Links About The Tank

Happy Friday! I hope you're doing well.

The resignation of Sam Hinkie over two weeks ago really has me pondering about team-building in the NBA. I detest the concept of tanking so much because I feel it goes completely against the entire point of sport, which is to win. Specifically with Hinkie, even after reflecting and doing some cursory research, I found his plan to be a cowards way around concrete team-building and development. He was so bent on avoiding the treadmill of mediocrity that his teams instead were some of the worst in NBA history. It's funny he and his followers were terrified about the "treadmill of mediocrity" when there was a realistically good chance that even when he got the unicorn superstar he was looking for, the Sixers would have to spend some time on it at some point along the way.

Hinkie and Sixers fans that brought into The Process sounded a lot like post-grad twenty-somethings or someone going through a mid-life crisis. They felt they were on a rudderless ship for such a long time, so they felt that something needed to be done differently. The problem is that the "something" has actually made things worse! However, now that changes have been made, hopefully the Sixers can take inventory and move in a more productive direction.

In all the reading and listening I have done on the topic in the past couple of weeks, I figure I would provide links to some of my favorite readings. I hope you will enjoy and learn something from them, regardless of which side of the tanking argument you're on.

"An Honest Reflection on Tanking" by Jack Neubecker is an amazing article that moves away from the anecdotes that come with discussions of tanking, and dives into the numbers.

"Losing is Not a Winning Strategy in the NBA" by Dave Berri was written months into Sam Hinkie's tenure, and looks at how teams fare down the line after they win a certain amount of games in a season.

"The Myth of the Tanking Spurs" by Andres Alvarez looks to dispel the conventional belief that the Spurs tanked the 1996-1997 season in order to get Tim Duncan. Did they, or was it a snake-bitten season for a powerhouse franchise?

"The Idea Behind The Process is Wrong, and Always Has Been" by Kevin Draper goes the more anecdotal route of skewering The Process and the foundations it was built upon. I add this link because it basically says a lot of the things I feel about it.

"Sam Hinkie Was a Cult Leader, Not an Innovator" by Jared Wade is a complete ethering of Hinkie that echoes my more emotional sentiments on the subject.

Lastly, I'll link you to my previous article "Sam Hinkie By the Numbers", where I exhibit some interesting numbers I found regarding his tenure in Philadelphia.

Sam Hinkie By the Numbers

On April 7th, Sam Hinkie resigned as General Manager and President of Basketball Operations of the Philadelphia 76ers. Over his three-year tenure, he took the controversial approach of building through the draft by perpetually dealing players in exchange for future picks. While he leaves the 76ers with extra drafts picks through the 2021 draft the team endured the second-worst three-year stretch in NBA history, including ending the 2016 season with the second-worst record of all-time. Below are a couple of other numbers the encapsulate the absurdity of the Hinkie era. Thank goodness it's over.

Sam Hinkie drafted 16 players over 3 seasons. Only 4 remain on the 76ers roster: Jahlil Okafor, Jerami Grant, Richaun Holmes, and Joel Embiid. 10 have been traded away, including Elfrid Payton, Michael Carter-Williams, and K.J. McDaniels. One - Pierre Jackson - signed with the Sixers in the preseason only to be waived before the season, thus renouncing his rights. Vasilije Micic is the only Hinkie-drafted player that still has his draft rights retained. Nerlens Noel and the rights to Dario Saric were traded for.

The players he drafted and kept have combined for 5.3 win shares over the last two seasons, since none of them played the 2013-14 season. The players he drafted and eventually dealt away have combined for 6.9 win shares over the same span, with Glen Rice, Jr. also posting -0.1 win shares in 13-14.

Golden State's Stephen Curry leads in the NBA in win shares over the last three seasons with 46.9. Nerlens Noel paces the 76ers in win shares with 7.0.  He is followed by Robert Covington (5.9), Hollis Thompson (5.8), and Henry Sims (4.0).

There have only been six instances of a team losing 70 of more games:

• After going 9-73 in 1972-73, the 76ers would make it to the finals in 1977, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers.
• After an 11-71 1993 season, the Mavericks wouldn't win 50+ games until the 2001 season, made the finals in 2006, and then won them in 2011
• After going 11-71 in 1998, the Denver Nuggets had a stretch of success led by star forward Carmelo Anthony. They had their first 50-win season in 2008, but have declined since Anthony's departure in 2011.
• After going 12-70 in 1987, the LA Clippers would not see a 50+ win season until they posted a 56-26 record in 2013(!)
• The New Jersey Nets went 12-70 in 2010. After going all-in in light of their move to Brooklyn in 2012-13, the team is trending down without posting a 50-win season since

With the post-merger signing of Julius Erving playing a part in the 73 Sixers's meteoric rise, a Lottery Era 70-loss squad apparently has about 18 years standing between futility and championship glory.

Weekend Playoff Reax: Laying the Smacketh Down

Kevin Durant scored 23 points in the Thunder's 108-70 thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks. The 38-point win was the largest margin of victory, but the weekend saw 5 of 8 games decided by 20+ points.

After making a case for the existence of the First Round, it's pretty awkward that the opening weekend of the 2016 NBA Playoffs was so decisive. That was rough, man. Only two games were decided by single digits: Cleveland's five-point win over Detroit and Atlanta's one-point victory over Boston. Both of those games were in the Eastern Conference. The other side was a total bloodbath! 

The Western Weekend was decided by an average point differential of 31.5 points. While people aren't surprised the Warriors and Spurs had dominant wins over the Rockets and Grizzlies, respectively, the Thunder and Clippers rocking the Mavericks and Trail Blazers were somewhat jarring. While I assert that every game - even blowouts - has its good moments, I wouldn't blame you for sitting out the Western playoffs until the Semifinals.

The Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder are all going to run away with their series, plain and simple. It sucks, but I'm okay with that; it's the price you pay for greatness. I truly hope that the other five series can pick up their end of the bargain. I'm confident that there will be closer games in the East moving forward, but the Clippers and Blazers is a little more volatile. Portland's lead scorers Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were contained in Game 1. I'm concerned that will become the tone of this series, but I also hold out hope that this duo will find a way to get their big shots and steal a game or two.

It's the first work week of the playoffs, and it's still a seven-game series. Anything can happen between now and the next weekend. I hope we will see better games moving forward. Enjoy the games, everyone!

A Case for the First Round

The NBA Playoffs kick off tomorrow with a best-of-seven First Round. There are fans and media members than tend to find this round to be pointless. Statistically, it is. There have only been three instances ever where a team lower than the fourth seed has made the NBA Finals. It is fair to ask if the Playoffs should be shortened by a round. However, I think the playoff structure is mostly fine as-is.

While I would shorten the First Round back to the best-of-five format it carried from 1983 through 2002, I think that its existence is justified. It gives eight fanbases a week or two more of exciting basketball to care about. If the First Round didn't exist, then a fair amount of those eight markets would probably stop caring just after the trade deadline, deading any excitement for the playoffs in over 2/3 of the league. The NBA isn't as regional as Major League Baseball, but in most markets people only care about the team in town. Leaving them out kills the excitement in a lot of places.

Keeping the field at 16 teams also allows a fair amount of markets to stay engaged in the NBA through the end of April but also keeps things competitive as nearly half of the league is left out each year.

For the league, the excitement converts into revenue for member teams and the hive mind itself. You get to sell a captivating experience for two more weeks through packed arenas and [team's secondary color]-outs. The First Round feels more like a party for teams in the middle, instead of just being an exclusive club for the über-best if the round didn't exist.

It also serves as a training ground for rising teams. For rising teams, such as the Pistons and Celtics, they get their first cracks at playoff experience. These experiences could pay dividends down the line, as these teams will be better situated if they return to the playoffs in the future.

I personally enjoy the extra basketball that the First Round provides without being too overwhelming. Nights with three or four games are much easier to keep track of as opposed to nights where there's as many as 13 games. At it's the better half of the league playing for the same goal, so the energy and level of play is top notch.

Tomorrow is the beginning of a two-month journey that - while it may be a foregone conclusion - will most likely still be compelling on a game-to-game basis. Enjoy the games, everyone!

2016 NBA Playoff Teams Versus the Field

The 82-game gauntlet that is the NBA season has sadly come to an end. On the bright side, the 16-team playoff field has been set, with the second season commencing on Saturday. While every series has its favorites - and the Warriors seem poised to win back-to-back titles - there are numerous matchup combinations that could possibly occur between now and the final buzzer in June. Here's a look at how each playoff team stacks up against their own conference as well as the rest of the field. 

The fact that the west holds form from 1st to 4th seed is no surprise. The Grizzlies have been wracked by injuries and it shows in their conference record. It's going to be a bad time for them against the Spurs. The fact that Toronto leads the conference over Cleveland is not lost on me either. The Raptors went 2-1 against the Passiveliers this season. Is that an omen, or will this go down like LeBron's Heat against the Bulls: threatening in the season, but housed in the playoffs? 

I am surprised that only five teams are above .500 in their conference, but it sort of evens out once you factor in overall records.

See anything interesting about these standings? Point it out in the comments below.

Scenario Mode 2016 NBA Awards Ceremony

Today is the final day of the 2015-16 NBA season, which has been historic on multiple levels. A lot of great performances on the court make this year's award season ripe with viable candidates. Today I will give you my picks for each award and my reasoning behind each choice. Do my picks match up with yours? Let me know in the comments below.

Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

To me, this award is a foregone conclusion. I'm guessing there will be an official MVP voter that will be "that guy" and not vote for Curry, but quite frankly I think the only answer here is Curry. Curry has been the transcendent leader of one of the best teams in NBA history. This season he's been one of the best three-point shooters, one of the most efficient scorers, and one of the top pickpockets in the league. All of those attributes in addition to his leadership and his impact on opponent defensive schemes shows in the advanced statistics, as he leads the league in win shares (17.4), box score plus/minus (12.2), and value over a replacement player (9.5). It's Curry. The answer is Curry. Vote Curry.

Rookie: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

I'll cop to not watching many Minnesota Timberwolves games, and two of them were TNT-televised matchups against Golden State. But, statistically, KAT leads all rookies in win shares (8.0) and is the only one averaging a double-double this year. So he's kind of a big deal. He's stretches the floor with his shooting range, but can still back a man down in the post, and was one of the top defensive rookies this year. Karl-Anthony is getting his career off to a great start with a smashing rookie year, and he deserves the hardware for his hard work.

Defensive Player: Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

I went with the dark horse candidate for DPOY. Millsap leads the league in defensive win shares (6.0), and he does this on the second-most efficient defense in the league. While Kawhi Leonard is the more likely pick for this award, Millsap has a larger share of his team's defensive wins than Leonard. I'm sure there will be a handful of votes for Millsap, so his efforts won't go completely unrecognized, but I figured I'd also throw my hat in the ring.

Most Improved: C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers

When the Trail Blazers lost their four key starters over the summer, people reasonably thought that Portland would miss the playoffs this year as they picked up the pieces. The Trail Blazers themselves had other ideas. Not only did they make the playoffs, they clinched a seed in the middle of the Western Conference bracket. While this was a team and coach effort, one of the major reasons for this surprise season was the ascendance of C.J. McCollum. McCollum had a +4.1 win share increase from 2015 to 2016 as he stepped in as the team's second scoring option. Giannis Antetokounmpo is also an excellent candidate for this award. For me, however, Antetokounmpo's massive improvement is offset by the fact that the team around him regressed and will be sitting out this postseason and making it last year. McCollum filled the scoring vacuum and contributed to his team remaining afloat in the West. For that reason, he gets the award.

