I AM NOT A WITNESS- AN UNOFFICIAL NBA BLOG

The 3rd String Point Guard

2009-12-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

“Telling you how to do it… from the bench”

Hot Larry- Sadly, that’s the best witty line I could come up with regarding the unfortunate firing of Lawrence Frank. Anyway, my main gripe here is when all the losses simply aren’t a coach’s fault yet he’s let go. Eddie Jordan, a former Nets assistant and another passionate, intelligent coach, was fired last year with Arenas out for the year and Jamison and Butler alternating between who was out for weeks at a time. Asked to win with Darius Songalia and Brendan Haywood (oh wait, he went down eventually too), the odds were simply against him. Did he deserve to be fired? Maybe but only because you can’t fire players and because management was desperate to shake things up. I completely understand how firing a coach can be a shot in an arm for a team, wipe away old gripes, enliven what was once a lost season but then there’s the desperation heave. Counter-example: I was all for the Byron Scott firing. He had been mailing it in on a team that quit on him since midway last season and was clearly using his friendship with Paul for job security while mocking the team (re-scheduling plane departures for his tee times) Although they’re not destroying teams, they’re playing cohesively without Paul and with two rookies leading the way for some big wins. Bruce Bower’s a guy that will at least care about the team regardless of whether he’s coach or back to GM next season. I’m looking forward to a run with Paul back.
In Frank’s case, he was doomed from the start. It’s one thing to come into the season with the youngest team filled out with middling vets, it’s another to start it with three injuries to starters (Harris, Yi, Lee) and another come down with swine flu (Douglas-Roberts). The guy had friggin’ swine flu! CDR wasn’t the focal point of their offense but jesus, that’s quite possibly the worst luck ever to start a season. So in closing, the Nets management can go suck it. Your team isn’t getting any better with Frank gone, if anything, it’s worse because for all their ineptitude, this team knew it had a guy who committed himself tirelessly to his job even with the odds against him. The team liked him so much that they all fought for him when his job was at stake last season (even Vince Carter who’s not known for fighting for anything, like ever, at all… in his entire life). You didn’t fire the next Auerbach, still, you got rid of a guy with a backbone (with him gone, Thorn’s the only class left) in an organization that’s in such disaray, it could disappear into a black hole with no one noticing. I can only hope that Dec. 31st passes with Ratner not breaking ground, Prokhorov backing out of the sale and the team remaining in New Jersey for good, to continue sucking, yes, but at least settled for once. It could happen, 31 days to go! Good luck in the future Frank.

Artificial Incompetence- I’m not the biggest fan of AI but I am an apologist on his behalf, doing what he’s done in this league is a rare achievement yet in the time between his trade to Denver and again to Detroit, something changed. Maybe Denver wasn’t the right fit, maybe Detroit screwed him but he quickly became a shell of himself, unable to cope with the loss of his skills or a diminishing role anywhere, even in Memphis. Tragic it may be although it’s hard to feel sorry for a guy who won’t come off the bench.
For a brief shining moment, it seemed he was headed to the Knicks and then everything fell through because (gritting teeth, rolling eyes) we didn’t want his minutes taking away from the development of our young players. That’s all well and good but then don’t go against your statement and not even let your young guys play while the losses build up. Douglas and Hill have barely seen the court since the deal fell through and the Knicks haven’t won a game either. I debated with myself and other b-ball fans for awhile about AI with the Knicks. People that were originally against it eventually had to concede that it was better than what we currently had going. I go to MSG even in bad times but the rest of Knicks fans would have to start caring, even watching games just for the spectacle. So what we learned is that while Donnie’s gotten us out of the muck, he’s basically conceded the past two seasons (even backing out on a meager one-year contract in a no-loss deal for a Hall of Famer who might have actually gotten you out of the lottery) banking on free agency that might never happen. Barring anything major, if you’ve already conceded the season, start getting Douglas and Hill as much minutes as possible for the future but please don’t lie to your fans and then spit in their faces. And don’t get me started on the Jennings screw-up, come on Donnie!

An update on the Nets scoreboard situation

2009-11-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

So we just made like IZOD and went corporate. It's a tough economy, it happens. Speaking of IZOD, a recent trip there confirmed my worst fears. They covered the top sections in each corner of the arena with big IZOD flag-banners. Just kidding, just like in the case of I AM NOT A WITNESS, this isn't so much selling out as maximizing real estate. My worst fears were that the nonsensical in-arena scoreboard layout would be back for another year. And it was. At both ends of the arena (behind the baskets), there are scoreboards as diagrammed below. There are two other ways that the information could have been presented

Player #	Fouls	Points	\|	Fouls	Points	Player #
15	1	21	\|	0	12	33
34	0	11	\|	2	15	23

Except it has 5 rows and lists all the players in the game for both teams. The lack of symmetry is what really kills me. Why not

Allen Iverson

2009-11-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson could have been a professional in any sport of his choosing but I think we're lucky he chose basketball. From his crossover of Jordan to his collection of gravity-defying dunks, Iverson played the game with a unique flair for the dramatic. His youtube resume has it all: ridiculous passes, ankle-breaking crossovers, a high school football mix, and a legendary press conference.

But now it's clear that for all the gifts AI has, fitting in on a team where he's not the focal point (or at least a starter) isn't one of them. So are the New York Knicks really the answer? Forget the fact that he would take time away from younger players (since this feels a little like tanking... if you can improve your team for a reasonable cost, don't you do that?). Is it even possible that this will work out? I talked him up going to Denver ("AI can do anything, play the point, focus on passing, play football.") and he didn't live up to expectations. This only became more obvious when Billups came in and improved the team. The team needed a pass-first guard to distribute to an awesome array of firepower and AI wasn't that guy (or wasn't willing to be that guy?). In Detroit, he should have taken a sixth man role to Rodney Stuckey who had the makings of being Detroit's "point guard of the future". He would have been the ultimate 6th man - providing instant offense and veteran leadership off the bench. But if AI can't start, AI isn't going to give it his all which he showed again in Memphis. So now AI is going to come New York? Seriously? People at Madison Square Garden boo loudly and irrationally (inadequate child performers are routinely booed) and they're not likely to have much to cheer about this season except a possible lottery pick. Of course, this all assumes AI refuses to give 100% toward helping the team win in every way possible. If he does that, his prodigious (if decreased) athletic talents could help the Knicks a lot. Or he could be the ultimate team player and become a total pass-first PG and help the Knicks young talent improve... I'm not saying he will but he could.

Ultimately AI wants a title, right? If he wants that to happen, he should show the league he can be an exceptional sixth man and then he'd be attractive to a contending team looking for more scoring off their bench (and who isn't).

Knicks-Hornets Re-cap 11/2/09

2009-11-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

On nights like this, no one except for me, John and all the other blatantly dedicated basketball heads in the world truly care about a game like this. It’s the fourth game of the season, the Knicks are 0-3, the Hornets are 1-3 and the Yankees are a victory away from winning a world series, what really matters here? I even had a friend bail on a ticket just to go all the way to Philly for game 5. Well, if you’re like me, you find baseball to be boring, annoying and stupid, you think Chris Paul is the bee’s knees and you equate the Garden*** to holy ground and being there to a religious experience then you know what really matters. Besides, even someone as willingly ignorant about baseball as me knew Cliff Lee would at least prolong the series one more game. So here’s a tidy re-cap of the game as viewed from the first row of the nosebleeds, mid-court (for the price and the view, if you can get the first row, those are the best seats in the Garden) on Monday night.

-To the victors, the Knicks, not only for getting your first W of the season but doing it against superior opponents after a rough start your first three games. Now just work on that consistency thing. Counting last season, you’ve beaten the Hornets three times so far and other good teams like the Hawks twice while losing to the Clippers twice and the Bobcats in double OT. Against the Hornets, you nearly gave up one lead, choked up another and still managed to have a ten point lead with two to go in the fourth by playing strong defense and moving the ball on offense. Let’s try keeping that up. Individually, I would like to thank…..

-The Rooster- If Greg Oden was showing the flashes of greatness that Galinari is, the city of Portland would need the world’s largest box of tissues. New York’s almost at that level with the Rooster but we’re restraining ourselves after other European disappointments (read: Lampe) but anyway, he’s active on both ends, isn’t afraid to take a big shot or look for the open man. Not ready to sign him up as an All-Star starter but we’re getting there.
-David Lee- He’s starting to hit that 15-20 footer consistently enough to make it a legit threat and thanks to Darko, he’s not an abomination on D. He should never be asked to play center either. So here’s hoping you earn that million if we get to the playoffs and here’s hoping that becomes a regular trend with all NBA contracts.
-N8 the Great- stay injured, Toney Douglas is maturing well, Larry Hughes is out of his shooting slump and they both play better D than you while you’re becoming a cancer. Thanks!
-Jared Jeffries- Unlike Curry, you’re earning your paycheck. Your ability to guard elite PGs and SGs like Paul helps us greatly (and people say D’Antoni doesn’t know D), but in this system, everyone should have carte blanche to shoot except for you! Unless you’re completely wide open and you have a gut feeling about it.

-On the other end, if Emeka Okafor continues to prove that Tyson Chandler was just a thin man’s Eddy Curry lucky enough to play with Chris Paul, I will continue to look like I know what I’m talking about. It’s hard to believe there are so many people who think a guy who can block some shots and catch an alley-oop is some sort of God of the hardwood. Okafor was pulling off post moves Tyson couldn’t do in his dreams and without any assistance from Paul. He’ll be the reason the Hornets limp into the playoffs. Honorable mention goes to Darius Songalia, another key off-season addition

-Finally, the Standard. Going into the third, 5 points, 11 assists. End of the game, 32 points, 14 assists. I don’t disrespect the Garden by wearing any visiting player’s uniform but I was proud to wear #3 to work the next day, even if it made no sense whatsoever.

In the end, my Yankee-fan friends only missed 6 innings of what would turn out to be a loss and instead got to see an entertaining game of basketball. On that note, screw the fall classic.

One Last Thing….

Rudy Gay declined to sign an extension with the Grizzlies on Monday night, thus making him a restricted free agent next summer. I’m stealing the basis for this idea directly from The Sports Guy but elaborating on it as a prospective Knicks trade. This is the one situation where I would be willing to give up Wilson Chandler: Rudy Gay comes to the Knicks along with one bad Grizz contract (Marko Jaric or anyone other than Z-Bo) for Wilson and Cuttino Mobley’s expiring deal. Tell your friends, spread the word, if you see Donnie on the street, propose this trade. It saves us the trouble of getting another star to go with whatever prospective player we get in 2010 and makes us better in the short term. Moreover, we could probably re-sign Rudy for less money because he’ll be so happy to be out of Memphis. If the Lakers can get away with fleecing Memphis, why can’t we?

***I will call MSG the Garden in this column. Why? Because it’s my column. Take that Simmons!

New Orleans Hornets Preview ’09:

2009-11-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

“Hey, we’re not gonna win a title but let’s try not to lose a playoff game by 58.”

-The Paul/Scott Dilemma- If Chris Paul has any one weakness, it’s loyalty. Actually, it’s being friendly with division rivals (stop having dinner with Tony Parker during a playoff series!). But he’s too loyal, much like Garnett was with Minnesota. New Orleans took him in and in return, he’s the sole reason the franchise is still around and thriving, that plus David Stern’s strong-arming guilt tactics. But is he leading a winner onto the court? Aside from David West, the rest of his squad is overpaid and injured, young and inexperienced or floundering somewhere in between (and West ain’t no spring chicken either). The team’s finances aren’t his fault but if he’s serious about winning, he has to tell management to shake things up like any demanding, aggressive superstar would. Case in point: Byron Scott. He’s a great coach but like his previous stints have shown, success gives him a big head and causes him to get contentious with his players. Thing is, Paul has a competitive streak but is too much of a good guy to ever go against Scott let alone get him fired which is why he’s still around despite losing a playoff game by 58! But if Paul’s the sole force dragging this squad to 50 wins and an early round exit again with practically no assistance and an arrogant coach to contend with, maybe things will start to move in a better direction, like firing Scott.

-The Emeka Improvement- What happens when you trade an oft-injured lottery flop who blocks well but only dunks for a slightly better oft-injured lottery flop? You offense gets better and you save several million dollars! Just more proof that greatness on the court doesn’t equal greatness in the front office, either that or Jordan lost a bet to George Shinn on the golf course. Paul’s going to miss Tyson’s alley oops but he’ll be plenty happy dishing to Emeka on the pick-and-roll once they get a good rhythm going, which shouldn’t take long considering Paul’s ability. If he stays healthy, this is the trade that keeps New Orleans going despite their weaknesses.

-The Rookies- Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton aren’t exactly Blake Griffin or Stephen Curry but they fill critical needs for the Hornets if they step up. Collison provides the backup for Paul they’ve desperately needed and if he adjusts to the NBA pace, Thornton gives them an option at the 2-spot other than Mo-Pete.

-Health Issues- Sometimes injuries are caused by unexplainable bad juju (like the Mets this season). The Hornets have their share of potential woes as well: West’s spastic back, Peja’s entire body, Hilton Armstrong’s occasional brain malfunctions (I made that up but sometimes his actions are inexplicable). If these and more don’t all hit at once they’re fine, if one or more happens while losing Paul for a handful of games, they might want to find a back alley witch doctor in the Big Easy. Failing that, Haiti’s close by.

-Sean Marks- For the second year in a row, winner of the Chris Dudley Best Goofy-Looking White Boy Award! He isn’t going to the All-Star game or winning any beauty contests but goddamn if he doesn’t work his ass off.

-Chris Paul, The Standard, The Rising Tide- A rising tide lifts all boats, even if the boat is called Hilton Armstrong or Darius Songalia. Such is the case for The Standard, a player who can put the ball in the basket but can get it to the open man like no other and unless you want to pick a fight with me, is the best point guard in the league bar none. So can Paul continue to take lemons and paint them gold. His stats indicate yes, a drop in the standings and an exit in the first round last year indicate no but despite all their problems (weak bench, erratic injuries, arrogant coach), as long as Paul can keep being a leader while finding the easy bucket, all is well. Are they a legit contender? Not at all but I’d sure as hell like them to be and it isn’t going to stop me from watching anyway.

Trail Blazers ’09 Season Preview

2009-11-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

(the team that’s keeping Seattle basketball fans from mass suicide)

-Less is More- Sometimes not overpaying for an aging star and a guy who will only be a great backup to LaMarcus Aldridge is a good thing. Turkoglu’s still at the top of his game but for the price of his soon-to-be waning talent, it wasn’t worth it just to have the guy run point-forward when Roy runs out of juice. Milsap may have been a steal but a cheaper backup can always be found elsewhere. In conclusion, one man’s trash is another’s gold: Hello, Andre Miller! He’s practically afraid to shoot the three, occasionally injured and on his last legs. Will he run the offense for Roy, control turnovers better than Blake, defend well and be a solid veteran leader? Absolutely and that’s really all the Blazers needed this summer

-The Trials of Oden- He’s lost 14 pounds, he’s more comfortable on both ends of the floor and he’s been injury-free for (fingers crossed!) not even close to a year. Is he still the next generation of big men…. No, that’s Dwight Howard if he can finally master some post moves. But at the moment, the naysayers (myself included) have to give him one more pass until he’s completely written off as a flop, maybe not a total bust exactly (read: Michael Olowokandi) but you get it. Of course, if he starts averaging 4 fouls in 20 minutes while Joe Pryzbilla looks like a workhorse, start worrying even if he stays healthy.

-Breakout Year?- Personally speaking, I’m on the Aldridge bandwagon. Others call him overrated. There’s not many power forwards his age that have his skill set already and are still improving drastically every year. Did he deserve to beat out other big name forwards for an all-star spot last year? Depends on who you ask but if he keeps it up, it’ll be a shame if he doesn’t get one this year. Honorable Mention: Nicholas Batum, a high-flying shooter going into his fourth year, expect to see him in highlights.

-Dark Horse?- Brandon Roy is somewhere in the top 10 of the league’s best players depending on your opinion and he’s just getting started. Athletically, he’s no Lebron or D-Wade but aside from Kobe, he has the best supporting cast surrounding him despite their youth and Oden’s uncertain future. Last year, they were one of the few teams to play the Lakers not only consistently but blow them out twice and had me salivating for a 7 gamer versus the now champs but they were easily exposed by the efficient Rockets. Can they win a championship this year with Miller running point? Probably not. Will they make it out of the second round? Hopefully. Are they my favorite dark horse to cause a major upset? Yes.

HACKED!

2009-11-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, as in someone decided it would be cool to hack in to our low-key blog but not do anything except lock us out. Completely pointless. Now John, Drew and I know what the NBA referees felt like during their lockout.

There is a silver lining to this in that we are determined to post even more rambles and rants than ever. Take that, David Stern!

Comments to lead us to potential perpetrators of this cowardly act are most welcome. At the top of my list are a low-level idiot in LeBron's posse who took offense to the blog name, or someone in Mikhail Prokhorov's crew. You know, because dominating media and stepping on little guys is a cool thing to do in Russia.

New York Knicks 2009-2010 Preview

2009-10-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

New York Knicks 2009-10 Season Preview (If you’re not a diehard Knicks fan, just don’t bother caring till July 1, 2010)

-Let’s get this out of the way first: No one knows what Lebron’s going to do! Not his momma, not his agent, not his wife, probably not even him. So unless some sort of irresistible Gretzky-like trade arises (damned near impossible) or Lebron unequivocally states his intentions (ditto), here’s an idea: just leave it alone and enjoy the season. The Knicks may very well be horrible or a pleasant surprise this season but regardless, endless speculation about the unknown will quickly go from entertaining to hopelessly annoying (read: Brett Favre and Sportscenter for the past four summers). Quick example before we initiate the moratorium to illustrate my point, the apparent Braylon Edwards-Lebron beef made me think for a split second his presence on the Jets would prevent James from coming to NYC. I mean, the Jets need a #1 receiver but not if it costs the Knicks! Moving on…

-The Summer that wasn’t- They courted some vets to no avail and rather than splurge on an oft-injured untested with “potential”, Donnie decided not to jeopardize any cap space. Could we have traded up for Rubio or Curry? I certainly hope they would have! On the plus side, Quentin “Man Boobs” Richardson is no longer around in favor of the biggest lottery bust since, well, that depends on your personal opinion of Kwame Brown. As a desperate fan, you wanted some sort of splash anywhere. As a smart fan, Walsh may look like a genius in hindsight.

-The Certainties- A happily signed Lee and hopefully humbled Nate will be the main driving force behind the NY offense. Will they play defense? Probably not. Also, if Al Harrington can avoid getting technicals that cost us games versus the Clippers, he’ll continue to be a valuable veteran presence and I won’t have to throw a brick at his head. Wilson Chandler will struggle at the 2 spot at first but will quickly adapt

-The Uncertain- Eddy Curry: Actually correct that, he’s certain not to contribute anything positive. Before he lost the weight, I was really holding out for a heart attack, oh well. Jared Jeffries: If Mike D’Antoni can turn a player who gives me palpitations every time he touches the ball into a legitimate offensive threat/leader, I may not be willing to give up my first born for him to be traded. The Rooster: Did Coach say he was a great shooter to help his confidence or did he lose a bet. He gets the benefit of the doubt for pre-season but if he keeps bricking it up, I’m gonna keep dreaming Westbrook dropped in our lap last draft.

-The Rookies- Jordan Hill, thanks for coming out, keep up the good work, now sit on the bench until David Lee leaves. Toney Douglas, you’ve got bigger shoes to fill. Just outshine Nate Robinson at every turn while playing better defense (that shouldn’t be too hard) and keeping Chris Duhon’s legs fresh.

-Trades! (please?)- Thanks to the recession, we kept Lee and Nate because no teams could afford to overpay them. Could we get lucky and fleece a team in a lop-sided salary-saving trade? Enter Cuttino Mobley, or rather the insurance on his expiring contract that comes off the books. Walsh has already said he has no intention to move the contract but he might want to see what happened when the Blazers didn’t move Raef Lafrentz’s expiring deal last season. They saved money by staying put but sometimes it’s better to get something back in return, not to mention the possibility of packaging Mobley with Jeffries or Curry (if there’s a God) for cap relief and some draft picks which we have none of in a possibly stacked 2010 draft. Much like this summer, I won’t hold my breath.

-Playoffs?!?!?!- Last season, I bet a bartender 20 bucks the Knicks were 35 wins or better. Mind you, that was when I figured Z-Bo and Crawford, for all their faults, were good for a couple of random wins. That didn’t make paying the bet after avoiding it for a couple of months any better. In the long run, what’s wrong with another losing season when we’re finally under the cap and I get to hear Paul Simon every time Al Harrington scores at MSG? But is this team capable of 35 wins, let alone the playoffs? Ummmm, I don’t know, maybe, no, be optimistic, of course they can, after the Big Three, the East is wide open and there’s plenty of crappy West teams, get a little momentum, they could totally do it! Will they? If they do, I’ll be friggin’ ecstatic, if not, I’ll continue to be entertained by a team I have no idea what to expect of anymore. Go Knicks!

2009-2010 Predictions

2009-07-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

I couldn't tell if these guys were serious or not but I posted it anyway. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the site proprietors. But some of them do...

Drew: Steve Kerr will announce that he has find his long lost twin, Fox Biz correspondent Robert Gray! the resemblance is uncanny

Gen: the clippers will sign AI and the team will be fun to watch even though they don't make the playoffs. blake griffin's career never reaches it's full potential as a result of him taking up pot smoking. in hindsight, though, the sessions wit baron, ricky davis and AI are epic and he only kind of regrets it all.

Drew: stephon marbury is the best point guard in the nba, you don't have to tell him, he knows this! he's also got a movie coming out this christmas with brooke shields..... let's hope it's called truck party 2

Sean: Tim Duncan snaps from all the "good guy" talk and strangels pop a la Latrell Sprewell when he mistakenly refers to the spurs as tony's team

Gen : spurs become the first team to win the championship while not having a starter play more than 30 regular season games. Duncan wants to strangle pop but david stern beats him to it - just slightly ahead of every fan who ever bought a ticket to see the spurs and was stuck watching bench players.

Drew: kobe and ron-ron become the world's best-selling rap duo, kobe occasionally raps in italian about rape, ron-ron just raps in english but about killing homosexuals

Bobby: Michael Jordan comes out of retirement to play for the Bobcats. He averages 10 a night, but still somehow scores 55 against the Knicks in MSG. Ahmad Rashaad finally comes out of the closet and admits that he has been in love with Micahel for all these years, Michael responds by saying, "whoa whoa whoa, you sucked my dick." By December he and Larry Brown are taking shots at each other in the media, leading some to say, maybe Larry Brown is just a douche.

WNBA Plays of the Week

2009-07-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Will they be a bunch of buzzer-beaters and lucky shots? Will it focus on actual skills that young aspiring WNBA players can emulate? Only time will tell so here we go... the plays.

10 - Becky Hammon tosses in a nice little reverse with a small ball-fake thrown in. Of course neither game nor highlight announcer points out how this subtle little move kept the defender from blocking her shot. Nice play for #10.

9 - Tina Thompson with the long hook bank shot. You know what... I found this boring but perhaps it will inspire a budding post presence to practice the lost art of the bank shot. Not exciting me by any means but not that bad for #9.

8 - Sylvia Fowles with an awkward layup. She did get fouled but I wasn't wowed by it.

7 - Keisha Brown with the behind-the-back dish. Now this is a decent play. Nice pass, nice finish... can there really be 6 plays better than this?

6 - Indiana Fever - apparently not since this was only a block and a layup...

5 - Sue Bird with a beautiful pass to the cutting Tanisha Wright. If I had to break down one play so far for instructional purposes, this would be it. Nice screen by Jackson, great pass by Bird, tough finish by Wright, and, most importantly, good spacing from the other Storm players. I approve of this play.

4 - Tina Thompson - Nice pass, I guess, and a breakaway layup. Could there really be three plays better than this?

3 - Becky Hammon again with a similar look-off/ball-fake move and this time the announcer acknowledges it well. Hammon's slight move gets her by the defender just enough for the hoop and the foul. If you want to play in the WNBA someday, watch Hammon. No, forget that, if you currently do play in the WNBA, watch Hammon. Few players in the league finish in traffic like she does.

2 - Deanna Nolan with a hard drive, spin, and circus layup. Not a #2 play in my opinion but I love Nolan so I'll let it slide.

1 - Leilani Mitchell from 3/4 court. Definitely should have been in the Top 10 but #1? C'mon, the WNBA has an issue with the perception that the quality of play is low. Was that a skilled play? Doesn't that kind of imply that a fluke play was more exciting than everything else that happened that week?

