Dwight Howard has tremendous upside

Normally the All Star game is not a big ticket with your intrepid author.

A game with little or no defense has a hard time holding my interest.

In fact, today’s basketball with all the rule changes towards offense has really bothered me in recent years.

But this year may be an exception. The league is just so filled with exceptional talent.

One starter in particular could become a dominant force in the NBA sooner than we think. That man would be Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Hmm, may just have to tune in after all. Here are your vote getters.

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the second returns of the 2008 NBA All-Star voting program are attached:

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,186,690; LeBron James (Clev) 1,005,733; Chris Bosh (Tor) 313,983; Paul Pierce (Bos) 268,926; Yi Jianlian (Mil) 192,828; Caron Butler (Was) 150,042; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 121,991; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 120,783; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 116,168; Antawn Jamison (Was) 106,370.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 777,764; Jason Kidd (NJ) 559,333; Vince Carter (NJ) 468,051; Ray Allen (Bos) 464,810; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 422,463; Chauncey Billups (Det) 238,125; Michael Redd (Mil) 183,309; Richard Hamilton (Det) 121,663; Joe Johnson (Atl) 109,443; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 109,345.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 970,778; Shaquille O’Neal (Mia) 466,292; Rasheed Wallace (Det) 124,348; Ben Wallace (Chi) 114,245; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 100,622; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 89,900; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Clev) 55,217; Emeka Okafor (Cha) 51,490; Zaza Pachulia (Atl) 43,036; Eddy Curry (NY) 37,252.

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 767,722; Tim Duncan (SA) 722,059; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 686,853; Carlos Boozer (Utah) 281,299; Josh Howard (Dal) 251,756; Shawn Marion (Pho) 240,752; Shane Battier (Hou) 227,112; Luis Scola (Hou) 222,896; Kevin Durant (Sea) 191,542; Grant Hill (Pho) 152,898.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 941,716; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 663,141; Steve Nash (Pho) 526,493; Allen Iverson (Den) 514,291; Manu Ginobili (SA) 220,620; Jason Terry (Dal) 200,693; Baron Davis (GS) 194,048; Chris Paul (NO) 189,646; Tony Parker (SA) 183,173; Jerry Stackhouse (Dal) 178,152.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 813,305;Amaré Stoudemire (Pho) 463,916; Erick Dampier (Dal) 171,386; Marcus Camby (Den) 161,807; Pau Gasol (Mem) 118,759; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 85,715; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 69,691; Tyson Chandler (NO) 69,083; Andris Biedrins (GS) 67,862; Chris Kaman (LAC) 66,315.  source

NBA Basketball Fan Question Did your favorite player make the cut?

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Chris Paul has the Hornets buzzing

Boston has been winning like there is no tomorrow.

Except this week had a lot of tomorrows. They lost 3 out of 4.

So when Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports came out with his rankings of all NBA teams, there was no way to put the Boston Celtics of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen fame at the top.

At least Johnny admits that the Lakers stay may be short.

Here are the top 10 of the rankings and your intrepid author’s comments in italics.

1. Los Angeles Lakers – This could be one-and-done for the Lakers at the top spot. Seven-game winning streak doesn’t say as much about team’s future as one 20-minute MRI did.

An injured Andrew Bynum means a sure drop in the rankings. Should be interesting to see how Kobe’s game responds.

2. Boston Celtics

No doubt, Boston will hover near the number 1 spot all year. 3 stars with great defense is a winning formula.

3. Detroit Pistons– Yes, getting routed by the Knicks was embarrassing – but also slightly understandable given the Pistons’ four-games-in-five-nights stretch. Having two opportunities in five days to make up a game on Boston and taking advantage of neither? Now that’s hard to stomach.

Rock solid defense with a lineup of 4 lower level all stars plus mismatch player Tayshaun Prince make the Pistons a contender for the number 1 spot.

4. Dallas Mavericks

Live by the Dirk, die by the Dirk. Can an all offensive system win it all?

5. Phoenix Suns– Who had 34 games in the “Grant’s First Injury” pool?

Poor Grant Hill, a true gentleman of the sport. Something always seems to derailing his career. Steve Nash keeps this team on top.

6. San Antonio Spurs– Gregg Popovich, after loss to Detroit: “Timmy and Jacque needed help tonight and they didn’t get it.” Translation: “Tony sucked.”

Can the Spurs really be at the 6 spot? Does anyone believe they will stay that low?

7. New Orleans Hornets– Any correlation between Hornets’ seven consecutive road victories and the out clause in their New Orleans Arena lease?

Chris Paul is a dynamic young player. Look out for this team.

