Passing of the torch in San Antonio

 

Aldridge could make the Spurs better than ever before

 

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past couple of days, or you just don’t follow sports, then you should be well aware that LaMarcus Aldridge will play for the San Antonio Spurs next season, and about three more after that. On July 4, Aldridge and the Spurs agreed to a 4 year, $80 million dollar deal. Aldridge of course was the number one target this free agency season, and is one of the leagues best forwards. Aldridge met with around seven different teams since July 1st, and after a couple of days, and two meetings with Gregg Popovich, and the Spurs organization, the 29 year old decided to join the Spurs. It’s a move that makes so much sense not only for Aldridge, but for the Spurs organization as well. Aldridge of course was born, and raised in Texas, now gets to play for a Texas team, and along side the greatest power forward of all time, in Tim Duncan. Again, the move makes so much sense to me. Aldridge being a 4x NBA All Star, teaming up with a 15x NBA All Star, and a 5x NBA Champion in Duncan, and it’s a move that should scare every team in the NBA.

It kind of reminds me of when David Robinson was edging into his retirement, and the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997. Back then, Duncan was the young buck, and was learning from Robinson. Robinson couldn’t have passed off the torch to anyone better, and Duncan seems to be doing the same with Aldridge. I expect this season to be Duncans’ last, and wouldn’t it be great if he could go out on top, as Robinson did in 2003. When looking at the team they have right now, the Spurs can definitely do it. Looking at their starting lineup, I just wanna crown them the champs right now. Tony Parker running Point guard, with Danny Green back for 4 more years at the Shooting guard position, and of course, you have the defensive player of the year in Kawhi Leonard at Small Forward for five more years. The most impressive however, has to be the duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan at the four and five spots. Again, it reminds me so much of when Duncan teamed up with David Robinson for the end of Robinson’s career. Of course Duncan and Robinson won two championships out of their five years together, which is very impressive. Although Aldridge and Duncan won’t be together for five years, they could definitely leave some damage for a season or two. By joining the Spurs, Aldridge has a great chance at his first championship, and the league knows it. By adding Aldridge, the Spurs become an easy favorite to win it all this season, right next to teams like the Cavaliers, and Warriors. I completely think the Spurs could win it all this season, as long as they can stay healthy throughout the course.

When many think of the Spurs post Duncan era, they think of a playoff team, with no real possible championship contention. That’s not the case anymore. By signing Danny Green, and Kawhi Leonard to multi year deals, they’ve allowed themselves to become championship contenders for 3 to 5 more years, and by adding LaMarcus Aldridge to the mix, they become a 5 to 10 year championship contender. That would be like 35 years of championship contention if you add all of Robinson’s years with Duncan’s years, with Leonard and Aldridge’s years. It amazes me how great the Spurs organization is by being able to bring in new pieces every year, and being able to re-sign so many players every year, they allow themselves to be championship contenders year after year. No question the best franchise in sports over the past 20 years.

By adding the formula of great players, with a great coaching system, and great organization, the San Antonio Spurs have set themselves up for many more years of success. I wouldn’t be shocked if they won it all this season, next season, and even the one after that. I think by putting Aldridge in a Spurs uniform, the Spurs chances of a championship are greater than ever. Watch out other teams, because the San Antonio Spurs are better than ever, and that’s saying quite a lot.

A.B

Announcement : This will be my last NBA article for the World of the A.B for a while. I’ll be writing more NBA articles as we get closer to the season. However, if you want to keep reading my NBA work, make sure to follow me on My Twitter where I share all of my articles. Also, I’ll still be writing more Fantasy Football content for the blog this summer! Thanks! 

Updated Spurs Free Agency Preview

  A couple of months ago, I gave my predictions on what the 2015 San Antonio Spurs team would possiblly look like. Now as we inch closer to the start of free agency, we’re starting to see more realistic possible outcomes. So as of now, here’s what we know :

• The Spurs have several big free agents of their own that they still have to think of re-signing.
• Big names like LaMarcus Aldridge could be heading for San Antonio as well.
• The Spurs cap room isn’t too high.

Right now the Spurs free agents are :

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Marco Belinelli, Cory Joseph, Aron Baynes, Jeff Ayres, Matt Bonner, and Reggie Williams.

To me, there’s really only around 4 players from that list that I really want back. Of course I want Duncan, and Manu to return for one more season, and I think we NEED to get back Kawhi Leonard. Those three I really want back. I would love to get Danny Green back, but if we look to pursue Aldridge, getting back Green seems very un-realistic. However, if we can re-sign Marco Belinelli, I’d be fine. In today’s article, I’ll give a few Free Agent names that I want the Spurs to sign, and why.

