After the NBA Draft Lottery last week, the buzz around the top basketball prospects has gotten louder. After Blake Griffin, there's a clear drop off with the next 2 picks a reported toss up between the highly skilled Spaniard Ricky Rubio and UConn's shot-blocking specialist Hasheem Thabeet.
While scouts are careful to point out that Thabeet's offensive skills are underdeveloped, his stock is entirely based on his length and his potential to be a dominant big man in this league. That fact is - you can't teach 7 foot 3 inches. Whether Thabeet ends up as a Grizzly, a Thunder, or a King, there are going to be some unfairly high expectations placed on the big man to hold it down in the middle. No matter how good Thabeet ends up being, I am pretty certain he is going to fall short.
Why are our expectations for new bigs in this league so high? Why have centers like Greg Oden been such a disappointment? What exactly are we waiting for?
For argument's sake, let consider the two centers who are considered to be at the forefront of the 5: Yao Ming and Dwight Howard. (I am not including Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett in this discussion because they are listed as forwards. Sorry guys, but you wrote yourselves off by claiming that position.) Sure, Yao couples his skill with a grace that doesn't come naturally to others with his size, but his career has been ridden with injuries and his lack of killer-instinct has repeatedly been exploited. Howard's athleticism is unparalleled, but the majority of his offense is created off the boards and when the game is on the line, he's setting screens and clearing out of the paint for Hedo Turkoglu.
Yao and Howard are examples of how we are willing to overlook shortcomings and exaggerate effectiveness of a center just so we can have titans to marvel at. We give them the benefit of the doubt and consider them "dominant" without attaching any caveats. The truth - Yao Ming is a great center "for his time." Dwight Howard is dominant "for his time."
If you disagree with that, consider where they stand in the pantheon of NBA's big men? Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwan, David Robinson account for numerous scoring titles, defensive player of the year awards, All-NBA selections, and all 4 the non-Bulls championships in the 90's.
The Hoya triumvirate of Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo, Patrick Ewing represent the most resilient and durable group of centers the NBA has ever seen: Zo played 15 seasons, outlasted FSGS and a kidney transplant, and was perhaps the most intense and emotional player in NBA history; Deke played 18 seasons, won defensive player of the year 4 times, and intimidated the hell out of opponents with just a wave of his finger; and Chewing played 17 seasons, is considered the one of the best players in Knick's franchise history, and starred in his own Snickers commercial!
Looking back a few generations, and you'll find even more dominant big men. Wilt Chamberlain holds NBA all-time records for points (100) and rebounds (55) in a single game; Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scoring; and Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 years and is now the namesake for the NBA Final's MVP award.
I think we are desperately waiting to relive the glory days of the NBA when the best players in the league not named Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird where larger than life, literally. It probably won't be Oden or Thabeet that brings those days back. I don't think Yao or Howard are cutting it today. But there will be someone, some newbie giant that someday will make the 5th position the most important position again.
Until then, we'll have to settle for the LeBron/Kobe/D-Wade show.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
(Insert Joke Here): Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers shocked the NBA by winning the Blake Griffin Sweepstakes by drawing the first pick in the NBA Lottery. The NBA Lottery is one of the more exciting draft processes we have today in sports. The worst team doesn't necessarily get the best pick.
As soon as the Clips won, their team president Andy Roeser said, "We’re going to do our due diligence," during a national conference call after the lottery. "Then, we’re going to pick the best player in the draft.” A wise move, but then he followed that up the next day by saying he thinks Griffin is the right fit. Even head coach Mike Dunleavy agreed that Griffin is the player they want. I do believe Griffin is the best player in the upcoming draft; however, a savior he is not. He will end up being just another lost piece with great potential in LA.
In the business world or on a poker table, it is wise never to show your entire hand. Yet, the Clips have already announced that Griffin will be a Clipper. Although the chances of this happening is 99%, what about the option of trading the pick? They completely eliminated many other options by openly proclaiming their love for Griffin. If Griffin is the best player, maybe they should wait for summer league play and let stock to skyrocket. Why not wait for another team to be so anxious that they end up trading for the number 1 pick? The team doesn't have a good history with draft picks. so one would think they would look at all possible routes before making a decision. Guess not! Last year, Pat Riley never said what he was going to do until the Heat were on the clock. He essentially exhausted all other options and chose a player based upon all the information provided.
It's pretty obvious to me obvious why this team has been in the draft lottery more times than any other NBA franchise.
As soon as the Clips won, their team president Andy Roeser said, "We’re going to do our due diligence," during a national conference call after the lottery. "Then, we’re going to pick the best player in the draft.” A wise move, but then he followed that up the next day by saying he thinks Griffin is the right fit. Even head coach Mike Dunleavy agreed that Griffin is the player they want. I do believe Griffin is the best player in the upcoming draft; however, a savior he is not. He will end up being just another lost piece with great potential in LA.
In the business world or on a poker table, it is wise never to show your entire hand. Yet, the Clips have already announced that Griffin will be a Clipper. Although the chances of this happening is 99%, what about the option of trading the pick? They completely eliminated many other options by openly proclaiming their love for Griffin. If Griffin is the best player, maybe they should wait for summer league play and let stock to skyrocket. Why not wait for another team to be so anxious that they end up trading for the number 1 pick? The team doesn't have a good history with draft picks. so one would think they would look at all possible routes before making a decision. Guess not! Last year, Pat Riley never said what he was going to do until the Heat were on the clock. He essentially exhausted all other options and chose a player based upon all the information provided.
