Links: Hardwood Paroxysm is all you need

If you haven't added Hardwood Paroxysm to your daily reading list, then I don't know what to say other than "What are you? Some kinda moron???"

Matt and Corn have entertained us here at 3SoB all season long and we feel confident that if you read a few of their posts that you will reach the same conclusion.

The published the results of their 2008 NBA Blogger Season Awards and we are very proud to say that 3 Shades of Blue tied for 1st place in the Western Conference (Bloggers' Choice Division) with Sactown Royalty and came in 2nd place in the Southwest Division behind Hornets 24/7. We are very appreciative to all the bloggers who voted for us.

In addition to that, if you haven't already, go check out the playoff previews that HP put out last week (you know, before the playoffs began), as well as the fantastic Five Things posts that Matt has been writing for The Fanhouse for every single playoff game.

The final edition of the Blogger MVP/ROY Rankings have been posted on We Rite Goode. The MVP rankings came down to the same three candidates that the rest of the NBA world is trying to figure out the correct order of, while the ROY rankings weren't much of a surprise to anyone. They even added a few new categories, including Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player and 7th Man. They also added some great graphs that chart the MVP candidates through all the rankings. Really great job guys!

David's Grizzlies Blog: The Memphis Grizzlies - Where Amazing Happens

Bleacher Report: What's Next for the Non-Playoff Teams

We need all the fans we can get, so I'm happy to see young Ainsley join the club.

NBA Blogger Awards

I'd say that I hate to do stuff like this, but in actuality, I love it. It gives you, the readers, the chance to vote on who you think the best NBA blogs are in this wondrous series of tubes we call the internet.

Visit Hardwood Paroxysm for the link so that you can vote for the best blogs in each division, conference, use of statistics, commentary, video and humor. Voting ends April 20th. And, of course, vote for 3 Shades of Blue wherever applicable. : )

Handing Out Awards

As the inspiration for the querie that Henry Abbott (TrueHoop) put to team bloggers to be used in ESPN.com's 2007 NBA previews, Chip and I felt that it was our duty to select the best questions that were submitted. It turned out to be a difficult task, as nearly all the bloggers were creative in the questions they would ask their team's GM. So here are our Top 5:

1. Lang Whitaker, slamonline.com: Atlanta Hawks

2. J.E. Skeets, The Basketball Jones: Toronto Raptors

3. Dumpy, NetsDaily: New Jersey Nets

4. Liston, Introducing Liston: Minnesota Timberwolves

5. Wizznutzz: Washington Wizards

All the bloggers did a fantastic job and we here at 3 Shades of Blue salute you.

Links: Speed, Rookies, Surprises, Beards

Ron Tillery has a good piece up today on the Commercial Appeal that focuses on the Grizzlies committment to speed. There are a lot of good quotes from head coach Marc Iavaroni, as well as some interesting comments:

Acknowledging the difference in personnel, Iavaroni cautioned against the notion that he's going to simply unpack the Phoenix Suns' system in Memphis.
But Iavaroni will guarantee this: He definitely plans to implement more than a thing or two that he learned while working with the NBA's deadliest offense.
"We're not going to be Phoenix. We have our strengths. They have their strengths," Iavaroni said. "But I do believe the league has moved in that direction already. We're not going to sit and mope when somebody scores on us."

David Thorpe lists the players who might beat out Kevin Durant for Rookie of the Year on ESPN Insider (which is free for the moment, so take advantage). He has Juan Carlos Navarro at #3 and Mike Conley Jr. at #9.

3. Juan Carlos Navarro, G, Memphis Grizzlies
NBA coaches are typically loathe to give rookies big minutes, but new coach Marc Iavaroni is likely to buck that tendency with Navarro, a 27-year-old sharpshooter who was the MVP of the second-best professional league in the world. Navarro plays a lot like J.J. Redick did in college -- he feels he can make any jumper.
Like most of the rookies on this list below him, he does have some good competition for playing time, namely another sharpshooter in Mike Miller (who's a lot taller) and the surprising Tarence Kinsey. But Navarro, with loads of Euroleague and international competition under his belt, projects to be the first wing off the bench on a team that plays with some serious pace, so his numbers should be solid.

9. Mike Conley Jr. , G, Memphis Grizzlies
Despite his immense talents, Conley has a few things working against him in this race. One, he is playing the toughest position to play as a rookie: the point.
Two, second-year point guard Kyle Lowry is going to be a very good pro and needs time to develop (either towards a better Grizzlies' future or as trade bait). Additionally, Damon Stoudamire and Navarro, as noted above, will get minutes for the Grizzlies.Still, Conley's ultra-quickness, superior handle and his strong hoops IQ will help him navigate the challenges of playing the lead guard in a fast-paced system, and I see a solid first year for him.

Martin Johnson of the New York Sun says the Memphis Grizzlies are poised to be the surprise team of the NBA this season.

I like both the Hawks' and the Bobcats' chances to move up a bit, but I think the Memphis Grizzlies will trump their improvement.

He details the information that all Grizz fans already know by heart (3 straight postseason appearances, Gasol's injury last year, Fratello's firing, new uptempo system) in making his case for a resurgence by Memphis. In all honesty, it is nice to see some optimism regarding the team ruminating from somewhere other than this blog.

In other words, assuming that the Western Conference's top six teams remain somewhat stable, the battle for the final two playoff spots could come down to a dogfight between the Lakers, Warriors, Hornets, and yes, the Grizzlies. And that
should mark a substantial rebound from a 22-win season.

Finally, The Blowtorch named Pau Gasol to the NBA All-Beard Team, which is a prestigious honor, indeed!