Tim Duncan, PF – Duncan’s already done so much for this franchise, and the fact that he’s currently 40 years old doesn’t help an anti retirement argument, but if you look at his stats from last year, they’re pretty good for a 39 year old big man. Duncan was so successful last season, that there’s no way he doesn’t come back. Not only that, but I highly doubt he wants to end his amazing career of off a devastating first round, game 7 loss to the Clippers. Duncan stays to get one last chance at a sixth ring.

Manu Ginobili, SG – There have already been a few reports that if Duncan stays, Manu will too. Towards the end of last season, people were starting to question Manu’s play style, saying that it doesn’t really work anymore. But we forget that Manu has come up big for us recently, and he has proven that some times he can get it going and can provide 15-25 points. Same thing I said for Tim, I think for Manu. No way both guys want to end their career off with a game 7 Clippers loss.Both successful players, and both well earned future hall of famers. They both should return for one more season.

Kawhi Leonard, SF – He’s already been called the face of the franchsie. Kawhi’s already accomplished so many things at such a young age, there’s no way the Spurs let him walk away. Kawhi has the potential to become a great player, and if I know that, than the Spurs organization has to be aware of it too. Kawhi’s a must sign player.

Danny Green, SG – Because Green wants so much money, I don’t think he’ll return to San Antonio next season. Hopefully I’m wrong, because I love Danny. He’s a great defender, a terrific passer now, and of course, a cold blooded sharp shooter. Green has the potential to change the outcome of any Spurs game, and has proven to be a valuable weapon these past couple of years. I hope Green stays, but as of now, it’s very unlikely.

Marco Belinelli, SG – If Green leaves, I think the Spurs have to re-sign Belinelli. There were already times last season where Belinelli proved he could be a potential starter for the Spurs, and if Green leaves, Beli could take over his spot. Beli’s almost just as good a shooter as Green is, however, he’s nowhere near the defensive play making of Green, which could be a problem for the team if they decide to get Belinelli. However, at the same time it could be easily fixed, and Belinelli could get better at defense quickly. If Green leaves, the Spurs could get Belinelli back. Again though, cap room’s the main issue.

LaMarcus Aldridge – One of the leagues best big men, great shooter, terrific defensive player, would fit the Spurs system perfectly, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah, all stuff we already know. By adding LaMarcus Aldridge to their squad, the Spurs chances of winning another title would go way up. Not only could Aldridge be useful next season, but think about this. He would be learning from one kf the greatest in Tim Duncan, and would play alongside Duncan. When Duncan eventually retires, Aldridge fills his spot better than anyone else could, and the Spurs are still dominant for a long, long time. I think if the Spurs get Aldridge, everything changes for them.

So with that all said, if it was all up to me, realistically of course, here’s what my 2015-2016 version of the Spurs would look like :

Tony Parker – PG

Danny Green / Marco Belinelli – SG

Kawhi Leonard – SF

LaMarcus Aldridge – PF

Tim Duncan – C

Bench players : Patty Mills, Manu Ginobili, Kyle Anderson, Boris Diaw, others I could really care less

Now you may have noticed that I don’t have Tiago Splitter there. That’s because I think in order to actually get Aldridge and Green or Belinelli, we’ll have to trade someone, and I could see Splitter being that guy. The Spurs just drafted a seven foot center from Serbia, who could eventually take Splitters spot. Sorry Tiago, but if someones gotta go, I see it being you.

In the end, with Free Agency being right around the corner, I feel like the Spurs we know from last season, will be a really different team this year. Whether that means Aldridge comes to San Antonio, or guys like Danny Green are gone, it’ll be a different looking team. Can’t wait to see what happens on July 1st when Free Agency starts.

A.B

The Greatest Power Forward of all time.

  

Nowadays, You’ll hear things like “Who’s the greatest NBA player of all time?” Or, Who’s better? “Jordan or Kobe?” Or once in a while you’ll hear “Magic or Bird?” or even “Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell?”, questions like that. But when was the last time you ever heard someone ask you who the “Greatest Power Forward of all time is?” Chances are, not recently. Why is it that no one talks about the Power Forward position? Now, there’s two possible reasons why no one really gets into debate over the greatest power forward of all time …

1. Everyone already knows who the sure answer is, or …
2. No one really cares enough to discuss the topic in conversation, and they’re too obsessed with the Shooting Guard, or Center position debates.

Well in case you’re like me, and you’ve been asking yourself lately who the greatest power forward of all time really is, fear not, you’ll find the answer in the next couple of sentences. The real reason behind the lack of debate on this topic is a mix of the two options. No one really questions who the greatest is, because they already know who it is, and by knowing who it is, it makes them lose interest in the topic. To me, the greatest power forward of all time is an obvious answer, and should be an obvious answer to everyone. It’s the man who’s accomplished the most in all of his career in the NBA. The man who plays the game for the pure love of basketball, and the pure love of winning. The man who’s built his franchise, and never left it, even we he might’ve felt dissatisfied in it. The title “greatest power forward of all time” can belong to only one man, and that man, should clearly be Tim Duncan.

