Category: NBA (Page 384 of 595)

      The Top 10 NBA Rookies by PER

      January 20, 2009 /

      John Hollinger’s Player Efficiency Rating is a nice way to compare players without having to account for the number of minutes each guy gets. It’s an efficiency statistic, so just about everything is included. A PER of 15.00 is average for the position.

      Let’s take a look at the top rookies. I’m only going to list guys that are getting more than 20 minutes per game…

      1. Kevin Love, T-Wolves
      PER: 16.39
      Surprised? I am…a little. I really liked Love coming out of college, but he got off to a slow start and the trade Minnesota made (sending O.J. Mayo) to Memphis wasn’t looking too good early on. He’s not shooting the ball well (41%), but he’s rebounding like a champ (8.4 rpg in 22.7 mpg).

      2. Greg Oden, Blazers
      PER: 16.35
      Technically, Oden is still a rookie since he missed all of last season due to injury. After Love, he has the second best rebound rate of all first-year players.

      3. Brook Lopez, Nets
      PER: 16.26
      Rebounding is the stat that most easily translates from college to the pros, so it’s no surprise that three good rebounders top this list. In 29.5 minutes, Lopez is averaging 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds, and he has more blocks per minute than Oden.

      4. Rudy Fernandez, Blazers
      PER: 16.25
      Rudy has had no problem adjusting to the NBA game. His three-point shooting 39% is outstanding and he’s averaging 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.5 minutes per game. Plus, he was even voted into the Slam Dunk Contest as well.

      5. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
      PER: 15.40
      The other Gasol is getting starters minutes (30.6) in Memphis and is averaging 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

      6. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
      PER: 15.74
      In January, Westbrook is averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 34.9 minutes of action. He got off to a slow start, but seems to be figuring things out now.

      7. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
      PER: 15.66
      Of all the guys on this list, Mayo might be the guy that asked to do the most. He got off to a blistering start, but defenses are adjusting and his numbers are falling.

      8. Derrick Rose, Bulls
      PER: 15.45
      He and Mayo play more than 37 minutes per game, which is by far tops on this list. It’s hard to argue with the 16.9 points and 6.4 assists that Rose produces every night. Point guard is arguably the toughest position in the NBA to learn as a rookie, and this guy sure looks like a keeper.

      9. Michael Beasley, Heat
      PER: 15.23
      Beasley is getting better as the season wears on. He’s averaging 14.9 points (on 50% shooting) and 6.0 rebounds in January. He’s also as good as expected from long range (39%).

      10. D.J. Augustin, Bobcats
      PER: 13.75
      It’s not easy being a point guard under Larry Brown, but Augustin is getting big minutes (28.4) and is producing 12.1 points and 4.1 assists per contest. His shooting (40%) is pretty suspect, though he’s very solid from long range (39%).

      Notes:

      – Marreese Speights leads all rookies in PER (20.44) but only plays 15.9 minutes per game.

      – Anthony Morrow and George Hill just missed the minutes per game cutoff. Otherwise, they would have been on the list.

      – Given how tough it is to play point guard in the NBA, Derrick Rose still gets my vote for Rookie of the Year. The Bulls are asking him to play huge minutes, which is going to take its toll over the course of the season.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft

      Dissecting the Larry Hughes trade rumor

      January 20, 2009 /

      Larry Hughes to the Nets? It’s a possibility, according to NorthJersey.com.

      The Nets and Bulls have discussed a deal that would bring veteran shooting guard Larry Hughes to New Jersey for Bobby Simmons and Maurice Ager, league sources said. Sean Williams was offered instead of Ager, but Chicago wasn’t interested.

      Both sides are considering it, although the Bulls are talking to many teams about Hughes, who is signed through next season.

      The Nets are weighing whether the deal makes them that much better and if it’s financially smart. The additional salary next season would be more than $3 million.

      Every time I hear a trade rumor, I ask myself the following questions…

      1. What is Team A (or B) trying to accomplish?
      2. What are the salary cap ramifications?
      3. Is this is a good idea?

      Larry Hughes is one of the most overpaid players in the league. He has another year left on his deal at the tune of $13.6 million. This season, he is an average shooting guard (PER: 14.68) which is an improvement over his performance in the two previous seasons.