It's pretty obvious to me obvious why this team has been in the draft lottery more times than any other NBA franchise.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My favorite Nike puppet
If you've been watching any playoff basketball this season, I'm sure you've noticed the Nike ads featuring the "Most Valuable Puppet" avatars of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. If you haven't, here and here.What I like most about this ad campaign is how the puppets' personalities truly reflect their human counterparts. Lil' Kobe's projects a mellow arrogance, flaunting his extensive playoff and championship experience. Lil' Lebron cannot contain his enthusiasm for the post-season, Ohio, and Chinese food.
I'm assuming these commercials will run through the end of the post-season. Over the course of the next week, we'll see if the real LeBron and Kobe can outlast their marionette mini-me's by meeting in the Finals.
The focus of this article, however, is my favorite Nike puppet - puppeT, singular. It's not about Kobe and LeBron. Flash back about 13 years, and you may recall a loud-mouthed, smack-talkin' figurine by the name of Lil' Penny!
In my mind, the Lil' Penny ad campaign represent some of my greatest memories of the '90s: Anfernee Hardaway's potential, Chris Rock one-liners, Tyra Banks, Gheorghe Muresan, and the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever owned, the Nike Air Penny 2 (photo below). If all that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling, I feel sorry for you.Unfortunately for Penny, we remember little else from his career besides an eastern conference championship and the emotional scars from Shaquille O'Neal's departure for Hollywood and a series of less-than-mediocre comebacks after injury. At least we can still watch the commercials.
Hats off to Nike for creating a series of new (and likely more successful) puppets, but I'll never forget Lil' Penny and the puppet empire that could have been. "If the Academy don't recognize this, we got a problem."Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Predictions
Alright brownies, I say that we should play a little game here. The Conference Finals are starting tonight, and I say we should predict. The proposed rules are simple and are as follows:
PS- I propose the winner gets to give Jiggly a wet willy since he is not gonna win anyway!
- If the team you pick wins their series, you get 5 points
- If you pick the incorrect team, but pick the number of games the series will go correctly, you will get 2 points
- If you pick the correct team and the number of games correctly, you get 10 points
- The first tie breaker will be the NBA Finals winner
- The second tie breaker will be your two finals teams' average points per game
- If theres a third tie breaker we should never play this game again
PS- I propose the winner gets to give Jiggly a wet willy since he is not gonna win anyway!
Chancey Billups: Mr. Big Shot
Age ain’t nothing but a number. This certainly holds true for 12 year veteran Chauncey Billups who is headed to his 7th straight conference finals appearance. That’s right. I said seven. He holds himself in good company as only Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar have ever accomplished this amazing feat.
So what makes Chauncey so reliable year after year? He doesn’t have Chris Paul’s killer crossover; he doesn’t have Derrick Rose’s speed, and he doesn’t have Deron Williams’ vision. But what he does have is a basketball IQ and leadership mentality that is second to none among NBA point guards.
This season we are witnessing exactly how valuable Billups’ basketball IQ and leadership are to the Denver Nuggets. Billups has completely transformed this team and has led them to a franchise record of 54 wins. But it's not the regular season where Billups’s impact and basketball IQ will be felt. After all, the Nuggets won 50 games last season, so 54 wins is not that much more. But lets take a look at last years playoff run (which was nonexistent) versus this years playoff run. Last year, the Nuggets got completely embarrassed by the Lakers in the first round. Lakers 4 - Nuggets 0. This year, they're 8-2 in the playoffs, winning the majority of their games convincingly. And the two games they lost were very close. Before Billups, the Nuggets lacked maturity - when things got tougher in the playoffs, they couldn't handle it. They shut down, and they lost their cool. This year, it's the Nuggets who have executed. That's no accident - that's Billups's influence.
The Nuggets and Lakers will be an exciting matchup with a much different outcome than last year. If I were the Lakers, I’d brace myself for a tough series. The Nuggets have the firepower, defense, and front line that will cause the Lakers significant problems. Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, they have a world-class point guard and floor general in Chauncey Billups.
Nuggets in 6.
So what makes Chauncey so reliable year after year? He doesn’t have Chris Paul’s killer crossover; he doesn’t have Derrick Rose’s speed, and he doesn’t have Deron Williams’ vision. But what he does have is a basketball IQ and leadership mentality that is second to none among NBA point guards.
This season we are witnessing exactly how valuable Billups’ basketball IQ and leadership are to the Denver Nuggets. Billups has completely transformed this team and has led them to a franchise record of 54 wins. But it's not the regular season where Billups’s impact and basketball IQ will be felt. After all, the Nuggets won 50 games last season, so 54 wins is not that much more. But lets take a look at last years playoff run (which was nonexistent) versus this years playoff run. Last year, the Nuggets got completely embarrassed by the Lakers in the first round. Lakers 4 - Nuggets 0. This year, they're 8-2 in the playoffs, winning the majority of their games convincingly. And the two games they lost were very close. Before Billups, the Nuggets lacked maturity - when things got tougher in the playoffs, they couldn't handle it. They shut down, and they lost their cool. This year, it's the Nuggets who have executed. That's no accident - that's Billups's influence.
The Nuggets and Lakers will be an exciting matchup with a much different outcome than last year. If I were the Lakers, I’d brace myself for a tough series. The Nuggets have the firepower, defense, and front line that will cause the Lakers significant problems. Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, they have a world-class point guard and floor general in Chauncey Billups.
Nuggets in 6.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Culpability Resides with SVG
This article is in response to Can Stan? Really?? Maybe We Should Blame it on Kryptonite Instead.