My Solution So I Stop Whining So Much
The WNBA should have two top tens each week. One with all the lucky fluke plays that apparently the people like... and the actual skilled plays which demonstrate the immense skill of the players. Then girls who aspire to be WNBA stars and who come to WNBA.com looking for plays they can practice will have some to copy. The WNBA has a ton of exciting talent and action... I don't know why they don't always produce videos that fully showcase this talent.

2009 Draft

2009-06-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Interesting draft because it sets up the summer to be intriguing. Half surprised conspiracy theorists aren't saying stern rigged it so 3 picks in the top ten were by teams who already had that position filled and intended to trade them at a later date. Minnesota took 3 point guards in the first round (Rubio, Flynn and Lawson) to be mentored by Sebastian Telfair. Golden State got another shooter, Curry, to compliment Sjax, Monta Ellis and Jamal Crawford. And the Knicks took a power forward - the only position they actually have a lock on. Moves will be made.

Widget

2009-04-22T12:51:00.001-07:00

Thoughts on Playoffs Eve

2009-04-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

...by Drew.

I was going to write this earlier in the week but thank Jesus I didn’t, it’s amazing what a few thrilling overtime games on both sides of the conference can do to ruin your favored matchups but now that the field’s shaped up, it’s time to start splitting hairs on first round matchups and beyond. Or…. if you’ve been too engrossed of late, take a quick break to eat, bathe, converse with loved ones, etc.

Team(s) that could beat the Lakers:

They’re both playing each other in the first round which kind of ruins the possibilities of each team getting a shot at The LA Accused Rapists but considering one team hasn’t won a playoff series in around a decade and the other is young and inexperienced, maybe that’s the best we could hope for depending on how you look at it. Either way, the Rockets and Blazers have the best shot of stunning the Lakers on their pre-ordained return trip to the finals. Each has a deep bench that can match up well with LA’s ten-man juggernaut, play well at home and bring their own separate intangibles: Houston has Artest as a Kobe-stopper, Portland has a ride-the-coattails star in Roy (not to mention Portland’s been beating up on nearly everybody lately, even reducing LA to play dirty and drive Rudy Fernandez’s head into the ground in a blowout). And their faults can be turned into positives easily; Houston lacks a number 1 scoring option but it means they’re nothing if not diverse, Portland lacks experience but it means they have nothing to lose and everything to prove/learn in the long term. I only hope they have some gas left after their tough series. The only problem is that both of them won’t make it to the second round.

Lingering Fart ?s:

The entire Eastern Conference hinges on Kevin Garnett’s knee. Recently, I bet mostly against the Tar Heels in the NCAAs because I just wasn’t sure about Lawson’s toe, which ended up biting me in the ass. But Garnett isn’t a teenager with a jammed toe, this is in fact his first major injury and time spent away in 13 years, even if he comes back fairly able, who knows how he’ll hold up in an arduous seven game series.

Can the Cavs beat the Magic in the second round? Despite being the best in the league, the Cavs are the worst against the other top 5 teams in the league, particularly in blowouts against the Magic. Why? Because Orlando defends in transition, guards the perimeter, and uses D-Ho as a roadblock against any and all Lebron drives, which basically makes the entire team impotent. If there’s one fault with the Cavs, they are somewhat of a one-trick pony no matter how cool the trick is. Things always change in the playoffs though.

Team I’ll miss after the First Round:

The Standard did everything he could to get them in good position, but in the end, the Hornets will be undone by injuries and their lack of a reliable bench. If they won a few more games against weak opponents, they might be in better position to advance against a weaker opponent (revenge series against the Spurs maybe), instead they’re going into the playoffs injured without homecourt advantage. This isn’t to say they can’t beat the Nuggets but the odds are against Paul and co.

Team I wish would just die:

The Spurs are the before version of a herpes commercial, they won’t go away without proper medication. After they surrendered a lead to the Blazers, Ginobli went down and Duncan was hobbling, they seemed primed for a first round upset to the Blazers or Hornets but as they do, they righted the ship and now have the Southwest crown. I’d say that they could easily lose to the Mavs or even if they survive to the second round, they won’t last long but they just won’t die, most especially when I count them out. So I’m biting my tongue because I’m superstitious about jinxing.

One final regular season thought, I know they care more about winning a championship and already have homecourt advantage but why didn’t the Cavs play Lebron for a half so they could tie the Celts’ home record, even if it’s a tie, it’s still a slap in the face to the current Celtics. Their reserves almost beat the Sixers’ starters, the game would’ve been over early if Lebron played a little bit

Monday Night Basketball

2009-03-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Three games on tonight - Hornets/Hawks, Heat/Bulls and Pistons/Magic.

Ten minutes of NOH/ATL yields multiple Chris Paul highlights. He's the most exciting player to watch in the NBA. I realize I'm putting him ahead of LeBron who is a (but not "the")

Shaq "

D-League Fandom

2009-03-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

"What movie would you compare being a fan of the D-League to?" - asks loyal reader Matt. Well, Matt, being a fan of the D-League is too

D-League Fandom

2009-03-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

My buddy asked me what movie I'd compare to being a fan of the D-League to.

My Two Cents on the NCAA vs. NBA: Godfather I or II?

2009-03-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

A lot of great points have been made on this particular debate on the overall quality of each organization, but particularly in regards to defense. Gen and John made the best arguments for the NCAA having better or at the very least, more inspiring defenses because of hustling average white boys backed by a strong team mentality that covers up their mistakes. They had me going but Gen’s fell apart when he claimed allegiance to the Spurs and disparaged Steve Blake’s reputation and John can love zone defenses all he wants, it doesn’t mean the rest of us have to find it entertaining. John’s argument may also be a little too idealistic, these average guys who hustle on defense may take pride in their schools and put it all out on the floor but it’s because they know they’re never going to play basketball after college and after that, they have to work at real jobs and put in effort to get laid like the rest of us. Wouldn’t you give it all for one more game of glory? Those guys and their superiors would and are getting torched off the ball in the NBA because for even the rare individual defensive hustler (Artest, Kobe, Battier, Bowen) the quality of talent is just that good.

My whole opinion on the argument boils down to one question: which do you like better, The Godfather Part I or II? Both films are absolute classics without any question but which do you prefer: Part I which lovingly introduces you to a criminal, yet dignified, family that has to protect itself from its enemies or Part II which shows the darker side of the Corleones and the reprehensible yet necessary actions they make to get or remain in power? What in the hell does this have to do with basketball you may ask? If Godfather I is the NCAA, it’s the reason you fell in love with movies (or basketball), if Godfather II is the NBA, it’s not as awe-inspiring as the original but in the end, it’s still the far superior product despite all the times it makes you cringe. As in Godfather Part I or in the NCAA, the Corleones and inspirational, team-oriented defenses can do no wrong in the viewer’s eyes. They’re the underdog, you root for them to take on all comers and win. As in Godfather Part II or the NBA, things aren’t so pretty, Michael has to kill Fredo even though he’s not a threat/teams have to flop and whine about calls to gain an advantage, young Vito goes to Sicily to avenge his family even though the guy’s half-dead/overpaid players that are ghosts on D still play because of their offense.

In the end, though, those gray areas and the overall better quality in the NBA (and Part II) are what makes it better. When the great individual and team defenses step up in the NBA, it’s against the best competition while also dealing with the competitive disadvantage of incompetent refereeing. Last night, I watched the Cavs down 11 in the 4th go on an 18-2 run by trapping D-Wade at mid-court and forcing him to give up the ball to his lesser players, forcing turnovers and getting transition baskets. What the Cavs did to the Heat, they had done to them last week when Artest and Battier shut Lebron down. Also last night, the Hornets beat the Sixers by daring them to shot three’s (which they can’t do) and clogging the lanes on the drive, when the Sixers tried trapping Paul, they had Posey bring it up and have Paul create off screens and then feeding West. These were either in-game adjustments or were quickly fixed with a single timeout. This Saturday, there wasn’t one good game of college ball on because every team decided to play uncoordinated offenses, have unforced turnovers and fumble for rebounds. Some would say those games were defensive battles, I say they were simply sloppy but I’ll be quick to point out when those actually occur in college because they are a thing of beauty, just far too rare. So, in case you’re wondering, I like Part II more. It shows you the real side of the Corleones, dark, murderous and corrupt, but the film itself is cinematic genius a tiny notch above Part I, like the NBA is over the NCAA, that all depends on how you look at it. The sane folk probably checked out of this inane argument two minutes ago.

Update on my fantasy team

2009-03-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm playing fantasy basketball for the first time in my life and it's going pretty well. After not setting a lineup for the first four weeks, I've ridden D-Wade, Brandon Roy, Devin Harris, Tony Parker, Yao, Josh Smith with contributions from Kendrick Perkins, Barbosa and Posey back into the 6th and final playoff spot. Now I know you could care less about my fantasy team but I'm telling you anyway.

Garcia dribbles around, pulls up for a three which misses back iron, gets his own rebound and sets up Jason Thompson under the hoop for 2 free throws. Good.

Doesn't help on defense and his teammate McCants commits a foul. Questionable decision but what do I know.

Garcia drives left off a screen by Jason Thompson who dishes to Spencer Hawes for a dunk. +1 hockey assist for Garcia.

Garcia spots up quickly (he has a kind of split-legged pull-up jumpshot) and nails a long two. Not to be picky because he might actually be really good at this but c'mon, get your feet behind the line.

Garcia blocks from behind and starts a break that ends in Bobby Jackson tossing an alley-oop to Spencer Hawes. (Bobby Jackson follows it up on the next play by saving a long pass through his legs to Spencer Hawes for the dunk, which earns a ("If you don't like that, you don't like Kings basketball!")

Francisco lets Troy Murphy dunk over him. Luckily, that doesn't matter in fantasy. Next possession he helps well on defense and then denies his man well on the inbounds. Finally, he stumbles around a Jeff Foster screen and Marquis Daniels hits a long two. In my opinion, it's more the move by Daniels and less Garcia's bad defense which caused the play.

Kevin Martin doesn't get a pump-fake-jump-into-the-defender move which makes me very happy. I like Kevin Martin and I think he's a very good player but he's a flopper and that is annoying.

Garcia dislocates a finger on his shooting hand and goes
Troy Murphy drives and throws down a sick reverse dunk which the Kings announcer describes as "surprisingly athletic".
Angela Tsai tells us that Garcia has dislocated his right ring finger and his return is questionable. Awesome.

Garcia to the hole, a little out of control but he gets fouled and knocks down two at the line.

Garcia missed a jumpshot

Non- displaced fracture… late injury report

DVR malfunction – skip ahead to 6 minutes in the 4th Kings down 13.

Garcia forces a long two and misses.

McCants (he plays for the Kings, in case you were wondering) makes big plays at both ends of the floor to cut the Pacers lead to 10 but Travis Diener and Jarrett Jack knock down shots prompting garbage time.

2009-03-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Got some randomness for all of you dedicated readers. Thanks to Matt for the contributions.

You can all breathe easy now, Johan Petro has an official website.

Rod Benson is on Twitter (and apparently no longer on Dakota) and he's just dropped Boom Tho Girl 2 on the world. It's good but I'm kind of partial to the original, myself.

Nets vs. Hornets Re-Cap 3/1/09

2009-03-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Guest post by Drew.

Getting to the Izod Center is such a trifle to get to, it’s no wonder the Nets can’t sell the place out or get their home crowd riled enough to get a home record better than 13-15. By the time you deal with the traffic, get anally raped for parking (12 bucks!) and walk there, you’re ready for a stiff drink and a nap. So what’s worse than the trek from the Giants Stadium parking lot in the freezing cold? Getting a call from A&E telling you he overslept and he’s on the way to his bus and still has to get the tickets from his office. I should’ve expected that from the bastard but I digress, it’s his birthday and the tickets aren’t costing me anything. His being late allowed this story to happen:
I’m standing near the will call station and two middle-aged ladies walk by wearing #12 Hornets jerseys. I’m wearing my Standard shirt/jersey and some people are even wearing old school LJ-Charlotte jerseys (Is it cool to wear the jerseys of a departed franchise? I suppose but I don’t think I’ll see any Durant-Sonics jerseys in OKC anytime soon) but really two people both wearing Hilton Armstrong’s jersey? You either have to be his best friend or a direct relative to wear the jersey of a player who’s currently losing minutes to Sean Marks. Eventually, a young man with two kids shows up also wearing Armstrong’s number. I ask if they’re friends with Hilton and the man tells me the one woman is his mother. I say Hilton’s having a good year coming off the bench and I hope they enjoy the game before saying goodbye. Two hours later, I’ll feel bad for Hilton’s Mom because he didn’t touch the floor all game (DNP-Coach’s decision I discover later) .
Now for the actual game. We missed the first quarter but judging by the score, didn’t really miss much. I’ve watched a good amount of both the Nets (cus they’re local) and the Hornets (cus I stalk Chris Paul) and if there’s any one problem with either team, it’s that they never seem to have a definitive game plan. The Hornets are overly reliant on Paul and if things don’t go smoothly or he gets in foul trouble, things hit the breaks and Byron Scott says his big men have been suffering from “fat lady syndrome”. The Nets revolve around VC and Devin Harris, who’s stepped it up a lot this year, but if they aren’t hitting their shots, the rest of the team fails to step up because they’re young.
So the game tended to vary between a bunch of high notes and plenty of low ones. The Hornets dominated, by 13 at one point on a healthy diet of Chandler alley-oops and moving the ball through Stojakovic, West and Butler for the bulk of their offense. But the Hornets floundered and the Nets came back through the 3-point shooting of Jarvis Hayes and VC while Harris made it a point to take on Paul throughout the game, which he did for 26 pts., 14 assts. In the pre-season, Harris claimed that he was in the top 8 of point guards in the league, with Paul clearly at the top, after breaking out this season, he said he’s now in the top 5. I asked A&E if that’s true, who are the other three? I say it’s Williams, Nash and Billups. Despite his love for Nash, A&E says Nash definitely isn’t in the top 5 anymore although he’s still bringing the noise and the funk and Billups neither, but look at the Nuggets and Pistons’ records and tell me he isn’t. We agree Calderon and Rose will probably replace both of them in a year or two, then got distracted by the game and never got back around to it. What about Tony Parker you might say? Well that’s because I don’t respect the French douche, that’s why. In other news, Antonio Daniels is improving as CP’s backup and Sean Marks is my favorite goofy white boy in the NBA right now. He hustles constantly, gets dirty down low, he’s from New Zealand and he’s 34 so he looks like he should be playing in an old man league on Wednesdays in a high-school gym. We haven’t seen a guy like this since Chris Dudley.
Anyway, each team did a great job of trying to not win the game. The Nets employed a lousy zone defense in the fourth which the Hornets missed a lot of open jumpers in but thanks to West crashing the boards and The Standard managing the game well, they overcame their deficit to win the game. The Nets are still a great team to watch and will be even better once their young guys get more comfortable or in Sean Williams’ case, stop being stupid. Lopez, Yi, CDR (hopefully Ryan Anderson) and are all amazing building blocks to put around Harris, it’s all about getting value out of trading VC this summer (just one of many that are sure to move this summer, including AI and Richard Jefferson). The Hornets, meanwhile, pulled out a squeaker but are still in a tight race for the playoffs. If only they’d give Hilton some more minutes!

Splitting the Baby in the Defensive Debate

2009-02-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope this makes John, Drew and company happy since I have been awol from I Am Not a Witness for quite some time now and every time I see John he's yapping in my ear about how I don't care or how easy it would be for me to just throw something together and post it. The fact of the matter is, it is not that easy, but whatever. On to my first post in like, no joke, a year or so...

I'm sure this Obama-esque argument where I try to sound eloquent but don't support either side of the debate in the NBA defense vs. NCAA defense is going to infuriate John, but I really don't care. You have to appreciate both sides of the coin to truly evaluate it.

I don't want to get too long-winded here so I will frame my points about college defense by referencing in this post the college team I most like to watch (the Kansas Jayhawks). In a subsequent post I'll talk about defense within the prism of the the pro team I most like to watch* (the San Antonio Spurs).

* Go ahead, heap piles of shit on me for loving the Spurs, but it's true. I grew up in an area without a regional team, so I developed my own criteria for liking an NBA team: (1) Win frequently (check, titles in '03, '05, '07); (2) Carry at least one ex-Kansas Jayahwk on your team (check, Jacque Vaughn); (3) Play in the better conference(check, not only is the Western conference better, this way you don't have to go through the agony of seeing a team like Milwaukee make the playoffs. Indiana, Milwaukee, Washington, and Charlotte have to be the worst teams to watch in the NBA).

The Defending National Champion Kansas Jayhawks (God, that rolls off the tongue well) are coached by the admittedly defense-first minded Bill Self, so they are a good example with which to reference all that's great and all that's bad about college defense. Coach Self's teams are well-disciplined in half court sets, hedge every ball screen like maniacs, and play in-your face man-to-man on the ball even if the ball is 30 feet away from the basket. When they're on, it's a beautiful thing to watch - team defense like synchronized swimming, forcing turnovers, 35 second calls, etc. Great stuff.

The bad part about it is it rewards less athletic individuals for fitting in to a team concept. Here's what I am talking about:

Brady Morningstar. The face of NCAA defense.

For those of you unfamiliar with Brady Morningstar, let me introduce you. Brady is a 6'3", 187 pound starting guard on the 2009 Kansas basketball team. His father was a forward on the 1974 Kansas team that reached the Final Four, and Brady was not highly recruited after high school so he spent one year working on his game at prep school in New Hampshire, played sparingly his freshman year and redshirted last year. This year, as a redshirt sophomore, he's starting on a ranked Kansas team and playing major minutes. Offensively, he's rather pedestrian. He averages about 7 points per game and can't create his own shot but is nearly a sure bet to hit an open 3 point shot (47% on the year). Defensively, however, he's Kansas' stopper. So much so that the local press makes love to his defensive prowess at least once a week. So much so that he's more likely to make the Big 12 All-Defensive team than sure-fire NBA lottery picks like Blake Griffin of Oklahoma and Damion James of Texas. Brady guards the best non-center player on the opposing team night in and night out and has done a very good job. This year he limited Arizona's Chase Budinger, who NBAdraft.net predicts going #15 to Milwaukee in the 2009 draft, to 5 points on 1-9 field goal shooting and predicted second round pick and scoring machine Dionte Christmas of Temple to 6-14 shooting from the floor. For the season, Brady Morningstar has held the man he matches up against to 32% field goal shooting.

At the college level, Brady Morningstar is a defensive master. But his success stems entirely from Bill Self's concept of team defense and Brady's impeccable knowledge of how to contribute around more talented players rather than his athleticism (which compared to NBA players is nearly non-existent). Brady understands sets well and knows when to help on the weak side. He fights through screens and guards his man from the belly-button. For the old school "we love Hoosiers" crowd, Brady Morningstar is all that is right with college basketball.

On one level it’s commendable that he is able to do so much with so little physical prowess. But really, for all his success, Brady Morningstar has got to be the least dynamic player on the Kansas team. He screams, in college basketball's 'Steve Wojechiewski/Khalid El-Amin/Teddy Dupay/Kevin Pittsnogle/Gerry McNamara/Mateen Cleaves/Patrick Sparks/Travis Ford/believe me I can go on forever' jargon, “insert a non-descript looking, unathletic guy with a high basketball IQ into the lineup and we win the conference”.** All those guys were/are considered good college defenders. But none of them found success or will find success in the NBA. Don’t get me wrong. That's part of what makes college basketball defense interesting. The guy who looks like an average Joe, if he knows a system well and has his weaknesses covered by more talented players around him, can be successful and reign in all the glories of being a big-time college athlete.

** Someday NBA GMs will wise-up and realize that Steve Blake belongs in this category and should not be on an NBA roster, much less your starting point guard.

But at some point, you have to yawn. None of those players hold a candle to NBA talent. They’re like the Mormons of basketball– completely resigned to their role and fitting in, well-run, and flat-out boring. Regardless of your qualms about NBA defense, can they rebound like Dennis Rodman? Can they block shots and body up anyone from a point to a center like LeBron? Can they be such defensive pests for 40+ minutes that they become reviled like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest? Can they pick-pocket seemingly at will when they feel like it like Allen Iverson? No, no, no, no, and an emphatic no. Quite simply, there's no place in the NBA for the Brady Morningstars of the world, and the NBA is all the better for it.

A(nother) Defense of NCAA Defense

2009-01-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

This comes from my buddy John. John was never a basketball superstar but I once watched him make (arguably) the best player in our 7th-8th grade league cry from hounding him all over the court. I'm sure this is, and will always be, the greatest basketball moment of this life. So here he is...

As a long-time reader, first time guest-blogger (this was the first topic that I truly formed an opinion about), I must preface this by saying that I was that kid that wasn't all that great offensively, but tried really hard and played good defense and rebounded. With that said, I don't see how you can even possibly attempt to say that NBA defense is as good as college defense.

I grew up a huge NBA fan (Drew, remember when Bill Wennington dunked on the Knicks for the win in the first match-up after Jordan returned), but with all the ridiculous sums of money that these guys were getting, and then the strike shortened season, it lost a little luster for me. I've slowly tried to get back into things, but every time I attempt to watch an NBA game, guys just get torched off the dribble, or wide open guys on the low block are getting lobs thrown their way. I can't take it anymore. I would rather see John Chaney send in one of his goons to take someone out every play, than watch wide open dunks and lay-ups all night long because of this Roger Dorn 'Ole style defense.

Watching a team run a 1-3-1 trap as soon as the ball comes across half court is a thing of beauty to me. I can still remember Rick Pitino's Cardiac Cats from the early to mid 90s that went 11-12 men deep because they did a 1-3-1 full court trapping defense almost exclusively. Nolan Richardson's 40 minutes of hell was one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

I like the fact that kid's that were told all of their lives that they weren't good enough, or athletic enough are out there giving it their all on every single play in a zone defense, because yes, if they were 1-on-1, they'd probably get beat. Watching a 6' nothing, 100 and nothing kid step in on a fast break to take a charge from a streaking down the court big man will always be more entertaining than watching flops galore (only in the NBA can Chris Paul drive the lane, jump stop, and dish, but yet somehow knock over the 7', 300 pound center). And why would someone be willing to step in and have that type of pain inflicted upon themselves? They've got pride in not only who they are, but the name of that college or university across their chest. They aren't getting paid $20,000/minute to be there, but that's not going to stop them from playing hard nosed defense with every step they take.

I'd rather watch a 47-46 defensive battle (last night between Dayton and St. Louis), than a 95-75 Bulls game any day of the week.

But what do I know, I just make kids cry with my in your face defensive intensity up and down the court.

Defense in College Basketball

2009-01-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

Chris strikes back for the college boys in his defense of NCAA defense.

Let's get this out of the way before we start: everyone knows that, day in and day out, NCAA defenders are hustling twice as hard as their NBA counterparts. This is a fact that both sides of the argument will concede. Yet, NBA fan boys will try to distract you with tales of Rodman facing up with Jordan in the 80s or how good Kobe can be when he actually decides to try on defense. But, at the end of the day, impressive as the performances behind these tales are, they are just that: tales, anecdotes of an uncharacteristically high level of play which are as scarce on the court as Marbury in the Knicks locker room.

But setting the tired "hustle" argument aside, there are more reasons why NCAA defense is better to watch than NBA. The claim made previously is true: it is rare to see a match up between two players who have "learned all of the nuances of professional basketball" in the NCAA. Which is exactly why I like it. The formula for effective scoring in the NBA is simple - beat your man, and either pull up for a jumper or get to the rack. Effective NBA defense is the just the balance of the equation - stop your man... and hope like hell your teammates are doing the same. The so-called "nuances of professional basketball" could be learned playing one-on-one. The college game emphasizes help defense and rewards teamwork and strategy. I'm not trying to say this always works out well - just look at Loyola-Maryland's fated "triangle and two" against Davidson and Steph Curry for evidence - but when it does, the precise coordination of five players acting in symphony is beautiful to watch. How often does an entire NBA arena rise to its feet in support of a defensive stand? The fact of the matter is this actually happens during the first half of regular season games in Durham and East Lansing. Seriously. Sure the student section has something to do with it, but it's also indicative of the attitude towards the game at the college level: either live as a team, or die, as individuals.*

*Coach Tony D'Amato, Any Given Sunday, 1999

In defense of NBA defense

2009-01-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

An unedited testimonial by Neil.

