Has Carmelo Anthony Reached His Ceiling?

Carmelo through three quarters of game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals had 35 points, but came up short when his team needed him the most.

Anthony finished with 39 points, going 2-7 from the field with two crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter that gave the Pacers the extra push they needed to win the game advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Has Carmelo Anthony reached his ceiling?

Many have defended Anthony claiming he needs a better number two, he receives the praise when he plays well, and he's going to receive the criticism for coming up short, again.

When facing elimination games, Anthony is 3-9 that is not a stat that validates him as a superstar in this league.

Anthony is big time, and its time he silents the critics as myself.

I'm not going to give him a pass, through three quarters of play he was the best player on the floor, but when it mattered in the fourth quarter he went missing in action.

At the 3:57 mark in the fourth quarter, with the game tied at 92, Anthony turned the ball over on a bad pass, that was taken the other way with Lance Stephenson converting on a three point play.

The following possession at the 3:28 mark, Anthony doesn't take the best of shots, the Pacers get the rebound take it the other way and score two points, Pacers lead 97-92 at the 3:12 mark.

Now the crowd is into it, this is the time when your superstar comes up big three minutes to go in a must when game on the road.

Carmelo Anthony turns the ball over on another bad pass that goes the other way for the Pacers with David West scoring increasing the Pacers lead 99-92 at the 2:34 mark.

By this time down seven on the road in a hostile environment, the Pacers go ahead and close the deal, defeating the New York Knicks 106-99.

Anthony had his best chance of his career to advance to the conference finals, and when it mattered he came up short.

Talent is not the issue, I do recall LeBron James leading the Cavaliers to victory in 2006-07 Eastern Conference Finals, James put the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back against the Detroit Pistons scoring 29 of the Cavaliers' last 30 points, finishing with 48 points.

James did not have much help if he had any, Anthony could have did the same, but he didn't.

Carmelo Anthony is a superstar in this league, but until he proves otherwise, he's reached his ceiling.

Kevin Durant's Learning Experience

    There is one word that is overused when talking sports, espcially in basketball, the word "great".

    There are many really good players that will eventually be "great", but aren't great right now in their career.

    Last night, I witnessed Kevin Durant go through the humuliation phase as a player, which I believe will help him turn the corner evolving into a great player.

    When you talk about the best to ever play the game Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James they all went through it, Kevin Durant just experienced his.

    With Durant being 52 percent of the Thunder's offense revealed itself in a major way during the fourth quarter.

    I watched Durant miss a big time free-throw, this also occured in game three, along with Durant taking some bad shots.

    Despite the lack of lift he had in his legs, you still have to make smart basketball decision. Take a high percentage shot, instead of a long-range jumper fading away from the basket. Passing the ball out of a double team instead of dribbling into a turnover.
   
    The game is mental.

    Right now Durant is not a "great" player, but after the humiliation he suffered last night, I expect Durant to turn the corner and become a "great" player, just as Jordan, Kobe and Lebron did.

  "I’ve been second my whole life. I was the second best player in high school. I was the second pick in the draft. I’ve been second in the MVP voting three times. I came in second in the finals. I’m tired of being second. I’m not going to settle for that. I’m done with it."- Kevin Durant


 Justin Tyree

 ESPN 730 Charlotte Bobcats Insider and Blogger

 Twitter: @JTyree704

 Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/SportsFromMyEyes

Best Of Three? Thoughts On Tonight's Game Four's

    With the series being tied 2-2 who will the best of three? San Antonio has the experience, but Golden State has the confident that they can go into AT&T Arena and win.
   
    Golden State let game one split and bounced back to win game two, San Antonio is a veteran ball club, so I expected them to win one on the road and they did, with Golden State rallying to win game four.

    I wasn't sold on Golden State winning this series, but now I am.

    When Curry and Thompson went cold, others stepped in to fill the void, in game four Harrison Barnes and Jarrett Jack put them team on their back when it mattered.

    The way Golden State has played in San Antonio I believe they'll win game five, and close it out at home in Oracle Arena in game six and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

    I will say this Golden State will get San Antonio's best shot, the Spurs do no want to go back to Oracle Arena in a must win game six.

Tonight's Game Four's

    Tonight Chicago and Oklahoma City, ultimately are in must win situations, neither team wants to go down 3-1, that's a hole to deep to ultimately get out of.

    Chicago I expect to be competitive being on their home court, and possibly even win tonight's match-up, but I don't see it happening.

    With Wade not being a hundred percent, Norris Cole provided the spark with 18 points off the bench in game three. Tonight it could be Ray Allen or Shane Battier, the Heat just have too many weapons for Chicago.