The person most responsible for the Magic’s downfall this postseason is SVG- STAN VAN GUNDY. He might look like a teddy bear, but he bares more of a resemblance to Ron Jeremy. The uproar of getting rid of Van Gundy did not start after their most recent 4th quarter melt down; it actually started when they struggled down the stretch of the regular season which then started to translate in the postseason.
Let me start off by first thanking SVG for the job he has done with the organization. I believe he is a good coach, and the wins differential from his tenure with the organization proves that without a shadow of doubt. He brought some new life to the organization that was treated like some ugly girl that no one wanted to touch….I’m talking to you Mr. Billy Donovan. (Also, I believe Billy Donovan is on crack if he thinks the University of Florida program is better than the University of Kentucky program.)
SVG made the Magic relevant again in the NBA; however, to think that he made the team of players into superstars is ABSURD. Did he really do a fine job with Hedo or did Hedo finally get the playing time he deserved (Average playing time in Sacramento 21 mins/game and with Orlando 32 mins/game.) My fellow brown guy also made reference to Rashard Lewis aka the worst max franchise player in NBA history. Rashard Lewis is actually playing worse in Orlando when compared to his Seattle days. In his last few years in Seattle, he was averaging 20pts/game and 6 Rebounds/game. Those numbers are better than his average Orlando Magic numbers. The numbers never lie! With that said, I attribute the much love Rashard has received to being in a market with at least some publicity and actually maturing his game. How many people know that Griffey Jr is playing baseball right now in Seattle?
Now to the player that irks me most, Mr. Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston). I 100% agree with the my fellow brown guy in that Magic losing Nelson was monumental especially considering the career year he was having. However, to suggest Rafer Alson is a legitimate point guard is irrational. Does a 5:2 assist turnover ratio sound good to you? I do believe Rafer was the best option available, but who isn’t when compared to Tyronn Lue. The one stat that makes me despise Rafer the most and illustrates why Houston traded him besides just the age issue is a 38% field goal percentage. How many shots do you see him take a game and say to yourself ‘DON’T SHOOT THAT,’ because missing open shots is one thing but forcing jumpers and teardrops in the lane is another.
Now to the person the critics believe is mainly responsible, my superhero and yours, Dwight Howard. Dwight needs to take the frustration at his coach and turn it into energy on the court. I agree to be dominant you got to be assertive. Kobe, Lebron, and Wade all dominate NBA games because they make sure when it matters, the ball is in their hands. If you agree Dwight has no offensive game and that he is just good to give the ball to get a double team which enables the 3 point shot, then why would Van Gundy not let Dwight touch the ball for a good 7 minute span in the 4th?
In conclusion, why can’t Magic fans demand a coaching fire? They are more talented than the Celtics, yet display no heart or calmness. The coach’s job is to fire up his group but also to know when to push the players’ buttons. How many times do you see Phil Jackson yelling? Van Gundy did a great job to this point, but why should fans settle for the 2nd round just because they didn’t get there the year before. Maybe the next coach can take them to the next level. How many people believe Jon Gruden is better than Tony Dungy? NOT EVEN CLOSE. Yet, I highly doubt Dungy would have been able to bring a Super Bowl to Tampa.
Just a thought.
The person most responsible for the Magic’s downfall this postseason is SVG- STAN VAN GUNDY. He might look like a teddy bear, but he bares more of a resemblance to Ron Jeremy. The uproar of getting rid of Van Gundy did not start after their most recent 4th quarter melt down; it actually started when they struggled down the stretch of the regular season which then started to translate in the postseason.
Let me start off by first thanking SVG for the job he has done with the organization. I believe he is a good coach, and the wins differential from his tenure with the organization proves that without a shadow of doubt. He brought some new life to the organization that was treated like some ugly girl that no one wanted to touch….I’m talking to you Mr. Billy Donovan. (Also, I believe Billy Donovan is on crack if he thinks the University of Florida program is better than the University of Kentucky program.)
SVG made the Magic relevant again in the NBA; however, to think that he made the team of players into superstars is ABSURD. Did he really do a fine job with Hedo or did Hedo finally get the playing time he deserved (Average playing time in Sacramento 21 mins/game and with Orlando 32 mins/game.) My fellow brown guy also made reference to Rashard Lewis aka the worst max franchise player in NBA history. Rashard Lewis is actually playing worse in Orlando when compared to his Seattle days. In his last few years in Seattle, he was averaging 20pts/game and 6 Rebounds/game. Those numbers are better than his average Orlando Magic numbers. The numbers never lie! With that said, I attribute the much love Rashard has received to being in a market with at least some publicity and actually maturing his game. How many people know that Griffey Jr is playing baseball right now in Seattle?
Now to the player that irks me most, Mr. Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston). I 100% agree with the my fellow brown guy in that Magic losing Nelson was monumental especially considering the career year he was having. However, to suggest Rafer Alson is a legitimate point guard is irrational. Does a 5:2 assist turnover ratio sound good to you? I do believe Rafer was the best option available, but who isn’t when compared to Tyronn Lue. The one stat that makes me despise Rafer the most and illustrates why Houston traded him besides just the age issue is a 38% field goal percentage. How many shots do you see him take a game and say to yourself ‘DON’T SHOOT THAT,’ because missing open shots is one thing but forcing jumpers and teardrops in the lane is another.
Now to the person the critics believe is mainly responsible, my superhero and yours, Dwight Howard. Dwight needs to take the frustration at his coach and turn it into energy on the court. I agree to be dominant you got to be assertive. Kobe, Lebron, and Wade all dominate NBA games because they make sure when it matters, the ball is in their hands. If you agree Dwight has no offensive game and that he is just good to give the ball to get a double team which enables the 3 point shot, then why would Van Gundy not let Dwight touch the ball for a good 7 minute span in the 4th?
