Jake Delhomme has signed with the Cleveland Browns, bringing us the perfect marriage between a quarterback that really sucks and a franchise that really, really sucks. Of all the things I've seen in the past few months, this is the one thing that has inspired me to post.
So while I'm in the posting mood, some odds and ends of things that have transpired.
1. The Marlins won't win the World Series. There's my response to you, Jesse. They just won't. I don't know how to explain it, but simple mathematical odds are not on their side. They were something like the 6th best team in the NL last year and the top teams didn't get that much worse, though the Giants stink and could slip and the Rockies were a fluke. But the Marlins aren't better than the Dodgers or Phillies and they certainly aren't better than the top teams in the AL. Comment and flame away. Don't disappoint me.
2. The Lakers have problems. These will be fixed come playoff time. Ron Artest is a dumb offensive player. Kobe will either kill him or fix him by the playoffs. Gasol is soft again. Phil will fix this again.
3. The Celtics have problems. These can't be fixed. They are old. Ray Allen seems to be done, which is shocking because he was very much not done earlier this year. KG is too, but that's more an injury thing. Pierce is also just being beat up by injuries. They look like they're set up for a first round upset loss. Of course, this means they will storm their way through the playoffs.
4. LeBron James and the Cavs - I'm still not convinced. Show me you can beat Orlando in the playoffs.
5. Orlando - should've kept Hedo. Vince sucks. Everyone knew this but Orlando apparently.
6. I think the Raiders should draft the slowest guy in the 40 just to balance things out. The fastest guys always seem to bust, so maybe the opposite way is the right way.
7. Suh is the best player in the draft. Enough of this nonsense about Gerald McCoy possibly being better. Any idiot (me) with eyes (I have those too) who watched college football can see that Suh is just better than anyone. It's not even close. This is just fake draft drama.
8. The Rams will stupidly draft neither of those guys and take Sam Bradford, who I never thought would be a great NFL QB.
9. Here's how I would scout a player (in either the NBA or the NFL). I would just watch 4th quarters. I would focus on 4th quarters in tight games. I would look at film of the guy on the sideline as well. If he comes up big late in big games, I want him. If he doesn't, but throws a good spiral or puts up impressive stats, I don't want him. It's really that simple. And yet, every year, NBA/NFL teams spend tons of money to fuck this up. Forget about the combine.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
mel kiper is an idiot and kobe is the best player in the NBA
Mel Kiper doesn't watch football. I'm convinced. His draft grades are always a mess. He's a terrible writer. I'm no great shakes, but then again, I'm not getting paid to write for ESPN Insider. His latest column has him revisiting his draft grades. He has the gall to say that the Dolphins rookie CBs, who are starters for a team competing for the playoffs, are good players with low ceilings. Low ceilings? Really, Mel Kiper? If starting and showing flashes of shutdown dominance are signs of a low ceiling, then I wonder if there's any player in the NFL with a high ceiling. My main problem with all of these types of articles, and really the basis of Kiper's existence as a sports analyst, is that you can't tell if a player will be good or not in the first year. You need a good three years to evaluate a player. Look at someone like Cadillac Williams or even better Michael Clayton. These guys were great their first year, and I'm sure Kiper was raving about how good the Bucs were at drafting those years. But then you look at the rest of their careers and it's been all downhill. Cadillac peaked about three games into his NFL career and hasn't averaged more than 4 yards per carry since his rookie year. Clayton has been even worse. He was a rising star when he caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards. Since then, he's caught 139 passes for 1717 yards over the course of 5 seasons. This year, he's caught 14 passes for 204 yards. He's put up a goose-egg 3 times this year. Clearly, he's a bust. But you wouldn't have known that after his first year.
In other news, Kobe is the best NBA player today. Sorry, LeBron James, but show me a ring and you'll get the top spot. Kobe is the guy every other NBA player looks up to now. The scary thing is that Kobe is better this year than last year. This is a guy that scores 40 points with a torn tendon in his index finger. He added at least 4 or 5 post moves this offseason to bring his repertoire up to something like 5,016. If you watch LeBron, you'll realize quickly he's the most talented NBA player, but he hasn't yet put it together. He's getting there, but I'm a bit disappointed that we're not see LeBron destroy people in the post more often. I know, I know: Kobe has the advantage of playing on a better team. The Cavs are very mediocre without their star. Shaq is 35 pounds overweight, Mo Williams is a third banana playing a second banana's role, Anthony Parker's a bench player playing a starter and the Big Z looks and moves like he's 40. But I haven't seen the King take a stranglehold of this team and impose his will on these guys.
In other news, Kobe is the best NBA player today. Sorry, LeBron James, but show me a ring and you'll get the top spot. Kobe is the guy every other NBA player looks up to now. The scary thing is that Kobe is better this year than last year. This is a guy that scores 40 points with a torn tendon in his index finger. He added at least 4 or 5 post moves this offseason to bring his repertoire up to something like 5,016. If you watch LeBron, you'll realize quickly he's the most talented NBA player, but he hasn't yet put it together. He's getting there, but I'm a bit disappointed that we're not see LeBron destroy people in the post more often. I know, I know: Kobe has the advantage of playing on a better team. The Cavs are very mediocre without their star. Shaq is 35 pounds overweight, Mo Williams is a third banana playing a second banana's role, Anthony Parker's a bench player playing a starter and the Big Z looks and moves like he's 40. But I haven't seen the King take a stranglehold of this team and impose his will on these guys.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ok, one more NBA post and then for real, it's all football all the time
A few NBA related thoughts that I never got out:
1. Orlando blew it by not resigning Turkoglu and instead using the same amount of money on Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat. That's just insane. Turkoglu was their second best player last year and their clutch guy, and as much as I don't like the way he plays, I can admit that he was integral to their team. With him, they had three 6'10" or taller guys in the starting lineup. The Magic could have trotted out a starting lineup of Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. Would that have been the best starting five in the league? You could argue that San Antonio, the Lakers or Boston could match that, but that's a pretty damn good lineup. I originally thought they were trying to save money by not resigning Turkoglu, but then they went ahead and matched Dallas' stupid offer to Gortat (five years/$34 million for a backup center averaging 12 minutes a game). Ummm..Why? He would never, ever push Dwight Howard for playing time. Let Dallas sign their newest Erick Dampier. Then they went ahead and gave stupid money to Brandon Bass (4 years/$18 million). I know, I know, he's young, he's got some talent, the price wasn't that high. But for the same price of these two, they could have kept Turkoglu, who's better than both of them combined.
2. Lakers resigned Odom and all is right in the world. Their lineup is scary good, especially if Bynum can improve.
3. Good God, the Celtics have signed every big man in the world. But they pissed off Rondo, and no one knows if he'll be in the right mindset to start the season. But I like signing Sheed, even if he has nothing left in the tank. Getting Big Baby back was another great deal. I like the Shelden Williams signing. They are very, very deep in the frontcourt.
1. Orlando blew it by not resigning Turkoglu and instead using the same amount of money on Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat. That's just insane. Turkoglu was their second best player last year and their clutch guy, and as much as I don't like the way he plays, I can admit that he was integral to their team. With him, they had three 6'10" or taller guys in the starting lineup. The Magic could have trotted out a starting lineup of Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. Would that have been the best starting five in the league? You could argue that San Antonio, the Lakers or Boston could match that, but that's a pretty damn good lineup. I originally thought they were trying to save money by not resigning Turkoglu, but then they went ahead and matched Dallas' stupid offer to Gortat (five years/$34 million for a backup center averaging 12 minutes a game). Ummm..Why? He would never, ever push Dwight Howard for playing time. Let Dallas sign their newest Erick Dampier. Then they went ahead and gave stupid money to Brandon Bass (4 years/$18 million). I know, I know, he's young, he's got some talent, the price wasn't that high. But for the same price of these two, they could have kept Turkoglu, who's better than both of them combined.
2. Lakers resigned Odom and all is right in the world. Their lineup is scary good, especially if Bynum can improve.
3. Good God, the Celtics have signed every big man in the world. But they pissed off Rondo, and no one knows if he'll be in the right mindset to start the season. But I like signing Sheed, even if he has nothing left in the tank. Getting Big Baby back was another great deal. I like the Shelden Williams signing. They are very, very deep in the frontcourt.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Last NBA post in a while
We've hit the dog days of sports when only the mid-summer moves of Major League Baseball can keep a sports fan interested. No NFL, no NBA, but there are a few of things going on with at least one of those sports.
