Via CBS Sports:

Milwaukee power forward Larry Sanders was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Wizards after picking up two technical fouls. Sanders proceeded to give each referee the thumbs up salute one by one following getting tossed. He finished with 29 minutes and 17 points for the Bucks in the loss. Sanders was 8 for 13 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds with two blocks and a steal.

Full disclosure: David Stern should enforce that players give positive re-enforcement to the refs after every ejection. Bravo, Larry.

Every Wednesday, John Daigle of theunbiasedfan.com stops by Spin IT to provide his assessment of various happenings around the NBA.

This week, Daigle introduces you to his (mostly) fool-proof system for determining which teams will be the last 3 in and the first 3 out in the Western Conference.

For more of John Daigle, be sure to visit The Unbiased Fan.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, there are quite a few things I can confidently claim to know: What Boston has accomplished without their best player on the court is nothing short of astonishing; George Hill might be having the most underrated NBA season of any player out there; The Heat are really, really good; The Bobcats are really, really bad; Bryan Colangelo already regrets the Rudy Gay trade; No matter their combined age or resting situation, every team should fear running into the Spurs during the postseason; The Grizzlies are a legitimate contender if their seeding-chips fall in the right place; The Detroit obituaries, if even for a second, had reserved a spot for Brandon Knight after the DeAndre dunk; Orlando might have a sneaky-good core of role players in place between Vucevic, Harris, Moore, and Harkless; I’m not sure what the hell the Sixers are doing; And did I mention the Heat are really good?

However, one issue I can’t seem to put my finger on is which teams will eventually sneak into the postseason for the West. The top five seeds, minus the obligatory jostling that’s sure to take place over the next few weeks, might be set in stone, but the six through eleven seeds are separated by a mere six games. How are we supposed to deduce who’s in and who stays home to enjoy the new season of Game of Thrones on the night-of?

The good news is, together, I feel like this can be accomplished. So, without further ado, I present to you the point scale that’s sure to help us reach a conclusion (or drive me to a Carrie Mathison-like state at the end of Homeland Season One).

It’s rather simple. We’ll only be judging Golden State, Houston, the Lakers, Utah, Dallas, and Portland, seeing as they’re the only teams left competing for three spots. A team receives two points for winning the category, one point for being an honorable mention, and half a point whenever I deem fit. (I wouldn’t try to argue that last bullet point, either. If you feel the need to protest any half-point increments, I’ll promptly use the Chewbacca defense and walk away.) In the end, we’ll tally the points we’ve divvied up to each team and see where we stand. Fail proof, right?

And as a friendly reminder, this is once again being brought to you by Around The Revolutions…

Strength of Schedule

Though this category offered numerous ways to approach it, I felt the best method was to address the toughest paths, rather than the easiest. For instance, the Warriors, Rockets, and Lakers have 10 games remaining against teams over .500, while Portland, on the other hand, has 16.

The worst luck happens to lean towards the Mavericks, who have 13 games left to play against above-.500 teams, yet only two games in which they could make up an entire game between themselves and the sixth seed (LAL, Portland).

However, the two most interesting outlooks to watch surrounding these six teams are (1) How the next seven games for Utah play out (@OKC, Mem, NYK, @Hou, @SA, @Dal, Por), and (2) How Los Angeles handles their final four games of the season (@Por, GS, SA, Hou). (Don’t worry. If it comes down to a win-and-in situation, you can lay the house on a Live Journal the following morning.)

Nonetheless, the clear winner here is Golden State. With only 10 games remaining against above-.500 teams, six of those happen to be versus opponents they could stay an entire game up on with a victory (Hou, LAL x 2, Port x 2, Utah).

SCORE:  Golden State – 2, Houston – 1, LAL – 1, Utah – 0, Dallas – 0, Portland – 0

Offense

Is there any doubt who walks away from this one with two points? Only one team throughout the entire league has scored more points than the Rockets (Denver), while the Knicks, who are second in the league in 3-point-attempts, rank nearly one hundred behind them. And even with their high-volume of shooting from behind the arc, Houston’s accuracy hasn’t taken a hit, sinking an incredible 37.3% of their 3’s. (For comparison, the Warriors have attempted just below 1300 and are shooting a league-best 39.7%.)

