2018 Comic Book Movie Rankings

2018 was a fantastic year for comic book movies, and in my opinion, there isn't a terrible movie this year, but there are certain movies I found that were better and I enjoyed more than others. Here are my rankings for the comic book movies released in 2018:

8. Venom



I enjoyed the second half of this film quite a bit, but the first half is a brutal slog, and you don't really care for Eddie until the second half as well. Venom has some laugh out loud bad moments, in particular when Venom attaches to Anne and they decide to kiss Eddie is flat out awful, and I laughed in the middle of the theatre. The biggest issue I see in this movie is no Spider-Man to develop the characters Venom and Eddie. I see promise in the future of these characters Eddie and Venom, but the overall film landed flat.

7. Ant-Man and the Wasp



I know, how can I rate this so low? It's not that I don't enjoy this movie, because I do, but I feel like this movie isn't as good as the ones above it. Ant-Man and the Wasp is an extremely lighthearted movie which involves great humor and unique action with the shrinking and enlarging of the characters. My favorite aspect of this movie is Scott (Ant-Man), and Hope (Wasp) have fantastic chemistry along with each of them has unique fighting styles to them, and that makes the action scenes even better.

6. Aquaman 



This movie reminds me of Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man. A lot of corny moments and parts where this movie is quite awkward. But Aquaman finds it's footing in the second to third act when the exposition is done with. Mera, played by Amber Heard was the standout for me in this film, and her chemistry with Jason Momoa's Aquaman was spectacular. The development of the Black Manta was one of the weaker parts of the movie, and I felt director James Wan could've cut that storyline out. Overall, Aquaman was a solid movie and a great stepping stone for the DCU.

5. Deadpool 2


An enjoyable sequel to the original first movie and a solid addition to the Deadpool lore. The best part about this movie other than its humor is Zazie Beats as Domino. She was fantastic and played the character with flair. Josh Brolin as Cable was also great, and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is one of the most fabulous character/actor pairings of all time.

4. Incredibles 2



An excellent sequel to the original movie "The Incredibles" with nearly every member of the cast reprising their voice acting roles. I continue to love the Parr family and their moments together. What I particularly enjoyed about this film is that they are together a lot more than the first film. The villain was predictable and the story was sometimes bland, but there were some flat out great moments in Incredibles 2.

3. Black Panther



I love this movie and find it so well put together. There are aspects of this film I feel that are overrated but overall this movie was a blast. Chadwick Boseman was excellent in his role as the Black Panther and as king T'Challa, showing humbleness while also showing strong individual leadership over his country. My favorite scene from this film is when he sees his father in the afterlife, and the desperation and anger that T'Challa has builds a great character.

2. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse



Wowie this movie is INCREDIBLE. I watched it opening night, and I wanted to watch it again right after. Miles Morales is finally on the big screen that he deserves, and they deliver. The animation in this movie is so ridiculously good and feels like you're watching a comic book come to life. It's everything a comic fan could dream of. Peter Parker's death is executed so well, and the impact that it has on New York and the citizens are perfect. Miles goes on his own hero's journey and learns tough lessons along the way involving his father and his faith in himself. The supporting spider people were awesome, and this movie was awesome. I can't say enough about this film.

1. Avengers: Infinity War



Have you ever been so excited or enthralled to go to a movie that you couldn't stand the wait? This is how I was with Avengers: Infinity War. The complete storytelling of the past 10 years has to lead up to this movie, delivers like Ray Allen delivered in the NBA finals a few years back. This film is what comic book fans have been wanting, a multiple series crossing film that included all of their characters that also followed a comic book with certain accuracies. The emotion Josh Brolin plays with as Thanos is barred none, Iron Man's willingness to sacrificing his life, Thor going through hell and back to get his revenge on Thanos, and Thanos's willingness to kill his daughter for a stone. A well-made film that the Russo Brothers should be proud of.

Afterthoughts: 

What are your guy's opinions on this list? My thought process throughout this list is what movie did I enjoy the most and then went from there. I know many people were fans of Venom, so was I too harsh or not harsh enough? I found that movie to be frustrating on many levels and I didn't start to enjoy the film until the third act. Ant-Man and the Wasp was underwhelming for me, but it isn't as bad as people are saying. It has cute moments and is a genuinely funny movie. It will also have a HUGE tie into Avengers: Endgame this year with the Quantum Relm. The hardest pick I had in this list was Black Panther and Incredibles 2. I love both films and hope to see some light on what everyone else thinks. I thought some of the story to Incredibles 2 borderlined on bad, while Black Panthers final fight with Killmonger and T'Challa was piss poor, the CGI was dreadful during that final battle. One last thought, If you haven't seen Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, please go do yourself a favor and watch it!

