curtlow

[curtlow]

The Last Two Years Of My Life

I still remember the day like it was yesterday. The scariest day of my life. The day, where I had no longer control of my body. The day my life changed forever. Here is my story that I have been petrified to talk about and continues to haunt me day and night.

It was the beginning of the year 2015, where everything changed in life. I started to experience extreme pain in my stomach and started to bleed out of my anus. I was too scared to go to the doctor to hear the bad news, because nothing good could come out of this. The pain became so bad my father had to convince me to go to the emergency room to Houston, Texas hospital Ben Taub. The doctor diagnosed me with constipation and gave me some powder to make me drink to heal me. Well come to find out that was not the reason why I was bleeding out of my rectum, because I lost my appetite. So everyday for about a week or two, I would sit on the toilet while nothing would come out, maybe one hundred times a day, crying out to God to heal me. Come to find out, I had Chromes & Colitis disease. Here is the symptoms of Chromes and Ulcerative Colitis:

1. Bowel movements become looser and more urgent.

2. Persistent diarrhea accompanied by abdominal pain and blood in the stool.

3. Pain and leaking discharge around the rectum

4. Stool is generally bloody.

5. Crampy abdominal pain.

6. Fevers

7. Night sweats

8. Loss of appetite

9. Fatigue

There is mild and sever cases and mine was one of the worse case scenarios of sever. It was taking my life fast. There was a time I couldn’t get down the stairs anymore and somebody looked at me and said, “You look like you are dying”.

What Is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease of the large intestine, also known as the colon, in which the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and develops tiny open sores, or ulcers, that produce pus and mucous. The combination of inflammation and ulceration can cause abdominal discomfort and frequent emptying of the colon.

What is Chromes disease?

A disease that belongs to a group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract.

So I was dying and didn’t even know it thanks to the great doctors at Ben Taub. Finally, the pain was just too much to handle and I had to take the ambulance to the hospital not once, but twice.

The 1st time I stayed a week at Houston Northwest Medical Center, but because I didn’t have insurance they released me. They didn’t tell me I was being released because of no insurance. They explained to me I was fine to go home, in which the drugs they gave me had me believing I was fine. Then I got home and the same occurrences of pain got worse once the drugs wore off. So I called an ambulance once again and they took me back to the nearest hospital (Houston Northwest Medical Center) and the doctor explained to me it was too dangerous for them to do a colonoscopy to see the problem. They wanted to wait until the ulcers in the colon went down, before they put a scoop in my rectum, but it didn’t get any better through medication, it got worse. So they refused to do anything. I was so frustrated and I was being told, “we can’t do anything for you” by doctor’s.

Then there was this one doctor who came out of no where, to look at my chart (I call him my guardian angel) and looked at me, crying from sever pain and said to me, “You are about to die son and we need to do a colonoscopy right now”. This doctor risked his license and put his career on the line to get to the problem. That’s where he said ¾ of my colon is extremely damaged from ulcers and compared a healthy colon, to mine, through pictures. I couldn’t believe my eyes how bad my colon was damaged from these two diseases. The doctor was also shocked, how bad it was and explained to me this hospital won’t operate on you, to take out your colon, to fix it, because you don’t have insurance, and it’s extremely dangerous surgery, which is extremely illegal for him to even discuss with me. So, I was released again this time in extreme pain and I went to Lyndon B. Johnson emergency room and sat in the lobby screaming out in pain for six hours straight, until finally somebody took me to the back. They immediately put morphin in me and told me to rest for now, we will look at your colonoscopy chart. By this time, I couldn’t think straight and move and they wanted to release me again. I told them I’m not leaving this hospital until you fix the problem. So they put me on experiment medication for over a month at LBJ, switching me to different beds and rooms throughout that whole time. One of the loniest places you could ever be is in a hospital with doctors and nurses. There is no family member or friend that could help you, with that feeling. I never met a doctor who didn’t lie to me and half the nurses at LBJ was only there to collect a pay check and didn’t care about me like God would. So I broke down many of times in my bed when nobody was around. When you don’t know if you are going to live or die and can’t do nothing to change that, it effects you mentally. I always thought I was strong person that has been through a lot, but this is something I couldn’t fix and I wouldn’t wish this on my worse enemy. People will never understand what the details are on a daily basis, living in the hospital. The nurses come in every three hours to check your vitals, so you have to be awake and there is no such thing as sleep and rest. Not only that, every day at 4:00am they would wake me up daily to stick me with a needle to draw 2-3 tubes of blood. So my arms, was of one of a junkie and at times they would miss the vain and would have to stick me twice. I would often pray to God, “Please God let them find the vain the 1st time”, because I hated needles. I would dread 4:00am everyday and would also pray they miss me today, but that never happen, because now of days doctors can read everything from your blood.

Then all of sudden there was this huge pressure in my stomach and I could tell something was wrong and this might be my time to pass, so I was preparing myself to see God. Repenting for every sin and didn’t want to talk to anybody, because I was so tired and hurting. I gave up.

Out of no where five doctors came into my room and told me, “We need to preform emergency surgery to save your life, so call your family because you might not make it”. They explained to me my colon was about to burst and if it exploded I would die from all the bad stuff that would get into my body.

So they immediately took me to the operation table and they had no time to do test, but to perform this surgery to remove 3/4th of my colon before it was too late. I have never been so scared in my life! I couldn’t even talk to my family to explain to them what was going on because they had me heavily drugged, because of the pain.

Thanks be to God it wasn’t my time to go and the doctors at LBJ saved my life, but after a surgery like this, you become a baby all over again. I had two colostomy bags, which most people only have one. You have to learn how to move all body parts again and are helpless, kinda like being paralyzed from head to toe. With this kind of major surgery, all kinds of problems occur, when you remove the colon. This was not a knee or foot replacement. This was a working organ in your body, gone. The colon is so important. It’s like a cactus, it observes water and you can’t eat anything when you have this type of surgery. They feed you through a tube of yellow liquid. I was starving and they would refuse to feed me, it was torture. Whenever you have a surgery of this magnitude, all kinds of complications occur. There was this purple poison that was forming in my body that I couldn’t stop throwing up for two days straight all while I couldn’t move so sometimes I would choke on it, and it would go all over me. The next day three doctors came in and explained to me the purple poison in my body, is not coming all out, and they needed to stick a tube through my nose, down to my stomach, while awake. I said hell no, but I was helpless and couldn’t move, so they could do whatever they wanted to me. They held me down and sat me up and put this tube down my throat as I was choking, as they tried to get all this purple liquid out of me. Making me throw up and cry all at the same time, because I couldn’t breath. Finally the doctor looked at me as I was begging him to stop and said, “he’s had enough.” That doctor knew they had to get it all out, but he felt so bad for me he stopped and said he has had enough. I have never been through water-boarding torture, but this was similar. I don’t blame them they had a responsibility to save my life, but it still gives me nightmares. I still remember family and friends praying for me, crying out to God to save me, but everything is still not clear in my head, because of the drugs they had me on. Whenever a family member or friend prayed for me, I woke up to hear it, which was strange! It was like I was in a coma.

