NBA Player Rank 2014: Nos. 40-31

40.       Klay Thompson (SG) - Golden State Warriors

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 18.4

REB 3.1

ASST 2.2

FG% 44.4

The off-guard in Golden State's "Splash Brothers" duo, Thompson helps form the NBA's premier backcourt with teammate Stephen Curry. Thompson knocked down 223 three-pointers in 2014, a career-high from behind the arc. The third-year guard registered career-bests in points per game and field goal (44.4) and three-point percentage (41.7). One of the league's top shooters, Thompson is also a steadily improving wing defender, a major reason the Warriors refuse to deal the guard in a package deal for Minnesota forward Kevin Love.

39.       Kemba Walker (PG) - Charlotte Bobcats

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 17.7

REB 4.2

ASST 6.1

FG% 39.3

Proclaimed a "bust" in his rookie season (2012) by basketball pundits, Walker has improved his game tremendously in each of his past two seasons. Walker's scoring ballooned from 2012 (12.1) to 2013 (17.7), though the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) remained a bottom dweller in the Eastern Conference in both seasons. Emerging as the leader of the club in 2014, Walker led the franchise to its first postseason appearance since 2010.

38.       Kawhi Leonard (SF) - San Antonio Spurs

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 12.8

REB 6.2

ASST 2.0

FG% 52.2

Leonard's prowess as a defender lands him a spot in the top-40. Though, it should be noted that the third-year forward trailed only LeBron James in shooting percentage among NBA small forwards.

37.       Lance Stephenson (SG) - Indiana Pacers

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 13.8

REB 7.2

ASST 4.6

FG% 49.1

Stephenson finished second in the voting for Most Improved Player in 2014, with the league taking notice of his strides on both sides of the ball. A surefire hot commodity in the upcoming free agency, Stephenson has shown flashes of being an elite player. The fourth-year guard will likely command upwards of $10 million on the open market this offseason. 

36.       Zach Randolph (PF) - Memphis Grizzlies

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 17.4

REB 10.1

ASST 2.5

FG% 46.7

Randolph averaged a double-double for the fourth time in five seasons as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. His 47 double-doubles were tied for fourth-most among all NBA players in 2014. With center Marc Gasol injured for 23 games this season, Randolph shouldered the load on the inside, helping the Grizzlies capture a playoff birth for the fourth consecutive year.

35.       Ty Lawson (PG) - Denver Nuggets

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 17.6

REB 3.5

ASST 8.8

FG% 43.1

One of the NBA's most under-appreciated players, Lawson finished in a second-place tie for assists per contest in 2014. Along with forward Kenneth Faried, Lawson is part of the nucleus for the rebuilding Nuggets. 

34.       Pau Gasol (PF/C) - Los Angeles Lakers

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 17.4

REB 9.7

ASST 3.4

FG% 48.0

Amid the Lakers' turmoil, Gasol quietly had another strong season in Los Angeles. The free-agent-to-be ranked 11th in NBA defensive efficiency and his nightly offensive output will make him one of the most attractive big man options on the market this offseason. 

33.       Mike Conley (PG) - Memphis Grizzlies

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 17.2

REB 2.9

ASST 6.0

FG% 45.0

The unheralded point guard lifted his scoring totals by nearly three points per contest in 2014. A key defensive cog in the Grizzlies' stifling defense, Conley spearheaded a near-upset over the heavily favored Thunder in the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs. 

32.       Monta Ellis (SG) - Dallas Mavericks

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 19.0

REB 3.6

ASST 5.7

FG% 45.1

Ellis proved his doubters wrong with a career year in his inaugural season in Dallas. The 28-year-old guard provided Dirk Nowitzki with his most prolific sidekick since the glory days of Jason Terry. Ellis led the NBA in drives to the basket (and points on drives). He also led the Mavs in scoring (20.4) in their seven-game series against the Spurs.


31.       Marc Gasol (C) - Memphis Grizzlies

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 14.6

REB 7.2

ASST 3.6

FG% 47.3

The Grizzlies went just 9-14 in the absence of Gasol,the 2013 defensive player of the year. With Gasol in the lineup, however, the Grizzlies posted a terrific 41-18 record. The driving force behind the Grizzlies' resurgence, Gasol solidified the team's daunting frontcourt, ranking 19th in defensive player efficiency. 


*To be eligible for NBA Player Rank, players must appear in at least 40 games in 2013-2014 season.

NBA Player Rank 2014: Nos. 50-41

50.       David West (PF) - Indiana Pacers

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 14.0

REB 6.8

ASST 2.8

FG% 48.8

The emotional leader of the Pacers, West supplied Indiana with a much-needed post-presence. An elite interior defender, the sturdy forward helped the Pacers notch the No. 1 defensive ranking in the NBA.