2018-2019 Season Preview

Not a lot of change happened in the offseason, but sparks did fly in July, and it will affect the NBA next season. LeBron made a move west to the Lakers, Kahwi to the Raptors while DeRozen to the Spurs can affect what the Eastern and Western Conference could look like. With these changes, and internal growth and development of individual teams will provide an entirely different landscape in the NBA. This article will provide my record and standing predictions while also outline who I think will win the major awards next season.

Records and Playoffs

15. Sacramento Kings 22-60
14.  Phoenix Suns 26-56
13.  Memphis Grizzlies 34-48
12.  Dallas Mavericks 36-46
11.  Los Angeles Clippers 37-45
10.  San Antonio Spurs 42-40
9.  Minnesota Timberwolves 43-39
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8.  Portland Trail Blazers 44-38

The Blazers are an intriguing team, but I don't have faith in the health of CJ and Dame for an entire 82 game season. Also, the Blazers only have the two guards on the roster while the rest of the roster is solid role players. Aminu isn't that good anymore while Evan Turner and Mo Harkless are middle of the pack wings. They are going to regress this season, and I believe they fall further than most people believe.

7.  Los Angeles Lakers 48-34

I don't believe in the Lakers at times, then at other times, I have enormous faith in them. Rondo was excellent for the Pelicans last season and was a huge factor in beating the Blazers in the playoffs last season. With the growth of Lonzo, Ingram, and Kuzma this team expects to be much better with LeBron. The area of concern I have is McGee, Kuzma at backup center, and the lack of shooting around LeBron. The defense is also not going to be great because McGee, LeBron has not done well on the defensive end the last couple of seasons.

6.  Oklahoma City Thunder 50-32

This will come to a surprise to many people, but here is my reasoning; Westbrook just had surgery on his knee and will barely be ready for the start of the season, while Roberson had a set back in his rehab. The Thunder depth is very volatile, and the Thunder will have to rely on Abrenis and Scherder to have the Thunder stay afloat. I also am not the biggest fan of Westbrook in the first place, so this isn't the most exceptional situation for the Thunder, and I see their season-ending up worse than you think.

5.  New Orleans Pelicans 51-31

Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle, and Elfrid Peyton is a solid core who can really make some noise in the western conference. The only problem I have with the Pelicans is the forwards/bigs in Mirotic, Davis, and Randle. All three can't play on the court at the same time, and they are three of the best five players for the Pelicans. We are going to see another great season from Davis, and the Pelicans will make another step in the western conference hierarchy.

4.  Denver Nuggets 52-30

One of the biggest Jokic fans is here everybody. I love this team, they will flat out score on everybody and won't feel bad about it at all. Mason Plumlee is an excellent backup center while if Isiah Thomas can provide a modicum of value off the bench this Nuggets team can be extremely dangerous. Jamal Murray and Gary Harris will take another step and will push this Nuggets team in the top four of the western conference.

3. Utah Jazz 54-28

The most significant advantage this Jazz team will have is the ability to beat bad teams every single night just like the Spurs have done for so many years. Then, they will be good enough to beat the better teams in both the eastern and western conference. For example, the Jazz should be favored against teams like Denver, New Orleans, and the Indiana Pacers, while beating up teams like the Orlando Magic, and Pheonix Suns. A year of improvement from Donovan Mitchell and a year with Ricky Rubio adjusted to Quin Snyder's system will do wonders for the Jazz while Thabo Sefolosha and Jae Crowder provide valuable wing depth on the bench.

2. Houston Rockets 57-26

Chris Paul, James Harden, and still a solid cast around them including the incredible Clint Capela and a stud in Eric Gordon, the Rockets will still be really great. The fall in wins includes the loss of Trevor Ariza and Mbah Mute and the lackluster additions of Micheal Carter Williams, Carmelo Anthony, and James Ennis. They moved closer to the middle of the pack of the western conference and further away from the Warriors, but the Rockets team will be all right.

1.  Golden State Warriors 61-21

Like the past four years, the Warriors have been the best team in the NBA and this season will be no different. If the Warriors can have a healthier season of Steph, they could be even better. But, they will be lazy, and they will lack effort, which is why this record isn't higher, and I feel as though the Celtics will push this Warriors team to have a better record, so they aren't at a disadvantage in the NBA finals.

Eastern Conference

15. Atlanta Hawks 19-63
14. New York Knicks 24-58
13. Chicago Bulls 26-56
12. Orlando Magic 28-54
11. Brooklyn Nets 31-51
10. Clevland Cavaliers 35-47
9. Charlotte Hornets 39-43
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8. Detroit Pistons 41-41

I don't really like this team, but they have enough talent to make it in the Eastern Conference playoffs with Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. If Reggie Jackson can stay healthy, this team can be a .500 team. Another issue this Pistons team will see is a lack of shooting, and the health of Blake Griffin, who I don't think will ever be able to play an 82 game season.