If there was ever a power forward greater than Duncan, than I sure would love to meet him, or at least read about him, and compare him to Duncan. The only possible options you can really throw against Duncan, are Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kevin McHale, and Dirk Nowitzki. And even arguing one of those makes me scratch my head a little bit. Main reason Duncans better? His accomplishments. The accomplishments of  Duncan stack far higher than any of those four guys. Now, that’s not to say those men haven’t accomplished anything, because they all have. I just think when comparing them, Duncan’s had the most.

 Yes, Karl Malone is the second greatest leading scorer of all time, and is also higher on the rebounds list than Duncan is, and also just happens to have the same amount of league MVPs that Duncan has, but that all doesn’t make him better, career wise at least. Duncan has five championships, to Malones none, this being the biggest reason Duncan’s better than Malone. Same argument could be made against any of the others. Now, lets look at Charles Barkley. Barkley also has 0 NBA rings, and trails Duncan in every category. Yes, I said EVERY category. Barkley may have been a very exciting player to watch, but his career accomplishments aren’t even close to Duncans. Plus, it doesn’t help the fact that Barkley already called Duncan “the greatest power forward of all time”. Kevin McHale does have a couple of championships, but as a player, and still in the accomplishment category, Duncan beats him out. And while Dirk Nowitzki may have one championship, one league MVP, a finals MVP, and is about seven spots higher on the all time scoring list than Duncan is, he’s still not better than Duncan. Again, the accomplishments can not be compared to Duncan.The accomplishments of Tim Duncan are far higher than any other Power Forward to ever play the game, and that’s a clear fact.

Since entering the league in 1997, Duncan has quietly changed the game of basketball, and has quietly marked his name down as the greatest power forward to ever play basketball. His 5 championships are the most impressive, but his 15 NBA all star apperances, 2 League MVPs, and 3 finals mvps are also some of the few achievments Duncan has had. At 40 years old, he currentley ranks 14th in scoring of all time, 6th in blocks, and 8th in rebounds. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Another impressive stat Duncan holds is that since he was drafted by the Spurs in 1997, they’ve never failed to reach the post season, and never even failed to reach 50+ wins a season. And while playing in the post season, Duncan’s been one of the best. He’s top 5 in playoff scoring, and number one in playoff rebounds, and blocks. And you know what? He might not even be finished. There still might be more to Duncans legendary career.

Duncan has played 18 seasons for the San Antonio Spurs, and could definitely play at least one more. And why not? I mean the guys’s coming off of yet another All Star season, basically had to carry the Spurs to another playoff apperance with all the injuries that were going around in San Antonio last yeason, and continuously proved to the world that he still has a little bit left in the tank. And to me, there’s no way Tim Duncan ends his career off with a game 7, first round, heartbreaking, crushing elimination game like he had against the Los Angeles Clippers. Duncan already has a clear ballot to the NBA Hall of Fame, but he should still want a little bit more, and I think he does want more, which is why I believe he’ll stay for one more year, in attempt to win one final championship. But even if he calls it a career, then let him do it. He deserves to do so. He’s had a great career, and has played through some tough games, that should’ve taken a toll on him a long time ago. 

Anyways, I guess the point of this article, is that there isn’t anyone at the Power Forward spot that was better than Tim Duncan, and some people need to know that. Thanks for the read,

A.B

NBA 2015 Playoff Predictions : Round Four (NBA Finals)

 Well, we’ve finally made it. After a long, but very exciting season of basketball, only two teams are left standing, The Cleveland Cavaliers representing the Eastern Conference, and the Golden State Warriors representing the Western. Two of the leagues best teams are set to duel it out this week, in what should be the beginning of a great series. In one corner you have the 4 time league MVP, and 2 time NBA Champion in Lebron James, hoping to capture another title, but this time for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, something they’ve never done… like ever. In the other corner, stands Stephen Curry, a.k.a the leagues current regular season MVP, seeking his first championship, and the Warriors first championship in over 40 years. And since I’ve predicted every other round, of course I’m going to predict this one too, or at least make an attempt to …

NBA Finals : (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (1) Golden State Warriors 

Going into the Final round, there isn’t really that one team that has a complete edge over the other. Both teams advanced to the Finals pretty easily, winning their previous series in less than 6 games. Cleveland handled the Atlanta Hawks in four games, while Golden State took care of the Houston Rockets in five. So both teams walk into the finals getting some rest, and preparing for one lats battle. First off though, let me just say that this series should come down to six or seven games, and a couple of close games too, I might add. Because I think it will be such an amazing series, I’ve decide to pick three key things in this NBA Finals, that could possibly play a huge factor, and potentially decide this seasons NBA Champion.

