- OCD Hoops -

Alright, I haven't been writing or blogging much about the NBA much in the past year... well I'm back, stronger than ever and with a mission!  Anyhow, this 2015 off-season has been quite unpredictable to some degree, and with all the great player movement this summer it seems as if the upcoming season might be one of the most competitive ones in years, possibly ever. Aside from the Philadelphia 76'ers (whom have a bright future), I can't say there is any other team that is a standout "awful 20 win max team".  League parity, as Adam Silver and the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed to end the strike a few years back has now been fully implemented, and it appears to be working flawlessly.  No longer do the big markets own free agency like they once did, no longer do owners have teams in small markets with tiny caps (actually they have to have 85% of the cap on players otherwise they will be in trouble after one season). This has all resulted in a cou...

In the 6 seasons that Michael Jordan was able to capture an NBA Championship and Finals MVP he was always known as "the best ever".  Now just because I am a Laker fan does not mean I'm trying to take anything away from the best Shooting-Guard to ever play the game (especially in his and this era; I'll throw Jerry West in there but he's 60's/70's and was sort of that combo guard type. So I'll just state it quickly.  I believe Kobe is one of the best to ever play, key word "was", but I also don't think he's ever quite been on the level of the great Mike.  Or do the stats just make Jordan look so much better?  After some analysis and deep thought, it seems I've realized how much credit we as a collective fan-base of the NBA tend to give both Michael Jordan and then coach Phil Jackson. It seems that then Scottie Pippen is the subject discussed. I do believe we ought to at least look at it all objectively. Kobe couldn't take m...

Sure, most of the current NBA focus is on the NBA's conference finals currently going on.  But after tonight, it appears I am looking smart as the Heat  went up 3 games to 1 on the Pacers, while the Spurs should be in the NBA Finals like I predicted, OKC does have Ibaka back and finally won a game to make that series 2-1 in favor of the Spurs. Predicting the OKC/SAS Western Final and the IND/MIA Eastern Final matchup makes me proud too, though I did think for an article or so the Wizards would take out the Pacers....  The Indiana Pacers are definitely a top 5 NBA team, maybe better, maybe worse.  Roy Hibbert's inconsistencies have really caused them issues, while they also are lacking with George Hill as their starting Point Guard.  He's a nice all around player combo guard, but in my opinion is best served as the 6th man role, like he was on the Spurs.  But the Pacers are built strong with depth and great defense (well, in the regular season), and...

Shaun Livingston isn't a household name by any stretch of the imagination.  Some NBA fans may of never heard of him until this season, or better yet till this Nets and Heat series that has Shaun in the Nets starting line-up.  He's truly resurrected his career with the Nets, being able to play PG, SG, and SF with his 6'7'' wiry frame, and an ability to create for himself or others. If you are newer to the NBA as a whole you might not know what or who he really is. If you are a big-time fan for me I think it's time we start to give this guy a ton of credit and respect. For those that stumbled upon this, it's simply a feel good story of great work ethic and not letting rejection or failure stand in your way. Shaun Livingston has been a man determined since he was born. Man of Steel, I think that's his new nickname... or Sneaky Shaun Shakin.... hah.... In the playoffs the Nets beat the Heat in Game 3 of the series, giving them a real fighters chance to...

I'm not sure any mother of any player in the NBA feels as appreciated as Kevin Durant's, after he basically broke down crying dedicating his NBA MVP Award and trophy to his mother during the ceremony and speech.  Yes, she was crying as well.  What a humble, great kid Durant is, a true role model in the NBA who is the exact opposite of almost everything Mr. Lebron James stands for ("I want to be the first billionaire basketball player") . Kevin Durant seems like he almost took away attention from himself in this years playoffs so far by deferring to his mom in the speech.  He's easily been the best NBA player in the playoffs as well, being up 2-1 to the Clippers in round 2 of the playoffs.  He's been putting up great numbers and is shooting the ball like the stud he is, yet there hasn't been enough media and discussion about it.  Maybe it's because he does have a very humble, shy personality, one in which will never "test" Lebron James a...

There are 8 NBA teams and 4 semi-final playoff series at this point.  With so many series going 7 games in the opening round (*record setting amount of first round game 7's), there was little to no rest for every single team (Heat had a week off, Wizards too). The NBA Playoffs can be so exciting yet quite interesting too... often giving us insight into the future's of each team, good or bad.  Look at the difference between the imploding number 1 seed Pacers barely beating a mediocre Atlanta team in 7 games and the under-appreciated Wizards healthy with Nene grooving and dominating the Bulls.  It's pretty telling of what's to come in their series. Anyway, let's take a look at each matchup and see what's likely to happen.... EASTERN CONFERENCE: #2 Miami Heat vs #5 Brooklyn Nets While the Miami Heat had a nice week off and easy 4 game series, the rest of the NBA teams in the playoffs were battling it out every other day, including the New Jersey Nets. Thi...