In conclusion, why can’t Magic fans demand a coaching fire? They are more talented than the Celtics, yet display no heart or calmness. The coach’s job is to fire up his group but also to know when to push the players’ buttons. How many times do you see Phil Jackson yelling? Van Gundy did a great job to this point, but why should fans settle for the 2nd round just because they didn’t get there the year before. Maybe the next coach can take them to the next level. How many people believe Jon Gruden is better than Tony Dungy? NOT EVEN CLOSE. Yet, I highly doubt Dungy would have been able to bring a Super Bowl to Tampa.
Just a thought.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Twitter me this, Twitter me that
About two months ago, I jumped on the bandwagon and became one of the ~5 million (probably more) Twitter users. Not that I need another distraction - between web-surfing, blogging, tweeting, and facebooking (is that a word?), I've got my hands full of "-ings" I'd rather be doing than working.
But over the past few weeks, I've found that Twitter has helped me consolidate all of my procrastination activities into one central terminal. I just pull up my favorite Twitter client on my iPhone, and I'm instantly updated with this morning's headlines, last night's American Idol results, today's woot, and the Big Cactus's most recent act of "Shaqness." In short, I am able to satisfy all my time-wasting desires, 140 characters at a time.
I'll get to the part that's relevant to 5brownguys... What I like the most about Twitter is the way that athletes have embraced it. (It was Charlie Villanueva's infamous half-time tweet that actually inspired me to sign-up.) Where a lot of actors and musicians tend to have Twitter feeds that are very 3rd person in nature and likely managed by publicists or poorly-paid interns, athletes have taken a more organic approach, giving us a real glimpse into their professional and personal lives.
Lance Armstrong tweets multiple times a day; he posts his training schedule, photos from rides, Lance Armstrong Foundation updates, and drug test results. He even shares the details of his day-to-day family life, where he's eating dinner, and when he's at his son's flag football games. When Lance broke his clavicle in Spain this March, I heard it from him before it hit ESPN!
While the NBA and many of its teams seem to be using Twitter primarily as a marketing tool during the playoffs, a large number of ballers have jumped onto Twitter. Steve Nash and Jason Richardson join their "very quotatious" teammate as Sun's tweeters. We can follow Paul Pierce's and Dwight Howard's path through the playoffs. Chris Bosh and Tyson Chandler can keep us up to speed on their summer vacation plans. Even the legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar has joined the party.
No, Twitter wont give you box scores, fancy statistics, or in depth analysis, but it can give you a great snapshot of what is happening NOW straight from the horse's mouth. Having this kind of access to the thoughts of your favorite athletes really brings them down to Earth and makes you realize that despite their superstar talent, they are regular people, just like you and I. Personally, I find that very inspiring - it gives my tweets/blogs/facebook posts some meaning. Take Shaq for example. Sure, my circle of Twitter followers is many orders of magnitude smaller than Shaq's (he'll probably hit 1 million any time now), but he's tweeting on his BlackBerry at the same time that I'm on my iPhone. If his words can reach so many people, maybe mine can to.
Tweet tweet.
--
If you are interested in finding your favorite athletes on Twitter, there are plenty of useful tools to locate them such as We Follow.
But over the past few weeks, I've found that Twitter has helped me consolidate all of my procrastination activities into one central terminal. I just pull up my favorite Twitter client on my iPhone, and I'm instantly updated with this morning's headlines, last night's American Idol results, today's woot, and the Big Cactus's most recent act of "Shaqness." In short, I am able to satisfy all my time-wasting desires, 140 characters at a time.
I'll get to the part that's relevant to 5brownguys... What I like the most about Twitter is the way that athletes have embraced it. (It was Charlie Villanueva's infamous half-time tweet that actually inspired me to sign-up.) Where a lot of actors and musicians tend to have Twitter feeds that are very 3rd person in nature and likely managed by publicists or poorly-paid interns, athletes have taken a more organic approach, giving us a real glimpse into their professional and personal lives.
Lance Armstrong tweets multiple times a day; he posts his training schedule, photos from rides, Lance Armstrong Foundation updates, and drug test results. He even shares the details of his day-to-day family life, where he's eating dinner, and when he's at his son's flag football games. When Lance broke his clavicle in Spain this March, I heard it from him before it hit ESPN!
While the NBA and many of its teams seem to be using Twitter primarily as a marketing tool during the playoffs, a large number of ballers have jumped onto Twitter. Steve Nash and Jason Richardson join their "very quotatious" teammate as Sun's tweeters. We can follow Paul Pierce's and Dwight Howard's path through the playoffs. Chris Bosh and Tyson Chandler can keep us up to speed on their summer vacation plans. Even the legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar has joined the party.
No, Twitter wont give you box scores, fancy statistics, or in depth analysis, but it can give you a great snapshot of what is happening NOW straight from the horse's mouth. Having this kind of access to the thoughts of your favorite athletes really brings them down to Earth and makes you realize that despite their superstar talent, they are regular people, just like you and I. Personally, I find that very inspiring - it gives my tweets/blogs/facebook posts some meaning. Take Shaq for example. Sure, my circle of Twitter followers is many orders of magnitude smaller than Shaq's (he'll probably hit 1 million any time now), but he's tweeting on his BlackBerry at the same time that I'm on my iPhone. If his words can reach so many people, maybe mine can to.
Tweet tweet.
--
If you are interested in finding your favorite athletes on Twitter, there are plenty of useful tools to locate them such as We Follow.