3. Injuries. You really can’t predict a players injury, which sucks, because a players injury could almost decide a game, or even a series. When Kevin Love got injured in round one against the Celtics,a lot of people thought it was over for the Cavs, that the Bulls would take care of them, or eventually the Hawks, but they proved those critics wrong. Kyrie Irving’s been pretty banged up for them as well, but luckily for them, Kyrie managed to stay healthy enough for him to play the majority of their games. As injuries go for the Warriors, we’ve seen a ton of scares. Last round both Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson had huge injury scares. Curry’s fine, but Thompson could miss a few games this series, even though head coach Steve Kerr said he “expects him to play”. However, if Thompson does manage to play, it’s likely that he won’t play up to par this series. Injuries are huge in sports, and basketball in particular. I think the loss of K-Love will come back to haunt Cleveland in the end eventually.

2. Head Coach battle. For the first time in NBA history, both Finals head coaches will be first time head coaches. Both David Blatt, and Steve Kerr coached an NBA team for their first time this season, and I think it’s safe to say it worked out pretty well for the both of them. Although almost anybody can coach Lebron James, David Blatt is no joke, and has had success coaching outside of the NBA. And lets not forget who Steve Kerr used to play basketball for. Kerr used to play for Gregg Popovich, who appears to have taught Kerr a few things. I think these two coaches could play some kind of impact during this series. A bad play call perhaps, or a foolish lineup on the court with 24 seconds remaining? Who knows?

1. Bench Production. We saw it in last years finals, when the San Antonio Spurs crushed the Miami Heat, mainly because every Heat player not named Lebron James, could score, or defend for any matter. The Spurs bench was far better than the Heats bench, and the result ended in the Spurs hoisting the trophy, while the Heat could only watch on. If the Warriors bench can do that to the Cavs this year, it’ll be a very similar scene for Lebron James. The same could be said for the Cavs though. If guards like Matthew Dellevedova, Iman Shumpart,and J.R Smith step up, the Warriors could be watching the Cavaliers celebrate. I think bench production will be a huge difference maker this series, and whatever bench does better should come out on top.

My prediction : In what should be a great series of back and fourth basketball, I have the Golden State Warriors winning in six games. And here’s why : Stephen Curry will be too much of a match for Kyrie Irving, and any other Cavs Guard. Not only will Steph play at a high level, but I think Klay Thompson will have a good series as well. And even though Lebron will be Lebron, by putting say, a Draymond Green on him, it won’t be as easy for him to score 30+ points a night, especially every night. And back to the bench production thing, I see the Warriors bench coming up big, and giving the Cavs a lot of problems this series. Curry wins Finals MVP, and his first NBA Championship in the same night.

Winner : GSW 4-2 CLE

Finals MVP : Stephen Curry 

A.B

Timmy and Manu? Gasol or Aldridge? Spurs Free Agent Preview

 With the Spurs off season starting a lot quicker than they would’ve wanted, rumors have already been floating around them, that a new big man may be in town. Trail Blazers Power Forward, LaMarcus Aldridge might have his eyes on joining the Spurs this season, after his team lost in five games to the Memphis Grizzlies in round one of the playoffs. Coincidentally, the Memphis Grizzlies lost in six games the next round to the Golden State Warriors, and now their big man, Marc Gasol might have his eye on coming to San Antonio as well. Will either one of them join the Spurs? Well it could depend on many things. 

For one, the future of Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili is still undecided. I’m hoping they both come back for at least one more season, but that’s just me. I think that their decisions could very much affect Gasol, or Aldridge joining the Spurs.

 Another elephant in the room, is that the Spurs still have many other free agents that I’m sure they would like to re-sign. Along with Duncan, and Ginobili, the Spurs still have eight more free agents left. Of those ten, including Duncan, and Manu, I think they could get six or seven of them to come back to the team. Below, are their ten remaining free agents, and next to them are my predictions on whether they’ll remain a Spur, or go somewhere else.

• Tim Duncan – Stay. Duncan played an amazing 2014-15 season, from beginning, to middle, to end. And there’s no way he ends his career off of a heart breaking game 7 loss against the Clippers. Duncan stays for one more year.

• Manu Ginobili – Stay. Tough one, but I think Manu will play one more year, simply because Timmy will stay for one more.

• Kawhi Leonard – Stay. There’s no way Kawhi goes somewhere else this offseason. The Spurs love Kawhi, and believe he’s their future, and it seems that Kawhi loves San Antonio, so much he already said he would like to play for them his entire career.

