After a few games off because of the death of his brother, Amare is going to be ready to come back. Then when they get Carmelo and Baron Davis healthy, they will be the best team in the league. The only decision they will need to make then is how to play all these point guards. Iman is also still playing very well as a rookie, so they might have to play him and Baron at some two guard. But to sum it all up, I am very happy about the way this team is headed, and keep up the amazing work Lin.

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. -Martin Luther King Jr.

Is it just me or does the above quote perfectly exemplify the 2011-12 Minnesota Timberwolves? For years they stood (or rather, sat) with the worst of the worst in the association. Previously canned head coach Kurt Rambis won just 32 games– in two full seasons.

Enter Rick Adelman. Enter Ricky Rubio. Enter the new look Minnesota Timberwolves, a team now that has recorded more than half the victories (in 21 games) that they totalled in 82 games last season.

After completing the Texas sweep (Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston all have fallen victim to the Wolves) in the last week, it’s time to start thinking playoffs for real. We’ve got nothing to lose thanks to Kevin McHale, who traded away this year’s first rounder for essentially chump change. The team is 10-11 and has beaten the defending champions twice in as many opportunities.

The Wolves continue to blossom thanks in part to its’ recently signed All-Star through 2015, Kevin Love. The fourth-year big– who is no question the passionate and dedicated individual referred to in the quote– continues to obliterate the history books with his gaudy statistics, numbers that are even more impressive than the mind-numbing ones he put up last year. He’s fourth in the league in scoring, second in rebounding, and first in double-doubles. The Spanish stallion, Ricky Rubio, has nine double-doubles, tops for any point guard in the NBA. He is averaging better than 11 points, nearly nine assists, and more than two steals per contest. He has been undoubtedly the spark plug of the Timberwolves’ fourth quarter success (alongside Love) and will deservedly so will receive an All-Star bid when the time comes.

Obviously the team realizes it is not a two-man show. Not even the Heat could win the title in June using that logic (boom!). Would the Texas sweep have been complete if not for the round mound down low in Nikola Pekovic? There has been no sophomore slump for the seven-footer, who has exceeded all expectations since entering the starting lineup. “Pek ‘n Roll” (coined by fellow T’Wolves writer Derek James) has made it look easy against the likes of defensive stalwarts Tim Duncan, Brendan Haywood, and Sam Dalembert.

A healthy (and smart) Michael Beasley means the points will keep flowing, but can the B-Easy develop awareness to match the slash? After some early season performances that Jim Mora would describe accurately as “diddely poo”, Beas has turned in three decent showings since returning from injury– including a 34-point outing off the bench in Houston–and the team is 2-1 in those contests. How would he survive in a playoff environment? If I’m Rick Adelman I might hesitate to give him minutes down the stretch.

Derrick Williams and Martell Webster (who also has recently recovered from the injury bug) have been decent in a little under 20 minutes per game apiece. It will be interesting to see how each of their minutes will be effected now that everyone not named J.J. Barea is healthy.

The bottom line is that this team is built for the shortened season. Let’s refer to them as the anti-Celtics in this regard. The Wolves’ 12-deep lineup (Rubio, Luke Ridnour, Wayne Ellington, Wesley Johnson, Barea, Webster, Beasley, Love, Anthony Randolph, Darko Milicic, Pek, and Anthony Tolliver) has plenty of young legs and will be primed for success on short rest. I feel like such a hypocrite for even mentioning the P-word in public, but it feels so right, and for the first time since Kevin Garnett shipped off to Boston, there is hope for beyond April.

So bring out your best Mora impressions, boys and girls. It’s going to be a fun ride.

Follow @JosephFafinski

I still think Iman Shumpert (10.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.4 APG) is a top runner for rookie of the year, alongside Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving and T’Wolves rookie sensation Ricky Rubio. I also think the same as my first post– that once Baron Davis is back they will be so much better. He’s completely in the right situation.

They did have a long losing streak, but things are on the turnaround. Just give them some time. So I know they are a great team and I still think they will win the East. I think they are better than Miami and Chicago, and those are the only really good teams in the East.

Recently, the members of the Full Court Press Network have been conducting their own All-Star voting while the league’s best have been at it.

