Month: April 2008 (Page 15 of 30)

      Coaching Moves/Rumors

      April 18, 2008 /

      The million dollar man has arrived in Stillwater and it’s not Bill Self or a big name. Travis Ford took UMass to the NIT this year and coached Eastern Kentucky to one NCAA tourney appearance. He still finished 20 games under .500 at E. Kentucky. It is unbelievable to me that $1.3 million a year will be paid to a coach who has been to 1 NCAA in his first 7 years as a Division I head coach. That’s nuts. Then again the AD at OSU if a former golf coach. Must be suffering from too much sun on the golf course.

      I am not saying Ford is a bad coach, but with so much money at your disposal you can’t tell me you are not capable of hiring someone with a bigger name and more of a track record. Ford’s best performance may have come in the movie Sixth Man. However, if he is smart he will hire former Missouri State coach Barry Hinson. Hinson is well known and very popular in the area. The downside is he has a better record than Ford. Good luck in turning it around in a hurry!!!

      Stanford Update:

      Former asst and current ODU head coach, Laine Taylor, appears to be a front runner, but don’t count out Fran McCaffrey from Siena.

      UMASS Update:

      Look for Derek Kellogg (Former player and current Memphis asst.) to be at the top of the pack. That is if the AD has any sense.

      College Basketball

      Breaking down the championship odds

      April 18, 2008 /

      Here’s a list of the odds against each playoff team winning the NBA championship this year, courtesy of the World Sports Exchange:

      BOSTON 8-5
      LOS ANGELES LAKERS 4-1
      SAN ANTONIO 15-2
      DETROIT 15-2
      PHOENIX 10-1
      NEW ORLEANS 16-1
      UTAH 18-1
      DALLAS 20-1
      ORLANDO 30-1
      CLEVELAND 36-1
      HOUSTON 36-1
      DENVER 50-1
      WASHINGTON 55-1
      TORONTO 100-1
      PHILADELPHIA 150-1
      ATLANTA 150-1

      So which team to take? I’m not much of a betting man, but I don’t remember the last time you could get 16-1 odds on the #2 seed in the West. In fact, I like the odds on New Orleans, Phoenix, Utah and Dallas – four teams with a legitimate shot to make the Finals. Utah probably the hottest team in the West and their odds are a little inflated after a poor late-season performance against the Spurs.

      In the East, there doesn’t seem to be much value in the odds for Boston or Detroit. Orlando’s odds are a little tempting, just because they do have a decent shot at reaching the Finals, and if you already have them at 30-1, you can take their Western Conference opponent before the Finals to give yourself a nice payday no matter who wins.

      As for the Celtics, there isn’t much sense in taking 8-5 odds right now. If they do make the Finals, they probably won’t be big favorites, so you’ll be able to get close to even money at that point – why risk it now?

      ESPN’s numbers guy, John Hollinger, predicts a Celtics/Jazz matchup in the Finals, so those Utah odds are looking pretty solid. He has the Hornets at #4 and the Suns at #5, so it looks like there is some value in those middle teams out West.

      Free Picks, NBA, NBA Finals

      Correcting Bill Simmons, Part 1

      April 18, 2008 /

      Bill Simmons, also known as “The Sports Guy,” writes a column for ESPN. He regularly blends his wide interest in sports with pop-culture references, and on the whole, I enjoy reading his stuff.

      But every once in a while, he goes off the reservation and says something absurd – like his whole campaign to become the Milwaukee Bucks’ new GM. It might have started out as a joke, but as he was reading that fifth or sixth email from a Bucks fan that supported his campaign, I think he actually started to think that he was qualified for the job.

      It was at that point that reality stood in the way of his fantasy world. A world where you could get a job running a NBA franchise just by writing a NBA column and owning Clippers season tickets. Simmons seems to know a lot about basketball, but every once in a while he’ll say something that tells me that he’s never played the game at a competitive level.

      For example, in the second part of his recent MVP column, he talks about T-Mac:

      Speaking of T-Mac, here’s my No. 1 NBA pet peeve this season: When a lousy long-range shooter has no qualms about jacking up 3-pointers every game. For instance, T-Mac shot 34, 33, 31, 33 and 30 percent on 3s the past five seasons, but that didn’t stop him from jacking up 4.5 per game this season. Really, T-Mac? If you can’t shoot 3s, why shoot them?

      Granted, McGrady had his worst season shooting the ball from long range since the 1999-2000 season when he made just 28% of his threes. But that doesn’t make it a good idea to stop shooting them completely. First, there’s the extra point to consider. Shooting 28% from three-point land is the same as shooting 42% from inside the arc. McGrady shot just 46% from two-point range this season, so it’s not like the discrepancy is so big that it’s a no-brainer for him to completely shelve the long ball.

      Besides, McGrady is a career 34% three-point shooter. Not great, but that translates to 51% from two-point range. I doubt T-Mac headed into the season knowing that his accuracy was going to take a dive and consciously decided to keep jacking threes. In fact, his 4.5 three-point attempts were his fewest since the ’01-02 season when he shot 3.7. Throw in the fact that McGrady took 0.3 fewer threes a game after the All-Star break and I’d say that he managed his shots pretty well.

