Built Ford Tough

The difference is that Davis is impacting the game the same way that Camby did as a freshman, where as Camby was doing it as a sophomore/Junior. Davis is putting up 14/10/5 on 66% shooting as a freshman on probably the most stacked team in the country, a team that will likely end up with 5 or 6 NBA players. Camby put up 10/6/3.5 on 49.5% shooting as a freshman. As a Junior Camby put up 20.5/8/4 as a Junior on 47% shooting, but he also took nearly 17 shots a game. Davis takes 8. You could argue that Davis is having just as good of a season as a freshman as Camby did as a junior, which is what makes Davis' season so impressive. I do agree with you about the comparision, though. They are similar and I do see a lot of Camby in Davis. I think that Davis is more gifted offensively than Camby and do think that he will end up with a better career than Camby. I see Camby as more of Davis' floor than his ceiling. Actually, take a rookie Camby's offensive game and a prime Camby's defensive game and I think you have a pretty accurate projection of Davis, although a bit better offensively. I can see Davis as an 18/11/3 type of player in the NBA.

Perkins is always talking to the media looking for attention, so really, who is he to talk? He has this to say about Chris Webber earlier this year because he said that Perkins was a great fit in Boston but not for Oklahoma City: Last season he called Pau Gasol soft and Phil Jackson arrogant: Had this to say about the Heat after he was traded to OKC: These are all from within the last year and I'm sure I could find more if I really looked. Perkins is just pissed that everybody is starting to see how overrated he is without Garnett covering his ass defensively. The guy is constantly barking to the media, yet he has a problem with a Twitter comment from James? Give me a break.

I also think Rivers leaves but there have been rumblings that he is enjoying his time playing under Coach K and is considering staying for his sophomore season, which makes sense. He has shown that he can score the ball but still needs a lot of work on his overall game. He has no left hand, he has an inconcsistent jumper, poor decision maker and poor passer. If he manages to improve in these areas, he could quite possibly be looking at a top 8 pick next season. If he comes out this season he is unlikely to be picked before the late lottery at best. He isn't going to be taken with a top 10 pick, at least not based on what he has shown so far this year and could find himself falling out of the lottery all together. Obviously a great ACC tournament, a great NCAA tournament and a great showing in pre-draft workouts could boost his stock but as of now, I don't see why he is going to be in the top 10. He really should stay another season. I do agree with you that it seems kind of far fetched. Trading Rondo just so that Doc can coach his son is ridiculous when you consider how good Rondo is and that Rivers is unlikely to ever reach that level of play. As for the Rondo/Gasol thing, Boston would be stupid to do it. From a straight talent-for-talent perspective it makes sense. From a fit standpoint you can argue it makes sense as Boston needs a big and LA needs a point guard. JO could play the 4 beside Bynum and Pierce has thrived playing a point forward role. That is all well and good but considering Gasol has at most a few more years at this level while Rondo has another 8 years or so at his current level of play. Why give up an in his prime 25 year old for a soon to be over the hill Gasol?

Seriously though, this could be a blessing in disguise if it means the Clippers go out and get a real shooting guard. A backcourt rotation of Paul, Billups, Williams, Foye and Bledsoe is just too small in the playoffs. If they ran into a healthy Spurs team, OKC, Portland or the Lakers guys like Manu, Harden, Kobe and Crawford would abuse Billups. Hell, even Dallas with Vince Carter could be a big problem, assuming he isn't run down by then. It sucks that Billups suffered a severe injury but I don't think they go deep in the playoffs with him as the starting shooting guard anyways.

Gilchrist can definitely put the ball on the floor. He doesn't have a large repertoire of ball moves, but he isn't incapable of doing it either. I'm sure he will have some growing pains to start his career off, but I don't see him being incapable of doing it for much more than his first year or two in the league, if that. His shot is a concern but with the drastic improvements that he has made on it in the past two seasons (he couldn't shoot at all going into his senior year in high school) make me think he could develop a serviceable jumper. He is never going to be Ray Allen out there but I could see him developing into a 30% shooter or so from deep. With players like Deron, Morrow and Brooks already on the roster, I think you could get by with not having a good shooter at the 3. What made me go with MKG for the Nets was that he has proven to be so effective and impactful playing with Anthony Davis this season. Anthony Davis' role on this Kentucky team is very similar to how Dwight plays in the NBA and Gilchrist has proven to be a great compliment to Davis. He is an excellent passer who is very adept at throwing lobs, moves well without the ball, doesn't force his game and knows when he needs to get the ball into the post. Defensively, having an elite perimeter defender and an elite post defender would be an absolute nightmare for opposing teams, just like it is for the college teams Kentucky plays. I understand where you are coming from and your concerns are valid, but I think that MKG will develop a reliable enough outside shot to keep defenses honest and everything else about his game screams perfect 3rd option. I figure if MKG reaches his potential, he is going to be an Iguodala clone and I would kill for the chance to form a trio of Deron Williams-Andre Iguodala-Dwight Howard.

