Today I was, as I am sometimes prone to do, listening to The Ringer’s NBA Show podcast with Chris Vernon. Vernon had Tim Bontemps (FANTASTIC name, right?) on the show. Bontemps is a national NBA writer for the Washington Post.

The two of them were discussing who would be the frontrunners for the MVP voting this season. It’s conceivable, they agreed, that James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant could be the top-three players in voting. In case you forgot, those three guys played on the same team. Oklahoma City had ALL THREE OF THEM, along with Serge Ibaka, and couldn’t hold anything together.

The Thunder did go to the finals — in 2012. They lost to the Miami Heat and LeBron’s superteam four games to one.

The splitting of the drafted super-team (OKC), I have come to realize, started with their loss to the manufactured super-team (Miami).

If you were a 23 year-old Kevin Durant, how would you have felt? He put up a 28/8/3.5 stat line that season, only to be throttled in the finals by peak LeBron.

What if you were Westbrook. He averaged 23/5/6, and yet the Heat found a way to keep him out of rhythm and dictate the way he played just enough in the finals to disrupt the flow Scott Brooks’ team had managed to build.

How about James Harden? He was a 22 year-old BENCH player on this OKC team and would probably be the frontrunner so far this season for MVP. Harden averaged 17 points off the bench that season.

All three of them saw what happens when you choose your own superteam. All three of them knew they’d never be out of each others’ shadows in OKC. The Thunder tried to get ahead of the curve, trading Harden and paying Ibaka. Kevin Durant got hurt. Instead of growing into a great second-banana, Russell Westbrook decided he was going to be the prima ballerina, and the rest is history. At least until this season.

Sometimes radio or TV people play this game: “If you could build your team to win now with a player or three players or five players, who would they be?”

If you asked an NBA fan right now, LeBron would be there, probably along with the three former Thunder teammates (aged 28, 28, and 27 now) and maybe Steph Curry. KD and LeBron could play the four and the five. Don’t get too caught up in that part.

Russell Westbrook is flat-out putting on a show this season. By Erik Drost from United States (Russell Westbrook) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

But what if they had kept everything together? Would we be delighting in all that is Russell mania this season? Would Harden ever been able to run point forward like he is in Mike D’Antoni’s offense? Would there be a superteam like the Warriors to hate?

We wouldn’t have any of the fun that comes with the split-up Thunder WITHOUT LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh both crushing Oklahoma City’s soul and showing the youngsters in 2012 that super-teams work.

The last thought I’ll leave with is this: If you look at all the decisions Harden, Westbrook, and Durant (and Oklahoma City’s management) made since those 2012 finals through the lens of that loss, you start to see motivations for guys that are just under the surface at all times.

It was there when Durant signed his Golden State contract — you never know when you’ll get another chance at the finals, especially when you’re not always healthy. He just about guaranteed himself that with his decision.

It’s there every time James Harden has some crazy 45 point triple double. Like a middle child he’ll always be looking for attention and always have something to prove until the day he retires. He wants to show everyone that HE was the unicorn of the group.

In Westbrook, it’s more outwardly apparent. Everything that has happened over the past four years bubbles to the surface on the floor for the UCLA kid. Remember when Westbrook had to play behind Jordan Farmar in college? Remember when he had to defer to Durant all game and then to Harden in crunch time? Remember when Durant was out, and Russell thought he earned the right to be the top dog?

And remember when the Heat trashed their whole world?

Look a little deeper. Have a little context. This NBA season becomes even more fun and interesting than you thought. Maybe a re-watching of the 2012 NBA Finals is in order. I’ll buy the pizza and pops.

Over the course of the upcoming NBA season many people will be talking about or picking the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA title but I say hold on just a second. Yes, creating a team that combines LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love is very impressive. On paper, they may look like the best team but they still have to overcome some hurdles. Before we can proclaim them the NBA champions for 2015 we have to see them play together; remember it took LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a while to get it right, and that big three was much better than the one constructed now. Team chemistry is such an underrated aspect of basketball. Just look at the San Antonio Spurs and you will see why. I believe the Cavs will win one title with their current core players. It just won’t be this season.

Will this be the year Kevin Durant leads the Thunder to a title? By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

The Western conference finals will be the Spurs and Thunder again, but the Oklahoma City Thunder will be the 2014-2015 NBA champions. Kevin Durant has improved every season since he has come into the league, which is extremely scary for the rest of the league. Oklahoma City posted a record of 59-23 last season with Russell Westbrook just coming off a major injury. They battled the Spurs in the conference finals and that was without Serge Ibaka for the first two games of the series. The only thing that may hold back the Thunder is their bench play, but I think Jeremy Lamb has learned how to play in the NBA plus adding sharp-shooter Anthony Morrow, and rookie Mitch McGary should help them.