This type of surgery takes months to recover from. So I was at LBJ for five months straight. Everybody had a release date in my room that was put on the board. I would look daily for that release date on my board and sometimes they would just throw out a date to get my spirits up, but I was never released, and I knew I wasn’t getting any better. These hospitals now of days try to kick you out, not keep you in, so I knew I was in a fight to save my life. My lungs got bad from sitting in the bed. My white cells count, was not strong enough to fight the bad cells that kept me in a state of death. They did numerous procedures after this surgery that required to put me down, to do. They had to put tubes in my stomach to release the bad fluid that would build up on both sides of my stomach. I couldn’t eat through out the first four months and at one point I was at 98lbs (my regular weight is around 170lbs). So that was a lot of weight lost in such a sort time that makes ones organs, shut down. I had to fight to get better, so everyday by myself I would work on moving one thing, then the next, and Etc. Until finally, I took that 1st step on the ground after five months. It was like I stepped into Heaven when I took my 1st step without a wheel chair or cain. Finally I got a release date and this time it was real. I thought I was going to be in the hospital for the rest of my life. I thought I was gonna die in this hospital, but I refused to listen to the devil. Time goes by real slow during these hard times. Eventually, they moved me to a rehab hospital called Quentin Mease Community Hospital, for about a month to teach me, how to walk, go upstairs, and all around getting my body right. It was like I was being taught how to move again through hard work. I don’t think I could express to you, how hard it was to do. I thank them for pushing me to do things, I told them I couldn’t do.

When I was in the hospital for five months, I wasn’t working, so everything that I had was lost. My home and dogs. I looked at my dogs as my children. Everything that I have ever known for the last seven years was gone. I couldn’t work and wasn’t getting income, so that release date from Quentin Mease was lurking. What do you do, when you have no where to go, no income coming in, and disabled? It’s a burden on someone else, to take me in and can’t provide for me the way I needed. So I had no choice, but to check myself into a homeless/medical shelter for five months straight. I have never been homeless before, and this was new territory for me. I knew if I trusted Gods plan for me everything would work out in the end. So I waited and kept a positive attitude throughout this new process, unknown territory. I was with people who were battling cancer and had no where to go for help. It was very sad to watch people go through this and hurt my heart watching people on their death beds. If you have never experienced someone going through cancer it’s torture for them, for those who love them, and themselves. I lost two friends in that place, because of cancer. One was like a father figure to me that cancer eventually took his life. I still remember what he told me one day that I knew was from God, because I was scared to get back to life, of fear of losing everything again, “Curtiss you need to stop being scared and get back to your normal life”. I never told him I was dreading getting back to normal life. It was like God spoke through him at a certain season, and when he said that I broke down in anger tears. Angry, I let my circumstances determine who I am and giving up!

Eventually, while waiting at this medical spot, my social security disability benefits came in. My father went to a church, in a desperate plea to raise money to help me out of my circumstances. My father doesn’t go to church, so I knew this was very hard for him to do, stand up at the pulpit and beg for help and give his testimony about his son and what I have been through. I can’t thank him enough and every person of God who donated.

With this type of surgery it requires me to have two more major surgery’s to reattach me. The 1st one was last November where they opened me up again to move everything around to get it ready. I made my body real strong before I went under the knife again. So I only stayed at the hospital three weeks this time to recover. The pain is so bad at times, and the medicine they give you doesn’t work. They can’t give you anything stronger, because of rules and regulations. So I had to suffer. There was times, these last eleven months were it would be constant pain for six hours straight trying not to move, because of pain.

It’s September 27th and I fear hospitals like kids fear the boogie man. I have been trying to delay this last surgery, but the pain has gotten real bad to where, I have to go to the hospital. They told me I have a hernia in my stomach. This pastor I met and have become great friends with, is taking me back and fourth there and is taking me to every appointment, getting me ready for my next surgery coming late November/early December. Pray for me, because I am tired and I am gonna need strength to over come these last two years of pure hell, through prayers. Prayer is power and God hears the prayers of those who pray for other’s. It’s through prayers that I am here giving you my story. How can one ask for Gods help if you don't go through hard times? Hopefully this is my last major surgery, but God blessed me with bigger and better things from before. This is why it is so important to trust in God, and through faith I was saved. This is my miracle story. #GodBless

[curtlow]

What Is Going On With The Houston Rockets?

Curtiss Polk III

@SHWTown

     What in the hell is going on with this Houston Rockets team? What lead to the dismissal of head coach Kevin Mchale? Why are the Rockets getting blown out by bad NBA teams after coming fresh off a season of 56 wins and a Western Conference Finals appearance? Let’s dive into the issue’s head first.