Pretty much. He is only around 6'4 (some have said he is 6'5 or so) but he is strong as hell and weighs around 210 pounds so even though his height isn't perfect, he is more than strong enough to make up for it. He has a 6'7 wingspan as well, which isn't huge or anything but average by shooting guard standards. Eric Gordon pretty much has the exact same build (measured out at 6'3, 215 and a 6'9 wingspan at the combine) and he has had no problems playing the 2 in the NBA. I don't see Beal having any problems playing the 2 at the next level either. Basically none at all. It really is a toss up for me. Lamb is a better at creating off the dribble, uses screens better and is a better help defender. Beal is a better shooter, rebounder and is a better man defender. The thing is, Lamb is given more of a creating role in his teams offense while Beal is used more as a shooter because Boynton and Walker handle the ball a lot. Beal is actually playing at the 3 in their offense so it is tough to gauge just how good he is at creating off the bounce. It really is all about team needs more than anything. They are very similar prospects that, in my opinion, project to have comparable careers. They both just bring a little different skillset to the table but have a similar impact. I had Sullinger their orignally, but I figured Beal made more sense because the BPA with the Rockets 2nd pick, assuming it stays in the 13-16 range is likely going to be a big man. Whether it is Young, one of the Zeller's or Henson, maybe even Terrence Jones. I'm also not as high on Sullinger as some (although I do think he will be a productive big), and am personally quite fond of Beal. I just think with the great big depth in this draft and the lack of wings and points, going with Beal early and a big later made more sense. I figured with Motiejunas likely projecting as the 4 of the future, a more physical, rugged player like Young would make more sense than a finese big like Zeller. That isn't to say Zeller can't bang because he can, but Young is much more of a banger down low and would compliment Motiejunas better, which is why I went with him over Cody.

Gay and Mayo were brutal in this game. Both took some terrible shots and really made it difficult for the Grizzlies to close the game out. Outside of the 3rd quarter, both were invisible and contributed absolutely nothing. Duncan and Parker are doing an awesome job with the Spurs. Duncan particularly was outstanding tonight anchoring the defense, cleaning up the post and doing it all on offensively.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20120206_PHO@ATL

The video of the incident is even better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieymkwx3wRU&feature=player_embedded The whole sequence is just so epic. McGee takes an absolutely ridiculous sweeping hook that has no chance of going in, lowers his head and charges like a bull back on defense when his team has the ball, Wall is screaming for him to set a pick but he ignores him to bull rush into the paint and call for a lob that has literally 0% chance of working. That was just McGee. Watching his teammates reactions are equally as hilarious. Wall with the perfect "C'mon son" look, Singleton (I think it was him) standing in the post pointing at him shaking his head and Booker and Young on the far side of the court trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. Just [expletive]ing awesome.

Jordan's defense on Howard this game was absolutely pathetic. Paul was huge, once again. Watching him disect defenses is just a thing of beauty. He has been the best closer in the league this season and it isn't even close. There isn't a player in the league I would take over Paul in the final 5 minutes of a close game. He just always seems to make the right player, whether it is him draining a shot, making a pinpoint pass or even coming up with a key defensive play. His play in the 4th quarter this season has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Lou was huge down the stretch and the Sixers played much better defense on Kobe in the 2nd half. Even with him dropping 24 in the first half, I thought that Iggy and company played him pretty well but he just hit some difficult shots. In the 2nd, those shots weren't falling. Bynum was a beast on the glass. Philly had a hell of a time keeping him off of the offensive glass all game long and I really thought that would be the difference in the game. It might have been if not for Williams making 3 huge buckets in a row.

Best moment of the season so far for me. http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/938181/McGee_Runs_Away.gif Wall's reaction is absolutely priceless.