Just to drive home the point, the Rockets are also the only team on this list that rank in the top 10 of OffRtg (scoring 107.3 points per 100 possessions), assist percentage (60.9% of their shots come via assist), and rebounding percentage (50.7%, which shouldn’t come as too much of a shock seeing as Morey and McHale preach the Moneyball-method of volume-shooting and rebounding). (Though their second-worst opponent offensive rebounding percentage might need some work.)

SCORE:  Houston – 2, GS – 1, LAL – 0, Utah – 0, Dallas – 0, Portland – 0

Best Pending Reality Show

An incredibly strong category considering these are teams fighting to live another day. I’m not sure what Utah, Portland, or Golden State bring to the table in terms of entertainment, but Karoake with Delfino!, The Roast of Dwight Howard, and my personal favorite, Vinsanity’s School of Cycling undoubtedly have wheels.

SCORE:  Dallas – 2, LAL – 1, Houston – 1, Utah – 0, Portland – 0, GS – 0

Defense

In a not-so-coincidental coincidence, none of these teams are currently listed in the top 10 of defensive efficiency. In fact, none are ranked in the top 15. Actually, let’s take this a step further. Here’s a list of how many points per 100 possessions each team is currently allowing, with their league ranking in parentheses.

Golden State – 103.4 (17)

Los Angeles – 103.9 (18)

Utah – 104.1 (19)

Dallas – 104.2 (20)

Houston – 104.9 (24)

Portland – 105.3 (25)

Thanks for doing all the work for me, guys.

SCORE:  Every team -1

Future

There’s certainly a clear-cut winner here, however, almost every team deserves some sort of applause. The Trail Blazers began their transition during the most recent offseason, while the Warriors are currently competing with a team of surging youths that are destined to be an eventual contender with one or two more miniscule additions.

Furthermore, the Mavericks reasoning behind the release of Chandler revolves solely around the CBA and what lies in the future, the Lakers only have one player on the books during the Summer of Lebron (literally), and the Jazz hold all the cards with two exponential sign-and-trade pieces in Millsap and Jefferson. It’s just too bad each of these teams have to compete with the Rockets analytics.

I’ve written it time and time again, so I’ll save further barraging for another date. Just don’t be shocked when the Rockets “fill-in” players around a couple of maxed out superstars are (instead of casual names like Carter, Meeks, and Hayward) Lin and Asik.

SCORE:  Houston – 2, Dallas – 1, Utah – 1, GS – 1, LAL - 1, Portland – .5

Momentum

Sure, no one in the league might be trekking towards the playoffs like the Nuggets  (nine in a row/19-4 over their last 23, which is about an 11 on the Holy Shit Meter), but there are still a few outliers in this group that are just now reaching their peak.

Though they’re slowly attempting to right the ship, Golden State has been the complete opposite of this category as of late, going 6-12 over their last 18 games. On the same note, Utah is getting shelled in the second half of games, specifically in the third quarter, where they’ve allowed 111.8 points per 100 possessions while only scoring 92.8 over the course of their last seven games (2-6). (It should also be noted that even in those two wins, they scored 109.3 and allowed 136.5 in the third.)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Rockets are finding a groove, and Dallas is hitting their stride at the right time, winning five of their last six. The big winner here, though, remains the Lakers.

Rising from the depths of 17-25, Los Angeles has somehow collected themselves over time, now sitting three games above .500. Howard’s momentous 39 and 16 in Orlando may or may not have been an important niche and turning point of this season (let alone his career), but either way, the Lakers are building chemistry en route to a likely postseason berth.

SCORE:  LAL – 2, Houston – 1, Dallas – 1, GS – 0, Utah – 0, Portland – 0

Clutch

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to America’s favorite game show: GUESS! THAT! NAME!!

You already know how to play, so let’s jump straight into it. Ready? Ok, go ahead and…GUESS! THAT! NAME!!!

Your category is: THE FINAL FIVE MINUTES…

Kyrie Irving – 43-90 FG, 47.8 FG%, 9-28 3FG, 32.1 3FG%

(Player A) – 17-34 FG, 50 FG%, 14-25 3FG, 56 3FG%

Answers locked? Well, if you guessed Wesley Matthews…YOU’RE CORRECT! Thanks for playing, and as always, please have your pets spayed or neutered.

