NBA Predictions: Most Improved Player

This year, there have been a number of players that have improved their game significantly: Draymond Green, Hassan Whiteside, and Klay Thompson.  With that being said, no one has made a bigger improvement than the Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler.

Butler jumped from averaging 13ppg to 20ppg in a span of just one year. He was already a good slasher and a great defender, but he has now learned to create shots for himself using his improved dribbling skills. Butler practically carried the team through the first half of the season. If Derrick Rose can stay healthy, you have to wonder if the Bulls can make a serious run in the playoffs.

Derrick Rose Out: What technology can be used to revive his knee?

When I wrote my Derrick Rose article back in April, the last thing that I (or any other sports fans did NOT want to see) has just occurred. According to ESPN, Derrick Rose is out with a torn meniscus that will likely rule him out for the remainder of the season.

This injury is once again detrimental to the team. The Bulls were considered championship contenders this year. With the Cavaliers and Raptors inconsistency, the Hawks' lack of a superstar, and the Wizards uncertainty, the Bulls were at least in the running for the Eastern Conference Championship. Currently ranked 3rd in the East, the Bulls will probably end the season 5th or 6th without Rose.

Injury 

Although alot of us have heard of the term "meniscus" being tagged to athletes quite often, what does it really mean? How long does it take to recover from this injury? What type of technology will be used on Rose in order for him to recover at the fastest pace possible.

As we know, the NBA consist of 30 Multi-Million dollar organizations. These organizations contain high quality facilities that offer the VERY BEST doctors and technology when it comes to keeping the players in shape and healthy. In this case, we take a peak into some of the decision making that the  Bulls organization may be going through.

Derrick Rose

According to my research, surgery on a torn meniscus doesn't always guarantee complete recovery because it takes approximately a month before basic daily activities could be done. When it pertains to heavy activity, that process can take months. As well know, basketball is heavy pounding on the knees. Therefore , in normal circumstances , a person like Derrick Rose wouldn't be running on any court until at least the end of May. Granted , Derrick will receive heavy treatment throughout his recovery. However, the Bulls and the rest of the league is well aware that the season ends on April 15th.


General Manager Gar Forman stated that Rose could potentially be back within 4-6 weeks, so the
 most important thing as of right now is to give Derrick surgery. In today's world, the most common method to large tears is surgery. The Bulls will more than likely take this method , making sure it gets done as soon as possible. However, who's to say that they won't be considering other methods? From a basketball prospective, the quicker the player can return, the better.  Would the Bulls possibly consider something like...stem cells?

Should Stem Cells Be Given A Chance?

Stem cells have been tested on animals. In the experiment with those animals, the meniscus has completely healed after a span of 3 months. If this same style of treatment could have been applied on Derrick Rose's knee, players such as Brandon Roy, Grant Hill, and others could have had much longer and more fruitful careers. Unfortunately at this time, this process is still considered a high risk as it has not been tested on humans significantly.

With the technological advances that our society goes through day in and day, look for the stem cell process to potentially become a method that all teams use IF AND ONLY IF it can promise full recovery within the damaged area.

NBA Team Most Likely to Rise in the East: Washington Wizards

   In this year's season, many people have already crowned the Eastern conference to either the Chicago Bulls or the Cleveland Cavaliers. The return of LeBron obviously gives the Cavs a very good chance to win the East. In addition, all-stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving make the Cavs extremely tough on paper.  As such , the return of Derrick Rose will make a strong Bulls  team even stronger. The Bulls have even added former Lakers forward Pau Gasol to add offense to the team. So with these two teams predicted to win the East, are there any dark horses that could come from nowhere and take the east? Yes, there are. The team that we predict can do so? The Washington Wizards.

Young Studs: 

    The Wizards probably have the next generation of a great backcourt on their team. Point guard John Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal are two very good guards that compliment each other very well. Wall is very good at penetrating and getting to the rim. Wall is best when he has the ball in his hands because it allows him to create plays.  Beal is very good at moving around WITHOUT the ball. Beal is also 40% from the three point line. Together, they have averaged close to 40 points per game. The most exciting part about this tandem is that neither player is even close to their peak. Wall is only 24, while Beal is only 21.