    Tonight will be a dog fight, but Miami should and more than likely will come out on top going back to South Beach with a 3-1 series lead.

Big Night For Kevin Durant?

    How will Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder come out tonight in a must win against the Memphis Grizzles?

    For Oklahoma City to have any chance against Memphis tonight, Kevin Durant must have a monster performance, similar to LeBron's 45 points and 15 rebounds in Boston last season.

    Serge Ibaka has been missing in action, and Kendrick Perkins hasn't brought much to the table either, Marc Gasol and Zack Randolph have imposed their will, and that's ultimately why they are in control of this series.

    Kevin Durant has to come up big, along with getting contributions from Kevin Martin, Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson. If not, then Memphis will take a 3-1 series lead, and there isn't much to say about a team that falls 3-1, history does not work in their favor.


Justin Tyree

ESPN 730 Charlotte Bobcats Insider and Blogger

Twitter: @JTyree704

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/SportsFromMyEyes


   

My Observations: 2013 NBA Playoffs

As we hit the midway mark of the 2013 NBA Playoffs there have been a few things that grabbed my attention:

• Many felt the New York Knicks were the biggest hurdle for the Miami Heat to reach the NBA Finals, but the Indiana Pacers might beg to differ. With Carmelo Anthony running into cold streaks, and JR Smith struggling shooting the ball, the Knicks are in a bind going into game four, that is definitely a must win.

• As many ridiculed Russell Westbrook for his reckless abandon on the offensive end, his lack of presence on the court is revealing itself, just ask Kevin Durant, who is having to do much more than just shoot the basketball. Though the series is 2-1, you can argue the Memphis Grizzles could legitimately be up 3-0. Serge Ibaka must improve his play if the Thunder have any chance of advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

• Who will come out of the Spurs Warriors series? Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson Jr. have shown they can shoot the ball earning the nickname "Splash Brothers", but despite the thrill of raining three-pointers the Warriors trail the Spurs in the series 2-1. The contrasting style of play between the two have made the series interesting, game four is this afternoon. Who do you have as the victor?

• Despite the Bulls 'bullying' effort of trying to intimidate the Miami Heat, the fact of the matter is that Chicago just does not have enough fire power to dethrone the defending champs. With the Bulls on their last leg, I still scratch my head on my Richard Hamilton has yet to see some action. The Bulls can attempt to rough LeBron James up, but when it matters they have no answer for the four-time league MVP.

          Justin Tyree

          ESPN 730 Charlotte Bobcats Insider and Blogger

          Twitter: @JTyree704

          Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/SportsFromMyEyes

Knicks Pacers Who Are You Taking?

    As I wake up on this Monday morning, I've heard arguements from both sides of the table, about who's going to win this Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.

    Game one went to the Pacers 102-95, stealing one in Madison Square Garden.

    I took two things from game one: the Pacers are a really good defensive ball club, and if the
Knicks are going to win this series Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith must play well.

    Notice I said play well not just shoot well, playing well means being active on defense, taking good shots and winning the 50/50 battles.

    The Pacers imposed their style of play, they let the Knicks take the bad shots, and they controlled the boards, winning the rebounding battle and points in the paint.

    The Knicks are going to need for Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin to do their job, and that's rebound. The two combined for six rebounds, that's not going to cut it.

    When you are taking jumpers and hitting them rebounding isn't an issue, but when you settle for long jumpers and aren't hitting you lose the battle for second chance opportunites. The Knicks are going to have to shoot well and rebound if they want to win this series, because the Pacers are long.

    The knock on the Knicks is that they struggle with good defense ball clubs along the likes of Chicago, Miami and from the looks of game one the Pacers.

    The victories against the Heat, don't fall in love with them, Miami is the better team.

    This is a perfect opportunity for the Knicks to silence the critics, for Carmelo Anthony to answer the bell, and for JR Smith to show he is a consitent scoring threat.

    Game two will be an interesting one to say the least, if the Pacers take it and head to Indiana with a 2-0 series lead, the Knicks will be in serious trouble.

    I'm a fan of the game first, being an analyst second.

   With that being said I'm pushing for seven games, the Knicks will win game two, and head to Indiana with the series being tied 1-1.

Should Derrick Rose Play?

If you've been to a Chicago Bulls game as of late, you've witnessed Derrick Rose participating in shoot around.

Rose has not only looked healthy, but he looks as if he's ready to play.

Leaving fans with the question of, "Should Derrick Rose Play?

It has been noted, that Rose has been "dominating" in practice.

Which has left Chicago Bulls fans scratching their heads, and they have every reason to. One second you hear he's not fully 100 percent yet, then you turn around and see footage of him domination in practice, along with looking good during shoot around.