Sixth Man: Enes Kanter, Oklahoma City Thunder

I had a hard time choosing between Kanter or Ed Davis. Kanter contributes major scoring and rebounding off the bench, and his contributions helped the Thunder become the best non-Warrior/Spur team in the West. Meanwhile, Davis contributes on defensively, on the boards, and in the flow of the offense. Davis is part of the synergistic effort in Portland that kept the team from free-falling. But I went with Kanter because he has a much higher usage rate than Davis, meaning he's called upon more to do his job. Kanter's work also helped his team to a better record that Davis's, even if Ed is more versatile. It was a close call, but I went with Enes Kanter.

Coach: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are 72-9. Enough said. Even though I wish that Luke Walton got official recognition for his interim wins, those victories are still an indictment of the culture that Kerr developed. His ethos was still present even when he was recovering from his surgery, and Walton and the Warriors were able to carry on until Steve returned (I suppose that's why they count those season-opening wins for Kerr). While it's expected that a coach will coach well during a title defense, this team is something that has not been witnessed before - statistically or schematically - in NBA history. There are a number of great coaches that could also get this award, and that's definitely a good sign about the state of coaching in this league. However, if you give me the decision, I'm going with Steve Kerr.

Executive: R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs

The 2014 Executive of the Year did it again. This time, he orchestrated the transition from the old Big Three (Duncan-Parker-Ginobili) to a new trio (Leonard-Aldridge-West). In the process, the team pulled off their winningest season. That's saying something for a team that has only missed the playoffs four times since joining the NBA and hasn't won less than 61% of their games since the year before they drafted Duncan. While Golden State made minor changes and simply developed the players they got, and other teams made big moves that garnered decent improvements, Buford scored some big-time signings that still managed to gel well with the Spurs Way. R.C.'s summer acquisitions, his midseason veteran additions of Andre Miller and Kevin Martin, and the emergence of Jonathan Simmons and Boban Marjanovic were all great moves. All of this shows that Buford is deserving of his second EOY trophy.

All-NBA Teams

There were plenty of top-flight players deserving of All-NBA nods this season. I went mostly by win shares, but also factored in if the team was in the playoffs, the teams's record, and if that team improved from the previous season. For that reason, James Harden and Jimmy Butler were left out because their teams underachieved. Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard were unfortunately left out because their team win share contributions were not as sizeable as the other guards on this list for their teams.

First Team

F - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

F - LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

C - DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers

G - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

G - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Second Team

F - Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

F - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

C - Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat

G - Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

G - Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors

Third Team

F - LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs

F - Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

C - Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks

G - Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets

G - Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics

All-Defensive Teams

For this list I looked at defensive win shares and gave nods to any starters at the top of the list. While the frontcourt was easy to do, the guards on the second team were a little surprise to me. I'm pretty sure there will be two different names in the spots for Danny Green and Bazemore when the awards are announced, but the advanced stats looked good enough for me.

First Team

F - Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

F - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

C - DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers

G - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

G - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Second Team

F - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

F - LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs

C - Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat

G - Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs

G - Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks

All-Rookie Teams

The rookie teams were a little tricky for me at first, because it gets a little less obvious once you get past Towns and Porzingis. Jokic was a statistical beast, so I added him. D'Angelo Russell was atrocious in the advanced stats, but he was the only replacement level point guard this year (Mudiay and Okafor were below replacement level, but I'm sure they'll get better down the line). Everybody else were above-replacement-level players that I felt did well this season.

First Team

F - Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

C - Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

C - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

G - Justise Winslow, Miami Heat

G - D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers

Second Team

F - Frank Kaminsky, Charlotte Hornets

F - Larry Nance, Jr., Los Angeles Lakers

C - Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings

C - Boban Marjanovic, San Antonio Spurs

G - Josh Richardson, Miami Heat

All-ARCO Arena Teams

Sleep Train Arena, formerly known as ARCO Arena and Power Balance Pavillion, has served as the home venue of Sacramento's lone top flight professional team since 1988. It's tenure in that position came to an end on Saturday with the Kings pulling out a 114-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Over the arena's 28 years as Home of the Kings, I'm sure many fans and rivals alike have their share of memories and moments about this building. Today, I want to look at the best players to have played inside ARCO Arena. I'm sure a lot of the players that Kings fans remember fondly will find their way onto this list.

The two teams below are the best players - by Game Score - to have played for and against the Kings in all games at Sleep Train Arena. I'll call them All-ARCO teams for nostalgia's sake.

All-ARCO Home Team

Starters

C - DeMarcus Cousins (203 games, 15.2)

PF - Chris Webber (213 games, 18.1)

SF - Metta World Peace (86 games, 14.7)

SG - Mitch Richmond (262 games, 16.4)

PG - Danny Ainge (55 games, 15.4)

Bench

SF - Rudy Gay (94 games, 14.1)

PF/C - Antoine Carr (53 games, 13.6)

PG - Rajon Rondo (36 games, 13.6)

PG - Mike Bibby (261 games, 13.5)

PG - Kenny Smith (65 games, 13.4)

SF - Peja Stojakovic (296 games, 13.2)

SG - Tyreke Evans (136 games, 13.0)

SF - Rodney McCray (77 games, 12.9)

All-ARCO Rivals

Starters

C - Shaquille O'Neal (30 games, 19.2)

PF - Karl Malone (38 games, 17.8)

SF - LeBron James (11 games, 24.5)

SG - Kobe Bryant (42 games, 18.9)

PG - Chris Paul (19 games, 20.8)

Bench

SG - Dwyane Wade (8 games, 24.3)

C - Hakeem Olajuwon (20 games, 21.3)

SF - Kevin Durant (16 games, 20.5)

SG - Michael Jordan (10 games, 19.9)

SG - James Harden (13 games, 19.1)

PG - Magic Johnson (7 games, 18.8)

SF - Dominique Wilkins (7 games, 17.9)

PG - Allen Iverson (14 games, 17.8)

Is the Bulls Farce Coming to An End?