- i used to be on the college side of this argument, but in the last few years i've seen the light. i think the biggest issue here is the talent gap between college and the pros-- nobody doubts that it exists, but just about everyone hugely underestimates the magnitude. its easy to see lebron/kobe/chris paul take over a game and say "look how easy that basket was, they're not even trying to d him up" but the truth is, those guys are that good. parity on the college level makes it such that hustle/intensity can take advantage of offensive inadequacy, often to the point where it can decide a game. so yes, to some extent you might see college players look like they're playing harder on d, but only because the likelihood that it will force mistakes by the opposition is that much higher. i think another big factor here is the lack of meaningful defensive stats (which is an even bigger problem in baseball, led to the rise of sabermetrics). while steals might look good in the stat column, they don't mean all that much-- if you grab 3 steals in a quarter its great, but if u give up 4 baskets in that quarter trying to jump passing lanes, are you really helping your team? good defense often results in little more than adding a degree of difficulty to your opponents shot, and in the nba, a lot of guys are so good that most of the time it won't matter-- they'll score anyway, and the average fan won't realize how tough a shot they made. but if you don't make that shot tough, kobe will shoot 75% from the field.

NCAA vs. NBA: Defense

2009-01-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

By me. Yes, I really do believe that NBA defense is better.

Most college proponents will immediately tell you that defense is the main flaw of the professional game but this could not be farther from the truth. “No one tries on defense in the NBA… the college kids actually care,” complain college proponents. Don’t get me wrong… the lack of defensive effort in the NBA – especially early in the season – can be appalling. That said, without getting into how some guys don’t try in college either or how the NBA has more skilled shot blockers, the defense in the NBA is better because while it is sometimes lackadaisical, it can also be one of the most beautiful spectacles in basketball. In college, a truly great defender and an equally skilled offensive player rarely match up, and when they do, you are looking at two players who are still years from learning all the nuances of professional basketball. On the other hand, in the NBA, you can routinely catch the best defenders in the world plying their trade against the best scorers in the world. I’d rather watch an NBA game where a team’s main offensive weapon is being guarded by Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Raja Bell, Kobe (when he’s made up his mind to stop someone good), Bruce Bowen (not so much anymore) or Shane Battier than a college game where the best scorers can be bogged down by collapsing zones. I love watching these guys harass pretty boy scorers and chase them around screens and then close out hard on their jump shots. If you like players who hustle on every play and can’t dribble well enough to break any zone thrown at them then why not just watch the WNBA? If you want to see the best perimeter defender in the world, watch Ron Artest. We’re raising a generation of kids to think that “good defense” is taking charges under the hoop and seamlessly switching between 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones, and the best way to learn defense is to practice sliding back and forth. The truth is that actual good defense is about relentlessness, subtle technique, and simply wanting it more than the next guy. I’d rather watch one guy play world-class defense than watch 5 guys hustle.

But let’s get into more details since not everyone is as excited about perimeter defense as me. I do believe there’s a time and a place for everything – including zone defense – and that is college. (Zones should be banned below – and arguably even in – high school for teaching purposes.) Zones introduce a nice element of strategy to the game and it’s interesting to see coaches utilize them (even if they do tend to shackle low post talent… but we’ll get into that later when discussing offense). Overall, though, zone defense makes it easier to inferior teams to bog down brilliant offensive talent and it leads to an overabundance of three-pointers – even more so because the three-point line is too close in college. Even if they banned zones in college, I’d prefer watching NBA defense as a whole. Granted some NBA teams might play porous defense at times but the best teams in the league play the best team defense you will ever see. Kevin Garnett blocks shots, defends in the post and on the perimeter, hedges pick-and-rolls to perfection, and generally motivates his teammates to play harder. Watching Boston’s (or Lakers/Cavs) team defense, in my opinion, is superior to watching anything in college and it’s even more impressive when you take into account illegal defense, the charge circle (which college should adopt), and better players.

NCAA vs. NBA: The Great Debate

2009-01-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

Don’t get me wrong, March Madness is my favorite tournament in all of sports. From the initial 32 game frenzy to the timeless “One Shining Moment”, the tournament simply has it all. Tournament aside, college basketball players try harder over the course of the season and the atmosphere at your average college game puts an NBA game to shame. And yet, I’d rather watch Wizards-Grizzlies than a random match-up of two top 25 NCAA teams. Many would call it hoops blasphemy but I think the NBA is vastly superior. Therefore, over the course of the next week, we here at IAmNotAWitness, are going to argue for the sake of arguing over which version of Naismith's incredible game is better. We're going to break it down by topic. My buddy Chris will be the main proponent of NCAA ball and I'll take the NBA but, as always, reader submissions/testimonials are welcome. The first topic is defense and should be posted shortly.

Are The Cavs For Real?

2009-01-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

By Drew.

I know what you're thinking, that can't be a serious question right? This isn't an NBA Blog for toddlers, is it? They have the second-best record in the league, are undefeated at home and their star player has been the favorite for MVP since week one, of course they're for real but the real point is despite their amazing season so far, are they good enough to win the championship? A few weeks ago, it would've been easy to say possibly but not with the way the Celts were playing. The Celts have stumbled a bit but rest assured they will regain their footing, the Magic are playing with a chip on their shoulders, D-Ho continues to improve and their guards have stepped up dramatically but the Cavs surprisingly, are still the team to beat for the Eastern Conference. LBJ's been more than impressive over the past couple of seasons but there was always a resilient, consistent fire missing from his game so that even when he was dazzling everybody, you were still kind of upset because you knew he wasn't at his apex yet. This season is merely the beginning of his apex and luckily the rest of his team is gelling around him at the right time. The missing pieces in that puzzle were the addition of Mo Williams and as Avery Johnson would put it: Team Defense. All Lebron needed the past couple of seasons to put the Cavs over the hump was a reliable second fiddle, not even a Scottie Pippen, but a player that could lead the team and keep hitting shots whenever Lebron wasn't. Mo Williams shoots a decent percentage in all categories and consistently. Combine that with Delonte West's reliable PG/SG skills, Brazilian Sideshow Bob & black Sideshow Bob's defense, the shooting of Sasha Pavlovic and Booby Gibson and the eventual return of aging but solid big man Z. Ilgauskas and you have a team primed for a run in June. Of course, they'd probably be mediocre bums without Lebron but with him on the tear, they've been lights-out all season. That's especially true, considering they're undefeated at home, averaging around a hundred points there and close to that on the road while also holding opponents to a league-best eighty-nine points a game. That’s why Lebron’s the complete package, he’s got the defensive acumen of MJ with the blocking ability of Wilt and the court vision and passing of Pistol Pete and Magic and on the drive, well, no one’s like Lebron on the drive (just imagine if he develops a consistent mid-range jumper). When LBJ watched the Celts win their rings on stifling defense and then he won gold in Beijing with the same mindset, you know he realized good Cavs defense with him leading the fast break and enough good shooters running with him, he'd have an unstoppable team. Or maybe he didn't, maybe things are finally coalescing at the right time for these Cavs, chemistry is everything when it comes to championship teams. Considering they only made the Finals a few years ago with Lebron playing out of his mind and the rest of his team on his back, they’ll be hard to beat now that he’s got players around him (granted Detroit was the only decent East team that year but still). Will they win the East? I say yes. If they face anyone other than the Lakers in the Finals then Lebron and the city of Cleveland will have reached the promised land and deservedly so, they’ve been in the dregs for too long now. And if they lose to the Lakers, it’ll still be one of the most entertaining one-on-one Finals matchups in far too long and the best team matchup since, well, last year.

Random Thoughts

2009-01-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

By Drew

-The Standard goes off for his fourth triple-double of the season, the Lakers and Spurs go head to head in an intense, well-played shootout to go along with a handful of other great NBA games. I can’t wait for the lead story on Sportscenter to be about the AFC/NFC Championship games, Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress’s court trial or the Dodgers signing Derek Lowe.

-Speaking of the NFL, who even cares about the conference championship games, let alone the Super Bowl at this point? Nothing but duds aside from the Steelers while we’re in the heat of an amazing season where records are being broke every night and even mediocre teams are entertaining to watch, along with a college season being absolutely dominated by the Big East. Play’s not that good a quality most times but the rivalries are fun and it’s always good to do some March Madness research (it is a religious holiday). Don’t take my word for it (I usually don’t get behind the Big East) in the tourney but this year, they could easily make up half the sweet sixteen.

-Lakers-Spurs: amazing game, particularly a gritty Lakers comeback in the fourth, but who the hell do you even root for in a game where you vehemently despise both teams? You root for God to bring on a natural disaster, that’s what. It’s like when someone asks who I want to win Duke-UNC, I tell them I’d like it if Gary Williams strafed both teams with an AK-47. Go Terps!

-The Quad-Laser, er, Double, I mean. I know I’m spoiled and all with The Standard and King James going off for double-doubles on the regular (and don’t forget D-Ho) along with the occasional triple-double but Chris was three steals away from the elusive Quadruple-Double tonight and the way Lebron is piling up blocks along with everything else this season, we could someday be telling our young ones about Lebron’s Quintuple-Double. Unlikely but hey, a kid can dream.

-Spurs just won, continually proving the point that no matter how boring they are and how bad you want them to be, NEVER EVER EVER count San Antonio out, especially if Parker and Ginobli are injured early in the season cus that’ll just make them better when they come back!!! There’s your reason to root for the Celtics to make it to the Finals because if the Spurs make it through the West with their combination of finesse, cheating, flopping, whining to the refs and y’know being really, really good, the Celts are the best team to handle that onslaught, plus it could result in Garnett killing Duncan in cold blood after he hits his first three of year in overtime. That’s worth the price of admission!

-I’d like to feel happy for the NotSeattles getting a couple of wins lately but really, you don’t even deserve the bad team that you have, I can’t wait for Kevin Durant to leave and sign with a contender or join the new Sonics (formerly the Charlotte Bobcats or Memphis Grizzlies) out of spite. I’ve never even been to Seattle, I just have standards!

Press Notes...

2009-01-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

... some intern spends a lot of time putting them together, so why don't the announcers try and use them? Props to Matt for ranting this article to me over my shoulder.

Ok, Rockets-Lakers game last night and Von Wafer is tearing it up. Now he's been tearing it up all week to the point where he got nominated for player of the week in the conference but apparently the announcer (not sure who it was) hasn't been paying attention because he says "Kobe must be wondering who this Von Wafer guy is". Um, Von Wafer played on the Lakers and was Kobe's teammate in 05-06. Reliable sources say Kobe even came to visit Wafer in the locker room during last year's All-Star game. C'mon, at least pretend you do some research. If I hear another announcer ask something like "Who the heck is this Blake Ahearn guy?" I'm going to flip out... and blog about it.

Jose Calderon FT Watch
Jose's 76-76 on the year and he's caused thousands of Spanish fans to overlook Toronto's dismal start.

4th dunker?
The NBA is letting YOU choose the 4th dunker for the dunk contest this year. Who's going to win? I have no idea but it should be Joe Alexander. Rudy is a game-only alley-oop dunker and Westbrook has hops but he's a little guy (and he has no shot to win this thing with Spain behind Rudy and China behind Joe). Alexander can hit his head on the rim and he's 6'8. A generation of white guys with above-average-ups is growing up without a role model because they never knew Brent Barry. Do them a favor and vote for Joe Alexander and save the entire Caucasian population the embarrassment of another Chris Anderson-esque performance.

Mr. Underrated.

2009-01-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Get rid of the most improved player award and replace it with Mr. Underrated. The MIP award is so random and it requires you to judge how bad a player was last year. Either way it’s a backhanded compliment. Mr. Underrated – entirely invented by my imagination - is determined by a complex formula of fan, player, coach and stat geek voting along with jersey sales, sponsorships, etc. All the data would be sent to a special committee (or maybe just one guy?) which would compile it and come up with Mr. Underrated. The catch is that no one knows who Mr. Underrated is until the title changes hands. Then the old Mr. Underrated is announced and awarded with some memento as well as the dubious distinction of now being officially “so underrated he’s overrated”. Hypothetically, Shawn Marion has won this award at least twice. The current Mr. Underrated is Danny Granger who barely edged out David West after he made the All-Star game last season.

The worst starter in the League?

2009-01-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

Yes Candace Parker is pregnant. I still think she's going to come back as the best player in the League. I almost hope she loses a few inches off her vertical though so people will be forced to actually watch her dominate all facets of the game rather than just gushing over her dunks.

In other news, I proposed Joel Anthony as the worst starter in the NBA and my boy, NBA aficionado Drew, had this to say about it. It's unedited so some of it might be a bit PG-13 but the enthusiasm is commendable. So without further ado...

"Joel Anthony defintely deserves to be on that list and I'm assuming Oberto was injured but I'd still take the corpse of Oberto over Matt Bonner now the question here is do injuries factor into whether said shitty player is starting or does it have to be the only or best option on the team and that guy has to start on a regular basis. A quick scan of the league's starting fives gave me such gems as Mikki Moore for the Kings, Robert Swift for the Thunder, Andray Blatche for the Wiz (but Haywood's injured) and a couple of others but none of them will ever touch the lucky gutter rat that was Jason Collins. My pick over Q would have to be Greg Oden (that's another thing, do rookies that will eventually be good count there), I watch a lot of Blazers games online and he's just an absolute waste of space out there 90 percent of the time, doesn't box out on defense or for that matter even know what the hell's he doing and is even worse on offense especially since the rest of the team suffers so he can get his touches while LaMarcus Aldridge sits there questioning his self-worth as well as a society that sucks Oden off for the 10 percent of the time he doesn't suck ass while he's awesome and only at the cusp of his greatness. But I digress, eventually he fouls out after being schooled for awhile and the Blazers go back to playing with 5 guys. I realize he's gonna be good soon enough hopefully or a huge bust, but there's no need to start him, I think ESPN ceos and David Stern have dirt on McMillan, forcing him to start so they can over-cover his 2 pts. 3 blks. when rookie Rudy Fernandez has scored 25 pts to win the game (sigh, shutter)."

Candace Parker Pregnant

2009-01-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Is Candace Parker pregnant? I have no idea but a Russian basketball site (via Google translation) is saying that CP3 "intends to acquire a child". If this is true, congrats to Candace and Sheldon... but shouldn't someone have told her to, you know, hold off on the whole kids thing until she saves the WNBA?

Around the L

2008-12-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

NBA TV
I don't get it. I live in New York City. Are you serious? So I miss all the good games and 24 hours of LeBron? RCN is the worst.

LeBron
I don't get LeBron's commercials. The one where his boy's car gets broken into? Weird. Even the one where he throws the chalk in the air... as cool as it is, isn't that annoying to everyone in a 10-foot radius?

Hotlanta
On ESPN's NBA Fastbreak, Mash calls out Atlanta for being a tough place to play, not so much because of the crowd but because of the nightlife. Atlanta is all strip clubs. Wonder if any Celtics were out at the clubs last year when they were up 2-0?

The IZOD Center
The Nets are 6-12 at home and 10-6 on the road. I knew the IZOD center was bad but I didn't realize how much it could affect the team. Don't get me wrong, I go to a decent amount of Nets games and I have an absolute blast. That said, the Nets game experience leaves much to be desired. Driving into and out of the Meadowlands is absurdly complicated and public transportation to the arena amounts to one bus from NYC Port Authority. The arena experience wouldn't be half bad except for the occasionally awkward contest segment and the scoreboards at opposite ends of the arena.*** Finally, for whatever reason, the Nets fans obviously care more about beating the traffic than watching the Nets possibly come back. I've seen fans stream out of the arena with the Nets down 1 and the other team on the line. So I don't know exactly what it is but maybe all this combines into an atmosphere so demoralizing that it severely affects the team.

***These scoreboards display the numbers of the players in the game at the time as well as the number of fouls and points each player had. It roughly looks like this.

Player #	Fouls	Points	\|	Fouls	Points	Player #
15	1	21	\|	0	12	33
34	0	11	\|	2	15	23

They could have done it symmetrically or they could have done it the same way across. Basically, they decided to go with the only way that doesn't make sense. I don't get it and it bothers me way too much.

Post-Christmas, Pre-New Year’s Thoughts on 2008

2008-12-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

The Things I’m Thankful For:
Chris Paul- I’ve covered this enough already but here’s one more reason why he rules: he breaks obscure 30 year old records that will probably not be broken for another 30. Now if he could just give the rest of the Hornets a kick in the pants.

Doris Burke, Craig Sager & Co.- All sideline reporters are really annoying and offer nothing pertinent to the ongoing game and some coaches don’t even bother masking their disdain for your presence and idiotic questions. Play-by-play commentators are not as pointless but the majority of them fail horrifically at their stated job of in-game analysis. That being said, there’s a small class of people who either provide excellent color commentary that the average viewer enjoys or are just pure comic relief on the sideline. On the latter, Craig Sager is the lone example. He dresses like a schizophrenic hippie on a head full of acid, talks like Fred Willard in Best in Show and is openly mocked and respected all at once by every NBA player. When he covered the baseball playoffs this fall and was wearing an uninspiring TBS logo polo, he just didn’t have that pep. Sager’s just not the same if he’s not wearing a purple pin-stripe suit, with a pink tie and neon green shirt while being reamed by Kevin Garnett. As for the former, Doris Burke is also in a class of her own for being the only female talent in the NBA who actually knows what she’s talking about (I don’t care if it’s sexist, it’s also true). She’s not pretty or perky but she’s got a great basketball IQ and when she calls out the play being run before you even see it happen, do you really need Erin Andrews yapping about nothing? Burke’s a part of the small class of commentators that don’t defend the refs, admire a showboater’s hustle or comment on great timeouts, which includes Walt Frazier (sure he’s biased for the Knicks but the man’s a legend who knows what he’s talking about), Jeff Van Gundy & Marc Jackson (when they’re solo or not acting like they’re best friends), and Ian Eagle & Jim Spanarkel for the Nets isn’t too bad either but after that, you’re better off watching most games with the sound off, not half as inept as the NFL’s announcers though.

Conference Parity- That’s not to say the East has gotten as good as the West but that the West merely has about the same amount of mediocre teams on its side nowadays along with plenty of good ones as well. The Celtics & Cavs are taking on all comers, Orlando & Atlanta won’t contend for a title but could beat a title contender, Detroit’s still a conference leader, and a handful of others are at least moving in the right direction and entertaining. The West is still crowded at the top with more teams attempting to join the fray (Portland & Denver come to mind) but thanks to the efforts of the Kings, Grizz, Clippers, Wolves and Thunder, there’s still plenty of bottom-feeders around to drag the conference down from the elite pedestal most hyperbolic commentators are so apt to put them on.

An Outstanding Rookie Class- Sadly, Danillo Gallinari isn’t the reason this made this made the list, thankfully players like OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, Rudy Fernandez, Marc Gasol, DJ Augustin, Sergio Rodriguez and Brook Lopez have stepped up in his absence. Those guys are the ones that are already making an impact and the list from there goes on with others who will be making an impact in the next couple of years. There’s even undrafted surprises like Anthony Morrow getting their points right now (along with other faves Love, Chalmers, Westbrook, Thompson & Anderson). And guys like Fernandez, Gasol and Rodriguez represent an improved trend in drafting European players that have actually proven themselves over guys just with the potential to be great (Danny G, I’m looking at you!). And I know what you’re thinking but Greg Oden doesn’t make this list because he shouldn’t be considered a rookie and his development time is killing the Blazers right now, it’s like they’re playing with four guys once the opposing coaches realize he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Airing of Grievances:
League Pass Broadband- Minor complaints here since the league pass service overall is pretty awesome, particularly being able to watch three games at once, but I actually enjoyed watching local TV markets’ commercials last year instead of the same NBA and Clone Wars ads repeatedly to the point where I know them word for word and could quite possibly even play the piano tune that accompanies the NBA “where fill in the blank happens” ads although I’ve never played the piano. Also, I can watch any Grizzlies or Kings games but practically no Hornets or Rockets games, what up with that? I get that there will be a few blackout games now and again but for the money I paid, you gotta hook it up a little better.

An Open Letter to Sportscenter- You guys have a monopoly on the market but you’re letting it get to your heads a little bit. If Sportscenter isn’t on, we’ve got ESPNnews, if there’s anything worth getting, you’re the people to usually get it from a large majority of the time. Yet instead of sticking with what got you there, you’re more concerned with analyzing what hasn’t happened yet, promoting your own games and inhibiting horrible athletes to act out and get their own glorification. On a night when there’s only three NBA games, an NFL game and some NHL action, all I want to see for a solid half-hour at least is comprehensive highlights of all of those games, not dissecting Greg Oden’s 2 points and 3 blocks over the rest of a great game, no analysis of the baseball free-agent market when there’s no signings to be had, no BCS controversy BS, and last but not least, no over-hyped NFL news! I understand the fun of sports is talking about what could happen in certain games, who’s great, who’s overrated, who’s getting screwed, possible trades and everything else but when it comes down to it, that’s primarily for the fans, not for the content-providers. I don’t need Bill Walton & John Clayton telling me their playoff contenders when there’s highlights of actual games that have actually been played for viewers to enjoy. It’s crap like that that eventually leads to the unneeded drama around T.O., Brett Favre & Plaxico Burress. It basically turns you into the MTV of sports, you’re not even covering what your stated goal is. In short, nothing wrong with a little extra analysis but people that like sports would prefer a little more highlight action.

PS – that show on ESPN2 where guys play Madden against one another, it’s pointless and idiotic, along with a lot of other random shows, please cancel those for just a show of recent game highlights from the past 48 hours. People at bars for happy hour will appreciate it and you’ll save money.

The Kid is Back

2008-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's right... I'm back in the game. I must confess that up until about a week ago my NBA viewing was relegated to the Knicks, Nets, and whichever teams were playing on TNT/ESPN. Pathetic... I know. But that all changed when I finally re-upped on League Pass and dove headfirst into the League. Without further ado, notes from around the league...

Saw Adam Morrison throw a nice assist against the Hawks so I've upgraded him from "The Worst Player Not Named Jason Collins" to "Might Be Able to Contribute on a Euro Team Someday". Speaking of the Bobcats, DJ Augustin has serious game which is good because Raymond Felton wasn't cutting it at the point for Charlotte. During the Hawks game he air-balled a floater short from about 8 feet which the announcer mercilessly described as a pass. And speaking of announcers....

I can't decide how I feel about the biased announcer. I can see the benefits to having a pro-home team announcer in the booth for the local TV station but it seems like very few guys can pull that off without coming off as either biased or stupid. Maybe I'm spoiled from years of Marv Albert being the consummate professional but why can't more guys be like him? He calls it like it is and he gets excited for nice plays... regardless of which team makes them. (Let this be a lesson to us all... sexual deviancy and professional competence often go hand-in-hand.) It just annoys me when announcers clearly favor one team over another to the detriment of my viewing experience. Swirsky, Mike&Mike up in Portland, Tommy Heinsohn... you can have them all. Call me overcritical but I'm just a fan of objectivity.

Crossover of the Day - Derrick Rose drops Andre Miller... straight nasty.

Blatant, Half-Cocked Rant: 12/2/08 - Knicks v. Blazers

2008-12-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

by Drew Ludeke.

I’m early, my sister’s running late so while we’re missing the tip-off, I enjoy some time with the local scalpers. I don’t know if anyone’s done a comprehensive portrayal of ticket scalpers, preferably New York ones, but it’s worth exploring and certainly not as romanticized a life as the Andy Garcia film Just The Ticket. A New York ticket scalper wears many hats all at once. They are boisterous corner touts with the business acumen of a sharp-tongued used-car salesmen always looking for a deal or ready to drop it when the money’s not there. Their product is both elastic and inelastic all at once, depending on how quickly they can do their business before a competitor steals it from them. There’s also the complete opposite reaction, when a buyer/seller gets uneasy about dealing with the illegal middleman and is stubborn with his asking price. I ask the one nearest me how well he does on an average basis. He shrugs, saying most nights pretty well except lately no one wants to see the Knicks but the Rangers always pay well. As for the Knicks, I say wait a few years. A few moments later, he and his business associates abruptly educate a man who wants to sell two half-decent tickets for a C-note each by leaving him by his lonesome.