Of the 38 players that qualified with 100+ minutes logged during the final five minutes of games (when CLUTCH statistics are tracked), Matthews has the highest shooting percentage from beyond the arc (per NBA Stats Database) and has been a constant go-to, along with Lillard.

I realize you want the ball in Kobe’s hand during those must-have moments, especially since he’s still playing out-of-this-world great. Or maybe you’ll even suffice with Harden/Virk Carwitzki. But come on, Portland is still in the negatives! Plus, we somehow have to make up for LaRue Martin, Mychal Thompson, Greg Oden, and Arvydas Sabonis (every Trail Blazers fan just smashed their computer).

SCORE: Portland – 2, LAL – 1.5, Dallas – 1, Houston – 1, Utah – 0, GS - 0

So, if you’ve been keeping track, the totals are as follows (drum roll, please)…

Houston – 7

Los Angeles – 5.5

Dallas – 4

Golden State – 3

Portland – 1.5

Utah – 0

And there you have it. I’m not saying it’s a fool-proof plan for figuring the West out, but it’s the best method we have, RIGHT?

With the stage set for Dwight Howard's inglorious return to Orlando tomorrow night, Howard has been making his PR rounds in an attempt to not have tomatoes thrown at him during the pregame introductions. The problem for Howard is that he's kind of a jerk off, even when he's trying his hardest to not be.

Last week, in a sit down interview with Kristine Leahy, Dwight Howard told the world that he essentially played with scrubs for years, but through it all, always kept a very fake smile on his face.

Of course, two days later, he clarified that he meant what he told Kristine Leahy in an endearing fashion. The team was filled with underdogs... Except for Dwight because Dwight is an amazing person and athlete. Two days after that, he blamed the media.

Ironically, Howard pointing the figure elsewhere confirmed what his teammates, specifically Jameer Nelson, said of him in response to his remark via the Orlando Sentinel:

“At some point, when are you [Dwight] gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?” Nelson told the Sentinel after Wednesday’s shooatround in Miami.

“I would be less of a man to comment on certain things that people comment on about me and my teammates. We had a great run as a group, as core guys, and he was a part of it (reaching the 2009 Finals) and for him to say things about anybody in a negative manner, that’s up to him.

“That’s his opinion. If that’s how he feels, that’s how he feels.”

Nelson and Howard were close, drafted together in the first round in 2004.

But their relationship eroded after Howard said that he would love to play with some of the league’s elite point guards, such as Chris Paul.

Via USA Today, yet another interview has been released in one last ditch effort for D12 to show you and, more importantly, the fine citizens of Orlando that, while he may not have been a completely amazing person last week, he's suddenly transformed into one:

"In Orlando, I handled a lot of stuff the wrong way," he said, sitting at his kitchen table. "If any of those people in Orlando are upset with how I did it, I apologize for the way I handled it and the way it was handled in the media.

"I really just got caught up in wanting to please everybody else. I really love that city. That was the hardest thing to do was to leave that city because I basically grew up there. That was my whole life. Orlando was it. I did not want to leave all that behind — the city, just everything about it. The fans. But I wanted a change for my life. I just felt like there was something else out there for me."

"There are a lot of things about me that have changed," said Howard, a 27-year-old Atlanta native who was drafted first overall out of high school in 2004. "I'm becoming a better man because of the stuff that has happened to me this last year and a half. Everybody goes through stuff like this. Even though I'm going through it where everybody in the world can see it, I'm happy that it's happening.

"If it didn't happen, I'd be stuck in my ways. I would never change, and then it would be a lot worse. For all this stuff to happen, for me to sit back and see and evaluate myself and what I could've done better and realize that I needed to make a change, I'm getting better. I'm growing up. I'm maturing."

Because the best kind of introspection happens instantaneously and is something that one should put everyone else on notice about. Besides that, I'm sure Orlando has already forgotten about you, Dwight.

Image via Bay News 9

A couple of months ago, Spin IT was one of the few websites who posted a largely overlooked video of Charlotte fans chanting "Charlotte Hornets" in support of the city's ongoing "Bring Back The Buzz" campaign.

