Thunder VS Mavericks (Game 2)

Series Tied 1-1

The Mavericks went against all odd and now they hold the home court advantage going into the rest of the series. But how did the Mavs even pull this off? How were they able to win against the Oklahoma City Thunder?

The Mavericks played really great defense. Something that they have not done much this season. I really have to credit Mavs head coach, Rick Carlisle, for making the defensive changes needed in game 2. First, he had Wesley Matthews really push Durant out of the paint. Durant didn't get any open lanes. Nest, almost every shot was contested. Durant and Westbrook alone shot 44 contested shots. They made just 11 of them. The Mavs made sure that there weren't any open shots. And third, the big made sure that the post catches were farther away from the basket. They got positioning and held it making the posts force up tough shots. They also made sure Dirk didn't play at the center position because they were destroyed in the paint last game. You can take a look at OKC's shot chart below to see just how bad their shooting was.

Thunder - Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

The Mavs also changed a lot on offense. As I had pointed out from game 1, the Mavericks were really lacking in guard play. While J.J. Barea was out of this game, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton combined for a total of 34 points. This was a big improvement from game 1. Not only that, but Felton was amazing. The short guard had 11 rebounds and 21 points himself. He hit some big baskets down the stretch to put his team in the spot to win.

While Wesley Matthews struggled from the floor, he was very effective on defense. His overall hustle really set a great tone as he had a big steal towards the end of the game. While he shot 0-7 from 3, his impact couldn't have been greater.

Durant and Westbrook had a combined 11 turnovers. They had a rough time and the other players are going to have to help them out. It would really help if the team had D.J. Augustine right now.         

Fantasy Friday: Shooting Guards

A good shooting guard is a good thing to have on your team. The only problem is that they are kind of few and far between. When you read this realize that some sucker will probably pick up Kobe Bryant and you will be laughing and pick one of these guys, because Kobe Bryant will most likely get injured or not be that efficient. Then Kobe Bryant will lead the league in scoring, make about three 3's per game, average a near triple-double, and win defensive player of the year. You will place all the blame on me and say "but Aaron, you said, 'When you read this realize that some sucker will probably pick up Kobe Bryant and you will be laughing and pick one of these guys, because Kobe Bryant will most likely get injured or not be that efficient.'!" And I will reply, hey man, no one said you had to listen to me. Then you will most likely be so mad that you will take your laptop and throw it out the window and your house will burn down. You will place all the blame on me and I will have to pay for the damages. So in advance, I say, take Kobe Bryant if you want to. If you want to take the risk fine, but don't blame me if it doesn't work. If you trust me though, you're best off taking these SGs.

10. Wesley Matthews: He is a risk. We don't know how he will respond. You may want to take K-Mart instead. Will Wes do great in Dallas, or will he be traded mid-season for Festus Ezeli because he is playing so bad. Well, if you take him, let's hope he will do great in Dallas. Wesley Matthews is a great defensive player and is deadly from deep. Watch out for him because he will shoot the lights out.

9. J.J. Redick: He will give you three pointers. He will give them to you. I am a bit worried that he is not doing so well since the playoffs and I fear it could be his down fall. Let's hope he can keep his numbers going up as Chris Paul gets less and less productive. Producing 16.4 PPG last season and 2.6 three pointers per game, he doesn't have much else to offer. Don't forget about Redick though, because chances are, most people will.

8. Victor Oladipo: This man looks like he will be the best player going into his 3rd season. He averaged over 17 PPG last season and contributed in other areas as he averaged 4.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, and 1.7 steals. He is looking good, we just don't know if he will be an all-star and we don't know how much he will improve. Hopefully, he will do great.

7. Paul George: He is in the risk category. So buyer beware. This man is coming off from a severe injury but if Paul George goes back to being regular Paul George, then the results will be amazing. The season before Paul got his injury, he was considered the best fantasy player in the league as he averaged 21.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.9 Steals per game. Great right? And he only averaged 2.8 turnovers. So if you want to take the risk, grab George.

