almost to much credit for what happened in Dallas last year. And any one that has followed Amare's career knows that he plays better as a stretch 5 or with a stretch 5 next to him. Another big body, ala Shaq, clogs the lane and Amare suffers.

Top 5 Rankings (In order);

Chicago 15-3 - With the best record in the league and winning despite a rash of injuries, this team looks like they will again go deep in the playoffs. However will they be able to go one step further this time? With Derrick Rose at the helm, it would be foolish to bet against them

Thunder 13-3 - Despite a shocking loss to the Wizards, they with the Bulls have so far set the pace in their respective conferences and league wide. With Westbrook tied down for the next 5 years, the sky is the limit for this team.

Orlando 11-4 - I had trouble ranking them above the Heat because their squad is still thin but with Howard averaging close to 20/20/3 on the year and Ryan Anderson playing some of the best stretch 4 offense in the league this team is dangerous. If Nelson and JRich can start to bring their A-Game its not too farfetched to see at least a conference final appearance. Howard has been that good.

Miami 11-5 - The Big 3 have been cut to the Big 2 temporarily but still find ways to win. Mike Miller will help if healthy and Norris Cole/Chalmers continue to put in a solid rotation at PG. Now if only they could get anything besides fouls out of Eddy Curry they would have a deep bench too.

Denver 12-5 - A week of impressive wins and devoted team play (take note Wizards/Kings) has this star-less Nuggets team looking as dangerous as ever. With the possible addition of any of the free agents they have out in China returning in the coming months, could they be this years 04/05 Pistons? I doubt it but they will be fun to watch.

Stat Line(s) of the week;

John Wall v Houston - (38/6/8/4) this seems to be the turning point of his season so far.
Howard v Lakers - (21/23) while limiting Bynum to 10/12. Trade you say? what trade?
James v Lakers - (31/8/8/4/3) a line it seems we have become accustomed too. No wade, no problem as Lebron simply took over.
Aldridge v Toronto - (33/23/5) I do realise this is against the Raptors, but still!
Gallinari v Knicks - (37/11) in MSG, against Melo. Sweet revenge for the sharshooting Italian.

Play of the week;

Derrick Rose with this incredible layup right in the heart of the Celtics. 

Coule use this or Billups gamewinner over Dallas a few nights later, but I'm going to with Fisher purely because of Lamar Odom giving Kobe the evils in the above screen (before pressing play)

 Bosh with the nice coast to coast dunk, all part of the thrilling come from behind blowout.