Not really. Bayless has always been able to score. He was a big time scorer in college and has consistenty put up solid scoring numbers when given the chance in the NBA. With Portland I remember he had a 30+ point game against the Spurs He dropped 26/4/8 on 64% shooting and 20/3/4 on 60% shooting against the Bulls last year. He dropped 23/8 on 50% shooting against the Magic. He dropped 21/3/4 on 46% shooting against the Heat. He dropped 24/4/8 on 53% shooting against the Sixers. The Bulls, Heat and Magic were three of the best defensive teams in the league and the Sixers were a good team as well. He has shown that he is capable of having these kind of offensive outbursts, and you could even argue the same for Kleiza, although to a lesser degree. The knock on Bayless has always been his decision making and being able to effectively run an offense, which we saw today. He did a fantastic job getting his team back into the game, but he also took some really poor shots, ran down the clock and generally made poor decisions with the ball. As good as he played in the 3rd and 4th, he played pretty poorly in OT, showing the same weaknesses that have held him back from being a real impact player in the league. He was hot and him and Kleiza were the only reasons that the game was in OT anyways, so I can understand why he played like that. Nobody else was doing much aside from him and Linas so he had to take it upon himself. His scoring has never been in question, though.

New Orleans shoots 48% in the first three quarters and about 25% in the 4th. They hold the Kings to 42% in the first three quarters and let them shoot about 70% in the 4th. They outscore the Kings by 9 in the first three quarters and get outscored by 17 in the 4th. Awesome tanking.

Kings cut the lead to two after pounding the ball inside for the last 5 minutes. The next two possessions? Threes from Thornton and Evans with 16+ seconds left on the shot clock. This team is so undisciplined.

Cousins with 22 and 11 already as the 3rd quarter just ended. He had 12 points in the 3rd quarter alone. I really would like to see how good he would be if he ever played next to a legitimate point guard, hell, even a good playmaking shooting guard and not the blackholes in Sacramento. For those wondering, those blackholes (Evans and Thornton) are a combined 4-19 from the floor. Every other King player who has taken more than 1 shot is shooting 50% or better. Of course, Cousins isn't the most willing passing either, but it isn't as big of a problem since he is a center and not a guard expected to run the offense.

No Jack, Gordon, Landry or Smith for the Hornets yet they were winning by 18 at one point. Of course the lead is down to just 7 now as the Hornets have started to do the exact opposite of what got them the lead in the first place. It really is hilarious how the team that is owned by the league is the team that is doing the most obvious tanking.

I highly doubt they show any interest in Sullinger, given Colangelo's track record. Maybe if they end up with the 10th pick or something, but not with a top 7. I'm about 95% sure that Toronto would draft anyone of: Davis Drummond Barnes MKG Lamb Beal Robinson over Sullinger. And I highly doubt that they end up picking any lower than 7th. It has nothing to do with Sullinger as a player, but he really doesn't fit in with this team. Jones isn't an ideal fit either, but at least he has perimeter skills and could be played at the 3 during times. Just look at Colangelo's track record in the draft and it makes sense why he would be after Jones. Took Amar'e as a raw, high school big. Took the raw, athletic Marion. Took Bargnani and his mismtach ability and high potential. Took DeRozan for his athletic ability. Even Ed Davis falls more towards the Jones catagory than Sullinger. I could be wrong, though. I just don't see much interest at all in Sullinger from Toronto.

See, if Lombardi would play like this all of the time I wouldn't have any problems with him (well, other than him being so weak on the puck). He has used his speed to create 3 scoring chances, one of which likely should've resulted in a power play for Toronto and made an awesome pass to Kessel for the 3rd goal. This is the Lombardi that I was excited about getting. The problem is that he will have a game like this and then become completely invisible for the next 10 games. If he would play like this all the time I wouldn't make comments like my last two posts in this thread. Also, Grabovski continues to play some unreal hockey. His end-to-end rush to set up Gardiner's goal was just beautiful and he just made another sick pass to Mac, but Mac fanned on the shot otherwise Grabo would've had his 3rd assist and Mac would've had his 2nd goal.

He did go into the Rockets locker room after the game an apologized to Scola. A nice move on his part, but still doesn't excuse the dirtbag stomp.