Good riddance.

The Indiana Pacers blasted the Brooklyn Nets 129-105 on Sunday evening. The win allowed the Pacers to clinch a playoff spot after a gruesome Paul George injury set them back last season. The win also eliminated the Chicago Bulls from playoff contention, keeping them out of the playoff party for the first time since 2008, the season that put them in the position to draft Derrick Rose.

I feel like this is the way the season should have turned out for the Chicago Bulls. On paper, this team is wonderfully talented, but power struggles, injuries, and a lack of identity or cohesion took this team from being a contender in the Eastern Conference to mediocre.

The Bulls needed a season like this. Since the beginning of the Thibodeaux era, it seemed like this team was constantly running on fumes. One key player would be injured, and the next man up would have to play out of his mind just to pick up the slack. Eventually, almost every year the team would meet the wall that is LeBron James and fall apart. It seemed all the people with power - the star players and more importantly the front office - felt it was Thibodeaux's fault, and he was let go. This season showed the Bulls fans and its organization that the problem wasn't the departing coach, but was everyone else around him.

Fred Hoiberg thought he was coming from Iowa State and into a cushy job. Little did he know he would be faced with more injuries, a star player looking to assert his dominance, a former MVP that played well but not quite to his old self, and a big man that would rather fill stat-sheets and enjoy the nightlife than actually play defense. Unlike Brad Stevens, this college coach responded to the adversity by being essentially mute, rarely holding his players accountable and rarely asserting himself on the sidelines (only one technical all season).

So the Bulls season, with a half-week left, can really be summarized with one word: meh.

This was hopefully a humbling season for players, and this summer should be one that sees a sciesmic shift in the roster and the culture. The Bulls had 91% roster continuity between the 2014-15 season and this year. That can not happen again.

Preferably I would like to see Gar Forman and John Paxson removed from their positions, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf is notorious for being loyal-to-a-fault towards his front office staff. In reality, I would find their removals welcomed but shocking.

At head coach, I am 50-50 on Fred Hoiberg. He failed as a coach this season. However, if the roster is retrofitted correctly, he could have players that are more than willing to listen to him and follow the schemes that made him mildly successful at Iowa State. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing him let go and replaced by a coach with NBA bench experience (head or assistant) or high-performing college experience. All I know is this coach and this current roster cannot co-exist if the Bulls want to be a factor in the East again.

Public enemy #1 for me is Pau Gasol. While his stat sheet and his fill-in All-Star Game appearance says otherwise, I feel like he has been a waste this season. His effort was wildly inconsistent over the course of the season, and he was non-existent on defense. He basically became Carlos Boozer 2.0 in 2015-16, after a season where he was a fairly useful presence upfront in Thibodeaux's final season. Luckily, there are rumors that he may not be looking to return to the team next year, which would be just fine with me.

The other big decision that needs to be made is the choice between keeping Derrick Rose or Jimmy Butler. These two have had major friction with each other as there seemed to be a power struggle for who is The Man in this town. Derrick Rose is the hometown kid, the #1 overall pick, the former MVP. But when Rose's ACL sidelined his career, Jimmy Butler stepped into the power vacuum. 2016 saw them muscling for the chance to have the voice on this team. Neither won, and combined with Hoiberg's voicelessness, the Bulls lost their identity. At least in the past, the team had the identity of defensive scrappers under Thibodeaux.

So the choice has to be made, Rose or Butler? Butler is an outstanding two-way All-Star, but he was a little too ball-dominant for a Hoiberg system that necessitates ball movement. If the Bulls choose Butler, would he be willing to move the ball around a little more while becoming the player voice of the team? Rose on the other hand has had a decent year. He's not back to his MVP self, and probably never will be, but he was absolutely starter-worthy. If the Bulls keep Rose, the question will be how many more years he can provide serviceable output? My guess is that the Bulls will keep Butler, as he has more upside and - more importantly - guaranteed money on their books than Rose does.

It's going to be a cruel summer for the Bulls, or at least it should be. This team should not be the same next year as it was this year. The 2016 Bulls represented a lack of effort, a lack of identity, and a lack of team cammraderie. The glue that was the hard-chargin' Tom Thibodeaux had to be removed in order for the public to see that this team was truly a house of cards. The summer of 2016 will show what Jerry Reinsdorf truly expects from his basketball franchise, and if fans should care about them moving forward.

Knicks vs. Lakers and The Problem With Early Returns

Today's throwback video takes us to November 11, 1990: An early season matchup between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers from the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. This video features two legends facing off for teams that are in flux: one on its way in and one on its way out.

The New York Knicks entered the game 3-2, coming off of a win the night before in Sacramento. This was the second game of a 4-game west coast set. The Lakers were 1-2, playing their fourth game at a point in the season when most teams had played their fifth or sixth. 

The Knicks won on the road 109-103 over the Lakers, making it their third straight. LA's loss fell to 1-3 on the young campaign. The game was a back-and-fourth shootout on both sides, but the Knicks were able to pull away with a 11-4 run in the final 3:47 of the game. Patrick Ewing led New York with 27 points and 14 rebounds despite being triple-teamed on multiple occasions. Kiki Vandeweghe added 22 points, scoring 20+ for the third straight game.

Magic Johnson led the Lakers with a triple-double: 24 points, 15 rebounds, 14 assists. Byron Scott added 24 of his own. Despite big performances from Magic and Scott, the Lakers bench was outscored 32-19, which made a difference in the long run.

While it seemed like the two squads were trending in certain directions (the Knicks on the way up, the Lakers on the way down), things soon turned in opposite directions for both sides.

