Heading to the Big Easy

[Myles Nelson]

Here's the standings on April 1st.

Eastern Conference
Miami Heat 55-18 (S1)
Philadelphia 76ers 47-26 (A1)
Boston Celtics 45-27 (A2)
Indiana Pacers 42-30 (C1)
New York Knicks 37-37 (A3)
Atlanta Hawks 36-37 (S2)
Washington Wizards 34-39 (S3)
Brooklyn Nets 33-39 (A4)

Chicago Bulls 33-41 (C2)
Milwaukee Bucks 30-43 (C3)
Cleveland Cavaliers 29-45 (C4)
Orlando Magic 26-46 (S4)
Detroit Pistons 24-48 (C5)
Charlotte Bobcats 24-50 (S5)
Toronto Raptors 17-54 (A5)

Western Conference
Los Angeles Clippers 49-22 (P1)
Utah Jazz 50-24 (N1)
Oklahoma City Thunder 49-24 (N2)
San Antonio Spurs 47-25 (S1)
Minnesota Timberwolves 43-31 (N3)
Los Angeles Lakers 43-31 (P2)
Golden State Warriors 42-31 (P3)
New Orleans Hornets 40-31 (S2)

Portland Trail Blazers 39-33 (N4)
Sacramento Kings 35-37 (P4)
Denver Nuggets 33-40 (N5)
Dallas Mavericks 32-40 (S3)
Memphis Grizzlies 30-42 (S4)
Houston Rockets 27-47 (S5)
Phoenix Suns 17-56 (P5)

We own the Mavericks and Rockets pick, who currently own the 10th and 6th picks in the lottery, respectively. Not bad at all, even if we drop spots we still have one top 10 pick and one lottery pick. Could probably shop those around along with someone (cough cough Vasquez) to get us some real talent, like a real PG perhaps.

[PointGuard]

Looking good this year and even better for the future!

There's a real log jam atop the Western Conference. Will be interesting to see which of the 4 teams prevails for home court advantage during the playoffs.

[Myles Nelson]

Looking good this year and even better for the future!

There's a real log jam atop the Western Conference. Will be interesting to see which of the 4 teams prevails for home court advantage during the playoffs.

This team has ended up far better than I ever expected. Part of it comes from Eric Gordon's unexpected rise: I never saw him scoring 25 points per game. Also, our team defense is surprisingly good, since we overcame plenty of scorers hitting on 30+% from the floor.

As for the Western Conference, my bet is Clippers-Thunder-Jazz-Spurs. I think the Thunder are too good to stay behind the Jazz, but the Clippers are the team to beat in the West. A Clippers-Heat final is to be expected.

[buddy]

great stuff Myles look forward to seeing how this season plays out and what lies ahead for the Hornets.

[Myles Nelson]

great stuff Myles look forward to seeing how this season plays out and what lies ahead for the Hornets.

Thanks!

[Myles Nelson]

[SIZE="4"]End of Season[/SIZE]

[SIZE="3"]Eastern Playoffs[/SIZE]
1. Miami (63-19) vs. 8. Washington (39-43)

This series won't even be close. The Heat have advantages everywhere on the court and the only thing that gives the Wizards any kind of fighting chance is that John Wall is a monster and will destroy Chalmers, and Ariza/Nene play good defense and could slow down LBJ and Bosh. But the Heat will win.

2. Boston Celtics (53-29) vs. 7. Brooklyn Nets (39-43)

Celtics really rejuvenated their team with a new frontcourt made up of Brook Lopez, JaVale McGee and Ryan Anderson. That three pronged threat, plus Rondo, Pierce, and new SG Vince Carter brought a whole lot of weapons to Boston with which to annihilate the Nets. Brooklyn has Deron Williams and Ersan Ilysavoa and Deron Williams, plus shooters and defensive big Omer Asik, but they can't compete with the overall talent of the Celtics.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (50-32) vs. 6. New York Knicks (42-40)

The dirty backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Louis Williams gives opposing teams fits as they can both score and steal, and role players like Iguodala, Brand, Hawes and Young with rookie Arnett Moultrie add on to make a balanced, strong defensive squad. The Knicks have the star power of Anthony and Stoudemire to lead them, and Tyson Chandler will anchor them inside with his defense. Add Tayshaun Prince and Iman Shumpert's D, Landry Fields and J.R. Smith's outside game, and you have a dangerous squad capable of upsetting the 76ers.