I'm not going to go into super detail since it is way too early but I figured I'd throw a rough one out now, another when conference tournaments are over, another after the NCAA tournament is over, another after the lottery and another after pre draft workouts. NOTE: Picks are based on current standings and does take team need into consideration. Lottery picks will be the only ones with explainations. Picks after the lottery is more of a BPA situation and doesn't take team need into account as much, but doesn't completely ignore it either. It is also even more of a crapshoot than the lottery. 1. Charlotte Bobcats: PF Anthony Davis, Kentucky, Freshman Davis has seperated himself from the rest of the pack and is looking like the sure fire bet to go number 1. His combination of length, athleticism, defensive ability and an uncanny motor makes him the clear cut choice, regardless of who is picking first overall. 2. Washington Wizards: SF Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, Sophomore You could make the argument that Andre Drummond would be the better selection but with so many talented players with questionable desire, work ethic and basketball IQ already on the roster, it makes sense for Washington to pick the high character, hard working Barnes. Barnes will give John Wall the running mate he so desperately needs, gives the Wizards a long term solution at the 3 and slides in nicely as the 2nd option. 3. New Orleans Hornets: C/PF Andre Drummond, Conneticut, Freshman Drummond has said he intends on returning for another season but the lure of being a top 3 pick may prove to be too much for him. The Hornets just need a general infusion of talent and Drummond may have the highest ceiling of anybody in the draft. With them having another mid first/late lottery selection in the Wolves pick, look for them to swing for the fences early and look to get a more sure thing with their 2nd pick. 4. Detroit Pistons: PF Thomas Robinson, Kansas, Junior With Greg Monroe proving to be their 5 of the future, look for Detroit to take a power forward to pair up with Monroe for the future. The options are Robinson, Baylor's Perry Jones III and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger. Jones has the highest ceiling of the three, Sullinger the most refined and Robinson the highest motor and best all around. Pairing Monroe and Sullinger isn't ideal as their games could conflict, Jones' lack of assertiveness on the defensive end could prove to be a poor fit so look for the Pistons to take the all around Robinson. He compliments Monroe the best and will do all of the little things to take pressure off of Monroe. 5. New Jersey Nets: SF Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, Kentucky, Freshman With the hopes of Dwight Howard joining Deron Williams in Brooklyn next season, the Nets will take the ideal glue guy that all championship teams need. other than shooting, Kidd-Gilchrist does everything well. He is an elite defender, a great rebounder, good passer, runs the court, has a motor rivaled only by his Kentucky teammate Davis and will be the perfect compliment to a star studded duo in Williams and Howard. If the Nets feel they have no chance of landing Howard, look for them to swing for the fences and take a chance on the sky high potential of Perry Jones. 6. Toronto Raptors: PF Perry Jones III, Baylor, Sophomore Although not an ideal fit for a team with Andrea Bargnani at the 4 and Jonas Valanciunas coming over to play the 5, Jones is the type of prospect that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo has made a career off of taking. A raw, athletic, high potential, mismatch player. The ideal scenario here would be for the Raptors to develop Jones as a small forward and pair him up with the two aforementioned big men. With coach Dwane Casey playing a lot of zone defense, it could mask potential defensive problems. If playing him at the 3 proves to be out of the cards, the Raptors will have a decision to make. His potential at this point in the draft is too much to pass up, especially for a team lacking in any real high end talent. 7. Sacramento Kings: SG Jeremy Lamb, Conneticut, Sophomore With so many ball dominant players in Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins on the roster, Lamb's ability to move without the ball will be a welcome addition. That isn't to say that he is incapable of creating his own shot because he does have a solid handle but the best part of his offensive game is utilizing screens like a fellow UCONN alum, Rip Hamilton. With his length, he has the potential to be a nightmare in the passing lanes and when he adds strength, as an on ball defender as well. 8. Houston Rockets (From New York Knicks): SG Bradley Beal, Florida, Freshman Although Jared Sullinger is likely the best player available at this point, the Rockets have a solid grouping of bigs with Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson, Samuel Dalembert and Donatas Motiejunas stashed overseas. Meanwhile, they have little depth behind Kevin Martin at the two. Beal gives them a fantastic shooter, one of the best rebounding guards in all of college basketball, a guy who has proven to be good off the ball and a solid defender. 