     The Rockets currently sit at a disappointing 5-9 record in the grueling Western Conference leading the Rockets owner Leslie Alexander to pull the plug on Kevin Mchale stay in Houston, Tx. The Rockets started the season under Mchale with a record of 4-7, before the Rockets owner Mr. Alexander had seen enough and decided to fire Mchale after taking a beaten 111-95 by the Boston Celtics. The firing of Mchale had nothing to do with the Rockets record but it had everything to do with how bad the Rockets were losing to their opponents and the bad quality of the opponents they we’re losing too. The Rockets couldn’t score, get back on transition defense, play defense, play with any kind of consistent energy/effort, and the most important issue was the players would start hanging there heads when things didn’t go there way. Offense and defense can be fixed by a great coach who demands a lot from his players, but a team not giving energy or effort on every play like it’s your last play of your NBA career is a very bad sign and this can be very frustrating as a fan, general manager, coach, and the owner. Showing effort and energy can’t be taught and that falls on the coach period. There is no reason to play a guy on the court if he doesn’t give his all on both ends of the court and not taking the responsibility of holding your players accountable for not getting back on transition defense. The Rockets give up the fourth worst points on transition defense, surrendering 295 points in just 14 games. Also the Rockets are dead last in points allowed in the paint per game giving up 47.3 points in the paint per game. What is the root to bad transition defense and allowing teams to live in your paint? Turnovers! The Rockets turn the ball over 16.7 times per game ranking Houston the 4th highest team in turnovers per game. Teams live off the Rockets turnovers’. Why? Opposing teams are scoring 20.2 points per game off the turnovers which is 2nd highest points off turnovers per game in the NBA. James Harden has a majority of those turnovers. Harden has accumulated 67 turnovers in the first 14 games, good enough for 2nd in total turnovers so far this season only behind Russell Westbrook who leads the NBA in total turnovers with 72. Harden lead the league in total turnovers in the regular season last year and this was the main reason why Morey acquired Ty Lawson in a trade to eliminate the pressure off Harden as the point guard and cut some of his turnovers down, but unfortunately Ty’s body is on the court but his head is somewhere else.

Now let’s take a look at last year's stats, compared to the 1st 14 games this season and you be the judge:

Points Per Game

2014-15: 103.9 (6th)

2015-16: 100.2 (18th)

Opponents Points Per Game

2014-15: 100.5 (17th)

2015-16: 107.1 (28th)

Offensive Rating

2014-15: 107.0 (12th)

2015-16: 101.1 (24th)

Defensive Rating

2014-15: 103.4 (8th)

2015-16: 108.1 (25th)

Pace

2014-15: 96.5 (2nd)

2015-16: 97.6 (9th)

Do you get the feeling it’s not just one player (*cough *cough Harden play some dam defense) and it’s the team as a whole which is bad right now at every aspect of the game? Now take a look at the shooting numbers which is just as bad as everything else on the Rockets:

Field Goal %

2014-15: 20th

2015-16: 28th

Two Point Field Goal %

2014-15: 5th

2015-16: 13th

Three Point Field Goal %

2014-15: 14th

2015-16: 29th

  The Pursuit Begins…

        The general manager Daryl Morey decided to promote lead assistant J.B. Bickerstaff as the head coach citing, “J.B. is a young an upcoming coach who has been waiting a long time for this opportunity to coach.“ Morey went on to say, “Bickerstaff was a big part of the Rockets much improved defense and J.B. will now be in charge of bringing that defense back!”

I have never been a fan of Kevin McHale throughout his tenure in Houston. Why? McHale doesn’t play rookies or young players because of their inexperience on the court but just like a father teaching his baby to walk, you have to go through the bad to get to the good baby steps through experience. Bickerstaff record in the first 3 games is 1-2 but the effort, energy, defense, and transition defense looks very much improved but it’s all about bringing it all together to win games not moral victories.

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[curtlow]

Your 2016 NBA Champions The Houston Rockets

Curtiss Polk III

@SWHTown30

      You know a lot of people laughed and even scolded me after I made a bold statement last year before the season started saying, “This is going to be the best Houston Rockets team ever”. Well I'm back and here to tell everyone this upcoming season the Rockets if healthy will win the 2016 championship and I will explain why!

     Let's go back to last year and look at the Rockets achievements and expectations. Well the Rockets didn’t disappoint me last year but they definitely surprised a lot of great National Basketball Association writers and analyst! One NBA TV analyst in particular named Jared Greenberg who I got the honor to speak with about his predictions on the Rockets upcoming season and Jared said and I quote, “This might shock you Curtlow but I don’t even see the Houston Rockets making the NBA playoffs!” Shocked? I almost passed out after hearing Mr. Greenberg's prediction! I mean I understand the logic with the departure of Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons, and Ömer Aşık but losing those type of role players doesn't mean Dwight Howard and James Harden all of sudden forgot how to play basketball. Ladies and gentlemen this is a superstar league. Meaning superstar's are the ones that carry a team to the playoff's or to the ultimate prize the championship, not role players. Don't get me wrong role players play a key part in winning championships, but those role players have to fit within the system and more importantly sacrifice there games to accommodate to the superstars style of play in order to win. No disrespect to Lin, Parsons, and Asik but they can always be replaced at anytime to get the Rockets over the hump. Daryl Morey is building around Dwight Howard and James Harden the center pieces not Jermey Lin and Chandler Parsons! In fact before the season started, I always felt like the signing for Ariza was a better option at the starting small forward position next to Harden rather then Parsons, not to mention a whole cheaper contract wise! Ariza is the perfect fit for Harden. Why? Ariza is a excellent perimeter defender and Harden is not. Parsons is an ok perimeter defender but no where near excellent. Ariza's defensive rating last year was 103 while guarding the best scoring options and Parsons defensive rating was 108. Defense wins championships, don't ever forget that! Ariza was a better spot up three point shooter then Parsons, in which you have to surround Harden and Howard with shooters because of the double teams they generate on offense to keep the defenses honest from cheating. Ariza was coming into a situation in which he already knew what his role would be on a team with superstars and that role is to guard the best scoring option from point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and even some power forward positions hiding Hardens bad perimeter defense. Parsons was the total opposite and he didn't want to sacrifice his game for wins. Parson's developed a huge ego in his three years with Houston and in his mind Parsons truly believed he was just as good as Harden or Howard. Delusional? This kind of problem causes friction, chemistry issues, jealousy, and animosity in the locker room. Lin was another young player who wasn't ready to sacrifice his game playing alongside James Harden. Lin was signed by the Rockets before Morey stole Harden in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for two snickers bars and a half eaten banana! Lin and Harden immediately bumped heads because they both needed the ball in there hands to be successful and both we're horrendous perimeter defenders, which caused a lot of breakdowns on defense. Lin was turnover prone and eventually lost his starting point guard duties to Patrick Beverley because of his defense and bad decision making. I noticed late in the 4th quarter Lin would start jacking up inefficient shots, trying to play hero ball (Linsanity) like his days with the New York Knicks. The ball should've been always running through Hardens hands as the point guard late in the 4th quarter setting up the offense down the stretch like when Harden played with the Thunder next to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. It doesn't seem like much now but these chemistry issues pop there heads up in the playoffs. Which explains why the Portland Trail Blazers sent Daryl Moreys Rockets home early in the playoffs two years ago. Harden dominates the ball on offense like LeBron James because he sees the floor like a point guard and is an excellent passer which explains why Harden lead the Rockets three years straight in assist per game. Harden is able to look over smaller defenders finding cutters rolling to the rim with his 6'5 frame and can break a defense down with his play making ability generating open three's for teammates off pick and roles.

