2014 NBA Playoffs: Playoff MVP's

In typical postseason fashion, some players have beckoned to the call of greatness and other's have been swept away by the immense pressure and demanding excellence that comes with playoff basketball. Which players production has us fans ranting and raving? The Basketball Society is here to highlight the MVP's of the playoffs so far.


Honorable Mention:

Paul George (F, Indiana Pacers):

Although the Pacers have failed to resemble the title contender many branded them as at the beginning of the season, they are still in an unexpected position to claim victory in their first round series with the Atlanta Hawks.

I say unexpected, because nobody anticipated this series going the distance, as Atlanta's offensive scheme has parked disgruntled big man Roy Hibbert on the bench for the majority of the series. Indiana has struggled in this one, including getting walloped twice on their home floor. Although they have played poorly at times, their main cog Paul George has been extremely reliable in this series.

George has shown flashes of dominance on both ends of the floor, and although it's no foreign matter for him to be a commanding figure on the defensive end, the success he's been having offensively is encouraging for Indy.

Paul has been engaged defensively, doing the majority of the defensive anchoring, which usually falls squarely on the shoulders of Roy Hibbert. As mentioned before, Hibbert's abysmal play and ATL's offensive system has minimized his impact, so George has been forced to step up.

This hasn't been much of a challenge for Paul, as he's rebounding, attempting to put the Hawks perimeter attack to a screeching halt, and fighting through screens to cause pandemonium for Atlanta.

George is averaging 22.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 4.8 APG and is shooting 45% from the floor and 46% from three. He has upped all of his statistics from the regular season, and is top ten among all players in the postseason in scoring, rebounding, and three point field goal percentage. PG is also tied with Dwight Howard for playoff double-double's at 5. Although Indiana has endured a severe struggle, the 24 year old Paul George has been playing exceptional basketball.

Hopefully for Indiana, he can register a solid performance Saturday against the Hawks as them and the  Pacers will duel in what is sure to be a dramatic game seven.


Nene (PF, Washington Wizards):

The Washington Wizards marched onto the second round of the playoffs after thrashing the offensively anemic Chicago Bulls in five games. The basketball world watched amazed as John Wall, Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza picked apart the seemingly indestructible Bulls defense with crisp passes, good reads and poised play.

The unheralded component of Washington's surprising domination of Chicago was Nene's play. Although his numbers aren't eye popping, (17.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.3 APG and 54% shooting,) Nene's play when pitted against defensive player of the year Joakim Noah was extremely promising.

The offense often ran through Nene, who's catches at the high post usually resulted in something great for the Wizards. Nene was hitting his jumper, steamrolling to the rim and making great reads to open up opportunities for others. Also, for a team who's best players never allotted one minute in a playoff game prior to this year, his experience and toughness was an important aspect in getting the youngsters (Wall and Beal,) ready.

Nene shredded through Chicago's highly respected defense, leaving Noah and the other members of the ball club frustrated. These frustrations became even more apparent in game three, as Nene and Bulls guard Jimmy Butler got in an altercation that resulted in the ejection of Nene and him being suspended for game four.

Nene's value to this team has been apparent all year, as they clung to the hope that better basketball would be played when he returned from injury. Now that he's back, healthy and engaged, Washington may prove to be a formidable foe for any eastern conference team.

Manu Ginobili (G, San Antonio Spurs):

Manu Ginobili had an abysmal 2013 NBA Finals. He averaged 11.6 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.1 RPG and shot 43% from the floor and 25% behind the arc. He constantly made mistakes, as the ball handling duties landed right into his hands when Tony Parker went to the bench for a rest.

Silly turnovers, questionable decisions and injuries prevented Ginobili from making the positive impact that he's accustomed to making for San Antonio

So far in the 2014 postseason, Ginobili has been exceptional, providing the Spurs with that powerful and potent punch that San Antonio so desperately needs at times. Although Dallas isn't the most intimidating of teams defensively (9th in opponents points allowed this postseason at 98.4, tied for 1st in opponents field goal percentage at 47%,) Ginobili has still been puncturing Dallas' D, showing the flashes of brilliance that eluded him all of last year's playoffs.