Vinsanity to Orlando. Shaq to Cleveland. Amare to Golden State?
1. The Vince Carter deal. What a great deal for Orlando. Really, really good deal. They get an athletic wing that can play the 2 or 3, can take over games late, create shots for others, hits 3 pointers and is probably at the point in his career where he wants to play with other good players and will defer to them to win a championship. Basically, he's a poor man's Kobe Bryant. And all they really gave up is Courtney Lee, who can be a good player but will never be a Vince Carter. Now, Orlando looks like a championship contender even if they don't resign Hedo Turkoglu. If they do resign him, they have to be considered the favorites in the East.
2. Shaq to Cleveland. Another great deal for the Cavs that came about a half a year too late. If they do this deal in February, they might be celebrating a title. At least now, they get a motivated Diesel who will do the things they need: frontcourt scoring, rebounding, defense, toughness. Now they need a guard who's taller than 6'3". Even with Shaq, they won't be able to beat the Lakers if they don't have someone who can check Kobe.
3. Amare to Golden State? If this is true and it happens, then I guess the Suns have given up on trying to be a contender. They really blew it when they traded Marion for Shaq and the Shaq to Cleveland deal is a partial admission of it. They had a great core that was in contention every year but no depth. So they decided to trade the core. D'oh. This is why the NBA only has a few great teams and a lot of mediocre to bad teams. The GMs are just kind of dumb sometimes. In fairness to Steve Kerr, Robert Sarver has demonstrated time and again that he won't pay the luxury tax even if it means winning a title. So with this deal, Phoenix is saying that instead of rebuilding around an explosive 26 power forward/center, they've decided to rebuild around an aging 35 year old point guard in Steve Nash.
Vinsanity to Orlando. Shaq to Cleveland. Amare to Golden State?
1. The Vince Carter deal. What a great deal for Orlando. Really, really good deal. They get an athletic wing that can play the 2 or 3, can take over games late, create shots for others, hits 3 pointers and is probably at the point in his career where he wants to play with other good players and will defer to them to win a championship. Basically, he's a poor man's Kobe Bryant. And all they really gave up is Courtney Lee, who can be a good player but will never be a Vince Carter. Now, Orlando looks like a championship contender even if they don't resign Hedo Turkoglu. If they do resign him, they have to be considered the favorites in the East.
2. Shaq to Cleveland. Another great deal for the Cavs that came about a half a year too late. If they do this deal in February, they might be celebrating a title. At least now, they get a motivated Diesel who will do the things they need: frontcourt scoring, rebounding, defense, toughness. Now they need a guard who's taller than 6'3". Even with Shaq, they won't be able to beat the Lakers if they don't have someone who can check Kobe.
3. Amare to Golden State? If this is true and it happens, then I guess the Suns have given up on trying to be a contender. They really blew it when they traded Marion for Shaq and the Shaq to Cleveland deal is a partial admission of it. They had a great core that was in contention every year but no depth. So they decided to trade the core. D'oh. This is why the NBA only has a few great teams and a lot of mediocre to bad teams. The GMs are just kind of dumb sometimes. In fairness to Steve Kerr, Robert Sarver has demonstrated time and again that he won't pay the luxury tax even if it means winning a title. So with this deal, Phoenix is saying that instead of rebuilding around an explosive 26 power forward/center, they've decided to rebuild around an aging 35 year old point guard in Steve Nash.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A few more NBA thoughts
- Derek Fisher is very quietly having a pretty damn good Finals series. He's averaging 10 points on 50% shooting from both the field and the 3 point line.
- Kobe just didn't come through. He wanted it so bad that he could shoot straight. He had the worst 31 point game a player can have. Took too many shots, was way too cold in the second half and missed free throws and an open layup that would have tied the game. The ghost of Nick Anderson was haunting Kobe of all people.
- That said, Orlando played as good a game as they're going to play in the Finals. They shot an astounding 62.5% from the field and still only won by 4. Think about that. They almost lost a game where they shot more than 60%. I expect the Lakers to clamp down better on defense in Game 4 and pull it out. Of course, I always expect the Lakers to win, so I may not be the best predictor here.
- Kobe just didn't come through. He wanted it so bad that he could shoot straight. He had the worst 31 point game a player can have. Took too many shots, was way too cold in the second half and missed free throws and an open layup that would have tied the game. The ghost of Nick Anderson was haunting Kobe of all people.
- That said, Orlando played as good a game as they're going to play in the Finals. They shot an astounding 62.5% from the field and still only won by 4. Think about that. They almost lost a game where they shot more than 60%. I expect the Lakers to clamp down better on defense in Game 4 and pull it out. Of course, I always expect the Lakers to win, so I may not be the best predictor here.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
One NBA Finals thought
Hedo Turkoglu commits an offensive foul every time he brings the ball up court or drives to the basket. And that's not a bad joke about the quality of his play. He's a talented player, but he leads with his right elbow as he drives with his left hand dribbling the ball. He frequently pushes off with his elbow and then will use that elbow to get tangled up with his defender and get bailed out with a foul call. But he should be the one the refs call foul on. You just can't lead with your elbow. Other players do push off, but they do it subtly with their hands and at least try to hide it. Hedo's not subtle.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Looking ahead to how the Magic match up in the Finals
I think the number of followers to this blog has droppped.
Barring a Magic-like collapse, Orlando should be in the NBA Finals. They're up 3-1 against the Cavs and they've got three chances to put this series away. They seemed to have developed a killer instinct after that Boston series. I like their odds.
Looking ahead to the Finals, and I think the Magic should be hoping that the Lakers beat the Nuggets because that's a much better matchup for them. The Magic have Pietrus and Courtney Lee, along with Hedo, to throw at Kobe and Howard can push around Gasol. The Lakers-Nuggets series is going at least six games and most likely seven, so the Lakers will continue to be exhausted going into the Finals. And Rafer Alston can afford to be spotty against the Lakers crap trio of point guards.
Denver, on the other hand, will give Orlando problems. Nene and K-Mart will rough up Dwight Howard and probably get in his head enough to force him into a technical foul, and Dwight's one away from an automatic one game suspension. Melo can guard any of Orlando's shooters and take Rashard Lewis out of the game. He can put them into a foul trouble too. Chauncey will destroy Rafer Alston and JR Smith, as long as he continues to play smart, negates Courtney Lee. Basically, Orlando would be facing a meaner version of this year's Celtics team.
That said, I can't believe what I'm going to say next. Orlando should be FAVORED in any Finals series provided they take care of business against the Cavs. This team is for real. I completely underestimated them, but they're well coached and that would make the difference in a series against Denver.
Here's the thing I notice about Denver. I'm not fully convinced that the team likes playing for George Karl. I think they like playing for Chauncey Billups. This Denver team quit on Karl some time late last year and started the season like they didn't care. Then Chauncey comes over in the Iverson trade (one of the most lopsided deals ever, and does that make Joe Dumars the GM or the Chrysler of the NBA?) and all of a sudden, the team looks loose and plays like it's having fun. You know who still doesn't look loose? George Karl. Chauncey is coaching this team. He calls the plays on the court and the guys listen to him. This is the exact same situation that Mike Dunleavy was in a few years back when the Clippers made the playoffs and Sam Cassell was basically coaching the team as the point guard. I don't think those guys liked Dunleavy back then and they quit on him the next season as Cassell was phased out. They didn't have confidence in his coaching decisions, which is understandable given that Dunleavy is absolutely terrible, and I think the same applies to the Nuggets and George Karl. Watch. Karl will make one or two more fourth quarter coaching blunders that will cost Denver a game or maybe the series. The bad thing for Denver is that Chauncey and his team know it's coming. They saw it in Game 1 with the inbounds pass fiasco. I can see him doing something dumb in Game 5 or 6 and the team just mailing in the next game. That won't happen on the other end with Phil Jackson and the Lakers, though Kobe may physically kill a few of his teammates before the end of the playoffs.