   

49.       Paul Pierce (SF) - Brooklyn Nets

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 13.5

REB 4.6

ASST 2.4

FG% 45.1

After 15 storied seasons in Boston, Pierce successfully adjusted to the role of team leader in Brooklyn. Pierce was the Nets' most valuable player once the calendar flipped to January, leading the club to 34 wins versus just 17 losses following the team's dreadful 10-21 start to the season. Pierce's minutes (28.0) and points (13.5) decreased drastically from a season ago, but the 36-year-old was the usual reliable "Truth" for the Nets come crunch time, particularly in the first-round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Toronto Raptors. 

48.       Jamal Crawford (PG/SG) - Los Angeles Clippers

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 18.6

REB 2.3

ASST 3.2

FG% 41.6

The Sixth Man of the Year, Crawford led all bench players in scoring this season, including all players who logged at least 1,000 minutes off the bench. A two-time winner of the Sixth Man award, Crawford played arguably his best season of his career. Not only did he light it up off the bench, Crawford also scored with proficiency in 23 starts (20.6 ppg).

47.       David Lee (PF) - Golden State Warriors

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 18.2

REB 9.3

ASST 2.1

FG% 52.3

Lee had another solid season for the Warriors, narrowly missing out on averaging a double-double for the second straight season (and fifth time in his career). With Mark Jackson gone and first-time head coach Steve Kerr now on board, could Lee be on Golden State's trading block this offseason?

46.       DeAndre Jordan (C) - Los Angeles Clippers

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 10.4

REB 13.6

ASST 0.9

FG% 67.6

Jordan flourished under the tutelage of Doc Rivers, leading the league in rebounds per contest and field goal percentage. Jordan also averaged a career-best 10.4 points per game.

45.       Nicolas Batum (SF) - Portland Trail Blazers

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 13.0

REB 7.5

ASST 5.1

FG% 46.5

Batum achieved career-highs in points and assists in 2014. A pivotal component of the Blazers' surprise season, the lengthy small forward suited up for all 82 games for the first time in his career.

44.       Andre Drummond (C) - Detroit Pistons

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 13.5

REB 13.2

ASST 0.4

FG% 62.3

Drummond ranked second in the NBA in field goal percentage and rebounds per game. He also posted 57 double-doubles, the second-most in the league.

43.       Jeff Teague (PG) - Atlanta Hawks

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 16.5

REB 2.6

ASST 6.7

FG% 43.8

Teague has blossomed into the point guard of the future for the Hawks, averaging a career-high 16.5 points per contest in 2014. Teague elevated his game in the playoffs, topping 19.3 points per game, almost leading the eighth-seeded Hawks to a historic upset over the Pacers in the first-round of the playoffs.

42.       Joe Johnson (SG) - Brooklyn Nets

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 15.8

REB 3.4

ASST 2.7

FG% 45.4

Hailed as "Joe Jesus", the 32-year-old guard raised his shooting percentages to 45.5 percent and 40.1 percent from the field and three-point range, respectively. Johnson carried his efficient offensive play into the playoffs, scoring 21.2 points per contest on 53.3 percent shooting.

41.       Chandler Parsons (SF) - Houston Rockets

2013-14 SEASON

PPG 16.6

REB 5.5

ASST 4.0

FG% 47.2

A versatile 6'10 forward, Parsons stretched the floor on offense and yielded superb perimeter D for the defensively challenged Houston Rockets. Parsons' 16.6 points per contest were a career best.

Red Sox defeat Rangers behind Lackey, climb above .500 for first time since April 3

John Lackey earned his fifth victory of 2014 by beating the Texas Rangers on Sunday. (Jim Cowsert/USA Today Sports)

Right-hander John Lackey, a native of Abilene, Texas, felt right at home at Globe Life Park, leading the Boston Red Sox to a series win over the Rangers. Lackey went seven innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out nine in the Red Sox’s 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Pitching in Arlington, the city where he played his college ball at the University of Texas, Lackey gave the Red Sox a quality start in the rubber match of the series. His command was extraordinary, tossing 75 of his 105 pitches for strikes with no walks allowed.

The win moved the Red Sox above the .500 mark for the first time since April 3, the fourth day of the regular season. It was Lackey’s 20^th start at Globe Life Park, breaking a tie with Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez for the most as a visiting player. In earning the victory, Lackey improved his record at the Rangers’ ballpark to 8-7, though the 35-year-old has had his share of its struggles pitching in his home city.

