2012 NBA Christmas Day Preview

James Harden singing Jingle Bells is just one of the joys of five NBA games on Christmas Day. (TotalProSports.com)

Christmas Day has almost arrived, which means a great day of NBA matchups will be on ABC and ESPN. I will preview what to watch for in each game. Merry Christmas to all!

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets  - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN
The Celtics will travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a budding Atlantic Division rivalry. The premier matchup of this game will be the point guards, Rajon Rondo of the Celtics and Deron Williams of the Nets. Rondo is averaging 14.3 points and 11.1 assists in December while shooting 52 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Williams is having a down year as he tries to find his role with his newly formed team. He is shooting just 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc. Williams is still averaging 16.8 points and 8.1 assists a game. There's also a player on each team who is capable of taking the game over. The Celtics' Paul Pierce has been superb lately and is averaging 23.8 points per game in December. Joe Johnson has emerged as the go to guy for the Nets. He scored 22 points in their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers - 3:00 PM EST, ABC
Both teams have been two of the NBA's biggest surprises. The Knicks have emerged as of the league's top teams behind great three-point shooting. The Lakers have struggled to come together as a team, but they will benefit from Steve Nash's return from injury. This game features some great matchups. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant are two of the league's top scorers. Anthony is scoring 33.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the field in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Bryant is averaging 33.8 points per game since the start of December. Another intriguing matchup will be two of the league's top centers. Dwight Howard is in his first season with the Lakers, while Tyson Chandler anchors the Knicks' defense. Howard has struggled a bit recently, averaging just 15.1 points per game in his past five games. As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Chandler will look to shut him down.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat - 5:30 PM EST, ABC
This is probably the most anticipated matchup of any of the Christmas Day games, featuring a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. This is the first meeting between these two teams this season, and the Thunder will be looking for revenge. As if you couldn't figure it on your own, the premier matchup in this game is obviously the NBA's top two players Kevin Durant of the Thunder and LeBron James of the Heat. Durant is averaging 27.9 points and 8.4 rebounds this season, while James is putting up 25.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game. The defensive matchup between the two will be intriguing as well. They will most likely be guarding one another for the majority of the game. The Heat will have the home crowd at their back, but the Thunder experienced what that was like last summer.

Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls - 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
These two teams may not appear to be two of the NBA's top teams, but both have played surprisingly well given their circumstances. The Rockets weren't expected to compete for a spot in the playoffs at all. However, a preseason trade has changed everything. James Harden, the centerpiece of the trade with the Thunder, has averaged 25.6 points and 5.6 assists a game as a starter in Houston. He has emerged as one of the league's top shooting guards right now. Meanwhile, the Bulls have kept winning, even without one of the NBA's top players. A number of players have stepped up in Derrick Rose's absence. Joakim Noah is averaging 13.5 points and 10.6 seen rebounds while Luol Deng leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game. They have helped the Bulls remain competitive while they wait for their superstar to return.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers - 10:30 PM EST, ESPN
The Clippers are one of the NBA's hottest teams right now. The Clippers' offense is led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul runs the show with 16.1 points and 9.6 assists per game. In the post, Griffin is averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Clippers also have an elite defense that allows opponents to score just 91.6 points per game, which is fourth best in the NBA. The Nuggets are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Ty Lawson is one of the fastest players in the NBA and pushes the tempo of the offense. He loves to facilitate the ball to his teammates, such as Danilo Gallinari, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer. Lawson did strain his left Achilles in Sunday's game and is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game. If he is indeed out or not 100 percent, it would be a huge blow to the Nuggets' chances.

2012 NBA Draft Winners and Losers

Harrison Barnes could be the potential star of what is a solid draft class for the Golden State Warriors. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Draft Winners


1. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors couldn't have been happier to have Harrison Barnes fall in their lap. Many experts love to bash him for his struggles in the NCAA tournament after point guard Kendall Marshall got hurt. However, I believe his rare athleticism, pure shooting, and solid defending make him a potential All-Star. He fits a need for the Warriors and will slide in their starting lineup at small forward alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut. Then, later on the Warriors got Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green. Ezeli is a big man full of raw talent. He will slot in well behind Bogut. Green provides good awareness and athleticism at either forward position. With the move to San Francisco under way, the Warriors are a franchise headed in a promising direction.