History has been made quite a bit in this years NBA playoffs. A playoff's so competitive that a contender for the Finals in the West could be kicked in Round 1 as a result of matchup problems... take Houston for example (their weakest position PF and then PG are the Blazer's two All-Star studs Lillard and Aldridge), resulting in a Blazer win in 6 games. I think people forgot how dominant the Blazers were to start this season, though they dropped a little bit as the season went on, they were also developing youth and rotations.  Aldridge was also hurt for a bit, which can hurt overall records (look at Memphis 29-30 game record without Marc Gasol this season). Clippers and Warriors round 1 has been really competitive, and even Dallas is giving the Spurs a run for their money. But the East seemed like Indy and Miami had it locked up, until about 3 weeks left in the season when Indy imploded.  Atlanta, the only sub .500 team in the playoffs and 8 seed in the East surprised...

So many questions for the LA Lakers as a Franchise, to their coach... GM... players... and all those so-sincere ex-Laker fans gone "Always been Clipper fan" simply kept growing as the season continued. While I have nothing against watching the other NBA team in LA finally have a legit season I would guess that about 10%-15% or so of "Actual Laker Fans" have hopped on the wagon, and have become the true fake fans. Unless you admit you just like to watch the best teams play each year and always switch (I try to always have that perception to be able to make observations of players I might like or dislike to some degree based on team, or what he did when playing the Lakers, etc.  But I truly became the first ORIGINAL, COMPULSIVE, and DATABASE on what the Lakers are currently doing, but what they are lacking (or when they have the right roster, coach and chemistry).  Some day soon...... The Lakers, on paper, looked legit going into 2013.  We had the same team, aside ...

After discussing things going on with the Lakers, it seems "D'Antoni" is either gone before this season starts or signed on for 2 seasons while he has to Coach a Lakers roster in year one 5-6 games into the NBA Season.  That's a tough thing to do, especially when you've never coached any of those players or been the head of the LA Laker Franchise (that whole Sterling racist statement about Magic really helps me to keep my balance with the Lakers). That's where my immediate shout-out for Jordan Hill goes, as D'Antoni did officially draft him with the Knicks in the mid/late lottery but only got him in his rookie year basically... and Hill was not NBA ready exactly. But now, my gosh, he's flourished this season under the system and coach... Now honestly, I've never been huge on D'Antoni, Sure, I felt like some of those Phoenix rosters Coach D'Antoni gathered could of had a player coach and been successful; but that's me being picky, thou...

I just wanted to make a quick post, regarding the infamous San Antonio Spurs.  Each and ever year, since 2007, it seems that we overlook them and use the "age" thing as an excuse for them to fall. While none of us can predict the future or how a star will age, it seems we've always been somewhat skeptical and negative to the Spurs.  Especially to Tim Duncan. Timmy has had an amazing season, playing just around 30 minutes a night and filling it up as if he's gotten better somehow.  To think he would somehow fall off the basketball planet at the age of 32 (back when we all felt they were done) shows how much of the NBA fan base is from bigger markets.  Tim Duncan is a first ballot Hall of Famer.  He came into the NBA as an All-Star caliber player, able to put up 20 points, 10 rebounds, and block tons of shots.  He's done so for well over a decade, and this season at 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks a game he is still as efficient and effective as ever.  ...

2014 DEFENSIVE PLAYER DeAndre Jordan wins over Joakim Noah I feel both deserve it, though I ultimately will give it to DeAndre Jordan for also being someone I could "shout out" as a Most Improved Player award too. Doc Rivers has turned DJ into a monster, utilizing all his skills and turning him into a full time starter, anchoring the defense, talking, protecting the rim. The only player with more Defensive Win Shares is Paul George, who while being a great all around player and defender, is simply a part of a team full of good defenders like George Hill and with Hibbert anchoring Indiana's top 5 defense.  Paul George get's the definitive "shout out" though, and probably another "shout out" for Most Improved player. DeAndre Jordan:  1.0 steals, 2.5 blocks, 13.8 rebounds Joakim Noah : 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks, 11.1 rebounds Both players have been amazing for their teams defenses, both top 10 individual defensive ratings as well as impacting ...