DeMar DeRozan Replaces Brandon Jennings in the Dunk Contest

Now that’s more like it. Suddenly, the dunk contest just got more interesting. Brandon Jennings was just replaced by Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan. We knew he would be replaced. We just didn’t know by who and when.

Jennings has missed the last 14 games for the Bucks as he is recovering from a broken foot, which has forced him to withdraw. I’m still not convinced that Jennings ever had any intentions on participating because he doesn’t have NBA Dunk Contest hops. Perhaps it was just a way to keep his name relevant since he is one of the brightest young players in the league who constantly gets overlooked because he plays in Milwaukee.

Brandon is on track to return to the lineup in the next few weeks, but the thought of him practicing for and competing in the dunk contest was reason enough for both he and the organization to realize that it wasn’t a good idea.

Enter, DeRozan – who was last year’s runner up in the dunk contest. He’s actually one of the better dunkers in the league and is a guy who I think could give Blake Griffin a run for his money in this contest. JaVale McGee and Serge Ibaka can hold their own but I think it will come down to Griffin and DeRozan.

Although he’s primarily known as a dunker, DeRozan has actually put together a solid first half of the season for the Raptors, averaging 15 points a night. Here’s some of what DeRozan did in last year’s contest:

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

Is Pierce the NBA’s Most Complete Player?

When all is said and done and Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce finally does hang it up sometime in the future, there’s no doubting that his #34 jersey will join the many other Celtic greats like Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Larry Bird up in the rafters at TD Garden. But as this truly all time great of the game has been overshadowed throughout his career by other high profile superstars during his tenure like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, many NBA players when asked who the hardest player to guard is, the answer more times than not is that of “The Truth.”

If you think about it, sure Lebron James is much more physical, Kevin Durant is a better shooter, Tracy McGrady was a more prolific scorer, and Kobe is well, a Top 10 scorer in NBA history. But one could argue that Pierce is the perfect combination of all 4 players as he possesses great handles, plays excellent defense, shoots daggers from behind the arc, has an excellent midrange game, and can dominate a game with the best of them.

While he is no longer a spring chicken at the tender age of 33, Paul still shows flashes of what has made him an 8 time All Star, 4 time All NBA selection, an NBA Finals MVP, and a 20,000 point scorer. Many fans don’t realize just how diverse a skill set Pierce has, all in a 6’8 and 235 lb frame. He towers over and overpowers most shooting guards yet possesses enough quickness, ball-handling, and maple moxey to get off his own shot against bigger front-court players.

Most deadly has been his almost patented spin move and step-back jumper which to this day still gets the best of and even infuriates even the league’s best defenders attempting to guard the future Hall of Famer. “The Truth” now plays more of a facilitator type role on the Celtics, averaging 18.3 ppg and providing whatever is needed alongside his star-studded cast including Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Apparently the now older Pierce’s game is still in full effect as his Celtics are once again the current #1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a gaudy 34-10 record, including a nearly unblemished 22-3 home mark. Surely the aging and prolific supporting cast have their eyes set on making their 3rd NBA Finals appearance in the past 4 years now that their mainstay in the middle Kendrick Perkins is back in the fold.

Check out this interesting video where current NBA players claim that Paul Pierce has the full “bag of tricks” and is nearly impossible to guard:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Michigan vs. Michigan State Local Basketball Rivalry (Infographic)

The Michigan Wolverines (11-8, 1-5 Big 10) will visit their in-state rival #18 Michigan State Spartans (12-7, 4-3 Big 10) tonight at 7:00pm ET. The Wolverines have lost 6 straight games heading into this contest at The Jack Breslin Student Events Center. The team held a players only meeting following their most recent loss at home against Minnesota on Saturday led by Tim Hardaway, Jr. “We just talked stuff out,” Hardaway said. “We want to make sure we don’t keep making the same mistakes down the stretch.” The Spartans have lost two straight themselves, road battles at #22 Illinois and #13 Purdue. Superstar senior guard Kalin Lucas will look to rebound from his worst game of the season against Purdue and light up Michigan as he did in two Spartan victories last season. Check out our in-depth infographic (brought to you by TermLifeInsurance.org, The Campus Socialite, and The Hoop Doctors) below to get pumped for the battle in East Lansing.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 14