• Danny Green – Stay. This past week, Danny Green met with the New York Knicks organization. I don’t know why, but I do know if he leaves the Knicks for the Spurs, he’ll never win an NBA Championship again. If he’s smart, he’ll stay.

• Marco Belinelli – Stay. Marco really has improved this past season, and played a great series against the Clippers. If the Spurs know what they’re doing, they’ll get him back. 

• Cory Joseph – Leave. I like Co-Jo, but I don’t see him staying. He’s the Spurs 3rd string Point Guard, when he would be a 2nd string Point Guard almost anywhere else. Some team will get him, and give him more playing time.

• Aron Baynes – Stay. Aron Baynes has impressed me lately, and if he’s impressed me, chances are, he’s impressed the Spurs organization too. They should be able to ge him back, and for a cheap cost as well. 

• Jeff Ayres – Leave. The Spurs don’t really use him that much, so I don’t think they’ll make a large effort in trying to keep him. He’ll most likely leave. 

• Matt Bonner – Stay. Bonner wants to stay, and I think the Spurs would want him back. Another player they should get back for cheap.

• Reggie Williams – Leave. He played very few minutes for the team, and in those few minutes, he didn’t play great. I think Kyle Anderson is enough for the Spurs this year, no real need for Williams.

Ten free agents, seven will stay. So along with those seven, the Spurs also still have : Tony Parker, Patty Mills , Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, and Kyle Anderson. So that makes twelve. If the organization wants Aldridge, or Gasol, someone most likely, has to go. 

Another rumor I’ve heard, is that a trade involving Mills, Splitter, or Diaw would come into play This makes me upset, because I like all three, but if it takes trading Tiago Splitter, and a draft pick for a soon to be free agent like Gasol, or Aldridge, then I of course would be happy with it. I want Patty, and Boris to stay though. Nothing against Tiago, but if he left, I’d be okay with it. I just think that he hasn’t had a great season in my eyes, and if getting rid of him is what it takes to get a Gasol or Aldridge, get rid of him.

But back to any Aldridge or Gasol debate. If I could pick one of the two, I’d want Gasol. For one, LaMarcus Aldridge had thumb surgery recentley, and will need to rest for 8 weeks. That’s 8 less weeks getting ready for the Spurs. Secondly, to Me, Gasol plays a little bit better. Yes, Aldridge has better stats, but just by watching Gasol play, he’s been playing really well lately. Actually … scratch that! I want Aldridge. His game has gotten so much better. Plus, he’s one of the few bug men with a jump shot. He’s One of the leagues best big men. Actually, no, Gasol! Ugh. This is too difficult! Both guys are great players, and should only get better. If somehow, the Spurs can bring in one of them without getting rid of any key players, I’d be extremely happy.

If it was up to me, the Spurs starting lineup would look something like this : 

PG – Tony Parker

SG – Danny Green

SF – Kawhi Leonard

PF – Tim Duncan/LaMarcus Aldridge

C – Marc Gasol/ Tim Duncan

And have the back ups look something like this : 

PG – Patty Mills

SG – Marco Belinelli

SF – Manu Ginobili 

PF – Boris Diaw 

C – Tiago Splitter

And stick Aron Baynes, Kyle Anderson, and Matt Bonner in there once and a while, and there’s your future 2016 NBA Champions! I can see it now!

To sum it all up there’s still a lot unknown for the 2015-2016 San Antonio Spurs, and hopefully, they see this blog post, and take my advice! Anyways, it should be crazy, and very exciting to see what happens next for the Spurs. Thanks for the read, and keep following! 

AB

NBA 2015 Playoff Predictions : Round Three

WOW. Just wow. With the second round finally over, all I can really say is wow. After watching round one, every series but the Clippers-Spurs one seemed very boring to me, but then round two happened. Every series was exciting and featured high scoring games, ridiculous comebacks, heart wrenching buzzer beaters, and of course this “should’ve been” buzzer beater :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU-2zgQ7zKA

Crazy. I mean just crazy. Round two was such an amazing treat to all of us NBA fans, and if round three’s anything like round two, then we’re in for something really special. So here we go, my predictions for the third round, the Conference Finals.

Eastern Conference 

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs (2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Before the playoffs began, this was my predicted matchup for the Eastern Conference Finals. The terrific team work guided by the 2015 Coach of the year, Mike Budenholzer, facing off against the ferocious monster in Lebron James, who’s hungry to capture yet another championship, but this time with his hometown Cavaliers. I originally had Cleveland winning, and moving on to the NBA Finals, but now as I think about it more, and more, I think that the Atlanta Hawks will get the job done, and move on to the NBA Finals. The brand of basketball they play just kinda gets the job done, and with no Kevin Love for Cleveland, I think Paul Millsap, and Al Horford will play lights out, and if the bench shows up to play, the Hawks will win this series. Yes, Lebron will be Lebron, and Kyrie will Kyrie, but I just don’t think it’ll be enough. Give me the Hawks in six.  

