NBA London 2016: Just how good is DeMar DeRozan?

DeMar DeRozan, a high-flying All-Star and top-ten scorer, will be the most celebrated star of NBA London 2016. Just how good is he? And how much better has he become since his last trip here in 2011?

I’ve spent the last several weeks finding out, so let’s take a look – as always, with detailed analysis and the aid of in-game screenshots and advanced stats.

He comes to us in fine form.

Over his last 17 games, DeRozan is putting up 25.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 47.2% shooting from the field and 35.1% shooting from 3-point range. His Toronto Raptors have gone 11-6 over that time as they navigate a noticeably improved Eastern Conference and currently occupy the No. 3 seed.

The Mozgov factor: The unexpected rise of the Russian Roy Hibbert

When I met Russia’s unassuming 7-foot center Timofey Mozgov in London during the 2012 Olympics, I did not predict him someday soon being crucial to the outcome of the NBA Finals.

Yet here he is, the anchor of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ suddenly elite defense, their rim protector extraordinaire and occasional offensive relief valve, helping them to an unforeseen 2-1 lead over the Golden State Warriors.

Mozgov has been quite simply the most impactful defender at his position in these playoffs. He is holding opponents to just 39.0% shooting at the rim for the postseason, the stingiest number of any big man who made it past the first round.

Remember how Indiana’s Roy Hibbert made the defensive rule of verticality famous by mastering the art of jumping straight up to challenge opposing penetrators, arms pointing to the sky so as to avoid fouling? He was the bane of LeBron’s life and helped the Pacers take a series lead over the Heat in two of the last three postseasons.

Now LeBron has a Hibbert of his own, and he is a crucial member of James’ depleted but accidentally perfect cast of role players because he, like Matthew Dellavedova, provides a critical defensive ingredient that Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving never could.

The Spike Game: LeBron’s greatest night as a Cavalier

Going into Game 2 of the 2015 Finals on Sunday, a 2-0 Warriors lead was seen by many as a foregone conclusion. 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists later, LeBron James was memorably spiking the ball high off the Oracle Arena hardwood and into the Oakland sky with the series tied at 1-1 and his greatest night as a Cavalier in the books.

This was a special performance, and it stemmed from his improved shot selection.

I wrote after Game 1 about two competing versions of LeBron on offense, about how too many Bad LeBron sightings kept his 44-point night from being one of his better Finals performances.

In Game 2, he set the tone with a first half that was Good LeBron in the extreme: a player making the most of his talents as a passer, scorer and dominant physical force, carrying his team to a surprising lead.

In the first quarter, he attacked the paint time and again both off the dribble and out of the post-up. He took ten shots and I had to compile them all in one YouTube video because every single one of them was smart:

Good LeBron, Bad LeBron: The greatness and imperfection of James’ 44-point Game 1

LeBron James put up 44 points in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals as the Cavaliers went down to defeat in overtime, failing to take advantage of what was probably their best chance to steal a game on the Warriors’ home floor. It was the highest-scoring Finals game of James’ career, and an at times dominant, yet at times frustrating performance.

In many ways, LeBron did a perfect job of exhibiting what I view as the good and the bad of his offensive game.

The good: He is an unstoppable scoring force who can bring a defense to its knees when he posts up, attacks the basket, and takes on-balance shots in the flow of the offense.

The bad: He too often bails out the defense with ill-advised, long-distance, low percentage shots, often fading away, completely outside of the flow of the offense. When he does this he fails to take advantage of his strengths and reduce his teammates to useless bystanders.

Good LeBron was on display in abundance, as he posted up no less than 26 times – surely as much as any time in his career. As an onlooker who often bemoaned his unwillingness or inability to do work in the low post throughout the first half of his career, it is refreshing and rewarding to see him going to his now beautifully-refined post game.

A deeper consideration of Alvin Gentry’s strengths: Why he is perfect for Anthony Davis and the Pelicans

Over the weekend the New Orleans Pelicans hired Alvin Gentry to be their new head coach. They made the right choice.

This is the second bold move in the space of two weeks for GM Dell Demps, whose decision to fire Monty Williams was one that should have been more loudly applauded. It would have been easy to keep the affable Monty in place following a feel-good postseason berth, but the Pelicans are right to have aspirations that match the transcendent ability of star player Anthony Davis.

With Davis embarking on what could eventually go down as one of the greatest careers of all time, it was essential that the Pelicans chose the right man to lead him. That man, despite his once throwing up on the bench during one of the most important games of his coaching career, is Gentry.

Certainly on the face of it he is an unglamorous hire – a re-tread assistant coach who has won just two playoff series as a head coach in four different stops. Au contraire, Gentry is an offensive mastermind and great communicator with a knack for getting the best out of talented young stars in non-ideal situations. As an assistant he has made colossal contributions and as a head coach he has generally met or exceeded expectations whilst never being blessed with a proposition as promising as New Orleans’ until now.

Who should win the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery?

It is that time of year again. The 2015 NBA Draft Lottery will be held tonight. Who deserves to win it?

I like to imagine a world in which the draft order is determined by Davometrics – my balanced consideration of each franchise’s fan base, history, location, ownership, front office, existing talent and any other miscellaneous factors that I consider relevant.

I want the best young prospects (such as Karl-Anthony Towns, pictured above) to have the chance to develop in the best possible basketball environment: in front of sold-out crowds of educated, passionate fans who will appreciate watching them develop; for owners who are financially committed to surrounding them with the necessary talent; preferably in a large, thriving metropolis that offers a superior quality of life and great marketing opportunities.

Lethargic LeBron and bumbling Blatt: How the Cavs lost Game 1 to Chicago

The Chicago Bulls took a 1-0 lead in their second round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night, stealing home court advantage and setting up something close to a must-win game for the Cavs in Game 2.

At the heart of the Cavs’ loss was a lackadaisical, curiously careless performance from their leader LeBron James.

James put up 19 points on 9-for-22 shooting with six turnovers – his lowest output since a 2-for-10 night in Game 5 of last year’s Conference Finals. He appeared to lack focus and a sense of urgency.

Doc Rivers on the edge: 30 of the best sweaty and stressed Doc faces

Since taking the Los Angeles Clippers head coaching job, Doc Rivers has appeared to be constantly on edge.

There are few more common League Pass sights than that of Doc’s shiny, angry, stressed-out face as he screams at officials or barks out instructions to a team that has disappointed in clutch moments more often than not. Indeed, he may well be the sweatiest, angriest head coach in the league.

He is TV gold, a bundle of mostly negative emotion that the cameras cut to at every opportunity – always ripe for a screenshot. At times it looks as if his eyes are ready to pop out of his head. At others he merely looks ready to break down and cry. I worry for his mental state.

“I don’t complain much,” Doc noted after the Clips lost Game 5 of their first round series with San Antonio on Tuesday – apparently with no hint of sarcasm.

Of course, he is in fact one of the biggest serial complainers in the league. It is the team-wide culture of whining and ref-baiting that makes the Clippers the technical foul league-leaders and one of the most detestable squads in the league for many neutrals.

With his team on the brink of elimination tonight in San Antonio, what better time than now to enjoy 30 of the best sweaty-and-stressed Doc screenshots?