2. Houston Rockets
Everyone knows about the Rockets attempts to land Dwight Howard. They might not have been able to pull it off on draft night, however, I believe they did very well with the draft picks they used. With the 12th overall pick, they got Jeremy Lamb, who wasn't expected to fall out of the top ten. Lamb is a great shooter and has solid athleticism. While he doesn't have that killer instinct, he has the talent to become an excellent role player. At #16, the Rockets picked one of the most interesting talents in the draft, Royce White. While he doesn't really have a true position, his offensive awareness and hard working attitude make him a special talent. With 18th overall pick, the Rockets added Terrence Jones. While most Kentucky draftees are overrated in my opinion, Jones might be the exception. His ability to shoot and attack the basket make for a great value pick. The Rockets are stock loaded with talent. They definitely now have the depth to trade for Dwight Howard or another star player who's available.

3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons were another beneficiary of a player falling in their lap. Their man is seven-footer Andre Drummond. Drummond didn't have as good of a freshman year as many expected, but all of the talent is still there. I believe he can learn a lot from Greg Monroe, who has developed into a double-double machine for the Pistons in the post. If Drummond and Monroe click well together, the NBA better watch out. In the second round, the Pistons added two athletic wings in Khris Middleton and Kim English. Middleton's draft stock took a drop this past season due to decreased production. If he is able to regain his form, he has the ability to be a solid complimentary player. English is a great defender and pure shooter. Both Middleton and English should slot well beside Brandon Knight in a rebuilding Pistons team.

Draft Losers


1. Cleveland Cavaliers
After failing to trade up to the #2 overall spot in the draft, the Cavaliers shocked everyone with their selection at #4 overall spot. They selected Dion Waiters to be the backcourt partner to Kyrie Irving. From a logistical standpoint that makes sense, but Waiters had many question marks in the eyes of draft experts. His lack of size and defensive ineptness were two of the biggest concerns. Even if the Cavaliers believed Waiters was their man, they should have traded down to take him later and acquire draft picks in addition. The Cavaliers then traded their three other picks to the Dallas Mavericks for Tyler Zeller. Zeller certainly has potential, but he better develop into a special player, if you are going to give up three picks for him. The Cavaliers' draft day moves were puzzling from top to bottom.

2. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were looking for a guard and selected Terrence Ross at #8 overall. With the likes of Jeremy Lamb, Austin Rivers, and others still on the board, the pick was rather surprising. While Ross does have excellent athleticism and potential, perhaps the wiser move would have been to try and trade down to get Ross later and additional picks. The Raptors added Quincy Acy and Tomislav Zubcic in the second round. Both guys are athletic and have definite potential. Not a terrible draft for the Raptors, I just don't think Ross should have been a top ten pick.

3. Boston Celtics
One of the biggest lessons we learned about the Celtics from this past postseason is that they don't have the athleticism and seed to compete with the NBA's best young teams. With the 21st and 22nd overall picks in the draft, the Celtics were in a position to dismiss that need. Unfortunately, I believe they missed the boat entirely. First, the Celtics picked Jared Sullinger. Sullinger is undersized and his back problems were a red flag everyone knew about. Second, they took Fab Melo. With a history of off the court issues and a lack of athleticism, Melo does not seem like a good fit for the Celtics. Neither player supplies the real need of the Celtics, and both players have been considered among the most likely draft busts. This draft appears to be a missed opportunity for the Celtics.

Celtics Take Crucial Game 5 Behind Garnett and Pierce

Kevin Garnett helped lead the Celtics to their Game 5 win. (Mike Ehrmann)

When the Miami Heat came from behind in Game 2 to win, they took a commanding 2-0 lead and all the foreseeable momentum to Boston. My how the tables have turned since then. In Games 3 & 4, the Celtics took large leads early and demonstrated poise as they held on to level the series at two games a piece. Tonight, the series shifted back to Miami for the decisive Game 5.