Derrick Rose has not struck me as a guy, that would lie, never has his character been questioned when it comes to his love and respect for the game. He's a Chicago native, that loves playing for the Bulls in from of his hometown.

I do believe Rose is 100 percent healthy, but that's not what I believe is holding him back from returning to the floor.

One word, confidence.

The guy is not confident, and he should not return until he is confident in his game.

The Bulls should understand that as well as his supporters. The Bulls do have a shot to win a NBA Championship, which is why many are wondering why Rose has yet to return. I'm not sure if people have forgot, but there is a guy named LeBron James that plays with the Miami Heat, that will win the league's MVP and  more than likely win the NBA Championship come June.

Rose should and will wait to return to the floor next season, and I can not fault him for it, and neither should you.

Why succumb to the pressure of sports writers and fans?

Why risk injury and further injury your 24 year-old superstar, who just happens to be your franchise player?

Let the man return when he is ready.

Justin Tyree

ESPN 730 Charlotte Bobcats Insider and Blogger

Twitter:  @JTyree704

Facebook:  http://.www.Facebook.com/SportsFromMyEyes

How Will The "Triangle" Teams Fair In The Big Dance?

UNC, Duke, nor NC State are popular picks to win the 2013 NCAA Tournament, but one thing their fan bases can hang their heads on is that each team has the potential to make a run deep into the field of 64.

The Tar Heels have had a solid season, in which many saw as a “down” year for a team who lost four of their starting five players being top 14 picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. Credit Roy Williams, with making the switch from going being to small. The small lineup gives the Heels favorable match-ups  being able to space the floor giving their shooters PJ Hairston and Reggie Bullock opportunities to connect from behind the arch. The Heels will face a stiff opponent in Kansas in the second round, that’s where it could get interesting. Many don’t have the Heels beating Kansas, and rightfully so, but when the Heels are shooting the ball well they can play with the best the nation has to offer. Prime example look at the two match-ups during conference play when the Heels played Miami, the Heels lost both games, not shooting the ball well. Sunday afternoon in the ACC Championship the Heels gave Miami everything they could handle and then some. Though they were unsuccessful in earning the victory, they showed the country what can happen when they shoot the ball well. Ultimately Hairston, Bullock and James Michael McAdoo have to score 18 points at least, along with Marcus Paige, Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald bringing something to the table along the lines of eight points apiece for the Heels to make any sort of noise in the tournament.

The Duke Blue Devils can beat anyone on any giving floor with their three main contributors Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly, and Mason Plumlee. The Blue Devils are one of the best teams in the country, only when they are shooting the ball extremely well. This means Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly must play well, along with Mason Plumlee, who has been missing in action after a hot start to the season. The Blue Devils will advance out of the second round, but they’ll run into some trouble in the form of the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Blue Devils are in the same boat as the Tar Heels, despite sweeping the Heels in the season series. Both ball clubs when “hot” can make a run, but if “cold” will struggle, and exit the tournament earlier than expected. Cincinnati is a ball club that is a physical defensive ball club, Duke struggles against teams who get physical with them, Miami and Maryland both defeated the Blue Devils off of playing a physical style of play. I expect the Blue Devils to pull it out, but honestly it can go either way. Basketball is a game of match-ups and playing styles, the Devils are clearly the more skilled team, but Cincinnati is the more physical of the two. If Duke gets hot, it can get ugly in a hurry. It will be interesting to see who will be able to impose their will, but that’s why we play the game.

The NC State Wolfpack had have a disappointing season after being ranked sixth in the preseason rankings, last year the Pack got hot around this same time last year can it happen again? With the talent on this ball club anything is possible. The Wolfpack have enough talent to compete with the best the nation has to offer, but that’s not their problem. The Wolfpack struggle when it comes to consistency, which landed them out of the top 25. Its tournament time, and I know Mark Gottfried will have his team ready and prepare to make a run, seeing they advance to the second round, they should see Indiana. Yes, Indiana is a better team, but that does not mean they can’t shock the country. If Scott Wood keeps shooting the ball like the way he has as of late, and CJ Leslie come to play with Howell on the boards, having Lorenzo Brown at the point, the Wolfpack can pose a treat. It is not a matter of if they have the talent, but will they be able to put it all together is the question? We’ll have to wait and see, but don’t be shocked if the Wolfpack of NC State make a run.

Justin Tyree

ESPN 730 Charlotte Bobcats Insider and Blogger

Twitter:  @JTyree704

Facebook:  http://.www.Facebook.com/SportsFromMyEyes