Hoop Untold

The 2021-2022 NBA regular season came to an end a couple of weeks ago, so it's time to reveal the NBA's post-season awards. The NBA's Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year Awards have been revealed, but there are still many awards still yet to be disclosed. Here are my takes for who should get which awards to wind down 2021-2022.  MVP: Joel Embiid Joel Embiid is my MVP. Joel dominated the 2022 season on both ends of the floor and his team's success reflects that. In the big man's 6th season, he led the league in scoring by averaging 30.6 points per game. Embiid is the first center to lead the league in scoring since Shaq did during the 1999-2000 season. Shaq won the MVP that season by the way. Embiid also averaged 11.7 rebounds per contest, 4.2 assists (which is very impressive for a center), 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks. The big man shot 50% from the field, 37% from beyond the 3-point line, and 81% from the free throw line. Needless to say, he did all...

Each season the NBA gives a specific award that rewards a player for their hard work in the off season that translates to vast improvement on the court. Player such as, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Gilbert Arenas, Jermaine O'Neal, and Tracy McGrady have all been given this award in the past. As a trainer, the Most Improved Player award is one of my favorite awards that can be given, because it shows that anyone can reach their goals with some hard work, and it places an emphasis on climbing up that never ending ladder, which is one of the focal points of success. This season we've seen guys like Jordan Poole,  Tyler Herro  and Mikal Bridges boost their roles on their teams and increase their scoring load dramatically. We've seen DeMar DeRozan re-impose himself into the top of the league. Young guards like Darius Garland and LaMelo Ball have opened our eyes to the potential they have. But, there are a final four guys that I believe have shown the most ...

This year's race for the Most Valuable Player in the NBA award may be one of the most difficult races yet. There is no clear cut favorite. Sports writers have been boasting about Nikola Jokic's stats all year, but his team doesn't have the wins that have been synonymous of the teams that have possessed the MVPs in the years past. Joel Embiid's team is a top four seed in the East and a title contender, but has he been quite dominant enough to win the most coveted individual accolade? Giannis is having another stellar season, and his team too is a top four team in the East looking to repeat off of last year's NBA Championship. In my opinion, that's the top 3 candidates. There are some other guys that have shown themselves worthy of consideration such as: Lebron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant, Chris Paul & Devin Booker, but I think the Joker, The Greek Freak, and Mr. Trust The Process are the only guys that have a serious chance of w...

In the 2nd round of the 2022 Playoffs, the Cy Creek Cougars faced off against the Elkins Knights. The Knights possess Chris Johnson, arguably the best junior in the city, while the Cougars feature Corey Hadnot and TJ Ashford, whom make up one of the most talented backcourts in the city. As soon as I saw these two teams would be facing each other, I knew it would make for a very competitive game. From the beginning of the game Cy Creek came out firing, using a balanced attack early, while Elkins struggled to get going early. As the 2nd quarter began, Elkins started to heat up. Chris Johnson was a one man show during the second quarter and brought the Knights within 5 points at the half.  The second half was a back and forth affair. Hadnot and Ashford did a great a job of breaking down the Knights' defense, while Johnson used his excellent combination of size and skill to keep the Knights in the game.  During the fourth quarter Johnson tried his best to keep the Knights in the g...

Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, and James Harden all had dominating seasons throughout the 2010-2020 decade. They revolutionized the way point guards play, by not only being the main distributors on their teams, but also being the go-to scorers. Steph & company have changed the way point guards play in the NBA, and now there's a new group of point guards playing in this league that like to score as well as make plays for others. So without further ado, lets look at who's the best NBA point guards under 25!  1. Ja Morant - 22 - Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant has taken the league by storm this season and the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the NBA because of it. He is averaging roughly 26, 6, & 7 and he is proving to be one of the best point guards in the NBA regardless of age. I would say the only point guards better than Ja are Steph & CP. Right now I might take Ja over Harden, Dame, and Kyrie. Also, Draymond Green, one of the most brilliant minds in basketba...

  One of the most underrated point guard prospects in the world is SMU’s point guard Kendric Davis. Now, I do have some bias, being that Davis is a Houston native, but his stats show that he can obviously hoop. Statistically, The Point Guard is leading his team in points (21 points per game), assists (4.7 assists per game), steals (1.5 steals per game), 3 point percentage (40.2%), and free throw percentage (86.6%). He is basically the end all be all for SMU and the main reason they are currently sporting a 14-4 overall record and 5-1 conference record, which puts SMU at #2 in the American Athletic Conference standings (right behind my Houston Cougars :P).  Unfortunately, I don't hear many draft analysts mentioning Davis, which is probably due to him not being one of the better teams in college basketball (even though his team is 14-4), he’s a senior (meaning he’s an older prospect), and the fact that he’s little. Kendric Davis is 5’11…maybe, and although height does matter i...

       In the Spring of 2014, Kelvin Sampson took over the helm of the struggling University of Houston men’s basketball program. The Houston Cougars hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2010, and had been a long ways away from the dominant Phi Slama Jama era. But, from the day he stepped foot on campus, there was a presence about him that breathed in a legitimate confidence and determination that gave UH fans a feeling that this new hire could equate to something positive in the future. Fast forward 7 years and the Houston Cougars are now a men’s college basketball heavyweight. UH’s basketball team’s list of recent accomplishments include: making the NCAA Tournament 3 years in a row (should be 4, but the 2020 tournament was canceled due to Covid-19), clinching the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, sending 5 players to the NBA, winning the American Conference Tournament Championship in 2021, and winning the American Conference Coach of the Year two times (2...