As of January 27th, here are the voting results (three points for first-team, two for second, and one for third):

Western Conference All-Stars

STARTERS

G- Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers (52 points)

G- Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (55 points)

F- Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder (57 points)

F- LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers (41 points)

C- Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers (42 points)

BENCH

G- Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (44 points)

G- Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves (25 points)

G- Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns (22 points)

G- Kyle Lowry, Houston Rockets (14 points)

F- Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves (40 points)

F- Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers (32 points)

F- Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (20 points)

F- Danilo Galinari, Denver Nuggets (14 points)

C- Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies (25 points)

C- DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers (20 points)

Also receiving votes: Marcin Gortat, Phoenix Suns, C (13 points); Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors, SG (10 points); Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies, SF (10 points); Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers, PF (8 points); Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz, C (9 points); Paul Millsap, PF, Utah Jazz (3 points); Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets, SG (1 point); Lamar Odom, Dallas Mavericks, SF (1 point); Gerald Wallace, Portland Trail Blazers, SF (1 point); Chauncey Billups, Los Angeles Clippers, PG (1 point); Luke Ridnour, Minnesota Timberwolves, PG (1 point); Shannon Brown, Phoenix Suns, SG (1 point); Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies, PG (1 point).

Eastern Conference All-Stars

STARTERS

G- Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (57 points)

G- Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (49 points)

F- LeBron James, Miami Heat (53 points)

F- Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (39 points)

C- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic (57 points)

BENCH

G- Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets (33 points)

G- Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (28 points)

G- Ray Allen, Boston Celtics (21 points)

G- Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (14 points)

F- Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks (25 points)

F- Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls (20 points)

F- Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks (18 points)

F- Chris Bosh, Miami Heat (17 points)

C- Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (21 points)

C- Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks (21 points)

Also receiving votes: Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors, PF (15 points); Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks, PG (11 points); Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics, PF (10 points); Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons, C (8 points); Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers, SF (7 points); Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers, PG (5 points); Kris Humphries, New Jersey Nets, PF (4 points); Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, SG (4 points); Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, SF (3 points); Rip Hamilton, Chicago Bulls, SG (3 points); John Wall, Washington Wizards, PG (3 points); JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards, C (3 points); Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, C (2 points); Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic, PF (2 points); Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers, C (1 point); DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors, SG (1 point); Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers, SF (1 point); Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls, PF (1 point); Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors, PG (1 point); Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers, SF (1 point); Joel Anthony, Miami Heat, C (1 point).

Follow @JosephFafinski

A Tale of Two Teams
Game Results:
 
L – @ Charlotte 96-95
W – vs Minnesota 98-95
W – vs Washington 102-81
L – @ Denver 91-86
L – @ Utah 85-73
L – @ Sacramento 103-100
L – @ LA. Clippers 92-86
L – @ Phoenix 109-93
W – vs San Antonio 106-103
W – vs Detroit 102-93
L – @ Dallas 102-76
L – @ Philadelphia 94-82

This article is about the Bucks, not the social landscape of France leading up to the French Revolution, but you should read it anyway, and then maybe read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (he’s more wordy than I am, though).

 
Book the First: Recalled to Life (at home)
The first thing you might notice about the above results, other than the 5-game losing streak (Western road-trip), is that the possibly-not-so-menacing Bucks are 4-0 at home and 0-8 on the road. That is a discrepancy you are more likely to see in the Horizon League, not so much the N.B.A. The (University of) Milwaukee Bucks are averaging 102 points at home, while scoring a paltry 86.4 on the road. Digging into player statistics, we can see is that Brandon Jennings (our protagonist a.k.a. Charles Darnay) is averaging 22 ppg at home and 17 ppg on the road. But believe me, it’s not just him who has struggled. In fact, the other starters on the Bucks are doing even worse on the road: Capt. Jack – 20.5 ppg at home, 12.1 ppg away, Carlos Delfino 14 ppg at home, 7.2 ppg away, Ersan Ilyasova 10.8 ppg at home, 5.7 ppg away. Bogut is the only starter who has been consistent, 13 ppg at home, 14.5 ppg away. The U. of M. Bucks as a whole shoot 48.5% at home and a John Wall-esque 40% on the road. While it’s not normal for a team to shoot as well or score as much away from home, this discrepancy is far too large for this team to win many games anywhere but the Bradley Center (also probably at Verizon Center where the 1-win Wizards play).
The first book or section (of 3) in A Tale of Two Cities is a lot of introduction, set-up, and character development, and hardly any amount of action. Dickens wasn’t exactly known for flashy writing, and the U. of M. Bucks are not going to be known for flashy play this season. This team needs to get back to its identity of tough defense and winning with depth on the offensive end. There are likely no All-Stars on the Bucks this season, and only Jennings has a shot at averaging 20 ppg for a whole year. A lot of this team has not been together for very long. There was essentially no training camp, so it’s going to take some time for them to gel. But after January, it’s time for the character development to slow down, introductions are over and the plot has to get churning. This is not a bad team. Let’s hope they start slow like a Dickens book, and end with a bang like A Tale of Two Cities (SPOILER ALERT: Only, nobody gets executed in Milwaukee).