John Well (left) and Bradley Beal (right) via Internet

Solid Frontcourt and Depth:
  

   This offseason, the Wizards added Paul Pierce after the departure of Trevor Ariza. Pierce is entering his 17th season, and is on the decline. However, he was nicknamed "The Truth" for a reason. Piece will give the Wizards 12-15 points per game a night. The rest of the frontcourt consist of  former all-star Nene and center Marcin Gortat. Gortat averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds per game last season. Nene is off to a great start this season, averaging 17 points and 5 rebounds per game. As the season continues to proceed, look for this group to develop some great continuity with each other. The trio of players described are all selfless and willing to move the ball around. In addition, all are capable of having a 30 point night at any given time.

    While the Wizards don't exactly have the strongest bench in the NBA, they do have a few solid pieces. Guards such as Andre Miller and Martel Webster do have the ability to make an impact on a game. Forward DeJuan Blair was a nice addition as well. He will fit very well with Nene/Gortat. His energy level will help alot off of the bench. Also, look for young forward Otto Porter to only improve and get better.

Key to Success: Chemistry & Health

 
    Although the subtitle sounds like a college course, this is exactly what the Washington Wizards need in order to compete with the beast of the east. Chemistry is already pretty good, since they have 4 returning starters from last year. With time , Paul Pierce will find his role on the team, and make his full impact that way.
 
    The most important thing for them and any other team is staying healthy. As of now, they are missing shooting guard Bradley Beal due to a fracture on his wrist. As long as injuries do not carry over into the playoffs for the Wizards, look for them to be very competitive.
 

Derrick Rose: The Climb back to the Mountain Top

   In professional sports, the absolute BIGGEST thing a player can do for his team is to  stay healthy. Throughout the history of sports, health is the part of players that can wither make them great, or end their career. Many players  were unable to reach their full potential because of health; and few even loss the ability to perform every day activities. Injuries in sports were are always going to happen as long as sports are played, whether the person injured is a mega star, or a bench warmer. Derrick Rose has been yet another player struck by the injury bug. Twice.


   As most sports fans and players know, Derrick Rose has been in the national limelight since his high school days. Rose went into his Senior year of high school being scouted as  the number 5 basketball player in the country. After mewling over some scholarship offers, Rose decided to attend the University  of Memphis. As a Freshman, Rose managed to average 15 points per game, 5 assist, and 5 rebounds. Rose led the Memphis team all the way to the NCAA Championship where they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in OT.

  At this point in his young career, Rose and another guy by the name of Michael Beasley were the two real "superstars" of the 2008 draft. With a 1.7% chance of getting the first pick in the NBA Draft, luck was in the Bulls favor; They got the first pick.





  The excitement and hype about Rose is constantly rising at this time. He had just come off a spectacular regular season and NCAA tournament performance (especially for a freshman). Now, as the number 1 pick in the draft, he gets a chance to play for his hometown team. The last number 1 pick to do so was LeBron James (technically from Akron). So, on top of being the number 1 pick, playing for the people nightly that have a significant impact on his life is added pressure.  With that being said, the saying "Pressure makes diamonds" perfectly describes the impact that Rose was able to make right away. By the end of his rookie year, Rose had collected a number of accolades that included taking the Bulls to the playoffs. Rose won the ROY(rookie of the year) award, averaging 17 points per game, 6 assist, and 4 rebounds per game. In his very first playoff game, Rose tied Kareem Abdul-Jabar for most points scored in a debut performance (36) in NBA history.


  Each and every year, Rose was able to prove that he was the real deal. In just his third season, Rose led the Bulls to a 62 win season. The last time that Chicago had over 60 wins was in 1998 (Michael Jordan's last championship season). In addition,  Rose became the first Bulls player since Jordan to win the honorable MVP award.   In one season alone, Rose was able to record over 2,000 points to go along with 600 assists. At just 22 years old, the limelight couldn't be any brighter for Rose.