 The Predictions For The Rockets 2014-15 Season

         Now lets take a look at where the great ESPN analysts had the Rockets finishing in the Western Conference for the 2014-15 season:

ESPN Summer Forecast, No. 8 in West: Houston Rockets (49-33). #ESPNForecast http://es.pn/1kyPNYS 

Well it's a good thing ESPN is not predicting the weather or we might see a snow storm in Houston Texas in the summer time! Just image where ESPN would've predicted the Rockets to finish with Dwight Howard missing half the season. Scary thought right, ok enough of picking on the great ESPN writers. The Houston Rockets finished the 2014-15 regular season with a record of 56 wins and 25 loses good enough for 2nd in the NBA Western Conference and 1st in the Southwest Division (arguably the most difficult conference in the NBA). That is the 3rd best record in franchise history for the Houston Rockets and that’s despite all the injuries they suffered on the way to a 56 win plateau! The Rockets finished the season with the 8th best defensive rating and 12th in the offensive rating category. The league is evolving into a push the pace on offense kind of league to get more offensive opportunities, catching teams out of position on fast breaks, and wearing teams down causing fatigue which effects jump shots and older players. This is were pace comes into play and the Rockets were 2nd in pace last year. How important is pace to a successful team? Well the Warriors won a championship last year and they finished number one in pace! The Rockets general manager likes to go by this philosophy which is starting to draw a lot of copy cats, "Why shoot a long two pointer when you can step back and shoot a 3?" The Rockets attempted the lowest percentage of shots from sixteen plus feet to the three point line (The long two) in the NBA at 6.8%, while Houston attempted the highest percentage of three pointer's in the NBA at 39.2%. So you would think the Rockets would've struggled to score last year with 39.2% of there shots coming from downtown then taking the easier shot the long two pointer? Only it was the total opposite, Houston still finished 6th in points per game and 7th in effective field goal percentage in the NBA. See Morey likes to use the development league as an experiment league to test out his theories on what works and what doesn't work on offense. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers is the NBA Development League affiliate of the Houston Rockets down in South Texas.

Let's take a look at where the Vipers ranked in the offensive categories last year:

Pace: 108.8 (Ranked 2nd in the D-League)

Offensive Rating: 112.9 (Ranked 2nd in the D-League)

Points Per Game: 123.3 (Ranked 2nd in the D-League)

Three Point Attempts: 1868 (Ranked 3rd in the D-League)

It's very similar to how the Rockets play in the NBA. Many NBA insiders believe the Houston Rockets have the best farm system in the NBA because of the way they develop young players in the D-League. Houston made a statement last year by setting the record for the most three point attempts a game last year with 32. The Rockets finished number one in three pointers made and attempted last year in the NBA.

Here is the top five teams in the 2014-15 season with the most three point attempts:

Houston Rockets

Cleveland Cavaliers

Portland Trail Blazers

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Three of those five teams were in the conference finals and not to mention all five teams combined averaged 56.6 wins last year. So eliminating the long two point shot and turning it into a three point attempt seems to work. Many people like to call it "Morey Ball" because Morey started this trend in the NBA while testing it out through the D-League. Whether you want to believe it or not this is the new age of the NBA!

 Injury Plague

        Injuries played a big part in the Rockets season and the playoffs. According to Jeff Stotts (Injury Analyst for Rotowire) of http://InStreetClothes.com , the Houston Rocket players missed a total combined of 182 regular season games because of injuries for the 2014-15 season.

That’s pretty impressive to be able to pull out 56 wins in one of the deepest and most highly competitive Western Conferences ever with Dwight Howard missing 41 games, Donatas Motiejunas missing 11 games, Patrick Beverley missing 26 games, Terrence Jones missing 49 games, and Kostas Papanikolaou missing 39 games for Houston! You are probably asking yourself how in the hell did the Rockets win 56 games with all those key players missing?

 One answer:

 James Harden!

     What James Harden accomplished in the 2014-15 regular season is just simply amazing. Harden became the first player in Rockets’ franchise history to have two 50-point games in a season. Harden finished the season with thirty-three 30-plus-point games and ten 40-plus-point games of the season. Harden also had four triple doubles on the season and won back-to-back player of the month awards in December and January! Hardens' greatness last year translated into one of the best individual performances in franchise history!

via Basketball-Reference

Still not impressed?

Now let’s take a look at Hardens’ averages/rankings over the 2014-15 regular season and explain to me why this guy didn’t deserve the NBA Most Valuable Player Award?

James Harden 2014-15 Averages

27.4 Points Per Game (2nd in the NBA)

 7.0 Assist Per Game (1st among shooting guards and 9th in the NBA)

5.7 Rebounds Per Game (2nd among shooting guards)

1.9 Steals Per Game (6th in the NBA)

26.7 Player Efficiency Rating (4th in the NBA)

12.2 Offensive Win Shares (2nd in the NBA)

4.2 Defensive Win Shares (10th in the NBA)

16.4 Total Win Shares (1st in the NBA)

7.8 Value Over Replacement Player (2nd in the NBA)

2271 Total Points (1st in the NBA)

824 Free Throw Attempts (1st in the NBA)

715 Free Throws Made (1st in the NBA)

 So James Harden Won The NBA MVP Award Right?

        Unfortunately James Harden did not win the NBA most valuable player award last year because of Stephen Curry who's team in the Golden State Warriors won a franchise best 67 games. The media deemed Curry the NBA MVP because he was the best player on the best team. Well it just so happens the NBA players decided to have there own awards show and put it on national television on BET because the players have always felt like they deserve a say along side the media members in the voting process. Most of the NBA players decided to vote Harden as the MVP of the 2014-15 regular season over Curry, which in my opinion was the right decision.

The players also got right the defensive player of the year award picking DeAndre Jordan over Kawhi Leonard. So does this mean the players deserve a vote along side the media members? Judging from the unbiased picks I believe they deserve too.