7. Washington Wizards 43-39

This team will have significant chemistry issues, and with Dwight Howard dealing with a ton of injury issues, they may have to rely on Ian Mahinmi at the center who is not very good. I thought the addition of Austin Rivers was solid and will help with the guard depth, but nothing about this team screams success to me.

6. Miami Heat 44-38

I enjoy this team for what it is and what each player does on the court. With Justice Winslow, Josh Richardson and Goron Dragic, this Miami team can have another solid season under Erik Spoelstra. I don't expect this team to make the finals or make it far in the playoffs, but they are a solid team with a great coach.

5. Indiana Pacers 46-36

With the addition of Tyreke Evans, the Pacers will have the ability to give the other guards on the Pacers rest and another scoring threat. If the improvement of Myles Turner is genuine, the Pacers can make a huge leap, but for the most part, I believe they fall back to normalize, and they will be a little worse than they were last season.

4. Philadelphia 76ers 49-33

Another solid season is in store for the 76ers, and they will be a tough team to play night in and out, but my concern lies with the loss of Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, this team will struggle with outside shooting and depth. Wilson Chandler isn't perfect as well, and this team got worse than they were last season.

3. Milwaukee Bucks 50-32

Each year I am super high on the Bucks, and each year they let me down. But, this year will be different, and the bucks will be fantastic. Giannias will take a huge step forward with a spaced floor created by Brook Lopez and coach Bud. Khris Middleton is a top 35 player in this league, and if he stays healthy, this Bucks team will win 50 games and be a force to be reckoned with.

2. Toronto Raptors 56-26

If Kawhi Lenord is healthy and mentally engaged, the Raptors will be a fantastic team. With the versatile, flexible rotations that the Raptors have, they can do many different lineups and rotations that will create an advantage against the other team. Play small with Lowry, Green, Leanord, Miles, and Ibaka, or play big with Lowry, Ananoby, Leanord, Ibaka, and Valancunis. In any way, this team will be a force in the east.

1. Boston Celtics 62-20

Only concern is Hayward and how he is going to play this year after a horrific injury, other than that, this Celtic team is ridiculously good. Another year of development for Tatum and Brown, while having both Hayward and Irving back for the season, this team is deep, versatile, and can play against any team in the NBA. The last season they were the best defense in the NBA, and if they can improve their offensive and move into the top 15 in offensive rating, a lot of wins will add up for the Celtics.

Awards and All-NBA teams

MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miluakee Bucks
Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Most Improved Player: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Sixth Man of the Year: J.J Redick, Philadelphia 76ers
Coach of the Year: Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
Executive of the Year: Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers

All-Rookie first team:

G Colin Sexton, Clevland Cavaliers
F Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
F Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
F Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis Grizzlies
C Deandre Ayton, Pheonix Suns

All-Rookie second team:

G Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
G Shai Gilgous Alexander, Los Angeles Clippers
F Mikal Bridges, Pheonix Suns
F Kevin Knox, New York Knicks
C Wendel Carter Jr. Chicago Bulls

All-NBA Defensive first team:

G Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
G Josh Richardson, Miami Heat
F Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
F Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

All-NBA Defensive second team:

G Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
G Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee, Bucks
F Paul George, Oklahoma City
C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

All-NBA first team:

G James Harden, Houston Rockets
G Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miluakee Bucks
F LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

All-NBA second team:

G Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
G Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers
F Kawhi Leanord, Toronto Raptors
F Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

All-NBA third team:

G Victor Olidipo, Indiana Pacers
G Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
F Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
F Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Western Conference Finals: Game Seven

[First Half]

The Rockets in the opening minute were the aggressors, they kept pushing the Warriors out 30 feet and the guards were being aggressive on the offensive end taking the ball to the basket causing Thompson to draw two quick fouls. With being in the bonus with two minutes into the game, the Rockets are able to be rewarded with their aggression. Klay Thompson picks up his third foul, and he'll sit out for a while. All three of those calls were fouls, and he gave Harden absolutely no space on his third foul. This is huge for the Warriors for multiple reasons, first is there is less spacing with Shaun Livingston, second there is one less guard or wing available, and lastly, there is one less good perimeter defender on the Warriors. With the aggression of the Rockets, they are able to go to the free throw line at will with being in the bonus so early. A lot of threes have been hoisted up so far, and that bodes well for the Rockets, and if they get up 40 threes, it is excellent news for them. Offensive rebounding has played a vital role for both teams Houston grabbing five and Golden State grabbing three. 

