Category: NBA (Page 380 of 595)

      Danny Granger’s effective throwback game

      January 29, 2009 /

      Former NBA player Eddie Johnson wrote a nice piece for HoopsHype about how Danny Granger uses “Old Man Moves” to score easily and efficiently.

      Granger is a very good athlete, but someone has gotten in his ear and convinced Granger that playing below the rim will give him a tremendous advantage and save wear and tear on his body while still putting up huge numbers. I watched him a few weeks ago against the Suns and marveled at how he easily scored using a method we called back in the day Old Man Moves.

      (Definition: Old Man Moves means a player who is mentally tough and has a smorgasbord of shots that keeps the defense wondering and off balance. He plays below the rim. He takes what the defense gives him. He plays with a level head. He does not waste energy with his dribble. He uses his teammates to get open. He uses a variety of shots to score. He takes big shots and makes them in the fourth quarter. He gets to the free throw line to maintain consistent confidence and he comes to score every night and is relentless).

      Granger would drive to the basket and when Shaq and Amare Stoudemire went high in the air to challenge him, he in turn went economical and went low for easy non-spectacular shots. Most players in today’s NBA think poster or mano-a-mano, which is fine if you are LeBron, Kobe, Wade, Amare or Vince Carter. These players can elevate higher than everyone, but Granger somehow realizes his percentage of winning that battle is not in his favor. So he pulls up for the basic 12-foot shot or he shoots a running hook or maybe he uses his off hand. And I have also seen him execute the up and under – very much Old Man Moves.

      I am intimately familiar with Old Man Moves, but not by choice. I had decent leaping ability in high school and could dunk with (relative) ease, but after a couple of knee scopes in college and playing on maybe the most unforgiving court in the country at UW-Platteville, I was definitely a below-the-rim kind of a player. (I swear they just laid the wood right on top of concrete. The floor had absolutely no give at all, which made it difficult to elevate.)

      But back to Granger, who has increased his scoring by an average of 6.1 points per game in each of his four seasons in the NBA. He was amongst my original picks for the All-Star Game, and I think he’s an easy choice. The Pacers may be 18-28, but their points scored/points allowed differential is only -2.4, so they have been competitive. Granger is 4th in the league in scoring (25.8) and he is 9th in the league in three-point percentage (39.9%) amongst players that take more than five treys per game.

      The bottom line is that the Pacers don’t have a lot of firepower, so opponents know that Granger is their main threat. And they still can’t stop him.

      Let’s hope the coaches recognize this and put this guy on the All-Star team.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Carter-for-Szczerbiak swap still a possibility?

      January 28, 2009 /

      ‘Tis the season for NBA trade speculation. With the the contenders separated (for the most part, at least) from the pretenders, and the trade deadline fast approaching, the rumors are flying fast and furious. Chad Ford goes down the list of wings that might be on the move.

      Here are a couple of interesting names:

      Wally Szczerbiak, Cavs
      There are a lot of expiring contracts out there, but none gets more attention than Szczerbiak’s. The Cavs aren’t interested in cap room right now. They want a championship.

      Everyone in Cleveland is crossing their fingers that some desperate GM will pull a Chris Wallace and give away an All-Star for cap relief and late first-round picks. More often than not, it doesn’t happen. But with the economy turning sour and a scrum of teams trying to get under the cap in 2010, the Cavs might be able to pull it off.

      Chance of trade: 60 percent

      Vince Carter, Nets
      Going into the season, no one predicted that Carter, at the age of 32, would put up All-Star numbers on a rebuilding team. But he has played his heart out and, with Devin Harris, has made the Nets respectable. Which means it’s the perfect time for Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe to throw him a farewell party.

      Carter has garnered plenty of interest from a few championship contenders like Cleveland and Houston who see him as a nice veteran addition. The Nets should jump on any deal that gets them a combination of cap relief and picks. Getting the last three years and $51 million of his contract off their books has to be a priority right now.

      Chance of trade: 45 percent

      If the Nets want to get out from under Carter’s contract (which runs two more years at the tune of $33.6 million) now is the time to move him. He is playing All-Star caliber ball and, along with Devin Harris, has kept the Nets in the playoff hunt. The tough part about trading Carter is his age (32) and the fact that his contract extends through the 2010-11 season, so he’s not going to be attractive to teams looking to make a splash in the summer of 2010. Another big thing standing in the way for the Nets is the fact that they are very much in the playoff hunt. Do they want to throw the towel in on this season for future salary cap flexibility?

      A potential Szczerbiak-for-Carter swap is interesting on a couple of fronts. The Cavs’ biggest weakness right now is shooting guard (though they could use another young big man as well). They have Szczerbiak, Delonte West (who is injured) and Daniel Gibson (who is shooting under 40% from the field). Some might say that Carter will be a distraction, but at this point in his career, he seems to be willing to put aside his ego (and stats) to win a championship and LeBron James is one of those players whose stature creates an environment that makes it easy for guys to fall in line. Just look at Mo Williams. He and Michael Redd clashed last year in Milwaukee, but we haven’t heard any complaints out of him this season.

      Granted, winning solves everything, but that’s why the Carter trade might work. If the Cavs add Vinsanity and they break through and win a title (or at least make it to the Finals), the franchise is far more likely to retain LeBron next summer. But they run the risk of the trade not working and squandering their chance to sign a second big-name free agent in 2010 (assuming they’re able to re-sign LeBron). It’s sort of a Catch-22.