9. Utah Jazz (From Golden State Warriors): SF Quincy Miller, Baylor, Freshman Much like the Rockets, the Jazz are very deep at the 4 and 5 with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap the present, and Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter as the future. Gordon Hayward has the ability to slide over to the 2 to make room for Miller. Miller suffered a serious knee injury his senior year of high school and is still suffering the effects of it. He doesn't have the explosiveness that he once had, and that is a bit of a concern considering he was never very explosive to being with. Still, he is an excellent shooter, can create his own shot and has great length at the three. If he is able to fully recover, he could end up as one of the best players in this class. 10. Phoenix Suns: PF Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, Sophomore The most dominant big man in the country. Sullinger has a vast offensive arsenal in the low post and with the Suns entering into the twilight of the Steve Nash years, they need to take the best talent available and look towards the future. That is Sullinger. He has question marks about his size, his below the rim game and defensively, but he can score the ball and is a great rebounder. He is the type of prospect that always seems to fall during the draft, put proves to be a very good player in the pros, showing that you don't need to be an athletic freak to be an effective player. 11. Cleveland Cavaliers: C Meyers Leonard, Illionis, Sophomore Leonard has the size, skill and athleticism that scouts drool over. Cleveland came away with Kyrie Irving last season, solidifying their point guard of the future, as well as getting an excellent energy big in Tristan Thompson. With Leonard, they take a risk on a skilled big man who may end up never living up to his potential. With the lack of quality wings at this point, the Cavs might as well roll the dice on the talented big. 12. Memphis Grizzlies: SF Terrence Ross, Washington, Sophomore The Grizzlies have an excellent starting lineup, a great sixth man in OJ Mayo and, when healthy, a nice rotation of bigs. However, they don't have a lot behind Mike Conley at the point or Rudy Gay at the 3. There really aren't any point guards worth reaching for at this point in the draft, Ross is the pick. He has nice size, skill and athleticism and playing behind Gay, a player who has a similar body type and athletic ability, would be great for a player like Ross. 13. New Orleans Hornets: C Tyler Zeller, North Carolina, Senior As mentioned earlier, look for the Hornets to take more of a sure thing with this pick after taking a chance on a high potential player like Drummond. Zeller is a good low post scorer, good rebounder and plays the game hard. He doesn't have any out of this world attributes that will blow you away and limits his potential, but he will be a solid rotational big in this league, much like a former Tar Heel alum, Tyler Hansbrough. 14. Houston Rockets: PF/C Patric Young, Florida, Sophomore Despite what was said earlier about the Rockets already having solid big men depth, at this point, they will just go with the best player available and that is Young. Young is a handful down low with his wide shoulders and excellent strength. He doesn't have a lot of offensive skill, but he can finish around the rim, has a solid right handed hook and establishes deep post position. He also does a nice job of setting hard screens. Defensively he has good instincts, his strength is a huge benefit on the glass and doesn't back down from anybody. 15. Milwaukee Bucks: C Cody Zeller, Indiana, Sophomore 16. Dallas Mavericks: PG Kendall Marshall, North Carolina, Sophomore 17. Boston Celtics: PF John Henson, North Carolina, Junior 18. Portland Trailblazers: PG Tony Wroten Jr, Washington, Freshman 19. Los Angeles Lakers: SF/PF Terrence Jones, Kentucky, Sophomore 20. Utah Jazz: PG Myck Kabongo, Texas, Freshman 21. Denver Nuggets: PF/C Arnett Moultrie, Mississppi State, Junior 22. Orlando Magic: SG Austin Rivers, Duke, Freshman 23. San Antonio Spurs: SG/SF Evan Fournier, International 24. Atlanta Hawks: PF Mason Plumlee, Duke, Junior 25. Los Angeles Clippers: SF Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt, Senior 26. Indiana Pacers: PG Damian Lillard, Weber State, Junior 27. Philadelphia 76ers: SG Doron Lamb, Kentucky, Sophomore 28. Miami Heat: C: Augusto Cesar Lima, International 29. Chicago Bulls: Dion Waiters, Syracuse, Sophomore 30. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kris Joseph, Syracuse, Senior Thoughts and comments are appreciated. Like I said above, this is more of a rough guesstimate than anything else and I obviously don't expect the draft to look like this. I know that there are some prospects I am completely off on.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/218811/Love_Suspended_Two_Games_For_Scola_Incident#ixzz1ldpAZqpt Glad to see he didn't escape punishment for a blatantly obvious stomp. You could tell that he had every intention of doing it and was completely on purpose. Just a disgraceful play.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/218810/Baron_Davis_Has_Setback_Not_Expected_Before_All_Star_Break#ixzz1ldo71mE3 Do the Knicks get more desperate in the trade market in hopes of finding a point guard or do they ride it out with Jeremy Lin, Iman Sumpert and Toney Douglas? Davis is certainly not a reliable option at this point in time as you don't even know if he will be able to play. If he does ever make it onto the court, who knows how effective he is going to be considering his age, his injury history and the fact that he hasn't played for so long. Placing your hopes on his back is a disaster waiting to happen.