 

Western Conference 

(1) Golden State Warriors vs (2) Houston Rockets

I don’t know why, but I’m still shocked that the Houston Rockets made it this far. Throughout the entire post season, I’ve doubted them, and kept thinking they’d lose a series to someone. Well, I’m here to say that my prediction will not change. I still don’t believe in this team, and definitely won’t start now. They are playing pretty good basketball, but pretty good isn’t good enough when you’re playing the Golden State Warriors.The Rockets can win this series, I just don’t believe they will. Overall it should be a good series, but I see the Warriors being too dominant on offense, and not too shabby on defense either. I could be wrong though, as I originally didn’t even have the Rockets making it past the first round, never mind title contenders. Give me Warriors in six.  

 
My NBA Finals (predicted) matchup :

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs (1) Golden State Warriors

Thanks for the read, and please stay tuned, as I will be giving my NBA Finals picks after this round. Also, please feel free to share the blog! Thanks again!

AB

End of a Spurs Dynasty?

  

With only a few seconds to go in game 7 of the first round of the Clippers-Spurs series, Clippers Point Guard Chris Paul took a shot that seemed to almost freeze time. The shot went up, and all that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili have accomplished seemed like a faded memory, and a thing of long ago. Paul hit a jumper off the backboard, and left the Spurs with only a second to work with. Which of course wasn’t enough time, and the Clippers would hold on for the heart racing win, and advance to the next round, ending the Spurs season in the blink of an eye. But they may have ended something more than one season. They may’ve ended the Spurs dynasty.

Even though he plays like he’s 29 years young, Tim Duncan is now 39 years of age, and is possibly face to face with calling his career over. Duncan hasn’t put up MVP numbers, nowhere close as a matter of fact, but he has definitely played like an MVP caliber player. While players on the Spurs got injured left and right, it was Duncan who put the team on his back, and led them to another Playoff appearance, something he’s always done since being drafted by the Spurs in 1997. Duncan also reached his 15th NBA All star appearance this season. So in my eyes, there should be no reason why Duncan can’t come back for another season. He’s still playing fantastic basketball for the Spurs, and definitely doesn’t want to end his career off of a devastating loss, like the one he took against the Clippers last Saturday night. Duncan still has the heart like a lion, and the appetite of a champion. He should come back again for at least one more season.

Manu Ginobili on the other hand, still appears to be a mystery. The soon to be 38 year old Shooting Guard has thrown himself around the court so many times in his lengthy career, that I’m really surprised he hasn’t retired already. But like Duncan, he has the heart of a lion, and appetite of a champion. Ginobili averaged only 10.5 points per game this season, which happens to be his second to worst career low, only better than his rookie season of 7.6 ppg. It’s pretty clear that he’s struggling right now. Manu’s age has caught up to him at last, and could force him to call his career over. After the heartbreaking Game 7 loss, Head Coach Gregg Popovich, (who is also being questioned on his return for next season), said that he, and the Spurs core will “probably come back” next season. Which I guess is good news. Recently, Manu said that he may take up to a month to figure his future out, and his decision may reflect off of Duncan’s decision to either stay or go. And Because Tony Parker’s still on a contract, he won’t be going anywhere yet.

Overall, the season for the 2015 San Antonio Spurs ended way too quickly, and there’s no reason why the “Core Four” of Pop,Duncan,Tony, and Manu should leave. All are doing their job pretty well still, and the Spurs are still obvious title contenders next season, especially if they re-sign players like Kawhi Leonard, and Danny Green, and possibly sign a star like Lamarcus Aldridge, or Marc Gasol. Ultimately, I think that if Duncan returns, Manu will return for one last ride. Pop will be back, and a summer of resting should heal Tony Parker of any injury, and should help him get back to his dominate self for next season. Once they lock up Kawhi, and other key players like Green and Belinelli, they should focus on another big player, like a Aldridge, Gasol, or even Kevin Love possibly. If everything comes into play, the San Antonio Spurs should have one more season left of the “Big Three” era, and are definitely title contenders for next season. In a way, the first round loss to the Clippers may be a good thing afterall. 

Thanks for the read, AB.

AB 2015 NBA Playoff Predictions : Round Two

With the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs finally over, I had to get my Second Round picks underway before round 2 starts. So after a somewhat good round one, here are my round two predictions. 