Can Stan? Really?? Maybe We Should Blame it on Kryptonite Instead
After the horrible 4th quarter the Orlando Magic played in their Game 5 series against the Boston Celtics, all hell broke loose. The Magic wasted yet another golden opportunity and are now down 3 games to 2 in this crucial Eastern Conference Semifinal. Superman then proceeded to blast his coach Stan Van Gundy afterward, saying "You've got a dominant big man, let him be dominant". Even more bizarre, the next day, the "Off with Van Gundy's Head" uproar began with "Fire Van Gundy" facebook groups, tweets, articles, you name it.
Wait a minute, did I hear this correctly? Fire Van Gundy? At first I just thought the Orlando fans were just frustrated with that heart breaking loss, understandably so. But as the day went along, I came to the realization that they were not joking, they really wanted this guy out, like before Game 6 begins. With the opinion that this is totally absurd thinking by fans, I took the time to try and process why their fans would feel this way. The conclusion? Sorry Magic fans, your thinking is still totally absurd.
Say what you want, Van Gundy has led you to 52 and 59 wins respectively in his first two years as head coach of the Magic. That comes out to a 68 percent win percentage. When is the last time the Orlando Magic won 59 games in a season? When is the last time the Orlando Magic even mattered in this league? I can't even remember what Lil' Penny looks like anymore (at least I'll always remember how Tyra looks though). The Magic went 40-42 in 06-07, just before Van Gundy took over. That season the Magic made it to the playoffs as an 8th seed, and were quickly swept out of the first round by the 1st seeded Detroit Pistons, but it gave the fans hope that good times were not too much farther away. However, I don't care what anybody says, nobody could have predicted 59 wins 2 years later. That is an improvement of 19 wins in 2 seasons. Remarkable!
Over these last two years under the Van Gundy era, there have been players that have thrived in his system. The first one that comes to mind is Hedo Turkoglu, who has always known as a pretty good player in Sacramento coming off the bench. Now he is a really good player, a starter, and known as a Mr. 4th quarter. Nobody thought he could ever be this clutch. Or how about Rashard Lewis, known as a classic underachiever in Seattle with loads of potential. He fit right into Van Gundy's system and now has made a name for himself as a deadly 3 point shooter with a surprisingly good post game. Maybe JJ Reddick, who, to put it bluntly, was a nobody till the second half of this season. Oh, and this team actually plays defense now, something it has not done for years. Point being, yes Superman opens these guys up, but you have to give the coach credit for knowing his players and putting them in roles in which they can succeed. And there is no question Van Gundy has done just that!
Now lets go back to something that everyone seems to forget, and that is the Jameer Nelson injury. When the country found out that he was going to be lost for the season, we all said the Magic are done. Then the Rafer Alston trade happened, which was a great trade for them, but sorry Magic fans, you are probably still done. The reason you are losing to the Celtics ( I know minus KG) is for two reasons, and the first has to do with the loss of Nelson. The Celtics weakness without KG is their pick n' roll defense, as we all saw in the Chicago series. The Magic are a much better pick n' roll offense with Nelson than they are with Alston. I love Rafer, I think he's a legit point guard, but he can't get Orlando over the hump, plain and simple (theres a reason why Houston was willing to let him go). With Nelson, there is no question in my mind that this series is already over, especially without KG. I understand that Magic fans are frustrated that they can't finish off a Boston team minus KG, but you have to remember the Magic lost their engine in Nelson, which then becomes almost as detrimental as losing KG. Imagine if the Cavs lost Mo Williams, where would the Cavs be now?
Finally I saved the best reason for last. Gotta go back to Superman's quote "You've got a dominant big man, let him be dominant". Sorry to burst the 'S' off your chest Dwight, but lets get one thing straight, you are NOT a dominant big man. You are a dominant dunk artist. You are a relentless rebounder. You are an amazing shot blocker and defender. You play every game like its your last, and we love watching you play, but you are NOT dominant. Dominant players beat you defensively and offensively, and unfortunately, you are only half way there.
Howard has alot of work to do offensively. Right now, he doesn't have many moves in the post. He does have monster offensive nights, but thats when he can use his quickness and strength to get around defenders and dunk the ball. The problem with Dwight is when he goes up against someone that can actually play some defense, aka Kendrick Perkins (gosh I hate him). He can't get around Perkins and Dwight is limited to what he can do offensively. So to blame Van Gundy for not getting him the ball enough at the end of games is a bit unwarranted. By the way, he is also only a 59% free throw shooter, which just adds to his liability at the end of games.
I think people should cut this guy a little slack. He's a great regular season coach. Yes, he has not brought you to the promised land yet and he's a little too hyper sometimes, I understand. But give him more than two seasons to prove it (especially since this year still is not over yet). Van Gundy has had postseason success in the past going back to his days in Miami. He came within one game of the NBA finals. A healthy Dwyane Wade in Game 7 gets him there. And oh, Orlando fans, stop listening to Shaq's whole "Master of Panic" thing, he lost all his credibility when he said his soap opera with Kobe was all a publicity stunt. Give me a break!
So to all you Orlando fans, goodluck in Game 6. Stop blaming the coach and stay away from the kryptonite!
Wait a minute, did I hear this correctly? Fire Van Gundy? At first I just thought the Orlando fans were just frustrated with that heart breaking loss, understandably so. But as the day went along, I came to the realization that they were not joking, they really wanted this guy out, like before Game 6 begins. With the opinion that this is totally absurd thinking by fans, I took the time to try and process why their fans would feel this way. The conclusion? Sorry Magic fans, your thinking is still totally absurd.
