Category: Fantasy Basketball (Page 133 of 274)

Why won’t the Nuggets run more pick-and-roll?

April 28, 2010 / John Paulsen

Kevin Arnovitz of TrueHoop brought up an interesting statistic regarding the struggling Nuggets:

According to Synergy Sports, the Nuggets have choreographed a pick-and-roll — then hit the roll man — 17 times in this series. The results:
* Nine made baskets
* Six trips to the free throw line
* Two missed shot attempts
That’s an 88.2 percent success rate.
Those 17 possessions in sequence is an impressive reel of video. Ball-handlers/passers include Billups, Anthony, Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith. All the Nuggets bigs are represented among the roll men. Whatever the scenario, the Nuggets score on 15 of the 17 opportunities, which leaves you with one question:
Why are the Nuggets running this action only four times per game?

When asked why his team isn’t running what seems to be working, interim head coach Adrian Dantley had this to say:

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010 NBA Playoffs Adrian Dantley Carmelo Anthony Chauncey Billups

Lakers: “Not so fast.”

April 28, 2010 / John Paulsen

Much was made, and justifiably so, of the Thunder’s blowout of the Lakers in Game 4. This is a young, talented team that has a chance to become a Western Conference power for years to come. But the Lakers clearly took the loss to heart and turned around and blew out the Thunder, 111-87, in Game 5.

Did Kobe go for 35-40 points? Nope. He posted 13-3-7 on nine shot attempts, but more importantly, he checked Russell Westbrook for much of the game. Westbrook’s quickness gave Derek Fisher fits in the first four games of the series, so the defensive change makes a lot of sense.

Pau Gasol (25-11-5) and Andrew Bynum (21-11) dominated down low, combining to hit 18-of-26 shots (69%) from the field. Even Ron Artest had a nice offensive game with 14 points and five dimes.

The Lakers lead 3-2 and head back to OKC for Game 6 on Friday. Is this series over? Not even close. The Lakers have not played well on the road in this series and if the Thunder can defend their home court yet again, they’ll have a puncher’s chance to win Game 7. It’s going to take a monumental effort to beat the Lakers in L.A. in that scenario, or the Lakers will have to lay an egg. Either way, it would be interesting to see the young Thunder play in their first Game 7.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010 NBA Playoffs Andrew Bynum Kevin Durant Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers Oklahoma City Thunder Pau Gasol Ron Artest

Cavs, Celtics advance

April 27, 2010 / John Paulsen

LeBron James posted a near-triple-double (19-10-9) to help his Cavs fend off the feisty Bulls, 96-94. Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 25 points.

In Boston, Dwyane Wade has his own near-triple-double (31-8-10) but the Heat fell to the Celtics, 96-86. Ray Allen caught fire from three (5-of-6, 24 points) and Paul Pierce chipped in with an efficient 21-7-6. Rajon Rondo posted 16-8-12 in the win.

The two teams square off in the next round — it should be a knock-down, drag-out battle. These two franchises simply don’t like each other.

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010 NBA Playoffs Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James

Perplexing call by Joey Crawford [video]

April 27, 2010 / John Paulsen

Joey Crawford called Marcus Camby for a foul when he was fighting through a Grant Hill screen, only he sent Steve Nash to the line. It was a pretty bad call in the first place, but then Crawford sends the wrong player to the line. Epic fail.