We have yet to see what this entails, but Ryan Anderson is in the game for Capela, and it will be interesting to see if the Warriors try to involve him in the switching action, which I would do if I were Steve Kerr and the Warriors. They went to it twice with a switch on Curry and was successful one time with Curry driving right past him getting a dump down to Looney and the other time Anderson taking a foul with a foul to give. One other interesting thing that we see is D'Antoni playing Joe Johnson with Ryan Anderson. Two players who are really bad defensively but can provide some value on the offensive end. Johnson can create mismatches on switches and Anderson can give tremendous space for Houston. Joe Johnson was fantastic in his minutes that he played and really provided the Rockets with the playmaking they needed while Harden was out in the point guard spot, and also defensive rebounded well. 

Two most prominent reasons why the Rockets have this lead is because of Bell's switches onto Harden and Houston's offensive rebounding. The Rockets have 9 offensive rebounds with five second-chance points. And Harden has scored nearly every time he has been Isolated with Harden and Bell has also allowed him to go left almost everytime. The best thing about Harden going left is he is a significantly better passer while going left as the opposite when he is going right. Both teams defense is really taking a break in the middle of the second quarter, and with that, the offense is becoming more critical which the Rockets don't want. If the Rockets keep attacking the glass and attempt a lot of three-pointers, they may be in great shape. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have been absolutely horrible this half. There is no excuse for their no show. Durant is not running back in transition, getting beat on the defensive glass, and not involved in the offense at all. Capela is showing up and has played a huge factor in this 11 point Rockets lead at halftime. Capela is crashing the glass, catching lobs up top and dump downs underneath, and is playing superb defense on the perimeter. Capela needed to show up tonight for Houston to win, and he has so far. 

[Second Half]

A 10-4 run for the Warriors at the beginning of the half for the Warriors is due to their ability grab offensive rebounds and secure defensive rebounds. They are also playing a lot better defense not allowing Harden to drive and create a five on four advantage. But let's also not look over the Rockets just missing shots. One possession, Houston had Tucker wide open in the corner for three and then off an offensive rebound had Eric Gordon wide open for three. The Rockets have really received a tough whistle in this third quarter with several missed calls. Harden got fouled by Thompson on a three-point attempt, and they called it on the ground, Gordon was hacked on a drive to a basket, Bell did a moving screen on Harden that wasn't called, and Tucker was called for a push in the back on a defensive rebound. The Warriors have capitalized and closed the lead to four with shot making and missing by Houston, who is 0-9 from the three-point line so far in the third quarter. 

Third quarters are critical in this series, and when the Rockets haven't had a positive or close to equal point differential in the third quarter, they have lost the game. This game, the Rockets lost to the best third quarter team in the NBA by 18 points, leading to a seven-point lead. With Harden appearing exhausted and Thompson coming in soon, the Rockets are in a lot of trouble. The most concerning item that we see in this game is missing 23 three-pointers in a row. I don't know if it is just inside the Rockets players heads, but they are missing pretty open threes and it really sucks. They're playing hard and just not hitting the open looks. Also, Golden States shot making is really turning on at the right time. The Warriors are able to get it to the big man, and the big man sets the screen and flips it back to the shooters Curry and Thompson. 

Hack-A-Capela was employed by Steve Kerr, and it worked really well with Capela missing two of the four free throws while Durant hits two shots on the other end. Durant went in full takeover mode with hitting two contested midrange shots. The Rockets made a little surge at the end of the game, but it was to no avail and quite honestly wouldn't have mattered in reality. 

Warriors 101 Rockets 92

This series was fantastic and this game was well fought.  Where the Rockets lost this game was the three-point shooting, Chris Paul being injured, and free throws. This three-point shooting performance will be haunting for the Rockets in years to come, they just couldn't throw a rock into the ocean. Houston shot 7/44 which is 15.9% while the Warriors shot 15/39 which was 41%. This decimated the Rockets and was really the difference in the game and the reason why the Rockets lost. Chris Paul being hurt was pretty much the series for the Rockets while it gave James Harden no chance to rest on offense and allowed the Warriors to relax on defense. But also this was detrimental for the Rockets in their guard depth and just being short of talent with the Warriors four all-stars. Lastly, the free throws for the Rockets were killer because if you are able to get 22 free throws up, you should hit better than 59%. This is just unfortunate for the Rockets, and the minor things are what can bite you the most and the Hack-A-Capela was so vital in this game while the Warriors had the lead. It got Houston out of their flow and kept the safety net more secure by fouling Capela and keeping the distance with Capela's two missed free throws at the end of the fourth. It was a fun series, and the highest level of basketball we've seen in two years since the Cavs and Warriors in 2016. 