  The Rockets Most Important Piece Dwight Howard

        When you have a healthy Dwight Howard you always have a shot to get to the finals. Dwight had a lingering knee injury all season but played hurt all season, until the pain and swelling was unbearable and decided to shut it down in February for six to eight weeks to heal. Dwight came back a week or two before the playoffs and looked excellent. Dwight played in the playoffs like a man on a mission to destroy anybody you put in his way!

Via Elias Sports Bureau Dwight Howard performance in Game 6 vs. The Los Angeles Clippers

       Dwight Howard was extremely motivated by last years debacle in Portland for the playoffs and had something to prove! To this day it still amazes me that people still criticize Dwight for laughing and having fun on the court, which can easily be mistaken for weakness or not taking his profession seriously. That's just not true and the media likes to paint it's own image of a player. This is the thing, Dwight is one of the most competitive players in the NBA and not to mention one of the most powerful and dominate players in this league on both ends of the floor for the last decade. I'm here to tell everyone Dwight abused all of the centers he faced in the playoffs this year and lead the playoffs in rebounds per game all while laughing!

Let's take a look at the dominance Dwight Howard displayed against Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan, and Andrew Bogut;

Dallas Mavericks vs the Houston Rockets 1st round

Tyson Chandler:

10 Points Per Game

10.8 Rebounds Per Game

1.2 Blocks Per Game

Dwight Howard:

17 Points Per Game

13.8 Rebounds Per Game

3 Blocks Per Game

LA Clippers vs the Houston Rockets 2nd round

DeAndre Jordan:

14 Points Per Game

13.4 Rebounds Per Game

2.1 Blocks Per Game

Dwight Howard:

18 Points Per Game

13.9 Rebounds Per Game

2.1 Blocks Per Game

Golden State Warriors vs the Houston Rockets 3rd round

Andrew Bogut:

5 Points Per Game

9.2 Rebounds Per Game

1.8 Blocks Per Game

Dwight Howard:

14 Points Per Game

14.4 Rebounds Per Game

1.8 Blocks Per Game

As you can tell in round three Dwight Howard snatched Andrew Bogut's heart out of his chest and ate it right in front of him! Well not literally but it's pretty close to that analogy. Pretty shocking since Bogut was named to the 2014-15 All Defensive 2nd Team this year. I noticed all year that opposing players refuse to challenge Dwight at the rim because players don't want to be on SportsCenters top 10 list the next day for the infamous block shot sent to the 2nd row. Despite the hatred towards Dwight Howard he is still one of the top centers in the NBA and proved it once again when it mattered in the playoffs. Dwight has now taken two franchises in the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets to the conference finals. Plain and simple Houston goes no where in the playoffs without Superman anchoring the defense and paint!

       Unfortunately the Rockets met a far more superior team in the Golden State Warriors who's team was 100% healthy in the regular season (sweeping the Rockets 4-0) and eventually met in the Western Conference Finals (losing to the Warriors 4-1). All the injuries were pilling up for Houston while missing two key starters in Donatas Motiejunas and Patrick Beverley, which proved to be very vital missing pieces in the playoffs.

 Why?

See with Patrick Beverley out for the playoffs because of torn ligaments in his left wrist meant Houston was losing an NBA All-Defensive Team point guard from last year and more importantly the pest to drive Curry crazy all series or at the very least make Curry work a little harder on offense. Rockets head coach Kevin McHale decided to start a 37 year old shooting guard playing point guard in Jason Terry to guard the current MVP. We'll that was a disaster waiting to happen and McHale should've took a lot criticism for not going with a younger and faster Nick Johnson, who is an elite perimeter defender who has the speed to chase Curry around on screens. See the playoffs is all about adjustment's and McHale decided to stick with Terry all series guarding Curry which proved to be the wrong move the 1st game in the series at halftime not to mention all five games! Well Stephen Curry went off on Terry who has never been known as a great defensive player his entire career not to mention the late stages of his career giving the Rockets no chance in this series, even with Harden having an incredible series vs the Warriors.

Averages For Curry Against The Houston Rockets:

52% from the field

49% from three

31 Points Per Game

4.6 Rebounds Per Game

5.6 Assist Per Game

2.0 Steals Per Game

Curry's Averages Against Other Teams In The Playoffs:

Curry vs the Memphis Grizzlies

42% from the field

41% from three

25 Points Per Game

5.0 Rebounds Per Game

6.5 Assist Per Game

2.2 Steals Per Game

 Curry vs the Cleveland Cavs

44% from the field

39% from three

26 Points Per Game

5.2 Rebounds Per Game

6.3 Assist Per Game

1.8 Steals Per Game

See any difference in Curry's FG%, three point FG%, and points per game in all three of these series in the playoffs?

It was like Casper the ghost was guarding Curry all series vs. the Rockets, as if Curry received the MVP award for looking pretty all season! Patrick Beverley was heavily missed in this series more then any series. James Harden was still upset from Stephen Curry taking his award and took it out on the best defensive rating team in the conference finals.

Averages For Harden Against The Golden State Warriors:

47% from the field

43% from three

28 Points Per Game

7.8 Rebounds Per Game

6.4 Assist Per Game

2.4 Steals Per Game

Makes you wonder what if Kevin McHale put a defender on Curry like he did with Ariza on Klay? Would Houston be in the finals?

  2016 NBA Champions?

        So if the Houston Rockets got all the way to the western conference finals last year with the injury bug, missing two starters in Beverley and Motiejunas. Then why wouldn't the Rockets be the favorites to win it all next year? They retained Corey Brewer, Patrick Bevereley, and K. J. McDaniels all while adding Marcus Thornton (who shot 38% from three last year), Jason Terry ( for veteran leadership/prescience), and the most important piece to the puzzle Ty Lawson!

         The Houston Rockets had a huge problem at the point guard position last year and got exposed by the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals. James Harden had to play point guard and shooting guard all season with two 37 year old point guards in Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni playing limited minutes because of there age. Patrick Beverley was the starter who missed 26 games this season and 17 playoff games which put a lot of pressure on Harden on offense. Harden had to be the guy to create for others on offense, push the ball up the court, and all while scoring at an elite level. Beverley is not in the game for his scoring or passing abilities but for his relentless effort on defense.

Take a look at Beverley's and Lawson's stats from last year:

via NBA.com

Notice the assist per game and field goal percentage difference between the two point guards. These stats are very deceiving for both Beverley and Lawson.

