BASKETBALL

THE DURANTULA;  A CHANGE IN TIDE?

Recently, Kobe Bryant was voted by NBA managers as the one player they would want to shoot the clutch shot for the 10^th consecutive season. That comes with little surprise really as his clutch performances throughout his career have put him right up there with the best of all time. The truth is, however, every player has the ability to hit clutch shots, whether it is a buzzer-beating three-pointer or a simple tap-in at the rim but not every player has the ability to do it on a consistent basis. Over time some players become more familiar with the phenomenon.

One such emerging player is three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant. The ‘Durantula’ has grown from strength to strength since being drafted as the 2^nd overall pick by the Seattle Supersonics in 2007. Edging the likes of Kobe and LeBron James for the NBA scoring title is no easy feat but even more challenging is developing a temperament that arguably pushes him past these players to possibly the best clutch player in the game at the moment. And he has shown it.

His memorable buzzer-beating three-pointer against the then defending champions the Dallas Mavericks provided somewhat of a template of what was to come down the road. The Oklahoma City Thunder ended up in the first round against the Mavs and Durant was again on hand to provide the heart-wrenching buzzer-beater, pulling up just outside of the free throw line to give his team a 99-98 win. In the 77-75 Game 2 win in the semi-finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, KD all but took Kobe’s stripes as a closer as he proved instrumental in the rally that handed his team the win. He defended well and score the shot that handed his team the 76-75 lead in the dying seconds. Kobe missed shots and even had turnovers down the stretch, proving he is indeed a human on the court.

The "Durantula"

Durant on the other hand has continued to establish himself on top as he put Kobe to shame yet again to give his team a 3-1 series lead. After trailing by double digits for most of the game Russell Westbrook kept OKC in the game with 37 points, however, down the stretch it was Durant who had the ball in his hand and with 13.7 seconds on the clock and the scores locked at 98-98, he rose up above Metta World Peace with a dagger of a three-pointer. His Kobe-esque stroll back to his bench after Lakers called a time-out signalled an almost definite changing of a tide.

The Lakers took a time out and on the very next play, Kobe attempted to re-level the scores with a three-pointer of his own. Needless to say, he missed. As the thunder return to their home court with the desire to close out the series, Kevin Durant would have returned to Oklahoma on a high, and though he may not take note of it... It could be him who the NBA managers would trust with the clutch shots from now on.

By: Devaro Bolton

 What’s all the fuss about?

In this season, just like many before it, there is an early debate as to who will claim the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league. Last season’s MVP was Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and already LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and the reigning MVP are staking their claim for the title.  In a league that has over 300 players (with many of those players considered superstars of the current era), it would certainly be a great honour to be perceived as the best of the best over the course of an 82-game (in this case 66) season. However, in a league where success in the league does not define success in the play-offs, why is there such a fuss over who should claim the title of league MVP?

Now here are some facts to juggle around inside your brain: the eight most recent league MVPs did not go on to claim the ultimate prize! In fact, since the 1999-2000 NBA season, only two league MVPs went on to claim success in the NBA Finals; Shaquille O’Neal with the Los Angeles Lakers in that said season and Tim Duncan with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2002-2003 season.  With that said, Heat’s fans may be the most fearful of this statistics, as ‘King James’ is so far metres ahead of the previously mentioned leading pack, and I’m sure that they are hoping that this season’s finale will again impede the numbers. Whether or not this will happen, we will just have to wait and see. The NBA play-offs bring about a different level of basketball, where upsets are expected and the unexpected yet to exist. To go even a stretch further, there are cases where the team with the best regular season record doesn’t even make it to the NBA finals or worse, the conference finals. Some teams are able to cope but some aren’t. 

It is usually the fans or the media that really push the excitement and hype around league MVP. Just listen to the chants of “M-V-P” whenever D-Rose or the Black Mamba touches the court and you’ll have no grounds on which to oppose this argument. However, the title does hold great value for many players. Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns is a prime example. Without a doubt he is destined for the Hall of Fame; however, without a ring to show for it his back-to-back league MVP titles would automatically become all he has to show for his illustrious career.

By DEVARO BOLTON

THE YEAR OF THE BULLS?

In the 2010-2011 Eastern Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls fell prey to the Miami Heat for the right to represent the conference in the quest for the NBA title. With another year past, Bulls fans are now keenly wondering if this is their year to shine.

Looking on to this year’s play-offs, the way things are shaping up we can comfortably predict that it will be the Bulls and the Heat knocking heads for a chance to represent the East on the grand stage. However, as is becoming the trend of recent times, no one knows which Miami Heat will show up when it matters and with the Bulls playing the way they are the result of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals can easily be reversed.

                Reigning league MVP Derrick Rose is one year more mature in the league and with that, an increase in his dominance. And not only that, but the team seems to have matured a lot to the point that they went on a convincing winning streak without D-Rose in the line-up. The Bulls have so far raced out to a lead commanding 16-3 record and over the course of those 19 games they have managed to hold their opposition to a frightening average of less than 86 points per game.

                The extent of their defensive efficiency was displayed in their most recent 110-95 victory over the New Jersey Nets. With the game coming to a close and the Bulls certain of victory, there seemed to be a small hint of disappointment as the Nets edged closer and closer to their eventual score. Now for a league where on any given night any team can score over 100 points, this hint of disappointment seemed pretty remarkable.

                With the season being restricted to 66 games and every franchise facing serious injuries, the Bulls have had their fair share, recently losing power forward Loul Deng. Now, not to say that he is not a key component of the team, but if the Bulls could manage a winning streak with Derrick Rose out of action, with him back in the line-up what’s to stop them from continuing the trend.

                If things continue the way they are, the Bulls have a great chance of making it to the NBA Finals. That being said they’d still have to contest with a team from the Western Conference but with the usual powerhouses of the conference all struggling to make ends meet, what better year for the Bulls to capitalise than in 2012. A chance to make it, the year of the Bulls. 

BY DEVARO BOLTON










FOURTH QUARTER CURSE?

Can anyone explain why it is that Miami Heat finds it hard to close out games?
 Among their ranks are Dwayne Wade and LeBron James who are both, without a doubt, recognised within the top five players that are currently in the NBA. To go a stretch further, not only are they amongst the best of the current crop, but when their careers come to an end, it would take a drunken gambler to bet against them entering the NBA Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, however, their Achilles heel is back. An unwanted trend that was made prominent from last season’s NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks has returned; they continue to surrender healthy fourth quarter leads.
While the question of “Why does it have to be one of them?”can be raised, can it really be expected that someone else will get the ball in crunch time? Well, regardless of what’s happening now, both Wade and James have, on a number of occasions, closed out a number of games for the Heat and in LeBron’s case, the Cleveland Cavaliers as well.
In their most recent encounters against the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Heat gave up considerable leads. Against the Warriors especially, their lead was as high as 17 points with the third quarter coming to a close, but in the end, they ended up losing two games they really should have won.
 
So now, the only true question is, are they facing a fourth quarter curse or is it just a mental obstacle that they’ll have to overcome? Either way, they’ll have to find a way to get rid of it if they’re to realise their potential and win NBA championships.  


BY DEVARO BOLTON