Western Conference Finals: Game Five

The winner of game five gains 30% in their chance to win the series. This game between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors is for all the eggs and all the bacon. Here is my summary for game five of the Western Conference Finals:

[First Half]

Genuinely fantastic defense by the Rockets, from last game bleeding into this game, the Rockets have switched and denied the ball all the way out to 30 feet. This switching forces a team like the Warriors who don't have the greatest athleticism to have to beat someone off the dribble from 30 feet rather than 24-20 feet. They are very comfortable with the switching and are allowing Harden to defend whoever. The only resemblance of offense the Warriors got in the first couple of minutes were long rebounds off of missed three-pointers and turnovers leading to transition and the only half court offense they have gotten in the first few minutes were off of Durant posts. The Warriors are only two points behind because they Rockets have missed a ton of open three-pointers going 0-6 at the start before hitting a three right out of a timeout. Gerald Green to me has been a standout defensively because usually, he is so bad on that end of the floor. Even if he's just a net 0, it is huge for the Rockets he got out on Curry for a contested three and made Curry pick up his dribble on another defensive possession. Green is also playing great on the offensive end, hitting two tough contested corner threes which were very important to keep the Rockets offense blood pumping. 

It feels as though the Rockets have complete control over this game and they're only up nine with two minutes left in the first quarter. The Warriors do a good job at understanding they can't get going in the half court, so they are setting very high screens to create a five on four in the half court and got a couple of buckets to trim the lead to six. 

The Rockets can get a lot of three-point attempts, and that is massive for the Rockets success they like to play money ball which is baskets from three and the restricted area, and the Rockets have attempted 16 threes and ten restricted ara shots in the first 14 minutes of play. The Warriors haven't done an excellent job at taking advantage of attacking and have allowed Houston to play more freely because of the countless opportunities they have given them. They have turned the ball over like crazy and also have attacked the basket poorly and have allowed the Rockets to swipe at the ball and strip them and allowed Capela to recover and protect the rim. WIth Paul and Harden struggling, it is bad news for Golden State because if these guys start hitting shots, the Rockets can blow this game wide open. 

I mentioned earlier how I felt as though the Rockets had complete control and yet they are only up nine. Yet, I have the same feeling, and now they're just up three. Durant is keeping Golden State in the game by his robust shot making and being efficient in doing so. The best thing that the Warriors are doing is pressuring the Rockets in transition off of makes, misses, and turnovers. Their better defense has to lead to the better offense because they Rockets are not a great transition team with the Rockets struggling in transition, Golden State can draw more fouls because it feels like they're scrambling. With how well it felt the Rockets played in the first half, it's concerning that they're tied at halftime. 

[Second Half]

Chris Paul really started out fantastic and opened a lot of things for the Rockets with ease the pressure of Harden by taking the ball and being aggressive. The most significant item I was questioned coming into the third quarter was how the Rockets were going to handle the punches thrown by the best third quarter team this season in Golden State. They have kept at even keel. Draymond has made an impact in this third quarter with great defense on Capela and not allowing the lobs underneath. Harden has to play better for Houston to win if he can hit his three-point shot, a lot of this would be alleviated. As crazy as this sounds, it feels like Harden is hurting his team more than anything at this moment. He isn't looking for his teammates when they're open from three or on cuts to the basket and instead settling on step back threes that he isn't hitting. I also feel like the Rockets are missing shots, where the Warriors are missing shots because of the defense played by Houston. I consider a one-point game for the Rockets a massive success. 

The David West on Chris Paul switch has been utterly disastrous for the Warriors, and Chris Paul has scored on three or four straight baskets and the minutes without Harden been a success so far in the fourth quarter because of Paul's success. With eight minutes in the fourth quarter, D'Antoni put Harden back in the game, and this will be the final stretch. Really bad officiating has reared its ugly head during the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter to the six and a half minute mark. With this stretch, it allowed an Eric Gordon three-shot foul and Durant and Harden free throws. I don't think the Warriors have learned their lesson about not realizing Gordon is incredibly strong and has been an enormous determent, thinking that they can go in the post with him and Green and it hasn't worked because they can't get in their spots. With inside penetration created, Harden kicked out to Gordon on a wide open three.

Rockets 98 Warriors 94

There are a lot of huge plays at the end of this game, but the two that stand out to me was Houston's fantastic defense where Draymond could've grabbed the offensive rebound but instead tried to swat the ball out. The last play was Curry passing it to Draymond at his knees and Draymond not completing the catching process and looked ahead and dropped the ball ending the game. The three most significant reasons why the Rockets won were Eric Gordon playing fantastic. Gordon put pressure on the Warriors with his shooting and attacking the basket while being strong in the post. The second key to the victory was offensive rebounding for Houston. Houston grabbed eight offensive rebounds, and those lead to several points. And lastly, was the Rockets ability to attempt 43 three point attempts. If you allow the Rockets to attempt that many threes, you're going to lose. 