Western Conference :

(1) Golden State Warriors vs (5) Memphis Grizzlies 

The Warriors were … well better than I thought in round one. I predicted them to beat the Pelicans in 5 games, they did it in 4. They had an extremely impressive come from behind victory in game three, and overall had an impressive first round series. Stephen Curry played amazing, which rubbed off on everyone else, and the Warriors quickly swept the Pelicans. The Grizzlies also did better than I thought in their series. They took out the Trail Blazers in five games, and I thought that series would go to seven. Silly, silly me. Marc Gasol seems like he can’t miss, and that who ever he’s guarding can’t make a shot.The Grizzlies are playing fantastic basketball, and are again trying to get to the Finals.Good team versus good team, but I think the Warriors are the better team. Curry will be an un-stoppable force, and I see the Warriors winning in six games. (GSW – 4 MEM – 2)

 

 (2) Houston Rockets vs (3) Los Angeles Clippers 

After a VERY exciting series against my San Antonio Spurs, the LA Clippers proved they can compete with almost anybody. Blake Griffin, and Chris Paul played great throughout the series, and with production from guys like J.J Redick and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers can beat any team. And even though the Rockets did defeat the Mavericks pretty easily in round one, I think it’s the Clippers that will step up this round. It seems that the Clippers are on a mission right now, and I see them playing another tough series against James Harden and the Houston Rockets, and I see them winning… as much as that hurts to say following a game 7 Spurs loss. Anyways, Clippers play great in round one, should carry to round two. Give me Clippers in seven games. (LAC – 4 HOU – 3)  

 

Eastern Conference :

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs (5) Washington Wizards 

Now this should be a good series. The Hawks-Wizards series should be a very exciting one, mainly because both teams are very hungry for a chance in the Eastern Conference Finals, but as we know, only one can get it. I like the series that Paul Pierce played against the Toronto Raptors in round one, and John Wall has played nothing but phenomenal all season long, and especially during round one. And even though the Hawks had to go to six games to beat the Nets, I think they’ll take care of business against the Wizards in round two. The team chemistry will be there, and they should play much better in round two, then they did in round one. Give me Hawks in six. (ATL – 4 WAS – 2) 

  

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (3) Chicago Bulls

With the injury of Kevin Love staring the Cleveland Cavaliers dead in the eye, it’ll definitely be harder for them to defeat a Chicago Bulls team that’s coming off of a 54 point victory against the Milwaukee Bucks, and currently rolling, and rolling fast. The Bulls are playing great basketball at the moment, and you could argue that they can definitely beat the Cavaliers this round. But they won’t. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving will have to step up, and I think they will. Lebron will have an amazing series offensively, and should be good on the defensive side too. The loss of Love will make an impact, but it won’t be enough, and I see the Cavs barely squeaking by, in a very close seventh game. Cavs in seven. (CLE – 4 CHI – 3)  

 
Eastern Conference Finals (matchup picks) :

(1) Atlanta Hawks vs (2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference Finals (matchup picks) :

(1) Golden State Warriors vs (3) Los Angeles Clippers

Well, thanks for the read! Every view means  a lot, but I’d love for them to get higher! Please share the blog, or posts from it, and spread the word of the WOAB! With the Spurs sadly out of the post season, I’ll be writing more about their future for next and upcoming seasons, and I’ll be keeping up with the rest of the league as well. I’ll also be writing more about Fantasy Football this upcoming summer, and the Patriots off season. So stay tuned! Thanks again, enjoy the rest of the playoffs! 

A.B

AB’s 2015 NBA Playoff Predictions : Round One

Well, here we go. Every team in the NBA has now played 82 regular season games, and 16 of the 30 teams, are in the playoffs. Some have played great from beginning to end, and some barely squeaked in, but none of that matters now. It’s a brand new season starting Saturday, We like to call it, “The Playoffs”. Last post season, we had so many exciting games, and many exciting series. If this season’s playoff season is anything close to last years, then we’re in for a real treat. Anyways, I’ll be predicting the whole first round, for both the Eastern Conference, and Western Conference. So, away we go!

Eastern Conference  (1.) Atlanta Hawks vs (8.) Brooklyn Nets. One of the biggest surprises this season, had to be the complete dominance of the Atlanta Hawks. Players like Kyle Korver, and Al Horford really stepped up for the Hawks this season, leading them to a Conference best 60-22 record this season. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer also seems to know what he’s doing, so give me the Hawks in five. (ATL 4 – BKN 1) 

(2.) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (7.) Boston Celtics. Look, I love the story of the 2014-15 Boston Celtics. I think Brad Stevens is a great coach, and still has so many great years ahead of him, and I love how they’ve been playing basketball lately, BUT… I don’t see them beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4 times. Simply because, they have Lebron James. I just don’t see it happening. I see Boston competing for a while, but at the end of the day, it won’t be enough. Give me Cavs in six. (CLE 4 – BOS 2) 

