Carmelo Anthony 24pts, 18fga, 2reb, 1ast, 2to, 4stl, 0blk,
A++
Melo was so vintage, he switched into a Orangemen jersey midway through the third. After 24 points on 17 shots and a quadruple of steals, I’m shocked they didn’t play the national anthem after the game and give ‘Melo another gold medallion.
Kristaps Porzingis 18pts, 18fga, 6reb, 1ast, 0to, 0stl, 1blk,
A
While the stats say Porzingis had an mediocre night, and my eyes said he looked labored out there, my heart says he is a golden god sent to us from the heavens to fulfill the prophesy.
Joakim Noah 2pts, 4fga, 12reb, 8ast, 1to, 0stl, 2blk,
A++
Van Gogh was just giving it away (ha!) with 8 assists on the night. Imagine how many triple-doubles Noah will drop once both cauliflowers are healthy?
Derrick Rose 19pts, 17fga, 5reb, 2ast, 2to, 0stl, 1blk,
A++++++
Rose had a beautiful layup against two Pistons, one being Drummond (1.9 blk/36), in the first quarter. He showed world class athleticism, leaping ability, and touch on that play. On the next possession he grabbed the offensive rebound and sent an overhand pass halfway across the court for an open Melo three. A few plays later, he stuffed a driving Ish Smith.
I don’t care what else Rose does, this one series shows he will lead us in the Finals when the time comes. The only question left to answer is: Rose or Clyde?
Courtney Lee 7pts, 7fga, 2reb, 2ast, 2to, 0stl, 0blk,
A
Often I look at the screen and have a tough time figuring out which is Lee and which is Rose. If you google image search Courtney Lee, and I’m not kidding, pictures of Derrick Rose show up in the results. So I’m not the only one.
Lance Thomas 2pts, 6fga, 4reb, 0ast, 2to, 0stl, 0blk,
A
Do you open a bottle of fine wine and immediately start drinking from it? Of course not. You have to wait for aeration. Lance Thomas is our New York Cabernet Sauvignon. You can’t expect much right away, it’s not something you want in large quantities, and it’s much easier to swallow after you’ve already had 6 glasses of wine.
Brandon Jennings 12pts, 10fga, 2reb, 3ast, 0to, 0stl, 0blk,
A++
Jennings’ drive to the hoop & dump to Porzingis in the 2Q had me so pumped, I instantly dropped and went for my personal record in push-ups. Unfortunately I was so psyched I lost count after 6, and have no clue how many I actually accomplished. Let’s just assume I did 46.
Maurice Ndour 3pts, 2fga, 2reb, 0ast, 0to, 1stl, 1blk
A+
On Ndour’s first possession, he pulled a Balkman cutting on the baseline without the ball, and flushed home a perfect pass from Jennings. On his first defensive possession, he grabbed a defensive board. If you judge Ndour by stats, you’re missing the whole picture.
Justin Holiday 0pts, 1fga, 3reb, 0ast, 0to, 0stl, 1blk
A++
If there was one basketball feat I would like to accomplish before I die, it’s block a shot and pin it on the backboard like Holiday did.
Willy Hernangomez 0pts, 0fga, 1reb, 0ast, 1to, 1stl, 0blk,
A++
There were a few times I had to chase the kids around the house. Willy’s 5 minutes must have been one of those times. So he gets an A++ by default.
Kyle O’Quinn 0pts, 1fga, 2reb, 0ast, 1to, 0stl, 4blk,
A++
With four blocked shots, including a pair in the fourth quarter. KOQ is showing he’s a defensive force, and anyone who thinks otherwise obviously doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
Sasha Vujacic 2pts, 2fga, 2reb, 1ast, 0to, 0stl, 0blk,
A++
What can you say about Sasha? The gift that keeps on giving.