Durant and Westbrook create a dynamic one-two punch scoring option that no other team can match. I know many people have been critical of Westbrook and Durant playing together but I think that they compliment each other very well. Westbrook just needs to pass the ball to Durant a little bit more but that’s on the coach. I think that if the Thunder don’t win this year that Scott Brooks should be fired and OKC should get some new blood into their coaching position. Brooks is, without a doubt, on the hot seat.

Having a player in Durant who averaged 32 points per game in the prime of his career puts the Thunder in a prime position already and I expect for them to finally take that next step in 2015. Seattle fans may not like it but the Thunder looks ready to win their first title in the Oklahoma City franchise history. When all is said and done, this will be known as the “Year of Durant”.

All season long, the two-time defending champion Miami Heat have been the favorites in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs, who lost to Miami in the Finals last season, had the best record during the regular season and have looked like a team on a mission. The Indiana Pacers, who seemed determined to overthrow their rivals in Miami started off the season hot but have slipped lately. This was supposed to be the year that some team knocked off LeBron James and the Heat and stopped them from becoming a dynasty. Thus far in the playoffs that dream seems very unlikely.

Could the NBA Finals return to the Moda Center in Portland this season? By Another Believer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

At this point, I think the only other two teams that could give the Heat some trouble out East are the young Toronto Raptors and the veteran Brooklyn Nets, who happen to be facing each other in the first round. With the Pacers struggling to find themselves, it almost looks like a lock for the Heat to meet up with a team like the Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In other words, it’s not turning out to be as challenging as many thought for LeBron and co.

In the West, it’s a free-for-all, with some of the top teams struggling so far in the playoffs. The top-seeded Spurs are playing their in-state rival Dallas Mavericks who so far are showing the Spurs they mean some business. The two teams from the Lone Star State have split the first two games in San Antonio and Dallas could have won both games in San Antonio if not for an impressive run to end game one by the Spurs.

The second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder with MVP Kevin Durant seemed primed for another playoff run yet find themselves down 2-1 to the gritty Memphis Grizzlies. The Houston Rockets had a lot of hype after the addition of Dwight Howard in the offseason, but they are down 0-2 to the Trail Blazers heading into one of the loudest arenas in the NBA back in Portland. The Los Angeles Clippers are the only top seeded team looking like they should taking a 2-1 lead over the Warriors including winning a game in Oakland.

The NBA playoffs are far from over and anything can happen, but so far signs are pointing towards the Heat reaching their fourth straight NBA Finals and meeting up with any of the right Western Conference teams that clinched a postseason berth. Here is what I believe will happen over the course of the playoffs:

First Round:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Dallas Mavericks (Spurs in 7)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Grizzlies in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. Golden State Warriors (Clippers in 7)

4. Houston Rockets vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 8. Atlanta Hawks (Pacers in 7)

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats (Heat in 5)

3. Toronto Raptors vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Nets in 6)

4. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 4)

Semi-Finals:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Clippers in 7)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Heat in 7)

Conference Finals:

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Heat in 5)

NBA Finals: 2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (TBA)

Even before Dwight Howard joined the Lakers many fans and members of the media looked to the 2014 off-season as a chance for the purple and gold to make a splash and start focusing their personnel moves on their post-Kobe Bryant days. Going into the 2013-2014 season with absolutely no hope of a championship, the Lakers stuck to their “plan” by signing a large majority of their roster to 1-year contracts to preserve the cap space they would enjoy the following offseason. Once the 2014 offseason hits, the Lakers will only have three players on their salary cap giving them flexibility to do what they want. But the real question is, what should the Lakers do with all that cap space?

If the front office is patient and handles the 2014 off-season correctly, it may only be a few seasons until the Lakers return to the White House. By Lawrence Jackson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

My plan would be to save the cap space, despite how Kobe Bryant might feel about it, and save it for the 2015 and 2016 off seasons in order to more-thoroughly return the team to its rightful place atop the NBA. First off, the Lakers will be getting a top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, which is linked to being one of the deepest drafts in recent memory and might eventually be compared to the historic 2003 draft (we hope Jerry West was wrong). So they will more than likely get a young star in the making to put alongside Kobe for the 2014-2015 season. Once the following offseason starts, however, the fun begins. Such players as Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol will be free agents come 2015 and many expect the Lakers to snag Love, who played at UCLA, from Minnesota.