Since New Orleans officially unveiled its new NBA nickname and logo in late January, the Buzz movement in Charlotte has kicked itself into overdrive, as a local hardware store even began sponsoring a "Take Back Our Buzz" ad campaign on local television stations.

With word from Jordan that the organization had been "conducting its own research" over the past month, things appeared to be going well for those in support of the movement, and over the weekend, the situation further improved for fans nostalgic for the nickname of yore.

The following survey was sent out to season ticket holders. The questions pertain entirely to the idea of a name change with a strong focus on how fans would feel about the team being called the Charlotte "Hornets" as compared to the names of "Flight," "Dragons," and "Cougars," all of which were nicknames previously considered in 2004 when Charlotte was granted an expansion team.

H/t Redditor MilleniosIV

At this point, the only road block continues to be the fact that Charlotte did not retain the trademark rights to the "Hornets" nickname when the team left, so getting the name back would be expensive.

As can be seen in the survey above, the real research that MJ and friends are conducting is regarding whether or not more Charlotte fans would actually attend more games if a name change happened. They're looking for the kind of reimbursement that would make buying the name back worthwhile.

Just got off the phone with a representative of the Season Ticket department asking questions about the poll that went out yesterday
— Bring Back The Buzz (@BringBackTheBuz) March 8, 2013

And about the possibility of the City wide poll (great guy) he said he would gather as much info as he could find and give me a "BUZZ" back
— Bring Back The Buzz (@BringBackTheBuz) March 8, 2013

Coincidence? I think not :)
— Bring Back The Buzz (@BringBackTheBuz) March 8, 2013

Brandon Knight isn't exactly a skyscraper, but my God...

Watch DeAndre Jordan literally bowl him over with the nasty slam in the video below. Take note of the face that he makes at around the :20 mark as well.



Your move, Blake.

H/t @maxamillion711 and beyondthebuzzer.com

[UPDATE]  

"RIP Brandon Knight" is trending worldwide. WOW
— Ben M (@BenAgent0) March 11, 2013

Yesterday, Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com reported that Bulls guard Derrick Rose had officially been medically cleared to play:

Derrick Rose's doctor has cleared the Chicago Bulls' star to play, a team source said, but his long-awaited return to the lineup won't occur until he can confidently dunk off his left foot, Rose has told the team.

Rose, who had surgery to repair a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on May 12, has been videotaped dunking off each foot, but more casually than he would during a game. A source said that although he has been practicing and scrimmaging hard, he told the Bulls that until he feels "in his mind" he can confidently dunk off his left foot in a game situation, he is not 100 percent mentally ready to return to competition.

The team is not pressuring Rose, the source said, but the Bulls are confident he will return this season and are still hoping for a mid-March return, which would mark 10 months after his surgery. The Bulls play at Golden State on March 15.

"The team is not pressuring Rose..." That quote is paradoxical to the rest of the report.

Clearly, information about his physical status was intentionally leaked to the press. As if that weren't enough, the team source conveniently goes on to lay out possible times in which they're hopeful that Rose can return.

More important than our own speculation, though, is the fact that Rose may have seen through management's ulterior motives as well, and he's not taking it well.

Derrick Rose did not show up for practice today. Sources say management is putting pressure on him to play. Feels he's not mentally ready
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) March 9, 2013

As I see it, by alerting fans Rose is 100% cleared 2 play, management purposely positioned him 2B criticized if he continues 2 sit
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) March 9, 2013

Rose's absence was likely not excused. We'll update as soon as we're able to confirm.

[UPDATE] Despite various reports to the contrary:

Tweets that Derrick Rose missed practice unexcused disputed by #Bulls. Team reps say @drose was excused for a Dentist's appointment.
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) March 10, 2013

Bear in mind, this is Derrick Rose we're talking about. I'm sure his Dentist would have gladly rescheduled, but that's the Bulls' story, they're sticking to it, and since there's really not much else to go off of, we basically have to believe it.

With the recent news of Derrick Rose returning to the Bulls bench, fans in Chicago are starting to get more and more excited for their young star's inevitable return to the floor. With the playoffs looming, optimism has to be higher if Rose can get healthy for a post season run. I might be getting notorious for raining on parades at this point (Rondo, Rajon), but there are three reasons I would be wary about getting too excited about a potential “upset” or finals appearance.