The Knicks would split the final two games of the west coast trip with an overtime win at Seattle and a high-scoring loss at Portland. From there, however, they would have two wins bookend a five-game losing streak. GM Al Bianchi saw this as an opportunity to fire head coach Stu Jackson and replace him with John MacLeod, a man Bianchi tried to hire in 1987 after being his assistant coach for 11 years in Phoenix. Bianchi would be fired midseason and John MacLeod would leave for Notre Dame after the season. The Knicks would end the campaign 39-43 and was swept by the eventually champion Chicago Bulls. Former Lakers coach Pat Riley would step in the following season.

The Lakers were starting the season slowly as they adjusted to new head coach Mike Dunleavy, who looked to establish more set plays than the Showtime Lakers were used to under Riley. Los Angeles would start the year 2-5 before reeling off 8 straight wins. They'd go on a 16-game win streak in January and February and finish the year 58-24. The Lakers would take the Western Conference crown in six games over defending conference champ Portland. They would fall in the NBA Finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, four games to one.

It goes to show that the season is a marathon. Early returns - like a few weeks in - don't always foretell how things will turn out over the course of 7 months. The grind is real!

Video courtesy of NBAOLDTWO. Marv Albert and John Andariese are on the call for MSG Network, with a special appearance from comedian Richard Lewis in the third quarter.

The Best Passive-Aggressive Teenagers in the NBA

Happy Tuesday! I have another Scenario Mode Podcast ready to go!

This week I discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 44-18 after losing to the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies. I find their locker room drama to be annoying, particularly for a team that's first place in the Eastern Conference. LeBron says they aren't ready for the playoffs. With 20 games left in their season, what do they need to do? With legacies at stake, will they put their differences aside and become a threat to the Warriors and Spurs out west? Click the audio player below to find out!

MJ's Birthday Present to Chicago

Today is the 179th anniversary of Chicago's incorporation as a city. Happy Birthday, Chicago! To mark the occasion, I bring you this highlight video of the city's favorite basketball player scoring 61 over a division rival on its 150th anniversary.

March 4th, 1987, Pontiac Silverdome, suburban Detroit. Michael Jordan leads the Bulls to a 125-120 overtime victory over the Pistons. He scores 61 points on nothing but two-pointers and free throws, and neutralized a combined 63 points from Hall-of-Famers Adrian Dantley (32) and Isiah Thomas (31, along with 18 assists).

This video is 9 minutes of fun for any non-Pistons fan. MJ was a scoring machine, getting buckets in any way imaginable within the three-point line. He was en route to the highest scoring season of his career: 3,041 points in 82 games, and he only did it on 12 made three-pointers. MJ would go on to score 61 points again in the penultimate game of the '87 season. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else around him, and the team was swept in the First Round by the Boston Celtics. Those same Celtics would beat these Pistons in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Video courtesy of Balthus23. Jim Durham and Johnny Kerr on the call. Enjoy!

Nique, Glove, & Reign Man (Feat. My Favorite Broadcaster)

The Oklahoma City Thunder blew a 22-point lead to the Los Angeles Clippers in a 103-98 decision at Staples Center last night. That immediately made me think of a YouTube highlight clip I've watched a number of times over the last few years.

February 27, 1994: Seattle SuperSonics at the Los Angeles Clippers from the old Sports Arena.

On February 24th, Dominique Wilkins was traded with a first round pick from the Atlanta Hawks to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning. This was Wilkins's first game with his new team after and illustrious 11-and-a-half years in the ATL.

Meanwhile, the Sonics were 14 years away from moving to Oklahoma, and a little over two months away from being upset by the 8th-seeded Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. In the meantime the duo of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were tearing their way through the league.

This game is a fun one, especially in highlight form, and it ends with a close-but-high-scoring 122-118 result. But the reason I like this video so much is because of the greatness that is Sonics broadcaster Kevin Calabro. He has a smooth voice, an extensive vocabulary, and is great at keeping up with the pace of the action. It's exactly why he's one of my favorite broadcasters of all-time. I hope you enjoy him - and the game itself - as well.

Four Cities. Two Teams. One Game.

Over the extensive history of the NBA, teams have set out to represent the city they are based in. Each franchise intends to weave itself into the fabric of that metropolitan area through winning and community involvement. However, there have been isolated incidents where a team has gone regional out of desire for a wider reach or out of necessity. Today, we spotlight two of these teams: the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. These are the two teams that took a regional approach to franchising for two separate reasons.

In 1972, the Cincinnati Royals shipped off for America's Heartland after declining performance on the court and in the stands. Instead of going with one city, the newly-christened Kings (since there was already a 3 year-old Royals baseball team in KC) split their home games between 7,500-seat Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City and 9,300-seat Civic Auditorium in Omaha. The Kings moved into Kemper Arena in 1974 and dropped the "Omaha" from their name the following season. They stopped playing games in Omaha after the 1977-78 season, and moved from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985.

The New Orleans Hornets had arrived from Charlotte in 2002 after owner George Shinn could not get a new taxpayer-funded arena there. In the summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast and flooded much of New Orleans, temporarily displacing the city's sports teams. The Saints played games in Baton Rouge and San Antonio, while the Hornets elected to play most of its games in Oklahoma City. The Hornets would eventually return to New Orleans full-time for the 2007-2008 season.

I decided to run a simulation between the best editions of these two franchises: the 1975 Kings (44-38) that made the playoffs in their final year as Kansas City-Omaha, and the 2007 Hornets (39-43) who missed the playoffs as they were slowly making their way back to New Orleans full time. The Kings were designated the home team by virtue of having the better record. Here're the results:

This game was a close one down to the final minutes. Devin Brown hit a contested jumper to make it 94-93 with 2:13 left in the 4th. From there the Hornets held off the Kings at the free throw line.

Chris Paul had a monster game, logging a double-double in points and assists as well as 5 steals. Not to be outdone, Nate "Tiny" Archibald had a double-double of his own, but was done it by his 7 turnovers on the night. NOK overcame their deficiencies from three-point range by getting to the line for 33 free throw attempts and forcing 19 turnovers.