Western Conference Finals: Game Four

It's do or die for the Rockets, and if they don't win the game tonight, the series is over. Here is my game summary of game four of the Western Conference Finals: 

[First Half]

Steph Curry made his presence felt immediately by stripping the ball away from Capela and hitting a corner three off a pindown screen and then had another fantastic defensive possession by forcing Harden into an awful contested floater. Speaking of defense, the Warriors have been absolutely phenomenal, shutting down Isolations, pushing the Rockets out of their spots and forcing the Rockets to take midrange jumpers by running them off the three-point line into the midrange. Looney did precisely what I was discussing, running Paul off the three-point range, stayed attached to Paul enough to not allow him to get a layup and instead, Paul did a step back contested midrange jumper. The Warriors made it a point to punch the Warriors in the mouth, and they went up 12-0 instantly. Houston is consistently taking tough contested shots rather than moving the ball and setting up some kind of movement, or be more successful in creating initial penetration. I know they want to create mismatches off isolation, but while you're isolated, you need to move without the basketball and create open looks while the man in isolation does their thing.

The Rockets seem to be adamant to get the Warriors big men into isolation with Looney, and Bell they haven't done a good job in staying in front of Paul and Harden. One aspect of the game the Rockets struggled in last game was minutes without Harden. Last game, the Rockets were awful in those minutes, so if the Rockets can maintain some kind of positive or equal value, they can inch this game closer. Jordan Bell has provided some positive value for the Warriors although he hasn't been excellent in isolation defense, he has produced a ton of energy, particularly in the last 30 seconds of the first quarter leading to a putback layup and block on the other end. The minutes without Harden were successful, with a +3 box plus-minus and trimming the lead down from 11 to 8. With Thompson out, and the lack of guard depth of the Warriors could lead to massive damage in the game and gives the Warriors one less plus defender, and it shows with Harden willing to attack Curry and Livingston. The proof is the simple stat of Harden has 22 points on 7-13 shooting, and the rest of the Rockets have 14 points for 5-14 shooting as of 5 minutes left in the second quarter. He has carried the load for the Rockets and no one is helping him out.

If Houston gets initial penetration on the drive, they become a tough team to defend because they move the ball exceptionally well and all five guys can shoot the ball while defensively, they are forcing the Warriors to now shoot contested midrange jumpers and leaving Draymond Green open for thee. Now if you want to hear something surprising, James Harden is playing fantastic defensively and is the key to the Rockets taking this game over. At the half, the Rockets lead it by seven, 53-46.

[Second Half]

At the start of the half, the Warriors were a lot better on the defensive end, and this helped the Warriors to climb back into the game, and with the Rockets switching, it allowed the Warriors to get Durant on Harden or Paul in the low post. But the Rockets are doing a great job at pushing Golden State off of their spots, and being right there when the Warriors are about to attempt a three-point shot. And as soon as I say that, Steph goes on a mini 6-0 run and the first shot by Steph was because Harden wasn't far enough on the switch and then the second one was just a ridiculous shot by Steph. That is the dangerous thing about the Warriors, even though they aren't playing well, they can keep in contact by their outstanding defense and talent, while one of their stars can go off at any second and the avalanche can happen quickly. Their defense keeps the games close, their offense is what separates them. After Curry's 11 straight points, the Rockets become worried about Curry everywhere on the court, leaving multiple players open like Thompson and Durant and there lies the real value of Steph Curry who's highs probably still are the highest when it comes to a straight offense. With the gravity towards Steph, it opens everything for the Warriors. Golden State was a +17 in the 3rd quarter and it probably wraps this game up while the Warriors are up by 10. 

The Rockets came back in the middle of the fourth quarter because of their ability to play defense well and get into transition and get easy baskets. They forced the Warriors into tough Isolation shots, and the Warriors weren't able to get Harden on Durant who just made the offense stagnant for the Warriors. And Chris Paul has finally decided to show up, allowing the Rockets to have two shot creators. The Rockets ran their five-out lineup with Tucker at the five and really clamped down on the Warriors forcing late clock situations then it generates into rushed and contested shots. With about three minutes to play and a Curry and one, we have a two-point game. These last few minutes will be about players making plays. One huge play in this game was a simple guard to guard screen, and instead of Green and Looney switching, Green chased Paul and allowed a wide-open Eric Gordon three. Both teams were absolutely determined to get a switch onto the weak defender, so the Rockets tried to get Curry or Looney as the primary defender, and the Warriors tried to get Harden as the defender. After a solid defensive possession and a nontimeout by Kerr and a wide open three-pointer by after missed Paul free throw and a timeout by Golden State and a Curry shot that was off, the Rockets tied up the series 2-2 with homecourt advantage. We have ourselves a series. 