Notes and Summary of Notable Events (Through January 16th):

• Already only 2 players have started every game: Jennings and Jackson. Injuries killed the Bucks chances to make the playoffs last year, we’ll see if it happens again.
• LRMaM has only played in two games, I expected him to be more of a factor for this team this season, hopefully his minutes pick up now that he is healthy.
• Jon Leuer the 2^nd round pick out of Wisconsin has already started 2 games and has been solid (17.8 PER while playing 19 mpg), he looks like a great find by the Bucks (those who watch Big Ten basketball knew this guy was going to be able to play in the League, though).
• Mike Dunleavy has been injured (SURPRISE!) and only played in 3 games so far this season. Beno Udrih is also injured but should be back soon, whereas Dunleavy is still nursing a groin pull.
• First-rounder Tobias Harris missed the first several games with dehydration issues.
• U. of M. Bucks had 20 turnovers and gave up 23 offensive rebounds to the lackluster Sacramento Kings on January 5^th.
• January 10^th, the Bucks defeated the Spurs behind 34 points from Capt. Jack and a 15/11 game from Jennings.
• Bogut has missed 5 games and the Bucks have lost all of them.

I can’t wait to see how good these guys are once Baron Davis comes to play. The Knicks have started this season pretty well, but I expected a little better. Carmelo is one of best scorers in the league and newcomer Iman Shumpert is looking like a top contender for the rookie of the year award. Tyson Chandler is one of the best defenders at the center position in the league and it’s possible he will be a top contender for defense player of the year.

I think they can easily contend for a championship this year, but the Heat and Bulls will be hard to beat in the playoffs, especially considering the amount of depth each possesses. Alas, I am a huge Lakers fan so if I pick with my heart I say the Knicks lose to the Lakers in the finals in 7 games. If I was picking with my brain, I really think Portland beats the Lakers in the Western finals and then the they will lose to the Knicks in the championship in game 7. Call it bold, whatever, but I believe this team has what it takes.

You are invited to a Block Party!!!!

When: Presently

Time: Typically at 9 p.m. e/t

Where: Swat Lake City, Utah

Bring: Gameface

RSVP:

You are invited to the block party, also known as a Utah Jazz game!  These underdogs are number two in the NBA with 7.5 blocks per game.  The only team leading the Jazz are the Wizards  with a minor edge of 7.9 blocks per game.  The Washington Wizards also have a 7’ footer in JaVale McGee, and three other guys rotating in that near the seven foot mark.  I’m astonished at the defensive turnaround implemented by Coach Corbin and his staff. These young undersized guys are hustling at every break, there rotating and getting back on D, and there simply playing bigger than there are by outworking the opponent. With five straight wins, being unbeaten at home the Jazz are looking quite divine after nine!  There youth is proving to be a strength and apart from Raja, the vets are starting to step up and play like we know they can.