What do you think of the results? If you have anything to say about a young Chris Paul, the greatness of Tiny Archibald's career, the presence of future head coach Mike D'Antoni, or anything else, be sure to let me know in the comments below!

Kobe Bryant: A Uniform Success

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers posted an interactive visual that shows every jersey that Kobe Bryant has worn over his illustrious 20-year professional, international, and all-star basketball career.

It goes without saying that the whole thing is frickin' awesome! It's cool to go through and be reminded not only of great moments in Kobe's career, but of evolution of uniforms over the past two decades. You may notice that Kobe's Lakers uniform doesn't change until his fourth season, and he doesn't wear anything outside of the purple and gold until the tail end of his sixth season. The floodgates open from there, from numerous Lakers throwbacks and alternates to the progressively more lavish All-Star uniforms. The interactive page says a lot about both NBA fashion in the new millenium and the longevity of an All-Star's - and future Hall-of-Famer's - career. Be sure to click-through and give the page a look. Which jersey of Kobe's is your favorite? Tell me in the comments below!

Remembering Cobo Arena (w/ Videos)

Photo courtesy stadiumpostcards.com

I visited Cobo Arena when the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education came to Detroit in 2003. The convention took up much of Cobo Hall, with the big speaking engagements and services taking place in the Arena.

Upon stepping in the arena, I was enamored. It was different than any venue I had been in up to that point. It looked like a major arena with its two decks, but there were only seats on three sides. On the fourth side was a big, intriguingly designed wall. This place was so cool to me, unlike any place I had ever seen. So it's particularly interesting that while many notable concerts and speakers have come through the arena Cobo is an arena that the basketball world forgot.

It hosted the Pistons from 1961 to 1978, the University of Detroit Mercy Titans from 1988 to 1993, and ABA2000's Detroit Dogs for their 2000-2001 season. I also remember it being a destination on the AND 1 Mixtape Tour when they had their own show on ESPN. But good luck finding any videos from any of these eras.

Dave Bing played 9 seasons for the Detroit Pistons, all of which were during the team's tenancy in Cobo Arena

However, I recently came across one. The video - a Bucks/Pistons game from the 1969-70 season - was posted over a year ago by Hal15Greer and is the first extensive video I've seen from inside the arena. The only other time I've seen Cobo on YouTube in game form was for a few seconds in this DePaul Blue Demons video yearbook from 1992.

As I said above, the basketball world seemed to just forget about Cobo Arena. The Pistons bolted for Pontiac in 1978 then moved to Auburn Hills in 1988. When they needed an alternate venue in the city, they used the bigger Joe Louis Arena next door. The Shock would use either Joe Louis Arena or Eastern Michigan's Conovocation Center. Cobo Arena was torn down in 2009 and renovated into a grand ballroom with a view overlooking the Detroit River. While Cobo the sporting venue no longer stands, it will always leave an impression on me.

All-Star Thoughts: That Was Awesomtacular!!

I hope you enjoyed All-Star Weekend as much as I did. After that three-day experience, my mind is swimming with thoughts about various moments from all of the events that took place in The Six. Here they are in as organized a fashion as I can put them:

NBA ALL-STAR CELEBRITY GAME

The game was harmless fun, as it should be. My girlfriend called Kevin Hart's return to the court a mile away. Thankfully he was awful enough that he didn't even sniff a chance at the MVP. Kevin getting the MVP award again would have been the only thing that made me hate this game. I still like Kevin Hart and enjoyed him all weekend, but that would have been a bit much. I'm happy for the actual MVP, Arcade Fire's Win Butler. It sucks that people seemed to not know who he was even though this was his second celebrity game and his band is a Grammy-winning outfit that has been around for 15 years.

I also feel bad for Win that his acceptance speech got cut short there at the end by Sage. However, I do think Sage - and by extension the producers that were most likely in her ear- were in the right for what they did, despite doing it awkwardly. Considering how Win started off, I'm sure I would have agreed with the statement he was trying to make. But there's no denying that politics in general is a divisive topic, no matter what you're discussing. Nobody's trying to hear that stuff at the end of a goofy celebrity basketball game that is already bleeding 14 minutes into the next live event. I'm sure Win will, if he hasn't already, find better avenues to stress the point he wanted to make before being cut short, but that specific moment just wasn't the right time. But that's in the past, congrats to Win on your MVP!

I missed the Rising Stars Challenge, but I saw it was a high-scoring game that saw Zach Lavine take home the MVP. Who knew those two things would serve as harbingers for the coming days.

D-LEAGUE DUNK CONTEST

I tuned in with the intention of watching the D-League All-Star Game. I happened to come in at halftime, just as they were about to start the dunk contest.

Out of the six participants, I remembered four of them from their college days: Lemon, Sykes, Threatt, and Tokoto. I wasn't surprised Tokoto and Sykes were there. I was surprised to see Walt Lemon in the mix, but was glad he was there.

My two favorite dunks came from the guys I didn't know: DJ Stephens and John Jordan. Stephens in particular did a dunk where he slowly walked under the basket and exploded up for a behind-the-legs jam. I liked because he walked so casually towards the bucket, as if there was a chance he was going to survey the hoop and decide to forfeit: "Nah, no thanks, I can't reach up there. I'm out". Oh, but he could. John Jordan was overall amazing. He's my height, but has trampoline hops. He had an amazing display of athleticism and absolutely deserved the title.

SKILLS CHALLENGE

I figured the Skills Challenge was going to be fun for the comedic value of the bigs struggling with the obstacle course. The challenge turned out to be truly entertaining, all the way down to Karl-Anthony Towns's challenge-clinching three. I saw how the architect(s) envisioned their course to be run the way Towns and Isaiah Thomas weaved and finessed their way through. They nailed the format this year. Hopefully they keep it this way in the coming years.

THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT

The skit between Draymond Green and Kevin Hart was a fun thing. I like the fact that despite the tie, Draymond got a big ol' trophy while Kevin got a ribbon. While that result would have played out regardless, I do think it was funnier that they didn't for the tie, and it would have been morbidly hilarious if they still gave Draymond the trophy after the loss.

For the actual contest itself, the drama was intense throughout. I loved how it came down to the final rack to determine the winner of the contest. The way the Shootout is set up, it always has that inherent tension. This was another year that didn't disappoint.

SLAM DUNK CONTEST

Aaron Gordon got hosed. I really think the dunk contest judges should be players that have been in the dunk contest couple with the fan vote they did in the late early part of this decade. This batch of judges were annoying to say the least

At least Gordon's dunks will be immortalized, as opposed to the focus on who won. Everyone loved the sitting dunk, but my favorite was the Lazy Susan dunk. When Stuff came out on the hoverboard I rolled my eyes. Once Stuff started rotating, that's when my eyes widened. It's like being bemused with an average-looking obstacle course, and then having your jaw drop when someone flips a switch and there are flames around everything: degree of difficulty raised.

Even though I thought Gordon should have won, Lavine was amazing in his own right. And I really like the tribute he gave to the late Flip Saunders on Instagram after the win. If Gordon wasn't going to win, at least it went to a dunker and person as great as Zach Lavine. I hope they both come back next year.

ALL-STAR GAME

Sting put on a good performance, but considering how the NBA just seems to be more of a rap-and-pop league, it was a bit out of place. Walk the Moon, whom I enjoy very much, seemed a bit out of place too, but only because their performance seemed a bit subdued. But I didn't mind, and I'm open to whoever else they bring out in future years. The intro performance by Cirque du Soleil was epic, and Ne-Yo and Nelly did good with their respective country's anthems. The acts were good, and seemed to play more of the background to the festivities of the weekend.

I enjoyed the hell out of this game. I wanted the West to get to 200 points, but they sadly ran out of time. As you seen from my Scenarioball game, I love alley-oops and threes, and I got those in spades. They're like home runs, and not a lot of people get tired of home runs. The only complaints about the lack of defense I've seen from my corner of the world are from three ESPN personalities: Chris Broussard, Max Bretos, and Jonathan Coachman. Bah humbug to them! This game was fun! I'll admit I was surprised that the defense didn't ramp up in the 4th, but once the points and highlights kept piling up, that concern went away. This is an exhibition game! This is The World's Greatest Pickup Game! Why would you want to see defense?

Now it's Monday - and a Happy President's Day to you! I leave the weekend smiling at the memories of the last few days. I'm sure I'm going to remember a lot of those great moments for the rest of my life. But now it's time to look towards the fun that is yet to be had: the trade deadline, the end of the season, and of course the playoffs. Will anyone be traded by Thursday? Will the Warriors break the record? So many questions left to answer in this 2015-16 campaign.

But we'll always have Toronto.

NBA 2015-16 All-Axed-Coaches Team

Derek Fisher was fired by the New York Knicks on Monday, making him the fifth head coach to be fired during the 2015-16 season. Photo Courtesy AP Photo/Lynne Sladky.

In-season coaching firings are nothing new in the NBA. Since 1980-81, there has always been at least one coach to get the axe over the course of the season. 9 coaches were dropped during the 2004-05 season and 8 were fired during the 2008-09 campaign. This season, 5 head coaches were let go with a sixth coach holding on to his job for now. There's a few teams that may make changes at some point, but things look quiet on the coach-slashing front for now.

So with the dust having settled, let's take a look at the best players to play during these released coaches' tenures. There are going to be some substantial names on this list, which may be a testament to these coaches' inability to cultivate the talent they had in these go-arounds. Some of these guys may get chances somewhere else, but for now we bid them farewell and nothing but the best.

COACHING TENURES COVERED

Kevin McHale: Houston 2011-2015

Jeff Hornacek: Phoenix 2013-2016

Lionel Hollins: Brooklyn 2014-2016

David Blatt: Cleveland 2014-2016

Derek Fisher: New York 2014-2016

POINT GUARDS

Kyrie Irving (Cleveland, 2014-2016)

100 games, 20.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.9 APG

Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix, 2013-2016)

124 games, 17.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.9 APG

Goran Dragic (Houston, 2011-12; Phoenix 2013-2015)

194 games, 16.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 5.2 APG

Kyle Lowry (Houston, 2011-12)

47 games, 14.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG

SHOOTING GUARDS

James Harden (Houston, 2011-2015)

285 games, 26.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.4 APG

Brandon Knight (Phoenix, 2015-2016)

53 games, 18.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.9 APG

SMALL FORWARDS

LeBron James (Cleveland, 2014-2016)

119 games, 25.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 7.0 APG

Carmelo Anthony (New York, 2014-2016)

87 games, 22.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.7 APG

Chandler Parsons (Houston, 2011-2015)

213 games, 14.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.3 APG

POWER FORWARDS

Kevin Love (Cleveland, 2014-2016)

125 games, 16.2 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.3 APG

Thaddeus Young (Brooklyn, 2014-2016)

81 games, 14.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.6 APG

CENTERS

Dwight Howard (Houston, 2013-2015)

154 games, 16.5 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.6 APG

Brook Lopez (Brooklyn 2014-2016)

125 games, 18.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.1 APG

Big Game Predictor: Panthers (Hornets) vs. Broncos (Nuggets)

You can check out the video AT THIS LINK.

With the Super Bowl 50 fast approaching, I decided to make my prediction of who is going to win the game the best way I can: by pitting each city's basketball team against each other on a video game and recording the results. I present to you the Big Game Predictor.

With the Panthers and Broncos facing off in Santa Clara on Sunday, I used the Hornets and Nuggets to represent each contingent. On NBA 2K16, you can only play in a team's home arena, so no Oracle Arena for me. Instead, since the Broncos are the designated home team, the simulation takes place in Denver. The Broncos decided they will where white uniforms, so I let the Nuggets where their white sleeved alternate uniforms. By extension, the Panthers are going to wear their black home uniforms, so the Hornets wore their black sleeved alternate uniforms. From there it was time to kick things off.

