... about the NBA:
1. I don't put too much stock in the Cavs-Lakers game from last night. Both teams were seriously banged up, and especially Cleveland, which is without two starters until Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas return. The Cavs won't likely have to resort to J.J. Hickson and Lorenzen Wright for 27 minutes in the event they return to Los Angeles for a Finals rematch.
2. Here is yet more confirmation that the Spurs can find a way to win when other team's can't: Michael Finley clanked all seven of his 3-point attempts, Parker and Ginobili went 7 for 22 from the floor and Tim Duncan couldn't even make half of his 11 free throws at Charlotte an increasingly difficult place to play. No matter. Thanks to a last-minute block by Duncan, who supplemented his ho-hum 17 points with 11 rebounds and six rebounds, and double figures from Roger Mason and George Hill, San Antonio escaped with another victory, 86-84.
3. OK, so Anthony Parker, of all people, comes up one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double, and Toronto still can't beat an Atlanta team that is without Al Horford. I know the Raptors are without Jose Calderon and Jermaine O'Neal, but look, their season is over. The tinkering they've done with a team that won the third seed in the East two years ago has gone horribly wrong, and it may be time, with free agency for Chris Bosh looming in 2010, to blow things up and start again. Sorry, Canada.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Three random observations ...
... about the NBA:
1. The Rockets have to be the most resourceful team out there. They got 22 points from the inconsistent Rafer Alston and a perfect 12-for-12, 26-point, 10-rebound performance from Yao Ming on a night when Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest were both missing. That combined with 17 points from journeyman Von Wafer and 19 minutes of run out of Brent Barry were enough to get by Miami. How a team can shoot 57 percent with limited offensive weaponry is a testament to Rick Adelman's coaching.
2. If Orlando doesn't go as far as I think they will this season, their bench may be the foremost reason why. The Magic reserves shot 1-for-11 and scored two points as a unit last night. But the starting five had enough on their own to beat the Carmelo-less Nuggets by 18 in Denver, and depth shouldn't be quite as much of a problem when Mickael Pietrus returns from a broken wrist. But it will still be a problem.
3. OK, I'll admit it when my suggestions don't exactly pan out for the parties involved. Charlie Villanueva didn't light it up as the starting power forward for the Bucks last night, going 3-for-12 with eight points and four rebounds in 29 minutes as the Bucks lost to the Clippers last night. But it was the second game of a West Coast back-to-back for Milwaukee, and that's hardly a time to pass judgment. I stand by my Villanueva backing for at least another night!
1. The Rockets have to be the most resourceful team out there. They got 22 points from the inconsistent Rafer Alston and a perfect 12-for-12, 26-point, 10-rebound performance from Yao Ming on a night when Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest were both missing. That combined with 17 points from journeyman Von Wafer and 19 minutes of run out of Brent Barry were enough to get by Miami. How a team can shoot 57 percent with limited offensive weaponry is a testament to Rick Adelman's coaching.
2. If Orlando doesn't go as far as I think they will this season, their bench may be the foremost reason why. The Magic reserves shot 1-for-11 and scored two points as a unit last night. But the starting five had enough on their own to beat the Carmelo-less Nuggets by 18 in Denver, and depth shouldn't be quite as much of a problem when Mickael Pietrus returns from a broken wrist. But it will still be a problem.
3. OK, I'll admit it when my suggestions don't exactly pan out for the parties involved. Charlie Villanueva didn't light it up as the starting power forward for the Bucks last night, going 3-for-12 with eight points and four rebounds in 29 minutes as the Bucks lost to the Clippers last night. But it was the second game of a West Coast back-to-back for Milwaukee, and that's hardly a time to pass judgment. I stand by my Villanueva backing for at least another night!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Three random observations ...
