ACC Week in the NBA 12/14-12/19

With the holiday season in full-swing and teams across the Association beginning to seriously take shape, it’s time for us to take a look at how former ACC’ers are performing in the NBA so far this week.

Sunday 12/14

Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (Syracuse)

The Line:

34 points (11-24 fg), 9 rebounds in a 95-90 OT loss to the Toronto Raptors

The Word:

While the Knicks have been one of the great embarrassments of the NBA this season, Carmelo Anthony has been as mercurial as ever. On a roster currently combining his all-star presence with a band of misfits and a rookie head coach in Derek Fisher, the Knicks have sunk to a 5-23 record. Now, with lingering knee issues, Carmelo has been in and out of the lineup and you have to wonder if it’s almost time to tank the season and get his inevitable knee surgery out of the way so that he can be healthy when the Knicks try to become relevant again.

Luol Deng, Miami Heat (Duke)

The Line: 

17 points, 10 rebounds in 93-75 loss to the Chicago Bulls

The Word:

When Deng is healthy, he represents a viable option alongside of Dwayne Wade in Miami. Although he will never be able to replace the void that LeBron James left in South Beach, he can be productive when he is on the floor, and his health along with the health of Wade and Chris Bosh will dictate whether or not the Heat will be able to compete in the East the rest of the season.

Monday 12/15

J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (Duke)

The Line:

14 points (7-9 fg) in 113-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons

The Word:

Redick’s shooting as the starting 2 guard for the Clippers has been about as efficient as you could possibly ask for in his current role on the team. He is as steady as they come on offense while playing modest defense on the other end of the floor. He is a valuable cog in the Clippers’ machine, and will hope to continue the hot shooting that has paced his success throughout his NBA career.

Tuesday 12/16

Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves (Georgia Tech)

The Line:

29 points (12-19 shooting), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals in 109-95 loss to the Washington Wizards.

The Word:

Unfortunately for Thaddeus Young, he ran into the offensive jauggernaut that is the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. The Wizards are tough to beat when John Wall puts up 21 points and 17 assists, although Young did all that he could.

Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets (Duke)

The Line:

21 points (8-12 shooting), 9 rebounds in a 95-91 loss to the Miami Heat

The Word:

While Mason Plumlee has been a serviceable player throughout his first couple of seasons in the NBA, he’s still a bit of an unknown commodity since he has been so up-and-down. Nights like this show just how good Plumlee can be, although consistency is needed on a regular basis for him to really take the next step in his professional development.

Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (Syracuse)

The Line:

26 points, 5 assists, 5 steals in 107-87 loss to Dallas

The Word:

Same precedent applied to the Knicks two nights prior: Not enough offense outside of Anthony, and not nearly enough commitment on the defensive end. ‘Melo still got to see his old pal Tyson Chandler though. Maybe that softened the blow of the 20-point loss.

Wednesday, 12/17

Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers (Syracuse)

The Line:

21 points (9-18 shooting), 3 rebounds, 4 assists in 127-98 loss against the Atlanta Hawks

The Word:

In by far the most embarrassing loss of the season for the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers, Dion Waiters was the lone bright spot. This season, Waiters has struggled greatly to find his niche with the revamped Cleveland roster but he looked comfortable in his role off of the bench on Wednesday night, scoring a season-high 21 points.

Tim Duncan (Wake Forest) & Danny Green (North Carolina), San Antonio Spurs

The Line:

The duo combined for 48 points and 23 rebounds on the short end of a 117-116 Triple OT thriller against the Memphis Grizzlies

The Word:

Danny Green had one of those nights for the Spurs, in which he went 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, reminding the Grizzlies and the rest of the Western Conference that he is one of the premier 3-point shooters in the game today. Meanwhile, Tim Duncan is an ageless wonder as he continues to defy the odds of Father Time. Duncan scored 23 points, including a fading jumper from the top of the key to send the game to a third overtime as time expired. Although the Spurs came up short in a hard-fought Western Conference battle, all indications point to the team being a force to be reckoned with in the West for the rest of the season and deep into the playoffs.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers, (Wake Forest)

The Line: 

CP3 scored 20 points, with 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals in a 102-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers

The Word:

The Clippers go as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin go, and the Wake Forest alum continues to dazzle. The Pacers are not a good basketball team without Paul George, but on a night were a dominant performance was needed, CP3 took over the game in all facets, propelling his team to the narrow home win.

I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. Thanks for reading. Follow me on twitter @mikem92VT and check out ITA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheACC

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