Wait another offseason, which could mean post-Kobe, and the 2016 free agent class is even better. With such players scheduled to become free agents as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and others, the Lakers could put themselves in position to return to championship contention within a few seasons simply by being patient in free agency for a few years. The two names most heavily linked to the purple and gold are Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, which matched together, could be a deadly combination for opponents.

As for the fans, we might need to bite the bullet on next season as well in order to potentially celebrate another title a few seasons later. Those of us in the seats as well as the Lakers front office should realize that. The one problem is that the pressure of an impending Kobe Bryant retirement may put the Lakers in an awkward situation and they may push the panic button and sign a player like Carmelo Anthony this offseason. Nothing against Carmelo — he is a great player — but the best thing for the Lakers future would be to wait for now and use the cap space in future off-seasons.

Nothing compares to a good individual rivalry in the NBA. Since one-on-one is the name of the game in the League, individual match-ups are analyzed and torn apart. Fans ask the age-old question of who is better than who? By the time a game is over, we sometimes even get a definitive answer.

Until recently, we hadn’t seen any huge individual rivalries in quite a while. While Kobe Bryant has won five titles over the past decade-and-a-half, other players have come and gone. But Kevin Durant and LeBron James have changed that. Since meeting up in the 2011 NBA Finals, Durant and LeBron have been known as the two best players in the league and everything they do gets compared.

Kevin Durant is a great player but will be second to LeBron until he starts to win. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

Durant vs. LeBron has become a matchup that is an event each and every time that the two match-up. Since 2010, when LeBron joined the Heat, Miami has a record of 9-4 against Oklahoma City, including their NBA Finals matchup.

Now why is this? It is actually very simple in the fact that the Thunder just don’t matchup very well against the Heat. I believe that if the Thunder and Heat met up in the Finals again, it would be the same boring outcome that is was back in 2011 when the Heat won the series 4 games to 1.

People can talk about how the Heat aren’t as good this season and how they won’t win a third NBA title in a row, but I give them a very good chance to do so. Until the Heat no longer have LeBron James on their roster, I will probably pick them to win each season. In my opinion, there are only three teams right now that could actually beat the Heat in a playoff series based on match-ups.

The Pacers and Spurs have proven they can play with the Heat so I give them a realistic chance to do so. The third team may be of a surprise to people but I think that the Rockets could give the Heat a run for their money. Having James Harden, the size of Dwight Howard, and all the shooters they have could cause problems for Miami.

The debate of Durant vs. LeBron is just getting started and I am excited to watch these two great players go at each other over the next several seasons. For now, though, the debate needs to stop because LeBron James is the best player in the world and will hold that title for a long time. Until Kevin Durant starts adding some NBA titles to his resume he will be second to his rival and friend LeBron James.

Paul Pierce (seen here without his trademark wheelchair), may be getting old, but he still made L-Man’s top-10 active players. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

LeBron James recently was awarded his fourth MVP award in five years which is an astonishing accomplishment, only have being done by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5), and Wilt Chamberlain (4).  Not too bad of company I’d say for LeBron to be in but this got me thinking, who are the top ten NBA players currently in the league? Many people have disagreed about this fact and now I am here to put my input in about the debate. I am basing my order not only on statistics but also mental aspect, hustle, and winning. So here is in my opinion, the top ten current NBA players in order:

1. LeBron James: I can’t even argue this; the man is a freak of nature on the basketball court. This is the easiest placement of the players on my list so I won’t take too long on it. Career Stats: 27.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 7.3 RPG
2. Kobe Bryant: A lot of people would have placed Kevin Durant here instead of Kobe but I am a person of resumes not just the “now” part of this. Kobe is still the best closer in the NBA defying basketball odds and opponents over and over again. At 34 years old, he can still put up the same of not better numbers than the younger players, which is incredible. Many people overlook the Mamba, but not me. Career Stats: 25.5 PPG, 4.8 APG, 5.3 RPG
3. Kevin Durant: Once Kobe retires then Durant will move up into the number two spot at least on my list but until then he is third which isn’t that bad at all. Durant is a unique talent with his length and shooting ability and I believe he will go down as one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen. Durant said he was tired of being second all the time, well Kevin you aren’t second…you are third. Career Stats: 26.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, 6.8 RPG
4. Chris Paul: The best point guard in the NBA lands in the fourth spot on my list and I think he fits perfectly here. The way Paul can run the floor, pass and shoot is incredible. Almost like Kobe, Paul is a killer. By that, I mean he is clutch and will end you in a game. Paul is of my favorite players in the game and a great leader on the court. Career Stats: 18.6 PPG, 9.8 APG, 4.4 RPG
5. Dirk Nowitzki: This one might be a bit of a surprise to some as Carmelo or Russell Westbrook are neither in this spot but as I said, I base this off of resumes and every aspect of the game and Dirk has it all. He has won MVP awards, a championship and hits huge shots in huge moments. I don’t care about the age factor, he still is one of the most versatile big men to ever play this game and is still highly productive. The “German Moses” is about a year removed from many people agreeing with me, but I don’t care. He is the fifth best player in the NBA. Career Stats: 22.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 0.9 BPG

   //www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU6UHBYJOUw

6. Carmelo Anthony: Carmelo is a tough one to cover because he has so many skill sets but lacks the mental aspect of the game. To me the mental aspect of the game is just as important as the skills part. He is a superstar, no doubt about it, but he needs to learn how to act like one. If he can do that, he could be in the top-5. He can flat-out score the basketball and in my opinion the best scorer in the game at the moment but until he finds his mental toughness he won’t get any higher than here. Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 3.1 APG, 6.4 RPG
7. Russell Westbrook: Now here is a player that is great at getting people out of their seats, he can shoot, he can dunk, he even plays defense. And what a scary thought that two of the top ten NBA players play on the same team (Thunder) and both are under 25 years of age. Westbrook has a lot of talent and with experience with continue to grow as a player and leader. He might just want to get the ball to Durant for a few more shots during a game. Career Stats: 19.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.8 RPG
8. Tim Duncan: Four championships. That is all I have to say about Duncan, who I believe will go down as the greatest power forward to ever play the game. Career Stats: 20.2 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.2 BPG
9. Paul Pierce: The Truth. Well, the truth is that Pierce is still a top ten player even with his age and it is sad that he may be done soon. Even as a Laker fan, I admire Paul Pierce and his game. He has a knack for silencing the crowd on the road and hitting clutch shots. He grew up near the Forum in Inglewood and with the exception of the wheelchair incident, he’s been a pretty tough player throughout his career. Although he had to beat the Lakers to do so, I am glad that he won one title. Career Stats: 21.8 PPG, 3.9 APG, 6.0 RPG
10. Dwight Howard: Much like the Thunder, the Lakers have two of the top 10 NBA players on their roster (for now) and hopefully it stays that way. Howard may not be the offensive beast that Shaq was but he can flat out play defense and is a force at the rim. Many players could deserve to be number ten, but I gave the nod to Howard because of the defense aspect. Defense does win championships and maybe one day Howard will be holding up the trophy he is coveting. Career Stats: 18.3 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG

While people may disagree with me, at least we can agree to disagree. Obviously this list will change yearly with players retiring, age and just the progression on younger players but for now this is in my list of the top ten current NBA players. What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Another great talent with poise and NBA-ready footwork around the rim has been haunted with the angry ghost of Greg Oden. The former number one draft pick in 2007 out of Ohio state, yet to find his footing in an NBA uniform.

Oden was the heir apparent to Bill Russell and a pick above the formidably freakish, Kevin Durant. But knee issues have belittled the one-and-done seven-foot college star to bench-warming and wishing, while Durant, carries the NBA as a whole on his sharp, bone-thin shoulders.

And now, just a month out of this year’s NBA draft, another soft tempered, smooth as silk big man and Buckeye, Jared Sullinger, has been red flagged with health concerns. According to Slam Magazine, doctors have found a lingering back issue to be more than just growing pains. And while the twenty year old 6’8″ 270-pound big man’s father swears the back issues aren’t serious, the rest of the league is left to wonder whether or not Sullinger will be more bust than bang in an NBA uniform.

Sullinger was projected early-on as a lottery pick. The two-time All American, averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds on 53.0% shooting during his two-year collegiate career. Sullinger improved his defensive foot-work after his freshman season, fouling less and increasing minutes on the floor. A bit undersized with average explosiveness around the rim, the big man also improved his step-out game, hitting on 40.0% of his three point attempts during his sophomore season.