Regan makes it in, we make it up to the 4th level seats I know all too well. She has to pee, I need a beer. Meeting back at our seats later, I notice two girls to our right, one in a Nate jersey, the other in a Crawford one. I admire both’s commitment to the team but as for the latter, do you still get to wear that anymore? It’s Jamal Crawford, not Walt Frazier or Patrick Ewing. Either way, it doesn’t matter more than the game which the Knicks are surprisingly winning. Rudy Fernandez subs in for Steve Blake and a good portion of the crowd in my immediate area go crazy with chants of “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!”, some frantically wave Spanish flags. Regan loves basketball but the Knicks have sucked far too long for her to keep an active interest in the NBA so I have to explain to her how Rudy’s a much bigger deal than Greg Oden, dunked on D-Ho at the Olympics and he’s damned entertaining to watch. Finally, I’m elated by the quality of Eurotrash frequenting MSG tonight. The past two years, with cheap seats and a cheap dollar, practically 2 out of 5 people at the Garden (I made that stat up) were dirty Eurotrash who had no interest in the game except for taking pictures of themselves and wearing non-Bulls Jordan jerseys. It was sickening. These people can root for a great opposing player at the Garden, at least they know their shit although it’s got to make Sergio Rodriguez cry a little inside. Regan would prefer the ignorant Eurotrash.

Regan’s a Terp and a Knicks fan and like me, has a strange sense of humor, so every time Maryland alum Steve Blake’s in the game, her comments range from “Go Terps!” (after he makes a three) to “Blake, you’re a hick and you suck, get out of the game.” First-Second quarter break: the Knicks City Dancers come out in bright orange jumpers to do some sort of sexy-ass dancing and jitterbugging. I’m shocked they’re doing a new dance for once. After a couple of games last year, I could’ve done a half-assed rendition of their dance to “Start Me Up” by the Stones. Sad, but true. You notice these things after a couple of blowouts in the Isiah Era. I tell the girl next to me she needs a new jersey, which leads to a conversation with Regan about Starbury’s demise. She feels bad his Knicks career is ending like this and wishes he wasn’t treated so badly. Like I said, she doesn’t follow the NBA that religiously. I go over Starbury’s career, mainly truck parties, while observing the Knicks maintain their lead through poor Blazers shooting and Tim Thomas 3s.

Observation: Oden’s been getting his minutes and touches at the cost of the rest of his team but Nate McMillan is doing it wisely. Like everyone else, I want Oden to be good and he probably will be, not greatest big man of all time good but he isn’t going to be a bust on the level of Michael Olowakandi either. Thing is, right now, half the time the Blazers are playing man plus 1 with him out there: Oden guards the paint, don’t expect him to mind a man. Offensively, he also hangs around the paint but there’s always enough shooters on the floor with him to give him room to play on the post. He’s only getting 25 minutes max, you’ll never see him and Pryzbilla on the same floor and thankfully, Aldridge is versatile enough to play around him. It all depends on how the team adjusts as his minutes increase.

Knicks are up at the half. Halftime analysis is never that entertaining, why don’t we ever get to see what the crowd gets to see? Dancing seniors, contortionists, tram-mapolining dunkers, this is what America wants in a halftime show, fuck Barkley! But then there’s the off nights when three teenage girls competing for a spot on Kidz Bopz (I don’t even know what that is) butcher some pop songs. First girl sings an off-key, off-cue rendition of Avril Lavigne’s “Skater Boy”. You think it’ll be short and easy verse but she actually sings the entire thing! Next song to be performed is “Love Song”, accompanied by piano. I didn’t know who actually sang that and I quickly forget but points for a quality performance. I tell the Crawford jersey girl next to me she should get a replacement David Lee jersey, to which she replies she’s not that big of a David Lee fan. I come out of my blackout to hear a rousing rendition of the third contestant’s song: Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain Enough”. Brutalized in feel-good movies but always a crowd pleaser, she knocks it out of the park, clearly winning as I struggle to comprehend how anyone could ever not be a David Lee fan. Do you not like Charles Oakley’s brutality or Anthony Mason’s skyline haircut either? Kids today!? But I digress.

Long story short: The Knicks were easily handling a dismal opponent until the Blazers began to turn it around late in the third and early in the fourth. The Knicks hung around with some threes here and there but they died out in the end.

Other thoughts: Win or loss, courtside or nosebleed, every seat in the Garden gives you a great view of the action (I’ve never sat close to courtside so I’m merely assuming, they might suck). Speaking of jerseys to buy, the rest of this Knicks team other than Lee, Robinson and Chandler is gone in two years or so so don’t go wasting any money on your Cuttino Mobley jersey anytime soon just to give me an aneurysm at my next game. You want a real diehard pick? Chris Duhon: It’s a no. 1 so that’s clearly classy and given how the former Bulls third-stringer is performing so far this year, it shows you’re a real fan if he’s still with the team after 2010 (still up in the air but it could happen).

Regan and I headed out and despite the loss, she wants to go see more games this season. I’m always down but even more so, I want to enjoy this half-decent, entertaining team as much as I can. No matter who we get in two years, ticket prices for some mid-court nosebleed seats will go up rather quickly. Sometimes, it’s better to afford the price of enjoying your team sucking rather than getting fleeced for watching it triumph. Maybe I’m just a cheap, sadistic bastard.
And also, if you’ve had more than four beers and are taking a bus ride home, don’t go to the 24 hr. White Castle on 38th and 8th. It’s like paying for porn, you enjoy it at first but you spend the rest of the night regretting it.

Trade of the Day

2008-11-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

DZ brings his trade of the day. I bring the redundant comments.

POR sends Joel Przybilla ($6.3M, 6.9M, 7.4M) to LAL
LAL sends Vladimir Radmanovic ($6.0M, 6.5M, 6.9M player option) to POR

Once the Trail Blazers become comfortable with making Greg Oden the starter with extended minutes, Przybilla becomes expendable. Vladimir gives the Blazers another sharpshooter. The contract obligations are virtually a wash.

It is safe to say that the Lakers are far-and-away the most deep team in the league. While still the starter, Radmonovic averages no more than 20 minutes a game. He is expendable and frequently receives Phil Jackson's Zen rath. Przybilla gives the Lakers another big body during the playoffs, where the game slows down and becomes much more defensive-minded. Przybilla provides the Lakers with insurance if Bynum or Gasol have foul trouble when they face Duncan, Amare, or even KG in the playoffs. - DZ

Ok so I have to admit that this trade excited me about as much as a WNBA 3rd quarter 3-point buzzer beater making the Top 10 Plays of the Week... or, for those who don't suffer through my Top 10 recaps, not at all. But then, enlightened by the wisdom of trade guru DZ, I saw the light. Portland is good but they aren't making run at a title this year. Przybilla is somewhere between "solid" and "easily replaceable" and with the young talent the Blazers have (I'm thinking Outlaw, Webster, Bayless and Batum) they should be able to make the playoffs this year even without much front court depth (and they aren't making a run deep in the playoffs even with front court depth) AND they should be able to acquire some help in the middle to back up Oden next year. As DZ points out, the Lakers are so stacked that they won't miss VladRad but they might need Przybilla's fouls come playoff time. So who vetoes this trade? I really don't know but feel free to point it out in the comments.

Plays of the Week 11/24/2008

2008-11-24T14:28:00.001-08:00

Plays of the Week

Ok, enough messing around with daily top 10s... we are going straight for the good stuff. I present to you the plays of the week - live blogged (i.e. I blog'em as I watch'em for the first time).

10 - D-wade soars baseline for the monster one-hander. Not a bad start.

9 - Nice little double cross by Nate Robinson which he finishes with the floater. The announcers declares that this reminds him of everyone's favorite homophobe (who now "gets" gay people) Timmy Hardaway and his UTEP two-step but I don't know. It actually reminds me of a combination of Iverson vs. Daniels (with the double cross) and Jason Williams vs. Gary Paton with the split leg floater finish. But maybe I just watch too much youtube... Great play though, I'm glad it made the Top 10.

8 - Kenyon Martin blocks Kevin Love. This play was obviously only chosen so the announcer could make a "Kenyon showing no love to Love" joke. Other than that I'm still trying to figure out why it was included.

7 - Wow, sick play. Two nice passes including what looks like a switch-hands-wrap-around from LeBron. Who could tell though since apparently the powers-that-be didn't feel the need to show a replay.

6 - Huge dunk from Durant. Certainly not better than either #9 or #7 but I guess you need some dunks in there for the kids.

5 - Nice little combination of blocks from the Warriors. I guess if you are going to include blocks it might as well be a double block.

4 - Good example of what happens when you don't communicate on defense... and when you are playing against someone with the hops of Gerald Wallace. Not sure if having this play at #4 is a good sign. That said, still no buzzer beaters so that's a good thing.

3 - Kobe is obviously practicing his behind-the-back moves this year and we are all better off for it. Granted the first one had no strategic value whatsoever but I still love this play.

2 - Monster jam from LeBron. Normally I'd get on him for throwing in the meaningless fake-behind-the-back move but you can see how it freezes Solomon Jones for just long enough to give LeBron a free lane to the hoop. Actually it would have been better if LeBron hadn't thrown that in because Solomon Jones would have been the newest person to share a poster with LeBron.

1 - Vince Carter ends the game against Toronto with a reverse-alley-oop jam. This game (which I saw from the 0:02 mark of regulation on... I know, I'm a bad Nets fan) was incredible. VC hit a VC3 to tied it at the end of regulation and then the Nets staved off two threes by Toronto in the last 5 seconds to get the win. Vince Carter is not the most popular guy North of the Border these days.

Sunday's Top 10

2008-11-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

The 10 Best (I hope) from Sunday's 5 games...

10 - Ben Gordon 4-point play. How is this exciting?

9 - Kendrick Perkins blocks Bargnani and Pierce hits a 3 on the other end.

8 - Anthony Randolph blocks Andre Miller... was the night really this boring?

7 - Jamario Moon throwing down the alley-oop from Calderon. More exciting than the last 3 plays combined.

6 - Will Bynum with the steal and the big dunk from the little guy. You gotta love former D-Leaguers making the top 10.

5 - Bynum with another steal and an easy oop to Jason Maxiell.

4 - Kobe to the hoop for the jam.

3 - Billups slices to the hoop and lays off a beautiful pass for Kenyon Martin who finishes strong. This play excited me more than any of the other plays combined before it.

2 - Kobe with a sweet double-clutch reverse. Slick little play that, while I'm not sure it's Top 2 material, it was at least better than most plays before it.

1 - Nice around-the-back move by Maggette but Dalembert swats it away. Was this play ultimately better than either #2 or #3? Was this play ultimately more exciting than any other play that happened that night? Man, I really hope not.

NBA Friday Night

2008-11-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

LeBron and Bosh to Knicks!!!!!
I turn on my TV and Jalen Rose is on ESPN declaring that "credible sources" tell him LeBron and Bosh are going to the Knicks in 2010. He repeats it for emphasis but I refuse to waste my time thinking about something two years in the future. (Ok, fine, I did spend some time thinking about how to make Amare/LeBron/Bosh work under the salary cap.)

Canadians Do Not Like Vince Carter
Rose's annoying habit of saying awkward things ("He shot that one from Alpharetta", after a Joe Johnson three) in place of "analysis" forces me to switch channels to the Nets game moments before Vince Carter hits a fade-away 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game and cap an 18 point comeback against the Raptors in Toronto. Bosh and Anthony Parker both hit 3s in the last 5 seconds of OT to tie the game but Vince ends it with a reverse alley-oop. One of the best endings to a game I have ever seen.

Chris Paul vs. Boredem
Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans... this game should have sucked. Let's break down the pros and cons.

Cons

The Thunder - possibly the worst team in basketball.

Nancy Lieberman - even more useless than the average sideline reporter

Extraneous Hornets Subplots - it's bad enough every nationally televised Hornets game has a mandatory Katrina reference but I'm pretty sure someone on the telecast credited the team with revitalizing Oklahoma City 10 years after the McVeigh bombings.

Seattle - an interview and multiple in-game shots of Clay Bennett remind us all that the Storm are the only game in town for Seattle.

The Ford Center Floor - a 48 minute reminder that inanimate team names are the new "in" thing.

Pros

Chris Paul through-the-legs, front-to-back, right-hand-to-right-hand fake back pass, pass to Peja for a wide open jump shot.

Chris Paul, helping from the weak-side saves a blocked shot from going out of bounds. I watched the play 3 times just to marvel at how fast Paul anticipated the play and broke to the ball.

Chris Paul with the same right-to-right through-the-legs move as before only this time he takes it straight to hoop with the right hand in one motion. David West actually put his hands up expecting the drop-off pass.

Chris Paul crossing over on the break left-to-right and then firing a one-handed behind-the-back pass right off the dribble to someone who swung it to someone else who hit a wide open 3. (If they kept stats of players that had the most 2nd - passes that lead to assists - and 3rd assists, Paul would be near the top of this list.

Plays of the Day - 11/19

2008-11-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

Plays of the Day from 11/19

10 - D-Wade to the Matrix for the alley-oop slam. It's great to see that Miami decided not to field a D-League team again this year.

9 - Dribble hand-off off a solid on-ball screen by Greg "Don't Call Me Sam Bowie" Oden who then rolls and gets the beautiful feed in stride and finishes strong.

8 - Was this a "highlight" or a chance to recognize Chauncey Billups for improving the Nuggets? Isn't that what MVP ranking columns are for? Also, I'm just going to assume that camera angle is all the rage with the kids these days and stop complaining.

7 - Caron Butler to JaVale McGee for the oop. I think parents of possible future sports stars should refrain from random mid-name capitalization as it would save editors everywhere a lot of grief.

6 - Nice reverse dunk by Bosh. The Raptors are the most overrated team in the League and Jose Calderon is all hype. I don' think anyone from this team will make the All-Star team. Yes, I'm hoping that by making outrageous claims I will get more Canadian page views.

5 - LeBron blocks Devin Harris at the rim. Saw this one live and it brought me out of my seat. (note: This wasn't even the best block of the game but I'm guessing they won't show the play where LeBron got swatted.) I absolutely respect Harris trying cram on LeBron.

4 - Gerald Wallace swats Shawne Williams at the rim. I temporarily suspend my "blocks are boring" rule on this play only... sick timing and an incredible block. Freaks, Wallace is a freak in a league filled with freaks. (Yes, I was channeling my inner Rick Kamla on that last sentence.)

3 - Sweet move by LeBron. Number 3? I don't know but it was nice.

2 - Now I'm officially excited. Awesome pass by Tyrus Thomas to Ben Gordon on the break.

1 - Can't complain about this one. Kobe goes behind the back unnecessarily (which I don't mind since it looked pretty) and then he waits a second for Luol Deng to get out of position and the Mamba delivers a beautiful no-look pass to Pau Gasol for the dunk. This was definitely worthy of the top spot.

Plays of the Day - 11/11

2008-11-12T13:04:00.001-08:00

Tuesday's Top 10 Plays of the Day

I'm blogging as I watch them for the first time so this is technically time-delayed live blogging.

#10 - Gerald Wallace with the steal and the dunk. Can't say I'm particularly thrilled by this one.

#9 - Ronny Turiaf flies to the hoop and finishes with the big slam. I'm almost fired up.

#8 - LeBron with a dunk... the announcer asks "where LeBron James take off from?". I think it was close to the foul line but who can tell since there was no decent angle of it and no replay.

#7 - Nice passing by the Mavs. My excitement level is wavering between "lukewarm" and "this Top 10 better get more exciting fast".

#6 - Renaldo "Thank God I Got Traded So People Don't Think I'm Rolando Blackman Anymore" Balkman with the steal and the facial. I'm excited.

#5 - Gerald Wallace with the block. Whoop-de-doo.

#4 - Mo Williams with the nice spin to get in the and finish with the floater. Would have been nice to see a replay but apparently we are working in WNBA-one-camera-in-the-arena mode.

#3 - Anthony Randolph with a beautiful block and an actual slow motion replay. Impressive block, less-than-impressive Top 10 that this makes #3.

#2 - Nice pass from Thabo Sefalosha to Luol Deng. Deng is on my fantasy team. If I ever get around to setting my lineup I'm sure he will give me mediocre production. I hate myself for even mentioning fantasy basketball.

#1 - Gerald Green with the big slam. Green has been playing well (or at least making some exciting plays since 17 points on 6-15 shooting with zero assists and 5 turnovers against the Lakers in his last game is hardly impressive.)

That's the best they got out of 8 games? I mean, it's good unless you are a fan of instant replay, nice assists, or exciting plays (which I am). Was the assist of the night really less exciting than those run-of-the-mill breakaway jams?

Man my thirst for NBA action has not been quenched. We'll have to resort to some old favorites for our daily fix.

Shawn Kemp... and a lot more Shawn Kemp

And because grainy assists are better than crystal clear blocked shots any day of the week... I offer you this

08-09 Season Early Thoughts: 75 Games to go!

2008-11-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

Guest entry by Drew.

LBJ!
Barring injury or freak mono diagnosis, Lebron’s on his way to claiming his first MVP. After averaging a 30-8-8 last season and taking his team to the finals single-handedly two years ago, you’re probably wondering what took him so long. Maybe it was because we knew he could be this good so we didn’t want to spoil him without making him earn it, maybe it was getting a taste of Olympic gold or maybe he finally realized that you have to win first to become a Global Icon. Either way, he’s putting up freakish numbers right now and doesn’t even seem like he’s begun to hit his stride, not to mention the fact that Mo Williams is a godsend for him and this team, if they can make a quality move mid-season and LBJ doesn’t hit the brakes, they’ll be hard to knock off in the playoffs. Of course, if wisdom holds true, the player that should’ve won it the year before gets it this time, which means Chris Paul owns it and I’m not complaining about that considering my mancrush and also that he just broke a Big O record for consecutive season opening double-doubles (points, assists). In the end, whoever’s leading the best team gets it.

The Win-Win Trade
Dealing Marcus Camby for some cap space was financially prudent but not pleasing to your fan base or helping your porous defense. Bringing in Billups, a true point that plays D, is a leader with the ring to prove it and will accentuate of all your young lackadaisical superstar’s positives, great move. Antonio McDyess ain’t no slouch either, even if he is about to file for retirement. Meanwhile, AI just breathed new life into a Detroit franchise that wasn’t necessarily on the respirator (1 championship, 6 eastern conference playoff appearances in a row, 6 50+ win teams) but certainly needed a revitalization to stay relevant in an improved East. Now after making the flashy trade, Detroit is the new Boston. There will be some stumbling points as the team gets used to AI but once they settle on a solid core of Stuckey-AI-Hamilton-Prince-Wallace-Johnson-Maxiel, they’ll be able to play with the best of them. They may not win the Central division but no one will want to see them in the first round. Everyone wins with this trade, AI’s in a better situation to get a ring, without competing for shots against ‘Melo and Chauncey becomes the hometown hero of a team in need of a leader. Most of all, the fan bases and lovers of basketball win with this move, Detroit was headed for another penultimate season and Denver was lucky if they got an 8th seed, first-round exit. For now, they’re both back in the picture. Oh yeah, and the rumors about this being a part of Dumars’ secret plan to land Lebron in 2010, please can it. Global Icon’s not going there unless it’s a road game with the Knicks, Nets or Lakers (and maybe Miami) in 2010. If he plays for Detroit, I will start wearing hats regularly, eat one and then wear mutton chops and a mohawk for a year.

Is Atlanta for real?
I haven’t had a chance to watch anything specific other than highlights but you notice something important with a box score like ATL 87 NO 79. Atlanta plays defense?! We shouldn’t be shocked. On paper they’re a decent team, Al Horford’s one of those second year guys who’s going to look a seasoned vet by the end of the season (e.g. Kevin Durant, Jose Calderon), Joe Johnson’s finally playing like he should’ve been since leaving Phoenix, Mike Bibby’s still got some life left in him and Josh Smith is a freak of nature. Not to mention Billy Knight is out of the picture so everything’s better for everyone. Keep an eye out for ATL on your league pass.

The Team-Building Injury
Right before Tony Parker got injured, he pretty much said, “F it, I’m that good and I’ll carry this team if I have to”, when he went off for 55 pts., 10 assts.. Why? Because before that, his team could barely score enough points to play against the Blazers. Now that he’s down, it’s time for Coach Pop to take all his bench guys that haven’t been more than casual role players and mold them into beasts. Their record won’t show it but by the time Tony and Manu return, the Spurs will be another whole new team. They’ll get by hovering around .500 with Duncan and their character guys like Dirty Kurt Thomas and Sweep-The-Leg Bowen but then Matt Bonner, Desmon Farmar, Roger Mason, Ime Udoka and George Hill are going to have to play. You could see it during that Blazers game, Pop pretty much gave his bench the ball and said step up or step off. If you think the Spurs are done then you don’t know how good Pop is or why the Spurs are a dynasty and why I hate them so much for it. They’ll be the 7-8 seed no one wants to face.

The Oden Injury
This isn’t exactly a team-building injury but it does allow the team that was pretty good last year to keep up their chemistry without making room for one more. I’m not saying it’s great in the long run but for the start of the season, everyone needs to find a groove. If the Blazers have a fault it’s too much depth and parity. You almost need Oden and Martell Webster out for a bit so that everyone else get some playing time. Hopefully Oden plays the rest of the season and well because Joe Pryzbilla isn’t exactly a franchise center to build on but I will say this, at this point the Knicks totally fleeced the Blazers for Zach Randolph. Not really, Channing Frye has become a great 6th man, but since they got rid of Z-Bo in regards to Oden, then yes, they did. He may have C cups and skip out on a game or two to hit up the strip club but at least he’s not one more injury away from earning the nickname Mr. Glass. Gotta love Z-Bo!

Non-NBA Rant:

I’ll keep this short. NFL Network, you suck and no one’s willing to pay for you. Go ahead and take a few games a year, just do it with these clear rules in mind:

No more Thursday games, it doesn’t work for an NFL team trying to prepare and stay healthy. Unless it’s the season opener, leave Thursdays to college. Saturdays are cool.

Non-conference games only. It happened last year with Cowboys-Packers and it’s even more critical this time with Jets-Pats battling for first. I know their actual fan bases can watch it locally but still, as I said, no one wants your network. Now you’re forcing some Patriot or Jet fan who lives outside of the Northeast to go to a bar with a satellite dish and an HDTV to drink beer, eat food and socialize while watching football on a Thursday night. How dare you!

If Barack Couldn't Do it, How Could I?

2008-11-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

A guest post by Brad. If Ryan "Archie" Miller didn't immediately come to mind for you either, don't sweat it.

You often hear coaches talk about players with heady games. They may not have the raw talent, but they see the floor, read the defense, are a step ahead of everybody else, and make great decisions. Smallish guards like Steve Wojoadflkadsfakfh or Ryan "Archie" Miller come to mind.

You would imagine that Barack Obama, clearly one of the more intelligent human beings out there, would be able to excel as one of these types of players. He had a passion for basketball and the brightest of minds. Seems like a recipe for the ultimate cerebral PG. Even Duhon gives him his props. Yet he didn't graduate past the high school basketball level.

Did he not commit himself to the game enough? I don't know, but if Barack Obama could not make it as a heady player, it seems that the average joe, without physical gifts, is up against enormous obstacles.

Return

2008-11-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

As co-founder of this blog, I must say I have not been a very good caretaker. The maintenance, upkeep, and fact that people actually respond to postings now is all thanks to my buddy John and frequent guess poster Drew, whose collective dedication and wit has kept this puppy in existence. Not so from my end. I promised John I would blog a sentence tonight not to assure that I still exist, but more to prove that I actually care. I do. Even moreso now that we have a President who plans to put a basketball court in the White House. So you will see more of me soon. For now I hope that no one is reading this and that all are watching Nuggets-Mavericks instead.

The Top 10 Plays of the Week

2008-11-02T23:48:00.001-08:00

The Top 10

#10 – Boston does some title celebration stuff. I feel cheated out of great NBA basketball action. I debated naming this post "The Top 9 Plays of the Week".
#9 – Ronnie Price behind the back pass to AK-47 for the flush. It would have been nice to see the actual pass in the replay but I’m just being negative.
#8 – Nice drive to the hoop and slam by Pau Gasol over Chris Andersen.
#7 – Vince Carter pulls some aerial acrobatics on Etan Thomas. Not surprisingly the first play that really excites me comes from Vince. Say what you want about Vince but he’s still one of the most exciting players in the League. So unless you’re a Nets fan (or just a fan of motion offense in general) tortured by VC’s love of fading 20 footers, or a Raptors fan (seriously though, if he plays through this Nets rebuilding without complaining you crazy Canadians should think about cutting him some slack), you should appreciate the guy I consider to be the most complete dunker of all time.
#6 – Great presence of mind by Outlaw (coupled with Amare falling asleep on defense) leads to a nice highlight. Not a big fan of highlights that are simply a player recovering from his own incompetence in the first place but this is different. Even I can’t complain about this clips inclusion in the Top 10.
#5 – If this is really the fifth best highlight of the week then I am really psyched for the next four. Let’s marvel for a moment at the overall beauty and completeness of this snippet of action. Right off the bat it involves an elite (if not “the” elite) superstar in LeBron showing his unselfish side with a great behind-the-back feed from the high post to Anderson “Sideshow Bob” Varejao (showcasing the League’s ever-growing international diversity) who finishes in spite of the foul. Not to be outdone by Varejao’s flowing locks, note Melvin Ely without his usual braids.