6. Monta Ellis: Another Pacers player whose season is unclear. Monta could again produce a near 19 PPG and 4.1 Assists or his numbers could plummet. He is a great defender averaging a good 1.9 steals but we are unsure how this change of scenery will be for him.

5. Dwayne Wade: He has the skills and is most likely a future Hall of Famer, but  with Dragic, Bosh, Deng, and Whiteside, will his numbers drop? Probably. That's why he is down here. His great fantasy numbers he has been averaging for the last multiple year will most likely go down and Wade hasn't has a season where he played at least 70 games in 5 years. So take the old man if you want. You just better hope for a healthy season.

4. DeMar DeRozan: This boy is still averaging quite numbers in Toronto. 20.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG along with the steals and assists. He will most likely continue to increase his numbers but he doesn't have a lot to offer besides scoring. He is not a shooter if that is what you are looking for. So don't take him for that. But there aren't many players that average over 20 PPG and average just 2.3 turnovers per game.

3. Klay Thompson: He is a young player rising. Younger than Stephen Curry still. He still has a lot of potential. I would take him in a heartbeat because I see major improvement in Thompson this upcoming season. While he shoots many threes, I can see his 21.7 PPG from last year rising. He made over three 3 pointers per game last year. Not to mention he averaged a little less than 2 turnovers per game last year! This is why Klay is at number 3.

2. Bradley Beal: As Beal enters his 4th season in the NBA, he could very well become an all-star. In the playoffs he had shown that he could lead the team when John Wall went down. This 3 point sharp shooter can score, rebound, and assist and we all know it. He is expected to have his stats increase by a big margin here. We'll see if it happens.

1. James Harden: Of course he is number one. He is going to give you scoring. He will give you rebounds and assists. He will make 3s. And he will give you plenty of free throws. Not to mention he was really healthy last year. James Harden was probably the best player to have in fantasy last year. If you have him this year your team could be the best. The only downside is that James Harden commits turnovers. Oh well. You will obviously have to put up with that but it will be the same with LeBron and Kevin Durant. The way I figure it, he will be either the best or the second best fantasy player this year. Pick him up if you have the chance!

Well, there are your shooting guards. Some notable mentions that weren't on here are Kyle Korver and Kevin Martin so keep them in mind if these guys aren't available (or you just don't trust me). Again, remember that no one is telling you that you have to pick these guys up. So if you place a bunch of money and lose, it's not my fault. But it would be wise to draft these great players. 

Fantasy Friday: Riskies

This week on Fantasy Friday, we are going to talk about all you people that like to take risks. Because if you like to take risks, these are the guys you need to take. With these players, there will be risk, but the rewards could be high. So let's count 'em down!

10. Karl-Anthony Towns: This guy is a big risk. He will probably be one of the best fantasy players alongside Anthony Davis in the future, but we have no idea how his rookie season will be.We know that he can play great defense, shoot the ball, rebound, and pass. But we don't know how he will be.

9. Otto Porter: Going into his 3rd season in the NBA, Otto Porter is looking for major improvement. After averaging 10 PPG, 8 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG and shooting 37% from the 3 point line in the playoffs, he could defiantly be a great addition to your team, but he could also just end up averaging 6 PPG.

8. Tristan Thompson: This man could be your guy to get your rebounds, blocks, assists, and hopefully some points. If he plays enough. The Cavs have such a big roster for PF and Centers including Kevin Love, Varejao, and Mozgov, that Thompson might not get much playing time.

7. Wesly Matthews: Coming off an injury is tough, and not to mention, he is on a completely different team. The question is can Matthews do it. I mean this guy could average 20 PPG this year, and he could average 11PPG this year. We don't know so buyer beware.