Big Al is leading this team to victory on a nightly basis.  He leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks per game (19.6, 8.9, 1.6).  He’s pulling his own weight and some. He’s almost back to his stellar numbers from last year after the all-star break.  At times the Jazz have needed to lean heavily on Jefferson, which was expected, and apart from game one vs. the Lakers, he’s been a solid post.  With tough play, like that of Al’s, comes opportunity.  For Devin Harris that meant time.  Time to wake up, and get into the groove of things, and start contributing.  Now leading the team, as he should, with 4.4 assists per game, and knocking in 9.3 points.  I’d still like to see more scoring, but I love the production.  For Milsap it was an opportunity to shine.  With Big Al pulling a double team, Milsap found his spots and made his shots.  So far Paul has 12.7 PPG, 7.8 RPB, 0.9 BPG in 23 minutes per game.  Then to back him up, you got D-Fav.  I can’t quite put my finger on how Derrick Favors creates such a spark off the bench.  Out on the court it just looks like he’s playing his hardest, literally fighting for every ball.  He’s already got a good scorers mentality and his defense is improving with every minute on the court.  He chipping in a cool 9.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.44 BPG-get some D-Fav.  I can’t forget baby-face Gordon Hayward.  His effort is 110% any time he’s on the floor.  He looks so non-threatening, like your typical spot up three point shooter, but he’s so much more.  Yeah he can shoot, he can also block, play lock down D, slash and dash to the cup for a two hand jam, or outsmart or work you, whichever he please.  His 3 point game is lacking from last year, but I expect him to find his shot.  Until then he’ll just out hustle you.

I’m still very confused to why Raja Bell is still starting.  I know he can play decent old man defense, but he can’t shoot anymore (not that I was ever a believer).  Ty Corbin must be going for the unofficial title of best bench in the NBA with C.J. Miles and lottery-pick-paid-off Alec Burks sitting the pine pony behind Raja.  I thought maybe he would start finding his spots, like counter-vet Josh Howard, but so far that’s a negative.  Howard has picked it up.  He’s improved his shot selection and has realized he’s at his best slashing to the cup.  I wish I could say the same about Bell, but even Enes Kanter and Earl Watson score more.  If I was Coach, I would start Miles, with Burks coming off the bench early and often.  Burks, the Missouri boy that shows a lot of promise, and has a dynamic intensity on both ends of the hardwood.  Ty Corbin so far has just got his feet wet, as far as floor time.  I would toss him in the deep end and watch him emerge as the next NBA all-star.

The Jazz are sitting good right now, 6-3 and 3rd in the Northwest division.  The conference is historically tougher, but if they keep up the defensive swagger and keep finding new ways to generate more offense, they’re definitely in the playoffs, and possibly the sleeper candidate.  Now, I know it’s early and that’s a leap, but I love how they are playing right now.  They are growing as a whole team unit, finally with some stability after last year and this summer.

Ty Corbin has to be one of the happiest coaches in the league right now.  Not only is his team playing well, he has all these weapons emerging.  He’s nearly splitting time with D. Harris and Earl Watson, because they are both playing well.  He’s got Big Al, taking off from where he left off.  Alec Burks and D-Favors representing the young guns, and inbetweeners like Miles and Milsap consistently showing up with there game face on.  His defense improvements are visible on the court, which helps everyone with progress.  When a team can see their progression it boosts confidence and team chemistry.  It makes everything run a little smoother.  “Pound the Rock.” They really are out there. Whether it be down low to Big Al, or metaphorically like an imprisoned Flintstone with a chisel and hammer. There next match-up will be a true testament to their current status.  If they can over flow the Lakers, and beat a solid, playoff-contending veteran group, it would help ease the pain of the game one’s loss, and propel them forward in their quest for rebuilding and redemption.

As overused as the cliché may be, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” may be exactly how to describe the first two weeks of the Charlotte Bobcats’ 2011-2012 campaign. In honor of the classic 1966 movie, I’m going to take some of the more famous quotes and apply them to the team.

Had the Bobcats been able to stop Dwyane Wade on his game-winnings, I may have had to slightly alter the title, replacing “Good” with “Excellent,” but that is not the case.

That said, I’m not even going to pretend that the season is following the same storyline. There are no bounty hunters involved. I’m not sure which teams the Bobcats are trying to form alliances with. I guess you could say that the team is chasing an NBA title much like the characters in the movie are chasing gold in a cemetery. But let’s be honest here, Charlotte isn’t ever going to find that gold. If you asked me which member of the Bobcats Clint Eastwood would play, I’d look back at you with a blank stare.

It’s a shitty metaphor but for the sake of the shtick, let’s run with some quotes from Tuco and Blondie and take them horribly out of context:

 “Two hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money. We’re gonna have to earn it.” –Blondie

Right from the get-go, Kemba Walker started to prove that he was well worth the money he’s being paid from his rookie contract. One of the Bobcats’ two wins of the season thus far came in their first game, a 96-95 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at home.