Of course it’s always great if a highlight can illustrate some fundamentals of the game and this clip does just that.

The Cavs have spread the floor with their shooters in the corners and LeBron in the high post. With Varejao messing around at the other high post and Wally Szczerbiak in the corner, the paint is looking pretty spacious should LeBron spin to the hoop.

Point guard Delonte West feeds LeBron and moves to the right while Varejao shuffles over and sets a “flare screen” on West’s man. LeBron has the option to throw the ball over the screen to West for the three. But Varejao only sets a half-hearted pick and makes as if he’s going to screen on the ball for LeBron.

Varejao “slips” the screen (cuts after/instead of screening) and cuts behind his man (Ely) to the basket. Especially in youth and pickup hoops there is a tendency to always cut in front of your defender but if Varejao does that here he will give LeBron a difficult passing angle and Ely will be between Varejao and the basket.

Ely isn’t expecting Varejao to cut he’s hopelessly behind in their footrace to the basket. LeBron doesn’t immediately have a good passing angle so he waits and delivers a beautiful pass that meets Varejao at the hoop. The Hornets’ weak-side help is late and Varejao finishes nicely with his off-hand. Great execution by the Cavs. Of course I can't help but notice that at the conclusion of the play, while the three other Cavaliers head toward the fallen Varejao, LeBron is doing some fist pumping nonsense at half court.

#4 – Gerald Wallace spikes Chris Quinn’s layup attempt out of bounds. I don’t even know what Quinn was thinking.
#3 – Vince makes a bad pass but he redeems himself by catching Chris Douglas-Roberts’ lob and tomahawking it home. I was fortunate enough to see this play live and you knew as soon as you saw it that it was ending up on the nightly, if not weekly, highlight reel.
#2 – Nice circus shot by Yao not only was this play pure luck but it didn’t even count (you can clearly see the ref waving it off… rumor is he was digitally removed by the Chinese government prior to public consumption). Not as egregious as just not doing a play at all (see #10) but still kind of weak.
#1 – Rudy Gay beats the buzzer and the Magic. I’m sure Gay had at least one other play as impressive as this one during the other 47:58:20 of game but given the context I will grant that this play was exciting. That said, the “Magic-Grizzlies thrilling ending” context might have cut it in Memphis on game night but it isn’t doing it for me in the weekly Top 10.

All in all, this was not a bad job by the Top 10 selection committee for the first week of the season. So long as pregame festivities and shots that don’t count become the norm then everything should be fine but they really should have a “Top 10 Plays You Should See that Aren’t the Top 10 Most Impressive Moments of the Week”… and throw all the buzzer beaters and off-the-court theatrics on that list.

Hornets Preview (that will eventually dissolve into a love letter to Chris Paul)

2008-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

A guest post by Drew Ludeke

As a basketball lover whose favorite team is more discombobulated than Emmit Smith trying to form a sentence, you learn to look elsewhere for a team to be entertained by and also root for. Last year, that team was the New Orleans Hornets. It wasn’t just the alley-oops, the game-breaking three’s, their formidable defense, rebounding and shot-blocking or even Chris Paul’s breakout season; it was the permanent groove that the whole team existed in where they knew what needed to be done to win the game. It took a ton of flops and a Robert Horry elbow to David West’s back to knock them out of the playoffs and you better believe they would’ve given the Lakers a tougher run to the Finals but alas, it is a new season so here’s what they’re working with now…

The X Factor
Some analysts have said that the Hornets should’ve spread their money around a bit more, plugging up the frontcourt bench or on a reliable backup for Paul, rather than betting it all on thirty-one year old journeyman James Posey and only hindsight will determine his long-term effectiveness. For now, he will automatically provide the team numerous positives in terms of lockdown defense, boosting team morale, hustle, versatility from the 1-3 and most importantly, hitting the wide open three on the break. The possible long-term negatives will revolve around his age, possibly overpaying for him and the effect that contract will have on the rest of the team should West, Chandler or Paul be out for an extended period of time and the bench can’t pick up the slack. All that matters now is that the words of inspiration he whispers in every player’s ear before tip-off will make them a better team.

(Possible) Weakness:
Frontcourt Depth- David West and Tyson Chandler aren’t exactly known for their longevity so their health could become an issue as the season wears on. Cross your fingers and consult your local witch doctor.

Curse of Beijing
If I ever own an NBA franchise, every major contract would forbid players from participating in any extracurricular competition. Stern would have me tarred and feathered for it and people would say I’m un-American but it’s simply a better business decision in case your superstar point guard suffers a horrific injury because he played in international competition that summer. I’m not saying it’ll happen but if it does, remember where you heard it. If Monta Ellis can’t ride a motorcycle, Chris Paul and Co. shouldn’t play FIBA ball.

The Bench
Hilton Armstrong sounds like he should be a preppy at a yacht club but should continue to be a valuable backup to David West especially if he keeps developing. The same goes for Julian Wright who may have to fight for minutes behind Peja and Posey but he can play the two, three and Byron Scott’s apparently convinced he could even play the point in a pinch so I think he’ll have a major impact this season. Not to insult Mike James but the New Orleans faithful will actually miss Jannero Pargo a little bit this season when he’s not around to keep the ball moving for the few moments Paul catches his breath. Morris Peterson’s more than reliable but he’s more of a shooter than the true point they need. That being said James should be reliable. I’d like to hope that Devin Brown contributes something valuable off the bench but I’m not holding my breath. Melvin Ely has a name fit for a 70s soul singer, looks like one of Slim Charles’ muscle and he plays like it. Those were compliments by the way. And what about Bonzi Wells? He hasn’t been arrested, sidelined by a venereal disease or a lack of sobriety playing in a city that’s home to vice and high crime rates… yet. I’m hoping that it stays that way.

Peja!
The dirtiest beard in the NBA with one of the most reliable three-point shots. Sure, he’s slowed down a bit with injuries and age but I’ll always remember him for those daggers he was hitting for those Kings teams that got robbed earlier in the decade. Thinking about that made me feel old.

The Revolution, The Truth, The Standard
I’ve been wasting my breath talking to anyone willing to listen for the past 9 months or so that Chris Paul is the most exciting player to watch in the NBA right now. My grandmother, hobos, jerks who stopped caring about basketball once Jordan retired, toddlers, the deaf, you name it, they know about him. Aside from gushing adoration for Paul, I particularly told the jerks who thought the NBA sucked now while they were busy digesting their fantasy football waiver wires that the league was on the verge of another renaissance. At the head of that emerging golden age was the true point guard, leading the break, making the dish or slicing through the lane like a brain surgeon with a scalpel. It’s a step back from the superstar-driven play of the 90s and a huge step forward towards exhilarating team basketball. Jason Kidd’s Nets, Steve Nash & Mike D’Antoni’s Suns deserve all the credit for getting the ball rolling on this but now the new generation is taking the reins over. The leader of that new generation is none other than Chris Paul.
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing in at 175 lbs., you’d be hard pressed to believe that this man can play with the likes of Kobe, Lebron or Garnett but what he lacks in size he makes up for in will and his refusal to lose. After watching as many games as possible and spending the offseason watching the plethora of youtube clips of him repeatedly in between the Olympic games, I find myself struggling to describe what makes him so damned good. I guess the only thing to say is that a great basketball player is not only great himself but makes those around him better and while he has his own individual talents, Paul’s innate ability to improve his teammates is why most agree he was last year’s MVP. He even makes me want to play better. Watching Chris Paul makes me appreciate basketball so much that I’ve spent the summer working on my lefty dribbling and my mid-range jumper and my career will probably never go further than a random pick-up game.
So while I’ve got newfound reason to start liking my Knicks again and I’ve got a new favorite team to watch this season (Blazers), I’m going to stick with the Hornets or whatever team Chris Paul plays with. Why? Because I’ll never know what he’s going to do next but I’ll always know what to expect: amazing basketball. Many an analyst have said that while Paul is set to have another great season, don’t expect any more fireworks from the Hornets. They spent too much on Posey, West is injury prone, Paul doesn’t have a reliable back-up, and their bench is a weak question mark. Most of all, everyone thinks that everyone knows they’re coming this time around and won’t be surprised. I agree with everything except for the last statement. With Paul leading the show, opponents will never know what’s coming and despite the price with the addition of Posey, they’re primed to have a big year. My prediction: Hornets 1st in the Southwest, 2nd in the Conference and my pick to face the Rockets or Lakers in the Conference Finals.

If the past three paragraphs were pure gibberish to you, just watch these….

The Smiling Assassin

Problem Child

The Standard?!?
It’s what we’re proposing, nay, demanding be Chris Paul’s official nickname. He’s called CP3 right now but what kind of nickname is that other than his initials and number? It’s bland for such an exciting player and it sounds like C-3PO, who was the lamest robot in science fiction. So taking matters into our own hands, we’ve come up with the Standard. I believe the editor put it best recently, Chris Paul is The Revolution, The Truth, The Standard by which all PGs will be measured for the next decade, therefore, The Standard. If you don’t like it, we’re willing to hear suggestions but have you ever tried coming up with a decent nickname for someone other than a retarded drinking buddy? At the very least, you can agree CP3 should go so try to spread the word about The Standard, use it in a conversation, post it on a blog. Chris Paul deserves it after giving you so much.

Marion for Kidd

2008-10-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Trade

Why It Makes Sense for Dallas
Dallas isn't winning the West this year with Kidd and if they have no chance to win the title you can bet he's going to be looking to more elsewhere. Let Marion play the 3, move Howard to shooting guard and go big. Or, Marion and Dirk crash the boards with Jason Terry, Antoine Wright and Josh Howard in the backcourt they can run. Either way they still aren't winning the West but Marion at least has a few more years in him. If it doesn't work out you trade him later as an expiring contract. Plus Marion and Dirk can bond over the Steve Nash what-could-have-been fantasies I'm sure they both get from time to time.

Why It Makes Sense for Miami
Miami loses someone who was unhappy as it was and they pick up a much needed point guard. Kidd can hold the starting role down while the coaching staff prays that some of Kidd's innate court sense will rub off on either Chris Quinn, Shaun Livingston, Marcus Banks, Jason Richards or Mario Chalmers. Meanwhile, Kidd, DWade, Udonis Haslem, Michael Beasely and Mark Blount should make the playoffs in the East and at least have a better chance than any team that starts any of the aforementioned PGs. Kidd might momentarily consider that he won't win a championship in Miami but I'm sure Cuban would be happy to point out to him that unless he goes to the Celtics/Lakers (don't want him) or the Cavs/Rockets (can't afford him) he wouldn't even start on any team with a viable chance to win the title (New Orleans, Detroit, Utah, San Antonio). With this in mind, he should at least be near South Beach while he's still recognizable to the hot clubbing chicks.

Knicks & Nets Season Previews

2008-10-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just a few notes to add to Brad's extremely sympathetic take on nepotism and point guards with weak handles. (Actually, "nepotism" is unfair because Dan Grunfeld got so few touches that I could have sworn the other guys were freezing him out.) The IZOD Center wasn't sold out but the crowd must have been good because we broke the noise meter on the JumboTron at least three times. (Random capitalization: savvy marketing move or utterly pointless?) I hate thunder sticks at all times but are they really necessary during the preseason? Ok, enough complaining and on to the teams.

New York Knicks
Wilson Chandler looked solid for the Knicks which should make New York happy but should also make them cringe a little knowing Isiah wouldn't given him the light of day even in a throw-away season. If Marbury remains semi-sane, it's going to get awkward in the backcourt because he's clearly better than Chris Duhon and might still be the best most talented guy on the team. Eddy Curry has also fallen from unquestioned starter to reserve and it remains to be seen if he can survive the East Coast version of Seven Seconds or Less. Chandler, Marbury, Nate Robinson and Curry all have a chance to break into the starting lineup and that can't be good for chemistry. Who is their leader? Jamal Crawford hasn't been on a team that's been even near .500 and Quentin Richardson isn't going to improve dramatically. This team is a mess. I wouldn't blame D'Antoni if he benched anyone that so much as looked at him wrong, prayed for a high lottery pick, and considered the entire season a practice run for next season's SSOL assault on the Eastern Conference.

New Jersey Nets
I apologize for any time I've ever compared Brooke Lopez to Jason Collins because Lopez actually has offensive skills. Bobby Simmons also looked in former 6th Man of the Year form and Chris Douglas-Roberts looks like an overachieving second round pick. Over at ESPN, only Jon Barry of their panel of experts has them making the playoffs (no one else placed them higher higher than 13th) but I give the Nets at least a good shot. Devin Harris, Vince Carter and Bobby Simmons are a solid 1-2-3 and Najera/Lopez/Yi could work out in the front court people. Throw in Stromile Swift, Josh Boone and Sean Williams and at least you know they have depth, if not quality, in the front court. If Yi and Lopez blossom and Vince doesn't renege on his promise to be patient with the rebuilding process then this team could sneak into the playoffs.

Crossover of the Day - Daryll Hill of St. Johns drops someone and then hands out the sweet assist

Knicks at Nets (10/20/08) - Game Notes by Brad

2008-10-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Guest post by Brad with notes from last night's Knicks-Nets preseason "thriller".

For me, one of the things I like best about following the NBA is tracking the career development of individuals who are all trying to achieve the same thing: security playing the game they love, optimizing their worth on the market, and pushing themselves to the limit of their capabilities as a player. So I pay close attention to the fringe NBA players, as their security always seems in question and they have the most to prove as ball players.

It was wonderful to see Dan Grunfeld make his NBA debut. The son of former Knick great and GM Ernie Grunfeld, Dan was a talented player at Stanford who suffered a knee injury that largely sent him from likely draft pick to undrafted free agent his final season there. Dan went and played overseas upon graduation, and was able to get an opportunity with the Knicks this fall. I've seen him play since his high school days, and I am sure the minutes he received in a New York Knicks uniform will always be treasured the rest of his life.

The other player I watched closely was Julius Hodge. Julius suffered a lot of adversity during his brief tenure in the NBA, and skill-wise, his lack of perimeter shooting prevented him from sticking long despite coming into the league as a first-rounder. He's fighting to get back into the league now, and his blog on Hoopshype wonderfully chronicles that journey. Julius had eight points and three assists last night, and looked strong going to the basket. He has great length and is like a greyhound slipping between defenders. Hopefully, he can find a way to regularly contribute at the NBA level.

2008-09 Awards Preview - DPOY

2008-10-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Defensive Player of the Year Award and the All-Defensive Teams should not be voted on by writers. It should be selected by a small group of people who consume more NBA games in a week than is safe for one's health. Members of this group should include statisticians, former coaches and great defensive players from yesteryear. Heck I'm more comfortable just letting Bill Russell pick it than letting some journalist who doesn't know what it takes to play good defense have a vote. Anyway... on to the predictions.

The Pretenders
Kobe Bryant - The Mamba is a tremendous defensive player but he should not be in the running for this award until he steps up and guards the best perimeter players on the opposing teams. He's too valuable on offense to the Lakers for this to be plausible so it's tough to say he will ever deserve this.

Marcus Camby - The Cambyman can flat out block shots but his numbers were inflated last year because he played on a Nuggets team that played at a very fast pace and his teammates didn't play very good perimeter or interior defense. Now, in LA, Camby will have to compete with Chris Kaman (3rd in the League with 2.8bpg last season) for blocks and something tells me the voters will be less-than-impressed if his numbers fall.

Josh Smith - The Hawks forward is the best non-post shot blocker the League has seen in a while. He's an athletic freak among athletic freaks and he's quick enough to stay with perimeter players. Unfortunately for both the Hawks and his chances at this award, Smith is lazy and undisciplined and he doesn't always play defense with the utmost intensity. Can you really give the award to someone who doesn't play every game like it's their last?

Shane Battier - The former Dukie really knows how to play perimeter defense and if a shot goes up, he is contesting it. So what's standing between him and the award? You can't win it if you aren't even the best perimeter defender on your own team...

The Contenders
Kevin Garnett - The Celtics were stacked last year but neither Pierce nor Allen were particularly known for the defense. KG anchored the best defense in the League and there was no question in my mind that he literally willed his teammates to play harder. Now that he isn't the offensive focal point of the team (like in Minnesota), the Big Ticket has plenty of energy to patrol the paint and start piling up these trophies.

Ron Artest - Ron Ron only played in 57 games last season which may explain why he received only one third place vote for DPOY (tied with the likes of Kyle Lowery and behind the one second place vote garnered by Rip Hamilton) and did not make either All-D team. Of course the other explanation would be that the voters only watch SportsCenter and never saw the Kings play last season. If they had, they would have known that Ron Artest is the best all around defender in the League, period. He's bigger, stronger and quicker than most other players but what sets him apart is his intensity. Artest might be a nice guy on his own time (though some would debate that) and he might be clinically insane (though some would debate that) but on the court he is beyond ferocious. I've never seen a guy simply rip the ball away from other people as much as he does. In Sacramento, he often had to contribute heavily on the offensive end and he often looked like he was frustrated with the entire situation. This year, on the Rockets, Artest will be able to concentrate fully on defense for a team that has a good chance to contend. No offense to Ruben Patterson but the Rockets might have the best chance to beat the Lakers with Artest locking up Kobe.

Slightly Inane Reasons Why The Knicks Will Win 35-45 Games This Year (Or at least why they’ll be damned entertaining at sucking this time around)

2008-10-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

A guest post by Drew Ludeke

1.The Complete Absence of Isiah Thomas – This alone made every Knicks fan’s life so much less nerve-wracking and embarrassing. Instead of hanging our heads in collective shame or drunkenly reveling in what a joke he had turned our team into, you know the kind of joke where you have to laugh in lieu of crying. Isiah was the living epitome of Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. I’d go into this more and how Isiah ruined the Knicks but why bother, he’s gone now and I pray for good. Good riddance!

2. The Mere Presence of Mike D’Antoni & Donnie Walsh – Donnie Walsh deserves all the credit for both bringing D’Antoni to New York and (cross your fingers) ending Dolan’s reign of megalomaniacal meandering into management of the team. But seeing as we’re talking about actually winning games and Donnie’s still mostly handicapped by the payroll and team Isiah built, we’ll just stick to the ‘Stache for now (new nickname I’m trying out, let me know if it works). The Knicks suck on paper and probably will on a court for a couple of games but D’Antoni doesn’t care about any of that. What he brings to the table in pure unadulterated gumption alone will change the philosophy of a team that only seemed to win by accident or in spite of themselves last season. What I’ve already seen from this team in pre-season alone was enough to put me, my father and Knicks announcer John Andriase in shock. On a recent play against the Sixers, Zach Randolph (yup, that guy) grabbed a rebound, passed it, ran the floor, got a pass and then, wait for it, passed it to the open man! That was the play I thought I was imagining in my head till Andriase broke the silence by asking, stunned, if Randolph had just run the floor. They didn’t score on the play but that doesn’t matter.. That sort of play exemplifies the play and mentality that D’Antoni brings out of his team.

3. Shooters! – Over the years, the Knicks have stockpiled players who love nothing more than to hoist up ridiculous jumpers with 20 seconds on the shot clock or after dribbling for 20 seconds without even considering a pass (read, Jamal Crawford). None of them were pure shooters, mind you, but it didn’t stop them from throwing up enough bricks to build a Salvation Army. They’re improving on the passing situation as already mentioned but all these players will thrive in a system that encourages more sensible shooting. That’s right Jamal, shoot more!... Unless of course there’s three open guys nearby. So now Jamal, Nate, Steph, Wilson, Quentin, Danilo, (he’s in America, I’m gonna start calling him Danny) and even you Allan Houston, feel free to fire away. I’d like to welcome Allan back, hope he gets to play and also hand him back his award for The Sweetest Jumper in the NBA.

4. David Lee, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler – These are the three gems from the Isiah Era. That’s not to say either will amaze and astound but each of them is a dependable, hard-working role player that provides something this Knicks team needs. Most notably is Lee who, if pre-season indicates, will get the start over Curry. It shortens the Knicks’ starting frontcourt but that won’t make much of a difference when Lee is cleaning glass, spreading the floor for Randolph to post up and picking up a plethora of garbage putbacks. Not to mention Lee has spent the summer developing a decent long-range jumper to add to his skills. It’s ran hot and cold so far this pre-season but so long as he keeps working at it, it should pay off for his minutes and the team. Lee has been the Knicks’ off-the-bench spark these past seasons but with him getting the start, don’t expect Nate to let the torch burn out. Nate’s kind of like a poor man’s Eddie House. He hustles every play but he sucks on D, he commits idiotic turnover but then he blocks Yao Ming or hits the game-winning three. With a point-guard controversy more than simmering of late, expect him to be the backbone of the backcourt should Duhon falter, Stephon go crazy or both. Wilson Chandler is a guy who should’ve played 30 minutes a game around mid-season when the Knicks had already conceded to mediocrity. That way, he’d have a little bit more experience under his belt now that he’s looking at real time. He still showed some talent during the end of last season, can hit the long ball, drives well and averaged more blocks than the Curry vs. Randolph combined. Keep your eye on him. Anyway, speaking of point guard controversies….

5. Chris Duhon v. Stephon Marbury v. Everybody – Never before has a native son so worn out his welcome, never before has a flunky third-stringer from Duke been hailed as a savior by a fanbase that’s well aware of the smell of the bullshit. It will determine the course of their season and not look pretty on court but this brewing tiff will be the most entertaining subplot of the Knicks season. It could go in numerous directions depending on whether James Dolan wants to eat 20 mill to get rid of a cancer, or if Duhon becomes a spectacular/reliable/makeshift PG until Steph is tired of sitting on the bench and caves in for a trade or a cheaper buyout. One thing is, D’Antoni is a politician, not a panderer, so while he says he wants to work with Steph, he will not hesitate to bench him for the likes of Anthony Roberson if he feels the team is being led astray by Steph. It has the potential to be a non-factor if the Knicks start winning and the media forgets about it or it could blow sky high depending on what Steph does.

6. Herb & The Gang – Assistant coaches don’t get much love unless their defense helped Doc Rivers get a ring (you should’ve gotten that Gatorade bath Tom!) but they’re as vital to a team as any other cog. If you don’t believe me, pick up “7 Seconds or Less” for some great insight into NBA coaching. Sure, Nash and Mike are the main feature of the book but arguments between Phil Weber, Dan D’Antoni (Go Marshall!) and the rest of the Suns staff are what make the book even more compelling. That being said, I’m glad they’re with the team. As for Herb Williams, the man’s a Garden staple. He used to beat Charlie Ward in 3-point shooting contests and he’s survived the last five years from Chaney to Wilkens to Brown and even Isiah, still standing, hopefully with his dignity intact. I wasn’t chanting “We want Herb!” at Garden blowouts for no reason last year.

6. Jared Jeffries – He can’t shoot, he can’t dribble, he guards all five positions, none of them well. Yet for some reason I see him working well in this system and I think I should have my head checked. D’Antoni needs someone to play any kind of defense, run the court and merely pass the ball to everyone else waiting for a shot, right? I could be wrong, he could spend the entire season on the bench working on his sitcom pilot with Jerome James. It’s called The Double J’s. It’s about two retired, talent-less basketball players who get into all sorts of wacky adventures. Jerome drinks a lot and Jared’s simply inept. Cut me a check, NBC!

7. Joy Returns to the Garden – For all you out-of-towners, yeah, we know we suck. We haven’t won a championship in 30 years. Our better teams in the nineties were a bunch of thugs who slowed the game down to the point of death and we’re now barely pulling ourselves out of the heap of garbage our brain-dead owner almost seemed to enjoy being in. But don’t you dare shit on the Garden. It’s one of the greatest arenas in the world for a reason and just a taste of it during our few sporadic bright days made you realize what an energizing place it could be. We’ve still got a long way to go but as the long the seats stay cheap, the real fans show up and the annoying European tourists stop taking pictures during the game, anything’s possible when the Garden comes alive…. Now the tough part is convincing a team to trade for Eddy Curry.

The 2008-09 Toronto Raptors

2008-10-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

I really like this Raptors squad and it would be cool to see them win the East but this isn't happening. At the same time, if no one gets hurt and Bargnani plays like an authentic #1 draft pick, the team could pull off an upset come playoff time. Let's give them all awards. Thanks to Matt for the pop culture references.

Award to the Internet Fan-base That Most Exemplifies their Team Mascot
Go ahead. Try posting something negative about the Raptors on a message board or in the comments section of a blog. You are arguing with one guy and then you get attacked by the two you never saw coming. They range from intelligent to semi-literate but you got to respect their passion for their team.