The Heat came out strong in the first quarter, led by LeBron James. The Celtics struggled on the offensive end, as the Heat built the lead to as much as 11 in the first quarter. Midway through the second, the Celtics offense started to come alive. The third quarter saw back and forth action as the teams traded punches. However, it was the Celtics who locked down to close out the quarter on a 8-0 run to take a five-point lead into the fourth.

The fourth quarter turned into a classic battle. Both teams knew what the win would mean. With a minute to go, the Celtics led by one with the ball. Paul Pierce had the ball in his hands. From 25 feet out, he simply rose up and shot the three over LeBron's outstretched arm. Nothing but net. It didn't matter how much Pierce had struggled in the game prior. He turned to the Celtics' bench and shook his head. They knew how big the shot was. The Heat tried to come back, but clutch free throws by Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett sealed the Celtics' crucial road victory.

Three games ago the Celtics were too old. Now, they are one win away from a return to the NBA Finals. Garnett finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. While LeBron may be the regular season MVP, I believe at this point Garnett deserves the Eastern Conference MVP. Following the game KG talked about the toughness of his team, "We stayed with it. We had a rough first quarter, first half. We got our stops and made our run ourselves. And when we had to, we had stops. He also commented on the teamwork the Celtics display, "We do it together; we don't do it individually...When we do it together, we look pretty darned good."

Pierce nailed another clutch shot, showing once again that he is one of the game's best closers. Game 6 returns to Boston with the Celtics needing just one win to advance. The pressure is on the Heat, who looked good early, but really didn't play well beside the efforts of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. They will need more of a team effort to have a chance in Game 6. Coverage of Game 6 is scheduled to begin Thursday night at 8:30 on ESPN.

Big Performance by Bass Sparks Celtics Game 5 Win

Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

When you think of the Boston Celtics teams of recent years, you probably think of the Big Three first. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett are all great players and should be Hall of Famers in my opinion. Then, you have to think of Rajon Rondo next. Rondo runs the show from the point guard position. When he is on his game, he ranks among the best in the game. The Celtics second-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers was tied at two games a piece coming into tonight. With the Celtics trailing at halftime, they needed someone to step up in the third quarter. That someone turned out to be the fifth member of their starting lineup, Brandon Bass.

Bass came to the Celtics in a preseason trade with the Orlando Magic for Glen Davis. Expected to come off the bench, Bass was pressed into starting duty following an injury to veteran Jermaine O'Neal. The Celtics were the real beneficiary as Bass steadily produced in his starting roll. During the regular season, he averaged 12.5 points per game along with 6.2 rebounds per game. Bass has the ability to spread the floor, which was evidenced by his making 48% of his shots from 16-23 feet during the regular season. This also provided a great compliment to Garnett's play.

During their Game 4 loss, Bass scored 15 points, but only played 22 minutes due to foul trouble. Following the game, head coach Doc Rivers admitted, "Honestly, if we made one mistake, we should have gone back to Bass." Bass made sure that didn't happen tonight. In the third quarter, he simply took over. Using a mixture of mid-range jump shots and drives to the hoop, Bass kept the Sixers defense off balance. His 18 points in the quarter outscored the 16 put up by the entire Sixers team. Bass also got the crowd into the game and the rest of his team into it with their energy.

The Celtics closed the third quarter on a 10-2 run, and then, opened the fourth quarter on a 16-6 run to grasp full control. The Sixers never recovered, giving the Celtics the 3-2 lead in the series. Bass matched his regular season career-high with 27 points. People may not have known his name before tonight, but they certainly do now. Brandon Bass is a starter for the Celtics for a reason, and he just showed everyone why. When asked about the performance by Bass, Rivers stated, "I thought the big difference was his energy. He played with a force. I thought he let himself go." The Celtics would be fine with Bass continuing to let himself go. If he continues to play like this, the Celtics will be a though team to beat.

The Truth Seemingly Wills Celtics to Victory

Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Boston Celtics looked like they were destined to be down two games to none. They were down by 11 in the second half of Game 2, without their two starting guards, and running out of energy because of a short bench. Someone had to take over and that someone was Paul Pierce. Pierce came out on fire scoring the Celtics' first nine points of the night, but labored through a stretch of poor shooting in the second and third quarters. But he had not come this far just to watch another game slip away.