Say what you want, Van Gundy has led you to 52 and 59 wins respectively in his first two years as head coach of the Magic. That comes out to a 68 percent win percentage. When is the last time the Orlando Magic won 59 games in a season? When is the last time the Orlando Magic even mattered in this league? I can't even remember what Lil' Penny looks like anymore (at least I'll always remember how Tyra looks though). The Magic went 40-42 in 06-07, just before Van Gundy took over. That season the Magic made it to the playoffs as an 8th seed, and were quickly swept out of the first round by the 1st seeded Detroit Pistons, but it gave the fans hope that good times were not too much farther away. However, I don't care what anybody says, nobody could have predicted 59 wins 2 years later. That is an improvement of 19 wins in 2 seasons. Remarkable!
Over these last two years under the Van Gundy era, there have been players that have thrived in his system. The first one that comes to mind is Hedo Turkoglu, who has always known as a pretty good player in Sacramento coming off the bench. Now he is a really good player, a starter, and known as a Mr. 4th quarter. Nobody thought he could ever be this clutch. Or how about Rashard Lewis, known as a classic underachiever in Seattle with loads of potential. He fit right into Van Gundy's system and now has made a name for himself as a deadly 3 point shooter with a surprisingly good post game. Maybe JJ Reddick, who, to put it bluntly, was a nobody till the second half of this season. Oh, and this team actually plays defense now, something it has not done for years. Point being, yes Superman opens these guys up, but you have to give the coach credit for knowing his players and putting them in roles in which they can succeed. And there is no question Van Gundy has done just that!
Now lets go back to something that everyone seems to forget, and that is the Jameer Nelson injury. When the country found out that he was going to be lost for the season, we all said the Magic are done. Then the Rafer Alston trade happened, which was a great trade for them, but sorry Magic fans, you are probably still done. The reason you are losing to the Celtics ( I know minus KG) is for two reasons, and the first has to do with the loss of Nelson. The Celtics weakness without KG is their pick n' roll defense, as we all saw in the Chicago series. The Magic are a much better pick n' roll offense with Nelson than they are with Alston. I love Rafer, I think he's a legit point guard, but he can't get Orlando over the hump, plain and simple (theres a reason why Houston was willing to let him go). With Nelson, there is no question in my mind that this series is already over, especially without KG. I understand that Magic fans are frustrated that they can't finish off a Boston team minus KG, but you have to remember the Magic lost their engine in Nelson, which then becomes almost as detrimental as losing KG. Imagine if the Cavs lost Mo Williams, where would the Cavs be now?
Finally I saved the best reason for last. Gotta go back to Superman's quote "You've got a dominant big man, let him be dominant". Sorry to burst the 'S' off your chest Dwight, but lets get one thing straight, you are NOT a dominant big man. You are a dominant dunk artist. You are a relentless rebounder. You are an amazing shot blocker and defender. You play every game like its your last, and we love watching you play, but you are NOT dominant. Dominant players beat you defensively and offensively, and unfortunately, you are only half way there.
Howard has alot of work to do offensively. Right now, he doesn't have many moves in the post. He does have monster offensive nights, but thats when he can use his quickness and strength to get around defenders and dunk the ball. The problem with Dwight is when he goes up against someone that can actually play some defense, aka Kendrick Perkins (gosh I hate him). He can't get around Perkins and Dwight is limited to what he can do offensively. So to blame Van Gundy for not getting him the ball enough at the end of games is a bit unwarranted. By the way, he is also only a 59% free throw shooter, which just adds to his liability at the end of games.
I think people should cut this guy a little slack. He's a great regular season coach. Yes, he has not brought you to the promised land yet and he's a little too hyper sometimes, I understand. But give him more than two seasons to prove it (especially since this year still is not over yet). Van Gundy has had postseason success in the past going back to his days in Miami. He came within one game of the NBA finals. A healthy Dwyane Wade in Game 7 gets him there. And oh, Orlando fans, stop listening to Shaq's whole "Master of Panic" thing, he lost all his credibility when he said his soap opera with Kobe was all a publicity stunt. Give me a break!
So to all you Orlando fans, goodluck in Game 6. Stop blaming the coach and stay away from the kryptonite!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
NBA rigged?
This brown guy isn't a conspiracy theorist. Logically speaking, I think there's way too many people involved and too much money riding on this system for it to be corrupt.
The NBA is considered one of the premiere sports leagues in the world from an executive and athletic standpoint. Players and coaches build their whole lives and careers around it. Maybe the prospect of millions of dollars in salary may sway a small handful of players, coaches, or refs to stay quiet buy into a corrupt system, but not 1000s of athletes over the years. Not in front of an international stage. Not in the day of the athlete-slash-businessman where credibility and integrity extends beyond the basketball court.
This being said, I can understand how "rigging" can be perceived. A few bad calls, a lop-sided trade, maybe the release of a prominent executive from a team's front office - these things happen and surely fuel suspicions of conspiracy. Sure, it's become apparent over the last few weeks that the refs have NO IDEA what a flagrant foul is, but I don't think it's a matter of corruption. The definitions of flagrant fouls in the NBA's rule book are ambiguous and insufficient, and because of that the refs are open to interpret it as they see fit. The NBA has recognized that, and whether they have to rewrite the rule book or take all the refs back to school, something WILL be done about it at the end of the season.
If the NBA was rigged, the league would have toppled years ago.
The NBA is considered one of the premiere sports leagues in the world from an executive and athletic standpoint. Players and coaches build their whole lives and careers around it. Maybe the prospect of millions of dollars in salary may sway a small handful of players, coaches, or refs to stay quiet buy into a corrupt system, but not 1000s of athletes over the years. Not in front of an international stage. Not in the day of the athlete-slash-businessman where credibility and integrity extends beyond the basketball court.