Award for the Best European Former #1 Draft Pick To Now Be Coming Off the Bench
At least he's better than Darko. This is a big year for Bargnani. Bosh and O'Neil reduce the pressure on him to rebound. I didn't catch a ton of Raptors games last year but 4 rebounds a game at 7 feet on a team that only out-rebounded Miami's D-League squad screams "weight room". Enter Jermaine O'Neil and Bargnani can operate on the perimeter at more without the raptors relying on Moon's springs to hit the glass. Another mediocre season and Il Mago replaces Stevie Francis as the guy least deserving of his nickname. I've only seen Il Mago once but thanks to internet videos I can always relive the Franchise days.

Award for the Best Point Guard With Almost the Same Name as a Miami Vice Villain
Jose Calderon is perfect for this team. He's the ideal 10pt/10ast/1.5to point guard with high percentages and the patience to know when to slow it down and post someone up. Sleeper pick to sneak on the East All-Star squad.

Award for the Best Forward With a Twin in the NBA
Joey Graham is clearly better than Stephen but I went with "forward" instead of "front court" so as to avoid the inevitable Collins/Graham debate. Keep an eye on the Lopez brothers though.

Award for the Best Player Who Has A Sister Who Is Better Than Him
In a Parker sibling one-on-one game do you think Candace could beat Anthony? Do you think Anthony ever wants to cut someone off who is gushing about his sister's dunk and say "I dunked 23 times last year... against men." In all seriousness, Parker isn't going to take over games but him plus Jason Kapono equals a serviceable shooting guard.

Award for the Best 2-Time 3-Point Champ That Looks Like the Guy From Silk Stalkings
Jason Kapono can shoot the ball well enough to keep people from doubling Bosh/O'Neil recklessly inside. That's really all he can do and that's all they need him to do.

Award for the Player Who Looks Most Like Bubbles
Jamario Moon. Except he's not a heroin junkie and he has insane hops.

Award for the Best Name
Roko Ukic. Need I say more? I can't even find a youtube video on this dude. The euro-nerds need to step it up.

2008-09 Awards Preview: MVP

2008-10-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the writers don't get all sentimental this year and give the MVP to someone who they feel got screwed. But what do you expect when you let people vote for a League-wide award who don't even watch teams besides their own play? Ok, so before I lapse into another "I'll never respect the NBA award process as long as Chuck 'No, seriously, I really thought Andrea Bargnani was better than Brandon Roy and I'm not just saying that because I announce for the Raptors and only watched Roy play twice last year... but seriously, you can get a good feel for a guy by looking at box scores and watching Sportscenter' Swirsky is voting" rant, let me present to you my 2008-09 MVP contenders and pretenders.

The Pretenders
LeBron James – LeBron is the only player in the League who could conceivably average a triple double. That said, no one has won the MVP award with less than 54 team wins in the past ten years (when I stopped counting) and the Cavs don’t look strong enough to do that. If they do win 55+ though, Bron should win the award. (As an aside, I doubt he will do it but if he does average that triple-dub he really should win the MVP.)

Yao Ming/Tracy McGrady – The West is still stacked but if the Rockets make a run, one of these guys should get consideration. Unfortunately, they will always split votes which makes it tough for them to win it.

The Contenders
Kobe Bryant – The Lakers look primed for a championship run and Kobe is their undisputed leader. Kobe’s chances to repeat as MVP might rest with Andrew Bynum. If Bynum figures out how to get his points in the triangle while contributing the rebounding and interior defense that Phil Jackson is looking for then the Lake Show has a chance to win 60+ games and Kobe will get his second Maurice Podoloff trophy.

Chris Paul – Allow me to get my biases out of the way – Chris Paul is the most exciting player to watch in the League and he’s part of a three-way discussion (with Bron and the Mamba) for the best player in the NBA. He should have won the MVP last season and he should probably win it this season if his team performs (and I see no reason why they shouldn’t). Chris Paul is the revolution, the truth, and the standard by which all PGs will be measured over the next decade.

2008-09 Previews

2008-10-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

The NBA has finally returned and not a moment too soon. Unfortunately, even I have trouble getting into preseason basketball so we're going to do a little season preview instead.

Worst Team in the League
The front runner at this point has to be the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their ineptitude and their new logo will certainly fool a few casual fans into thinking they are an expansion team. If Jeff Green plays much better than he did last season and Russell Westbrook beats out Earl Watson (a quality backup but not a starter) then they have a chance to crack the top 29.

Fantasy Sleepers
I don't actually play fantasy basketball but these are guys who I think are underrated.

Ryan Gomes (MIN) - Gomes has improved in each of his three seasons and now has a legitimate three point shot. Not sure if he's projected as a starter this year but he will be by the end of it.

Leon Powe (BOS) - I almost wish Powe hadn't blown up in Game 2 last year so you might believe that I'm not basing this on just one game. The problem is his team is stacked. Boston should give Powe big minutes early and then trade him for a backup point guard.

Shaun Livingston (MIA) - NBA.com has Chris Quinn listed as the Heat's projected starter this year and if that's the case then Livingston might actually be a decent fantasy pickup. A healthy Livingston, DWade, Beasely and Marion could be a scary combination. Miami is one Joel Anthony breakout season away from the playoffs.

Elton Brand (PHI) - If Brand is healthy he will put up big numbers. Andre Miller doesn't even want to score 17 ppg again next year and Iguodala is better off as a secondary option in an offense. Which segues nicely into...

Kareem Rush (PHI) - I'm actually lukewarm on Rush as a player overall but he's the best pure shooter on a revamped 76er roster with a good pass first PG and a credible low post threat. Would not be surprising to see him post career bests.

Chris Paul (NOH) - That's right, people still don't get how good he is.

And now for the overrated guys...

Chris Duhon (NYK) - Duhon is a solid third string point guard. With the exception of two games last season he looked consistently terrible. He seems like a good guy and a hard worker. It's a shame Starbury is too insane to start at PG.

Mo Williams (CLE) - I hate doing this because I like Williams but I don't see him as the answer to LeBron's problems in dealing with Boston, Detroit or even Philly.

Mike Bibby (ATL) - Is Mike Bibby washed up? Maybe. If the guy looked like he didn't care up in chilled out Sac Town then he's going to lose all motivation in Hotlanta with its plethora of strip clubs. The Hawks got their "answer" at the point a few years too late.

The Orlando Magic Backcourt - Jameer Nelson? Bogans and Reddick fighting for starting minutes at the 2? The only way Dwight Howard could be scarier is if he had an All-Star point guard handing him dimes.

more previews to come...

Could The Redeem Beat the Dream?: The Little Giants Theory

2008-09-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

Guest post from Drew Ludeke.

Hypothetical sports situations are some of the best conversations you can have, providing it’s with someone that actually knows what they’re talking about, but even when they aren’t (drunk chicks, stupid people), it’s still rather entertaining, occasionally frustrating, because there’s no actual way of proving either side wrong. Could Tyson beat Ali? Would Ashe go point for point with Federer? Could Shaq take on Wilt The Stilt? Stats, quality of play/competition, training methods from then to the present all come into account when making arguments either for or against but when it comes down to it, there’s no way to prove your opponent wrong unless they’re completely talking out of their ass. With that said, I present my case for why the ’08 Redeem Team could beat the ’92 Dream Team. It’s on the verge of being completely idiotic but maybe I can convince you otherwise.
First, we need to get a few particulars out of the way: Christian Laettner doesn’t exist in this game as far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t touch the court, he doesn’t even get to sit in the stands wearing an NBA-Store USA Jersey. Chuck Daly will learn to live without him and no amount of Coach K ass-kissing will keep him on the team (he was an asst. on the ’92 team). Maybe I hate Duke, maybe he’s a has-been but in a game featuring a veritable basketball pantheon of two stellar Olympic gold-medal-winning teams, Laettner’s a footnote. FIBA or NBA Standards? It gets too complicated when you bring in time periods and referee quality but at least for the fans of this imaginary game, it’s now a proper forty-eight minutes and for the best results, have a crew of non-American refs from a true basketball-loving countries. I suggest Lithuania (they stood out in even back in ’92) with the rule that they have to wear the same tie-dye style jerseys from Barcelona as their ref uniforms. This game’s not real, I might as well have fun with it. At worst, we’ll just cherry-pick a crew from several countries (you’re out Argentina, your country approves of flopping).
Moving on, when you consider match-ups, you have to realize that no one on their right mind is going to pick the ’08 squad over ’92 ever. Historical hindsight aside, most every player on this team had already made their impact in the NBA or if not, was already on their way to it. Jordan and Pippen had just won two of their next six championships; Magic and Bird were already hallowed legends, along with future Hall of Famers Stockton, Malone, Drexler, Barkley, Robinson, Ewing. That team is formidable on a bad day if you’ve doped them with Nyquil and they’re playing in flip-flops. Chris Mullin, a lesser player in the glare of his teams’ brilliance, was no slouch, either.
On paper and at the moment, the Redeem Team does not touch a candle to those guys… yet. Out of their entire squad, Kidd and Kobe are the only ones who have been in the league for ten years or more. Sure, some of the stars (minus Magic, Bird, Drexler) of the ’92 team were just starting to scratch those veteran years and were still unbelievable but with the ’08 squad, the experience and impact factors drop off severely. Stockon and Magic with 9 and 13 years of experience versus Paul and Williams with 6 combined. Most every member, or at least the true stand-outs, of the ’08 team has the ability to step up to the value and competition of their match-up, maybe not at this point in their careers or maybe not ever (I love you Tayshaun, I hate you Scottie, but Pippen would trounce Prince). Still, even in an imaginary game, you have to be practical. You can’t put hypothetical, potential Lebron of 2011 against already three-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, two-time NBA champ, etc. etc. ’92 Jordan. Yet despite all that obvious logic, it’s possible that once, just once in my hardwood NBA fantasy land, I could watch the new, next generation of NBA elites take on and beat the most formidable teams ever assembled in history.
Why? Because of a sappy, inspirational, barely funny, just-for-kids-bearable-for-parents Disney sports movie called Little Giants. I’ll spare you the major plot points but it all breaks down to the predictable halftime speech given to the pee-wee football Giants, who are losing by three touchdowns to the bigger, stronger, better Cowboys. They’re done, smoked, ready to quit until coach Rick Moranis gives the speech of a lifetime. You don’t struggle to hold back tears like in Hoosiers or Friday Night Lights; Rick and the little rascals basically surmise that their opponents are clearly better but if they try hard and give it their best, they may just beat them once and if it’s just once, who cares about the other 9,999 times. It’s certainly my same train of thought when I know I’m probably going to lose in a game of one-on-one. It’s the type of speech you could hear Tom Coughlin making right before the Super Bowl and the one you might have envisioned Spain’s national coach giving to his players throughout their near-upset thriller with the ’08 squad except in another language and with lots of curses. So with the aforementioned games as the model, join me in imagining a game where Chris Paul and Deron Williams show the likes of Magic Johnson and John Stockton a thing or two about a no-look pass, where Chris Bosh muscles past David Robinson for an authoritative dunk, Michael Redd out-shoots the Basketball Jesus and D-Ho out-rebounds Patrick Ewing, where maybe, this is the real long shot, the combined might of Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade could slay the indefatigable, undefeatable Michael Jordan. And lets not forget the duel between Charles Barkley and Carlos Boozer for best sourpuss. That one’s a draw.
I know I’m dreaming but that’s exactly the point. If the game ever managed to take place in some alternate dimension, I’d probably be proven wrong time and time again. For now, I’m holding on to my futile theory for the simple fact that the players of the ’08 squad are still that: players. They aren’t the legends that took the world by storm sixteen years ago whose exploits we still recount today, but they certainly could be. Some already are (Kidd) whether you like it or not (Kobe) yet for a handful of the other Redeemers, the possibilities are endless. Right now, this new generation of players makes me feel like a kid again watching the ’92 team. I figure I’m biased for feeling nostalgic about something that’s going on in the present and that I can certainly appreciate more now than when I was young. When it comes down to it, I’ve always liked the idea of an underdog’s redemption more than the dream of perfection. They could do it, right? Just once…..

Grams and Pounds...

2008-08-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

I'm not a big critic of pot smokers but wouldn't it have been wise for Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur to exhibit a little self control? Or maybe they could have afforded a fan and blown it out the window? Is there a worse place to get caught puffing a little dope than at the mandatory NBA Rookie Seminar at which they tell you NOT to smoke dope? I mean, I guess it could be worse... they could have been maybe riding a motorcyle? I'm not saying it's definite but I wouldn't be suprised....

NBA Player Weights
For the past 4 years, NBA.com has been putting out statistics on individual player weights (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). Interesting fun fact, Eddy Curry has been the same size for the past four years. Really? And I thought they only lied about NBA players' heights. Unfortunately there was no similar WNBA comparison but I did a little informal research of my own. With Margo Dydek gone, I thought the WNBA's heaviest player might now be Latasha "Why Isn't Jackie Stiles in the W Anymore" Byears. But I am a WNBA amateur so I consulted my expert friend Matt and he brought to my attention Jessica Davenport (215) and Marcedes "Did My Mom Mispell Mercedes?" Walker who, it appears, takes the crown at a cool 253. The award for heaviest player who actually plays goes to Vanessa Hayden who tips the scales at 240.

Links
Crossover of the Day - It's grainy but it's worth it (and the second angle is better). Anyone can throw a crossover out there but it's more impressive doing it against The Glove.

sick pass by strickland

God Shammgod tearing it up at the 1995 McDonald's All-American game - Rumor has it that Shammgod actually taught Kobe Bryant the crossover. So the guy taught Kobe the crossover AND invented a legendary dribbling move? Impressive.

Rule Changes

2008-08-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few rule changes which I think should be implemented in the NBA.

Referees should be discouraged from calling charges on pass offs.
This one hurts me to write as I have broken up many a 3-on-1 breakway by throwing myself in the way of the passer. That said, it's still not right. This is the NBA and we should be placing an emphasis on skill... not on falling down and drawing calls. I can live with charges on drives to the hoop but if a player throws a nice dime and then crashes into a defender, it really should not be called.

If the defensive player forces a jump ball, this should result in a a change of possession with the ball going to the defensive team.
Players should be rewarded for skilled defensive plays. If Chris Quinn forces a jump ball by blocking his buddy Shaq's shot, shouldn't his team be rewarded with the ball rather than having it just handed back to Phoenix?

If the ball gets stuck between the rim and the backboard on a shot, the ball should go over to the defensive team.
This should be obvious... you should not be rewarded for sucking in the NBA. If you throw up such a bad shot that it gets stuck on the rim, you really don't deserve to get the ball back.

On the subject of jump balls, how random are they? Are they any less random than the college possession arrow? In fact, why not just go to the tried-and-true traditional playground method of odds and evens? (Credit to Adam for this brilliant idea.) This might sound silly at first but it's just as random as a jump ball and it would provide for tons of entertainment. Bruce Bowen would learn how to cheat by throwing late and would probably last in the league another 15 years just to win the opening possession. The announcers would also have a field day with this. For example...

Marv - "Kobe likes going with one finger here... YES! He's taken the possession."

Walton - "C'mon Big Man, throw two fingers."

And, of course, Walt - "Crawford knowing and throwing the single phalange... scintillating!"

Crossover of the Day - nice little sequence at the 45 second mark but I think you know I just wanted this in here to give a little love to the guy all the fat kids looked up to.

Shamgod of the Day - Bassy cutting some kid in high school. Oh, and for those of you longing for the innovator of that legendary move... (seriously, has there been any other guy who had less of a career in the NBA and yet has such a cool move named after him?)

Gallinari doing his Shamgod

The Redeem Team

2008-08-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Gold Medal game certainly lived up to the hype. Spain played very well and they obviously have some NBA-quality talent ready to hit the League. Rudy Fernandez is set to join the Blazers next season and if his 22 point performance isn't a fluke this team could be even more dangerous than previously imagined. Ricky Rubio didn't put up great numbers in the game but he showed flashes of brilliance that might make him a high lottery pick come 2010. More on the draft later but first some notes from the Olympics.

I never really liked "Redeem Team" as a term until I read this. I'm still not in love with the term but at least it has an interesting etymology.

LeBron said after the gold medal game, "But winning an NBA championship never would compare to winning a gold medal for my country." Funny that you didn't hear either actual NBA Champion (Prince and Bryant) saying this. Kudos to LeBron and company for saying the right things all Olympics but I don't believe this.

But back to the 2010 Draft... I know this mock draft will change drastically but is there anything better than youtubing prospected you've never heard of?

John Wall is currently number 1 and he looks nasty... can't wait for better mixes of him to come out.

More videos of these prep stars to come. As always...

Crossover of the Day - Luol going to work on The King.

3-Way Trades Can Be Confusing

2008-08-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

This trade is just a mess. Let's sort through the carnage team by team.

The Cavaliers clearly get the trade's best player in Mo Williams. They give up Damon Jones to Milwaukee which is great for Cleveland (because Jones stopped playing defense 3 years ago) and Ricard Jefferson (because now RJ has someone to hit the Miwaukee club scene with) but really bad for Damon because Milwaukee is not as fun as South Beach. They also give up Joe Smith which is a slightly bigger loss but you can't get something for nothing... (ok, sometimes you can) I'm tempted to call Mo the best guard LeBron has ever played alongside but then I remembered Larry Hughes... and then I remembered what Larry Hughes was like on Cleveland. End result... Mo Williams is the best guard LeBron has ever had. He can shoot, take it to the rim when necessary, and he can pass the ball. Could this pair bring a championship to Cleveland? I don't know but front office execs in New Jersey and New York sure hope not.

Milwaukee gives up Williams and gets Damon Jones, Luke Ridnour, and Adrian Griffin. They drop a 4 year 8 million dollar salary but they don't really get much in return. Jones' career is finished and Adrian Griffin is a career journeyman. Ridnour finds himself in a familiar role battling for a starting role with Ramon Sessions (as opposed to Earl Watson). Bogut, Villanueva, Jefferson, Redd and Sessions/Ridnour should be better than last year but I still don't see this team making the postseason.

Oklahoma City gives up Griffin (no loss there) and Ridnour (narrowing their point guard competition to Watson and Russell Westbrook. They acquire Joe Smith (who should give them some veteran leadership and Desmond Mason (who should give them some athleticism at the forward spot. Mason should give another great athlete - Jeff Green - a run for some minutes at the three.

So there you have it... a couple of teams took some steps sideways and Cleveland (unless Mo Williams goes all Larry Hughes on us) finally gave LeBron a decent scoring guard. I'm not going to label this trade "exciting" but it could have an impact on the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Rod Strickland - short mix and longer one

Another point guard legend... Kenny Anderson

Crossover of the Day - probably the one time you'll see this guy on here

10 Games to Watch in 2008-09

2008-08-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

The NBA released its 2008-09 schedule today and it seems likeeveryone and their brother has put out a "games to watch" list so I figured I'd do the same. Better get League Pass or you might miss some of these gems.

Bucks at Bulls - Oct 28 - Scott Skiles and Jim Boylan make their return to Chicago. Very exciting. The Bears have a bye this week so some fans might actually show up.
Fun Fact: Ramon Sessions set the Bucks franchise record for assists (24)last season. Scott Skiles holds the League record with 30.

Oklahoma City Thundercats at Hawks - Dec 23 - The OKC team was the last team to switch locations and the Hawks will probably be the next team to abandon their city (but they do have a state of the art arena so they will need to come up with another excuse).
Fun Fact: Whatever nickname OKC chooses you can rest assure it won't end in "s". Plural team names are so not cool these days.

Pacers at Dallas - Nov 25 - You don't realize the massive significance of this game? Anthony Johnson once played on both these teams. Don't worry, if you miss this matchup of former teams Johnson played the point for you can always catch one of the other 15 similar games.
Fun Fact: Tyronn Lue was actually worse than Johnson last year.

Warriors at Knicks - Nov 29 - Anthony Roberson's Revenge... need I say more?
Fun Fact: I thought Anthony Roberson was Anthony Randolph until I wrote this post.

Kings at Bobcats - Mar 18 - Already the front runner for game with the least attendance this year.
Not Fun Fact: With Artest gone, there is no longer any reason to watch the Kings on League Pass.

Bucks at Timberwolves - January 1 - Brett Favre is rumored to be trying out for the Bucks (and Minnesota and Chicago) this year. Who knows?
Fun Fact: Brett Favre played for his father in high school but they ran a running-oriented offense and he rarely threw more than 5 passes a game.

Hawks at Clippers - Jan 14 - EA Sports ran a simulation of the entire NBA season using NBA Live 09 and both these teams made the playoffs. I'm psyched.
Fun Fact: The above statement is completely false.

Jazz at Grizzlies - Jan 16 - This game wins the award for most nonsensical nickname matchup. Jazz in the land of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? Grizzlies in Memphis? Fun Fact: The Grizzlies were originally going to be called the Mounties which would have made the name even more inappropriate in Memphis. (That said, "Memphis Mounties" kind of has a nice ring to it.)

Pacers at Timberwolves - Feb 20 - Tune in to this thriller to see if 10 white guys can get on the floor at the same time. For Indiana - Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Travis Diener, Jeff Foster and Rasho Nesterovic (with Josh McRoberts if necessary). And for Minnesota - Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, Mark Madsen (damn.... need more guards... where is The Mayor when you need him?) Never fear though, I'm pretty sure the Wolves will have called up Corey Violete and Luke Jackson from the D-League by this point in the season.
Fun Fact: It took a ton of self control not to make a "Jason Collins... big man, stiff, awkward, no hands, Stanford grad... he's not white?" joke.

Nets at Knicks - April 15 - This battle for the 9th overall pick is unofficially known as the "Hasheem Thabeet Sweepstakes".
Fun Fact: On April 15th, Lincoln officially was pronounced dead, the Titanic sank, and taxes are due. Hopefully this game lightens everyone's mood.

A ton of credit goes to Matt for helping with this post.

The Olympics - USA Edition

2008-08-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

Men's Olympic basketball should be as competitive as ever in Beijing. While I think Team USA is clearly the front runners (at 1:5 odds per Bodog), they are by no means a lock to win this thing. This team is far superior to the one fielded by the US in 2004 even though many of the players are familiar. LeBron, Melo, and Dywane Wade are all vastly improved and, on paper, this team should not even be challenged. Unfortunately for the 2004 Bronze Medalists, this tournament isn't being played on paper. If this tournament were set up like the NBA Playoffs, I think the US would run the table but it's a lot tougher in the one-and-done format of the Olympic medal round. Can team USA defend the pick-and-roll? Can they shoot from the outside? Can they goaltend every ball that touches the rim - as is allowed in international rules?

In future posts we will be looking at their main rivals - Spain (5:1) and Argentina (12:1) (and maybe even the Aussies [200:1] who gave Team USA a scare this morning despite not having Andrew Bogut) - but for now let's look at their current point guard controversy. Obviously Chris Paul is the best point guard on the team but he is not starting. In fact, Jason Kidd, the current starter, is arguably the weakest PG on the team. So why is he starting? Beats me... but I guess it has something to do with him being 40-0 in international play. But does that really matter? I don't think so. Hold on though, let me get in some actual analysis in place of the Chris Paul lovefest you've no doubt come to expect. Kidd can't shoot to break zones that are so often thrown at the US and the athleticism of his teammates should render his excellent rebounding ability all but unnecessary. (Put it this way, if Kidd needs to be in there to rebound, the US is in trouble.) I personally think that Paul and Deron Williams (a tall guard who can shoot the 3) should see most of the time but Dwyane Wade can also run the point. Wade, Kobe, LeBron, Melo, and Howard/Bosh? Should this team really lose? If Kidd sees anything close to major minutes it means that the US is rolling over everyone (unlikely) or the coaching staff is overcome by nostalgia. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Crossover of the Day - AI cutting Baron

Sick board by Jamario Moon

Timmy D drinking something untasty

Iverson messing with Dwight Howard

LeBron James... all class. It's ok though, rumor has it he went back and picked it up.... yeah right.

Monday Morning Manute Links

2008-07-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

Manute bol mix... and another

Not in my house x4

Manute from way downtown!