Let's take another look but now lets review both Lawson's and Beverley's career numbers:

Patrick Beverley

8.9 Points Per Game

40% Field Goal Percentage

36% Field Goal Percentage From Three

3.0 Assist Per Game

1.1 Steals Per Game

Ty Lawson

14.2 Points Per Game

47% Field Goal Percentage

37% Field Goal Percentage From Three

6.6 Assist Per Game

1.2 Steals Per Game

See Ty Lawson is another shot creator which the Rockets desperately needed at the point guard position, since Harden was the only starter who was able to create his own shot and for others. What Ty brings is another guy who can push the ball up the court for an up-tempo team generating open shots/layups/dunks for Harden, Howard, and the Rockets. Ty has the ability to break defenses down with his quickness and speed. Ty Lawson is a pure point guard who finished the season third in the NBA with 9.6 assist per game. Ty Lawson is a match made in heaven for Harden and Howard on offense because defenses have to respect Lawson's three point shot which generates James Harden some space to work with while Ty is an excellent passer that is always willing to throw lobs in the paint for finishers at the rim like Dwight. Even players like Clint Capela, Montrezl Harrell, and Corey Brewer will all benefit from Ty Lawson pure point guard abilities. You probably asking yourself how does Ty Lawson fit into a team who lead the NBA in three point makes and attempts last year? 

 via Coach Nick @bballbreakdown

As you can tell from Coach Nick, Ty is the perfect fit for a three point shooting team!

Remember inserting Ty Lawson is going to be a huge impact on the Rockets and this process will take time to gel. Lawson is going to have to learn a new system and where players are most successful on the court with the ball. Expect a lot of turnovers early in the season until Lawson figures out the timing of each player, but when it comes together it will be an explosive offense and basically unstoppable.

 Depth?

       Whether you choose to believe it or not the Rockets is the deepest team in the NBA! The Rockets are so deep they can afford to send there 1st round and 2nd round rookies to the D-League to develop. Just take a look at the players coming off the bench for each position and tell me these players couldn't all start for the Philadelphia 76ers?

PG Patrick Beverley

SG Corey Brewer

SF K.J. McDaniels

PF Terrence Jones 

C Clint Capela

Not to mention Chuck Hayes, Marcus Thornton, Sam Dekker, and Montrezl Harrell (Harrell in my opinion will eventually start and is exactly what the Rockets need at the power forward position over Jones and Motiejunas) that can be used by McHale for different teams and matchups.

 So I ask the question again with all the facts presented, why can't the Houston Rockets win the 2016 NBA championship bearing no significant injures? Who is going to stop this team on offense?

[curtlow]

The Newest Houston Rocket PF For The Future

Montrezl Harrell

Curtiss Polk III

@SWHTown30

   The Houston Rockets are notorious for finding 2nd round steals from the NBA draft. Daryl Morey is the general manager for the Rockets and here are some of the 2nd round picks that Daryl has drafted over the years; Chandler Parsons, Carl Landry, Sergio Llull, Steve Novak, Isaiah Canaan, Nick Johnson and the newest member of the Rockets 2nd round steals is Montrezl Harrell picked #32 in the 2nd round. This guy Harrell just might be the next Draymond Green and has the biggest upside out of all of the guys Daryl Morey has drafted in the 2nd round, since his arrival in 2007 to Houston. You might say well Curtlow you might be overreacting! Look here, word is that every NBA general manager is seeking for, “The Next Draymond Green”. Harrell plays like somebody lit a fire under his ass, somebody who hates everyone that doesn’t have on the same uniform, and plays every play on offense & defense like Speedy Gonzales on steroids!

Check out what the great ESPN NBA analyst Bill Simmons had to say about the Boston Celtics almost getting the chance to draft Montrezl Harrell before Daryl Morey came down and swooped Harrell like an eagle.

Now lets take a look at what Bill Simmons has been raving about in this guy Montrezl Harrell Houston, Texas:

https://youtu.be/sA2xS5hWrX0

Montrezl Harrell is 6'8 with an incredible wingspan at 7'3. To put that impressive wingspan into perspective, the Rockets 1st round pick this year Sam Dekker is 6'9 in height with a 6'10 wingspan. Harrell loves to run the floor on fast breaks and finish lobs at the rim on fast breaks. Not only does Harrell finish at the rim, but he loves to finish at the rim with contact. Harrell last year for the Louisville Cardinals lead the team in buckets made and the foul with a total of 21 AND1’s. Harrell has a tremendous leaping ability and can actually jump just as high standing still as he would running full speed then jumping, which is simply amazing. Harrell is the kind of guy who doesn’t give up on a play. If his teammates or himself misses a layup or a shot attempt Montrezl will follow it up and finish aggressively with heart and determination. Harrell is an offensive rebounding machine and averaged 3.17 offensive rebounds per game. In 35 games Harrell grabbed 321 total rebounds (finished 21st in the NCAA) last year and 111 of those rebounds were offensive (finished 20th in the NCAA). That’s a player who always follows up on the 1st miss and is always in the right position to grab offensive and defensive rebounds!

Now lets take a look at Montrezl Harrell’s averages last year for the Louisville Cardinals:

15.7 Points Per Game (7th in the ACC conference)

9.2 Rebounds Per Game (2nd in the ACC conference)

1.4 Assist Per Game

0.9 Steals Per Game

1.2 Blocks Per Game

56.7% Field Goal Percentage (3rd in the ACC conference)

3.0 Defensive Win Shares (2nd in the ACC conference)

24.8 Player Efficiency Rating (8th in the ACC conference)

 Still not convinced?

Got Motor?

Harrell has a motor that just doesn't breakdown and his energy on the court is contagious! Montrezl Harrell leaves his emotions on his sleeves and leaves it all out on the floor every game. Harrell will never be mistaken for a guy who doesn’t care about winning! Harrell is also always the 1st one on the floor going after loose balls. Harrell also takes pride in being the 1st one back on transition defense and loves chasing down the offensive player on a fast break for the infamous block shot from behind. Houston Rocket fans should be excited because this is exactly what they have been missing at the power forward position. Harrell’s aggressiveness and relentless attitude on the floor can also be a curse too. Harrell was chasing after a loose ball vs the Hilltoppers with 38.7 seconds remaining in the first half, but Harrell lost his cool in the pursuit for the ball with freshman guard Avery Patterson, who is eight inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than Montrezl Harrell. Here’s the link of the incident http://bit.ly/1e5KyMO.  Harrell was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected for throwing an elbow, and was also suspended for the next game. Harrell lost his cool and was wrong in the situation for throwing elbows but you got to love his determination to go after loose balls as a big man to help his team win. I mean who wouldn’t want this kind of guy on there team?

