NBA MID-SEASON THOUGHTS Here we are at the mid-point of the NBA season and this appears to be one of those years that you can look at and honestly say its as wide open as it has been in a long time. Fun times in winning markets where there is lots of hope. Here are six thoughts regarding the first half of the season. 1. MVP: Steph Curry (Warriors): Hes been sensational so far. Great leadership and offensive skills. Incredible shooter who has wonderful playmaking ability as well. Continues to improve as a defender and leads the League in steals. Im a huge believer in winning matters in these votes and hes been the guy who has given the best team in the league their mojo. 2. ROOKIE: Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves): Yes hes had the benefit of being on a team thats young and had lots of injuries so hes gotten increased playing time and shots. That always helps. Yet with that being said, Im seeing the light starting to come on with him. Hes got amazing ability - the question has always been, will he play hard all the time and can he sustain it? Little by little I see a guy who is starting to get it. 3. COACH: Mike Budenholzer (Hawks): This team is an absolute joy to watch. They produce an outstanding defensive effort and put on a complete offensive clinic in how to play the game the right way. Total buy in from his team. Testament to his leadership. 4. SIXTH MAN: Lou Williams (Raptors): Sure you could vote Jamaal Crawford every year and Ryan Anderson is very good but I look at the Raptors at 27-14 which is the best mid-point record in their history and ask why? The answer is they have a guy like Williams who gives them a shot to sustain, score and compete at a high level every night. Hes literally won them games Im convinced they would have lost last season without him. Hes been a huge pickup and helped Toronto become a legitimate Top 10 team. 5. SURPRISING TEAM: Milwaukee Bucks. At 21-20, theyve already exceeded last seasons win total for the season. Coach Jason Kidd has done a wonderful job. They really guard you and compete. Lot of solid parts that mesh well. Brandon Knight has really improved and the ball moves with purpose. Even without Jabari Parker, I like the makeup of this club. 6. DISAPPOINTING TEAM: New York Knicks. I didnt think they would be good yet never expected them to be at 6-36, the worst team in the NBA. Wow, theyve been awful to watch. Simply put, not a lot of talent here. Coach Derek Fisher has tried everything and on many nights gotten good competitive push from them yet they cant sustain and go through the droughts that poor teams do. Injuries have been a killer. Might be the ultimate blessing in disguise that finally gets them to build for the long term and try to do it right. Rough season in the Big Apple. Aaron Colvin Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Keke Coutee Jersey . With their coach gone, they finally played offence the way he would have wanted. Amare Stoudemire made all seven shots in the first half, Anthony passed and shot well, and the Knicks shook off the surprising departure of their coach to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Sammie-Coates-Jersey/ . -- Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno was admitted to the hospital Friday for observation due to minor complications from cancer treatments, his family said. Aaron Colvin Texans Jersey .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. Custom Houston Texans Jerseys . "After consultation with the Team USA medical staff and officials, it was determined that he should return to Winnipeg as a precaution due to his previous injury history," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said Wednesday in a statement.NEW YORK -- Smoke billowed out of the Washington Nationals clubhouse when the doors opened after yet another victory celebration in New York. The NL East leaders fog machine recently has been getting plenty of use. No special effects were needed on the field, though. Stephen Strasburg bounced back from one of his worst starts to pitch seven efficient innings, Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche each hit a two-run homer, and the Nationals beat the New York Mets 4-1 Thursday night to set a franchise record with their 11th consecutive win on the road against one team. "We played really well here," manager Matt Williams said. "Now weve got to go do it at home." The Mets 11 straight losses to Washington in Queens are their most against one club at home. New York dropped 10 in a row to the Braves at Shea Stadium from 1991-92. Strasburg (9-10) gave up three hits and an unearned run, improving to 2-8 in 13 road starts this season. He struck out eight and walked two. Rafael Soriano was perfect in the ninth for his second straight save in the series and 28th overall. Washington finished a three-game sweep and increased its NL East lead to six games over Atlanta. LaRoche and Harper both connected after walks by Dillon Gee (4-5). LaRoche homered in the first and Harper hit a long drive to right-centre in the fourth. "It felt great," said Harper, who missed time with a thumb injury. "Thats one of the best balls Ive hit all year." The Nationals hit seven homers in the series, outscoring the Mets 14-4 and continuing a lopsided trend during a streak in New York that began June 30 last year. Washington has outscored the Mets 74-21 during the run at Citi Field, which now tops the Montreal Expos 10 road wins in a row against the Chicago Cubs from 1982-83. The Nationals are 25-4 at the Mets home since Sept. 12, 2011. The teams play four more times this year in New York and three more in Washington, where the Nationals have won four of six meetings. They lead the season series 10-2. "Theyve been a thorn in our side for the last two or three years for sure," Mets manager Terry Collins saidd.dddddddddddd Strasburg was coming off an outing in which he allowed a career-high four homers and seven runs to Atlanta, but he was rarely in trouble Thursday, working his fastball to both sides of the plate. "I think I wanted to go out there and focus on the execution aspect and just pitch," Strasburg said, "make it a little harder for them to be comfortable." After a throwing error by shortstop Ian Desmond in the fourth, Lucas Duda hit a sacrifice fly that was caught just in front of the right-centre wall. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: RF Jayson Werth missed his third straight game but said he felt 50 per cent better after getting a cortisone injection for his ailing right shoulder. Williams thinks Werth might be available to pinch-hit Friday against Pittsburgh and could even start Saturday. Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (Tommy John surgery) heard from his manager a day after the ace boasted on a radio program that he was throwing in the mid-90s (mph) during a rehabilitation session. The team is being especially cautious with Harvey since starter Jeremy Hefner had a recent setback in his recovery from similar elbow reconstruction. But Harvey still says he wants to pitch this season. "The process is, right now youve got to understand its the big picture, and the big picture is 2015. So back off," Collins said he told Harvey. UP NEXT Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (11-7) faces the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time. In his first year in the rotation, the 23-year-old has allowed one run or fewer in 13 of his 20 starts since April 21. Mets: RHP Zack Wheeler (7-8) faces the Cubs on Friday night. Wheeler pitched 6 2-3 innings of two-hit ball in his only start against Chicago on June 3, a game the Mets lost 2-1. GOING STREAKING David Wright singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Only one of the hits during the run was for extra bases, a double off Washingtons Craig Stammen last week. HOMER-HAPPY HARPER Harper also homered in the series opener, giving him two long balls in a series since April 25-28, 2013, against the Reds, STATS said. 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