Manu is averaging 19.6 PPG (which leads the team,) on 46% shooting (41% from behind the arc,) 4.0 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.8 SPG. These are all up from the regular season, as are his minutes (29 per game compared to 22.8 in the regular season.) He's showing us the vintage Manu Ginobili that wows with big time plays and a craftiness that seems to be so unique to Manu.

What's most impressive to me is that Manu is 6th in PER this postseason (I'm excluding DeJuan Blair who statistically is first, because he's only playing 9.3 MPG.) His time on the floor has been efficient and effective, which was not a commonality in last year's postseason campaign.

With star point guard Tony Parker nursing an ankle injury, Ginobili's value to the team increases even more, as the veteran Spurs hope to reclaim their position as the league's champion. With the talent and coaching the Spurs have, this thought isn't too far fetched. With Manu providing a spark like this, the reality of another team defeating the Spurs in a seven game series becomes grim.


Now for the actual rankings...

3. LeBron James (F, Miami Heat):

What would this list be without the league's best player? LeBron James registered a rather quiet 30 PPG, 6.0 APG, 8.0 RPG and 2.3 SPG in the Heat's first round sweep of the Bobcats. Although majority of the basketball world established a new respect for the Charlotte, LeBron and company were simply reestablishing themselves.

As the end of the regular season drew closer, a lot of hoopla livened up about Miami possibly faltering and falling to the Brooklyn Nets or Indiana Pacers in the postseason. A dominant series has all the naysayers hushed temporarily, as LBJ relaxes at home patiently waiting for the second round to begin.

Charlotte was no match for Miami, as big man Al Jefferson was fostering a foot injury that limited him completely. The Cats had no legitimate perimeter scoring option with the exception of Kemba Walker, and their lack of experience didn't help either.

Miami remained clam, cool and collected all series, and it's easy to see why. With a player like LeBron James at the helm, even the most challenging moments can be transformed into a major triumph. James is leading the Heat in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and is second in FG% behind Chris Andersen.

In addition to leading his team in every major statistical category, he is 1st in scoring among all playoff participants, 1st in field goal percentage among players shooting over fifteen times a game and is 9th in assists. He is also first in PER (again, excluding DeJuan Blair.)

James has been anchoring the Heat all year long, that trend will surely continue as we march deeper into the playoffs. This is very intriguing, because us fans get to see what the best player in the world has up his sleeves to ensure his team a shot at claiming a third straight championship.

2. Dwight Howard (C, Houston Rockets): 

When things go awry in Houston, Dwight Howard is usually the one to blame. Some salivate at the chance to exclaim things like "Coward" or "soft" right in Howard's direction. The slander at times is ridiculous, mostly led by legendary big man Shaquille O'Neal, who isn't shy about pointing out Howard's ineffectiveness on the offensive end.

Instead of preparing to disregard Dwight, fans should take a different approach and learn to appreciate his dominance. Yes I said it, dominance! Where has superstar James Harden been this series? Taking horrible shots, making poor decisions and having his notoriously bad defense in full force. Harden is averaging the same amount of points in this series as he did in the regular season (25.4) but is shooting ten percentage points lower from the floor, and eleven percentage points lower from downtown.

Howard on the other hand understands the ante has been upped majorly. In this series, Dwight is averaging 26.0 PPG, 14.2 RPG and 3.0 BPG. With the exception of field goal percentage (shooting 54% in the series) Howard has seen a rise his numbers from the regular season, including field goal attempts per game (17.6 this series, 11.3 in the postseason.)

He's exerting maximum energy, which could visibly been seen at the conclusion of game five when Howard was simply exhausted in his post game interview with TNT.

DH12 is leading Houston in points, rebounds, blocks and is second in field goal percentage behind newcomer Troy Daniels. For Portland, it's possible that a Dwight Howard eccentric offense is a little less frightening than a James Harden one, but with numbers like these, Howard is striking major fear in the Blazers.

Dwight is leading a ball club who happens to be the youngest out of all participating teams this postseason, and for those that claim Howard is "silly" or "immature," just look at the impact he's having on this series.

He's anchoring the defense which has always been his specialty, but due to Harden's struggles anchoring the offense as well. Most would assume that anchoring an offense is not in Howard's nature, but he's proving that he's extremely capable of doing so.

