Fab Five of the Month for the Moth of March

Sorry to post this article so late, it's been a hectic last couple of days. Any ways, this month (March), has been so competitive. I had a very arduous time in deciding the rankings this month, since there was so many players worthy of top 5 consideration. Last month, Kobe had an outstanding month, en route to the #1 spot in my monthly rankings. LeBron had a ridiculous month, statistically, Carmelo played great all around ball, and two Spurs had great stats along with a great record. This month however, one great player did not make the rankings, another superstar slid far from last months rank, and 3 others, made their first appearance on the ranking board. So here we go, the Fab Five for the Month of March:

5. Kobe Bryant-SG-Los Angeles Lakers: Last month, Kobe was #1 in the rankings after having an outstanding month of February. However, this month, the Kobester dropped 4 spots in the rankings after he and the Lakers lost games that were gimmes. He also didn't shoot the highest field goal percentage either(44%). What kept Kobe in the top 5 though was his play during the absence of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. He dropped 2 50+ point games this month. 52 in an overtime win over Dallas, and 53 in an embarrassing loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He also showed how versatile his game is, by recording 6 double doubles. The Lakers record was just barely good enough to keep him in the top 5, but for playing in the West, it still wasn't too bad of a record(9-6). For the month, Kobe averaged 31.5 ppg, which was the most any player averaged this month. Look for Kobe and the Lakers to play much better than their March performance, as they make a push for the #1 or #2 spot in the West.

-One thing Kobe has to be careful of is technical fouls. In the Lakers loss to Charlotte, Kobe picked up his 14th and 15th technicals of the season. One more and the Lakers lose him for a game.
4. Andre Iguodala-G/F-Philadelphia 76ers: Playing for one of the hottest teams in sports right now, Andre Iguodala led his team to an outstanding 11-4 record for the month of March. Iggy and the Sixers had HUGE wins over big time playoff contenders, like the, Boston Celtics(IN BOSTON), San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons(IN DETROIT), Denver Nuggets, and the Phoenix Suns(IN PHOENIX). Not only did Iggy Pop show that he could lead his team to wins, but he also showed how versatile he was. He averaged 21.1 points per game(season high), 4.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. He also shot 49.4% from the field and 39.6% from behind the arc, which are the best shooting percentages hes had over the course of a month all year. Along with rookie, Thaddeus Young, third year scoring guard, Louis Williams, and the long, young Samuel Dalembert, Philly has a lot to look forward to in the future.

-Iggy, who has an uncanny ability for throwing down nasty dunks, slams in 2 of his 21 points in a 121-99 win over Chicago on March 26th.

3. Amare Stoudemire-PF-Phoenix Suns: One thing that has been greatly affected by the Shaq trade, has been the play of 25 year old Amare Stoudemire. During March, S.T.A.T. averaged 29.3 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and shot an outstanding 58.7% from the field. Amare also led Phoenix to a 11-5 record this past month, which included a 7 game winning streak. On the last game of that streak, was a home match up against the Houston Rockets. Amare exploded for 38 points, but only hit 9 field goals. How in the world did he manage to get 38 points that game. He didn't he any threes. What he did do, was go 20 for 20 from the LINE! Stoudemire became the third player to ever go at least 20 for 20 from the line, the most recent being Detroit's Richard Hamilton in a win over Charlotte during the 2004-2005 season, in which he hit 20 out of 20 free throws that game. If Amare continues his beast-like play during April and the playoffs, we might see the championship trophy heading to Phoenix.

-Amare throws down 2 of his March high, 41 points, in a 132-117 win over the Denver Nuggets. Amare also hit 17 of 19 free throws and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Phoenix win.

2. Deron Williams-PG-Utah Jazz: D-Will is no doubt having the best season of his young career. He has been averaging career highs in points(19.3), assists(10.5), field goal percentage(51.5%), and free throw percentage(80%). He is proving that he will fill John Stockton's shoes, and will be Utah's next great point guard. He might even be better if he continues to improve at the rate he is doing so. During the month of March, Deron Williams led Utah to an outstanding 12-4 record. Notable wins included victories over Dallas, Phoenix(on the road), Denver, and a road victory over Boston. He had a double double(pts/asts) in all but 2 games during the month. He may not be an MVP candidate this year, but he will be one soon, as he will be hungry to prove that Chris Paul isn't the only superstar point guard in the league.

-Showing he isn't all about just dimes and jumpers, D-Will throws down a thunderous 2 hander in a win over Seattle.

1. Chris Paul-PG-New Orleans Hornets: This month, CP3 looked like the favorite to win the MVP award. He pushed New Orleans into the top spot in the Wild Wild West, and did so convincingly. He led the Hornets to an 11-4 month, and in those 15 games, averaged 21.4 points on a season high 55.3% shooting, while also dropping a season high 13.3 assists per game, to catapult him into the #1 assister in the NBA. He continues to show he is not just a great offensive player, but a great defender too, averaging 2.7 steals per game. He has also recorded at least 1 steal in every game he as played this year, a pretty amazing feat for someone who is only 22. Most likely he will lead New Orleans into the playoffs as the number one seed in the West, but we will see how his and the teams lack of playoff experience hurts them. `

-Here we see CP3 showing off his defensive array, as he covers Paul Pierce who has 6 inches of height over the pesky 6 foot point guard.

Well, there you have it, the Fab Five of the month. April's will be coming up very soon due to the seasons end in the middle of the month. Hope you enjoyed this months rankings. Check back soon for Mock Drafts, Final Season Predictions, and Playoff Predictions.