      Lastly – and this is the thing that really bugs me about Simmons’ comments – the three-point shot is so important to an offensive player with T-Mac’s physical ability. McGrady is quick, but not super-quick, so he needs the threat of the long ball to force his defender to close out aggressively, or else there won’t be any room to drive. If he reduces his three-point attempts even further, his defender will know that he can close on him with caution, looking for the drive. This will make McGrady’s penetration less effective.

      This isn’t to say that every player who is chucking up threes is doing the right thing. Taking the ball inside is generally the better idea, because the shots are easier to make and there’s a much better chance of getting to the line. But for a guy like McGrady, who relies on deception and position more than quickness to get to the hole, the threat of the long ball is crucial.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Urlacher to retire?

      April 18, 2008 /

      The Brian Urlacher situation just got juicer.

      One league source says Urlacher’s agents have asked the team if they could explore a trade. Another says Urlacher is threatening to retire because of neck and back problems, a move in which he wouldn’t have to repay any portion of the $13 million signing bonus he received in 2003, when he received a nine-year, $56.65 million deal.

      Urlacher feels he has outplayed his contract and is demanding more money. He’s boycotting the team’s voluntary offseason workout program and threatening to hold out of minicamp, organized team activities and even training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal.

      One NFL insider laughed off the situation as the equivalent of a child taking his ball and going home or threatening to hold his breath until he passes out.

      ”Urlacher has no leverage,” the source said. ”He wants to be paid, right? If he takes a medical [retirement], then he’s got to prove he’s hurt. If he does that, he’ll never get paid. They’re not going to trade him. All he can do is be disruptive.

      ”It’s a joke. Players never walk away from millions. They threaten to, but they never do it.”

      Does anyone else find it kind of ironic that Urlacher is demanding a new contract but is also using neck and back injuries to threaten to retire if he doesn’t get said new contract? Isn’t that counterproductive? “Oh, you have neck and back problems Brian? Well let’s just get that new multi-million dollar deal written up then!”

      By the way, this is great timing for Chicago seeing as how this year’s draft is completely (pardon the pun) bare of middle linebackers.

      Update: Grrlacher is reporting that the retirement rumors are just gossip.

      Photo Courtesy of Flickr

      NFL

      NBA Playoff Preview

      April 17, 2008 /

      With the regular season wrapping up Wednesday night, it’s now time to turn our attention to the playoffs, which have the potential to be the best in years. Obviously, the focus is on the West, where eight 50+ win teams are separated by just seven games in the standings. This means that there are no free passes into the second round; every first round series in the West has potential to be a good one (and an upset).

      “The survivor of the brutal West will have another tough test in the Finals. The resurgent Celtics (66-16) and the steady Pistons (59-23) have the two best records in the league. How much the weak schedule in the East exaggerates these records isn’t clear, though the Celtics are a league-best 14-6 against the top 10 teams in the league. So if Kevin Garnett and Co. survive, we could be in for a very compelling Finals.

      At the beginning of the season, I picked the Suns over the Celtics in the Finals, but with Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd and Shaquille O’Neal being added to contenders in the West, the landscape has changed a bit. The Celtics are looking good, and while the Suns are coming on, they have a tough road with a first round matchup against the Spurs, and potential matchups with the Hornets/Mavs and the Lakers down the road.

      Since the West is so stacked, I’ll start there by previewing each series. As the playoffs progress, be sure to check back to see series-by-series previews as they develop.

      THE WEST

      #1 LA Lakers (57-25) vs. #8 Denver Nuggets (50-32)
      Season series: Lakers, 3-0
      “The Lakers clinched home court throughout the Western Conference playoffs, but since they own the West’s best road record, it isn’t that big of a deal. The larger question is the health of Andrew Bynum. After a discouraging visit with a knee specialist in New York, he may still be weeks away. With a healthy Bynum, the Lakers are the favorites to emerge from the West, but without him, they may have trouble defending the likes of Tim Duncan or Shaq in the middle. The Nuggets have the talent to upset the Kobe and the Lakers, but with ‘Melo’s alleged DUI hanging over their heads, one wonders if the team is focused enough to pull the upset. The Lakers have dominated the season series, so I see no reason to pick the Nuggets in this one.
      My pick: Lakers

      #4 Utah (54-28) vs. #5 Houston (55-27)
      Season series: Jazz, 2-1
      The Jazz won the Northwest, but since the Rockets finished ahead of them in the standings, Utah doesn’t have home court advantage in the first round. This is vitally important for the Jazz, who are 37-4 at home and just 17-24 on the road. Even though the Rockets went on that historic 22-game winning streak, they are just 9-7 since, so the loss of Yao Ming may finally be catching up to them. T-Mac has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs and the Rockets are beatable in Houston, so I think the Jazz steal a game there and close it out in Game 6.
      My pick: Jazz