How much of the offensive load is Howard shouldering? He's taking the second most shots on the team behind Harden's 23.6 per game. After Howard and Parsons 17.6 attempts per game, nobody is attempting more than 11.

Out of all the players on the Rockets shooting more than 8 times per game, only one is shooting better than 45%: Dwight Howard.

He's 4th this postseason in scoring, 2nd in rebounds, 3rd in field goal percentage among players shooting more than 15 times a game, is tied for 3rd in blocks, and is tied for 1st in double-double's with Paul George. To top all of this off, he's 3rd in PER (again, excluding DeJuan Blair.)

Dwight has been fantastic this postseason, again cementing his status as the league's best center. How long he remains the alpha dog at this position remains to be seen, but highly regarded threats Roy Hibbert and Joakim Noah simply don't compare.

Noah is at home pondering what else he can sprinkle into his game to stave off early elimination next year, and majority of fans are calling for the benching of Roy Hibbert immediately. Hibbert's the first all-star to have back to back scoreless playoff games since the 60's, how could that ever compare to Howard's production?

To compare, Noah averaged 10.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG, and 4.6 APG this postseason in route to being bounced by the Wizards 4-1.

Hibbert is averaging 4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and is shooting 30% from the floor. How does that warrant praise as the league's top center?

Am I in no way attempting to undermine the accomplishments of Joakim and Roy, as they are fantastic talents and contribute to their teams in fantastic fashion, but rather fully illustrate Howard's dominance.

Of course, if Houston loses majority of fans will poke fun at Howard for departing Los Angeles just to endure another first round heartbreak, but maybe some will be able to appreciate his excellent play in this series.

It's somewhat fair to place a pinch of blame on Howard if they lose the series, because his acquisition was suppose to place them over the top, but it would be silly to discard his numbers in this series just for pure enjoyment. He's been great, and will have to continue to be if Houston hopes to make more noise this postseason.


1. LaMarcus Aldridge (F, Portland Trailblazers)

Aldridge's consecutive 40 point games in game one and two contribute heavily to this ranking, but he's been solid all around in the Blazers first round matchup with the Houston Rockets.

In the opening contest of the series, Aldridge splurged onto the playoff scene in a forceful fashion, posting a 46 point, 18 rebound stat line en-route to a surprising Blazers win. How would he follow up this mesmerizing performance? Aldridge again ushered in a stint of dominance by posting 43 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Blazers claimed victory and a 2-0 series lead.

LaMarcus is a huge reason why Portland maintains a 3-2 series lead, and has the fantastic opportunity to close the series out tonight in Portland. His 29.8 PPG average makes him the 2nd highest scorer this postseason, and his 10.8 RPG makes him the 4th highest rebounder.

He's leading PDX in rebounding, scoring, blocks and is 2nd on the squad in field goal percentage behind Robin Lopez.

His scoring numbers are up from the regular season campaign, which saw LaMarcus average 23.2 PPG, on 45% shooting.

He's butting heads with Dwight Howard, and attacking fearless and aggressively. His bravery in the paint has turned into utter dominance, as he's launching shots over the freakishly athletic Howard and connecting with great accuracy.

LaMarcus is shooting 50% from the field, promising to be efficient when he touches the ball. His effective has LMA been? He's 2nd in PER this postseason (for the last time excluding DeJuan Blair,) and is leading an elite Portland offense.

Everyone in Portland's starting 5 with the exception of center Robin Lopez possesses the ability to shoot the ball and pass exceptionally well.

This puts immense pressure on Houston's defense to minimize mistakes, or get burnt from every nook and cranny of the court. LaMarcus has pierced the defense with a flurry of midrange jumpers, but also some attacks of the paint.

This mixed bag makes it hard for Houston to hone in on the former Texas Longhorn, explaining why they elected to start Omer Asik and combat Portland with a "twin towers" look. This notion, paired with Howard's incredible effort in game five stalled what Portland hopes to be in the inevitable: Houston's departure from the postseason.

In game five, Aldridge played poorly, only pouring in 8 points on 3-12 shooting and 8 rebounds. Knowing LaMarcus, expect him to bounce back fiercely, especially being backed by the bonkers Portland crowd.