Barring a Magic-like collapse, Orlando should be in the NBA Finals. They're up 3-1 against the Cavs and they've got three chances to put this series away. They seemed to have developed a killer instinct after that Boston series. I like their odds.
Looking ahead to the Finals, and I think the Magic should be hoping that the Lakers beat the Nuggets because that's a much better matchup for them. The Magic have Pietrus and Courtney Lee, along with Hedo, to throw at Kobe and Howard can push around Gasol. The Lakers-Nuggets series is going at least six games and most likely seven, so the Lakers will continue to be exhausted going into the Finals. And Rafer Alston can afford to be spotty against the Lakers crap trio of point guards.
Denver, on the other hand, will give Orlando problems. Nene and K-Mart will rough up Dwight Howard and probably get in his head enough to force him into a technical foul, and Dwight's one away from an automatic one game suspension. Melo can guard any of Orlando's shooters and take Rashard Lewis out of the game. He can put them into a foul trouble too. Chauncey will destroy Rafer Alston and JR Smith, as long as he continues to play smart, negates Courtney Lee. Basically, Orlando would be facing a meaner version of this year's Celtics team.
That said, I can't believe what I'm going to say next. Orlando should be FAVORED in any Finals series provided they take care of business against the Cavs. This team is for real. I completely underestimated them, but they're well coached and that would make the difference in a series against Denver.
Here's the thing I notice about Denver. I'm not fully convinced that the team likes playing for George Karl. I think they like playing for Chauncey Billups. This Denver team quit on Karl some time late last year and started the season like they didn't care. Then Chauncey comes over in the Iverson trade (one of the most lopsided deals ever, and does that make Joe Dumars the GM or the Chrysler of the NBA?) and all of a sudden, the team looks loose and plays like it's having fun. You know who still doesn't look loose? George Karl. Chauncey is coaching this team. He calls the plays on the court and the guys listen to him. This is the exact same situation that Mike Dunleavy was in a few years back when the Clippers made the playoffs and Sam Cassell was basically coaching the team as the point guard. I don't think those guys liked Dunleavy back then and they quit on him the next season as Cassell was phased out. They didn't have confidence in his coaching decisions, which is understandable given that Dunleavy is absolutely terrible, and I think the same applies to the Nuggets and George Karl. Watch. Karl will make one or two more fourth quarter coaching blunders that will cost Denver a game or maybe the series. The bad thing for Denver is that Chauncey and his team know it's coming. They saw it in Game 1 with the inbounds pass fiasco. I can see him doing something dumb in Game 5 or 6 and the team just mailing in the next game. That won't happen on the other end with Phil Jackson and the Lakers, though Kobe may physically kill a few of his teammates before the end of the playoffs.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
addendum to more nba stuff
a day later, and look at what we have here. The Cavs are down 2-1 to the Magic, and really, they would be down 3-0 and on the verge of getting swept if LeBron hadn't made a borderline miracle shot at the end of game 2. I've heard people compare the Denver-LA series to the LA-Detroit Finals series from '04, but I think this Cavs-Magic series is more like that one. In that series, the Lakers won one game on a miracle 3 pointer from Kobe that sent the game to OT. The Magic destroyed, repeat DESTROYED, the Cavs at home in the regular season. Now they beat them by 10 in the playoffs. The Cavs are in a lot of trouble. LeBron put in another 40+ point game, but didn't shoot particularly well, and his teammates have yet to show up for this series. He's been great, but without Mo, Wally, Delonte, Z, Varajeo, Big Ben, Boobie and the rest, he won't make it past the Magic. Even if they do, I don't see how this team defends the Lakers. Gasol will run circles around their big men. They have no one who can guard Odom, and they won't want to stick LeBron on Kobe and risk losing some of LeBron's energy on the offensive end.
In the West, the Lakers are back in control after (depending on who you believe) stealing Game 3 or showing their veteran prowess in the Game 3. I prefer the latter. Forever underappreciated Kobe scored 41 points on pretty effective shooting and dished out 5 assists and basically carried the team in the 4th quarter. Yeah, he's not averaging a 35/9/7 like LeBron is in the post-season, but he's still the best player on arguably the most talented team in the postseason and he's been playing like this while having been basically playing ball for 2 years straight including two postseasons and one trip to the Olympics. And oh yeah, he's had a broken pinkie finger this entire time that would have sidelined almost any other player. Can we appreciate him for being one of the best NBA players of all time? That's definitely not in dispute. Kobe is a top 20 player and an absolute assassin with two minutes left in the game. He's one of the greatest clutch players ever and one of the most intense competitors the league has ever had. Is he Jordan? No. He's not as competitive, not as smart and not as complete of a player, but it's close. Kobe's got better range on his shot and he has the same ice running in veins. Kobe's big deficiency is that he can't consistently get his teammates involved like MJ did.
And don't the people who basically wrote the Lakers obituary after Game 2 feel real dumb now. The Lakers are up 2-1 with a chance to put the series out of reach on Monday. The lesson: if a series is 1-1, then it's even. This seems really obvious. I mean painfully obvious, but never underestimate the vapidity of the sportswriting consensus.
In the West, the Lakers are back in control after (depending on who you believe) stealing Game 3 or showing their veteran prowess in the Game 3. I prefer the latter. Forever underappreciated Kobe scored 41 points on pretty effective shooting and dished out 5 assists and basically carried the team in the 4th quarter. Yeah, he's not averaging a 35/9/7 like LeBron is in the post-season, but he's still the best player on arguably the most talented team in the postseason and he's been playing like this while having been basically playing ball for 2 years straight including two postseasons and one trip to the Olympics. And oh yeah, he's had a broken pinkie finger this entire time that would have sidelined almost any other player. Can we appreciate him for being one of the best NBA players of all time? That's definitely not in dispute. Kobe is a top 20 player and an absolute assassin with two minutes left in the game. He's one of the greatest clutch players ever and one of the most intense competitors the league has ever had. Is he Jordan? No. He's not as competitive, not as smart and not as complete of a player, but it's close. Kobe's got better range on his shot and he has the same ice running in veins. Kobe's big deficiency is that he can't consistently get his teammates involved like MJ did.
And don't the people who basically wrote the Lakers obituary after Game 2 feel real dumb now. The Lakers are up 2-1 with a chance to put the series out of reach on Monday. The lesson: if a series is 1-1, then it's even. This seems really obvious. I mean painfully obvious, but never underestimate the vapidity of the sportswriting consensus.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
more nba stuff
so explain this to me: The Lakers won game 1 and lost game 2 because Phil Jackson drew up a last second play for Derek Fisher instead of Kobe Bryant, and all of the sudden the consensus is that the Lakers are in a lot of trouble and probably won't win the West (see ESPN's SportsNation poll for more). Yet the Cavs, having only beaten weak teams in the playoffs so far, drop game 1 and come within a LeBron James semi-miracle, totally amazing 3 pointer from being down 2-0 to the Magic, and yet, no one seems to be writing their obituary. You know what we've learned so far in that series? LeBron is better than advertised and the rest of his team grossly overachieved in the regular season and seem lost in the playoffs. Mo Williams has been bad. The Big Z is slow and ineffective against Dwight Howard, even though Howard has no post game whatsoever.
Speaking of Howard, if Dwight had just one move in the post, just one, the Magic would be up 2-0 and we might be talking about them as the heavy favorites to win the whole thing. Watch him. He's awful on one-on-one offense. He's the best, most athletic energy player in the NBA, maybe ever, but he can't post anyone up. He has this weird running hook that he flings hard at the basket and he can dunk if he's right underneath the basket. He can't drive and doesn't have any touch around the rim. No layups, no jumpers, and no range. That said, what he does is amazing and that he can get 20 points a night is incredible. He scores entirely on effort: alley-oops fed to him, putbacks, and pick-and-roll dunks. And that's it. He's a beast on the boards, but he can be really thin-skinned and if the Cavs are smart, they get Ben Wallace or someone to get really physical with him. "Superman" gets a bit snippy when he gets pushed around. He took a few cheap shots at Kendrick Perkins last round because Perkins could push him around.
