Top 5 Backcourts In The NBA

Stats are listed as: Points/Assists/Rebounds/Steals


For more information on PER click here


5. INJURY TIE
San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, and Chicago Bulls

       

Each of these teams would easily have a top 5 backcourt in the NBA if they were at full strength. 

The Spurs, when healthy, have the best duo in Parker and Ginobili, but Manu went down with yet another injury. Parker has been playing out of his mind lately, and somehow the Spurs keep winning even with an old Tim Duncan and a bunch of no-name role players (Besides Richard Jefferson, but let's face it he isn't the same player he once was).

Chris Paul is one of, if not the best, point guard in the league. With Paul and Billups, the Clippers had a great backcourt duo until Billups was lost for the season to an achilles injury. Mo Williams and Randy Foye are filling in nicely, but aren't near the player Billups is.


Chicago's biggest concern in the off season was to sign a shooting guard to complement MVP Derrick Rose. They found that in Richard Hamilton, but it was short lived as Hamilton has struggled all season with injuries. Ronnie Brewer has done well in Hamilton's absence, but if Chicago wants to get past Miami, they will need Rip to be healthy.

          

4. Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo                                      14.8/9.5/4.9/1.6    18.92  PER
Ray Allen                                           14.5/2.8/3.1/0.8    15.30 PER
  

Rondo is one of the best passers in the league, ranking 2nd in assists per game. He has a great basketball IQ, but the only thing holding him back from becoming an elite point guard is his perimeter shooting. When teams flat out don't guard you from the free throw line and out, you know you have a problem.


Ray Allen is one of the all-around good guys in the league. No matter how old he gets he continues to be consistent from the 3-point line, leading all guards in 3P% at 49%. He is also lights out from the free throw line where he is shooting 92%. 

3. Golden State Warriors

Monta Ellis                                         22.4/5.8/3.4/1.5    19.43  PER                  
Stephen Curry                                    16.5/6.2/3.7/1.8    21.70  PER

Ellis and Curry are two of the most underrated players in the league, trying to keep a struggling team that lacks size competitive. The Golden State Warriors are a big man away from contending, but are hindered by starting center Andris Biedrins who averages 2 points and 5 rebounds per game while making $9 million (yikes!).

Ellis averages the most points per game of any player that was not named an All-Star, and Curry is in scoring range once he crosses the half court line. If management and new coach Mark Jackson can put some talent around these two they will be tough to beat.

2. Miami Heat

Dwyane Wade                                      22.4/4.8/4.4/1.7    28.14 PER
Mario Chalmers                                    11.1/3.6/2.5/1.3    16.07  PER

Dwyane Wade is a spectacular player that has an all-around game, and as he goes, so do the Heat. He is the leader, he is batman, the Heat is still his team, and will be until LeBron learns how to play in the 4th quarter and finish games.

Chalmers is a great player, but gets lost in the mix because his teammates are James, Wade, and Bosh. He is a great point guard with range (46% from 3) that benefits from open shots because of the focus other teams put on his teammates. His assist numbers could be higher because of who he gets to pass to, but LeBron and Wade dominate the ball when they should let Chalmers run the offense.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

James Harden                                     16.8/3.6/4.1/1.0     21.03  PER
Russell Westbrook                               23.5/5.5/4.8/1.9     23.30  PER

James Harden should be a starter. I realize that Scott Brooks doesn't start him because he makes Oklahoma City's bench significantly better, but is there a player more deserving of a starting spot than James Harden? The man is lethal from distance, and is a perfect complement to Durant and Westbrook. Expect to see him make the All-Star roster in the near future.


Westbrook is a freak athlete that can score the basketball...the only problem is that is all he wants to do. With Kevin Durant on the team, Westbrook will eventually have to learn to take a back seat to him. If he does, and becomes a true point guard, Oklahoma City will be that much scarier for a very long time.

NBA All-Star Snubs

Every year there are All-Star snubs and this year in Orlando it's no different. Here are the snubs that should have made it, and their counterpart that they should replace.