Well how is Montrezl Harrell defense you might ask?

Picture a Patrick Beverley kind of demeanor at the power forward position on defense. Montrezl Harrell is an above average defender but one of those flaws is his awareness on defense, which can’t be taught although his athleticism, wingspan, and hustle makes up for that flaw. Those three skill sets makes Harrell an elite defender and allows Harrell to be a great pick and roll defender. Harrell is not intimidated by bigger defenders or bigger offensive players. He takes it as a challenge and believes he will win the battle every time without thinking twice. Harrell is a warrior that will go to battle for the goodness of the team. What more could you ask in a player? When Harrell came in to college he had a inconsistent jump shot but now is capable of knocking down a 7 to 12 foot jumper to space the floor. Harrell is NBA ready now because of the late and great Rick Pitano as his coach and the three years of college that has prepared/matured Harrell for the NBA now!

     I’m here to tell everyone right now if I was the coach for the Houston Rockets I would have a hard time not starting Montrezl Harrell over Terrence Jones or Donatas Motiejunas. Harrell is truly the next Draymond Green but only time will tell.

[curtlow]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK68d7vgm2U

Who Is Clint Capela?

By Curtiss Polk III @SwHTown20

   Clint Capela’s full name is Clint N’Dumba-Capela and was born in Geneva, Switzerland, May 18th, 1994. Capela is currently 20 years old and was drafted in the 1st round 25th overall in the 2014 loaded draft class by the Houston Rockets general manager Darryl Morey, who some believe to be an analytical number crunching genius.

    Who is Clint Capela you might ask? The million dollar question I get from numerous Rocket fans on a daily basis. Clint Capela was a highly sought out prospect from overseas for his elite ability on the defensive end. In fact Kevin Pelton (Who currently works for ESPN Insider’s http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=11138500&src=desktop ) wrote an article on Capelas’ future potential a week before he was drafted expressing, “Clint Capela might have the biggest upside in this loaded 2014 draft class of prospect’s,” Pelton continued saying, “Clint Capela could be the biggest steal of the first round.” That is pretty impressive since top rookie of the year candidate and franchise changer Andrew Wiggins was in this draft class. Capela’s height is 6’9 to 6’10 with a 7’3 to 7’4 wingspan and still growing. Capela’s weight is around 245lbs to 250lbs. Capela is very fast for his size, runs like a deer. He can really get up and down the court quick, catching opposing defenders out of position for the alley oop dunk! Capela is a great high percentage finishing big man. In 25 games in the development league Capela has 10 double-doubles and a usage rate of 27.1 and player efficiency rating of 26.6!

To put that player efficiency rating into perspective here is a list of NBA player’s efficiency rating.

Anthony Davis 31.1

Russell Westbrook 29.3

Stephen Curry 27.8

James Harden 26.9

LeBron James 25.8 

    Clint Capela is an elite defensive rim protector that uses his wingspan to his advantage. When you see Capela up in close you don’t think much of him until it’s too late. Capela is a tall and lanky kid with an incredible wingspan. This is what make’s Capela so dangerous opposing offensive player’s literally sleep on him because of his appearance and height. Clint has a very high defensive IQ. Capela has great timing on rebounds and blocking shots. Capela is a great pick and roll defender too can rotate quickly because of his quick feet and speed. Capela uses his 7’3 to 7’4 wingspan and his athleticism to jump and block shot attempts. Capela can actually use both of his hands to block shot’s not just one. This specific talent is unheard of and really unbelievable to be able to use either hand to block the offensive opposition shot attempt! Clint Capela in 25 games this season is averaging 3.1 blocks per game in just 23 minute’s per game in the D-League which is beyond astronomical. Just think how many blocks he would average if Capela played 36 minutes a game? How important is blocks per game when it comes to wins, well in his team loses Capela is averaging 1.9 blocks per game and in his team wins Capela is averaging 3.8 blocks per game, which would lead the NBA in blocks per game by at least 1 block.

    Clint Capela is also a great rebounder. Capela has a knack for being in the right spots to grab rebounds. Capela averages 3.6 offensive rebounds per game and 5.5 defensive rebounds per game for a total of 9.1 rebounds per game. In the wins this year for the Vipers he is averaging 9.4 rebounds per game and in the losses Capela is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game.

Clint Capela’s 2013-14 Overseas Averages Per Game

43 games played

22 minutes per game

9.8 points per game

6.8 rebounds per game

1.0 assist per game

0.7 steals per game

1.4 blocks per game

Now take a look at Capela’s stats this year in the development league and look at the growth in just one year!

Clint Capela’s Averages Per Game In The D-League

25 games

23 minutes per game

16 points per game

9.1 rebounds per game

0.6 assist per game

0.5 steals per game

3.1 blocks per game

    Pretty impressive for a guy who is only 20 years old and averaging 23 minutes per game especially in the blocks and rebounds category. The only current NBA player I can compare Capela to is Serge Ibaka on defense. Capela is not ready for the NBA yet, because of his age and body type. Capela needs to bulk up with weight and muscle to be able to hang with the stronger and more skilled power forwards and centers in the NBA although the potential is remarkable. Give Clint Capela about 2 to 3 years to develop his body and game and you’ll see the next Ibaka on defense!

[curtlow]

The Perfection Of The Pick and Roll Starring Dwight Howard & James Harden

Curtiss Polk III

@SwHTown20

   What is the most commonly used play on offense you might ask? Coaches seem to believe the pick and roll is the most commonly used play on offense and the most deadliest offensive play call. When you think about the best pick and roll combinations ever a couple of great players come to mind; Hakeem and Clyde, Duncan and Parker, Shaq and Kobe, & the guys who made the pick and role an art/famous was Karl Malone and John Stockton!

NEW SHERIFF’S IN TOWN!