... about the NBA:
1. If you were watching the Cavs-Bucs ... er, pardon, Cavs-Hornets game on ESPN last night, and you got past the ABA-era throwbacks (New Orleans paid tribute to the ABA Buccaneers, the first of three pro basketball teams in the city), you saw LeBron court even more comparisons to Magic Johnson. Shorthanded Cleveland, without Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West to injuries and with Anderson Varejao in foul trouble, put out an all-small stretch-run lineup of Mo Williams, Boobie Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szcerbiak and LeBron, which meant the 6-foot-9 King James played center a la Magic against the Sixers in the 1980 Finals. Granted, the stakes weren't nearly as high, but the Cavs ran their record to 20-0 at home with their small forward at center against a good New Orleans team. Impressive.
2. Imagine if David Lee had any help on the Knicks. The undersized center yanked down 21 rebounds and scored 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the line in a loss Friday at Washington. He'd be some running mate for LeBron in 2010, don't you think?
3. For the first time since November, Charlie Villanueva showed up in the starting lineup, and he delivered a performance that suggests he should start for the Bucks more often. He put up 25 points and 12 rebounds, and has been pouring in 17.8 points per game in January. When he gets more than 20 minutes in a game, he averages 19.7 points. Nothing against Luc-Richard Mbah A Moute, who is playing remarkably well for a second-round pick (and has a permanent starting position on the all-time name team), but maybe Charlie has earned back his spot in the lineup.
1. If you were watching the Cavs-Bucs ... er, pardon, Cavs-Hornets game on ESPN last night, and you got past the ABA-era throwbacks (New Orleans paid tribute to the ABA Buccaneers, the first of three pro basketball teams in the city), you saw LeBron court even more comparisons to Magic Johnson. Shorthanded Cleveland, without Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West to injuries and with Anderson Varejao in foul trouble, put out an all-small stretch-run lineup of Mo Williams, Boobie Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szcerbiak and LeBron, which meant the 6-foot-9 King James played center a la Magic against the Sixers in the 1980 Finals. Granted, the stakes weren't nearly as high, but the Cavs ran their record to 20-0 at home with their small forward at center against a good New Orleans team. Impressive.
2. Imagine if David Lee had any help on the Knicks. The undersized center yanked down 21 rebounds and scored 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the line in a loss Friday at Washington. He'd be some running mate for LeBron in 2010, don't you think?
3. For the first time since November, Charlie Villanueva showed up in the starting lineup, and he delivered a performance that suggests he should start for the Bucks more often. He put up 25 points and 12 rebounds, and has been pouring in 17.8 points per game in January. When he gets more than 20 minutes in a game, he averages 19.7 points. Nothing against Luc-Richard Mbah A Moute, who is playing remarkably well for a second-round pick (and has a permanent starting position on the all-time name team), but maybe Charlie has earned back his spot in the lineup.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Three random observations ...
... about the NBA:
1. Now here's the Celtics we know. Boston held Vince Carter to 1-for-10 shooting last night and the 17 points by Devin Harris was the highest total for any Net. The C's got solid contributions off the bench as well, which had been absent during their struggles. Glen Davis had 12 points, Eddie House 10 and Leon Powe grabbed eight rebounds for a reserve crew that saw plenty of action in a game that was blown open in the third quarter.
2. Dwayne Wade has been getting more work at the point lately, and he's showing why he's almost as effective a distributor as he is a finisher. Wade posted 13 assists last night, which mitigated a 5-for-20 shooting night. Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley picked up the scoring slack, hitting for 20+ each off the bench in a win for Miami over the Bucks. Maybe the Heat should try going big for a while, with Wade at the point and Marion at the 2.
3. No one saw this coming, but Roger Mason may well have be the single most important offseason acquisition made by a contending team. He's become one of the league's best clutch shooters as witnessed by his game-winner last night against the Lakers, and has taken over the defensive stopper role that Bruce Bowen played expertly for years in San Antonio. Can you imagine what he could have done for the Hornets, considering their troubles at the off guard spot?
1. Now here's the Celtics we know. Boston held Vince Carter to 1-for-10 shooting last night and the 17 points by Devin Harris was the highest total for any Net. The C's got solid contributions off the bench as well, which had been absent during their struggles. Glen Davis had 12 points, Eddie House 10 and Leon Powe grabbed eight rebounds for a reserve crew that saw plenty of action in a game that was blown open in the third quarter.