It was fair to say Sullinger wasn’t an NBA superstar in the making. But what he was/is a talent with the right team-oriented temperament to make a splash right away in the NBA. His comparisons include current Hawk, Al Horford, or a more explosive version of Emeka Okafor. And that might be the very thing that saves him.

The only difference between Oden and Sullinger is found in their pre-NBA comparisons. Oden was supposed to be the man who took the mantel from Dwight Howard and brought to memory former legend, Bill Russell. He was picked by a Trail Blazer team that already sported Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge as the faces of the franchise.

Sullinger on the other hand, had recently slipped to the latter half of the lottery because of his average athleticism. Doctors have advised teams not to pick him in the first round, but a team with the guts to grab him in the late teens or somewhere in the early to mid twenties, could have themselves a game changing diamond in the rough, a’ la Dejuan Blair or Paul Millsap.

Is this Buckeye curse found in the Columbus drinking water? Is Thad Matta a Hudu Shaman spelling big men with poor knees and back issues? Or is simply the summation powers of poor music taste?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=h27NIkjnMRY

Whatever the reason, Buckeye fans are left to wonder yet again, whether or not one of their talented bigs can translate his superior skill set beyond the college game.

For the San Antonio Spurs, none of this new. While the league  has celebrated the Lakers, Hollywood part deuce — the Clippers, the return of the Chowds — Boston Celtics and evil three (now two) in Miami, the poised veteran Spurs quietly go about their business, methodically behind the scenes. 

This time the one-two punch battled over their own careers, and for two hours dismissed the NHL draft, NFL draft, baseball highlights, Ozzie Guillen story, and many other news-worthy punch lines, in order that they might clear the air when it comes to their current bout over hashtags and tweets. This began during yesterday’s airing of First Take, when Rose reverted to calling the Bayless Water Pistol Pete instead of the Pistol Pete Bayless believed himself to be via twitter, stating:” Tall for age in 9th grade, chosen MVP of state-wide basketball camp over several future D1 players. Decided I was Maravich. Coach disagreed.”

Is it just me or are we all stuck in some derisive vacuum? Why are talking about Skip Bayless in high school? And why does Jalen Rose care?

Rose — pissy over a dispute on the NBA MVP race  — differs from Bayless’ beliefs on Russell Westbrook. And while Rose asserts Westbrook to be a favorable league MVP based upon ability to lead a team and take over a game, Bayless continued his dissent, calling the 21 year-old point guard assertive at the wrong times, a gunner and not a true believer in the greatness of Kevin Durant.

I’m still confused over how this became personal and how the argument devolved into some ego-driven juevo comparison on live television. Without question it argues against the authenticity of First Take and begs whether the show is just another script fueling the fire of a gossip-driven culture.

It seems, in some far fetched make believe world, Bayless’ tweet was in response to his argument with Rose. But why does Bayless think it’s necessary to prop up his defunct athletic career? In order that he might build a better repore with his colleagues, listeners, readers and critics? Does his tweet somehow include Bayless with the likes of NBA stars, as both a man who knows the game from the outside and from the inside? Is Bayless the Michael Jordan who never got his shot?

Likewise, how does playing the game make Jalen Rose more right than one who hasn’t? Should we assume Rose the superior of Red Aurbach? That, according to ESPN insider Andy Katz is absurd when examining and evaluating all the great minds who never played the game at a high level but currently teach it both at the collegiate and professional levels.

The circus malaise got all the more foul, when the more formidable and loud-mouthed, Stephen A. Smith, grovelled his own growls in an indistinguishable banter about his love of sports, his need to tell it like it is, his distaste for Kwame Brown, and the reasons why he alone could build trust with the formerly evasive, Allen Iverson. Smith’s displeasure with Rose rooted itself in insecure cries for professional attention, demanding Rose listen to his arguments as to why former players dream of being journalistic moguls like him.

And while Smith pearled his glories like a great philosopher, the middle man Jay Crawford sat steadfastly puzzled, perplexed and shamelessly amused. Crawford called himself “a fly on the wall listening to great sport knowledge,” using the barometer of his 12 – inch black backed lap top computer to announce their trending stats and the network’s desire to continue on with the battle between the two egos, in order to maximize viewer attention.

That, alone, tosses a greater curve ball in the mix, one I do not have the time for and would take two thousand pages to explain. Are we as fans, to blame for the current misery known as American Sports media? Our lust for entertainment, tweets, gossip and reality television pushing us to a point of intellectual irrelevance? One jackass listening to another jackass, and the other jackass just smiling?