4. Indiana Pacers (48-34) vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks (42-40)

The Pacers are led by their athletic, long wings Danny Granger and Paul George, as well as offensive big men Roy Hibbert and David West. and the man that makes it all go? Steve Nash, and his great passing ability. Tony Allen, Darren Collison, Carl Landry and George Hill all come off the bench for what is possibly the deepest team in the league, and they could really use that bench and athleticism to wreak havoc for any team. The Hawks come into the playoffs a little bit beat up, but Horford and Smith are still a strong front court and Teague/Ginobili make up a good backcourt. The Hawks have enough talent to upset, but can they mesh as a team?

[SIZE="3"]Western Playoffs[/SIZE]
1. Los Angeles Clippers (58-24) vs. 8. Los Angeles Lakers (46-36)

Lob City worked out perfectly for the Clippers, as Griffin averaged 25/11 and CP3 averaged 20/10. DeAndre Jordan brought almost a third double double, at 12/9, and role players like Nick Young, Caron Butler, Rudy Fernandez, Michael Redd, Eric Bledsoe and Shelden Williams all bring certain strengths that can work around the stars. The Lakers fell apart as Pau Gasol couldn't adapt to the third fiddle, scoring only 12.6 points per game. Kobe and Bynum are the unquestioned leaders now, and Sessions was okay as a scoring point but couldn't distribute well. Kirilenko's defense adds a new wrinkle for this team, but no bench makes them vulnerable.

2. Utah Jazz (56-26) vs. 7. Golden State Warriors (48-34)

Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap lead this team down low, and KG brings the defense and toughness that they so needed. Jeremy Lin, Devin Harris, and Jarrett Jack are dangerous from outside, and youngsters Hayward and Favors fill in well when they get minutes. This team well balanced but they do have trouble scoring from outside, which the Warriors may be able to exploit. The Warriors will need strong interior defense from David Lee and Andrew Bogut, and good shots and smart decisions from playmaking wings Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Nate Robinson, Harrison Barnes, and Corey Maggette. The Warriors could certainly upset the Jazz here.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (52-30) vs. 6. New Orleans Hornets (48-34)

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are still the nasty trio they have always been, but now Jamal Crawford adds his talent to the starting lineup. Serge Ibaka averaged a double double with 3 blocks as well, and Enes Kanter brings toughness and rebounding. This young team is dangerous as hell. The Hornets have a well balanced team, with 6 players averaging double digit points, and if anyone can keep up with the young Thunder, its the younger Hornets.

4. San Antonio Spurs (51-31) vs. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves (51-31)

The Spurs are an aging group, but they bring a whole lot of talent. Parker, Johnson, and Duncan are the big three, but with Ray Allen roaming the perimeter raining threes and Splitter bringing interior scoring and rebounding, it's not just a big 3 anymore in San Antonio. Add the defense and grit of DeJuan Blair, Kawhi Leonard, and the explosiveness of Patrick Mills off the bench, and you have a well balanced squad capable of going far. The Wolves are led by the best big man in the game, Kevin Love, and great scorers Kevin Martin, Antawn Jamison and Nikola Pekovic. They are also surrounded by shooters Chase Budinger, Brandon Roy and Michael Beasley, but perhaps most important is the man running the show, Ricky Rubio, who led the league in assists at 12 per game. That's right, 12 assists per game.

BOLD PREDICTIONS

1. Heat over 8. Wizards (4-0)
2. Celtics over 7. Nets (4-0)
6. Knicks over 3. 76ers (4-2)
4. Pacers over 5. Hawks (4-1)

1. Clippers over 8. Lakers (4-2)
2. Jazz over 7. Warriors (4-2)
3. Thunder over 6. Hornets (4-1)
5. Timberwolves over 4. Spurs (4-3)

4. Pacers over 1. Heat (4-3)
2. Celtics over 6. Knicks (4-1)

1. Clippers over 5. Timberwolves (4-2)
3. Thunder over 2. Jazz (4-3)

4. Pacers over 2. Celtics (4-2)
1. Clippers over 3. Thunder (4-1)

1. Clippers over 4. Pacers (4-1)

[Myles Nelson]

[SIZE="4"]End of Season Evaluations[/SIZE]

PG: Grevis Vasquez (11.4 ppg, 6.5 apg, 2.7 topg, 43.9% fg, 48.7% STOP)

Offensively, Vasquez has been solid. His scoring was acceptable, passing acceptable, and didn't really hurt us there. Defensively, he was a problem. His defense was pretty atrocious, but as a young PG in the second year of our rebuilding process, not a bad choice at all.

SG: Eric Gordon (24.6 ppg, 3.9 apg, 1.7 spg, 3.7 topg, 45.4% fg, 57.6% STOP)

Part of Gordon's low shooting percentage and turnovers problems stemmed from the fact that he had to force up some shots in an offense that featured not many guys who can create for themselves. Gordon cut down his three point attempts, which was good, but his defense and ball security need to improve if he wants to be the #1 option on a contending team.