2. Dwayne Wade has been getting more work at the point lately, and he's showing why he's almost as effective a distributor as he is a finisher. Wade posted 13 assists last night, which mitigated a 5-for-20 shooting night. Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley picked up the scoring slack, hitting for 20+ each off the bench in a win for Miami over the Bucks. Maybe the Heat should try going big for a while, with Wade at the point and Marion at the 2.
3. No one saw this coming, but Roger Mason may well have be the single most important offseason acquisition made by a contending team. He's become one of the league's best clutch shooters as witnessed by his game-winner last night against the Lakers, and has taken over the defensive stopper role that Bruce Bowen played expertly for years in San Antonio. Can you imagine what he could have done for the Hornets, considering their troubles at the off guard spot?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Three random thoughts ...
... about the NBA:
1. What in the name of John Starks got into Joe Johnson and J.R. Smith last night? Johnson's 1-for-14 shooting performance was the No. 1 reason the Hawks lost to the Suns last night, and Smith's 4-for-21 was almost enough to do in the Nuggets, who beat the Mavs only by 2 even though Dallas only had one starter (Nowitzki and his 44 points) in double figures.
2. The Timberwolves' five-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Heat, but Randy Foye is still playing well. He put up 29 points last night and is averaging 23.2 over his last five games, finally making a case that he deserved to be taken seventh overall and putting a dent in the idea that the Brandon Roy-Randy Foye draft-day deal was one of the most egregious fleecings of the last 20 years. A small dent, mind you, but a dent nonetheless.
3. It certainly didn't spook LeBron James, who had a triple-double, but there was a ghost on the floor during the Cleveland-Memphis game. O.J. Mayo played 31 minutes, had six points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and committed three fouls while the Grizzlies lost by 15 at home to a team that started Lorenzen Wright at power forward. Yikes! Keep it up, Juice, and you'll have a ghost of a chance at Rookie of the Year.
1. What in the name of John Starks got into Joe Johnson and J.R. Smith last night? Johnson's 1-for-14 shooting performance was the No. 1 reason the Hawks lost to the Suns last night, and Smith's 4-for-21 was almost enough to do in the Nuggets, who beat the Mavs only by 2 even though Dallas only had one starter (Nowitzki and his 44 points) in double figures.
2. The Timberwolves' five-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Heat, but Randy Foye is still playing well. He put up 29 points last night and is averaging 23.2 over his last five games, finally making a case that he deserved to be taken seventh overall and putting a dent in the idea that the Brandon Roy-Randy Foye draft-day deal was one of the most egregious fleecings of the last 20 years. A small dent, mind you, but a dent nonetheless.
3. It certainly didn't spook LeBron James, who had a triple-double, but there was a ghost on the floor during the Cleveland-Memphis game. O.J. Mayo played 31 minutes, had six points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and committed three fouls while the Grizzlies lost by 15 at home to a team that started Lorenzen Wright at power forward. Yikes! Keep it up, Juice, and you'll have a ghost of a chance at Rookie of the Year.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Cellphone hoops theater
Thought I might share a little cellphone video from my outing Monday to see my alma mater, East Tennessee State, hoop it up with Florida Gulf Coast University on the south side of Fort Myers. The action you see here is a well-executed fast break on a night that such success in transition was rare for my Bucs, who were upset 64-61. Adam Sollazzo can be seen feeding senior point guard Courtney Pigram, who misses a runner that ETSU leading scorer and former JUCO Player of the Year Kevin Tiggs puts back for the score.
(I apologize for the funky audio, but hey ... it's a cellphone, you can't ask for much!)