NBA Power Rankings

1	San Antonio Spurs The Spurs are just simply outscoring and outplaying everyone in the league right now. The Spurs almost lost a big piece of their success when Tim Duncan went down against New Orleans in the first half, clutching his left knee in a heap on the floor. The fact that they lost the game means little to San Antonio fans, who were far too relieved to see Duncan return to the game after halftime.
2	Boston Celtics With the exception of Saturday’s loss to Washington, it’s hard to be unsatisfied with the position the Celtics are in right now. Kendrick Perkins is back earlier than expected, and he will be tested early with a four game road trip that includes a stop at the Staples against the defending champs. If the Celtics can stay healthy win at least three of their next four, they will set themselves up to create some distance from the rest of the conference in the standings.
3	Los Angeles Lakers You can see Los Angeles’ offense start to click again with the rise in efficiency and higher shooting percentages. It’s happening just in time, too. The champs will host Boston on Sunday and then San Antonio a week from tomorrow.
4	Chicago Bulls Someone please help Derrick Rose’s back. He has been carrying the team on his back metaphorically, and now his back can’t take it anymore. Thankfully he has almost an entire week off to rest and rehab before a meeting with Orlando and then a five game West Coast swing.
5	New Orleans Hornets The Hornets broadcast team will not stop talking about the attendance at each game. As the city of New Orleans fights to keep their NBA team, the ones in the authentic jerseys are doing their part as well. A sell-out crowd rose to their feet on Monday as David West buried the Thunder with a 19-foot fadeaway that left only 0.5 seconds on the clock. The count is currently at nine in a row, and it is the longest running win streak in the league.
6	Miami Heat Well the “karma tweet” curse is finally over, and the Heat losing streak was stopped at four thanks to a 120-103 victory over the Raptors. Obviously health has been a big issue in Miami’s recent struggles, not to mention the back end of a road trip. Miami will be tested again this weekend, playing four games in five days – concluding with another matchup against Cleveland on Monday.
7	Atlanta Hawks The Hawks looked awfully embarrassed walking off their home court having been held to a season-low 59 points. It was the worst offensive performance since the franchise moved to Atlanta, but they were able to get back on track with a win in Charlotte. They are still one of the hotter teams in the East, but Hawks fans better hope that the New Orleans game was not a sign of struggles to come.
8	Dallas Mavericks Throughout all of the different obstacles that Dallas has faced this year, they have always gotten two things. A surprising performance from someone on the bench, and incredible fourth quarter play from Jason Terry. Now with Peja on board, the Mavs will set their sights on the top of the conference.
9	Orlando Magic The competition is so tight near the top of the Eastern Conference, every loss seems to matter even more than usual. That makes losses like Monday’s stumble against Detroit at home sting even more. The Magic have picked up a few extra L’s recently, but they have all been close games and this team is still play good ball – except for Monday.
10	Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder have lost three of their last four, but the losses have been by a combined 14 points. Had Durant been able to make anything drop in the fourth quarter against New Orleans, we might be singing a different tune. But right now it seems like Oklahoma City is cooling off for the moment. Look ahead, they’ll have a chance to bounce back. We’ll see what happens when a banged-up Heat squad comes to town on Sunday.
11	Denver Nuggets The team may be trying to ship Melo behind clothes doors now, but Anthony is still smiling and putting up big numbers on the court. The Nuggets are one of the league’s best offenses, and Denver’s success if giving him no reason to rush trade discussion. Now the Nuggets will have to consider how much they value this season at some point. That discussion will become pretty difficult if the Nuggets keep winning.
12	Portland Trail Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge has played fantastic basketball with Marcus Camby out of the lineup, but even his efforts will fall short on some nights like Monday’s loss to the Kings. The Trailblazers needed that energy and spark early in the game, and Brandon Roy was stuck guest commentating for the local broadcast. Wesley Matthews will be tossed the scoring responsibility if Aldridge begins to get bothered by his hip. More injuries for Portland? Guh.
13	Utah Jazz I’ve been trying to put my finger on what is wrong with the Jazz, and I think it is that they are just softer. Deron Williams when he shared the floor with the likes of Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, and Wesley Matthews. This new team may have more talent, but the pieces aren’t meshing quite as well as they did a year ago.
14	New York Knicks The Knicks finally snapped their losing streak at six with the same thing any team would want: a home game against the Wizards. New York will get to rest up before welcoming the Heat to Madison Square Garden. LeBron went for 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists last time Miami came to town, and the Knicks will need a full team effort to overcome what will likely be a repeat performance from James.