SF: Shawn Marion (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 spg, 43.9% fg, 89% STOP)

Putting a guy like Marion at our three spot helped us get more rebounds and more stops than we probably would have otherwise. His length troubled opposing SFs, and he was a decent scorer. His percentage was a little low, but as the 4th option, it wasn't a big deal. He served us very well this year.

PF: Anthony Davis (15.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.6 spg, 4.1 bpg, 52% fg, 0.6 PA/SF)

Certainly one of our most valuable players, if not the most valuable player, Davis was a force both offensively and defensively. He frustrated all opposing posts, both with his strong on ball defense and his great off ball help. He moved his feet well and was a great great addition to our team. Franchise player for years to come.

C: Jason Thompson (10.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 47.8% fg, 0.9 PA/SF)

Thompson was good as a big man who attacked the basket and played strong down low. He picked his percentage up as the year went on and he got more accustomed being down low in the post. He was certainly a good addition and a key piece to our winning ways.

PF/C: Luis Scola (13.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 46.1% fg, 0.9 PA/SF)

As our 6th man, Scola definitely did his job of being a good versatile big man who can play both pivot positions and defend/rebound/score no matter where on the court he was. Moving from a starting role to the bench must have been tough, but going from a losing team to this winning one must have been nice for the 32 year old.

PG/SG: Austin Rivers (7.1 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.4 topg, 43.4% fg, 38.5% STOP)

His atrocious defense makes me think he may not be the future PG of the Hornets. He was a willing and good passer, and his scoring wasn't shabby either, but that defense is going to kill us.

PF/C: Gustavo Ayon (6.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 46.7%, 0.8 PA/SF)

He saw his minutes cut with the addition of Scola, but Ayon has potential to be a good offensive post in the future. Just not this year. He'll play some to give the big men a blow but he won't play very many meaningful minutes.

SG/SF: Xavier Henry (6.0 ppg, 46% fg, 81.3% STOP)

Henry has a good outside shot and plays solid defense, the kinds of things we look for in a backup wing man.

SG/SF: Jared Cunningham (5.1 ppg, 50.4% fg, 90.1% STOP)

The thing about Cunningham is that he doesn't have much of an outside game. He's a smooth creator for himself but he likes to finish 15 feet and in, which makes him a bit limited in his value. His defense is great though.

PF/C: Louis Amundson (2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 44.4% fg)
SF: Peja Stojakovic (1 ppg, 37.5% fg)
SG: Dahntay Jones (no stats)

These three are just injury insurance at this point and gone after this year. They did well while they were on the court though (except for Jones, who never made it to the court. I signed him when I thought Gordon would go down with a strained hamstring but Gordon didn't end up missing any games).

[Myles Nelson]

Time to see what our team is made of! The Thunder certainly present a tough challenge here at the beginning of the playoffs, but if our Hornets can fight through and battle out a tough series, it will say a lot about their resolve at least. I'm excited to see what my first playoff series will bring us.

Let's see what the sports "experts" have to say, shall we?

Point Guard
Russell Westbrook vs. Grevis Vasquez
Westbrook is a hyper athletic point guard who will wreak havoc no matter who he's matched up against. He didn't average 23 points and 7 assists by being average. Perhaps his most elite skill and also his most underrated one is his defense. He stopped 99% of drives!

Vasquez is no match for Westbrook. That's just because there are very few PGs in the league who are. If Vasquez can just do a good job of not turning the ball over and trying to at least force Westbrook into shooting jumpers, then he'll be fine.

Advantage: Thunder

Shooting Guard
Jamal Crawford vs. Eric Gordon
Crawford is an explosive, if inconsistent, offensive player. His ability to stretch defenses and attack the basket is his strength, and his length will certainly pose problems for the smaller Gordon. Crawford may be the key to this series, as his inconsistencies could shoot them right out of games.

Gordon is the Hornet's number #1 option, and though he may be a bit erratic at times, he's certainly a better all around baller than Crawford. He'll have to play tougher D to match up against the taller Crawford but he seems like the kind of guy to step up to this kind of pressure and succeed.

Advantage: Hornets

Small Forward
Kevin Durant vs. Shawn Marion
The last time these two guys matched up was when the Mavericks were on their title run in 2011, and Marion certainly held his own against Durant. Durant is now two years more experienced and has been to the Finals, so now he'll be able to dominate in the playoffs without the pressure. He's locked and loaded.

Marion is still a good defender, and his long arms can challenge Durant. He's also got more size, and he'll body up Durant inside. He won't do a ton of damage, but if the Hornets have any dream of winning, Marion will need to limit Durant.