What's also been extremely impressive in this series is Aldridge's strength on the defensive end. He's averaging 3.2 blocks per game, which is 2nd highest in the postseason. Being paired with the defensive minded Robin Lopez has done wonders for LaMarcus, who is becoming more dependable on that end of the floor.

LaMarcus has been fantastic, and for the Blazers excellence to be sustained, he will have to lengthen the string of dominance he's reeled out in this series.


Who do YOU believe is the MVP of the playoffs so far? Hit me with thoughts and opinions on Twitter (@wcboyer24) and continue to support The Basketball Society. 

2014 NBA Playoffs: Rockets, Howard must pull it together as season is on the brink

Dwight Howard ventured off to Houston this offseason in hopes of reclaiming his position as undoubtedly the league's best big man and one of it's best players. Two consecutive horrific seasons in Orlando and Los Angeles made this seem far fetched at a point, as Howard's image came undone through constant pouting, indecisiveness and clashes with Kobe Bryant.

Howard figured in Houston he'd elude the colliding of egos, frustrations and gut wrenching losses that were prevalent in his time with the Lakers. He assumed domination was soon to come in H-Town, as the media and fans branded Harden and Howard as the next great and or dominant duo. 

Now, after falling to Portland 123-120 on Sunday night which puts his team in a 3-1 hole in the first round matchup, Howard is wondering how he and Harden can claim that cohesion Lillard and Aldridge are so greatly benefiting from in this series. 

In just two years, the Portland Trailblazers, and more specifically Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge resemble a force that has seem to been wrecking havoc on the league for nearly a decade. The duo's uniformity is something Howard and Harden must mimic perfectly if they want to keep those championship aspirations afloat.

The Blazers have edged the Rockets by a combined seven points, as three of the four contests have leaked into overtime. The poise, trust, and control Portland has been displaying in these crucial moments is a huge reasoning behind their commanding series lead.

The Rockets have been swimming in troubled waters, specifically in big time moments where they have faltered the most. Instead of clean, relaxed and promising play, Houston has been hindered by questionable decisions and sloppy mistakes.

ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted some interesting stats about the Rockets and their crunch time difficulties. Stein highlighted that Houston is shooting 12 for 46 (26%) in this series during "crunch time" (score less than 5, with five minutes to go in the 4th quarter or OT.)

Also in crunch time, the Rockets are shooting 1 for 15 on three pointers. 

With 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter of game four, Jeremy Lin's unawareness costed Houston a possession as they led 104-102. Lin began to dribble up court, as Portland veteran Mo Williams came up from behind and swiped the ball from Lin. This mishap eventually led to Williams drilling a three pointer with 18 seconds left and giving Portland a 105-104 advantage.

In the overtime session of game four, Patrick Beverley's turnover after two made Mo Williams free throws stripped away Houston's chance of tying the contest. Beverley sillily dribbled into two defenders, giving Wes Matthews a chance to snatch the ball away, disrobing Houston of their confidence in the process.

It took Troy Daniels (a D-League call up) emergence to help Houston pry one game from Portland. Although the margin of victory has been slim for the Blazers, they still lead the series as all hope seems to be dashing from the Rockets and their fan base.

In the playoffs, the method of victory doesn't matter. What does matter is the team being awarded a victory after the final buzzer sounds. Each win, puts a player in a more favorable position to accomplish their life long dream: winning an NBA championship. When pairing up with the Houston Rockets, Howard was sure that this dream would soon enough become a reality.

He was sure the nightmares, the storm of controversy and criticism would soon conclude as a bigger and brighter future was promised. As of right now, the clouds are dancing over Dwight, mercilessly, as his teams failures are bringing the enemies he's established in the last two years triumph.

Howard is contributing in every way imaginable for this Rockets team, who happens to be the youngest out of all teams participating in this years postseason. Dwight is averaging 27 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks a game through the four games, doing his best to anchor his squad in every way possible. 

He's been consistent on defense, providing head coach Kevin McHale with maximum energy and effort. It's not Howard's fault that outside of himself, Patrick Beverley, Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons, there is no regularity on the defensive end for Houston. It's just laziness and questionable effort. 