1) Returns from major surgery are always a huge question mark

This seems like an obvious enough statement, but the stunning recovery by Adrian Peterson seems to have made people forget how serious of a surgery repairing an ACL is. Not even getting into the fact that the Vikings fixed a key issue on their offensive line, Peterson is an anomaly in every sense of the word. Even if guys do get back to full strength, it usually takes quite a bit of time before they mentally have that much trust in the knee, and physically they need more time to shake off the rust of inactivity.

Derrick Rose may or may not be rushed back, but with the season's end quickly approaching, putting him into a physical series with someone like Miami or Boston so soon could do more long term damage. Keeping Rose out until next season might be in the Bulls' best interest.

2) The Competition is stronger

I won't even mince words here; I'm talking 100% about the Miami Heat. LeBron is playing the best ball of his life, the Heat have added deadly shooters... and the last time Rose was fully healthy and the Bulls were 1^st in the conference, a much weaker Heat team still trounced them 4-1. Integrating Rose back into a lineup and hoping to stop a white hot Heat team seems like a lost cause, if they get that far to begin with.

3) Derrick Rose isn't an elite player

Derrick Rose is an elite athlete, but he is not elite on the offensive or defensive end. Derrick is a solid yet unspectacular play maker, lacking the court vision of upper tier guys to produce high amounts of assists, and also isn't the type of caretaker to keep a low amount of turnovers like a Chris Paul. Rose has no impact really, good or bad, on Chicago's stellar D.

Chicago, as a team, wins through elite defense and rebounding, which is why they were able to sustain a high (actually higher in 2011-2012 than the year before when Rose was fully healthy).

Rose's calling card is his scoring, and he's never been dominant in terms of efficiency or volume. His MVP year, which was still his best in retrospect, he was 3^rd in the entire league in shot attempts, while only being 7^th in points per game. His player efficiency rating at his peak 23.5, good for 9^th in the league. He's not nearly the scorer that other upper tier guys are, and there are a few point guards who score less, but do it at such an efficient rate that it's actually more valuable in a team sense.

Long story short, the Chicago Bulls are a team that win when they are dominant on defense, but they are lacking the top end offensive talents to win a championship at this point. Derrick Rose to me, is on the same tier as Russell Westbrook, virtually equal in terms of efficacy. The top end teams like Miami and OKC have at least one player who is substantially better (LeBron and Durant) and another player who is at least on the level of Rose(and in Wade's case, even better.)

Most of this isn't a knock on Rose; I feel like he's a smart enough guy that, if he were in Russell Westbrook's position, we wouldn't see nearly the amount of bad shots that Westbrook takes. The problem is that he's Chicago's 1^st and only option as a creator, and he just isn't on par with other offensive forces in the league like LeBron, Durant, Paul, or arguably, quite a few others.

[UPDATE] Via ESPN:

Derrick Rose's doctor has cleared the Chicago Bulls' star to play, a team source said, but his long-awaited return to the lineup won't occur until he can confidently dunk off his left foot, Rose has told the team.

Carmelo Anthony will not play tonight vs. OKC, Mike Woodson says.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) March 7, 2013

The game will be Anthony's second straight missed since aggravating a pre-existing joint injury against Cleveland on Monday night.

Via the NY Times last night:

Carmelo Anthony stepped off the team bus, made the 30-yard walk to the visitors’ locker room and disappeared into the trainer’s area, out of sight, out of the cross-fire and out of the lineup.

The concern and the mystery surrounding Anthony’s ailing right knee continued Wednesday night, without any enlightenment from Anthony, who declined to speak with reporters before sitting out the Knicks’ 87-77 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Afterward, Anthony repeated the routine in reverse, heading from the locker room to the bus before reporters arrived.

Anthony was ruled out of the game 90 minutes before tipoff. He was said to be improving, although his status for Thursday night’s home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was uncertain.

The Knicks have classified the injury as a stiff and sore knee, without elaboration. Coach Mike Woodson disclosed earlier Wednesday that the discomfort was being caused by fluid in the knee.

“Rest will probably be the best thing for him,” Woodson said, adding: “If he wants to sit down and rest a game or two, we’ll do that. It’s still a long season.”