   Well pick and roll fans, their is now another deadly pick and roll combination playing in Houston, Tx and they go by name of Dwight Howard & James Harden! Both Dwight and James thrive off the pick and roll. Thier has never been this deadly of a pick and roll combo ever! Well you might ask, why is this pick and roll any different from the rest of those great combinations?

   The 1st reason why Dwight Howard is good at the pick and roll is because of his abilty to set a mean/hard pick with his size and strength. Once Dwight sets the pick his man must float over to Harden to deny his lane to the basket. Whenever you get out of position on the pick and roll with Dwight game over! Their is no other center in the NBA better at finishing an alley-oop then Dwight. Dwight is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams every night and always catches defenses out of position. You can throw the ball basically anywhere near the rim and Dwight will go and get it. Also Dwights authletism and vertical leap makes it unfair to opposing centers. Dwight as a center has very quick feet movement rolling without the ball. These traits make it impossible to guard the pick and roll with Dwight.

   The 2nd reason is Harden can do it all on offense. It’s very difficult for the best of defenders to have to guard James one on one. Now if you throw in the pick and roll sequence realistically it’s unstoppable. What makes James so hard to guard? Well you have to respect Hardens’ shot, passing abilty, quick 1st step, creating fouls with contact, and his abilty to Euro Step around defenders. All of those traits make-up a deadly pick and roll ball handler.

   If you combine both players you have one of the most lethal pick and rolls combos ever! Makes you wonder why McHale doesn’t use Dwight and Harden in pick and rolls all game? That is the million dollar question that has yet to be explained! Your guess is as good as mine!

[curtlow]

Harden blocks Shabazz Napiers layup attempt!

Is James Harden A Bad Defender?

Curtiss Polk III

@SwHTown20     Last year James Harden took a lot of criticism for his lack of defense. Harden was the butt of all jokes when it came to defense. Was the criticism warranted? Did James Harden deserve that much criticism for his lackadaisical defense? The answer is yes and no! A respected coach once told me as a young kid learning the game of basketball “Defense is 90% effort and 10% skill.” Nobody ever questioned if Hardens had the skills to play defense in all actuality James is a very underrated defender in fact he shut down Kobe Bryant in the playoffs when he was playing for the Thunder! Harden is a awful perimeter defender, but a great post up defender especially on bigger players. Reason why is because James is 6’5 and 220lbs, making JH tall for his position as SG & might be the strongest SG in the @nba. Plus Harden does not have to move his feet that much while battling in the post. Harden just never showed the same effort he did on offense as he did on defense the last 2 years. Now it was not 100% Hardens fault. Mchale had a lot to do with Hardens effort on defense. Mchale put alot of weight on JHs shoulders on the offensive end which took its effects on the defensive end. Mchale allows James to play the passing lanes for steals. At times James would lose his man on defense because he was watching the point guards eyes waiting for the next steal, which was played on sports center over and over again leading everyone to believe Harden was an atrocious defender, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Harden finished with a 115 steals last year ranking him #17 in total steals. To put that number into perspective Kwahi had 114 steals and Lebron finished with 121 total steals. Kwahi and Lebron were both named to the all defensive team last year. Harden last year was dis interested in contesting shots, covering his man, and helping out on team defense. This lead to all kinds of breakdowns on defense for the Rockets.

Houston 2013-14 offensive and defensive stats:

PTS/G: 107.7 (2nd of 30) Opp PTS/G: 103.1 (23rd of 30)

Off Rtg: 111.0 (4th of 30) Def Rtg: 106.3 (13th of 30)

    Rockets defense was out of the top 10 in defensive rating and basically last in allowing 103 points per game to the opposing team! But Houston was 2nd in points per game and 4th in offensive rating per 100 possessions. So why is the Rockets 5-0 to start the 2014-15 NBA season? Well take a look below at the same stats this year.

PTS/G: 105.6 (5th of 30) Opp PTS/G: 91.4 (3rd of 30)

Off Rtg: 114.4 (3rd of 30) Def Rtg: 99.0 (5th of 30)

    Houston is allowing a significant amount of less points per game to the opposing team by almost 12 full points for 3rd in the league. Also the defensive rating per 100 possesion is 7 points lower then last years ranking which is 5th in the league. Everyone focused on Moreys bad off-season because he struck out 3 times not being able to sign big name free agents like Bosh, Melo, and Kyle Lowry. Daryl Morey was also heavily criticized for not matching restricted free agent Chandler Parsons contract offered from Mark Cubans Mavs (a instate rival). CP was responsible for guarding Hardens man everynight since thats what got CP playing time in his 1st year with the Rockets. The problem is Parsons defense kept slipping every year causing James to guard great offensive SG which did not go well. Klay Thompson a good defender for the Warriors was always responsible for guarding the best offensive guards because of Currys inability to guard anyone on the perimeter basically hiding Currys flaws. Same thing goes for Damian Lillard another bad defender who had Matthews always guarding the best player, and Kwahi/Green hiding Tony Parkers flaws on defense too. CP could not guard faster SGs and Patrick Beverley was just too small to guard SG’s or forwards which lead to Harden being exposed on the perimeter, leaving JH on a boat in the middle of the ocean without a paddle = Disaster. Ariza is the better fit for Harden because he is an excellent perimeter defender and will guard the best of the best nightly taking alot of pressure off Harden. Wade, Kobe, Klay, and many more are very tough defensive assignments for the best of defenders right. This season Harden has heard everyone criticism loud and clear and has something to prove! Harden is putting in the same effort on the defensive end as he puts on the offensive end, which is 100% and very scary! JH is contesting every shot, running back on defense, blocking shots, staying in front of his man while suprizing the opposing teams scouting report! So if James Harden is putting in the effort on defense why wouldn’t anybody crown him the MVP? Harden is a career average in blocks per game at 0.3, but this year JH is averaging 1.0 blocks per game. Also JH defensive career rating is 106, but this year JH is averaging a suprizing 98. JH is putting up stats this year that you would think Lebron would be doing: 27 PPG, 40% on 3’s, 7.4 APG, 6.8 RPG, 1 BPG, and averaging 12.8 free throw attempts a game all these stats are career high’s. (Good for #1 in the NBA and #1 in FT% averaging 95%)

    So if James Harden was 5th in the MVP results last year not showing any effort on defense and his stats haved increased dramatically this year on both ends at 25 years old, shouldn’t JH be #1 in everybody’s MVP results so far?