Who's Your R.O.Y?

                  

Let's be honest, the race for 2010-2011 Rookie of The Year is a race between two players, John Wall (above) and Blake Griffin (below). For a second let's pretend that the NBA doesn't keep track of stats and the award is given to the person who's play is the best, who do you give the award to? Here's my argument for both players...

John Wall: Watching John Wall it's easy to see why he is considered to be arguably the best rookie in the NBA right now. No one can catch him in the open court, he gets to the rim whenever he pleases, but more importantly he's making his teammates around him better. By being an effective Point Guard he's taking the load of Gilbert Arenas (he could use the lack of attention this season) on the offensive end, and he's making the Washington Wizard bigs actually have to roll to the hoop LOOKING for the ball. He has improved the Wizards with his play so far this season. The only thing hurting him would be is current injury which has sidelined him for a couple games, but those games that he has sat out it is apparent that the Wizards need him on the floor. Wall for R.O.Y

Blake Griffin: If you had to ask anyone if Blake Griffin should be the Rookie of The Year, ask the rim at the Staples Center. Blake Griffin this season as beat up the rim the same way Ike used to beat Tina, the only difference is that people like it when Griffin beats up on the rim. Clippers fans worried about Griffin after losing him for his first season (Griffin sat out all of last season due to knee surgery), perhaps thinking that when he came back he wouldn't be as explosive as he was at Oklahoma University...boy were they wrong. All Griffin has been doing this season is dunking, and if you just so happen to be under, around, or in front of the rim you're just there to be a part of a Sportcenter highlight. Griffin has added a midrange shot to his game, and you can see that through his play so far this season. Teams are gonna try to give him a step but with that square-up-knock-down off the glass shot a part of his game, he's going to be an even bigger problem from the defense. Griffin  is giving fans a reason to go to the Staples Center to watch Los Angeles play...that are NOT the Lakers. Griffin for R.O.Y

With that being said, who do you pick? Wall is going to have the ball in his hands more than Griffin which could contribute to Wall having better numbers at the end of the season than Griffin. Griffin though is going to dunk his way into your memory, trying to make the decision purely based on the excitement level of his play, not to mention his nearly double-double numbers. Could it come down to which team makes the playoffs? If that's the case the Clippers could be in trouble living in the West where let's be honest the better teams exist. The Wizards have a pretty good chance of getting the 7th or 8th spot in the East but can the Clippers do the same out in the West? Or could we have a repeat of the 1995 season where Grant Hill and Jason Kidd split the trophy? All I know is that both young men are fantastic players, and if you get a chance to watch them play jump at the opportunity.

Second Night of NBA Action

 Could the Heat rebound from their loss against Boston? The answer was a yes, by a margin of 10 points. Considering that the Heat were playing the Philly 76ers, the Heat looked liked the team most people thought they would be, completely dominating the less talented Sixers. Lebron James played more of a point guard role last night leading the Heat in assist with 7, and allowing the scoring and rebounding to be left to Dwayne Wade who finished with 30 and 7 respectively. Chris Bosh finished with 15 points for the Heat. Sixers saw some production from rookie Evan Turner who finished with 16 points. Final score: 97-87

 With Cleveland moving on without Lebron James, how would they fair against the Boston Celtics, the team who beat Lebron James and the Heat the night before? Well a lot better than most expected, ending in a win for them and new head coach Byron Scott. Forward J.J Hickson looked like the man for Cleveland, finishing with 21 points and 6 rebounds for the Cavs. Boston made things a little bit easier for Cleveland commiting 19 turnovers, something that a team trying to get back to the NBA Finals just can not do. Rajon Rondo put up some big numbers in the loss, finishing with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assist, and 3 steals. Kevin Garnett was a point away from a double-double with 9 points and 15 rebounds. Final score: 95-87

 KD, Durantula, Scoring Champ, Kevin, Gold Medalist, all those names apply. Last night Scoring Champ seemed to fit more than any other as Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off with Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. Thunder players Durant and Russel Westbrook fresh off their Gold Medal performances in the FIBA tournament were looking to continue their tremendous play against USA teammate Derrick Rose and the Bulls, and they did. Durant finished the game with 30 points, something he did more times than anyone else last season. Westbrook stepped up for the Thunder, and looked like a front runner for most improved player finishing with 28 points, 10 assist, and 6 assist. The game was close for the first three and a half quarters, but late in the fourth Durant and Westbrook took over, getting the win for OKC. Rose matched Westbrooks' point guard play finishing with 28 points himself in the loss. Center Joakim Noah had a monster game getting his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 19 rebounds. Final score: 106-95

Newly aquired New York Knick Amare Stoudemire went north to face the Toronto Raptors for his first game with his new squad. Stoudemire showed why he was worth all the money, helping the Knicks gain their first win of the season against the Raptors. Stoudemire finished the game with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Forward Wilson Chandler that stepped up big for the Knicks in the win. Chandler finished the game with 22 points and 8 rebounds, leading all scorer. Raptor Jarret Jack posted 16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assist, and 3 steals in a losing effort. Final score: 98-93

Forward Blake Griffin looked great in the preseason, and he continued his tremendous play against the Portland Trailblazers. Griffin who sat out all of last season with a knee injury looked just as explosive as he did when he played at the University of Oklahoma, having his first NBA point as a highlight dunk in the first quarter. Click to see dunk Griffin was all over the glass, running up and down the floor, fighting for loose balls, and reminding Clippers fans why he was drafted first overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. Portland looking for their second win did just that, with solid outside shooting, and dominating on the offensive glass with 21 offensive rebounds. Brandon Roy led his team to a win with 22 points thanks to some great play in the first half. Blazer Nicolas Batum who played well for France in the FIBA tournament played very well posting 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Griffin in the lost still put up monster numbers, finishing the game with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assist. Final score: 98-88

New owner, new head coach, and a new arena on the way, the New Jersey Nets were looking to start a new trend for the franchise: winning. The Nets took on the Detroit Pistons and fought their way to their first win of the season, something that didn't come for them last year until their 20th game against the Timberwolves. Nets Center Brooke Lopez led all scorers with 25 points, but it was the great guard play of point guard Devin Harris that got the win for New Jersey. Harris finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assist, and 2 steals. This Nets team looks brand new and a lot of that can be attributed to head coach Avery Johnson. Rodney Stuckey finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assist for the Pistons. Final score: 101-98

Other Games and Scores:

Bucks vs. Hornets

91-95

Kings vs. Wolves

117-116

Hawks vs. Grizzlies

119-104

Bobcats vs. Mavericks

86-101

Pacers vs. Spurs

109-122

Jazz vs. Nuggets

88-110

Rockets vs. Warriors

128-132