6. Tim Duncan: Timmy could be a great addition to your team. But let's face it, Ol' Timmy's gettin' old. It might not be long before he gets a severe injury or his numbers drop drastically due to his age. Last year he averaged about 14 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3 APG, and 2 Blocks per game, so he could average those numbers again, or he could go "it's time to hang 'em up". So take him if you want, but you could end up with a retiree by the end of the season.

5. Joe Johnson: Johnson averaged 14 PPG last season, but now his fellow overpaid player, Deron Williams, is gone. Which could open up the for Johnson to get into the offense. You can't forget just how great Joe Johnson is, but you also can't forget how he looks nothing like his old self. Are you willing to take the chance with Joe?

4. Deron Williams: Deron Williams hasn't averaged this low of point since his rookie year and his assist numbers are way down too. But maybe all Deron Williams needed was a change of scenery right back to his hometown to get him going again. He could be averaging 18 PPG and 10 APG again, or be even lower. So go ahead and get him, just don't say I didn't warn you.

3. Brook Lopez: This could be Brook Lopez's healthy season, or it could be another one where he has another foot injury. Chances are it's the foot injury. But, if he is healthy, you could be getting 20 points and 20 rebounds along with 5 blocks a night. Wouldn't that be nice? Yeah, it would! Brook Lopez is a BIG risk, but the rewards are so valuable.

2. Kevin Martin: This man always seems to average about 20 PPG. Snubbed as an all-star about 3 times, this guy will just score and score and score, that is, if he can stay healthy. He had a broken wrist last season and didn't know. He scored 37 points right after he broke it in a game. He was out for a while. While he did get a broken wrist, most of Martin's injuries have been minor. But another problem facing Martin is that he may need to step it down on the scoring as many other scorers such as Wiggins, LaVine, Shabazz, and Towns step into the mix. This could mean that Martin would have to step down on the scoring, but he could end up averaging 20 PPG again.

1. Paul George: After that freak of nature incident with Team USA, Paul George has came back averaging 8.8 PPG in 6 games, but we all know that if he is back to his old self next season, you need him on your team. Paul George is entering his 6th season. In the 2013-14 season (the year before his injury) George averaged 21.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.9 Steals per game while only giving up 2.5 turnovers per game. Paul Goerge would be one of the best players to have on your fantasy roster if he were to average those numbers again. So go ahead and take him, because he is worth the risk.

So if your feeling lucky, go ahead and take some of these guys, but if you aren't just stay away from them. These guys are high risk high reward. So go head and take them, if you dare!

Portland's Playoff Hopes

Wesley Matthews went down. Not long before that Arron Afflalo was involved in a trade that sent him to Portland. Okay, we have Afflalo to start. The only thing is, what will they do in the Playoffs. Arron Afflalo is no Wesley Matthews. He is simply not as great as Wesley Matthews. Lets take a look at what Matthews brought to this Portland team.

Wesley Matthews

• 15.9 PPG
• 44.8% FG
• 38.8% 3 point range
• 2.9 3 point makes per game
• 1.3 Steals per game
• 1.4 Turnovers Per Game
• 2.3 ASP
• 3.7 RPG
• Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) 99.4
• +4.6 on the court

Arron Afflalo

• 13.6 PPG
• 42.6% FG
• 35.0% 3 Point Range
• 1.5 3 point makes per game
• 0.5 Steals per game
• 1.6 Turnovers Per game
• 1.7 APG
• 3.2 RPG
• Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) 105.7
• +2.3 on the court

Wesley Matthews leads in all of those categorizes. Look at the +/- advantage. Matthews has double than Afflalo does with the Trailblazers. The teams defense is better with Matthews and they give up more points with Afflalo. I'm not saying Afflalo is a bad player. I love Afflalo, but he is just not as good of a player as Wesley Matthews. I think that Portland's playoff hopes have really been lost since Matthews went down. Afflalo is a great player, and Portland has Damian Lillard and LeMarcus Aldridge, but Wesley Matthews is the player that made this team so great. Now he's not here. How will they win in the playoffs without him?