      #2 New Orleans (56-26) vs. #7 Dallas (51-31)
      Season series: Tied, 2-2
      This is one of the most compelling matchups in the first round. On one hand, you have the surprising Hornets, who elevated themselves to the #2 seed in the West when all the pundits thought they’d be fighting for a playoff spot. On the other, you have the (equally) surprising Mavs, who have struggled this season before and after the Jason Kidd trade. After an inauspicious 4-5 start with Dallas, Kidd is now 12-8 with his new team – 10-6 in games in which Dirk Nowitzki played – so it’s not clear if the trade made Dallas any better. Kidd’s matchup with Chris Paul should be terrific, but it will probably come down to the play of Nowitzki, who has struggled – 17.3 ppg and 37% shooting – in four games against the Hornets. I’m going with the chalk, but the Mavs are a live dog. I think this one will go the full seven games.
      My pick: Hornets

      #3 San Antonio (56-26) vs. #6 Phoenix (55-27)
      Season series: Suns, 3-1
      The Spurs and Suns would be a good matchup in the Western Conference Finals, so this is the most compelling first-round series. The Suns are 18-11 with Shaq in the lineup (15-5 over their last 20 games), and this series will determine if Phoenix made the right move in trading for him. If the Suns lose, everyone will wonder if they would have been better off with Shawn Marion on the roster. After all, if it weren’t for a couple of bench-clearing suspensions in last year’s playoffs, the Suns probably would have upended the Spurs in the semis. San Antonio has home court advantage, but the Suns won the season series and are 2-0 against the Spurs with Shaq in the lineup. In those two games, Tim Duncan has shot a combined 38% from the field, so it seems like he’s a little bothered by Shaq’s presence. It’s tough to bet against the defending champs in the first round (especially with Manu Ginobili playing so well), but since I picked the Suns to win it all at the beginning of the season, I can’t very well pick them to lose this early.
      My pick: Suns

      THE EAST

      #1 Boston (66-16) vs. #8 Atlanta (37-45)
      Season series: Celtics, 3-0
      The Celtics have the league’s best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. With three hungry stars – KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen – and a group of quality role players, they are primed for a run to the Finals. Kudos to the Hawks for breaking a long playoff drought, but I don’t think they’ll take more than a game off the C’s, if that.
      My pick: Celtics

      #4 Cleveland (45-37) vs. #5 Washington (43-39)
      Season series: Tied, 2-2
      “The Cavs are 14-13 since the trades that brought Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to Cleveland, so it’s fair to say that things aren’t going swimmingly. Szczerbiak is shooting just 36% since the trade and has seen his playing time cut dramatically as a result. Wallace’s minutes and rebounds are down as well. The only real bright spot from the trade is the play of West, who has come on late in the season. Meanwhile, the Wizards have Gilbert Arenas back, but he has missed some time with a sore knee, so there’s no telling just how healthy he is. Two years ago, these teams had a very entertaining first-round series that went six games and featured three one-point wins by the Cavs. Agent Zero ruffled some feathers when he announced that he and the Wizards wanted the Cavs in the first round and DeShawn Stevenson called LeBron “overrated” earlier in the year. Despite the Cavs’ considerable woes, I think James will be on a mission and will do everything in his power to eliminate the Wizards from the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
      My pick: Cavs

      #2 Detroit (59-23) vs. #7 Philadelphia (40-42)
      Season series: Tied, 2-2
      This is one of those matchups that seems easy to pick on paper, but a closer look reveals more. The Sixers were floundering at 16-28 in late January, but turned it around to go 24-14 over the last three months of the season. Philly is getting terrific play from its perimeter players, anchored by Andre Iguodala and the 32 year-old Andre Miller, who is averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 assists since the All-Star break. An improving frontline features lots of double-doubles from Samuel Dalembert, while rookie Thaddeus Young is averaging 11 points and five boards since the All-Star break. As for the Pistons, they’re still the same ol’ bunch, but they’re getting some punch from youngsters Jason Maxiell (10.8 points, 6.6 boards in April) and Rodney Stuckey (14.0 points, 4.2 assists in April) off the bench. I don’t think the Sixers have the juice to upend the Pistons, but they could push this series to six games.
      My pick: Pistons

      #3 Orlando (52-30) vs. #6 Toronto (41-41)
      Season series: Magic, 2-1
      “Orlando is all about its three-headed monster of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and (my MIP pick) Hedo Turkoglu. Combined, the trio scores 56% of the team’s points and gathers 60% of its rebounds. Stan Van Gundy has squeezed as much defensive juice out of the Magic as he could, which has led to Orlando’s first 50+ win season since the Shaq era. Meanwhile, the Raptors have taken a step backward this season. They will rely on Chris Bosh and a group of players that know their role. In T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon, the Raptors have an advantage at point guard, but the Magic are better at just about every other roster position. With the Raptors up-tempo attack and D-Ho’s considerable ability, this matchup has a chance to be the most entertaining first round series in the East.
      My pick: Magic

      NBA, NBA Finals

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