It was an otherwise frustrating night for my boys, who led by eight at halftime but played with little energy as FGCU whittled the margin down. ETSU still had the game in their hands in the final minute, with the ball and a two point lead, but Pigram slipped and fell on a wet spot that a couple of players had pointed out to refs on the previous stoppage. FGCU took the ball and promptly converted a 3-point play to slip in front. ETSU had a final opportunity, but failed to get a better look than an 18-foot jumper for Isiah Brown, who predictably clanked it, and FGCU came away with the rebound, two free throws and an upset victory.
I could start in with a hew and cry about the wet spot, but I won't because the Bucs never should have let FGCU make it so close. ETSU has more talent, and hopefully this loss will stick in their minds the next time they think of letting their concentration lag against an inferior opponent.
(I apologize for the funky audio, but hey ... it's a cellphone, you can't ask for much!)
It was an otherwise frustrating night for my boys, who led by eight at halftime but played with little energy as FGCU whittled the margin down. ETSU still had the game in their hands in the final minute, with the ball and a two point lead, but Pigram slipped and fell on a wet spot that a couple of players had pointed out to refs on the previous stoppage. FGCU took the ball and promptly converted a 3-point play to slip in front. ETSU had a final opportunity, but failed to get a better look than an 18-foot jumper for Isiah Brown, who predictably clanked it, and FGCU came away with the rebound, two free throws and an upset victory.
I could start in with a hew and cry about the wet spot, but I won't because the Bucs never should have let FGCU make it so close. ETSU has more talent, and hopefully this loss will stick in their minds the next time they think of letting their concentration lag against an inferior opponent.
Three random thoughts ...
... about the NBA:
1. How can anyone defend the Jason Kidd trade for Dallas now? Even if you discount the emergence of Devin Harris in New Jersey, as some have, Kidd is just stinking it up for the Mavericks a lot of nights. Sunday's seven assists and four points on 1 of 9 shooting against Sacramento isn't going to cut it, particularly when you turn it over four times. If it hadn't been for what looks like a career year for Jason Terry, the Mavs would be a .500 ballclub.
2. Orlando is for real. Seriously. If you can destroy a decent Atlanta team, then go into San Antonio like they did last night and contain everyone on the floor except Tony Parker, you're doing something right. Parker only went to the line four times, too, which is even more impressive. The other point guard on the floor, Jameer Nelson, is the X factor for the Magic. When he plays like he did last night, draining three from behind the arc and piling up 22 points, Orlando can beat anyone.
3. Don't let the score fool you. The Celtics' win over the Raptors last night had a lot more to do with an aberrant shooting night from Ray Allen than any sort of righting of the ship. Allen is good for a few nights where he hits eight treys and scores 36 now and again, but you certainly can't count on that or 5-for-16 shooting from the opposing team's best player (Chris Bosh in this case). More indicative of where Boston is right now is Glen Davis, who put up 12 shots and made just one in 30 minutes of run. Yikes.
1. How can anyone defend the Jason Kidd trade for Dallas now? Even if you discount the emergence of Devin Harris in New Jersey, as some have, Kidd is just stinking it up for the Mavericks a lot of nights. Sunday's seven assists and four points on 1 of 9 shooting against Sacramento isn't going to cut it, particularly when you turn it over four times. If it hadn't been for what looks like a career year for Jason Terry, the Mavs would be a .500 ballclub.
2. Orlando is for real. Seriously. If you can destroy a decent Atlanta team, then go into San Antonio like they did last night and contain everyone on the floor except Tony Parker, you're doing something right. Parker only went to the line four times, too, which is even more impressive. The other point guard on the floor, Jameer Nelson, is the X factor for the Magic. When he plays like he did last night, draining three from behind the arc and piling up 22 points, Orlando can beat anyone.
3. Don't let the score fool you. The Celtics' win over the Raptors last night had a lot more to do with an aberrant shooting night from Ray Allen than any sort of righting of the ship. Allen is good for a few nights where he hits eight treys and scores 36 now and again, but you certainly can't count on that or 5-for-16 shooting from the opposing team's best player (Chris Bosh in this case). More indicative of where Boston is right now is Glen Davis, who put up 12 shots and made just one in 30 minutes of run. Yikes.
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