The biggest culprit is James Harden, who's defensive woes may be as glaring as any starting guard in this league. At the end of game two, Harden trotted back on defense with the game in it's waining moments. This allowed Blazers guard Wesley Matthews to break free and hit a layup, putting the game out of reach for Houston.

Harden usually pitches in offensively in a major way, as his ability to shred defenses with a bevy of moves, get to the rim and drawl fouls overwhelms defenders. Harden, who is in the midst of an unexpected disappearing act has been downright horrific on offense during this series, shooting 35% from the field and 26% from three. 

James is averaging the same amount of points in this series as Howard, but is taking nearly eight more shots to do so (Howard 18.3 field goal attempts per game, Harden 25.8.) 

Luckily for the Rockets, they have one last opportunity to rectify this situation. On Wednesday night, the Blazers and Rockets will duel once more. Portland looking to claim supremacy and move onto  the second round, Houston looking for an opportunity to lengthen it's season and keep those championship dreams alive.

The Rockets will be at home, as the sure to be packed house will ooze a mammoth amount of energy and emotion. If and or when the game gets close, the Rockets must harness this energy in a positive manner, as their end of game slip-ups has them in this tough position. 

For Dwight Howard, corralling this energy could be the difference between continuing to wage war on the league in the pursuit of a championship, or simply another first round exit and another offseason cluttered with doubts and frustrations. The response given by Dwight, Harden and these Rockets may be a testament of their commitment and talent, or a ghastly display of their inexperience and youth. 

Do the Rockets have any chance to comeback? Share thoughts and opinions with me on Twitter (@wcboyer24) and continue to support The Basketball Society. 

2014 NBA Playoffs: Houston, We've Got A Problem

The sky is falling for Houstonians hoping the Rockets were primed for a deep playoff run, as the Portland Trailblazers have taken a 2-0 series lead after defeating Houston 112-105 Wednesday night. There are a flurry of things troubling about this notion, with the biggest issues being James Harden's severe struggles and the scary fact that the series is headed back to Portland.

The major story of this series, and possibly the playoffs is LaMarcus Aldridge's utter dominance of the Houston Rockets. In two games, Aldridge has poured in 89 points, 26 rebounds, 5 blocks on 59% shooting.

In Game 1, Aldridge totaled 46 points and 18 rebounds in a 122-120 triumph that went into overtime, and he followed up that dynamic performance with another 43 points and 8 rebounds in Game 2.

No matter who the foe, Aldridge has risen to the occasion simply out matching them with his varied skill set. On pick and rolls he pops, drilling midrange after midrange with his gorgeous stroke. If Houston closes out hard, he puts the ball on the floor and attacks the rim with ferocity.

He's the only player in Blazers franchise history with back to back 40 point playoff games, and the first player to do so since LeBron James in the 2009 postseason.

Even more impressive is that Aldridge is the first player since Michael Jordan to put up at least 80 points and 15 boards in his teams first two postseason contests.

Terrence Jones is too small to matchup with Aldridge, as his lanky frame allows him to just loft one over Jones, gliding through the net time and time again.

Having Howard attempting to contain LaMarcus is risky, as Dwight could be baited into fouling him, parking him on the bench in the games most important moments.

If it's an isolation situation, Aldridge uses impeccable footwork and expertise to wart off the effectiveness of Houston's defensive schemes. He's hitting fadeaways, turn-arounds, step backs and quick decisive moves to single handily punish this Rockets team. He's been a major issue in the first two games, and shortcomings do not seem likely as the series heads home for Portland. Honestly, what else can Houston do, when the guy is burying the shots a team would beg him to take?

Houston can't seem to figure out how to contain the former Texas University big man, as he continues to pierce the Rockets mediocre defense with a bevy of midrange jumpers. Aldridge is on the attack, determined to lift the "underdog" moniker that has been latched to Portland's name during this series.

Many assumed this series would go 6 or 7, but not many anticipated Portland winning. This is due to the fact that many fans and experts expected Rockets guard James Harden to step up and deliver a big time performance.

Harden's play has been downright embarrassing, abysmal and has not reflected that of a player many claim to be a superstar. Harden is averaging 22 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in the series. These numbers may present themselves as respectable, but that becomes a rarity after the percentages are factored in.