The victor of this simulation is the team I was already expecting to win the Super Bowl anyway. The margin of victory surprised me considering how the flow of the game was going. Now, if the Super Bowl follows the same script in terms of momentum, I would be pleasantly shocked and mildly afraid of my predictive powers.

Also, this is my first video where I'm doing my own commentary. It was a blast to do and I hope you enjoy the game as well.

Looking Back at MJ's 1st NBA Game in North Carolina

Christmas Eve Eve, 1988: Michael Jordan's first NBA game in the state of North Carolina.

The Wilmington native and North Carolina Tar Heel was drafted 3rd overall in the 1984 draft. Four years into his NBA career, the two-time scoring champion and reigning steals champion was already wowing fans across the league. However, for all of the highlights and milestones, MJ had yet to return to his home state.

The arrival of the expansion Charlotte Hornets provided that opportunity in 1988. In front of a national TV audience on TBS, the new teal-pinstriped outfit was able to show off their sparkling new hive and raucous sellout crowd for all of America to see. It also gave the expansion team the chance to prove themselves against His Airness.

The game came down to the wire, with the Hornets pulling out the close victory 103-101 on a Kurt Rambis layup at the buzzer. It's funny he's the hero in this win after he blew a layup early in the game that led to a Bulls score. Kelly Tripucka led Charlotte with 30 points. The team forced 23 turnovers while only giving up 14. The Hornets bench also outscored the Bulls 38-19.

Michael Jordan was fantastic, pacing his team with 33 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals. However, he also had 7 turnovers in the losing effort. It was amazing to watch how acrobatic and nimble he was throughout the game. When the curtain closed on MJ's career, he had played 37 games against the Hornets. He would finish with averages of 32.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Jordan was so good against Charlotte, he owns the team now!

Video courtesy of UndisputedGoldLion. Footage is from WFLD 32 Chicago (I wonder how a Bulls game would look now if they still did games). The late duo of Jim Durham and Johnny "Red" Kerr are on the call. Enjoy!

Bulls vs. Lakers: Shaq Instagram Debate Settled

In July 2015, NBA legend and TNT studio analyst Shaquille O'Neal posted the above picture on his Instagram of what he felt were the all-time starting fives for the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. O'Neal, whom put his self in the Lakers five, felt his squad could beat the Bulls five "by fifty". Once the debate was sparked, several YouTube videos were posted using NBA 2K15 to figure out who would win. While they're all good videos, I felt that not having a virtual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar available - forcing gamers to create or download their own - took away from the experience a bit. With Kareem being included in NBA 2K16, I decided to give this debate another look.

Here are the video highlights, our first video on the new Scenario Mode TV YouTube channel. Analysis and setup information is provided under the video:

I played a CPU vs. CPU game between the Lakers and Bulls with 12-minute quarters. Since Shaq started this debate, the Lakers are the home team. I used the following versions of each player for the starting fives:

BULLS

PF Horace Grant ('92 Bulls, 80 overall)

PF Dennis Rodman ('96 Bulls, 85 overall)

SF Scottie Pippen ('96 Bulls, 92 overall)

SG Michael Jordan ('96 Bulls, 99 overall)

PG Derrick Rose (Current player with attributes from his 2K15 MyTeam MVP card, 94 overall)

LAKERS

C Shaquille O'Neal ('01 Lakers, 96 overall)

C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ('87 Lakers, 94 overall)

SF Elgin Baylor ('65 Lakers, 91 overall)

SG Kobe Bryant ('01 Lakers, 95 overall)

PG Magic Johnson ('87 Lakers, 97 overall)

The game was played on Superstar difficulty with simulation sliders. I wanted to see how this starting five would shake out over a full game, so I turned off fatigue and injuries and set the rotations so each player was set to play a full 48.

When this debate first came about, I set aside my Bulls bias and conceded that the Lakers definitely had the advantage in this scenario, though the Bulls wouldn't lose by 50. A lot of people pointed out that Artis Gilmore should have been put in at center for the Bulls, and I agree. Having hall-of-fame and hall-of-fame-caliber centers in the frontcourt are to trump two all-star power forwards over a 48 minute span. But switching out an all-star forward for a hall-of-fame center could change some things. But these are the ten that Shaq set forward, so we're going to roll with it.

Here are the results. As I thought, Shaq's Lakers didn't beat the Bulls by 50. They beat them by 5, 125-120. While I made sure that each player played the full game, I forgot about disabling foul outs. So when Derrick Rose picked up his sixth with 23 seconds in the fourth quarter, I had to cut the experiment short. Below are the stats:

In the end, it was the instigator of the Instagram debate that made the difference. Despite scoring almost exclusively in the paint and struggling at the line, the Lakers were able to pull out the narrow win thanks to one Shaquille O'Neal. Horace Grant gave a valiant effort, but Shaq was just too much for him, amassing 42 points and pulling down 11 boards.

I figured the difference would come down to the frontcourt, and that was the case here. Kareem and Shaq are two centers that were major scorers in their careers and know how to get to the basket. The duo combined for 54 points. Grant and Rodman were looked at for rebounds and rim protection. They finished with a combined 19 points. In the context of this game, that meant that the Lakers had five scorers on the floor the entire game, while the Bulls had three. Jordan, Pippen, and Rose were able to get their points through much of the game. But in the later stages, the Lakers were able to focus on those three defensively while pulling off a 7-2 run of their own to put the game away.

In the end, it was a fun game. Discussions about who is better and who is best make the basketball world go 'round. It's always good to watch it actually play out instead of just talking in hypotheticals. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below. Do you think these are truly the all-time starting fives for both teams? What other NBA team starting fives do you think could stand up to the Lakers or Bulls?