Barkley and Mahorn messing with Manute

Dan Marjerle dunking on Manute

Spudd Webb dunking on Manute

Further Developments in the Ron Artest Saga

2008-07-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Is it ever not a saga with Ron Ron? I've often wanted to be a fly on the wall in an NBA locker room or front office but never have I wanted to be privy to a conversation more than the Yao-Artest makeup phone call. First Yao made some comments questioning Artest's ability to not be insane (legit concerns but probably best left unvoiced for the time being... Yao also probably could have stuck to "chemistry issues" rather than "going into the stands and fighting") and then Ron Ron questioned if Yao had ever played with a "black player that really represents his culture". This seemed kind of silly because Yao probably has a better understanding of black culture than any other Chinese guy alive and Rafer Alston seems pretty "ghetto" to me... but I digress. I think things are progressing nicely. Yao have proved to Ron Ron that he's going to speak his mind and Artest handled the situation well. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Nash and B-Diddy - If the Clippers miss the playoffs (which history says is a good bet) I think Baron is going to quit basketball and direct movies.

Who would win Jordan vs. Kobe one-on-one? - Jordan's concession that Kobe would beat him due to their age disparity reminds me of a great quote from Ty Cobb. A reporter asked an elderly Cobb what he would hit against today's pitchers and then seemed surprised when Cobb said "about .300". "Only .300?", the reporter asked. Cobb replied, "You've got to remember, I'm 73."

D-Wade = Sampson?

Ron Ron

2008-07-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

Ron Artest is heading to Houston and this could be just what T-Mac and Yao need to finally experience the second round of the playoffs... if Ron Ron can gel with the rest of the team. (And, of course, if Yao and T-Mac can stay healthy.) Let's stay positive and look at the best case scenario. The Rockets run with Rafer Alston, T-Mac, Artest, Battier/Landry/Scola, and Yao. Alston is serviceable and his shooting percentages theoretically should rise with the increased offense around him. T-Mac is still their #1 guy (if only by virtue of the fact that it's easier to get him the ball than Yao) and he is still an elite, if injury prone, superstar. Artest averaged 20/6/3.5 last year and, in my humble opinion, he is the best defender in the league. I watched a ton of Kings games this past season just to watch him play defense and it's criminal that he didn't make the All-Defensive team even considering he only played in 57 games. (As much as I love Chris Paul he isn't even in the same league defensively as Ron.) At power forward the Rockets have Luis Scola and, if they can sign him, Carl Landry who both can finish and rebound. Round this team out with Yao up front and Houston could be dominant, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

Artest is really the guy who can make or break this whole scheme. Great chemistry allowed the Rockets to reel off a 22 game win streak last year (the last six games without Yao) and no one has ever described Ron Ron as a "chemistry guy". Off the court distractions aside, Artest tended to force shots in Sac-town as the first (if you ask him) or second (if you ask anyone else) option but that won't be necessary with Yao and McGrady on the floor. Will the troubled St. John's product finally put it all together with Houston?

I think he will. Artest, McGrady, and Yao all have their legacies at stake here and they know it. This is probably the most talented team either of them will ever play on and they need to at least make the conference finals if they want to start shaking the "can't win the big one" labels already hovering above them. Artest will have to sacrifice shots and glory if this team is going to make a run in the playoffs and Queensbridge's finest isn't stupid. Ok, granted, he's done stupid stuff over the course of his career - a lot of stupid stuff - but he knows the game and he's definitely capable of working well with these teammates. Rockets-Hornets conference finals... it's not possible, is it?

Yao Ming with the most real and honest take on the whole situation

Artest singing to Pierce

artest mix and another

ron ron rapping

Chris Paul Lovefest

2008-07-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I told the world how incredibly awesome Chris Paul is so let me take a few minutes to do that now.

I am gay for Chris Paul. (Yeah, I said it.) He is the best point guard in the League and possible the best player too. (He should have won the MVP this year but the voting members of the media were too busy apologizing to Kobe for not giving him the award in past years... but I digress.) I first realized he was special in college when he avoided a defender while sprinting down the open floor with a through-the-legs dribble and never even broke stride. I hit the gym the next day and consider myself a decent dribbler but I couldn't even come close to replicating the move at full speed. Paul was drafted by the Hornets in 2005 but he was never on TV so my mancrush on him somewhat faded.

Fast forward to the 2007-08 season. It's November and I'm already debating whether or not I should seek help for a clinical addiction to NBA League Pass. (I just can't explain to my coworkers anymore that my bleary eyes in the morning aren't a result of drinking or staying up all night getting laid, but rather, because I stayed up to watch Clippers-Grizzlies because I like Kyle Lowery's game or because Hawks-Kings was "way more exciting than you might have imagined".) And then I rediscovered the joy that is watching Chris Paul ball.
Why is he so good? First, The Standard has unbelievable hand eye coordination in a league full of guys who are absurdly coordinated. He stands 6 feet even but he averages 4.5 boards a game (and 2.3 steals per game) for his career because he reacts to the ball as fast as anyone I have ever seen. If the ball is on the ground and Chris Paul is in the mix, he will come up with it. His vision is rivaled by only a few others in the League (Nash and Kidd come to mind) but, at this stage in their respective careers, Paul gets to the rim better than both of them. When he wants, he can attack the rim as well as anyone in the league. He doesn't have a wide almost-but-not-quite-a-carry crossover like Iverson but he still can cut people with the best of them. Finally, Paul is a leader. I know I'm biased but he just exudes leadership on the floor to the point where other comparable talents (LeBron, Kobe, Melo) should really be taking notes. He might be hard on his teammates but he doesn't embarrass them. I think this motivates more than the eye rolls and exasperated shrugs of some other aforementioned superstars. Ok, enough Chris Paul love for now... there will no doubt be more coming but I just had to get my fix for the summer.

Chris Paul Mix - watch the play that starts at around the 46 second mark... the look-off pass is just straight nasty.

Chris Paul's tribute to his grandfather - moving piece about his late grandfather.

Crossover of the Day - this series of moves was so nasty that even the goaltending couldn't keep it off the highlight reel. That said, I like the move by Kenyon Martin to blatantly goaltend the shot... if your teammate gets cut up, it's your duty to keep him off someone's youtube mix be it by fouling or goaltending.

Lamar Odom Blooper - Lamar again tries to play while stoned and it doesn't work out too well.

WNBA Plays of the Week

2008-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Today we provide you with a viewing guide for the WNBA's Top 10 Plays of the Week.

10. Tan White - White tosses up a prayer and it drops. I'd be almost impressed if I wasn't convinced the shot was entirely luck.
9. Delisha Milton-Jones to Candace Parker - Nifty little play with a strong finish by Parker (far and away the best finisher in the WNBA). Milton-Jones, of course, is famous for being the first WNBA player to punch an opposing coach in the back of the head.
8. KB Sharp - nice play... I guess.
7. Becky Hammon - Finally a decent play I can appreciate. Hammon slices to the hoop with a nice jumpshot and puts up a creative and skilled finish. Am I biased because she is the cutest player in the W? Probably.
6. Monique Currie - Nice backdoor cut, nice dish, nice reverse finish. Another good play.
5. Alexis Hornbuckle - Nice steal and a stylish bounce pass feed for a layup. I can't even find something to complain about here.
4. Hammon, again. - Solid move to the hoop and solid finish. Did I mention she's hot?
3. Lindsay Whalen - Nice layup. How is this any better than the last four plays?
2. Crystal Smith - Typical WNBA "play of the week". Smith loses the ball not once but twice and then heaves up a prayer to beat the 3rd quarter buzzer. I guarantee you there were better plays that happened in this actual game let alone during the entirety of the week.
1. Diana Taurasi - I mean, I guess it's a decent play to beat the halftime buzzer but what was impressive about it? It was kind of long? Taurasi isn't even impressed with the play. I am not impressed.

So there you have it. Apparently the people in the WNBA video department are wowed by lucky heaves and quarter buzzer beaters. Isn't this league all about inspiring young women to play the game at a higher level? Excuse me while I go explain to my 13 year old sister how she shouldn't be practicing half court prayers and no look layups.

Random dunk mix - starring Deion Sanders and others. The highlight of the mix comes at around the 36 second mark when Mike Conley Sr. (Mike Conley's father, triple jump Olympic gold medalist, and 3-time celebrity slam dunk contest winner) throws down a monster 2-hander from the free throw line.

Rick Mahorn - a rare clip of him not punching someone or getting punched.

Links 7/27/2008

2008-07-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Crossover of the Day - Deron Williams crossed up Hinrich hard. The only thing I didn't like about the play was that it reminded me of how many awesome Jason Kidd passes I will never get to see because they bounced off the hands of Jason Collins.

Jason Collins or Eric Snow: the worst starters on Finals teams in the last 20 years? Discuss... (It's really sad how badly I'm haunted by Jason Collins and his nonexistent offensive game. Even his brother blowing a layup conjures up nightmares.)

video about driblings in the NBA

supremely pass

Top 10 plays from the Las Vegas Summer League

Two Guys You Meet in Pickup Basketball

2008-07-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Mr. Hustle
NBA Equivalent - Dennis Rodman, Mark Madsen
He's not the most skilled player on the court but he knows this. He never throws up wild shots (and sometimes barely shoots at all). Instead, he will try to make up for his lack of skills by hustling, rebounding, setting screens and playing relentless defense. He's always boxing out which is great if he's your teammate but it gets old if he's guarding you and he shoves his ass into your gut every time a shot is launched. He's often an old guy who has lost some of his skills or a football player who was never that good to begin with but can't stand losing. Either way, this is a guy who you always want on your team. If you ever find yourself on a two on zero breakaway with this guy you better give him the layup because he probably deserves it more than you.

The Prima Dona
NBA Equivalent - Antoine Walker, Stephon Marbury
This guy thinks he is significantly better than he is and he takes shots in accordance with this belief in his own awesomeness. He's the guy that won't swing you the ball early in the game because you don't look like a basketball player (aka you are short, Asian, wearing jean shorts or not black). Then he jacks up a three and mumbles something about you not setting screens. If he's one of the more skilled players in the game this is very frustrating because your team may need him to score which will only encourage his selfish habits. Of course, if he's one of the less skilled players in the game this will be even more frustrating because he will be dragging your team down. He overshoots, underpasses and has no idea how to play the game. Ideally he will be on your team with a friend he has brought who is more skilled than he is. If this is the case, you may be able to win this kid's respect and then politely ask him why he is letting his friend kill the team. Of course if you don't have this scenario and you aren't willing to confront the kid outright then you just need to take a few deep breaths, remind yourself this is all for the cardio and freeze the ball hog out of the offense.

Crossover of the Day - As Bill Walton drones on about the purchasing power of Mexicans in the United States... Romel Beck crosses the Mamba.

money fan

Qyntel Woods mix - This is the guy who once tried to give a cop at a traffic stop his basketball card instead of his license... aren't you at least a little nostalgic for the jail blazer days?

amazing high school dunk mix

Pickup Basketball

2008-07-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Pickup basketball is the greatest social activity this side of taking shots with hot chicks. And, frankly, if the pickup game is good enough I'd probably choose that over socializing in some bar. Why is it so great?

Exercise
I'm convinced that playing three games to 11 is actually a more effective method of burning calories than riding an elliptical for 3 hours. The running, cutting, and jumping all provide a great all around workout. Best of all, you can always increase the intensity of the workout by running the floor harder, going for every rebound, or playing tougher defense.

Camaraderie
Isn't cooperation between two people who have never met a beautiful thing? Isn't the random Mexican dude at the park setting the down screen for the old Asian guy who receives a pass from the teenage black kid a truly beautiful sight? Isn't it great when you make a shot or get a rebound and people you've never met before that game are suddenly your close friends?

More to come on pickup basketball and why it's the best thing ever but now a few links (a few extra to make up for the lack of a post yesterday).

Crossover of the Day - Chris Paul is disgusting.

10 more crossovers

Really old school Jordan

young vince dunking on helpless kids

dikembe... and friends

'07 FIBA Asian Champions

2008-07-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Mountain Revue, an NBA Summer League run by the Jazz, kicks off this Friday. Apparently they had some trouble recruiting NBA teams to play in the event because they resorted to letting the D-League Ambassadors play. Also of note, the 2007 FIBA Asian champions are going to participate in the Revue. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The 2007 FIBA Asian Champion was Iran. Apparently this is supposed to be some sort of secret because online resources for the Revue seem to be hesitant to publicize this fact. Using a small sample size of one athlete, empirical evidence indicates that Iranians aren't good at facing Jews in athletic competition... so it's a good thing Lior Eliyahu and Jordan Farmar are skipping the Revue this year. Seriously though, I'm kind of puzzled at why steps would be taken to hide the identity of this team. Isn't this what international sports is all about? Isn't it beautiful that while two countries talk about destroying each other, two teams of basketball players from those countries join together to compete and learn from each other? Won't various blogs/deadspin just pick up on this story even harder if they know smell a cover-up? More importantly, if the 2007 FIBA Champions decide to choose a slogan, shouldn't it be "Denying the post and denying the Holocaust since the late 1940s"? (Credit to Matt for that one... but I wish I had thought of it.)

Starbury's head tattoo...

The Lior Eliyahu youtube mix you knew was coming...

Crossover of the Day - Baron jukes a few times before catching Paul Pierce (a respectable defender... especially after the 2008 Finals) with a beautiful inside-hand-change-crossover move and then finishes with the emphatic dunk. Need more B-Diddy... grainy but nice highlights from his Charlotte days.

Running Up the Score

2008-07-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

At the youth sports level...
Running up the score in youth sports (up through high school) is usually a classless act by an egomaniac coach. In any case, it's actually a good thing because it gives us a great opportunity to teach our children (and by "our children" I mean all the kids besides those of the offending coach) how to handle victory and defeat by large margins. Neither team should ever be compelled to stop trying but you shouldn't intentionally try to embarrass the other team. At the same time, you can't really complain if someone is running the score up on you because you look like a, for lack of a better term, whiny bitch.

In professional sports...
You are getting paid a lot of money... suck it up and practice more.

In adult recreation sports...
You are doing it for cardiovascular exercise... running up and down a court chasing players who are superior to you while being motivated by the potential for embarrassment seems like a great way to burn calories. Suck it up.

Crossover of the Day

Making the NBA Summer League Watchable

The Play of the Day

2008-07-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Thank God for Gerald Green and the Summer League Play of the Day because I was going to gouge my own eyes out if I had to watch another breakaway layup passed off as the most exciting thing that happened that day. Don't get me wrong, occasionally (usually when Ticha Penicheiro is involved) the WNBA play of the day is pretty good.

Summer League Box Score Notes
Eric Gordon dropped 30... on 5-18 shooting.
OJ Mayo had 15 points and 5 assists... with 8 turnovers. Backcourt mate Mike Conley dropped 14 points and 6 assists in the Grizzlies win over New Orleans.
Anthony Randolph scored 30 as the Warriors beat the 76ers. Thaddeus Young had 27 in the losing cause.

Crossover of the Day

Awesome basketball shot

The Environment

2008-07-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

The environment is in the news a lot these days but I could care less about a vague term for plants and air that dominates the news with boring stories about oil spills and global warming. I do, however, pathetically still care about the NBA during its most boring time of the year. The point of all this... environment is very important in the NBA. Will a change of scenery do any of the free agents good? It worked out pretty well for Pau Gasol.

Brand to the 76ers
Elton Brand instantly makes the 76ers contenders. They have a solid true point guard in Andre Miller, a do-everything athletic 3 who can play defense in Iguodala, and an All-Star power forward in Brand. If Samuel Dalembert doesn't suck (possible) and Louis Williams develops a Jesus Shuttlesworth-esque jump shot (probably not possible) over the summer then the 76ers will contend in the East. Apparently they don't have much cap space but they still need to resign Andre "I should have won the 2006 Slam Dunk contest" Iguodala.

Corey Maggette to the Warriors
This team missed the playoffs with Baron Davis and they didn't upgrade with Maggette. This team probably isn't playoff bound but at least between Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, and Nellie Ball they will be fun to watch.

Baron Davis to the Clippers
Baron Davis thought he was returning home to lead the Clippers to the playoffs. At least now Baron will have a few extra months to shoot more gems like this.

Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors
This could be the perfect example of a guy getting revitalized by a change of scenery. O'Neal was so happy to be traded that he claims to have shed tears... which begs the question, can you really trust a starting center who is that susceptible to crying?

Random Dunk Videos You Should Watch

The best dunker under 6 feet in the world?

James "Flight" White - through the legs from the free throw line (4:50)

Shawn Kemp Top 10

The best dunker... ever

The Offseason

2008-07-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

The 2008 NBA season came to a close when the Boston Celtics, much to the surprise of the experts, massacred the Lakers in the Finals. I'll just come right out with this... the Finals were a major let down for me. It's not that they weren't exciting... it's just that they weren't as exciting as the regular season. Plus the media can only cram the Boston-LA rivalry nostalgia down our throats for so long before it gets old. Also, sometime during Game 2 I had already started dreading a column like this...

In any case, the 2007-08 regular season was so downright awesome that it more than made up for any minor issues I could find to whine about during the finals. Now we have four months to kill before the start of another NBA season which I can only hope is as enthralling as the last one. How will we pass the time? Summer Leagues... the Olympics... free agent signings... youtube... inane NBA gossip? Yeah, I think we'll manage.

Iverson Returns to Philly

2008-03-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia fans played it classy tonight when they gave Allen Iverson a huge ovation in his return to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since his trade to Denver. (Philadelphia-based pundits will no doubt praise the city's fans for their warmth but the only reason that anyone was questioning the reception he would get is because Philly fans are natural assholes.) All in all, the atmosphere was everything you could want in an NBA game. AI gets tons of love and plays well. The game, which has serious playoff implications for both teams, is close but the home team pulls it out. If you don't like that then you don't like NBA basketball.

Iverson was a two-sport star from Hampton, Va. who chose to concentrate on basketball at Georgetown University. His NBA career has showcased his brash raw talent, his anti-establishment attitude, his ridiculous crossover, and his ability to carry a team on his shoulders to the NBA Finals. One of the more interesting things about AI's career is his drastic transformation from a symbol for everything wrong with the NBA to a media darling. There is no question Iverson has matured throughout his years in the League but I don't really think he has changed much. Criticism of his tattoos or his cornrows seems quaintly racist and even his monologue on practice doesn't seem as bad considering how hard he has always played. The media finally realized that there was substance buried over there beneath all that style but, for me, the style has always been my favorite part of AI (self pass at 4:40).

It always amused me when people complained about AI carrying the ball on his crossover. How could anyone concentrate on that when The Answer was shaking the best defenders in the NBA? People forget that Iverson could dunk with the best of them (I love the one-hand-to-two dunks around the 2:00 mark). He is also a tremendous passer and he can finish with the high kiss off the glass as well as anyone in the game.

And then there is everything else. He's not above street ball. He has class... and freakish ups. His penchant for partying is legendary. I dont' really know what changed everyone's mind but I'm glad they did. Go out and watch Iverson highlights on youtube for a few hours. You won't regret it.

KB24 Blog Day?

2008-03-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today is officially Kobe Bryant Blog day. Why did why Kobe need to be celebrated in the blogosphere? I don't really know. Here are some "blog days" that would have been a lot more fun than Kobe Day.

Henry Bekkering Blog Day
Henry Bekkering was like Brent Barry's idiot savant little brother. Barry had a nice career in the league but his dunk contest win was always a little tainted by the mediocre competition and waning fan support for the contest. Bekkering, on the other hand, was never good enough to play in the League (I think he's placekicking in the CFL now) but no one questioned the quality of his dunk contest victory. More Bekkering.

(I'm not even going to bring up David Lee as another white dunk contest champion because James White was robbed. As an aside, as long as we're on the subject of people who can dunk better than they can actually ball... Slamnation!)

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo Blog Day
This day would be solely for recognizing how ridiculous-but-awesome Dikembe Mutombo is. On the court he is primarily known for taunting opponents (thanks to this ridiculous rule) while off the court he is know for his humanitarian work. He's been mentioned in the State of the Union and he knows how to use chopsticks. His voice is funny and he's really sensitive about his age. And as much as I think the finger wag is poor sportsmanship, it really is contagious.

Notes 3/7/2008

2008-03-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

How is Stephen A. Smith allowed to do a studio show? He is so obnoxious and his insights (if you can call them that) are either obvious or flat out wrong but are always yelled obscenely loud.

Why are the Bulls so bad? Is it because Kirk Hinrich mysteriously got a lot worse? Is Luol Deng not as good as everyone thought? Is their chemistry just fatally flawed?

The Birdman Set to Fly Again

2008-03-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

Chris Andersen will return to the Hornets after a lengthy suspension for an unidentified drug that was not weed. This move should put Ryan Bowen out of a job and should give the Hornets some more energy off the bench.

Reflections from a Night of League Pass (3/3/08)

2008-03-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

Hornets at Knicks

Wilson Chandler and Randolph Morris both FINALLY see action for the Knicks. Chandler actually got about 20 minutes and scored 6 points while grabbing 4 rebounds. Maybe he will finally get some minutes down the stretch as the Knicks play for ping pong balls? Morris plays in his third game of the year. What does Isiah have against the D-League? Well, there's this...

For the Hornets, Jannero Pargo could probably start for a number of NBA teams even though he's perfect coming off the bench for the Hornets. He's a natural point guard with a lethal pull up jump shot that he can create for himself if the shot clock runs down. I love when the Hornets play Pargo and Paul at the same time.

During a two minute stretch, Walt Clyde Frazier praised Chris Paul for finishing with his right hand while asserting that he was left-handed and then continued to praise the Hornet point guard for losing excess weight on his hips since coming into the league. I really love Walt but is he really losing it?

As for the game, the Knicks looked good but fell apart at the end. Shocking.

76ers at Clippers

The Clippers look horrible as they get blown out by Philly. Al Thornton leads the Clippers in scoring with 20 but also ties the franchise record for turnovers in a game with 10. He's a natural scorer but he brings so little else to the table in terms of rebounding (unless he's chasing his own missed shot), passing and defense. He kind of reminds me of Antoine Walker except that Thornton actually can jump.

Louis Williams is going to be a player in this league. Philly actually has a lot of talent in Williams, Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young but they are too inexperienced outside of their starting back court to really be taken seriously. Unfortunately for them they are in the East so they should make the playoffs and miss a lottery pick.

Chuck Swirsky Might Not Vote for Jamario Moon for Rookie of the Year

2008-02-28T11:28:00.001-08:00

Raptors play-by-play man Chuck Swirsky's recent blog entry hints that he might have to vote for Al Horford with his vote for ROY. You might remember Swirsky as the only voter who picked Toronto's Andrea Bargnani for ROY last year, thus denying the aptly named Brandon Roy a unanimous victory. Swirsky's arguments, predictably, are statistically weak but he ultimately defended his decision by saying that he watched Bargnani every day. This begs the question, "Why didn't he see Roy play more?". If you were given the opportunity (dare I say privilege) to vote for Rookie of the Year, wouldn't you make it a point to watch as many of the relevant rookies as often as possible? As the season wore down, wouldn't it be prudent to watch Roy as often as possible (considering you already got a daily look at Bargnani)?

It seems to me that Swirsky does not see his vote as a privilege but as more of an honor bestowed upon him for his involvement in the League. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate anyone who cares about the NBA as much as Swirsky but I think his obvious homer vote undermines the entire award selection process. In this case it hardly mattered but what if the race had been closer? Would Swirsky have been able to vote without his hometown bias?

In a league where we judge players historically on the honors bestowed upon them as much as their numbers, shouldn't we strive to rid this process of hometown prejudice? Shouldn't the people who decide these awards study the candidates as closely as possible? As long as people like Swirsky let their hometown allegiances skew their voting, I don't think we can take these awards as seriously as we should.

So exciting I thought the playoffs had started...

2008-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight’s slate of NBA games is the most anticipated lineup thus far in the season. Shaq makes his debut with Phoenix when Kobe and the Lakers come to town. The Shaq-Kobe feud has lay dormant of late with Diesel playing for Miami but that could change with the former championship duo now battling it out in the same division.

The Hornets host the Mavericks in Jason Kidd’s Dallas debut. Kidd faces Chris Paul in a match-up of elite point guards. How deep is the West? The Hornets have the best record in the conference but everyone will be auditioning Dallas tonight for the playoffs. Kidd, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier are a solid starting 5 and Kidd always contributes to great chemistry on the floor (except for this one time a few years ago in Dallas… might be a good idea not to fill that extra roster spot with Jim Jackson).

In the nightcap, the Celtics visit Golden State in Kevin Garnett’s second game back from an abdominal strain. Garnett was mediocre in his return. Doc Rivers said Garnett’s minutes would be a game-time decision but KG stated emphatically that he would play. With the Warriors pace and lack of rebounders, don’t be surprised to see him have a big game.

As if those three games weren’t enough, Mike Bibby returns to Atlanta, Orlando heads north of the border to take on the Raptors, and the Knicks look to win two in a row only this time without throwing stuff at each other during timeouts.