James is shooting 29.8% from the floor, 26% from behind the arc, and is committing 4.5 turnovers per game. His defensive effort is pitiful, as his deficiencies on that end of the floor cannot be hidden.

Portland is too skilled 1-4 to allow Harden to remain absent on defense. All of Portland's starters with the exception of Robin Lopez can shoot, put the ball on the floor to some extent and make great passes. Wesley Matthews can take Harden in the post, forcing James to exert some energy on the defensive end, even when he's completely reluctant to do so.

Harden looks disengaged on the defensive end, overwhelmed by a sense of boredom or quite simply just lost. He has little to no interest in trying to stop the opposition, as he tends to meander in his little own world.

Normally, the issues Harden endures defensively, can be somewhat ignored as he provides Houston with top notch offensive production. Unfortunately for Houston, this has not been the case. As they head into Portland, they are in dire need of a monster game from James.

His wild and inconsistent output has become problematic for Kevin McHale and company, and if the tide doesn't change in Game 3, this series and season will become a memory. One that's filled to capacity with misery and disappointment.

James has missed 33 shots in just two games, as the quality of these heaves have been questionable and of the wild variety. His Game 2 performance was horrid, as James scored 18 points (6-19 FG, 2-5 3PT FG,) 4 AST (5 turnovers,) and 3 REB.

Shaquille O'Neal's favorite scapegoat, Dwight Howard promised that he would step up, as Shaq challenged Howard to beckon to his call of domination. In Game 1, Dwight Howard had 27 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. He shot an uncharacteristic 43% from the floor, and when the Hack-A-Dwight tactic was employed, he choked, clanking FT after FT allowing POR back into the game.

He promised Game 2 would be different. He soothed the restless souls of Rockets fans with his words, the same words that he's murmured for the last several years, trying to dodge the hatred that two fan bases now possess for DH. The first half of Game 2 was the Dwight Howard basketball fans have been yearning to see since his Orlando days.

Howard imposed his will on the Trailblazers with a savage like effort. His assault included rapid moves, intense and dedicated energy and a seriousness that many have clamored for since he's entered the league.

He was dunking the ball with ease, with forceful slam after slam. Rushing up and down the court, perusing rebound after rebound, attempting to generate some type of offensive magic for the Rockets. The defensive lapses Houston was subject to? Howard did his best to promptly clean up the mess Houston's perimeter defenders were making.

Dwight stuffed the stat sheet with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. 25 of those points came in the first half, but that roaring early energy was hushed in the second half with Howard just scoring seven points in the 3rd and 4th quarters. LaMarcus Aldridge out-dueled DH12, and this has some troubling circumstances brewing for Dwight Howard and James Harden.

Houston, we most certainly do have a problem. The player whom many has labeled as the best shooting guard in the league is currently engaged in a puzzling disappearing act. Houston's bench is producing little to nothing, and the Trailblazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge is ripping their defense to shreds.

Gashing through Houston's defense has set Portland up to devastate the Rockets and their championship aspirations with a critical hit. The series is headed to the Moda Center, where the fans are sure to be crazed, dancing in a pool of anxiousness.

Anxious to execute the Rockets with a final dagger in Game 3, that would more than likely bury their dreams of marching past the first round of the postseason.

With the way things have been going, that dagger may swing from the hands of LaMarcus Aldridge, as he's proved it's no tough task to down Houston with his performances in the first two games of this series. What's frightening for Houston is that in the first two games, they have pricked themselves attempting to wield their own dagger.

HOU is wrecking it's chances of emerging victorious with bad shots, bad defense and inconsistencies from one of the league's biggest stars. Preparing for liftoff too fast, suddenly has Houston grounded faster than anyone expected.

The ascension they hoped to have must occur in Game 3, or the Rocket that Howard and Harden are navigating will be fastened to the ground, gazed upon by the front office racking their brains on how to patch things up for smoother sailing next season.


Are the Rockets done for? Will Howard and Harden bounce back in Game 3? Share thoughts and opinions with me on Twitter (@wcboyer24) and remember to continue to support The Basketball Society. 