This game was everything that we wanted it to be, and the Rockets played hard throughout the game and fought back after a Steph Curry flurry and classic Golden State 3rd quarter. Harden, Paul were the standouts, but Gordon, Tucker, and Ariza were great as well. Both teams defenses were fantastic, and this was a game for the ages by the two best teams in the NBA. Hopefully, we see more of this going forward. 

Western Conference Finals: Game Three

Game three is usually the deciding game in the series, and this game will probably determine the winner of series, especially when the team series is tied 1-1. Here is my summary of game three of the Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors versus the Houston Rockets:

[First Half] 

The Rockets are forcing the switch with Steph Curry to get him on either Harden or Paul and went directly at him for four straight possessions, and on the 6th possession, they attacked him again. Ariza played a massive role in the opening minutes, having two layups and an assist to Capela on the slip screen to the dump down underneath. Again, my keys in this series are how the wings/role players for both teams play, and in the first quarter, the Rockets had a clear advantage. The Warriors come out of the timeout firing on all cylinders. Curry came out with two fantastic defensive possessions with a strip on Harden on the layup and a nice contest on an Ariza three. Steph really forced the issue out of the timeout with tough drives to the lane and took several jumpers while another guard, Eric Gordon is finding a way to make his presence felt. Gordon was creating off the dribble, catch and shoot, and driving hard to the basket. He had nine points in five minutes. The Warriors feel comfortable enough to keep Looney on Harden and Paul, and Gordon which he has done well in the opening minutes, blocking Gordon on a three and staying in front of Harden and Paul to force a pass back out. In the first quarter, the Rockets seemed far more interested in drawing fouls rather than running through their actions and sets. The player who most struggled was Chris Paul, he was a -12 with 0-4 shooting and two turnovers. He was not good at all and with only him out on the court the Rockets were not good at all, they need to play Harden more than they planned. 

The players who played well for the Rockets last game aren't playing well now. Tucker and Paul aren't playing well at all, and the players who didn't play well for the Warriors last game are playing well like Thompson and Green. The most prominent is Draymond Green who is shutting down the paint with authority by reading what the Rockets are doing right as they make their decision. Defense isn't the only aspect in which Draymond is making an impact, he is playmaking for his teammates finding Thompson on the screens and Iguodala on the dump downs and really pushing the ball in transition, keeping the Rockets on their heels at all times. Overall, the Rockets are only down 11 at the half with terrible play by Paul and the rest of the role players, but the two other stars for Houston, Capela and Harden are playing well. The Rockets are missing a ton of shots and have shot poorly from three and the rim, they shot 26.7% for three while shooting 15 threes and they are shooting an absolutely horrendous 9/21 from the restricted area that is 42%. If the Rockets don't clean that up in the second half, they'll lose by twenty. Because the Warriors aren't shooting well either. They are shooting 22% from the three-point line, and Curry is 3-11 from the field and 1-7 from three. The game can either become close or a blowout, I don't see it ending any other way. The Rockets turned it over 20% of their possessions while the Warriors turned it over on 8% of their possessions, again, proof that this game will either end up close or a blowout. 

[Second Half]

The lazy passes and misses at the basket continue to plague the Rockets, and the Warriors pounced, going on a 10-0 run with three baskets in transition and a basket and a foul to get Curry going on the first possession. The Rockets almost look disengaged while the Warriors look fully engaged. The Warriors almost seemed like to make a point to punch the Rockets in the mouth, and they did. The Rockets clawed their way back from a 20 point deficit to a 13 point one in a couple of minutes by pushing the Warriors out of their spots and getting into passing lanes while also attacking the basket. This forced a Warriors timeout, so we're a square one where we were at the beginning of the second half. The Warriors threw a punch, the Rockets countered. But the Warriors had the knockout blow. 

After that timeout, the Warriors just took any sort of life the Rockets had and sucked it right out. Steph Curry was absolutely fantastic, phenomenal, extraordinary, remarkable and any other word for great. The delivered the knockout blow in the third quarter with 18 points and 7/7 from the field with a couple of ridiculous threes. The Rockets started out sloppy, and it backfired big time because it allowed Curry to get going and the Warriors to impose their will. Nearly every player with the exception of Harden and Capela was genuinely awful, and Chirs Paul is the biggest culprit. He took tough, Isolated jumpers and wasn't looking for his teammates at all. With the live ball turnovers and missed shots, it allowed the Warriors to get in transition and get the shots they want and whoever controls the fastbreak and transition aspect of the game wins the game. With the Warriors improving to the mean, and the Rockets staying where they're at with the poor shooting and turnovers, turned into a cascade of issues for the Rockets. They ran no sets and actions, and unlike last game, they weren't cutting or doing any sort of off-ball movement during the Isolation. It feels as though the Rockets have to be red-hot from the field in order to win a game, other than that, they lose. They have just enough weak links on the defensive end to be vulnerable to the Warriors. The Warriors did a great job in rotating on the defensive end, they played excellent Isolation defense, and caught fire from three. Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson were fantastic defensively tonight, and they shouldn't be overlooked. After a 2-1 series deficit, the Rockets have a steep hill to climb. 