Starting towards the end of the third quarter, Pierce aggressively took the game over. His toughness on offense when combined with lockdown Celtics defense on the other end of the court resulted in the Celtics making a run. Pierce's run surpassed the Atlanta Hawks' lead single-handedly. Pierce's 18 points down the stretch, including 13 in the fourth quarter, outscored the whole Hawks team (15 points) over that stretch.

After making a couple free throws with just over a minute left to seal the comeback win, Pierce paused on the way back to the bench and tebowed as he thanked God. Celtics fans certainly have Pierce and God to thank for the victory. The win swings the home-court advantage to Boston, where the Celtics will at least have Rajon Rondo back from suspension. Ray Allen will likely be another game-time decision. Paul Pierce has breathed new life into this Celtics team. He may be past his prime, but he can still showcase his vintage clutchness from time to time. Simply put, that is the truth.

Individual Players' Poor Choices Costing Teams Chances to Win

Photo Credit: Lynne Sladky/AP Photo

Everyone knows who egotistical athletes can be at times. We have all acted that way at one point or another. What is unfortunate is when you allow these attitudes to turn into actions that affect other people. That is what three NBA players who are often in the spotlight have done. I already blogged about Metta World Peace elbowing James Harden. His seven-game suspension was a weaksauce move by the league. The Lakers still won Game 1, but the lack of depth and cohesiveness in the playoffs, could come back to bite them in the playoffs.

Sunday, the Boston Celtics were frustrated by how they played and some of the officiating in the game, which was understandable on both accounts. However, Rajon Rondo let the frustration get the better of him. After a loose ball foul call on Brandon Bass, Rondo yelled at the official, which earned him his second technical of the game, and proceeded to chest bump the official. This left the NBA with no choice. I am sure that the league didn't want to suspend Rondo for a instance like this, but they didn't have a choice. The rules are very clear about player contact with the officials. Today, Rondo was suspended for Game 2. This leaves the Celtics, who are already down one game to none in the series, without one of their best players and substantially less guard depth. This puts his team in a real predicament.

Tonight, the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks to take a 2-0 series lead. The Knicks were obviously disappointed, but one star player acted rashly as a result. Amare Stoudemire punched the glass around a fire extinguisher following the loss. He suffered lacerations on his left hand, which required stitches. Stoudemire is almost certainly out for Game 3, basically a must-win for the Knicks, and possibly out for the whole series. The Knicks clearly need him to have a chance in this series. Poor choices have consequences. It is unfortunate, but they most certainly do. When an athlete puts his or her personal ego first, it hurts the team and its chemistry badly. What I would suggest to athletes is that they need to work on thinking being for they act. The choices they make affect lots of people.

Rondo and Thunder Duo Own Today

Everyone was excited for ABC's two big NBA matchups today. What no one expected is that they would both be blowouts, but they certainly were. I will take a look at what happened in both games.

Boston Celtics 91 Miami Heat 72

The Miami Heat were never really in the game as the Boston Celtics used big first and third quarters to take control of the game. The Celtics led by at least 19 most of the second half. Rajon Rondo played a nearly flawless, balanced game. He finished with 16 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. The triple-double was Rondo's fifth of the season and was another outstanding performance in a marquee game on national television. The Celtics' stifling defense frustrated the Heat, who shot only 34.8% from the field. LeBron James finished with no assists for only the second time in his career. The game was another alarming loss for the Heat. They have now lost 7 of their last 10 road games. The loss was their third consecutive with a margin of defeat of at least 15. The Heat are 21-2 at home, but only 16-12 on the road. This team does not appear nearly as complete as was once thought.