15	Memphis Grizzlies The Grizzlies are right in the middle of a nice six game swing against sub-.500 teams that should give Memphis the opportunity to climb above that same mark. With three straight wins, they can take care of that on Wednesday against the Nets. The Grizzlies need to avoid falling back to predictable unpredictability, and pick up some big wins on either side of the All Star break.
16	Houston Rockets Contrary to Rockets teams of recent history, this squad gets absolutely shredded on defense. They are giving up an average of 119.3 points in the last week, and have held only two opponents under 100 in 2011. The Rockets tried to make the Carmelo situation interesting, but even without an extension demand it is hard to imagine Anthony wanting to go to a team that is last place in their own division.
17	Phoenix Suns The Suns went sour at the end of their road trip after a extending their winning streak to five games. It was the closest the Suns had gotten to .500 since December 20, and now it will be back to blaming poor team chemistry for the Suns falters. If they don’t figure each other out soon, they will find themselves out of the playoff picture.
18	Golden State Warriors The Warriors came close to kicking off their homestand with a bang against the Spurs, but there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the comforts of Oracle Arena in the next month. With 11 of their next 13 games at home, Golden State will welcome some of the league’s best teams to the Bay Area. They will have plenty of opportunities to make statements, and if Golden State is going to be a playoff team in 2011, they will need to make them now.
19	Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia has been an awfully streaky team this year, going on long spurts of losing and short bursts of winning. But right now things are looking pretty good for Doug Collins’ squad. Their 19-25 record is good enough for seventh in the conference. Unfortunately, there are five streaky teams all competing to make their claim for that same position.
20	Los Angeles Clippers TERRIBLE loss for the Clippers, finding out that Eric Gordon will miss 3-4 weeks with a sprained wrist. Los Angeles was just heating up, and Gordon was their leading scorer. Blake Griffin will now see even more double teams, as opponents will not be forced to respect the deep ball like they do with Gordon on the floor.
21	Charlotte Bobcats Paul Silas is 9-6 as a head coach this season, and Kwame Brown scored 13 points and 18 rebounds on Tuesday night. I know, it really does feel like some kind of crazy NBA Twilight Zone episode. The Bobcats took a blow losing Tyrus Thomas for two months to a knee injury. But if Kwame Brown can continue what he did against the Kings, the Bobcats might be playoff contenders again.
22	Detroit Pistons The Pistons have actually started to turn things around in the last few days, or so it seems. Even with Rip Hamilton’s beef taking most the headlines, Detroit rolled off victories against the Suns and Magic. They have been getting some nice contributions from the young (Austin Daye) and the old (Tayshaun Prince, Tracy McGrady), and are suddenly 1.5 games from the 8th spot in the East.
23	Milwaukee Bucks Carlos Delfino returned finally to the Bucks lineup after a lengthy 32-game absence. The Bucks have missed his scoring terribly, currently ranking last in the league in points per game and assists per game. Both categories would also be helped with a healthy Brandon Jennings, or a healthy John Salmons, or a…well, you get the idea.
24	Indiana Pacers The Pacers have let the wheels come off the wagon in Indianapolis. Losing 8 of their last 10, the Pacers are entering the All Star break in a far different way than they started the season. They were a playoff team a month ago, and now find themselves slipping farther and farther away from the top eight.
25	Washington Wizards The Wizards put up a good fight against the Knicks on Monday. But unfortunately they still have not won a road game all season. They will have plenty of chances in the coming weeks, with four straight road games ahead on the schedule.
26	New Jersey Nets It took a Brook Lopez game-winner to avoid losing to the league’s worst team, but every win counts big when you are the Nets. New Jersey has currently rattled off three wins in their last four outings, only falling 87-86 to the Mavericks. I’m sure that the front office is still keeping the Melo-drama going on the sneak, but the team has moved clearly moved on from the issue.
27	Sacramento Kings Impressive performance by the Kings to stun Portland by 15 at home. It was an odd victory, similar to the 10 point win against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Sacramento is not very good, but they clearly have the power to do some damage and should not be taken lightly.
28	Toronto Raptors The one thing that the Raptors really had on their side so far this year was their three point shooting. Not even that was falling on Monday, with a 986-game streak of games with a three pointer was broken by 0-13 outing for Toronto. Their defense is still terrible, and if they can’t make the deep ball they have no chance to even keep most of their games competitive.
29	Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves would be struggling to avoid the league’s bottom spot if the Cavs weren’t so incredibly bad. But here’s a fun fact: Kevin Love has gotten less than 10 rebounds only five times all season. The last time it happened was November 19 against the Lakers. Try to explain why that guy doesn’t deserve serious All Star consideration.
30	Cleveland Cavaliers Not even against the lowly Nets could the Cavaliers break the now 18-game losing streak. With Denver, Orlando, and Cleveland ahead on the schedule, it is not unlikely that the Cavs will go the entire month of January without winning a single game.

