Category: NBA (Page 474 of 595)

      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

      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

      Bucks fire Krystkowiak

      April 17, 2008 /

      New Bucks GM John Hammond (formerly the VP of the Detroit Pistons) acted quickly in his first few days on the job and fired head coach Larry Krystkowiak.

      Krystkowiak, who was named head coach on March 15, 2007, won 31 of 100 games with the Bucks.

      The Bucks will immediately begin their search for a head coach. Former Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and former Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles are expected to be considered, and it’s possible veteran Larry Brown could be in the mix. Brown, who coached the Pistons to the 2004 NBA championship, has said he wants to return to coaching.

      There’s enough talent in Milwaukee to make the Bucks a perennial playoff team. The team has two terrific scorers in Michael Redd and Mo Williams, along with a promising front line that features Andrew Bogut, Yi Jianlian and Charlie Villanueva.

      Being a long-time Bucks fan, I watched a ton of games this season and it’s clear that the team was lacking the chemistry necessary to win games consistently. I would typically blame the head coach, since it’s his job to take the talent that’s there and get those players to buy into his system. That simply didn’t happen this season.

      The Bucks’ owner, Senator Herb Kohl, needs to make a serious hire, not another no-name, first-year gy. I love the idea of Larry Brown coming in and whipping this team into shape. He has led tremendous turnaround efforts in the past and his disciplined mindset still lingers in Detroit. The other two names mentioned – Scott Skiles and Rick Carlisle – are also known as serious hard-asses, but they don’t have the reputation that Brown has. I’d be a little worried about Skiles since he was unable to do much with a talented Chicago team this season, but any of these three hires would be an improvement.

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Will Kobe benefit from a three-way MVP race?

      April 16, 2008 /

      I’m not sure why I’m spending so much time thinking about the MVP race. Maybe deep down I just don’t want to see Kobe rewarded for his tumultuous offseason. Something irks me about a player being rewarded with such an honor after throwing his teammate and GM under the bus and then taking credit for his team’s turnaround when an All-Star is gift wrapped and dropped at his doorstep before the trade deadline.

      Something occurred to me as I was eating my oatmeal this morning – since, by most accounts, it’s a three-way race, could KG and CP3 split the “good teammate” vote allowing the Kobe die-hards to win it for their guy?

      Let’s assume that 40% of the voters intend to vote for Kobe, and that 60% are going to vote non-Kobe. If that anti-Kobe vote splits 50/50 between Paul and Garnett, Kobe would win with a 40/30/30 ratio.

      Of course, voters have a five-person ballot and points are awarded based on a player’s position in the ballot – 10 points for first, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth, so it’s not so simple. But if that ratio translates to the entire ballot, it’s conceivable that Kobe (or another player) could win the award with less than half the first place votes.

      One thing’s for sure – now that Kobe is on a team with 50+ wins, the MVP race is far more interesting.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Let’s reshuffle the NBA playoffs

      April 15, 2008 /

      Well, the playoffs are set…sort of. There are still some teams jockeying for position, but we now know the 16 teams that will comprise this year’s playoff field.

      And the 12th-best team in the league, the Golden State Warriors, will not be playing in the postseason.

      We knew this was coming. It has been obvious since the start of the season that a good team from the West was going to miss the playoffs this season. Not only that, but the Portland Trailblazers probably should have made the postseason too.

      I suggested this almost a year ago, but what if we threw the conferences out and just seeded the playoffs #1 through #16? Our first round matchups would look like this:

      #1 Boston vs. #16 Portland
      #8 Phoenix vs. #9 Orlando
      #4 New Orleans vs. #13 Cleveland
      #5 San Antonio vs. #12 Golden State

      #2 Detroit vs. #15 Toronto
      #7 Houston vs. #10 Dallas
      #3 LA Lakers vs. #14 Washington
      #6 Utah vs. #11 Denver

      Just look at these storylines: Shaq vs. Dwight Howard, CP3 vs. LeBron, the slow it down Spurs versus the up-tempo Warriors, the Lake St. Clair battle between Detroit and Toronto (separated by just a four-hour drive), the Battle for Texas (Houston vs. Dallas), the Battle in the Mountains (Utah/Denver) and, of course, Kobe facing the team that gave him Kwame Brown.

      Potential second-round matchups: Celtics/Suns, Hornets/Spurs, Pistons/Mavs and the Lakers/Jazz. Tell me you’re not going to want to watch as much of that round as possible.

      If it were up to me, I’d give the best team in each conference one of the top two seeds, so that would make the Lakers the #2 seed and the Pistons #3.

      What do you think? Should we scrap the current system?

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

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