Back to the Cavs, they're in a lot of trouble if they can't figure out a way to guard Rashard Lewis and Hedo. The Cavs should go small, put James at the 4 and have him guard Lewis. Put Varajeo on Howard to take away the really easy dunks on deep post passes. Stick Delonte on Hedo, where despite the height difference, Delonte can effectively harass Hedo into turnovers. Make guys like Rafer Alston beat them. Meanwhile, Orlando's going back home where in the regular season, they absolutely destroyed the Cavs. It could be that this Magic team is just a matchup nightmare for the Cavs for whatever reason. Houston was a matchup problem for the Lakers last round despite missing Yao Ming and maybe because they were missing Tracy McGrady. By the way, I love how the same writers who were saying that Houston was better off without McGrady were then giving the Lakers shit for not being able to beat a Houston team without McGrady. Consistency, please.
Speaking of Howard, if Dwight had just one move in the post, just one, the Magic would be up 2-0 and we might be talking about them as the heavy favorites to win the whole thing. Watch him. He's awful on one-on-one offense. He's the best, most athletic energy player in the NBA, maybe ever, but he can't post anyone up. He has this weird running hook that he flings hard at the basket and he can dunk if he's right underneath the basket. He can't drive and doesn't have any touch around the rim. No layups, no jumpers, and no range. That said, what he does is amazing and that he can get 20 points a night is incredible. He scores entirely on effort: alley-oops fed to him, putbacks, and pick-and-roll dunks. And that's it. He's a beast on the boards, but he can be really thin-skinned and if the Cavs are smart, they get Ben Wallace or someone to get really physical with him. "Superman" gets a bit snippy when he gets pushed around. He took a few cheap shots at Kendrick Perkins last round because Perkins could push him around.
Back to the Cavs, they're in a lot of trouble if they can't figure out a way to guard Rashard Lewis and Hedo. The Cavs should go small, put James at the 4 and have him guard Lewis. Put Varajeo on Howard to take away the really easy dunks on deep post passes. Stick Delonte on Hedo, where despite the height difference, Delonte can effectively harass Hedo into turnovers. Make guys like Rafer Alston beat them. Meanwhile, Orlando's going back home where in the regular season, they absolutely destroyed the Cavs. It could be that this Magic team is just a matchup nightmare for the Cavs for whatever reason. Houston was a matchup problem for the Lakers last round despite missing Yao Ming and maybe because they were missing Tracy McGrady. By the way, I love how the same writers who were saying that Houston was better off without McGrady were then giving the Lakers shit for not being able to beat a Houston team without McGrady. Consistency, please.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
the lakers wake up...finally!
They needed that. The game one loss was ugly for the Lakers. They couldn't hit a three-point shot, Kobe was held in check and Bynum and Odom essentially took that night off. Only 10 fast break points, and an overall lethargic and yes, lazy effort from the most talented team in the NBA. Note: not the best team, but the most talented. Their only glaring hole is at point guard.
So just about everyone knew that the Lakers would take game two. And they did, but it was how they did it. They roughed up the Rockets. They traded blows with Ron Artest. They got under Houston's skin and put doubt in their minds. And oh yeah, Kobe became a scoring juggernaut again, racking 40 against the Battier/Artest combo. Lamar Odom showed up, although Andrew Bynum is still on vacation.
Game 3 is the big test and you have to know that Phil Jackson is going to have his team ready. If the Lakers take game 3, they can send a strong message to not just he Rockets, but the Denver Nuggets, their likely opponent in the Western Conference Finals, as well.
In other LA sports news, the Dodgers just opened up 13-0 at home. Holy cow! I will know follow baseball. Expect a more detailed post on this and how the Yankees screwed themselves by screwing their fans. In the meantime, I'll resume my tour of America's least exciting airports. LaGuardia, you're up. Next stop: O'Hare.
So just about everyone knew that the Lakers would take game two. And they did, but it was how they did it. They roughed up the Rockets. They traded blows with Ron Artest. They got under Houston's skin and put doubt in their minds. And oh yeah, Kobe became a scoring juggernaut again, racking 40 against the Battier/Artest combo. Lamar Odom showed up, although Andrew Bynum is still on vacation.
Game 3 is the big test and you have to know that Phil Jackson is going to have his team ready. If the Lakers take game 3, they can send a strong message to not just he Rockets, but the Denver Nuggets, their likely opponent in the Western Conference Finals, as well.
In other LA sports news, the Dodgers just opened up 13-0 at home. Holy cow! I will know follow baseball. Expect a more detailed post on this and how the Yankees screwed themselves by screwing their fans. In the meantime, I'll resume my tour of America's least exciting airports. LaGuardia, you're up. Next stop: O'Hare.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
and then he was like BOOM!
Two quick thoughts before I crash for the night:
1. Sunday Night Football won't be as fun this season without Madden calling the games. Oh sure, Collinsworth is a great analyst, but Madden had his own unique way of showing people the game. He gets a lot of shit, and rightfully so sometimes, for lines like "the team that scores more touchdowns will win the game." I mean really, no shit, Sherlock. But he also knew the ins and outs of line play and it's a rare analyst that can describe what's going on in the trenches. And his Maddenisms made boring games a little more fun. Collinsworth already supplanted Madden in the broadcast booth of his own video game in the Xbox and PS3 versions, and that's a damn travesty.
2. KG is out for the first round and likely the entire playoffs. And so there are now only two legitimate contenders in the NBA: Cleveland and LA. The Celts will handle Chicago and maybe Orlando, but definitely not Cleveland. Not without KG.
1. Sunday Night Football won't be as fun this season without Madden calling the games. Oh sure, Collinsworth is a great analyst, but Madden had his own unique way of showing people the game. He gets a lot of shit, and rightfully so sometimes, for lines like "the team that scores more touchdowns will win the game." I mean really, no shit, Sherlock. But he also knew the ins and outs of line play and it's a rare analyst that can describe what's going on in the trenches. And his Maddenisms made boring games a little more fun. Collinsworth already supplanted Madden in the broadcast booth of his own video game in the Xbox and PS3 versions, and that's a damn travesty.
2. KG is out for the first round and likely the entire playoffs. And so there are now only two legitimate contenders in the NBA: Cleveland and LA. The Celts will handle Chicago and maybe Orlando, but definitely not Cleveland. Not without KG.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Playoff time for the NBA
Listening to Frank Deford on NPR as I type this. He's like the Andy Rooney of sports, all full of amazement at trends that people have seen and lived through for the last 15 years. Who knew that a point guard was just as important as a big man in basketball? Or that point guards can create their own shot? Or that, and I hope you're sitting down for this revelation, Magic revolutionized the position. He seems to have no idea that basketball stats have gotten increasingly complex and comprehensive and that yes, we can determine if say Chris Paul has a greater impact on his team than Tyson Chandler. Note to Deford: Paul makes Chandler a good player, so yes, the point guard is more valuable in this case. Seems like he slept through the 90s when, aside from the Duncan-Robinson Spurs in '99 and the Dream-led Rockets in '94 and '95, the decade was dominated by a shooting guard named Michael Jordan. Hell, you could argue that since the late 80s, guards determined who won the NBA championship. Magic and Isiah were the two most important players from '87-'90. I'll give him this: the 2000s have been dominated by big men (Shaq and Duncan have combined for 6 of the titles in the decade and Garnett was arguably the most important Celtic last year), but all that means is that Deford doesn't know basketball pre-2000.
On to more important things.
Well, the 82 game NBA season is finally coming to a close and here's what we think we know about it:
1. The Lakers will be unchallenged in the West and maybe sweep through everyone. They'll only lose a game if they're bored. With Bynum back, the team is at full strength, and this was a group that trampled through the West without much effort even without their 7 foot prodigy.
2. The Cavs and Celtics will meet up in the Eastern Conference Finals. They have to. The season has been building to this matchup.
3. The Cavs will win the East if Garnett isn't 100%.
4. Garnett is not 100%.
5. Orlando needs to dominate a postseason series before people start accepting them as a bonafide championship contender.
6. Seeds 4-8 don't matter in the East. Only Miami has a chance at putting a real scare into one of the top teams. Chicago looks good, but do you really trust Vinny Del Negro to win a playoff series?