Chip Patterson writes for CBSSports.com’s College Football Blog and contributes at TheHoopDoctors.com.

College Basketball Game to be Played on Aircraft Carrier

On his weekly radio show Monday night, North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams said there is a good chance the Tar Heels will be playing Michigan State next season on an air craft carrier. Although no contracts have been finalized, the game is supposed to take place on Veterans Day, 2011 in San Diego. There are also rumors of there being a double header. The other game would be played between two service academy programs. At this point, there is no word on which ship the game would take place on.

When I first saw this story, I was shocked and impressed. Having a basketball game between two storied college basketball programs is a great way to celebrate the men who have fought for the freedom of our great country. In addition, it shows the growth and creativity of sporting venues these days. The last few seasons, we have seen outdoor hockey and basketball games and NFL games on foreign soil, but this one takes the cake. Who knows, maybe in the near future we will see a game actually played on an actual air craft?

Joshua Sexton is a lifelong basketball fanatic, who watches as many games as possible. In addition, He has played and coached the game at the high school level. He has recently started writing about the game of basketball.

What the Knicks Should and Should Not Give Up For Carmelo

Who are these “sources?” Where do they live? And how did they get their job? I don’t think we’ll ever get the answer to those three questions so we’ll have to just live with the fact that “sources” seem to run the NBA circuit to a degree. By now you’ve heard that these very same “sources” have all but assured us that Carmelo Anthony will become a Knick before the trade deadline.

For argument’s sake, let’s just assume that these “sources” are accurate and ‘Melo will indeed take his talents to Manhattan. If that’s the case, it may be time to examine what the Knicks should and should not surrender for his services.

Before we do that, however, we have arrived at this point because Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov said that his team is no longer a participant in ”Let’s Make a Deal: the Carmelo Anthony Edition.” He apparently wasn’t happy with how the whole thing played out in the media and frankly neither was I. It got sloppy and incredibly mishandled. Any time you have daily reports about young players possibly getting dealt, and whispers of secret meetings being held, that’s usually a good sign that things went terribly wrong. I also think that we are here because perhaps ‘Melo made the incorrect contractual decision back in 2006.

All of that is irrelevant though, right, because “sources” are telling us he’ll be a Knick. In the past I’ve gone on endlessly, primarily on podcasts, about how I think ‘Melo is one of the most complete offensive weapons in the league. From day one out of Syracuse, he had certain fundamentals that were uncommon in such a young player. He’s extremely savvy and can score in a multitude of ways. Because he’s not that gifted of an athlete (not basketball player – an athlete), it makes what he’s able to do that much more impressive. I’ll always be a fan of his game. That being said, I wouldn’t necessarily move Heaven and Earth just for the sake of landing him if I’m the Knicks.

In order to acquire ‘Melo, the Knicks are going to have to get rid of either Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields or Danilo Gallinari. These are the three best wing payers on the Knicks and they’re all very young.

