Lion Face/Lemon Face: The Most Cleverly Titled Lion Face/Lemon Face You Could Ever Imagine

Lion Face: Joe Johnson 

Before he signed an unseemly albatross of a contract and struggled throughout the 2010-2011 season, Joe Johnson was one of the league’s most versatile, well-balanced players. He wasn’t definitively elite in any one respect, but his ability to score, rebound, and pass at decent (or better) rates allowed him a certain level of respectability. Against a struggling Cleveland team zooming towards the lottery, the acceptably efficient Joe Johnson returned. 25 points on 18 shots is enough to pleasantly surprise Hawks’ fans, but Johnson’s continued strong three-point shooting should be equally encouraging (5-9 3PT). The Eastern Conference’s fourth seed beckons.

Lion Face: Tristan Thompson

Normally this space would be reserved for a Lemon Face, but the 2011-2012 Cleveland Cavaliers have no further need for negativity. This is the kind of loss that’s positively characterized as indicative of “rebuilding”. Sure, the team lost, but Tristan Thompson continued his strong play. Thompson still hasn’t garnered consistent significant minutes in the Cavaliers’ rotation, but he’s acquitting himself well when given the opportunity. 16 points, 5 rebounds, and only one missed shot in 23 minutes serves as the bright spot in the desolate Eastern Conference basement wasteland.

Lemon Face: Portland Trail Blazers 

If you lose to the Detroit Pistons, you get a Lemon Face. That’s the rule.

Lion Face: Rodney Stuckey 

If you lead the Detroit Pistons to victory with 28 points (8-15 FG, 4-5 3PT, 8-9 FT), you get a Lion Face. That’s the other rule.

Lion Face: LeBron James 

Another near triple-double performance from LeBron James (28 points (12-17 FG), five assists, nine rebounds) happened. I know it’s early. I know he’ll likely regress (into still being the best player in the NBA). I know small sample size can never be brushed aside. I know Dwyane Wade isn’t playing and cutting into LeBron’s maximum production. But if the season ended today, LeBron would finish arguably one of the greatest regular seasons in basketball history. He currently holds both the highest PER and WS/48 of all-time in a season (after about a month of games, of course). Again, it’s just 14 games, but it’s an absolutely unworldly 14 games. Night in and night out, LeBron is dominating games with ease. And I haven’t yet mentioned that he holds the fourth best field-goal percentage in the league, despite playing small forward and shooting the ball more than 19 times per game. I don’t want to wax poetically or hyperbolically about this, but it deserves acknowledgment. Right now, LeBron is playing on a historic plane rarely seen in the NBA.

Lemon Face: Carmelo Anthony 

I’m glad to hear ‘Melo is contemplating whether there are times when shooting constantly is not the answer. I just wish that elusive realization had struck sometime during or before the first overtime during tonight’s competitive game against the Denver Nuggets.

Lion Face: Danilo Gallinari 

A brilliant performance from Gallinari culminated in strong overtime performances. It also served as a strong narrative point for those who believe the Melo trade was a poor move for the Knicks’ long term prospects. But for tonight, it was simply a performance that earned the Nuggets a key road win and confirmed Gallo’s incredible ability to generate free throws (18-20 FT, 37 points).

Lion Face: Delonte West 

No low-risk signing has paid off as well as the Mavericks’ deal with West, which has given the team a solid starter and consistent scoring boost (16 points, (6-10 FG), six assists, one turnover). Coupled with continued strong play from Shawn Marion, the Mavericks were able to eek out a victory against the Hornets on Saturday night.

Lemon Face: Undersized Bobcats’ Guards

The Bobcats rely on good production from Kemba Walker and D.J. Augustin. That production was virtually nonexistent against the Bulls, as the two combined for only seven points (2-11 FG) and five assists in 51 minutes. The Bulls’ defense can give any perimeter player trouble on the drive, and in this game, that was consistently the case.

Lion Face: Tiago Splitter

This was a really fun game, as Rockets’ games frequently are. The best part, however, was Tiago Splitter’s incredibly surprising newfound ability to make every shot (25 points, 11-13 FG).

Lemon Face: The Thunder-Nets Game

The Nets played predictably poorly, and the Thunder played well enough to win. Few shots were made, and turnovers were abundant (both teams had less assists than turnovers). This was not a good game for the sport of basketball.

Lion Face: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Offense

The Grizzlies scored 128 points on 55% shooting Saturday night, and they probably could’ve inflated that total further. The Grizzlies are gelling again, and it’s increasingly apparent on the court. Mike Conley is scoring and running the offense admirably, and Marc Gasol appears to have made the leap his contract dictates. He’s attacking the boards with voracity (great word) with Zach Randolph injured, and his energy is unmatched by most opposing bigs on any given night.

Lemon Face: The Sacramento Kings’ Defense

The future looks possibly hopeful (though certainly flawed) for the Kings, but the present is consistently bleak.

Lion Face: Paul Millsap

Millsap continued his impressive play against an upstart Timberwolves’ team, dominating the interior (26 points (12-18 FG), nine rebounds) and scoring at will. Without Kyle Lowry’s vast and various improvements, Millsap would likely be considered a leading Most Improved Player candidate.

Lemon Face: Kevin Love

Coming off the emotional high of a game-winning three, Love continued his shooting struggles, missing 16 of his 21 shots and six of his seven threes. To boot, Love’s long-running double-double streak ended. Even in dark moments, the Rubio-Love pairing is a joy to watch, but those pick-and-rolls and three-point openings were tempered with missed shots throughout Saturday night’s game.