7. Seeds 2-8 don't matter in the West. And there could be 6 teams in that bunch with 50 wins. But each one of those teams is so fundamentally flawed (Portland has no playoff experience, the Spurs are old and broken down, the Hornets look out of sorts and Chandler and Peja are hurt, Houston doesn't have a go-to end of game scorer, Utah just looks awful lately, the Mavs are the Mavs and still have to rely on Jason Kidd to defend at least one athletic point guard in the playoffs (Yikes!) and Denver has no front court depth) that it seems unlikely that any of them will get past the Lakers.
8. Out of those flawed teams, I like Portland and the Rockets. Yao and Artest should be enough to get the Rockets out of the first round if they play either the Hornets or the Mavs. Portland can beat just about any of the other teams that aren't the Lakers except maybe the Spurs. Parker's a tough matchup for them and the playoff experience of the Spurs could prove too much for the young Trailblazers.
9. Why is everyone saying that Detroit is dangerous? This has been a common theme in the latter part of the season by sportswriters on every major site. Detroit is terrible and the thought that a sub-500 team can turn it on in the playoffs is absurd. I've watched a little bit of Detroit basketball this year and Rasheed Wallace is done. He's not just hurt, he's spent. He's got nothing in the tank. If he catches fire from 3 point range, he can be dangerous, but he's not willing or able to consistently post up players and defend the post. They count on Kwame Brown for big minutes. I think that should be repeated. They count on KWAME BROWN, YES, THAT KWAME BROWN, the one with BUST branded all over him, for big minutes. Tayshaun isn't that good offensively. He should be. He has all the tools, but for some reason, he just hasn't been that great. This team doesn't have a point guard. They have a bunch of shooting guards with Will Bynum, Rip Hamilton, A.I. (though he's played his last game with the team), Arron Afflalo and Rodney Stuckey. With Chauncey, this team is a 4 seed and is dangerous. They still wouldn't be beating the top teams, but they'd beat anyone from the 5th seed down and they'd take any of the Big 3 in the East to at least 6 games. But they made a bonehead deal for A.I. and now they're the 8th seed and they look like the easiest team to beat in either conference.
10. The Cavs are the best team in the league, but I'm not sure that anyone is afraid of playing them. In the West, there's a scramble to avoid playing the Lakers in the first or second round. I don't see that in the East. I think Boston and Orlando both want Cleveland and Orlando, especially, has manhandled Cleveland in the regular season and so has no reason to fear them. Even Detroit, who aren't a threat to anyone and will probably be swept and blown out by 20 in each game against the Cavs, don't fear them. I suspect that might change once the Cavs sweep Detroit.
On to more important things.
Well, the 82 game NBA season is finally coming to a close and here's what we think we know about it:
1. The Lakers will be unchallenged in the West and maybe sweep through everyone. They'll only lose a game if they're bored. With Bynum back, the team is at full strength, and this was a group that trampled through the West without much effort even without their 7 foot prodigy.
2. The Cavs and Celtics will meet up in the Eastern Conference Finals. They have to. The season has been building to this matchup.
3. The Cavs will win the East if Garnett isn't 100%.
4. Garnett is not 100%.
5. Orlando needs to dominate a postseason series before people start accepting them as a bonafide championship contender.
6. Seeds 4-8 don't matter in the East. Only Miami has a chance at putting a real scare into one of the top teams. Chicago looks good, but do you really trust Vinny Del Negro to win a playoff series?
7. Seeds 2-8 don't matter in the West. And there could be 6 teams in that bunch with 50 wins. But each one of those teams is so fundamentally flawed (Portland has no playoff experience, the Spurs are old and broken down, the Hornets look out of sorts and Chandler and Peja are hurt, Houston doesn't have a go-to end of game scorer, Utah just looks awful lately, the Mavs are the Mavs and still have to rely on Jason Kidd to defend at least one athletic point guard in the playoffs (Yikes!) and Denver has no front court depth) that it seems unlikely that any of them will get past the Lakers.
8. Out of those flawed teams, I like Portland and the Rockets. Yao and Artest should be enough to get the Rockets out of the first round if they play either the Hornets or the Mavs. Portland can beat just about any of the other teams that aren't the Lakers except maybe the Spurs. Parker's a tough matchup for them and the playoff experience of the Spurs could prove too much for the young Trailblazers.
9. Why is everyone saying that Detroit is dangerous? This has been a common theme in the latter part of the season by sportswriters on every major site. Detroit is terrible and the thought that a sub-500 team can turn it on in the playoffs is absurd. I've watched a little bit of Detroit basketball this year and Rasheed Wallace is done. He's not just hurt, he's spent. He's got nothing in the tank. If he catches fire from 3 point range, he can be dangerous, but he's not willing or able to consistently post up players and defend the post. They count on Kwame Brown for big minutes. I think that should be repeated. They count on KWAME BROWN, YES, THAT KWAME BROWN, the one with BUST branded all over him, for big minutes. Tayshaun isn't that good offensively. He should be. He has all the tools, but for some reason, he just hasn't been that great. This team doesn't have a point guard. They have a bunch of shooting guards with Will Bynum, Rip Hamilton, A.I. (though he's played his last game with the team), Arron Afflalo and Rodney Stuckey. With Chauncey, this team is a 4 seed and is dangerous. They still wouldn't be beating the top teams, but they'd beat anyone from the 5th seed down and they'd take any of the Big 3 in the East to at least 6 games. But they made a bonehead deal for A.I. and now they're the 8th seed and they look like the easiest team to beat in either conference.
10. The Cavs are the best team in the league, but I'm not sure that anyone is afraid of playing them. In the West, there's a scramble to avoid playing the Lakers in the first or second round. I don't see that in the East. I think Boston and Orlando both want Cleveland and Orlando, especially, has manhandled Cleveland in the regular season and so has no reason to fear them. Even Detroit, who aren't a threat to anyone and will probably be swept and blown out by 20 in each game against the Cavs, don't fear them. I suspect that might change once the Cavs sweep Detroit.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Instant Karma?
The Orlando Magic lost to the surging, but lowly Toronto Raptors tonight, 99-95. The home loss hurts Orlando because they're competing with the Celtics for the number two seed in the Eastern Conference, and they have now fallen percentage points behind Boston. But should they have seen this loss coming?
From the AP by way of ESPN.com: In an April Fool's joke that left everyone but the contestant laughing, the Magic made a fan think he was shooting a half-court shot for $100,000 at halftime. The fan was blindfolded, and the crowd was told beforehand to cheer as if he made the shot. The young contestant, named Dan, missed badly but believed he won and danced around the court in a frenzy. Before being told it was a joke and showed the replay he said, "I just got laid off at work." He was given a 100 Grand Bar of candy instead but was not laughing.
Poor taste, Orlando Magic.
From the AP by way of ESPN.com: In an April Fool's joke that left everyone but the contestant laughing, the Magic made a fan think he was shooting a half-court shot for $100,000 at halftime. The fan was blindfolded, and the crowd was told beforehand to cheer as if he made the shot. The young contestant, named Dan, missed badly but believed he won and danced around the court in a frenzy. Before being told it was a joke and showed the replay he said, "I just got laid off at work." He was given a 100 Grand Bar of candy instead but was not laughing.
Poor taste, Orlando Magic.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The real reason the Tyson Chandler trade fell through
So New Orleans gave up on their season and traded Tyson Chandler to Okie Dokie City for expiring contracts. Except that Okie Dokie City did a medical test and said Chandler had a previously unknown foot injury that was so devastating that they wouldn't accept the trade, even though Chandler is expected to play this season. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, who watches the NBA thought the trade rejection was a little off. I'm here to say it was downright fishy. This reeks of the heavy hand of the Commish. Here's my conspiracy theory: The Commish would not allow New Orleans to throw away their season. He wants Chris Paul and company to be in the playoffs so he can showcase Paul, one of the NBA's biggest new stars. Furthermore, the more contenders there are in the West (though really it's the Lakers, the Spurs and then everyone else in that order), the better the ratings will be come playoff time. If this is the case, I agree wholeheartedly with the Commish and fully support this. Shame on New Orleans for giving up on their season when they're in line for a playoff spot. I've never seen this happen. Teams try to get better heading into the playoffs. Sometimes they gamble and it doesn't work (see Dallas Mavericks Jason Kidd trade for an example), but they almost never actively try to get worse to save a few bucks down the road.