8. Portland Trail Blazers– Portland has won 19 of its past 21 games, a remarkable accomplishment that has left the team with a record that is the conference’s…sixth-best. Welcome to the West, young Blazers.

Whew, have to admit, thought they would be fighting for the number one pick in the draft after losing Oden.

9. Denver Nuggets

Camby, AI, and Carmelo, can this trio win?

10. Golden State Warriors– Who else wants to see Captain Jack in the All-Star Three-point Shootout? Prediction: He misfires his first nine shots, slings his mouthpiece into the bench, curses Craig Sager then closes with 16 consecutive makes.

A wild team with a wild offensive philosophy and one of my favorite players to watch in Baron Davis.

source

Team to most likely move up in this set of rankings is the Orlando Magic with Dwight Howard.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Did your favorite team make the rankings?

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John Shuhmann of NBA.com presents his power rankings.

Let’s take a stroll through his top ten.

1. Boston is on top even though they lost to Detroit snapping their home winning streak. The Detroit game came after the rankings came out. Kevin Garnett is the leader in the clubhouse for MVP of the National Basketball Association.

2. San Antonio is Tim Duncan.

3. Detroit is on a crazy roll led by Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups.

4. Dallas is fourth and after the rankings went out and beat Phoenix with a strong game from Dirk Nowitski.

5. Phoenix is struggling a little and Steve Nash almost helped pull out that game against Dallas.

6. Lakers? Led by Andrew Bynum? His name is not Kobe?

7. Orlando with possible MVP Dwight Howard a monster in the middle.

8. New Orleans with Chris Paul.

9. Denver has Carmelo and AI and not enough basketballs.

10. Toronto continues to surprise and maybe you should get used to it.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Is your team missing from the Top 10?

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Will Allen Iverson go down in history as Charles Barkely junior?  You know, having a great career, but never winning an NBA Championship?

Poor little AI knocked down 51 points in a losing effort to the Los Angeles Kobe’s.  Allen was 18 for 27 from the field with no 3 pointers and 15 made free throws.  Incredibly the rest of the team went only 18 for 53 with 17 free throws.

LA put all five guys and a few from the stands to cover AI in the fourth quarter and held him to 1 field goal.

Iverson scored 49 points through the first three quarters but was held to a just a layup in the fourth. The Lakers clamped down on the 6-foot guard, forcing the ball out of his hands. The strategy worked. Iverson took only four shots in the last 12 minutes.

“When somebody gets 49 points in the first three quarters obviously its going to draw attention to the other team,” said Iverson, whose career high of 60 came against Orlando on Feb. 12, 2005. “When somebody’s got 49 points they want to make sure I get the ball out of my hands, and that’s what they did. My responsibly is to give it up and my teammates had to make plays.”   source

With Carmelo and Iverson as your stars, you are bound to suffer from a lack of big time defense and this is what Denver has to figure out.  How do you compensate for that?

AI may never get his championship.

NBA Basketball Fan Question  Do you think AI deserves a title?

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And he shall come from the East and lead them…

Denver is all set up to win the Northwest.

Think about this division. Greg Oden is out for the season at Portland and they let their other big man, Zach Randolph, go to the Knicks.

Seattle is playing for the future with young Rookie of the Year front runner Kevin Durant. They are young and inexperienced.

The Timberwolves are starting the Al Jefferson show and have yet to move up town with their supporting cast of castaways.

This leaves only Utah. Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur present a solid core, but an unhappy Kirilenko really hurts them.

Carmelo is set to lead the Nuggets out of the Northwest.

He’s not the all-around threat James is, but he does exude greatness, able to put the ball in the basket as well as anyone in the game. All that has been missing are key ingredients like maturity and help. He feels he has both now. Excuses are out the window.

CBSSports.com believes in Anthony and the Nuggets, predicting they’ll overcome Utah in the Northwest Division. If they fail, it had better be a result of the scenario Karl believes possible, where Utah simply outperforms them and wins more than 60 games. That’s unlikely, but if it happens, Denver has every right to shake off the disappointment and feel good about its season. source

Introducing the Champions of the Northwest to be, the Denver Nuggets with an aging but still hungry Allen Iverson, a shoot happy Carmelo, a block happy Camby, and perhaps the key in Kenyon Martin.

Kenyon is coming off microfracture surgery and a lot depends on his recovery. Without Kenyon Martin they are not a very tough team on the offensive blocks.

Camby is counted on more for defense. Did you know he was the defensive player of the year? Came as a shock to me.

It appears any kind of chemistry on offense between The Truth and Melo should produce close to 50 victories and be good enough to win the division.

Hard to believe they have the horses to march through the playoffs, but we believed that about Cleveland and LeBron last year.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Who do you pick in the Northwest Division?

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