With Wilson Chandler you have a guy who can score from outside as well as put the ball on the floor too. He’s not afraid to play defense either (better than ‘Melo does) and almost looks like the second coming of ‘Melo at times – even down to the tats.

Landry Fields was clearly the steal of last year’s draft and if this were actually Blake Griffin’s sophomore campaign, he’d get my vote for Rookie of the Year. Landry started for the Knicks from day one and hasn’t disappointed. He has a motor that won’t quit and is leading all NBA guards, not the just Rookies, in rebounding.

Then there’s Danilo Gallinari who has been up and down this year. When he’s on, he’s on. When he’s not, he gets down on himself and you can see it in his facial expressions. He’s versatile for his size and causes matchup problems at times. So what should Knicks GM, Donnie Walsh do?

About a week ago or so, it was reported that the Knicks offered Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields and a first round pick to Denver for ‘Melo and the Nuggets said no. Denver definitely should’ve pulled the trigger on that and I was shocked that the Knicks offered so much. That’s when fear set in with the realization that the Knicks may give up too much for him.

The Knicks should not give up Wilson Chandler unless a they receive a player back in addition to ‘Melo (that won’t happen though). In addition to what I mentioned above, I’d say Chandler is a candidate for Most Improved Player which shows that he’s only going to get better. He’s been extremely valuable to the Knicks and really showed his worth when Gallinari went down. Carmelo is definitely more talented than Wilson but the Knicks score more than anybody in the league, so that’s not an issue.

Here’s who they should give up:

Danilo Gallinari - I see more upside in Chandler and I still think Gallinari is as coveted as he is largely because of nepotism, since his father and Knicks coach, Mike D’Antoni played together in Italy.

Landry Fields – I would really hate to see him go but we’re talking about ‘Melo here.

Anthony Randolph – He was supposed to be the reason that the David Lee sign and trade made sense. Give me a break.

Bill Walker – He can play but they don’t give him enough minutes anyway.

All the draft picks that Denver wants – I’ll take the sure thing in ‘Melo over a shot-in-the-dark Rookie.

Those are pretty much the players being discussed with the exception of Eddy Curry and his expiring contract. They’re going to have to try and pull a third team into the mix again. They tried dangling the Grizzlies’ O.J. Mayo in front of the Nuggets, but Denver had no interest.

The only guy I’d have a tough time parting with is Wilson Chandler as crazy as that sounds. Denver is undervaluing him and they don’t realize it. If I’m Donnie Walsh, I try to sell the you-know-what out of Anthony Randolph. I would remind Denver that he’s still only 21 and is as good as previously advertised. Then I’d run for cover so I wouldn’t get struck by lightning. I’d shove Randolph down their throats to take attention away from Chandler.

If these “sources” are right, and ‘Melo will become a Knick, I’m terrified to see what they give up if Landry, Chandler and a first rounder didn’t interest them. I’m sure Chandler will be gone but if that’s the case, the Knicks should do everything in their power to get back a big body who can defend in addition to ‘Melo because although they score more than any other team, they get scored on almost more than any other team. That being said, maybe a serviceable 5 who can defend should be on their radar instead. Oh that’s right, they don’t exist anymore. Nevermind.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

Utah Jazz Mascot Fights Cavaliers Fan

Sometimes team mascots just want some love too. Surely many mascots get tired of being the happy-go-lucky fun-loving cartoon character whose main job is to fire up the crowd during home games by doing something cheesy like the age old “wave” or the more conventional, yet boring raise the roof guesture to get the fans excited.

While the lucky mascots get to dunk off of a trampoline during halftime, many of their costumes are just too bulky and are relinquished to the seats to annoy and titilate the fans. Only a select few get to show a personality of their own like the Toronto Raptors mascot who is known for devouring cheerleaders.

Sometimes things can go terribly wrong like when collegiate mascots try to do something hardcore like dunking off of an exercise ball but fail miserably and wind up crawling off the court in pain. Other mascots can get a bit testy, like during Playoff time when the Bucks mascot Bango went postal on Hawks fans.