Although their continued avoidance of the media is bound to bring about speculation of the injury being a bigger deal than we've assumed, it's more likely that the team is just taking a few extra precautions in the hopes of having as healthy a squad as possible going into the playoffs.

Also, if you force him left, he'll shoot the jumper 9 out of every 10 times.

Via SLAM Online:

He may gotten screwed out of coaching the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but Phil Jackson continues to exert his influence (and voice his considerable opinion). Dwight Howard told the media that the Zen Master sends him encouraging texts about his back injury, and that they help the limited center keep perspective. Per ESPN: “Here’s the quote from Dwight Howard today, talking about how he and Phil Jackson keep in touch … ‘I’ve had people really just help me out,’ Howard said. ‘Guys like Phil [Jackson], he texts me and he understands how it is to come off back surgery. He just said it takes a full year to recover, so you can’t beat yourself up over the things that have happened this year.’”

Spin IT is not one to make assumptions and add fuel to the fire of a rumor, but with this news coming just two weeks after Jackson publicly criticized the way Dwight Howard has been used within D'antoni's system, it's certainly starting to seem as though the Zen Master is making a run at returning to the sideline with LA next season.

Logically, the Lakers potentially making another hire doesn't make sense, though.

Mike Brown is still collecting checks from the $11 million owed to him via his contract buyout. Accounting for that along with the $4 million per year owed to D'antoni through 2015, the Lakers coaching situation is already quite the financial burden. In his last season with LA, Phil Jackson made somewhere in the ballpark of $10 million. Would Los Angeles be willing to take on a coaching contract of that caliber?

Still though, the possibility of Phil Jackson returning to the sideline is certainly one worth monitoring, and while he may be interested, the Lakers might actually reject him twice.

Of course, that's assuming that he won't give the team and fiance Jeanie Buss a family discount.

Every Wednesday, John Daigle of theunbiasedfan.com stops by Spin IT to provide his assessment of various NBA happenings.

This week, Daigle talks Miami, Milwaukee, and shows some love to a couple of underrated big men.

For more of John Daigle, be sure to visit The Unbiased Fan.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently unable to recall what I was doing or how I got there, I recently stumbled across a few Worst Movies lists. Though the majority of titles deserved to be there, stretching from Battlefield Earth (ugh) all the way to The Room (so bad it’s good), only one really stood out to me.

The Matrix Revolutions was one of those films you just had to see to believe. It was horrendous. And, among other things, it was meant to close out what was originally slated to be an adrenaline-rushed trilogy. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. Agent Smith and his clones spent the entire film searching high and low for Neo, who would eventually go blind, strap himself into a machine, and die for the good of…well, I’m not sure what. (For the record, if anyone tells you they do, they’re lying. In fact, you can quickly prove every theory wrong by surveying anywhere from eight to ten people. Every answer you receive will be a completely different philosophical breakdown from the last. That’s why I refuse to let my future children ever see the second and third installments. There’s just no need. I’ll do what Lindsay Lohan’s parents should’ve done with drugs and hide them.) 

But you need to understand something. It’s too late. I’ve already created a monster. Last week, when I began hitting on more than one subject in a single column, it was as if Trinity was slowly dying in my arms, using every ounce of her remaining strength to whisper, ”I wish I had one more chance to say what really mattered.” And you know what? I do.

Welcome to Around the Revolutions. Let’s just hope it turns out better than the movie.

1.    Inside the Heat’s Win Streak

Breaking news:  The Heat are the best team in the league. The fortunate part is that whether it matters or not has yet to be determined. For now though, the NBA is fully aware what they’re capable of, a force that appears to be translucent once you look a bit deeper into their ongoing 15-game winning streak.

I’m sure you already know Lebron is the key to anything that occurs in Miami. Nothing, whether it be around the perimeter or in the paint, could be executed at an elite level without him. Lost behind his stellar play though, is how well Wade is performing. Actually, “well” might be an understatement.

During the streak, Miami is currently scoring 114.6 points per 100 possessions, allowing 100.3 in the process. That would rank them among first in offensive rating (by four points) and ninth in defense. Sure, Lebron is important, but Wade, unbeknownst to many, has put up some of his career-best numbers in order to help propel their consecutive victories.