Oklahoma City Thunder 92 Chicago Bulls 78

In one week, the Oklahoma City Thunder have destroyed the other two teams competing for the best record in the NBA. Last Sunday, they beat the Miami Heat 103-87. Today's win over the Chicago Bulls wasn't even as close as the score indicates. Russell Westbrook led the scoring for the Thunder with 27 points and Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder's shutdown defense took care of the rest. The OKC lead grew to as much as 30 points in the 4th quarter before the starters went out. The Bulls obviously missed having Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton, but this result was much worse than just missing him. The team looked flat in every aspect of the game and were outhustled completely. The question becomes how good are the Bulls really. Rose must get healthy for them to be truly competitive. But if Rose does have a bad game, will they be able to recover? This game certainly should be a wakeup call for the Bulls to say the least.

Kobe, Rondo, Rose, & D-Will Shine in Sunday Wins

Kobe Bryant - 33 points, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds

This was a statement game for Kobe Bryant. All the Hollywood Hoopla will turn this into revenge against Dwayne Wade for breaking his nose. But Kobe was far more concerned with getting the win. All Kobe has done since the injury is lead his team to victory. In three games, Kobe has scored 30+ points, and the Lakers have won all three games. A broken nose won't stop Kobe from putting on a show and helping lead his team to victories.

Rajon Rondo - 18 points, 20 assists, and 17 rebounds

The game was aired on national television. Everyone was talking about Jeremy Lin's return to Boston. But it was the Boston Celtics who showed up in a big way. Paul Pierce had a game-tying three to send the game to overtime. Pierce had 34 in the game. However, the star of the game was Rondo. He did everything on the court, earning his second triple-double in three games. The 17 rebounds were a career-high.

Derrick Rose - 35 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds

When the game was on the line at the end, both the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls turned to their stars. Andre Iguodala air balled a shot and bricked one off the backboard. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose sealed up the Bulls win with his impressive performance. Rose tied a season-high with 35 points, including 20 in the second half and a pair of quarter-ending buzzer-beaters. The win gave the Bulls their sixth straight win and league-best 31st overall.

Deron Williams - 57 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds

Deron Williams loves to come off pick-and-rolls, but everyone knows that, so they always double team him. But tonight, D-Will noticed that the Charlotte Bobcats weren't doing that. Williams took full advantage as he scored a franchise-record 57 points in the Nets' win. D-Will outscored the rest of the Nets combined by ten points. He was a perfect 21 for 21 from the charity stripe. Williams all-around effort was impressive to say the least.

NBA Friday: Separating the Contenders from the Pretenders

Boston Celtics 91 New York Knicks 89

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen helped the Celtics secure a much needed win at home. The Knicks fall to 8-15 on the season. Questions and complaints continue to circulate about this dysfunctional team.

Orlando Magic 102 Cleveland Cavaliers 94

The Magic had trouble closing out the end of January (they went 2-6), but picked up their second win in two February games. Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds in the win. We will have to see the Magic are back on track as it appears.

Miami Heat 99 Philadelphia 76ers 79

The Heat pounded the 76ers behind big games from Wade and LeBron. LeBron has had a MVP first-half of the season to lead the Heat. The loss drops the 76ers' home record to 12-3. While that is still impressive, this game showed the 76ers to be more of pretenders than contenders.

Oklahoma City Thunder 101 Memphis Grizzlies 94

Kevin Durant closed out another impressive win for the Thunder. Their record now stands at a league-best 18-4 (9-1 at home). Each game makes the Thunder look more and more like serious contenders. On the other hand, the Grizzlies have been a disappointment so far this season. Many people liked their talent for a short season, but they have been mediocre to this point.

Indiana Pacers 98 Dallas Mavericks 87

The Pacers are playing like contenders right now. They won in Dallas for the first time in eight years. Their ten road victories are tied for the most in the league. Paul George nailed seven three pointers and scored a career-high 30 points. The defending champion Mavericks continue to struggle. Right now, they are looking a lot more like pretenders than contenders.

Los Angeles Lakers 93 Denver Nuggets 89

The Lakers have had their struggles on the road, but got a quality win in Denver to improve their road record to 3-7. Kobe didn't have his best game, but his solid effort combined with those of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were enough to secure the win. The Nuggets are trying compete against the top tier of the Western Conference, but lack a true star. They might be regular season contenders, but that is a recipe for a postseason pretender.