Recently the Utah Jazz “Bear” mascot decided to get a little frisky with a Cleveland Cavaliers fan after the fan took offense to his holding a “I’m a Loser” sign in his vicinity. To make matters worse the fan gets ejected for protesting so vociferously. But it didn’t end there as the angry fan somehow breaks away from arena security and tries to bum rush the mascot one last time for stealing his hat. But the fan instead gets flattened at midcourt by the mascot who puts the smackdown on the angry spectator, then precedes to literally tear the fan’s jersey right off his back, making the evening something he’ll never forget. No word yet on if alcohol was involved but it’s a safe bet the answer is yes on both accounts.

I’m not sure if the whole thing was planned but it’s entertaining either way:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

8 Players Who Need to Step Up for Title Contending Teams

At the halfway mark of the NBA season, all of the teams who were expected to be at the top of the standings are right where they were expected to be. In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics, Heat, Bulls and Magic occupy the top four spots. In the Western Conference, we have the Spurs, Lakers, Hornets and Thunder. With the exception of the Hornets, there are really no big surprises in either conference.

Let’s assume there will not be a monumental upset, and one of these teams will advance from each conference. With that being said, each of these teams has at least one player who needs to step up their game to better their team’s chances come playoff time. So, which players are on the hot seat to step up their game to help these title hopeful teams?

Nate Robinson/Boston Celtics- With the exception of Big Baby, the Celtics’ weakest link is their bench. Primarily their back-up guards. No one can deny the energy Robinson brings to the game, but his overall play is still very much hit or miss. Robinson will have to be more consistent come playoff time to provide the Celtics a much needed shot in the arm off the pine.

Mike Miller/Miami Heat- Miller sat out a good portion of the first half of the season with an injured thumb. Since coming back to the lineup in late December, Miller has struggled to find his rhythm. However, Saturday night against the Raptors, Miller exploded for 32 points in 32 minutes. If Miller can put up more games like the one Saturday night, the Heat could be even more dangerous than they are now come playoff time.

Hedo Turkoglu/Orlando Magic- After disappointing stints with the Raptors and Suns, Turkoglu found his way back to Orlando after a December trade with the Phoenix Suns. After helping lead the Magic to the 2009 Finals, it appears Turkoglu has found his old touch in Orlando. Since coming back to Orlando, Turkoglu has been a much better player. In addition, the Magic have played much better basketball. If Turkoglu keeps his resurgence going, along with the dominating play of Dwight Howard, the Magic have a legitimate shot of winning the Eastern Conference.

Luol Deng/Chicago Bulls- With Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer both missing time due to injury, Derrick Rose has been left to man the ship in Chicago. With the injuries to his frontcourt teammates, Derrick Rose has become a one man show in Chicago. At this point, Rose is in desperate need of a backcourt teammate who can score the ball, with or without Boozer and Noah in the lineup. If the Bulls don’t make a move at the trade deadline, Deng is the prime candidate to fill the scoring void. If he steps and contributes 12-15 points a night, the Bulls go from a good team to a great team.

Shawn Marion/Dallas Mavericks- The Mavericks have been in a rut lately with an injured Dirk Nowitzki, and Caron Butler going out with a season ending knee injury. This puts more pressure on Marion to pick up some of the slack. If Marion is unable to provide more for the Mavericks, Dallas could headed for another early playoff exit. With that being said, don’t be surprised if Mark Cuban shakes things up at the trade deadline.

Ron Artest/Los Angeles Lakers- Last season, Artest’s tenacious defense and clutch shooting were instrumental in the Lakers winning their second straight championship. This season, Artest is having his worst statistical season on the offensive end. In addition, his defensive prowess has seemed to slip as well. The Lakers will need Artest to step up all areas of his game if they want to send Phil Jackson into retirement with his fourth three-peat.

Jeff Green/Oklahoma City Thunder- At times, Green seems as though he is stuck in limbo playing with Durant and Westbrook. Green is a great player, but it almost seems as though there is not enough shots to go around to truly utilize his full potential. Green will have to find his niche come playoff time for the Thunder to be truly contend for the Larry O’Brien trophy. If not, it may be time to trade Green for an established post presence.