“I like coming here. But it’s a terrible place to pitch,” Lackey said, via Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “I’d rather be pitching back at Fenway, trust me.”

Lackey entered Sunday’s contest with a 6.61 career ERA at Globe Life Park. His earned run average at the Rangers’ ballpark is the second-highest of any visiting pitcher with at least 15 starts and 75 innings.

The Red Sox offense provided Lackey with early run support, making the right-hander's outing a lot less stressful. Mike Napoli hit a two-run double in the top of the first and two batters later A.J. Pierzynski followed with a RBI single to give the Sox a 3-0 before Lackey had stepped on the mound.

''It's nice to go out there when you already have a 3-0 lead,'' Lackey said, via foxsports.com. ''It kind of lets you relax a little bit and pound the strike zone.''

Over .500 for the first time since their opening-series victory in Baltimore, the Red Sox trail the Orioles by just two games for first-place in the ultra-competitive AL East.

Yu Darvish falls one out shy of no-hitter as Rangers blank Red Sox

Yu Darvish is pumped after recording the final out in the eighth inning. Darvish went 8 2/3 hitless before David Ortiz singled to break up the no-hit bid. (Larry Smith/European PressPhoto Agency)

The Boston Red Sox were no match for Yu Darvish, who came one out away from throwing the first Texas Rangers’ no-hitter since 1994.

Darvish struck out 12, taking a perfect game into the eighth inning before an error with two outs ended his streak of 23 straight batters retired. The error, committed by Alex Rios on a fly ball hit by David Ortiz, became the center of controversy in the Rangers’ 8-0 victory. Ortiz's fly ball fell between second baseman Rougned Odor and the right fielder Rios on a play in which one of them should have easily made the catch.

The official scorer for the game charged Rios with an error, rather than rewarding Ortiz with a hit, as Darvish remained on pace for a no-no. Steve Weller, the official scorer, justified his decision from Friday’s contest, noting how this situation was discussed in a meeting among scorers with the Elias Sports Bureau.

“We talked about plays like this and the consensus — there were some that argued it but it was a consensus — that if a ball goes in the air and two or more players convene on the ball and under normal effort you feel like any one of them could’ve caught the ball, you’re almost obligated to award an error,” Weller said, via The Boston Globe. “And that’s what I felt happened here.”

Based upon MLB’s Rule 10.12, it appears Weller made the correct call. The rule (provided below by sbnation.com) states:

(a) The official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder:

(1) whose misplay (fumble, muff or wild throw) prolongs the time at bat of a batter, prolongs the presence on the bases of a runner or permits a runner to advance one or more bases, unless, in the judgment of the official scorer, such fielder deliberately permits a foul fly to fall safe with a runner on third base before two are out in order that the runner on third shall not score after the catch;

It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder's legs or a fly ball falls untouched and, in the scorer's judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error.

The official scorer shall charge an outfielder with an error if such outfielder allows a fly ball to drop to the ground if, in the official scorers judgment, an outfielder at that position making ordinary effort would have caught such fly ball.

Low and behold, Ortiz ended up breaking up Darvish’s no hit-bid in the top of the ninth with a single to right field that evaded the shift designed to counter the designated hitter.

The 27-year-old Darvish fell one out shy of a no-hitter for the second time in his career. Last August, the Japanese ace threw 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball against the Houston Astros, before Marwin Gonzalez hit a single up the middle that went right through the legs of Darvish.  

After another masterful pitching performance, Darvish lowered his ERA to 2.33 and recorded the win, improving his 2014 season record to 3-1

Ray Farmer, Cleveland Browns the Winners in Round 1 of 2014 NFL Draft

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine (left) and GM Ray Farmer (right) answer questions from the media following the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Farmer has done a commendable job this offseason bolstering the Browns' roster, giving Pettine plenty of talent to work with in his first year as a NFL head coach. (AP Photo)

It’s hard not to admire what Cleveland Browns rookie general manager Ray Farmer accomplished in the opening round of his first-ever NFL Draft. Farmer, spearheading the Browns’ new regime, came away with the top-rated cornerback in the 2014 NFL Draft in Justin Gilbert, the best advertised quarterback in the rookie pool in Johnny Manziel and acquired a 2015 first-round pick from the Buffalo Bills, all within the first day of the 79^th Annual NFL Selection Meeting.