Advantage: Thunder

Power Forward
Serge Ibaka vs. Anthony Davis
Ibaka is a monster, averaging a double double with 3 blocks per game. His efficiency is off the charts and his impact on a game goes beyond the box score. Ibaka is a beast down low.

Davis is, surprisingly, a better version of Ibaka. He rebounds a little less, scores a little more, but also averages a full block more and one more steal per game than Ibaka. Davis is the anchor of this Hornets team, and he'll need to play big in his first playoff series.

Advantage: Hornets

Center
Enes Kanter vs. Jason Thompson
Kanter is almost not a factor on this Thunder team, the forgotten 5th starter. He bangs down low, gets rebounds and scores on offensive putbacks. He doesn't really do much else.

Thompson is also a banger, but he has more talent than Kanter does. They are very similar in style, which may neutralize Thompson a little, or it may play to his advantage. It will be an interesting battle to watch.

Advantage: Hornets

Bench
The Thunder bench is led by reigning 6th Man of the Year James Harden, a dangerous scorer and creator who could start for any other team in the league. Outside of him, no one else on the bench averages more than 3 points a game, though Thabo Sefolosha comes on as a defensive stud and Kevin Jones gets some minutes down low, but doesn't really do anything.

Luis Scola and Austin Rivers are the most used guys off the Hornets bench, providing scoring punch and rebounding (Scola) or passing (Rivers) as well. Xavier Henry and Jared Cunningham are likely to see time on the court as shooter/defender types.

Advantage: Hornets

Final Thoughts
Though the Hornets are deeper and are marginally better at a few other positions, the Thunder's star power cannot be matched. Add homecourt advantage and playoff experience and you can chalk this series up as a win for the Thunder.
Prediction: Thunder in 5

Well, they are right about one thing: we can't match the star power of Westbrook and Durant. Those two, plus Harden, make up a trio of nastiness that we just cannot compare to. If we can at least slow down one of those three, then we may have a chance.

Game One
The good news? We held James Harden to 6 points. The bad news? Durant and Westbrook combined for 61 points. Eric Gordon had a very efficient 24 points, Scola pitched in 16 points and 11 rebounds, and we somehow only lost by 10 despite shooting 36% from the floor. Another bright note? We stole the ball 11 times and forced 17 turnovers.
Hornets 92 Thunder 102

Game Two
When you win the turnover battle like we did (17-7 in our favor) you give yourself a great chance to win, and we went out and did just that! Durant/Westbrook/Harden combined for only 59 this game between the three of them, and Vasquez went out and had 17 points and 10 assists. Scola had another double double, and our balanced attack barely beat out their star power.
Hornets 107 Thunder 100

Game Three
Durant and Westbrook again went off, this time for 59 points, but we won the rebound battle and could not miss from the floor, shooting over 50% as a team. Gordon had 24 and Scola had his third straight double double, this time going for 23 and 10. We have a commanding 2-1 lead now with game 4 in New Orleans as well, could definitely be on to something big!
Thunder 106 Hornets 115

Game Four
With the momentum on our side, we were primed to take the series back to OKC up 3-1! Anthony Davis finally woke up and had a big game, with 22 and 10, Scola had his 4th consecutive double double, and Austin Rivers had 11 points on 4 shots off the bench. However, Westbrook and Harden would not be stopped, and they evened the series up at 2 a piece.
Thunder 105 Hornets 95

Miami swept the Wizards, and that was it.

Game Five
This game was the battle of the PGs, as both were determined to hit every shot they took! Westbrook went off for 39 points, but Vasquez matched him shot for shot and finished with 35 of his own! The difference maker? Supporting cast. Scola had 13/12, Davis 15/14, and Rivers had 14 off the bench. Westbrook got little to no help.
Hornets 110 Thunder 104

The Clippers finished off the Lakers, the Celtics took down the Nets, but all other series move on.

Game Six
At home in New Orleans, how great would it be to win our first postseason series under my direction in my first season! Man, this would be so exciting. The crowd is pumped, we have a white out game, and the building is sold out! The team comes out with a ton of energy, and it's one of those games where everyone got playing time! Marion had the defensive game of his life and held Durant to 0 points! Blowout victory at home and we're going on to the second round!
Thunder 77 Hornets 98

Man if you told me before the season that we'd beat the Thunder in the playoffs... I'd tell you you were crazy. I still think it's crazy.

Atlanta upsets the Pacers in 6 games, the Knicks upset the 76ers in 7 games, and the Jazz and Spurs hang on to win in 7 games over the Warriors and Timberwolves, respectively.

[zike_42]

Congrats! What a game six, win by over 20 and hold Durant to a goose egg. I wonder how many times that has happened in his life. Don't get too excited, that is only the first round. Good luck!

[MizzouRah]

Durant 0 points? I mean.. congrats and all.. but really...