All-NBA Picks 2013-14

The All-NBA teams are my favorite awards of the year. The concept for finding out who was best in a certain season that is the All-Star teams is already great. The All-NBA teams take that idea and remove the variables of fans voting for the most popular players over the best like Kobe this year, the East-West division causing greats like Tim Duncan to miss the game while guys like Joe Johnson make it in, and the fact that a midseason analysis can't possibly cover things like Paul George's late season nosedive and Goran Dragic's second half rise. The All-NBA teams give you a definitive ranking of who were the top players at each position in a season. Only a select few get to vote for the actual teams, but that won't stop me from delivering my picks for the All-NBA squads for 2013-14.

2013-14 Third Team All NBA: (find past Third Team All-NBA results here)

G: Tony Parker

Every single year Parker gets underrated because he doesn't put up the kind of numbers that guys like Chris Paul do. It's easy to forget that the guy plays 28 minutes a game like the rest of the Spurs, and his absolutely masterful offensive game. Watch him closely, Tony has some moves that no one else in basketball even dares to try. 

G: John Wall

Michael Conley Jr. deserves consideration for this spot even though he likely won't get it. Conley and Wall actually have similar resumes, from points and assists per game to advanced stats like PER. Wall gets the edge for emerging as the star of the 5 seeded Wizards, while Conley has been at this level for a while and plays with two intimidating big men in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol who help get him looks and assists. Wall doesn't play with anyone close to their level and still has a slight statistical edge on Conley, which is why I gave him the nod. 


F: Carmelo Anthony

If you think the Knicks are a train wreck now, wait until you see them without the perennially underrated Melo next season. Yeah, I said it. Go ahead and call me out on it if it doesn't happen. What reason does he have to stay? By the way, I originally had Anthony on the second team. But with how stacked the forward position is, New York's struggles push him down to third team for me.


F: Dirk Nowitzki

The forward position is absolutely stacked. There were so many candidates for this spot: Anthony Davis has emerged as a superstar, Kawhi Leonard has silently become a defensive assassin and improved his offensive game, Paul George had a great start to the season, Kevin Love carried the Wolves to an above-.500 record. But I have to give Dirk the nod here for being the leader and best player on a team that absolutely never should have made the playoffs. And I have to admit that I've been a huge Dirk fan for years and that any of the above candidates would be just as deserving here. But I'll give Nowitzki the nod, because to me all the candidates are pretty much evil on paperit takes something extra to be the emotional leader and best player on a playoff team, something none of the others can claim.

C: Al Jefferson

Another tough one. I gave the nod to Big Al over Dwight Howard for a similar reason that I chose Dirk for that last forward spot: Jefferson has led the Bobcats to the playoffs with pretty much just Kemba and coach Steve Clifford as help while Dwight has the best SG in the league, one of the best three point shooters in the league, a top defensive point guard, and a solid bench to help him out. Even if the Bobcats wouldn't be in the West playoffs, they're still Al's squad and he's certainly stepped it up in his first year in Charlotte.

2013-14 Second Team All NBA: (past results here)

G: Chris Paul

Despite missing a solid month in the middle of the season, CP3 has been as excellent as ever. He led the league in assists per game by a significant margin and has developed a true chemistry with Blake Griffin. This season we've seen Paul's absolute peak.

G: Goran Dragić

Dragić has made an incredible leap and he's suddenly a very real candidate for one of these spots. He's an extremely efficient scorer and nearly led a Suns cast that looks sub par on paper to the playoffs. I'm hoping Dragić can keep it going through next season- the Eric Bledsoe-Dragić-Gerald Green backcourt was one of the NBA's most exciting this season.

F: LaMarcus Aldridge

Aldridge is the total leader of that Portland team that became one of the league's biggest surprises, starting off the season hot and never relinquishing a playoff spot. He was an early season MVP candidate and he's redefined what that team is and helped take some of the leadership load off Dame Lillard.


F: Blake Griffin

For the first time in his career, no one is talking about Blake Griffin. Yet he's having what is by far his best season ever. He's improved in all facets of his game- no one can say he "just dunks" now.

C: Tim Duncan

There's no chance Duncan ends up here on the real team- he'll either be on third team or completely out of the race because guys like Dwight Howard and Al Jefferson have more buzz. But man, is the guy efficient. He's averaging very similar numbers to Howard despite playing almost five less minutes per game. It's unbelieveable that the guy can still do this. The debate over whether to call him a center or a forward might also hurt Duncan, but since he was classified as a center in his first-team placing last year I'll keep him there.