(3.) Chicago Bulls vs (6.) Milwaukee Bucks. Another great, young team that surprised a lot of people this year is the Bucks. Love what they’ve done this season, but I see a HUGE series from Pau Gasol, and the Bulls. I think defense will be another huge factor in this series. I do see the Bucks playing a close series though. Give me Bulls in seven. (CHI 4 – MIL 3) 

(4.) Toronto Raptors vs (5.) Washington Wizards. This series should be a very exciting one, and probably the best match up we have in the East. The Point Guard Battle of Raptors star Kyle Lowry, and Wizards phenomenon John Wall could be a big factor in who wins the series. Both teams have had good and bad spurts this season, and both seem pretty equal at this point heading into the Playoffs. I think that players like Bradley Beal, and Paul Pierce will need to come up big for the Wizards, and I think if they play good perimeter defense, they can win the series. Give me Wizards in seven. (WAS 4 – TOR 3)   

So there’s my Eastern Conference Predictions. I think the Hawks should steam roll the Nets, Cavaliers win a duel with the Celtics, Bulls barely escape a Bucks upset, and the Wizards win a great series against the Raptors.

Western Conference

  (1.) Golden State Warriors vs (8.) New Orleans Pelicans. Just like the Haws/Nets series, I see the 1 seed advancing pretty quickly. Tons of respect for Anthony Davis, and what the Pelicans have accomplished this season, but I don’t see them winning more than one game against Golden State. They’ve just had a really strong regular season, and as long as they have Stephen Curry, they should be fine. Give me Warriors in five. (GSW 4 – NO 1) 

(2.) Houston Rockets vs (7.) Dallas Mavericks. This could be the best series in the playoffs this year. Both teams have changed a lot since they were both eliminated from round one last season, and now get a chance to move on to the next round this season. Houston has James Harden, and Dwight Howard, while Dallas has Mont’a Ellis, Tyson Chandler, Chandler Parsons, Rajon Rondo, and Dirk Nowitzki. Yeah. Basically everyone in the Mavs starting lineup is good, and even though the Rockets are a good team, and have two great players in Harden and Howard, I just don’t think they can carry them to four wins. The Mavericks have a good, solid team, and I see them beating the Rockets in a fantastic series, that’ll come down to the wire in seven, so give me the Mavericks in seven. (DAL 4 – HOU 3) 

(3.) Los Angeles Clippers vs (6.) San Antonio Spurs. Although the San Antonio Spurs seemed so much more dominate last season, they’re really just the same team they were last year, just older. Before taking a loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday, the Spurs were on an 11 game win streak, and playing great basketball. If Kawhi Leonard can play like the star he can be, the Spurs should handle the Clippers pretty easily. If they can keep a lid on DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin, they should also be fine. Rebounds will be huge though. I also want to see Tony Parker play good this series, because if he’s playing good, chances are the whole team’s going to play good. Give me the Spurs in five. (SAS 4 – LOS 1)

  (4.) Portland TrailBlazers vs (5.) Memphis Grizzlies. Another series I’m really looking forward to. I want to see if Damian Lillard can bring the Blazers to another second round, after all, I think we all remember when he did this to the Rockets last post season in round one … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mejFtEY5faU Takes me back to the great playoffs the NBA had last year. Anyways, I think Lillard will have some magic, but the Grizzlies usually play amazing during the playoffs. Another Point Guard battle I’m looking forward to is Mike Conley vs Damian Lillard. Conley deserves more credit than he’s given, and I think both guys will have a great series. Tough for me to pick either team to dominate, so I’ll just pick one to sort of “edge” out the series. Give me the Grizzlies in seven, in what should be an AMAZING series, that should come down to the final moments as well. (MEM 4 – POR 3) 

Well, there it is, my 2015 NBA Playoff (round one) predictions. In the Eastern Conference, I have the following teams advancing :

• Atlanta Hawks (4-1)
• Cleveland Cavaliers (4-2)
• Chicago Bulls (4-3)
• Washington Wizards (4-3)

And in the Western Conference, I have these teams advancing :

• Golden State Warriors (4-1)
• Dallas Mavericks (4-3)
• San Antonio Spurs (4-1)
• Memphis Grizzlies (4-3)

Thanks for the read! Feel free to like, share, comment, or do whatever you please. Also, please follow me on twitter : ( https://twitter.com/AlexWBergeR ) Where I’ll be tweeting a lot of NBA related tweets during the playoffs. I’ll also be giving an article on my reaction to round one, and my predictions for round two next on the World of the AB. Anyways, enjoy the playoffs, and I’ll see you next time! Thanks again,

A.B