Expect the lottery balls to fall Okie Dokie City's way in a few months as a reward for going along with the Commish. If Okie Dokie City wins the Blake Griffin sweepstakes, then you'll know I was right about my conspiracy theory.
Expect the lottery balls to fall Okie Dokie City's way in a few months as a reward for going along with the Commish. If Okie Dokie City wins the Blake Griffin sweepstakes, then you'll know I was right about my conspiracy theory.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Dear Sacramento Kings
Dear Sacramento Kings,
Seriously? You fired Reggie Theus? Did you learn nothing from my letter to the 76ers after they fired Mo Cheeks? Don't you remember last year when Theus took a shit Kings team and made them believe that they were a darkhorse 8th seed contender for a month. Come on, Maloofs. Show some patience with your coaches. This is ridiculous. Everyone expected the Kings to suck this year, and they were just keeping with expectations. Kevin Martin, your best player, has been battling injuries all year, and despite this, your team showed up for an inspired win over the West's best, the Lakers. But one lopsided loss to a much-improved Knicks team later, and Theus is on the outs. In what sport is one and a quarter seasons enough to implement changes to turn around a losing team? None. The NBA coaching carousel has to stop unless Mike Dunleavy, a coach who's actually had time to better his team and hasn't, gets fired.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
Seriously? You fired Reggie Theus? Did you learn nothing from my letter to the 76ers after they fired Mo Cheeks? Don't you remember last year when Theus took a shit Kings team and made them believe that they were a darkhorse 8th seed contender for a month. Come on, Maloofs. Show some patience with your coaches. This is ridiculous. Everyone expected the Kings to suck this year, and they were just keeping with expectations. Kevin Martin, your best player, has been battling injuries all year, and despite this, your team showed up for an inspired win over the West's best, the Lakers. But one lopsided loss to a much-improved Knicks team later, and Theus is on the outs. In what sport is one and a quarter seasons enough to implement changes to turn around a losing team? None. The NBA coaching carousel has to stop unless Mike Dunleavy, a coach who's actually had time to better his team and hasn't, gets fired.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Dear 76ers
Dear 76ers,
What the fuck? Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you? You fired Mo Cheeks? He's a good coach. Good enough to take a crap 76ers team last year and coach it to the playoffs. Good enough to have Philly thinking NBA Finals in the offseason this year. But not good enough to keep his job this year? Seriously? Who's better than him that's available right now? I don't see Hubie Brown making another coaching comeback. Look, you guys signed Elton Brand and you immediately started dreaming of championships. But here's the thing, Elton peaked a few years back and is coming back from Achilles surgery. He's playing with a group of guys that are not suited to his strengths and vice versa. It takes time to incorporate a new focal point to the offense. You may eventually turn it on and get it, but this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight. Also, if you were getting Elton Brand, you might have wanted to get some 3 point shooters too, so that your team could have proper floor spacing for Brand to be most effective. Right now, no one, and I mean no team in their right mind, is afraid of your perimeter players because they're all drive and kick guys and not perimeter or even mid-range shooters. Andre Miller? Nope. Andre Iguodala? Ha, are you kidding me? He's an overrated energy player that has lacked the energy ever since he got a HUGE contract in the offseason. Another brilliant move on your part, by the way. So enjoy your knee-jerk reaction. Enjoy dreams of this being a spark. In truth, you blew it with a good coach, a good person and a good teacher of the game.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
P.S. Toronto Raptors management, most of the above goes for you too. Your coach was good enough to win Coach of the Year two years ago but not good enough to keep his job. Sure, your team was underachieving this year, but again, you were trying to incorporate a big piece in Jermaine O'Neal, who, by the way, doesn't run all that well after multiple injuries, and yet, here he is on a team that wants to run. I actually like Sam Mitchell's coaching replacement, so this isn't a huge loss, but let's actually give coaches some time to work here. Players can tune coaches out nowadays because they know that a coach's shelf life is only about two to three years. And you wonder why a coach loses his team.
What the fuck? Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you? You fired Mo Cheeks? He's a good coach. Good enough to take a crap 76ers team last year and coach it to the playoffs. Good enough to have Philly thinking NBA Finals in the offseason this year. But not good enough to keep his job this year? Seriously? Who's better than him that's available right now? I don't see Hubie Brown making another coaching comeback. Look, you guys signed Elton Brand and you immediately started dreaming of championships. But here's the thing, Elton peaked a few years back and is coming back from Achilles surgery. He's playing with a group of guys that are not suited to his strengths and vice versa. It takes time to incorporate a new focal point to the offense. You may eventually turn it on and get it, but this kind of thing doesn't happen overnight. Also, if you were getting Elton Brand, you might have wanted to get some 3 point shooters too, so that your team could have proper floor spacing for Brand to be most effective. Right now, no one, and I mean no team in their right mind, is afraid of your perimeter players because they're all drive and kick guys and not perimeter or even mid-range shooters. Andre Miller? Nope. Andre Iguodala? Ha, are you kidding me? He's an overrated energy player that has lacked the energy ever since he got a HUGE contract in the offseason. Another brilliant move on your part, by the way. So enjoy your knee-jerk reaction. Enjoy dreams of this being a spark. In truth, you blew it with a good coach, a good person and a good teacher of the game.
Sincerely,
The Idiot Fan
P.S. Toronto Raptors management, most of the above goes for you too. Your coach was good enough to win Coach of the Year two years ago but not good enough to keep his job. Sure, your team was underachieving this year, but again, you were trying to incorporate a big piece in Jermaine O'Neal, who, by the way, doesn't run all that well after multiple injuries, and yet, here he is on a team that wants to run. I actually like Sam Mitchell's coaching replacement, so this isn't a huge loss, but let's actually give coaches some time to work here. Players can tune coaches out nowadays because they know that a coach's shelf life is only about two to three years. And you wonder why a coach loses his team.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
NBA ceilings/basements vol. 2 - the east
How the East could be won or lost:
1. Boston Celtics - I've been thinking a lot about this team lately. They're getting the tough part of their schedule out of the way early with all the back to backs they've been playing. They look a little more beatable this year than last, but a favorable schedule down the stretch will help them immensely. A few things about this team:
a) Garnett has slipped, at least on the offensive end. It's noticeable. He relies on his jumper a lot more than in past years.
b) Garnett hasn't slipped on defense. And he still scares everyone on the court with his intensity and forces this team to play good defense.
c) The Celtics take pride in their D much like Detroit did under Larry Brown. Every guy on this team wants to shut down the other team. Every guy wants to grab a rebound or fight for the loose ball.
d) I'd be thinking so much about the age of the Big Three and looking for signs of slipping that I completely overlooked the possibility that Rajon Rondo could turn into a consistent All-Star caliber point guard. He's not there yet, but if he gets there, that extends the championship window for this team by a couple years.
Bottom line: This team is a lock for at least the Eastern Conference Finals and probably the NBA Finals.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - They're better this year. They're going to win 60 unless LeBron gets hurt. They should steamroll their way to an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Celtics. Here's why I don't think they'll beat the Celtics. Who's the second banana on this team? Obviously, LeBron runs the show, but who's the other guy that teams gameplan for? If you take LeBron out of the game, which the Celtics and the Pistons have done in the past, who beats you? The team is LeBron, who's the best player in the league and it isn't even close (sorry, Kobe), and a bunch of good role players. But MJ had Pippen, Shaq had Kobe and then Wade, Garnett has Pierce and Ray Allen, Duncan had Robinson and later, Ginobili and Parker, Kobe has Bynum and Gasol, and so on. You need at least two to win in this league. If they swing a blockbuster deal that doesn't involve Vince Carter (too selfish), they could move up. Otherwise, they'll be Boston's second banana.
3. Detroit Pistons.......nah...not this year, too soon. Orlando Magic - Enjoy being three. Even Dwight Howard making the leap won't bump this team up past Boston and Cleveland. In order to make the leap from very good to consistently great, Howard has to up his free throw percentage, develop a credible short jumper or jump hook and become a more physical defender with a mean streak. Another 50 win season looks to be a lock. Orlando's a well-coached team with good shooters, a vastly underrated point guard in Jameer Nelson and some decent depth in the bench. They should handle all but two teams in the East.