This being said, I can understand how "rigging" can be perceived. A few bad calls, a lop-sided trade, maybe the release of a prominent executive from a team's front office - these things happen and surely fuel suspicions of conspiracy. Sure, it's become apparent over the last few weeks that the refs have NO IDEA what a flagrant foul is, but I don't think it's a matter of corruption. The definitions of flagrant fouls in the NBA's rule book are ambiguous and insufficient, and because of that the refs are open to interpret it as they see fit. The NBA has recognized that, and whether they have to rewrite the rule book or take all the refs back to school, something WILL be done about it at the end of the season.
If the NBA was rigged, the league would have toppled years ago.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Kobe Bryant: The black mamba or the harmless black garden snake??
The Lakers have the most talent of any NBA team, a proven system, and a Hall of Fame Coach. So why are they tied 2-2 in a series where the Houston Rockets are playing without the top center in the league and a prolific scorer in Tmac?
It’s this simple: The Lakers don’t have the desire to show up every night and crush the other team, and that is going to cost them later in the playoffs. That lack of killer instinct, leadership, and determination falls on the shoulders of Kobe Bryant. He claims to be the “black mamba” (which by the way can inject up to 400 mg of neurotoxin in one bite, of which only 100 mg is needed to kill the average man), but Kobe Bryant looked more like the “black garden snake” on Sunday night (which by the way carries such a small amount of venom that a bite would leave us in no more pain and danger than a simple insect bite).
On that crucial game four, any one of the five brown guys (Mrinal, Tarun, Jigar, Apat, or Gijo) could’ve come off the bench and guarded Kobe Bryant. Here are his “potent” stats: 7/17 on 15 points shooting and -12 net points given up while he was on the court. Unacceptable for the so called the best player in the NBA.
I’m tired of this constant comparison to Michael Jordan. He is nowhere near Michael Jordan. Jordan would have scorched the Rockets for 50, crushed their spirits, and would be going back to Chicago with a commanding 3-1. Now Kobe Bryant is going back to LA with the series tied at 2-2 and a depleted Rockets team replete with confidence. Until Kobe can find a way to bring out his passion and killer instinct EVERY single night against any team, I think it’s fitting that we call him the “black garden snake”
And in the meantime, we can give the term “Black Mamba” to Lebron James until Kobe can prove himself.
It’s this simple: The Lakers don’t have the desire to show up every night and crush the other team, and that is going to cost them later in the playoffs. That lack of killer instinct, leadership, and determination falls on the shoulders of Kobe Bryant. He claims to be the “black mamba” (which by the way can inject up to 400 mg of neurotoxin in one bite, of which only 100 mg is needed to kill the average man), but Kobe Bryant looked more like the “black garden snake” on Sunday night (which by the way carries such a small amount of venom that a bite would leave us in no more pain and danger than a simple insect bite).
On that crucial game four, any one of the five brown guys (Mrinal, Tarun, Jigar, Apat, or Gijo) could’ve come off the bench and guarded Kobe Bryant. Here are his “potent” stats: 7/17 on 15 points shooting and -12 net points given up while he was on the court. Unacceptable for the so called the best player in the NBA.
I’m tired of this constant comparison to Michael Jordan. He is nowhere near Michael Jordan. Jordan would have scorched the Rockets for 50, crushed their spirits, and would be going back to Chicago with a commanding 3-1. Now Kobe Bryant is going back to LA with the series tied at 2-2 and a depleted Rockets team replete with confidence. Until Kobe can find a way to bring out his passion and killer instinct EVERY single night against any team, I think it’s fitting that we call him the “black garden snake”
And in the meantime, we can give the term “Black Mamba” to Lebron James until Kobe can prove himself.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The NBA: "Where dirty happens?"
Something I've noticed more during this year's NBA playoffs than in previous years are the seemingly dirty plays that go down. This is time of year when stakes are their highest, teams turn it up a notch, and games get more physical; as expected, some players are hitting particularly hard.
What really shocks me though, both as a fan and as a proponent of fair play and sportsmanship, is that the NBA is doing a half-assed job in regulating it all. The results of their so-called "reviews" are so inconsistent
Now, I can understand the suspensions given to Howard and Fisher; the NBA ruled those consistently with the rule book. But $25 for K-mart while Rondo gets away with shot-putting Hinrich? Skip-to-my-Lou gets suspended for a bitch-slap upside the head, but Rondo gets away with a face-rake?! Bryant could have shattered Artest's airway, but since Kobe is one of the NBA's poster-children, he gets a meaningless foul upgrade. Artest so much as raises his eyebrows after taking an elbow to the trachea and HE gets tossed?!!
Something is not right here. Maaaaybe you can excuse the refs for miscalling the fouls (techs vs. flagrant-1 vs. flagrant 2) because they are made in the heat of the moment. But Stu Jackson and David Stern (and the other powers that be) need to take a closer look at these plays next to each other and be a little more consistent with their decisions.
I doubt that the NBA has never seen fouls like this, or that their rules are so ambiguos that it is difficult to be consistent when levying penalties. I may be shooting from the hip here, but seems to me it has everything to do with the histories that Artest, Martin, and (to a lesser extent) Alston have with the league. But is it fair to hold a player's history against him, especially after they've paid their dues (literally and figuratively) to the NBA, started over in new cities, and made their peace with their past? Is it fair for the refs and the NBA front office to lower their tolerance for the NBA's "troublemakers" and be more lax with more celebrated players or players from more storied franchises?