Manu Ginobili/San Antonio Spurs- Ginobili is fully healthy for the first time in years. Therefore, he is arguably having the best season of his career. With an aging Tim Duncan, Ginobili is the backbone to the Spurs’ 38-7 start this season. If Ginobili is able to keep the injury bug away, the Spurs are primed for a deep playoff run. If not, expect the Spurs to fade quickly.

Joshua Sexton is a lifelong basketball fanatic, who watches as many games as possible. In addition, He has played and coached the game at the high school level. He has recently started writing about the game of basketball.

JMU’s Dawn Evans Leads Nation In Scoring Despite Kidney Disease

James Madison University senior guard Dawn Evans is the nation’s leading scorer with a gaudy 25.3 ppg average. She also is battling a rare kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerularscierosis(FSGS) that disrupts the filtering system in her kidneys. Even at only 75% of her former energy level, Evans, who is listed at only 5‘7, is an inspiration, continually scoring over taller and thicker players, even with the debilitating disease that will one day require her to have a kidney transplant.

An article first ran on the front page of USA Today last week about Evans’ inspirational story which parallels former NBA great Alonzo Mourning, who also has FSGS. Mourning needed a kidney transplant in order to continue his NBA career, even enabling him to win an NBA title with the Miami Heat in 2006.. So there’s no surprise hearing that he is one of Evans biggest supporters.

She also has strong support from her family and especially boyfriend Josh Parker who is also a ball player for the Dayton Flyers. Even though he cannot be with her on a daily basis considering both teams’ scheduling conflicts, he calls her every day or even sometimes drives upwards of 6 hours to meet for a meal. Parker even wears a wrist band under his sock on one ankle in support of NephCure, which is a worldwide organization committed to funding research to move closer to a cure and educating the public about kidney disease.

Dawn has become an ambassador for the organization which has committed more than $6 million in funds towards research in recent years. NephCure also has an online community which allows others affected by kidney disease to communicate and comfort each-other. Please check out the NephCure website and register as a kidney donor or make a charitable donation to help fund research.

Evans was diagnosed with FSGS just prior to last season when she started having terrible headaches and frequent urination. After a doctor found abnormally high amounts of protein in her urine, a specialist diagnosed her with the incurable disease. By Evans’ own words, three words described her reaction to hearing the horrific news: “Shock, Fear, and Devastation.”

To her credit, she powers on, dominating Division I competition behind an amazing support system composed of her coaching staff, players, family, and especially Mourning, who speaks regularly to Evans through email.

Here’s a quote form Mourning:

“As an athlete you are used to overcoming everything, so it’s hard to hear you have something that has no cure. You just have to remain positive and overcome your doubts.”

Evans hopes to one day play in the WNBA and draws her inspiration from Mourning. I guess she figures that  if he can do it, why not her?

You can check out the whole article on Dawn Evans and her inspirational story here.

Check out a video of Dawn’s struggle on and off of the court:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

New Macleem B7 Kicks to be Unveiled During All-Star Weekend

For all of you basketball players who have been waiting for a versatile, light weight, cost effective basketball shoe to hit the market, your wait is over. During this year’s All-Star Weekend festivities, Macleem will be unveiling its new B7 mid-cut basketball sneaker. The new B7 mid-cut sneaker was inspired by former UNLV standout and playground phenom Jay “Boogie” Brantley. The new B7 shoe will be as versatile as Brantley was on the basketball court.

Seeing how the B7 is designed for both indoor and outdoor basketball, the shoe is perfect for the player who prefers to showcase their fundamentals in the gym, or the player who wants to show their flash on the playgrounds. One of the B7′s most distinguishable features will be a swatch of leather on the toe box of the shoe to compliment the shoe’s elite construction with an element of flash. The shoe will also offer more ankle and heel support than the average basketball sneaker. The B7 has both a sock liner and a heel counter to help with the additional ankle and heel support.

Some of the color combinations for the B7 will include: black/red, white/blue, white/purple, white.green, and black/green. After the unveiling at All-Star Weekend, the shoe will be available for purchase a little later in 2011. The shoes will retail at $60 a pair. Photo’s after the jump:

Joshua Sexton is a lifelong basketball fanatic, who watches as many games as possible. In addition, He has played and coached the game at the high school level. He has recently started writing about the game of basketball.

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