            Farmer wasted no time in making a splash in his first go-around in selecting rookie talent. Cleveland was far and away the most active team in round one of the draft as Farmer maneuvered up and down the selection board quicker than Kevin Costner did in the recent Browns-centered film “Draft Day.” Farmer refused to be complacent in his operations, the way that his unsuccessful predecessors, Mike Holmgren and Mike Lombardi, were in their failed attempts to rebuild the franchise. Farmer and the Browns front office capitalized on the overambitious Bills’ management, who traded away their first and fourth-round picks in next year’s draft to swap spots in the current draft with Cleveland, who were originally slated to have the fourth pick in the 2014 Draft. The Bills selected highly touted wideout Sammy Watkins after moving up in the draft. The Browns, meanwhile, slid to the ninth overall selection, which they ultimately traded up a spot with the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a fifth-round choice in 2015, for the rights to draft Justin Gilbert, the corner out of Oklahoma State that dazzled scouts with his raw speed and athleticism.

            The addition of Gilbert bolsters the Browns’ formidable secondary, a critical aspect of new head coach Mike Pettine’s defensive system. Gilbert will play across from Pro-Bowl cornerback Joe Haden, who is coming off his best season as a pro. Farmer believes Gilbert will be a perfect in Cleveland.

            “Justin Gilbert the player -- He’s long, via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon. “He’s fast. He’s explosive. He’s a playmaker. He plays like a Brown. Number one thing we talk about when we talk about corners is they’ve got to cover like Browns. He’s got great arm length. He’s got the speed. He’s got the ball skills.”

            Adding Gilbert to a secondary that had already acquired hard-hitting two-time Pro-Bowler Donte Whitner via free agency was an exciting step for the upstart Browns. However, the decision by the Browns’ brass to trade up four spots with the Philadelphia Eagles to select Johnny “Football” Manziel is what made Cleveland the talk of the draft.

            Easily the most polarizing player waiting to be chosen, Manziel brings instant media hype and attention to a franchise that has not a winning season since 2007. The first-ever QB to win the Heisman Trophy as a freshman, Manziel gives the Browns an identity at a position they have struggled with immensely in the past decade-plus. The former Texas A&M quarterback that lit up the college football world with his play-making abilities and off-the-field dramatics will look to return Cleveland to their football glory days.

Before Manziel can dream about leading the Browns to their first championship since 1964, he will first have to upsurge purported starter Brian Hoyer. Pettine has already acknowledged that it will be “very difficult” to beat out incumbent first-string quarterback Hoyer, who went 3-0 as a starter with the Browns in 2013 before an ACL tear cut his season short. With all that said, you don’t bring Johnny Football to town without the intention of him being your guy under center at some point in the very near future.

As with all quarterbacks chosen in the draft, there is no telling whether Manziel will be a whopping success or a major bust. However, Manziel’s history of winning should be an encouraging sign for a club that has not exceeded five wins in any of its past six seasons. Manziel provides the Browns the type of sizzle that franchises need to jumpstart its rebuilding process.

Landing Manziel, coupled with the pickup of Gilbert and an additional first-round pick in next-year’s draft, is a superb initial day at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall for Farmer and the Browns. Now, the attention shifts to the second round and beyond, where Farmer will be counted on to improve the Browns’ offensive line and wide receiver corps. As any successful GM will tell you, championships are not just built in the first round of the draft, but also with wise selections in the rounds that follow. For Farmer, though, it’s so far so good as the mastermind calling the shots.  

Sizemore's single in 12th lifts Red Sox over Reds

Emerging as the feel-good story of spring training, Grady Sizemore had come back down to earth. Mired in a 3-for-37 slump entering Tuesday’s homestand, the 31-year-old needed a spark to lift him out of his prolonged funk.

Sizemore’s hitting woes came to a screeching halt on Tuesday as the Boston Red Sox’s center fielder delivered with three-hits, none bigger than his Green Monster-smashing single that scored David Ortiz from second base in the 12^th inning. Sizemore’s wall-ball base knock lifted the Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

The single gave Sizemore his fourth career walk-off hit, his first since Aug. 11, 2006, against the Kansas City Royals, then a member of the Cleveland Indians.

"It will never get old to walk off," said Sizemore, via SFGate.com. "I was just glad I could come through."

Coming up in the clutch, Sizemore proved he can be an integral piece to the Red Sox as they build toward restoring their dominance in the MLB.

"He feels like the game is coming back to him," Red Sox manager John Farrell said, via telegram.com. "With a walk-off hit like this, he feels he's contributing, not just some player coming back from an injury."

For Sizemore, a walk-off single builds confidence to a player looking to recapture his glory after injuries almost decimated his career.

"Honestly, considering everything else I've gone through, this is easy," Sizemore said, via MassLive.com. "This is fun."

The Red Sox are now 1-2 in extra innings contests at Fenway Park, posting a 2-2 record overall in extras.