      Since his contract expires in 2010, this trade wouldn’t affect the Nets’ ability to woo LeBron James or any other big-name free agent that summer, so the Nets are apparently trying to get better in the short term with this deal. Bobby Simmons hasn’t been the same player since his foot injuries he suffered with the Bucks, and since it looks like Hughes has a little left in the tank, it wouldn’t be a bad move for the Nets. He plays the same position as Vince Carter, but since the league is getting smaller, Carter could play a little small forward as well. It’s possible that the Nets are giving themselves a backup plan at off guard if they decide to trade Carter away.

      For the Bulls, Hughes has been complaining about his lack of minutes and has been somewhat of a distraction. It would appear that the main benefit for Chicago would be to rid itself of that headache.

      So, from that point of view, it looks like a good idea for both teams. The Nets get a little better, they don’t threaten their ability to sign a free agent in 2010 and they give themselves a backup at shooting guard if they trade Carter away. The Bulls rid themselves of a headache, create a happier locker room, and save a little money.

      It seems like a fair trade to me.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      NBA Top 10 Plays: 1/19

      January 20, 2009 /

      Yesterday was an exciting day in the NBA. The first six games of the day were decided by four points or less. I don’t normally post these highlight videos, but there were two game winners at the end that are worth a look.

      I love watching the home crowd (even an NBA crowd) when their team hits a game winner.

      NBA, Television, Video

      Erin Andrews: Greatest Hits

      January 20, 2009 /

      The Love of Sports compiled a top 10 list of great Erin Andrews moments of the past couple of years. (Hey, someone had to do it.)

      2. The Chicago Cubs get easily flustered in her floozy presence
      “Yup. I’m just a hot chick covering a baseball game. [Blows bubble.] Nothing to see here, please move along.” Not so fast. Mike Nadel, a Chicago news service columnist (and, in the children’s game of Eye Candy Land, would be Mr. Molasses) penned the scathing report, “Blonde Bombshell can’t distract red-hot Cubs” and, well, let’s just say he takes issue with her … assets. And flirting. Or something.

      Erin Andrews

      1. Playboy’s Sexiest Sportscaster
      Of course she is. The people have spoken. I wonder for whom these gentlemen below voted.

      Erin Andrews

      You’ve got to admire Andrews’ longevity. Normally America shuffles “what’s hot” out the door as quickly as we ushered he/she/it in. But Andrews has stuck around and you know what? She’s pretty good at her job, too. (Yes…and nice to look at.)

      College Basketball, College Football, General Sports, MLB, NBA, Women

      Gasol, Bynum key Laker win

      January 20, 2009 /

      It was a wild day of NBA action. The first six games were decided by four points or less, and there were a couple of buzzer beaters.

      Unfortunately, the best matchup of the night didn’t live up to its billing. The Cavs went through an offensive drought in the third quarter (helped by some solid defense from the Lakers) to give L.A. a lead that was pushed to 18 points in the middle of the final period. The Cavs made a late surge, but ultimately fell, 105-88.

      The Lakers won this game in the paint, with good games from Pau Gasol (22 points) and Andrew Bynum (14 points), who shot a combined 17-of-23 from the field. Defensively, the Lakers did a nice job on LeBron, who hit just 9-of-28 from the field and was held to 23 points. Kobe didn’t have a great night scoring the ball (20 points on 9-of-22 shooting), but he might have been bothered by his ring finger, which he dislocated early in the game. He did share the ball well, posting 12 assists in the win.

      The Cavs still have trouble scoring if LeBron doesn’t have a great game. They brought Mo Williams in to relieve some of the pressure, but he had five turnovers and shot 6-of-16 from the field. As a team, the Cavs shot 43% from the field while allowing the Lakers to shoot better than 52%. You aren’t going to win too many games with that big of a disparity.

      On a side note, I like the look of J.J. Hickson (11 points, 4 rebounds). At 20 years old, he has a bright future ahead of him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the Cavs starting power forward in a year or two. He’s athletic and has some good moves both facing the basket and posting up. He also made several nice defensive plays in the paint. He looks like a keeper.

      NBA

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