4. Detr....nope. Toronto Raptors - Bosh and I think O'Neal has enough in the tank for a good playoff run. Calderon is the best pure point guard in the East. They've got enough good shooters to force teams to respect the 3 point shot. Their fans are some of the best in the NBA. Just a lot of fun to watch. Bosh could make the jump to an elite player and carry them through a couple of playoff series. Playing against Howard in the playoffs last year hopefully made both players tougher and better all around. Update: Wait, what? They just fired their coach? That could change everything.
5. Detroit Pistons - This feels right. I'd hate to be a Pistons fan right now and have to talk myself into thinking Iverson could be the key to this team. A few things:
a) Seriously, the Pistons gave up on this year to try and get LeBron in two years? That's what it sounds like. Why would LeBron leave a better team in Cleveland, a city that worships him by the way, to go to a worse team in uber-unglamourous Detroit? There's no way this happens.
b) R.I.P. Rip Hamilton as an effective player for 82 games. Without Chauncey to dish the ball to him, Rip looks a little lost. Iverson and Stuckey eat into his minutes and neither knows him as well as Chauncey did.
c) They traded a pretty good point guard who could run their offense, hit a few big shots and defend pretty well for A.I., a guy who needs the ball to be effective, takes too many shots and can't defend. Have I mentioned that I hate this trade for the Pistons?
6. Atlanta Hawks - Here's a new gimmick for an NBA team: Let's play a season without a bench. Their starters can hang with anyone, and it looks like Horford's going from good to very good this year, but they've got cobwebs and tumbleweed on that bench. Maurice Evans? Flip Murray? Egads.
7. The New York Knicks - I'm a homer. They play their hearts out. David Lee is perfect for D'Antoni and Duhon just set the single game assist record. They'll be a first round out, but they'll get there.
8. Miami Heat - D-Wade. Nuff said.
9. Indiana Pacers - Young team showing some spunk. I don't know what to make of them. I like Granger and I like Jim O'Brien. Maybe this team has a surprise playoff run in it.
10. Philadelphia 76ers - What's the difference between the 76ers and the Bucks or the Bulls or any other East team with one good player and a bunch of ok guys? The burden of expectations. No one thinks much of the other teams, but everyone had Philly penciled in for the playoffs. Well, not me. The Brand signing slowed down their run and gun helter skelter style that made them successful last year. Louis Williams is no longer a microwave off the bench. There's a potential "Brand suffers bad injury and the team makes an improbable playoff run" lurking in their season. But that shouldn't be the ceiling of a team that had conference final aspirations.
11. Chicago Bulls - So much first round talent and nothing to show for it. Another lottery trip means another chance to get lucky with a blue-chipper. Derrick Rose will have this team in the playoffs in the next few years, providing their coach learns how to coach.
12. New Jersey Nets - Vince Carter is making a strong play for another team to make a mistake and acquire him in a midseason trade. NBA fool's gold. Note to Cavs: Don't be fooled.
13. Milwaukee Bucks - Defensive coach tries to get uncommitted players to play defense. Hilarity ensues. If only.
14. Charlotte Bobcats - Defensive coach tries to get uncommitted players to play defense. Hilarity ensues. If only. I sense a pattern at the bottom here. Why tie so much money with J-Rich, Okafor, and Gerald Wallace? Does anyone think this is a core that can bring Charlotte a championship? Obviously the answer is no. So why did they do it? If you can answer that, you too could run the Charlotte Bobcats.
15. There's a worse team than Charlotte? Ah, right, the Washington Wizards. They actually should be better than what they've shown so far. They have a couple of good scorers in Jamison and Butler. When/if Agent Zero comes back, at least one paper, they would have a good trio. But yet again, here's a team that invested big bucks in a core that has shown they can't win it all.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
NBA ceilings/basements vol. 1 - the west
How the West could be won or lost:
1. LA Lakers - Their ceiling is the highest of all teams. They look like they could win 70+ and run amok in the playoffs en route to an NBA championship. Their basement isn't too bad either. It would take a catastrophic series of injuries to keep them out of the playoffs, and as we've seen in the past, Kobe, Odom and scrubs is good enough for at least a seventh seed, which is their basement right now.
2. New Orleans Hornets - They could go to the Finals if the Lakers get hit with injuries and no one else (Utah, Houston) steps up their games. Look, I love Chris Paul. I think he's the best point guard in the game since Magic and the best pure point since Isiah. But I get the feeling that the rest of the team had career years and played above their ability last year and are falling back to Earth this year. I'm still not sold on David West being a big factor come playoff time. Worst case scenario, Paul gets injured and they don't make the playoffs. If they had one more competent big, I could see them doing real damage in the playoffs. Of course, if Chris Paul turns in an Oscar Robertson season, all bets are off and their ceiling goes way up.
3. Utah Jazz - Again, they could be in the Finals if the breaks go their way or end up as a 5th or 6th seed if Deron Williams gets hurt again. That's not bad for a team. Their basement isn't very low and this is a very talented team with a good bench and a great coach that forces them to play disciplined basketball night in and night out.
4. San Antonio Spurs - Do they have one more Finals run in them with this core? Yes. Can they be a top seed? Probably not because of the injuries to Parker and Ginobili. Will they miss the playoffs? No. They're going to be a very dangerous 3rd or 4th seed in the playoffs and at worst, an absolutely deadly 6th seed. No one will want to see these guys in round 1.
5. Houston Rockets - Overrated? Yes. Yao's going to get hurt. This always happens. McGrady's already hurt again and he's lost a step. I think he might be done. Maybe it's just the knee injury, but he couldn't blow by anybody this year and was shooting terribly. Sad to see that Artest joins the Rockets just in time to see them turn into the Sacramento Kings. Let's see, underachieving coach? Check, Rick Adelman to boot. High expectations never met? Check. People were all over this team in the preseason because they look great on paper. On the court is a different story altogether.
6. Portland Trailblazers - Oh, who cares where these guys finish, this is such a fun team to watch. Oden plodding around, while Fernandez and Roy make the game beautiful. Seriously though, if this team matures and Oden starts delivering, they can be this year's Hornets. I could see them getting to the second round of the playoffs, especially if they draw a weaker team like the Mavs or the Rockets in the first round. The bottom, of course, is missing the playoffs, but I don't see that happening.
7. Phoenix Suns - Another "on paper" team. Shaq, Amare, Nash, Grant Hill. This should be enough except three of those guys are well over 30 and Amare has a history of knee injuries. Plus, they willing got rid of a great coach and replaced him with a mixed bag coach. Not good, Phoenix. Nash had a telling quote recently saying that the Suns couldn't run with Utah when they got out on the break. Imagine that, the Suns can't run with other teams now. They peak with a 5th seed. Amare might be enough to get them in the playoffs, but their championship window closed last year.
8. Dallas Mavericks - They're done. Their window was slammed shut by D-Wade and the Heat in game three a few years back and then it was boarded up by Golden State upsetting them in the first round two years ago. Dirk lost his confidence and stopped sneering after big shots. Worse yet, he stopped taking and making big shots. He defers in key situations now. Teams have figured out how to defend him. Jason Terry and old man Stackhouse are the "game on the line" shot guys. That's a terrible situation. Jason Kidd has lost about five steps and can't defend any point guard. Their center position is a mess with two overpaid guys that both can't score and draw too many fouls. And Josh Howard is a scapegoat for admitting to smoking pot. Well, wouldn't you smoke pot if this was your team? Their basement is out of the playoffs which I think is likely. Oh, and they still have Devean George.
9. Denver Nuggets - The Iverson-Billups trade rejuvenated this team and fixed one of their biggest issues. Now they have a real point guard running the show and Melo can be the big scoring guy again. Their defense is a little better, but they're not getting out on the break as much as they did last year. Their ceiling is still a first round elimination unless they draw Houston. I don't think Nene and K-Mart are enough in the front court. They need one more big guy. Too bad it wasn't McDyess.
