Ten Things About the NBA: Dwight Howard wins Award, Rookie of the Year and more

Another week in the NBA is in the books. The Hawks are playing better too! Here are ten things from this week that might give us something to talk about!

The Polish Hammer

I’m a big fan of Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat; he plays physical and to me is highly under-rated; watch him toss Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia like a rag doll and send Kevin Durant packing for at least the next four weeks.

It’s a pity that a guy averaging a double double and shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor will be more known as a "Durant Killer" than a Dude having a very solid season on an exceptionally good NBA basketball team.

Golden State Reaches Fifty Wins on February 27

Golden State reached 50 wins this past Monday. That’s quite an accomplishment and they should be applauded. On the flip side; Monday night 15 NBA teams were mathematically eliminated from reaching 50 wins this season.

Vince Carter Gets Bounced

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is a talented young 20 year old but like many young people he talks a bit too much and thinks more highly of himself than maybe he should. Watch veteran Vince Carter getting the boot for putting the young fella in his place.

Dwight Howard Gets Bounced

Admittedly I am not the biggest fan of Dwight Howard but right is right and there is no way in hell Howard gets bounced for this;

I could see the tech if Howard broke the backboard but nothing happened so what the heck? The refs allow Howard to get hammered on a nightly basis. OK; he has brought much of it on himself over the years with his bizarre behavior and constant whining. For all the times the refs have whacked Howard’s knuckles with their rulers they could have given him a pass on this……and lookie here the NBA agrees with me!

Terry Rozier Has No Chill

Maybe he needs to chill. Or learn to play defense. Either way he got ooped on and after refusing to let 36 year old Richard Jefferson come down on his own took exception to the not so nice way Jefferson removed himself from the situation.

Benches Matter

Everyone and their brother are commenting on how great a job Cleveland Cavaliers GM LeBron James David Griffin has done the past 45 days. Griffin has rebuilt the bench and I must say he has done a remarkable job in doing so. I’ve listed the top 16 teams as they would look if the season were to end today and this is how they finished last season.

League rank will be in parentheses on the right of the team name.

1). San Antonio Spurs (1)

2). Memphis Grizzlies (5)

3). Denver Nuggets (9)

4). Toronto (13)

5). Atlanta (14)

6). Chicago (15)

7). Oklahoma City (16)

8). Detroit (17)

9). Golden State (18)

10). Boston (19)

11). L.A. Clippers (21)

12). Houston Rockets (22)

13). Utah (24)

14). Indiana (27)

15). Cleveland (28)

16). Washington (30)

The Best Starting Five among the Playoff Teams?

We’ve seen the benches and how they rank amongst their playoff peers. Now let’s take a look at the top 16 NBA playoff teams starting lineups…..last seasons are here.

League rank will be in parentheses on the right of the team name.

1). Golden State (1)

2). Washington (2)

3). Utah (3)

4). Cleveland (5)

5). Houston (6)

6). San Antonio (7)

7). L.A. Clippers (8)

8). Indiana (9)

9). Boston (10)

10). Toronto (11)

11). Oklahoma City (12)

12). Memphis (15)

13). Chicago (16)

14). Atlanta (17)

15). Detroit (18)

16). Denver (22)

Any surprises?

Shaqtin A Fool

Shaquille O’Neill was one of my favorite players while he was in the League. His Shaqtin A Fool episodes are hilarious. This past week Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the big fella.

And now to be fair; Shaq knows of what he speaks…..and under the "takes one to know one" I found this little nuggetdedicated to Shaq himself……at least he took it well!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APh-MdI8n-Q

This past week the Philadelphia 76ers announced that Joel Embiid aka "The Process" would be shut down for the remainder of the season due to a torn meniscus. Since the announcement folks have been debating whether or not Embiid should be the KIA Rookie of the Year.

No.

As much as I enjoyed watching him play Embiid does not deserve to win the KIA Rookie of the Year Award.

I still remember the uproar when New York Knicks rookie Patrick Ewing won the award. Due to numerous injuries Ewing played in just 50 games during his rookie 1985-1986 campaign. Many felt the award should have been given to either Xavier McDaniel or Karl Malone.

Embiid only played in 31 games and less than 25 percent of the available minutes for the 76ers. That is hardly the same situation as Ewing faced but I do understand why some would want to award Embiid however I am not one of those.

For me the clear cut front runner for KIA Rookie of the Year Award is Embiid’s 76er teammate Dario Saric. Milwaukee Bucks rookie Malcolm Brogdon is running a close second. If I were to vote today Saric would get my vote.

More Referees?

The NBA is planning to add six more referees next season. Allegedly they are trying to add to the official’s performance.

That’s all well and good but may I make a suggestion?

Get rid of that stupid Last Two Minute Report. Playing arm chair referee and then criticizing these men and women in hindsight is about the dumbest thing I’ve seen from the NBA in a LONG time. Maybe the newly forming council will address how dumb this act of transparency really is.

Do you like the Last Two Minute Report? If so make a case for it in the com box!