Walker scored 13 points in his debut as the Bobcats stormed back from a 14-point second-half victory to start off the season on a good note. He and D.J. Augustin scored the team’s final seven points and Walker knocked down a pair of foul shots with 9.9 seconds remaining to get the win.

The rookie from Connecticut is going to have to do a lot more to validate his selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, but he’s well on his way to proving that he knows he’s “gonna have to earn” his money.

“When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.” –Tuco

(SPOILER ALERT) Tuco said this line while shooting the one-armed man with a gun that he had concealed in his bubble bath. The message was clear: it’s not enough to talk a big game, you’ve got to actually do what you’re talking about.

Throughout the offseason in Charlotte, there was talk about the young pieces coming together, but so far, they really haven’t clicked. This is especially true on the defensive end of the court, where the Bobcats are allowing a league-high 105.8 points per game.

Unfortunately, the offensive end hasn’t been much better as the team is scoring 94 points per contest, a number that still has them floundering away in the bottom half of The Association.

“I’ve never seen so many men wasted so badly.” –Blondie

With six losses in the first eight games, there’s already been plenty of ugly. But no game was uglier than a 14-point loss to the supposedly inept Cleveland Cavaliers.

Augustin was on the money throughout the contest, scoring 26 points for the visiting team, but head coach Paul Silas was not particularly pleased with his team’s defensive effort: “It’s just not gonna work if we don’t play hard all the time. We’re not talented enough to not play hard all the time. You can’t just give it away and let it happen.”

The Bobcats, through a combination of offensive and defensive futility from the vast majority of their players, managed to squander away the season-high effort from Augustin and a then career-high 14 points from Byron Mullens.

“I like big fat men like you. When they fall they make more noise.” –Tuco

One of my favorite quotes from the entire NBA season so far has been courtesy of Rafe Bartholomew: “If New York’s Big 3 is Melo, Amare and Chandler, then Charlotte’s Big 3 is Boris and his boobs.” It’s no secret that Boris Diaw doesn’t look like he’s in shape enough to be on the basketball court.

Unsurprisingly, the ninth-year player from France has struggled to start the season, posting a pathetic 13.74 PER through the first eight games. He’s averaging just 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.5 steals per game while shooting well below his career mark and turning the ball over 2.8 times per contest.

Diaw’s versatility in lining up at three positions—small forward, power forward and center—may help the Bobcats, but he needs to play himself into better shape if the team is going to have any hope of a turnaround.

“I’ll sleep better knowing my good friend is by my side to protect me.” –Blondie

Who could this quote possibly apply to other than an intriguing rookie named Bismack Biyombo?

Biyombo has stepped onto the court in all eight of the Bobcats’ games thus far, playing an average of 12.6 minutes per contest. As expected, his offensive output has been putrid as he’s scored just 2.8 points per game on 47.4 percent shooting from the field and just 36 percent shooting from the charity stripe.

But in his limited opportunity, Biyombo has shown that his wingspan, jumping ability and defensive abilities are as advertised. He’s blocked 1.38 shots per game, the 18^th best rate in all of the NBA, and his Defensive Rating is a stellar 106. His block percentage of 8.1 trails only Greg Stiemsma and JaVale McGee.

As Biymbo continues to improve and gain confidence, his court-mates are going to be able to free their minds a bit and know that the Congolese center has their backs.

“One bastard goes in, another one comes out.” –Tuco

What better way to close my look at the first two weeks of the Bobcats quest for gold, I mean a title, then by talking about the brightest of the few bright spots? If there’s anything that would have qualified as a “good” it’s the play of Charlotte’s point guards.

Yes, there’s the one-point loss to the Miami Heat, the wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and even the New York Knicks, the overtime loss to a fatigued Atlanta Hawks squad and the surprising play of Byron Mullens to look at as positives. But Kemba Walker and D.J. Augustin stand above all of those. It’s also the first time they’ve “stood above” anything because they’re about as tall as Manute Bol when their heights are added together.

Augustin, feeling that there might be a roster upheaval with Walker now in the mix, has been on a mission this season and is playing the best basketball of his life. He’s been nothing short of brilliant at times, using his blazing speed to average 17.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game while posting a 20.2 PER. If you think it’s easy to average 7.5 assists while dishing the ball to the likes of Corey Maggette, Gerald Henderson, D.J. White and the rest of the Bobcats, then think again.