PER= Player Efficiency Rating     For more info on PER click here

Paul Millsap – 16.5 PPG  9.7 RPG  24.28 PER (Highest PER of all snubs)

Over

Marc Gasol – 15.0 PPG  10.2 RPG  19.38 PER

Paul Millsap is a flat out hard worker, he brings his best every single night, regardless of who the opponent is.  He is the heart and soul of an overachieving Jazz team that is in the position they are, because of Millsap.

Millsap came into the NBA under the radar as a 2^nd round pick, and continues to be a significantly undervalued and underrated player. Looking at the numbers alone, especially a significantly better PER, Millsap should have gotten the nod over an overrated Marc Gasol.

Greg Monroe – 16.4 PPG   10.0 RPG   23.79 PER

Josh Smith –     15.6 PPG   8.9 RPG     19.65 PER

Over

Roy Hibbert –   13.6 PPG  9.9  RPG  19.53 PER

How can Roy Hibbert be an All-Star when he’s not even the best player on his own team? (Danny Granger)  Hibbert has been a big part of Indiana’s success thus far, but there are other players more deserving of his spot such as Detroit’s Greg Monroe or Atlanta’s Josh Smith.

Monroe’s numbers are better across the board, averaging more points and rebounds than Hibbert, as well as having a higher PER. Indiana’s record is better, but Hibbert has a much more help than Monroe has in Detroit.

Josh Smith has been a beast for Atlanta, and has carried even more of the load when center Al Horford was lost due to injury. He averages more points and has a better PER than Hibbert, and has the Hawks positioned at 5^th in the east – much higher than they should be.

Danny Granger – 18.3 PPG   4.8 RPG   2.1 APG  17.75 PER

Over

Luol Deng –          16.0 PPG  7.3 RPG    2.5 APG  16.29 PER

I’m not trying to hate. Luol Deng is a great player on a great team, but I think most of his success comes from playing with Derrick Rose. Rose demands so much attention on defense, which frees up Deng for a lot of open shots and scoring opportunities.

If we are looking for All-Stars, we are looking to go-to guys and dynamic players. Danny Granger has to be the choice over Deng. Granger got off to a slow start this year, but has come on strong since, leading the Pacers to 4^th place and contenders in the east, something that Indiana hasn’t been for years.

Players being criticized, but are deserving All-Stars

Dirk Nowitzki – 17.6 PPG  6.2 RPG  19.28

He himself said he doesn’t deserve to be an All-Star, and I don’t think he does either, however the Mavs are the defending champions so I can understand why he is on the roster.

Tony Parker – 18.9 PPG  7.7 APG  2.9 RPG  21.94 PER

I have no idea why people are saying Parker shouldn’t be an All-Star. He has led the Spurs to the 2^nd seed in the west with an old Tim Duncan and no Manu Ginobili. If anyone is deserving its Parker.

Steve Nash – 15.0  PPG  10.1 APG  2.5 RPG  24.12 PER

He is old and his team is terrible, but Nash is still playing like Nash averaging 10 assists per game. There is talk that he doesn’t deserve an All-Star nod, but I think that comes from him being stuck in Phoenix. After all Nash has done for the organization, the Suns should stop holding him hostage and trade him to a contender for one last go at a championship.

Miscellaneous

James Harden – 16.8 PPG  3.5 APG  4.1 RPG  21.71 PER

Harden is still probably a year away from being an All-Star, but the man is a baller! Virtually a lock for 6^th man of the year, Harden is lethal from the three point line, and no doubt that he is a huge reason that the Thunder have the best record in the west.

Super Bowl XLVI : Random Thoughts and Observations

Eli Manning is an elite quarterback

He has 2 Super Bowl rings in the past 4 seasons - that should be all that needs to be said.

He has thrown for 4,000+ yards, and completed more than 60% of his passes in the past 3 seasons.

He is 7-1 on the road and neutral sites in the playoffs. No one else has done that.

He is clutch. He has led 2 come from behind victories in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI, highlighted by 2 incredible passes to David Tyree and Mario Manningham.

He is a 2-time Super Bowl MVP. The only other players that have won multiple Super Bowl MVPs are Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady.

Elite quarterbacks play in, and win, Super Bowls

The NFL has become a passing league, and if you don’t have an elite tier quarterback under center, you don’t play in the big game in February.