The first quarter was by far the best quarter of basketball DeRozan has played this season. He made excellent decisions out there and read the defense perfectly. He was solid in the 2nd as well, but with him getting his usual rest period, he didn't have as many opportunities as he did in the 1st. In the 2nd half he wasn't as effective as Miami made some adjustments and took some things away, but he was still a factor out there, which was good to see. With Kleiza and Bayless keying the comeback, his offense wasn't needed. - His first basket he came off a screen and ended up with Bosh on a switch. Bosh was giving him the baseline in hopes of funneling him into help. DeRozan caught the ball, read Bosh's positioning and exploded to his hit going right into Bosh's body to nulify any potential shot block. He did a nice job of bouncing off of the contact and finishing with the right handed floater for the And 1. A strong, decisive move before any help could arrive - He got a rebound and instead of looking to hand it off to Calderon like usual, he immediately turned up court and pushed the ball. He read that Chalmers was playing him for the drive and backing off into the paint, so he found Calderon on the wing for the open jumper. Good job of reading how the defense was playing him and making the high percentage play. - His next basket was a result of him recognizing the mismatch and attacking it. He got the ball and on the break ended up with Chalmers guarding him. He went right at Chalmers, establishing post position. He ordered the rest of the team to clear out so that he could isolate Chalmers in the post. Chalmers was forcing him left, likely knowing that DeRozan rarely drives to his left but instead of forcing a move to his right, DeRozan made a quick move to his left and ended up with a wide open left handed hook. Many times this season DeRozan has forced a move to his right on a play like that, or even passed the ball and didn't even look to exploit the mismatch. - On the next Raptors possession he curled off of an Ed Davis screen, caught the ball and had Anthony hedge to allow Battier to get back into position. DeRozan swung the ball to Calderon and Battier shaded over towards Jose. Calderon pitched the ball back to DeRozan who immediately took one hard dribble to cause Battier to get back on his heels and elevated for the easy pull up jumper. Good recognition on his part to take that one hard dribble as it completely froze Battier and gave him the space he needed to get the shot off. - His next basket was my favourite of the 1st quarter, even if it was one of the more basic plays. He got the ball just off to the right of the top of the arc. Amir came and set a screen for him. DeRozan took one bounce and saw that LeBron and Battier were boxing Amir in to prevent him from rolling to the basket so DeRozan took one dribble and went up with the jumper. It was a very simple play but showed that DeRozan was scanning the defense and not just pointlessly dribbling. - His last basket of the 1st was just a nice job of short clock usage. Got the ball with 4 seconds left, took a hard dribble to his right, spun off of Battier to his left and did a nice job of using the glass to bank it in. It was a really nice, fluid move. - He also had a nice defensive play on LeBron. LeBron caught the ball at the foul line and DeRozan got right into him. He read that LeBron was going to go left, moved his feet, got to the spot before James did and drew the offensive foul. For a player who isn't very good defensively, it was nice to see him make this kind of play on one of the best players in the game. - In the 2nd quarter he passed the ball into James Johnson in the post and Johnson kicked it back out to him. LeBron's close out was a little out of control as he was over too far to DeRozan's left and had his feet too far apart which didn't enable him to get the explosion needed to get back into position. Immediately after the catch, DeRozan went to his right as he saw the open lane, took two hard dribbles, protected the ball and went right up for the dunk. Another strong, decisive move that he hasn't been doing this season. - He also had a really nice pass in the fastbreak to Rasual Butler, but Butler blew the dunk (and then managed to blow both free throws as well) so it didn't really get a lot of attention. It was a nice play to suck the defense and find the open man. Now the challenge is for him to carry this over into the next game, the one after that and so on and so forth. He has had some flashes this season but once it seems like he is starting to turn a corner, he reverts back into the invisible, non-impactful, useless player that he has been for much of the season.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20120204_CHI@MIL