      Word out of Cleveland is that they are happy with the status quo, but if they can make a Pau Gasol-type trade and acquire a great player for an expiring contract and a late first round draft pick or two, they’ll pull the trigger. And with the way Carter is playing, a Szczerbiak-for-Carter is in that ballpark.

      But I don’t think the two teams will make a deal unless the Nets believe that the Cavs’ acquisition of Carter will ultimately backfire. Since New Jersey is one of the potential suitors for LeBron it behooves them to do everything they can to keep the Cavs from winning a title in the next two seasons. Do they believe that Carter will help or hinder LeBron’s quest?

      I think we may very well see Szczerbiak on the move, but probably not to the Nets. After all, the Nets already rejected the offer once, and since then Carter looks better and Wally looks worse.

      It would be surprising if the Cavs don’t move Szczerbiak at all. Right now, I don’t think they’d be favored if they faced the Lakers in the Finals or maybe even the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. If they can find a good player who doesn’t have major character issues and whose contract does not run into the 2010-11 season, they should pull the trigger.

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Is Elton Brand on the trading block?

      January 28, 2009 /

      The answer is yes, according to Chad Ford’s sources. Here’s exactly what Ford said in a recent chat.

      …from what my sources around the league are saying, Brand is available. The question is, given how poorly he’s played this year and his huge contract, does anyone want him?

      When asked a different question (about the Heat), Ford also mentioned Brand.

      I think they have to see whether they can pry Boozer or Elton Brand for Marion. I think both are possible and both are better long term fits than O’Neal. The one positive for O’Neal is that he’s off the books in 2010. That gives the Heat LOTS of cap space in the summer of 2010. Of all the markets trying to clear cap … Miami is one of the most desirable for NBA free agents. The fact that Wade and Michael Beasley are there won’t hurt recruiting either.

      The Heat have seemingly moved away from signing a power forward like Boozer or Brand because they think that it is Beasley’s natural position. Offensively, he can play either forward position, but defensively, he’s going to have a tough time covering opposing small forwards. So that would seem to cross Miami off a list of possible destinations for Brand though the two sides have had a long romance. Brand signed an offer sheet with the Heat when he first became a restricted free agent and the Clippers matched.

      Given the way that Brand has played this season (PER: 14.63, #33 amongst power forwards), I’m sure teams are hesitant to take on the four years and $66 million remaining on his contract. The main problem is his accuracy from the field. Brand is a career 50% shooter, yet he has only made 45% of his shots this season. His blocks are down as well, so one wonders if he has lost some of his athleticism. Of course, he’s been injured so he has only appeared in 25 games and the Sixers have been playing pretty well without him.

      It will be interesting to see if Philly moves him before the trade deadline. If they do, it will be a 180-degree shift from last offseason when everyone (including me) was praising the franchise for acquiring Brand. For the record, after his Achilles injury, I didn’t see Brand as a “max” player, but the Sixers needed to pony up to pry him away from the Clippers and the Warriors. It looks like they took a risk and it hasn’t paid off, at least not yet.

      Now the question is — will someone else roll the dice on Elton?

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Picking the 2009 All-Star reserves

      January 27, 2009 /

      I made my picks more than two weeks ago. Then the All-Star starters (as voted in by the fans) were announced.

      Now that we know who the starters will be, I’m wondering if there’s any reason to change any of my other picks. Let’s take a look…

      EASTERN CONFERENCE

      Starters: Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard

      My original picks: Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Devin Harris, Danny Granger, Tayshaun Prince, Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter

      I didn’t have Iverson on the team, much less starting, so one of my other eight picks has to go. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be Prince because the Pistons aren’t good enough to warrant two All-Star nods. The same could be said about the Nets, but Vince Carter’s stats are pretty big. I think I’ll go with this group, though there are a number of players that could take Carter’s spot. If any of these other guys — Johnson, Pierce, Bosh, Harris, Granger and Nelson — don’t make it, it’s going to be a pretty big snub.

      WESTERN CONFERENCE

      Starters: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming

      My original picks: Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy, Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Chauncey Billups and Shaquille O’Neal

      I had Nowitzki starting over Stoudemire, but no worries there. Would I swap out any of the players? Well, ‘Melo is still sidelined and the Nuggets don’t seem to be hurting too much without him. That weakens Anthony’s position and strengthens Billups’ argument. I could see David West, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Jefferson or Deron Williams replacing Anthony, but I doubt it will happen. I think the other picks are safe, though Williams could replace Parker or Billups, though I don’t think either guy deserves to miss the All-Star Game.

      The reserves will be announced this Thursday on TNT.

      NBA

      Marion for Brad Miller?

      January 27, 2009 /

      The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the Miami Heat have offered Shawn Marion for Brad Miller.

      The Heat, numerous league sources said, has had recent talks with the Kings and offered Marion for center Brad Miller and Kenny Thomas. But Miami also wants the Kings to take Marcus Banks, the little-used, sixth-year point guard who has this season and next remaining on his contract for a combined total of $5.1 million.

      This rumor supports the theory that the Heat no longer see Carlos Boozer as a good long-term fit due to their opinion that Michael Beasley’s natural position is power forward. Miami needs a point guard and a center, and the 32 year-old Miller (PER: 16.29), still has some gas left in the tank. He is averaging 13.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in January, and is still one of the best-passing big men in the game, so he would be able to set up Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley for open shots.

      Both Miller and Thomas have salaries that run through the 2009-10 season so this would not affect the team’s plans for the summer of 2010.

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

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