When Augustin goes out of the game though, Walker, the second “bastard,” usually enters the game. As you might expect, Walker has struggled at times, just like any other rookie would. But at least once during a game, he’ll leave you scratching your head and asking yourself “How the fuck did he just do that?” That play might come on a shake-and-bake, a pull-up three-pointer or a run-out fast-break, but it’s going to come.

There is no doubt that point guard is the position to focus on if you want to think highly of the Bobcats.

Until next time, let’s Raise the Rufus.

The first two weeks of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season has been nothing but a frantic rollercoaster. After three straight losses that saw me rip out a patch of hair and increase my blood alcohol level to a constant 0.16 (with my brother’s consent, of course), the team showed quick flashes of that magical 2003-’04 season in two victories over Texas’ finest, the Mavericks and the Spurs.

As spectators at the first win, my dad and I had ourselves a blast watching our T’Wolves utterly pick apart the defending champion Mavs in just about every facet of the beatdown. It was a team effort, led by of course All-Star (and the surprisingly slimmed-down) Kevin Love, who made Dirk Nowitzki his, well, female dog in the post. Love is on his way to another historical season after recording at least 20 points and 12 rebounds in each of his first eight games. The only other player to do that in NBA history? None other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar himself.

Can you believe I just wrote 160-plus words about the T’Wolves without mentioning the Spanish stallion Ricky Rubio? The 6’4 rookie has averaged 10 points, four boards, and 7.6 assists per game since joining the club. He’s made exactly half his shots beyond the arc, obliterating on the way any analyst whoever doubted his apparently poor shot. Comparisons I made months ago regarding Ricky and Boston Celtics floor general Rajon Rondo are becoming more and more evident as the season goes on. As I said in August they both “are slick passers, solid defenders, great facilitators, and have huge cult followings.” I might even go as far now to say that Rubio is already a better shooter than the shoddy Rondo. He needs to turn the ball over less, yes, but give the man some credit for how badly he’s closed the jaw of everyone who ever criticized him.

The thing I’m most impressed about with this young team is its’ stepped up intensity on the defensive side of things, especially in the post. Love has improved on his on-ball and post defense, and Anthony Tolliver and Darko Milicic are, as usual, playing solid D, especially the former. Heck, even the ultra-lanky Anthony Randolph has shown a spark or two on defense. Is it new coach Rick Adelman? Is it the lack of a guy who didn’t even have the word “defense” in his dictionary like Kurt Rambis?

Wes Johnson also has been good at times, shutting down Dwyane Wade in the first half before an absolute defensive implosion that saw Wade drain the game-winning bucket in Bird-like fashion. Rubio is speedy and shows some good lateral quickness, but his help defense could be better.

But there are some improvements that need to be made. As mentioned previously, Rubio needs to turn the ball over less. Then again, so do Love and Michael Beasley. Beasley’s season thus far has mirrored that of Amy Winehouse’s career pre-2010. What I mean by this is that Beas has flash and he has the skills to perform at the highest level, but he has messed up time and time again by taking dumb shots and tossing the ball away (and in Winehouse’s case, drugs, drugs, legal issues, drugs, and some more drugs). Let’s hope that changes as the season goes on, as well as his attitude.

The other contributing rookie of the club, Derrick Williams, has been fairly quiet but effective in his time in the Gopher State. One thing I like about this kid (who, in actuality, is two weeks my senior) is his attitude. He’ll take any role he can get and be happy with it. Going from being the best player in the Pac-10 conference to a seventh or eighth man role on a middle-of-the-line team isn’t exactly something every college kid dreams about, and for that his efforts should be lauded.

Well, it’s been an intense two weeks, Wolves fans, and you know what? I can’t wait for the next two. The three F’s- fantastic, future, and of course our favorite F-bomb- will be especially in play once we get deeper into this season.

