Author: John Paulsen (Page 722 of 937)

      Correcting Bill Simmons, Part 2

      May 1, 2008 /

      Welcome to the second part of my infinite-part series, Correcting Bill Simmons. To find out why I started this series, feel free to read the first part. Simply stated – Bill Simmons is an entertaining writer, but sometimes he goes off the reservation and says something absurd.

      I listened to my first Bill Simmons podcast today. You know the saying, “she’s got a face for radio”? Well, Bill has a voice for print. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not his fault and there isn’t really anything he can do about it, but he sounds like the weasely-faced kid with the shit-eating grin that you went to high school with. You know, the guy who claimed to be your friend but you just knew that he’d jump your girl’s bones if he had the whisper of a chance.

      Anyway, in an otherwise thorough and entertaining column about the downfall of the Suns, he wrote the following about how Grant Hill affected the Suns’ attack:

      For a team that revolved around high screens with Nash and Stoudemire, perfectly executed fast breaks and high-percentage 3s, Hill subtly changed what the Suns were. You didn’t have to worry about defending him or Marion 25 feet from the basket — two of the five Suns on the court, by the way — making it impossible for them to spread the floor on those Nash/Stoudemire high screens.

      Granted, Hill’s career three-point accuracy (27%) isn’t going to keep opposing coaches awake at night, but why throw Marion under the bus? He shot 34.7% while with the Suns this season, which was a bit better than his respectable career percentage (34.1%). He was extremely dangerous from the corners, so team absolutely had to stay with him while Nash and Stoudemire ran their pick-and-roll. Remember, given the extra point, shooting 34.7% from three-point range is the same as shooting 52% from two-point range.

      I’m not sure why Simmons can’t grasp this concept. He seems to be prejudiced against guys that shoot less than 36% from long range.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      The Onion: Terrell Owens Not Sure About This ‘Pac-Man Jones’ Character

      May 1, 2008 /

      Man, I love The Onion…

      IRVING, TX—Upon hearing that team owner Jerry Jones had traded draft picks to the Tennessee Titans for troubled cornerback Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens held a press conference to discuss his personal misgivings over acquiring a troubled player whose me-first personality and history of off-the-field issues could potentially damage the team.

      “I think my character speaks for itself,” Owens told reporters after arriving late to the press conference in his custom Hummer, which he parked on the sidewalk directly in front of the Texas Stadium press entrance. “You all know what I think of players who are locker-room distractions, who can’t play with the team, who always have to be in the spotlight. I’m warning you—this ‘Pac-Man’ guy has the reputation of being one of those self-centered types no one can stand.”

      “You heard it here first,” Owens added, taking time to glare at each camera present for at least 10 seconds. “From me, TO. No need to ask any else. That’s it. That’s all. That’s the final word, everything the best wide receiver in the NFL has to say. Period.”

      NFL

      LeBron was fouled at the end of Game 5

      May 1, 2008 /

      Regular readers know that I’m no LeBron-apologist. He’s a great player, but he settles for the jumper far too often and I think his focus on being a “global icon” instead of a NBA champion is quite troubling. However, with the game on the line, LeBron did what he should do – he took the ball to the rim.

      Granted, if he would have made the bucket, the debate over whether or not he was fouled (by a still-moving Darius Songaila, who came over to take a charge) would be moot. But he was fouled. In real-time, it was clear that Songaila was still trying to get his feet set when LeBron left the floor. To make matters worse, Songaila turned to the side as impact was made, a serious no-no when trying to draw a charge. I would understand a no-call if Songaila had “manned-up” and taken the charge, but by turning his hips, it became an easy call to make.

      In all levels of basketball, there is an unspoken rule that the officials are going to let a little more contact go at the end of the game. I understand the refs’ reasoning with this, as they do not want to be put into a position to decide the outcome of the game. But if a guy is clearly fouled, then the ref should blow his whistle and send him to the free throw line. Defenders should not get away with murder just because it’s the last possession of the game. It blows my mind that refs will call a ticky-tack foul in the first quarter but will let a guy undercut a player that is driving for the game-winning bucket in the fourth quarter.

      On the TNT postgame, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith both said that they were happy that the refs didn’t blow the whistle, but I think that has more to do with the fact that there are simply too many charge/block calls in the NBA. If there isn’t a clear call, I’d rather that the official not guess just so he can make a call.

      I thought LeBron handled himself pretty well in the postgame press conference. He implied that he was fouled, but said that the play was not the reason that the Cavs lost the game. Cleveland blew a number of chances to put the game away, but LeBron should have had another shot at the free throw line.

      Here is a video that shows the final play… it’s about a minute in…

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Avery Johnson fired

      April 30, 2008 /

      The meltdown continues in Dallas. The team fired Avery Johnson after the Mavs’ second-straight first-round exit.

      ESPN’s Tim Legler usually gives pretty thoughtful commentary, and he defends Johnson in this clip.

      Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on where the Mavs should go from here.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Hack-a-Shaq rears its ugly head (again)

      April 30, 2008 /

      After a thrilling double-overtime Game 1 for the ages, the Suns/Spurs series came to a rather unremarkable close last night when the Spurs won at home, clinching the series 4-1. Throughout the five games, San Antonio utilized the Hack-a-Shaq defense, intentionally fouling Shaquille O’Neal and putting him on the line to try to end the Suns’ possessions. For the most part, it worked, as O’Neal shot a woeful 32 of 64 (50%) from the line.

      I don’t blame the Spurs for utilizing a perfectly legal tactic in attempt to win a game or series, but it’s a little bush league, isn’t it? From a fan’s point of view, it really slows the game down and hinders the enjoyment of watching two good teams battle each other for the right to advance in the playoffs. Honestly, it was kind of sad to see a proud team like the Spurs utilize Hack-a-Shaq.

      That said, it’s the league’s fault for allowing it to continue. There’s a rule prohibiting it in the final two minutes of a game, but for the other 46, it’s fair game. Former coach and current television analyst Jeff Van Gundy says that the league can’t legislate for a player’s weakness. That is, they can’t put in rules to protect Shaq just because his free throw shooting stinks.

      To a certain extent, I agree with him. But the league can (and has) put in rules to make the game more enjoyable to watch. And whatever we can do to reduce the number of foul calls (and subsequent free throws) will only enhance the game. I never understood why the league has flagrant fouls, but no “intentional” fouls. When a player comes up and hugs Shaq (and he doesn’t have the ball), that’s an intentional foul. Officials can tell the difference between this and an off-the-ball foul that happens during the normal flow of the game (such as Boris Diaw grabbing Manu Ginobili as he tries to go around a screen). If you intentionally foul a player without the ball, the rule should be that the player gets one free throw and the team keeps possession of the ball. This would eliminate Hack-a-Shaq altogether and certain NBA games (that have Shaq, Ben Wallace, or any other horrible free throw shooter) would be much more enjoyable to watch.

      Get it done, Stern. (I’m not holding my breath.)

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

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