Western Conference Finals: Game Two

The Rockets are in desperation mode tonight as they head into game two of the Western Conference Finals down 0-1 with homecourt. They need to win this game to have any chance to win the series. Here is my summary of game two of the Western Conference Finals:

[First Half]

The Rockets played well in the first quarter providing solid defense on the switching, and again, Harden continues to get burned when he is Isolated on to any kind of good offensive player, in particular, Curry and Durant. Harden's overall net value is positive, but you would have to think his defense is hurting them a lot. Eric Gordon has been great contributing with his three-point shot and his ability to dribble and create separation, one play he kicked it out to Tucker for a three-pointer. Steve Kerr alluded to it during the broadcast, that since the Warriors won a game, they become lazy and pass the ball everywhere. They had a ton of turnovers and went 0/7 from three in the first quarter. The Warriors in the first half were continually getting beat in transition, one leading to a Capela basket. In the middle of the second quarter, the Warriors became extremely lazy and thus lead to a turnover, Draymond complaining while not getting back in transition and leading to a three-pointer, putting them up 12. The Warriors began to play a lot better defensively and went on 9-2 run to cut the game within 5. But the story of the game so far is P.J Tucker who was fantastic in the first half not only defensively, but offensively as well, hitting three corner threes. He has been the wing play that the Rockets desperately needed. He then had the audacity to put Green in the post and score on him, next, they put him back in the post, and then he dishes out to Ariza from three. The most significant difference I saw was the ball movement, and player movement that the Rockets employed has been a considerable benefit to the Rockets in which something I criticized them for in the first game for. They are still playing with their three and key style, but now are moving while the ISO is going on, causing the Warriors to scramble. Quite frankly, the Warriors are a complete mess defensively, allowing dribble penetration and are getting beat at the point of attack.

[Second Half]

The Warriors struggled mightily on both ends, but the Rockets defense and shot making were both phenomenal. The Warriors seemed to take poor shots all throughout the game, but it was something that the Rockets were forcing them to do, so all of the mid-range jumpers you saw the Warriors take are a by-product of the Rockets switching. They allowed Durant to have his while running Thompson off the three-point line and Curry is just not playing well. They never quite exploited the Harden switch like they usually do, and the Rockets "scram" when Paul and Harden are in the post against Durant. Some aspects that lead to the victory for the Warriors in game one were; shotmaking, not turning the ball over, and defense. They did none of that during game two. They weren't able to make shots, a lot of it a byproduct of Houston's defense, they turned the ball over like crazy in the first half and parts of the second half, because of their laziness with the ball and again, the Rockets defense. Lastly, the Warriors defense was porous. They allowed a ton of transition opportunities, the help side defense rotated too far down allowing a ton of open corner threes. When they didn't rotate over, it was an easy layup at the basket.

That is the overall thing I saw from this game; the Rockets played "money ball." As you may not know, money ball is a concept in which you use the numbers in which will be the most favorable in order for your team to win. In this game, the Rockets went to the basket or "restricted area" while also getting up corner three-point shots. Since common knowledge is that three-point shots and restricted area shots or layups are the most valuable shots in basketball, the Rockets got to these shots successfully, they shot 77% in the restricted area and 66% from the corner three. The two most valuable shots in basketball they shot them extraordinary well, and it's not like these are in small amounts of shots, Houston shot 35 (!!!) shots in the restricted area and 12 (!!!) shots from the corner three. This lead to the Rocket's victory more than anything. This, adding on playing phenomenal defense, lead this game to be a blowout.

An all-around team effort lead to this win for Houston, but the standouts were by far P.J Tucker and Eric Gordon. Tucker was open in the corner and shot the lights out. He was 5-6 from the corner three and 3-3 in the restricted area. Eric Gordon was attacking off the dribble, hitting tough contested shots and being successful at the above-the-break three. A great sign for the Rockets and a concern for the Warriors is that Chris Paul and James Harden didn't play great. Golden State has to adjust to taking more efficent shots and play better defense if they want the dub going back to Golden State.