The Shaq Trade

2008-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are criticizing the Suns for trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Heat for Shaquille O’Neal but I think the move will win them the NBA title. The unexpected swap will alter the attack of the run-and-gun Suns and thus end one of the most entertaining basketball shows in the history of the game. Consider how the trade alters the chemistry of the team.

Swapping Shaq for Marion makes Phoenix slower and less fearsome on the fast break and it breaks up a classic alley-oop combination. (Has there been a better duo since Payton and the Reign Man?) Marion can push the ball up the floor with his own dribble whereas Shaq in the open floor is more of an adventure. The Suns lose Marion’s ability as an excellent on-ball defender and his two steals per game along with 35% from behind the arc.

But what do they get in return? And does it really make them less equipped to handle the Western Conference playoff gauntlet? Doesn’t Shaq’s playoff experience alone (14 years, four rings, and three Finals MVPs) count for a lot? Kazaam and Amare pose a formidable threat against opposing teams driving to the hoop and they now have 12 fouls to throw at Tim Duncan. No longer will things look as bleak for the Suns when Amare inevitably bites on a Duncan head fake and heads to the bench during key minutes of a big game. They also match-up nicely against L.A.’s Bynum/Gasol front court duo. Although we don’t know exactly how D’Antoni with deploy Shaq within the offense, O’Neal will provide a huge boost when Nash is not in the game. Barbosa is an explosive scorer but he often does not look comfortable at the point and the Suns struggle to get open shots. Shaq on the block is always a decent option and he’s even more dangerous when surrounded by shooters. Finally, Shaq has publicly stated that he wants to be a glue-guy - - willing to accept any role for the good of the team - - while Marion has made it clear that he would prefer a more increased role in the half-court offense.

This experiment will ultimately be successful only if Nash and O’Neal can both adapt to the modified offensive scheme as well as to each other. Nash clearly thrives on the break but he’s just as effective in the half court offense. It shouldn’t take long for him to connect with Neon on a few lobs around the goal. Nash (along with D’Antoni) also has to figure out how often to go into O’Neal in the half court set. There may be some nights when the Big Aristotle on the block is a popular option for Phoenix. Nash may prefer to fast break but I trust that the two-time MVP can figure out how to best involve the Shaq Attack in the offense.

The much bigger issue is how Shaq will adopt to his new surroundings. He will no longer be the primary option and he will be forced to defer to Nash and Amare running their pick-and-roll. But Norman isn’t blind and he knows what it takes to win in the NBA. I can’t see him letting his ego demand touches to the detriment of the team. If anything, O’Neal’s belief in his own awesomeness actually should motivate him. A fifth championship with Phoenix strengthens the argument that he is the greatest big man to ever play the game. No doubt Shaq sees parallels between his current situation and Wilt Chamberlain’s last championship with the 1971-72 Lakers. Wilt was fourth on the team in scoring but first in rebounds and fourth in assists with four a game. Shaq’s passing ability combined with the Suns 3-point threats should allow him to rack up assists in the desert.

Provided Shaq is healthy, the Sun should rise in Phoenix as the big man predicts. Winning is rejuvenating and the Suns provide the perfect atmosphere for O’Neal to once again play for a champion. While this writer thinks that Phoenix is the front runner in the West, only time will tell if - - as he has put it himself - - Steve Kerr is a moron or a genius.

Guest Column: Fix those Nets

2008-02-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Guest Column for all you Nets fans out there...that is the dozen of you that are left. Seriously, there hasn't been such a lame duck sports franchise since everyone knew that the Montreal Expos were moving in the late 1990's. The Nets should move to Brooklyn now and build a fan base. But alas, forward thinking is never a forte in professional sports.

Disclaimer: It's clear now that Jason Kidd wants out of New Jersey, and perhaps Vince Carter does too. The Nets are reportedly shopping both, and rumors of a VC for Jermaine O'Neal package are tearing up the airwaves at the moment. As for Kidd, has a year gone past when there were less than a million rumors floating around about him being traded?

Regular coverage should be coming back soon. For now, peace.

More Than Enough Shake-Up Trades For Beleaguered Nets

Around this time of year before the trade deadline, every diehard NBA fan with its team in the middle of a slump or in the need of one more player to push them over their hump with time to kill likes to throw out any and all possible likelihood of a trade. Then there are the teams that don't need to trade simply for the sake of it but to pump some like into their deflating season and one of those team is the New Jersey Nets. As a New Jersey native with the Knicks in his blood, I've consigned myself to being entertained by the Nets instead of torturing myself by actively dealing with the Knicks anymore. As desolate as the Knicks may be at the moment, the Nets' prospects are not much better. After wisely passing up the chance to trade Kidd to the Lakers last season, the Nets have not fared that much better this season as they have been hampered by a Richard Jefferson who, if not injured, merely whines about his injuries and a freshly extended Vince Carter whose effort varies from night to night. Although it has never been vocalized yet, the NJ/NY media has quickly seized on the fact that Kidd may want out or wants a change in personnel. Even if he doesn't, the tri-state media is notorious for planting seeds that don't need to be sown. So long as he doesn't suffer a major injury, Kidd still has a solid two to three seasons left in him so instead of trying to structure a deal to get the most out of their franchise player in a trade, they should take the inverted long view and put better players around him for the remainder of his career while still building for the team's future. If you have one of the greatest true point guards in league history, you don't maximize his value in a trade, you hold onto him for dear life and shed your dead weight. The Eastern Conference still has its slackers and a halfway decent team can still make it to the playoffs but the EC is no longer the NFC of the NBA. To say that this team could survive in a 7 game series with Boston, Orlando, Detroit or even Cleveland is laughable at this point. On paper, the Nets have what it takes but on the court, Jefferson, Carter, Krstic and the Nets' inexperienced bench are not being the supporting cast that Kidd should thrive with. So that being said, here are some trades that could easily be pulled off in the real world if only they were shopped.

-Ship Carter and some draft picks for a solid 2 guard with less of a large contract:

The first name that comes to mind immediately is Michael Redd simply because he certainly wouldn't mind a change of pace from always carrying the Bucks. The Bucks would most likely veto the deal because of Carter's cold-weather city history but if some pieces were added to the deal either with Nets' draft picks or by a third team, it could happen. Of course the one problem could come from a Nets ownership handicapping Rod Thorn from moving on the deal. Bruce Ratner and Co. probably want to see Kidd and Carter both in Brooklyn Nets jerseys at the start of their time there. I respected Thorn when he brought Carter to the Nets several years ago for 40 cents on the dollar from the Raptors but giving him an extension last season when he's definitely at the down turn in his career was suspect when his effort in big games has always been questioned. The best move now is to try to get the most out of him by a team that thinks he's still worth something.

-Trade Jefferson for an equally capable swingman or a rookie investment for the future:

Jefferson still has the best years ahead of him and when he's at the top of his game, he is one of the best small forwards in the league. All he may need is a change of scenery at this point. Wouldn't a return to the state of his alma mater as well as a team offense where he would easily thrive seem to be a possibility? It just so happens that the Phoenix Suns have a seemingly disgruntled small forward with a similar contract and career averages. Throw in draft picks or a contract to offset Marion's slightly larger contract like Antoine Wright or Darrell Armstrong and it's a done deal. The best part is that both players and teams get equal value out of the deal. Marion gets to be the superstar on a run and gun team with a point guard similar to Steve Nash and with less egos to clash with his (providing Carter is gone at that point) while Jefferson also gets to work with another great point guard that will probably lift his stats and his spirits and saving the Suns money on Marion's slightly larger contract. You would have to include another player on the Nets such as Antoine Wright or a draft pick (that the Suns will trade away most likely) to sweeten the deal but if the Suns feel that Marion is going to continue to be more trouble in Nash's final years and can get equal value for him, the Nets could have the right players for him.

Another unique, albeit bleak, scenario would involve trading Jefferson for a young 2 or 3 guard, absorbing a hefty expiring contract in the deal and giving a young, losing team a player that they could build around. Corey Brewer immediately comes to mind because he can play several positions and will be one of the premier swingmen in the league under the proper tutelage. Minnesota's way over the cap and although they would probably jump at a guy like Jefferson, the Nets would have to take on a contract like Theo Ratliff (the ubiquitous expiring contract player) and also dispose with some of their cheaper bench help like Darrell Armstrong to seal the deal but Brewer would be worth it in the long run, not only to keep Kidd happy but to invest in the Nets future. In one of the deepest drafts in recent memory, Brewer will probably be one of the best players to emerge from it and to get him now would be a steal. Kevin McHale's been known to do dumber things.

That still leaves the glaring hole they have in their frontcourt but if they could even pull one of these deals off, it might give them some momentum going into the postseason as well as a positive team chemistry, two things which they are desperately in need of. At this point, trading Kidd would be extremely unlikely especially since the Lakers, his most likely suitor, has come together without him. Some may balk at dispensing with Carter and Jefferson but I'm not merely suggesting trades for the sake of them, I'm suggesting them simply because what the Nets have clearly isn't working.

Off Topic: Two Cents on Barry Bonds

2007-11-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

I'm sure anyone and everyone is sick of reading/hearing about Bonds. I am. I'm so sick of it that I feel compelled to post about Bonds so I never have to think of him again. Given that, I do not blame anyone for choosing to stop reading here and moving on. If you choose to keep reading, however, welcome to the little window in to my mind.

I see both sides of the argument regarding the saga of steroids and sports, culminating in Bonds' indictment.

On the one hand, I think it is 99.9% certain that Barry Bonds committed a crime, and you can count me as a supporter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in deciding to prosecute Bonds for his crime. On the other hand, the media downplays the fact that Bonds’ crime was not for taking steroids. Rather, his crime was overtly, knowingly, purposefully, and repeatedly lying to federal investigators about taking steroids. By downplaying this in favor of whiny overtures on ethics or empty outbursts against a oerceived widespread use of performance enhancing drugs, the national media has only served to throw unnecessary fire on a tiresome, shallow, self-righteous, and seemingly never ending debate on the effects of steroids on destroying our national innocence. That’s irresponsible reporting, and does nothing to focus on the million or so other more menacing problems that plague modern society.

The media's crime here (as it usually is) is to favor knee-jerk reporting and tabloid-esque shallow debates in favor of actually evaluating the legal situation. O.J. Simpson anyone? The media has largely ignored that in the eyes of lawmakers and law enforcers, there is a HUGE difference between violating the law and lying to the law about violating the law. Indicting Bonds for perjury and obstruction of justice is less some sort of symbolically epic indictment of the steroids era (as the media would like to portray) but instead has everything to do with the fact that Bonds chose to cover his ass instead of assisting a federal grand jury in its obligation to evaluate evidence and fact in pursuing a rogue California laboratory that was illegally manufacturing and distributing a Type III controlled substance.

In the end, Barry Bonds has no one to blame but himself for his sticky legal situation. When the time came for him to face the music, he could think of no one but himself, and chose to lie to a federal grand jury because of it. His choice was selfish, vain and imcomprehensibly illogical. End of story. Why illogical you ask? From a legal perspective, the media has further downplayed the fact that Bonds had received legal immunity from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in exchange for his grand jury testimony. Having worked at a criminal defense firm for a year, I can tell you that this getting immunity is the equivalent of a carte-blanche get out of jail free card. The Department of Justice does not take it lightly and a prosecutor requesting immunity in most cases has to receive a green light from Washington prior to granting it. To make a long story short, Bonds could have simply admitted the truth in his testimony - "I took steroids and other PED's, manufactured by BALCO, to boost my career and pursue a home run record" - and gone on with his life, entirely free from federal prosecution. Of course, this would have come at the expense of national ridicule, likely disciplinary action from Major League Baseball, and perhaps his pursuit of the home run record, but in hindsight, the alternative has been much worse.

We often joke about Jason Grimsley and Jason Giambi’s drug-fueled careers, but the fact is that when the music came to them, they didn’t dance around it like Bonds did. They cooperated with law enforcers. Giambi went so far as to cooperate with lawmakers. They disclosed names of users and distributors. They admitted, albeit half-heartedly and under pressure, that they took illegal drugs to support their careers. Because of this choice, they have faded into either relative obscurity (Giambi) or the realm of scorn (Grimsley) in the minds of baseball fans. But we forget that they had a choice when the lawmen came a knockin' at their doors and in retrospect it is clear that they made the right decision for themselves to come clean. Giambi is still playing with the Yankees and making his millions. Grimsley is retired, living in wealth, and largely an afterthought. Most importantly for them, because of their choice they do not have to face the fury of a federal criminal action for their choices in the past. Barry Bonds chose to lie, and however unfairly or fairly we believe he has been treated over the past four years, the fact is that at the time he possessed the dual power of having an immunity agreement AND a choice as to whether to be truthful. For the U.S. Attorney's Office, prosecuting Bonds for the choice he made is a logical legal action. In the eyes of he law, steroids pose a problem because they are dangerous, and because they are dangerous they are therefore illegal. Lying to federal prosecutors, moreover, is illegal because it impedes the supposedly objective enforcement of the law. That is what Bonds is charged with, and that is the choice that brought him to this point.

Unfortunately, the media does not deal with U.S. v. Bonds as it should, choosing instead to focus on fiction of U.S. v. Bonds, Steroids, and Some Sort of Imaginary Assault on the Children and the Innocence of Sport. Please, spare me. First, sport is not some sort of pure institution being assaulted by a comic book supervillian. It's a flawed venue comprised of human beings, who, like you and I, make mistakes because we spend most of our time being either stupid, vain and/or uninformed. C'est la vie. Get used to it. Barry Bonds is not an evil figure. He's rather a weak and overly defensive person who was blessed with an impeccable talent to hit a baseball a long ways. He's rather an unintelligent person who failed to realize that even if he did not supplement his talent with steroids he would still be one of the best baseball players of all time. He fell victim to his egotistical desires. Any of these three characterizations works, but he's not the villain the media makes him out to be.

Do you see what I'm getting at? The media has to take the blame for the tiresome and overplayed debacle that the steroids issue has become. More importantly, prosecuting Bonds is in no way a cleansing of our national conscience or a cathartic means with which to lament the effect of steroids on sports (as Gammons so crudely argued - "I feel sad"). The use of steroids is not a top-10 problem facing our society, perhaps, at least to my mind, not even a top-1000 problem. The use of steroids, and more importantly the individual decision to use steroids and the collective nation’s choice to downplay/ignore the ethical and legal debates surrounding steroids in favor of entertaining displays of worldly success, are simply indicative of the larger issue of human weakness when it comes to the fleeting prospect of physical advantage and/or psychological glory over our fellow men. Success is a worthy pursuit but always comes with a price to a varying degree. For Barry Bonds, that price may be his freedom and his legacy. Does he realize that? Even now, I highly doubt it. If one thing has been true throughout the steroids era, it is that Barry Bonds and the national media have been too weak, too subconscious, or perhaps too scared to admit to the reality of the human face behind the masks of the talking heads.

The Way We Were

2007-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Three things. I grew up in the 90's, and anyone who isn't brain dead can recall the glory days of 2Pac and Death Row Records with nostalgia. Two, Larry Hughes actually used to be an explosive player. Three, Allen Iverson is the most dynamic player standing under six feet tall of all time. You can't argue with that. If you need hard evidence, watch this video. If you're too lazy for 4:19 seconds of hard evidence, fast forward to 1:18.

The Ignored Value of the Blocked Shot

2007-11-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

Momentum is defined by Merriam-Webster as “strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events.” As the most finite definition I could find, that’s not very measurable, yet momentum is used as a subjective measurement in sport all the time. It’s commonly cited when a safety blows up a receiver on a cross pattern in football on 3rd down for an incomplete pass, when a pinch-hitter in baseball launches a solo home run off a team’s closer to set up a big inning in the bottom of the ninth, or when an NBA athlete sends home a monstrous dunk over a helpless defender. Quite possibly, such plays do constitute sufficient motion or development of events to satisfy the definition of momentum, but what statistical difference has been made? In other words, the safety blowing up a receiver is still an incomplete pass, or possibly a pass-breakup. The solo home run is still one run. Statistically, the tomahawk dunk over a 7-foot defender is worth as much as a layup.

Furthermore, given the short time of ball possession in basketball compared to other team sports, in the NBA momentum shifts back and forth at a pendulum-like rate. For example, the Suns’ Steve Nash can flip a dime to Amare Stoudemire on a fast-break who then blows up an unwitting defender for a rim-rattling dunk (often), but any momentum gained by that play seems to be negated, at least to my thinking, by the fact that the opponent who just got dunked on then passes the ball inbounds to initiate a change of possession. Take this hypothetical a step further, however, and say that Steve Nash steals the ensuing inbounds pass and sets up Amare to rattle another rim. There perhaps you can say that tangible momentum has been gained, since Phoenix received an extra possession and score at the expense of their opponents' possession and potential score.

But now let’s muddle this up even more and take this back to square one. Steve Nash flips a dime to Amare Stoudemire on a fast-break who then goes up for that rim-shattering dunk….only to meet a fully extended beast named Dwight Howard at the rim with a hand on all ball. Freeze scene right there. Three things could happen here barring a subjective foul call from a referee (entirely different topic for an entirely different post). Best case for Orlando, Dwight's block on Amare results in a change of possession. Neutral case for Orlando, the block ends up going out of bounds without being touched by anyone, resulting in a dead-ball out of bounds but no change of possession. Worst case for Orlando, an ill-timed or oddly caromed blocked shot by Dwight results in an easier bucket for the Suns than the blocked shot attempt (e.g., the block ends up in the hands of a wide-open Raja Bell beyond the arc who proceeds to drain a three-point shot).

Now we can return to the idea of a change in momentum. Getting your shit swatted by an opponent, for lack of a better term, can be the closest thing that a defender has to a rim-shattering dunk, i.e. “strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events.” The problem is that more often than not a blocked shot results in no change in momentum at all in that ball possession does not change, and in some cases a blocked shot may even hurt the defending team by resulting in an easy bucket for the opponent. Swatting a shot out of bounds with all the anger of Zeus behind you does nothing except stop the clock. Swatting a shot to an even more wide open opponent than the victim of the block results in a negative change in momentum. But, blocking a shot and taking possession, well that is literally gaining a blocked shot and a steal in one play, which to my mind is the most positive gain in momentum that a defending team can achieve.

Unfortunately, in terms of statistics the NBA does not analyze a blocked shot in this way. A blocked shot ends up being tallied in the B or BS column of the boxscore. One of your host's colleagues has pointed out that the NBA now includes blocks against (BA) in their online boxscores, which indicates how many times a player has his shot attempts blocked in a game. This is a welcome addition, but the NBA is still missing out on the real statistical value inherent to a blocked shot. For that, your host believes that NBA statisticians should begin keeping tracks of the inverse of blocks against. This could be called BTT (Blocks-to-turnover) which would indicate the number of blocked shots by an individual player that resulted in a change of possession once the loose ball is secured. Before this goes any further, a disclaimer: statistics, for all their supposed objectivity of numbers can be useful tools but do not necessarily lead one to the most objective perspective. Nonetheless, with BTT, one is better equipped to judge a post player on whether he blocks shot intelligently or simply gets off on swatting peoples’ cookies three rows deep in the stands.

Your host did some follow-up research on this by researching the league’s top-3 blocked-shots leaders online as of November 12, 2007 and then scouring/fast-forwarding (a lot) through archived games on NBA league pass for blocked shots and the ensuing results. As it stands, the league’s blocked shots leaders are Denver’s Marcus Camby, Atlanta’s Josh Smith, and Houston’s Yao Ming (in that order). Luckily, by reviewing Denver and Houston’s games I was also able to tally blocked shots for Shane Battier and Kenyon Martin, who as of this post stand in the NBA’s top 50 in blocked shots, respectively, at 23rd and 30th.

Here are my findings:

Marcus Camby - 22 blocked shots, 15 BTT, 31.8% blocks lost or no change in possession

Josh Smith - 21 blocked shots, 6 BTT, 71.4% blocks lost or no change in possession

Yao Ming - 19 blocked shots, 7 BTT, 63.2% blocks lost or no change in possesssion

Shane Battier - 8 blocked shots, 5 BTT, 37.5% blocks lost or no change in possession

Kenyon Martin - 7 blocked shots, 1 BTT, 85.7% blocks lost or no change in possession

I’ll be the first to admit that these stats should not hold a lot of weight given the small sample size (as of the timing of this post, none of these players had yet to play 10 games). That said, two statistical trends are clear: 1) Josh Smith and Kenyon Martin’s blocked shots have not translated well to a change in possession; 2) Marcus Camby and Shane Battier’s blocked shots have translated well to a change in possession. So that leaves me asking in the case of Smith and Martin - What have all your blocked shots done other than enter the statbooks as a blocked shot?

Part of this discrepancy can be attributed, I think, to style of play. This was clear in revewing the archived games. Smith and Martin are high-flying shot-blockers with a penchant for blocking shots in the transition game and adding extra 'oomph' to their blocked shot attempts. This combination results in a high percentage of blocked shots that become loose balls either on the perimeter or out of bounds. Camby and Battier, on the other hand, are more straight-up shot blockers who do most of their defensive dirty work against half-court offensive sets. In terms of shot blocking, low-post situations more often result for a fight for loose balls in the paint.

Yao is an interesting case in that while he blocks a lot of shots, a disproportionate amount of his blocks ended up going right back in to the hands of the player who was the victim of his block. I think this is due partially to his relative lack of mobility compared with smaller, faster players. Yao Ming is a great center for his size, but obviously, chasing down loose balls is not his strength.

So that brings us to the end all of statistical value- What does this all mean and why should we care? Both the danger and the value of statistics are the same - they help compress all of the details of a basketball game into a cognitive impression based upon tangible numbers. Statistics allow casual fans to pass judgment on the value of a player (not necessarily a good thing), while allowing die-hard fans to either confirm or deny what they've seen take place on the basketball floor (not necessarily a bad thing). While watching an NBA basketball game, so often we are so transfixed by the intimate display of athleticism before our eyes that we overlook or ignore the nuances of the action taking place before us. Useful statistics make those nuances tangible so that we can measure intangible things such as momentum.

In my personal experience, Marcus Camby shattered my predisposed opinion going in to this small sample study. No one doubts that Camby blocks a lot of shots (he’s averaged 2.5 per game over an 11 year career, with four of his five best BPG years coming in the last four seasons). Nonetheless, I always thought of Camby as more of a “I’m gonna git you sucka and swat your shit to neverland” kind of center. From the games I watched, that was not the case. Perhaps its veteran savvy, or perhaps it’s knowing that he has quick and rangy teammates such as Nene, K-Mart, Melo and AI to gobble up loose balls, but Marcus Camby is a VERY INTELLIGENT defender along with being a gifted athlete. His footwork and positioning under the hoop when a shot goes up is impressive, and as this statistical study demonstrates, two out of three of his blocked shots result in an additional possession for his team. You cannot say the same about his teammate K-Mart thus far.

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2007-11-05T13:45:00.001-08:00

Welcome to I Am Not A Witness

2007-11-04T21:22:00.001-08:00

Welcome. Want to know what this blog is all about? It's not strictly about ripping on LeBron James, although your host guarantees that Mr. World Icon himself will be ripped on at some point. It's about the NBA, all the time. It's hosted by pompous and prickly fans who get off on judging other people and things through the worldly lens of our own point of view (don't we all?) It's for people who love the NBA, and moreover, people who love to dissect the various quirks associated with the incredible house that Stern built. Most of all, it's for NBA fans who thirst for reasoned analysis of the league instead of the soda-pop, sensory overload, ESPN hot-seat reporting that has unfortunately come to dominate mainstream sports media.

At its best, this blog will provide provocative rants on a daily basis backed by convoluted and pretentious statistical analysis and logical reasoning. At its worst, you'll think that we're pathetically, tragically obsessed with the NBA's penchant for melodrama. (Note: we do not deny this...at all.) Over time, we hope to keep discussion lively and interesting at I Am Not A Witness by adding on weekly feature spots, multi-media and guest columns, but you have to begin somewhere, and we assure you that I Am Not a Witness' beginnings will be humble. The highest goal at IAMNOTAWITNESS is to be the anti-Stephen A. Smith and Scoop Jackson of NBA dialogue and analysis. To explain, if we ever begin to careen down a slippery slope towards using executive name-dropping as a crutch and stifling legitmate counter-arguments with the use of tourettes-style polemic backed solely by an inflamed ego and no facts, please let the host know in a bitter and well thought-out manner and we will shame ourselves before you, or at the very least, tell you in a well-reasoned manner why you are stupid.

Chosen1? Lame back tattoo.

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