10. Golden State Warriors - Let's not kid ourselves. This team is not making the playoffs. Without Baron, they don't have anyone that scares another team. They might contend for the 8th seed playing Nellieball, but even if they get in, they'll be out in 4 games. Their basement is finishing under 500.
11. LA Clippers - Not making the playoffs. That's their ceiling and their basement and everything in between. This is one of those teams that you look at, and on paper, they look good enough that maybe you talk yourself into thinking that they could sneak up on some teams and steal a playoff spot. No, they can't. Tim Thomas and Ricky Davis on the same team, Dunleavy's the coach, and Baron already says their not on the same page. The Clippers are always in the Lottery, yet they never win.
12. Sacramento Kings - Where do you think their ceiling is? Not very high? Right. Ok. Move right along then. Oh, right the basement. Well, they'll get used to that. This team isn't very good and won't even sniff the playoffs. But at least they'll get a high draft pick. Maybe somebody told the Maloofs that the NBA Lottery is like gambling and they decided that's where they want to be.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Fun, young team that is still a few years away from contending. They might finish ahead of the Clippers and the Kings but they'll be well out of contention.
14. Memphis Grizzlies - See Minnesota Timberwolves entry.
15. That team that plays in Oklahoma City - You know the one. Their ceiling is also their basement. Gets cramped down there. They'll be the worst team in the West. Durant and Green will take the next steps and it won't be enough. There's nothing around these guys. They might be the worst team in the entire NBA. They are basically a bench and 3 starters away from contending. Think about that. That's pretty much the entire team. This team is an entire team away from contending. It's an absurd statement, but it's true. If only they could steal a good NBA team and move it to Okie Dokie City and give it a generic Arena Football team name.
1. LA Lakers - Their ceiling is the highest of all teams. They look like they could win 70+ and run amok in the playoffs en route to an NBA championship. Their basement isn't too bad either. It would take a catastrophic series of injuries to keep them out of the playoffs, and as we've seen in the past, Kobe, Odom and scrubs is good enough for at least a seventh seed, which is their basement right now.
2. New Orleans Hornets - They could go to the Finals if the Lakers get hit with injuries and no one else (Utah, Houston) steps up their games. Look, I love Chris Paul. I think he's the best point guard in the game since Magic and the best pure point since Isiah. But I get the feeling that the rest of the team had career years and played above their ability last year and are falling back to Earth this year. I'm still not sold on David West being a big factor come playoff time. Worst case scenario, Paul gets injured and they don't make the playoffs. If they had one more competent big, I could see them doing real damage in the playoffs. Of course, if Chris Paul turns in an Oscar Robertson season, all bets are off and their ceiling goes way up.
3. Utah Jazz - Again, they could be in the Finals if the breaks go their way or end up as a 5th or 6th seed if Deron Williams gets hurt again. That's not bad for a team. Their basement isn't very low and this is a very talented team with a good bench and a great coach that forces them to play disciplined basketball night in and night out.
4. San Antonio Spurs - Do they have one more Finals run in them with this core? Yes. Can they be a top seed? Probably not because of the injuries to Parker and Ginobili. Will they miss the playoffs? No. They're going to be a very dangerous 3rd or 4th seed in the playoffs and at worst, an absolutely deadly 6th seed. No one will want to see these guys in round 1.
5. Houston Rockets - Overrated? Yes. Yao's going to get hurt. This always happens. McGrady's already hurt again and he's lost a step. I think he might be done. Maybe it's just the knee injury, but he couldn't blow by anybody this year and was shooting terribly. Sad to see that Artest joins the Rockets just in time to see them turn into the Sacramento Kings. Let's see, underachieving coach? Check, Rick Adelman to boot. High expectations never met? Check. People were all over this team in the preseason because they look great on paper. On the court is a different story altogether.
6. Portland Trailblazers - Oh, who cares where these guys finish, this is such a fun team to watch. Oden plodding around, while Fernandez and Roy make the game beautiful. Seriously though, if this team matures and Oden starts delivering, they can be this year's Hornets. I could see them getting to the second round of the playoffs, especially if they draw a weaker team like the Mavs or the Rockets in the first round. The bottom, of course, is missing the playoffs, but I don't see that happening.
7. Phoenix Suns - Another "on paper" team. Shaq, Amare, Nash, Grant Hill. This should be enough except three of those guys are well over 30 and Amare has a history of knee injuries. Plus, they willing got rid of a great coach and replaced him with a mixed bag coach. Not good, Phoenix. Nash had a telling quote recently saying that the Suns couldn't run with Utah when they got out on the break. Imagine that, the Suns can't run with other teams now. They peak with a 5th seed. Amare might be enough to get them in the playoffs, but their championship window closed last year.
8. Dallas Mavericks - They're done. Their window was slammed shut by D-Wade and the Heat in game three a few years back and then it was boarded up by Golden State upsetting them in the first round two years ago. Dirk lost his confidence and stopped sneering after big shots. Worse yet, he stopped taking and making big shots. He defers in key situations now. Teams have figured out how to defend him. Jason Terry and old man Stackhouse are the "game on the line" shot guys. That's a terrible situation. Jason Kidd has lost about five steps and can't defend any point guard. Their center position is a mess with two overpaid guys that both can't score and draw too many fouls. And Josh Howard is a scapegoat for admitting to smoking pot. Well, wouldn't you smoke pot if this was your team? Their basement is out of the playoffs which I think is likely. Oh, and they still have Devean George.
9. Denver Nuggets - The Iverson-Billups trade rejuvenated this team and fixed one of their biggest issues. Now they have a real point guard running the show and Melo can be the big scoring guy again. Their defense is a little better, but they're not getting out on the break as much as they did last year. Their ceiling is still a first round elimination unless they draw Houston. I don't think Nene and K-Mart are enough in the front court. They need one more big guy. Too bad it wasn't McDyess.
10. Golden State Warriors - Let's not kid ourselves. This team is not making the playoffs. Without Baron, they don't have anyone that scares another team. They might contend for the 8th seed playing Nellieball, but even if they get in, they'll be out in 4 games. Their basement is finishing under 500.
11. LA Clippers - Not making the playoffs. That's their ceiling and their basement and everything in between. This is one of those teams that you look at, and on paper, they look good enough that maybe you talk yourself into thinking that they could sneak up on some teams and steal a playoff spot. No, they can't. Tim Thomas and Ricky Davis on the same team, Dunleavy's the coach, and Baron already says their not on the same page. The Clippers are always in the Lottery, yet they never win.
12. Sacramento Kings - Where do you think their ceiling is? Not very high? Right. Ok. Move right along then. Oh, right the basement. Well, they'll get used to that. This team isn't very good and won't even sniff the playoffs. But at least they'll get a high draft pick. Maybe somebody told the Maloofs that the NBA Lottery is like gambling and they decided that's where they want to be.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Fun, young team that is still a few years away from contending. They might finish ahead of the Clippers and the Kings but they'll be well out of contention.
14. Memphis Grizzlies - See Minnesota Timberwolves entry.
15. That team that plays in Oklahoma City - You know the one. Their ceiling is also their basement. Gets cramped down there. They'll be the worst team in the West. Durant and Green will take the next steps and it won't be enough. There's nothing around these guys. They might be the worst team in the entire NBA. They are basically a bench and 3 starters away from contending. Think about that. That's pretty much the entire team. This team is an entire team away from contending. It's an absurd statement, but it's true. If only they could steal a good NBA team and move it to Okie Dokie City and give it a generic Arena Football team name.
How the Celtics could win it all or come up short
The Celtics will win it all if their core is healthy for the playoffs and no one slips, even just a bit. Keep in mind, their core is the Big Three and they are all past the big 3-0. KG is 32 and has played more than 1,000 career games, all at his ridiculously high intensity level. I don't care who you are, but eventually it burns you out. He never takes a minute off when he's on the court. Pierce is a 31 year old wingman, and as with all wingmen, they rely on a good first step to get to the basket. If he loses that, he turns into a jump shooter, and while Pierce is a good one, the Celtics need him to be a slasher, a creator and a finisher. Ray Allen is 33 with a history of injuries. Of the three, he can most afford to lose a step since his game is less slashing and more spot up shooting. So far, it doesn't look like any of them have slipped at all. It's entirely possible that KG just simply will not let them take a play off.
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