  The potential that Rose has was and still is very scary for opposing teams. At just 22, he was able to average slightly over 25 points a game, and 7 assist. Most players don't even tend to reach their peak until their late twenties. If healthy, Rose has the potential to reach an average close to 30 points and 10 assist per game in his peak. The only thing that can stop a player from accomplishing such is his health; And that's exactly what happened to Rose. In Rose's fourth year, Rose was able to average 21 points and 8 assist. However, he is only played in 39 games due to multiple injuries during the regular season. During the last few minutes of Game 1 , Rose tore his ACL in his left knee. Rose would be out of the 2012 playoffs , and go on to miss the entire 2013 season.

  At this point, some of the stardom has been lost. It's hard to miss one entire season and still as relevant as you  are when you are participating. However, missing only one year is far from a career disaster. Many were in anticipation for the return of Rose in the 2013-2014 season. Unfortunately, the injury bug would bite again.


  One month into the season, Rose injured his right knee. The MRI showed that Rose tore his meniscus which means that he would once again be out for the season. From an athletic standpoint, it's already hard to miss ONE game due to injury. Out of the last 246 regular season game the Bulls have played, Rose has only participated in 49. Yes, 49. In a matter of three short years, Rose went from being the MVP of the league to strictly a team supporter.

  One thing about Rose is that throughout the past 2 seasons, he has never seemed to lose hope in returning back to his old form. While many doubt that he will be the same, Rose has done nothing but work hard. He hopes to one day be considered one of the best; sitting the mountain top with the best.



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Glitches - Basketball

Glitches. Don't we all hate glitches. From NBA Live 2010 not being released and ultimately shutting down  for a few years, to reminding yourself that you have to click on the icon pass button to make a  precise pass, or that there is a 50\50 chance that the  ball is not going where you want it to go. Either way, glitches are something that always occur in games. No matter how good the game. glitches do come.  It slightly hinders gamers excitement. I remember really enjoying the smoothness and great overall quality of NBA 2K 13, until I ran into the passing problem. Don't get me wrong, I still do love the game. However, I was kind of disappointed at the fact that when I'm controlling a player, and I have a player in mind that I'm trying to pass the ball to, I hit the 'A' button, but unfortunately, my player passes the  ball to someone that I'm not even attempting to pass to.  When that happens, I have to remind myself to use icon passing. While this is a great feature, I don't always find it easy to press three buttons at the same time on a consistent basis. From time to time I may forget, and that tends to cost me a turnover or two. 

One other problem that gamers experience  is stealing the ball on defense. For as long as I've been playing  basketball video games , I feel as though one of the most difficult things that developers may face is mastering the timing of the steal. In all of the basketball games I've played thus far, the steal  has basically been categorized into  three scenarios: 1) The opponent has a large advantage of taking the ball: (ex: Chris Paul rips Kyrie Irving three times, while Kyrie has 0) . 
  Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league, and has excellent defensive skills. While this may be true , Kyrie is an awesome ball handler , who has very good defensive skills as well. As an experienced gamer , there should be no way in the world that Chris (controlled by the computer)  steals the ball from me like nobody's buisness three times from me throughout a game, yet when I reach in, I'm either called for a foul , somehow miss the ball while it's right in my face, or I tip it, but Paul immediately gets it right back. 

2) I lose the ball driving: 

This scenario happens in the newer games.  This scenario isn't as bad as the first , but the occurrence of the scenario can happen in an untimely  manner. If I'm dribbling the ball from half court all the way  to the hoop with JaVale McGee and lose the ball, that's perfectly realistic. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Now, if I'm dribbling with the ball with Ty Lawson , And  Kendrick Perkins is guarding me , there should be NO way that I would somehow lose the ball off of his foot or something of that nature in the way some games portray it. 

3) Purely  taking the cookie:

Similar to number 1, unless I'm dribbling with someone with limited  skills,  I should not be getting ripped by anyone flat out. When I was younger I was an avid player  of backyard basketball . I really loved the game and still do, yet one of the things that I always disliked was the stealing of the basketball. Sometimes , I would have this big center just rip me while I'm using a pure point guard. Not saying it's impossible, just not very realistic. 
Glitches are something that no one likes, but we do have them. While these classic game series do have slight glitches, developers offer something called patches to improve their game. 

Glitches are apart of the game, give or take. Each year, games such as NBA 2K are decreasing in their amount of glitches on their run. When gamers complain, or the company spots something that can be improved, patches are used.