For instance, 96% of D-Wade’s shots the last 15 games have been from inside the arc. Astonishingly, he’s sunk 81.5% (!!!) of those (per NBA.com Stats Database). Furthermore, during the streak Miami has used three three-man-lineups together for more than 300 minutes (just above league average for three-man-lineups). Among those three, the Lebron-Wade-Chalmers combo has produced 121.1 points per 100 possessions when on the floor together, three points higher than their second-best combo (Lebron-Wade-Bosh).

But how does that compare to the best teams in the league? Take, for instance, Oklahoma City, the only team ranked ahead of Miami in offensive efficiency. Over the last 15, the Thunder have used six different variations of three-man-lineups logging 300 minutes. Though the Durant-Westbrook-Perkins combo has scored 119.1 points per 100 possessions, that’s still clearly a two-whole-points less than what the most efficient Miami threesome has scored.

Did I mention the Heat are good? I mentioned that, right?

2.    The Bucks New Addition

With Redick coming over from the Magic to join both Monta and Jennings, more questions than answers have suddenly arose. Five games isn’t nearly enough of a sample size to decipher whether or not Milwaukee should be considered a postseason force, especially since the three mentioned earlier have only played a total of 45 minutes together. It is, however, enough to see that Brandon Jennings is still terrible.

Take a look at the shot chart below.

 

-->

No, that’s not a Magic Eye puzzle with red X’s instead of pixels. This chart is essentially proof of what we already know.

-       Jennings is currently ranked 11th in the league in field goal attempts with 959. Only eight players ranked below him have scored more total points. All eight have less than 900 shot attempts.

-       He has the lowest shooting percentage out of everyone ranked in the top 25 in FGA (40.1%).

-       His assist/turnover ratio is tied for first among players that have logged 2000+ minutes (35).

-       In Milwaukee’s 28 losses, he’s allowed 14 more PP100P than scored.

-       I’m still upset the Mavs didn’t offer a Vinsanity package for him, which is more of a testament to how bad this season has been than anything else.

-       Though 66.1% of his shots have come from inside the arc, he’s only shooting 18.4% from mid-range (per HoopData.com).

And, most importantly, he still has an expiring contract that the Bucks, for whatever reason, are seeking to max-out in the offseason. Interestingly enough, they also -->

claimed they would allow Monta to walk once he undoubtedly opts out. I’m not sure where Redick fits in at the end of the day, but at least we’re sure of one thing.

3.    Showing Centers Some Love

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to America’s favorite game show: Guess! That! Name!

For those that don’t know the rules, it’s easy. Just fill in the blanks with the player of your choice. Ready? Ok, let’s play…GUESS! THAT! NAME!!!

Your category is: SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK…

Dwight Howard – 13.6 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.9 BPG, 53% FG

(Player A) –             24.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.1 BPG, 63% FG

(Player B) –             13.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4.9 APG, 3.6 BPG, 54% FG

If you guessed Horford and Noah…YOU’RE CORRECT! Please have your pets spayed and neutered.

If Lebron didn’t exist, Noah and Horford would both have legitimate arguments to be considered the best player since the break. It’s like being nominated for Best Actor anytime Daniel Day-Lewis puts out a film. “Oh, you were great. Really. BUT DANIEL WAS IN A MOVIE THIS YEAR.”

In fact, Horford’s 20-point streak reached nine games before ending the other night at Denver. However, it doesn’t get any easier from here for Atlanta, who plays Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, and the Lakers next week alone.

As for Chicago, Butler’s massive development has allowed Noah to become more of an all-around player, currently performing at an MVP level. Unfortunately, it remains clear that everything up to this point is most likely all for naught unless the Bulls receive some help during the back end of the season.

Basically, they’re hoping Rose is The One. 

Via SLAM Online:

Sorry, Los Angeles Lakers fans. But Serge Ibaka will be in uniform tonight. Hear that, Kobe? The NBA elected not to suspend the OKC Thunder forward for his groin attack on Blake Griffin, and instead went after his money. Per the NBA’s PR arm: “OKC’s Serge Ibaka Fined $25,000 for striking LAC’s B. Griffin during game on March 3.”

Sports players and media figures alike have understandably responded in a frustrated manner due to the NBA and David Stern's continued lack of consistency in its penalization system.