2013-14 First Team All-NBA: (past results here)

G: Stephen Curry

While Curry is a defensive liablity, he's a master of offense, probably the league's best offensive player. Steve Nash won two MVPs with that formula, so why can't it work for Curry?

G: James Harden

Like Curry, Harden isn't great at defense, and does sometimes make dumb plays on that end, but his slashing ability is unparalleled in the league. Remember when the NBA's best shooting guard was a debate? Well, now it's not even close.

F: Kevin Durant

Come on, you think I'd leave the MVP off the All-NBA First Team?

F: LeBron James

Come on, you think I'd leave the best player in the league off the All-NBA First Team?

C: Joakim Noah
Joakim is gonna run away with Defensive Player of the year and he's become an amazing passer, something non-Bulls fans might not know. The guy is regularly getting near triple doubles, and since the Luol Deng trade he's averaging over 7 assists per game to go with his double-double in points and boards. This has been a major season of improvement for Noah and he's become the league's best center.

LaMarcus Aldridge: Owning the Paint in Portland

"He possesses all the physical characteristics NBA GM's dream about in a big man. ... He is a quick and fluid player who moves like a ballerina and runs the floor like a guard. He is extremely coordinated for his size, and possesses a vertical leap that allows him to spring high off the floor in the blink of an eye. In today’s modern NBA that is so much more reliant on quickness and athleticism rather than brute strength, he has the ability to play either the 4 or the 5 spot for his team depending on where he is drafted."  While reading this snippet of an NBA scouting report on a college sophomore, one would assume this is a high caliber, dominating big man.  Well, this promising young big man coming out of the University of Texas is actually getting even better with every season that passes.  LaMarcus Aldridge, coming out of Texas, was heralded as a high potential player that would most likely be an all-star one day.  His positives in his scouting reports talked about his quickness, endurance, length, offensive fluidity, and offensive arsenal.  The negatives were about the lack of strength and aggressiveness that he possessed in college.  Now, Aldridge is one of the best big men in the league and he's holding down the paint in Portland.

Coming into the league, LaMarcus Aldridge had an average rookie year.  He only averaged 22.1 minutes per game, but he still made the most of his opportunities.  The 2006-'07 team that he played with in his first year, was a promising team led by the likes of Zach Randolph, Brandon Roy, and Jarrett Jack.  Aldridge had to prove himself so that he could takeover the starting center spot from Joel Przybilla.  The young big man went on to average 9.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting .503 from the field and .722 from the charity stripe.  As a rookie, these numbers weren't too shabby, but there was also room for a lot of improvement.  He was showing a lot of promise throughout the season, but just wasn't getting much playing time since he was behind a veteran.  Little did Portland and NBA fans know however, he would prove that he deserves to be an every day starter and even an all-star.

His sophomore year he got his chance to start, and he did not disappoint.  In fact, his sophomore year and the next two years afterwards he was showing everyone that he could hang with talent in the NBA.  Throughout those three years Aldridge went on to average 17.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg.  He was growing and growing through the starting role, and he was becoming a bigger piece of the their team because important guys were going down with injuries.  Then came the 2010-'11 season, it was for sure a statement year.  Aldridge averaged 39.6 minutes per game this season, his most of any year, and he played every game but one.  He was no longer an inexperienced young gun, and he played like a wily veteran in the post.  He posted averages of 21.8 and 8.8, and also had a player efficiency rating of 21.5 (his second highest of his career).  Finally, in 2011 Aldridge received the credit he deserved and got his first all-star game selection.  Now, fast forward to the current season.  Aldridge is having a career year and he's helping lead this Portland team to the playoffs with the exciting Damian Lillard.  His field goal percentage is on par with the rest of his career, he's shooting his best percentage from the free throw line, and has a stat line of 23.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 21.9 per.  He's a force to be reckoned with and he will dominate your favorite big man.  So try to stay in your seats ladies and gentlemen, LaMarcus Aldridge is here to stay and he's gunning for a ring.

- Alex Fischbein (@Sixers_RunWitUs)