2011 – Eli Manning vs Tom Brady

2010 – Aaron Rodgers vs Ben Roethlisberger

2009 – Payton Manning vs Drew Brees

2008 – Kurt Warner vs Ben Roethlisberger

2007 – Eli Manning vs Tom Brady

There are teams with elite defenses that remain on the outside looking in because they are weak at quarterback.

2008-2011 – Baltimore Ravens (Joe Flacco)

2011 – San Francisco 49ers (Alex Smith)

2011 – Houston Texans (T.J. Yates/Matt Lineart) **Schaub Injury

2009-2001 – New York Jets (Mark Sanchez)

2010 – Chicago Bears (Jay Cutler)

The Patriots are 0-2 in post "spy gate" SB's

…just saying

Wes Welker should not be the goat

Welker will receive a lot of blame for his drop late in the 4^th quarter, but is not the reason the Patriots lost the game.

In Sports we typically dwell on the mistakes that happen late in the game, but forget about everything that happened in the first three quarters. One glaring mistake was a completed pass by New York that was stripped and taken away by the Patriot defense. However, the Patriots had 12 men on the field, giving the ball back to the Giants, who eventually scored a touchdown.

7 points for being disorganized and unable to count. A much bigger mistake than the Welker dropped pass.

Tom Brady’s safety was important in more ways than one

Yet another costly mistake by the Patriots was Tom Brady’s intentional grounding call in the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Because of that safety, the Giants trailed 15-17 instead of 13-17 on their last drive. Because they only trailed by 2, they could run the clock and kick a field goal to end the game. Belichick opted to let New York score a touchdown to get the ball back into Tom Brady’s hands and give his team one final shot.

If the safety never happened the Giants would have trailed by 4, eliminating the field goal try, and forcing New York to get the ball into the end zone. If the Pats defense holds, they win the game.

In a totally separate topic, the safety was huge for Jona Rechnitz. It was reported by Tom Weir of USA Today that Mr. Rechnitz placed a $1,000 bet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas that a safety would be the first scoring play of the game. At 50/1 odds, Mr. Brady’s mistake made Jona $50,000. I wonder who his new favorite player is?

The Patriots are still a good team

Since their loss, many commentators, radio show hosts, and television anchors have raised the question – Is the Patriot dynasty over?

Absolutely not.

As long as the Patriots have Tom Brady under center, they will be a Super Bowl contender each and every year.

The Giants are a better team than the Patriots

No one has done more with less than Tom Brady. New England has no running game, Brady’s two biggest threats are tight ends, and he has virtually no threat at wide receiver. The Pats defense is terrible. They have no threat on the defensive line, and a very bad secondary. And with all that, the Pats still make the Super Bowl because of Tom Brady.

There is no question that the Giants are the better team. The front four for New York put pressure on Tom Brady all game long. Manning has several threats in Cruz, Nicks, and Manningham, and had all day to throw to them because of the lack of a pass rush from New England.

David Tyree deserves a ring solely for his presence on the sideline

…Just Sayin

Top 20 Super Bowl Commercials

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. The game will be great, and so will the commercials. So in honor of the greatest tradition in America, we look at some of the best commercials in Super Bowl History.....now if we could just get rid of Madonna somehow.




20. The Best Fans Ever

19. Pepsi Justin Timberlake

18. Bud Light Hitchhiker

17. Bud Light Jackie Moon

16. Bud Light Cedric The Entertainer

15. Bud Light T-Pain

14. Pepsi Max "Thoughts"

13. Doritos Makes All Your Wishes Come True

12. Tobasco Exploding Mosquito

11. Doritos Heals Grandpa

10. Bud Light Drink Cart

9. Snickers Betty White

8. Bud Light Cut The Cheese

7. E*TRADE Baby Golf

6. VW Darth Vader

5. Budweiser Zebra Referee

4. Careerbuilder.com Casual Friday

3. Doritos Licking Fingers

2. Doritos Giant Mouse

1. Bud Light "No Speak English"

Have more commercials that you like, but weren't on the list? Go to the official Triple Coverage Sports Facebook page and post a video of your favorites that were missed.