You can INTENTIONALLY grab or hit someone in the balls & not get suspended, but you push someone & get suspended. #ImConfused
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) March 5, 2013

RT @matt_barnes22: Let me or @mettaworldpeace do that & I guarantee its a 5game suspension.. I luv *how* there ... tmi.me/MIfUZ
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) March 5, 2013

So explain to me the difference? My teammate gets a 1 game suspension and 150k+ taking away from him for his groin altercation #strangetome
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 5, 2013

These tweets are aside from comments made by Kobe, alluded to by SLAM, made earlier today. The Lakers will play the Thunder tonight in a nationally televised game on TNT.

Blake Griffin responded via ESPN's Arash Markazi just a few minutes ago:

Blake Griffin believes Serge Ibaka should have been suspended at least one game for hitting him in the groin area.

But Griffin also thinks the Oklahoma City Thunder's nationally televised game with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night may have had something to do with Ibaka getting off with just a fine.

"From what I heard, I guess he's saying he was just trying to get his hand away from mine," Griffin said. "I actually didn't have his hand. He had my arm, so I don't know how it's going to be interpreted. It is surprising [he won't be suspended], but it is a big game tonight and I don't think they want one of their .. I really don't know. It's a big game."

Griffin stopped short of saying the Thunder's game against the Lakers had something to do with Ibaka only getting a $25,000 fine instead of a suspension, and just smiled when he was asked again.

"I don't know," Griffin said. "I don't know. It's a big game though. It's kind of a mess. It's kind of a tough situation. Whatever the NBA wants to do and however they want to handle it, we'll let them handle it that way."

Ibaka's foul, which was called a flagrant foul 1 on the floor and upgraded to a flagrant foul 2 upon league office review, occurred with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Thunder's 108-104 win over the Clippers.

Griffin said he watched the play again after the game and doesn't understand how Ibaka wasn't ejected or suspended.

"I don't really see how it can be let go," Griffin said. "But I'm not going to do anything about it. I'm not going to cry and complain."

Kid Blake: Who are you? Future Blake: you from the future... Don't listen to anything else I've told you just start wearing a cup.
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32) March 6, 2013

Last night, an exclusive Dwight Howard interview with Kristine Leahy aired on KCAL9.

While in the middle of building up how much of an amazing person he is, Howard slipped in the following comment at around the 3 minute mark of the interview:

“I always tell people, hey, our team in Orlando was a team full of people who nobody wanted and I was the leader,” Howard explained. “I led that team with a smile on my face.”

Dwight's smile in Orlando only masked the pain...

Do you see? Do you see how amazing Dwight Howard is?

Dwight Howard could have been playing for anybody, but instead, stuck with his group of rejects through thick and thin (for a little while). Granted, the tens of millions of dollars that he was making probably eased the pain of knowing that garbage former teammates like Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Rashard Lewis were the sole reason that he didn't win a title.

Watch Dwight Howard, the nicest fucking person on the planet, indulge himself in the full 6 minute interview below.



P.S. Two of those people whom nobody wanted, Earl Clark and Chris Duhon, are still on your team in LA, Dwight, so try to just flash extra smiles at those poor souls until you can force their release.

H/t LBS

Carmelo Anthony has an injured right knee and will not return.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) March 5, 2013

Coming into the game, Anthony was tied for the league lead in ppg with 28.6 per game. J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Amare Stoudemire have apparently picked up the slack as Smith was inserted as a starter in the second half and Stoudemire has taken Melo's place on the floor.

We'll post more details as they become available to us.

H/t to beyondthebuzzer for the video.



According to various reports, the Knicks were not willing to say exactly what was ailing Anthony at halftime, but they were examining the knee.

[UPDATE] Via The Star Ledger:

Carmelo Anthony didn’t necessarily injure his knee in the first half of Monday’s comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Knicks’ leading scorer said the joint had actually been bothering him for some time. 

Newsday’s Al Iannazzone:

Anthony said he had an MRI a few days ago that was clean and added that the Knicks’ doctors don't think "it's too serious." But he said he feels tightness in the back of his knee and that it hasn't been established why.

“My knee gave out,” Anthony said after the game, as quoted by the New York Post’s Fred Kerber. “My leg gave out.”

Anthony will be reevaluated today in Detroit and could play against the Pistons on Wednesday.