I think not.
What really shocks me though, both as a fan and as a proponent of fair play and sportsmanship, is that the NBA is doing a half-assed job in regulating it all. The results of their so-called "reviews" are so inconsistent
- Rajon Rondo wraps his fingers around Brad Miller's face in Game 5 of Bulls-Celts first-round match up. NBA review. No further action.
- Rondo then drags Kirk Hinrich from just outside the lane to the sideline and then launches him into the scorer's table in Game 6 of the same series. NBA reviews. No further action.
- Dwight Howard cracks Samuel Delambert over the head with an elbow after a shot is made in Game 5 of the 76ers-Magic first-round series. NBA reviews. Howard gets 1-game suspension.
- Kenyon Martin shoves Dirk Nowitzki to the ground after a physical post-up play in Game 1 of Nuggets-Mavs second-round series. NBA reviews. Martin get $25,000 fine.
- Rafer Alston slaps Eddie House in the head after House scores 3 of his 31 points in Game 2 of Magic-Celts round 2. NBA reviews. Alston gets a 1-game suspension.
- Derek Fisher premeditates and delivers a body checks on Luis Scola while Scola sets a pick in Game 2 of Lakers-Rockets second-round series. NBA reviews. Fisher gets 1-game suspension.
- Kobe Bryant lands a nasty elbow to the chest/neck of Ron Artest while battling for a rebound in same game. Artests tries to plead his case, Kobe pretends to be the bigger man, and Ron-Ron gets tossed. NBA reviews. Bryant's elbow is upgraded to a Flagrant 1. No further action is taken.
Now, I can understand the suspensions given to Howard and Fisher; the NBA ruled those consistently with the rule book. But $25 for K-mart while Rondo gets away with shot-putting Hinrich? Skip-to-my-Lou gets suspended for a bitch-slap upside the head, but Rondo gets away with a face-rake?! Bryant could have shattered Artest's airway, but since Kobe is one of the NBA's poster-children, he gets a meaningless foul upgrade. Artest so much as raises his eyebrows after taking an elbow to the trachea and HE gets tossed?!!
Something is not right here. Maaaaybe you can excuse the refs for miscalling the fouls (techs vs. flagrant-1 vs. flagrant 2) because they are made in the heat of the moment. But Stu Jackson and David Stern (and the other powers that be) need to take a closer look at these plays next to each other and be a little more consistent with their decisions.
I doubt that the NBA has never seen fouls like this, or that their rules are so ambiguos that it is difficult to be consistent when levying penalties. I may be shooting from the hip here, but seems to me it has everything to do with the histories that Artest, Martin, and (to a lesser extent) Alston have with the league. But is it fair to hold a player's history against him, especially after they've paid their dues (literally and figuratively) to the NBA, started over in new cities, and made their peace with their past? Is it fair for the refs and the NBA front office to lower their tolerance for the NBA's "troublemakers" and be more lax with more celebrated players or players from more storied franchises?
I think not.
It must be that time of the month for the Atlanta Hawks
Wow...Did you see that Cavs-Hawks game? Let me start off by saying, the Cavs would be killing the Heat as well.
My only problem is the Hawks are not a team, they are just a bunch of players put together. They have no offensive sets. Their main play is isolation Joe Johnson, followed by isolation Mike Bibby, followed by isolation Josh Smith. I must admit at least it worked in the regular season, but please that stuff is not going to work on the Cavs or any other team left in the playoffs that can play reasonable defense. Even while watching the game today, I was willing to bet someone on the Hawks was going to get injured, and BAM - Joe Johnson, ankle injury. It wasn’t like Johnson was doing anything in the game up till that point anyways. He had more than 5 inches on Delonte West and still refused to post him up. So now, Atlanta fans can say, "Hey we would have taken the series to at least 5 games if Johnson played."
Now to their big off-season signing, Josh Smith. He literally ran into the lane and just threw up his hands every time (similar to what LeBron James does with the powder before tip-off). Josh Smith thought this move would get some calls from the refs. I got some news for you, Josh Smith…YOU SUCK!! That means no pity calls - you’re not D-Wade, LeBron, Paul Pierce, or Kobe Bryant.
My only problem is the Hawks are not a team, they are just a bunch of players put together. They have no offensive sets. Their main play is isolation Joe Johnson, followed by isolation Mike Bibby, followed by isolation Josh Smith. I must admit at least it worked in the regular season, but please that stuff is not going to work on the Cavs or any other team left in the playoffs that can play reasonable defense. Even while watching the game today, I was willing to bet someone on the Hawks was going to get injured, and BAM - Joe Johnson, ankle injury. It wasn’t like Johnson was doing anything in the game up till that point anyways. He had more than 5 inches on Delonte West and still refused to post him up. So now, Atlanta fans can say, "Hey we would have taken the series to at least 5 games if Johnson played."
Now to their big off-season signing, Josh Smith. He literally ran into the lane and just threw up his hands every time (similar to what LeBron James does with the powder before tip-off). Josh Smith thought this move would get some calls from the refs. I got some news for you, Josh Smith…YOU SUCK!! That means no pity calls - you’re not D-Wade, LeBron, Paul Pierce, or Kobe Bryant.
I have a suggestion that might make this series a bit more entertaining. I say Lebron James should either sit out the entire series or whenever one team gets a lead of more than 20 points, he has to play for the opposing squad. Remember when we were kids and the best player was so much better than the rest? It was only fun if he helped out both squads or if he didn’t play. ALL TIME QB! It may be far-fetched, but this is the NBA, where amazing happens, right?
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