Twitter- @JosephFafinski

Over the summer LeBron James went to Houston to work on his post game with one of the NBA’s most legendary centers, Hakeem Olajuwon, and so far based on his stats and his performance on the court we can tell there’s a big difference in his play from last year. For some reason last year, despite his size, his weight and his strength capabilities, the King would usually stick to shooting low-percentage jump shots which he is very poor at rather than driving to the hoop. He left the dirty work for Dwayne, which eventually ended up being a bad thing for the Heat because of a hip injury he suffered during game 5 of the NBA Finals vs. Dallas. The fatigue and drawn out season caught up with him and Flash was gone in a flash disappearing in the 4^th quarter with his buddy from Akron who ended getting the worse scrutiny of the two.

LeBron’s biggest criticism happened after Game 4 of the Finals series when he scored ZERO points in the final 12 minutes of the game. Some questioned his “greatness” and his ability to be “clutch” despite his outstanding performances earlier in the playoffs shutting down two of the Eastern Conference’s perennial squads, Boston and Chicago. But now all of that is behind him and he is ready to prove himself in front of the world again and live up to his name “King James”. One of his biggest criticisms even when he was in Cleveland was that he was too passive. James has continued his passive role and is more comfortable facilitating the ball while drawing double teams but the difference between this year and last year so far is that he’s finally taking high-percentage shots, driving to the hole, drawing fouls and scoring even though it’s not his favorite thing in the world. Those traits are what made him so successful in Cleveland that for some reason he decided to do less of in Miami last year.

If it wasn’t LeBron getting hate from Heat haters such as Skip Bayless, it was Chris Bosh and the Heat bench who received the venom of other fans jealous of the three musketeers. The Twitter world demolished Chris Bosh, calling him soft and making fun of his name by calling him Bosh Spice. His crying incident after the Mavericks clinched the title didn’t help either as memes of his temper tantrum spread throughout the internet. But in my opinion after his stellar performance in the Finals he didn’t deserve to be disrespected like the way he was but with the spotlight comes major scrutiny and he got what he asked for.

The Heat bench also faced a lot of questions because besides Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem who were both coming back from injury, there wasn’t really much depth; but the bench as a whole had a stellar performance in the Finals just like Bosh and ended up carrying the team in the 4^th quarter as the stars disappeared with the exceptions of Mike Miller and Mike Bibby, of course.

After suffering their first loss this season in which LeBron injured his ankle while Dwayne Wade was already injured, Chris Bosh and the second unit had a chance to prove themselves and prove their value with their two biggest stars sitting on the bench this time around. They were facing the same Atlanta Hawks who had just given them their first glimpse of defeat while LeBron was playing. The odds looked against them, but throughout the game Miami was able keep up pace with the second oldest team in basketball. With just a couple of seconds left, Chris Bosh hit what he described later on as one of the luckiest shots of his career. He tied the game at 107 a piece by scoring a contested three sending the game to overtime. Each team played their hearts out on the court but neither was able to clinch a victory until the 3^rd overtime when the Heat were able to draw fouls and hit easy mid-range shots towards the final minutes of the 3^rd OT as the Hawks defense became more lax.

Bosh would finish the game with 33 points and 14 rebounds in a game that resembled his days playing in Toronto while new additions to the second unit; Norris Cole, Terrel Harris and Shane Battier were able to put pressure on the Hawks, fighting for rebounds and playing extra defense during the some of the most crucial moments of the game. Bosh and the rest of the team proved to LeBron, Wade, Coach Spoelstra, Pat Riley and the Heat Nation that they are in it to win it.

If the Heat want to go anywhere this season they are going to need their two biggest stars to step up. LeBron and DWade are putting up great numbers and everyday their chemistry gets more and more stronger but they still struggle when teams switch to the zone defense and hold the two wings strictly to perimeter shots. LeBron and DWade need to find a way to break this barrier because as the stars and the leaders of this team, they have a responsibility to put their team over the hump just as guys like MJ did. They can’t let guys like Joel Anthony (who is surprisingly on this year’s All-Star ballot, make sure you show some support and VOTE FOR HIM), rookie Norris Cole or even their co-star Chris Bosh outperform them in the final 12 minutes of the game. Without those guys I just named we would’ve probably seen losses by the Heat against teams such as Boston, Minnesota and Charlotte because of LeBron and DWade’s knack for disappearing in the closing moments.

Just as they did throughout the NBA Finals and in the game vs. the Hawks, Chris Bosh and the second unit players will be ready to play when it matters and no matter what. But this team will only go as far as LeBron and Dwayne are willing to take them.