College Basketball Stew

College basketball is like an over-flowing stew.  There is so much goodness in there and so many different flavors to pick out and individually enjoy but to really reach its potential, it must be stirred and allowed to simmer.  In the end, the warm aromas draw you in, the steam in your face, the first sip a bit too hot to bear but you go back for more and more until you are shoveling full spoons in your mouth not even caring whether the next bite contains a carrot, a slice of beef, or a combo of everything in between. 


I guess its safe to say the ingredients have been laid out and the construction of this years stew is well under way.  There were 17 early season tournaments that are all complete as of last night which means we have gotten a very nice sneak peak into who is for real and who is not.  We have the ACC/Big Ten challenge and Hardwood Classic to look forward to and then it is on to conference play.  


It really is a great thing that the college landscape is opening up like this.  For example, the 76 Classic this past week in Anaheim gave national exposure to mid majors Butler, Portland, and Long Beach State.  Butler now sees what it will take to really make it to the next level and the country knows what the WCC has known all along.  These are great things for basketball.  


Also we get to see top schools from different conferences face off such as the Florida upset over Michigan State contest in the semis of the Legends Classic, Purdue stealing one against Tennessee at the buzzer in the Paradise Jam (played in the Virgin Islands... how cool is that?), and Duke knocking off UConn in the Garden to win the Preseason NIT.  


Historically, the Preseason NIT was a one-stop shop for big name schools.  You could turn on ESPN and see the big names and get your first sip of the stew... it was your basic meat and potatoes.  Then the early season field expanded with options like the Coaches vs. Cancer, Maui Invitational, and Great Alaska shoot out.  Now, the talent is spread through over a dozen tournaments which means we may not see all of the big schools clash but we will get a full deep inhale of the entire D1 landscape.  


This is great for the game because schools can use they tournaments as recruiting chips.  For example, wouldn't it work in Purdue's favor to show a recruit pictures from their championship visit to the Virgin Islands or Calipari reminding incoming recruits that Kentucky gets to play in and win tournaments in Cancun?  Like all things modern, college basketball is evolving into an accessible, digestible, and fully mobile entity.  


So what do we know so far? 


There is some clear disparity in the Big 6 conferences (Big East, ACC, Pac 10, SEC, Big 10, Big 12)


The Big 12 looks to be the strongest conference at the top after Texas A&M pulled off big wins against Clemson and Minnesota, both ranked in the top 25.  Kansas and Texas are in the Top 3 (1 and 3, respectively).   Oklahoma sniffed the top 25 for a week but after dropping 3 straight to mid-majors, they will be far from the Top 25.  They just lack the depth right now to really compete with top tier competitions.  Still, with Willie Warren rounding into All-American form, this team is far from dead. 


Look for Mizzou to climb back along with Oklahoma State to be on the bubble.  


The Big East, again, remains the deepest conference.  With West Virginia looking to be a legitimate top 5 team and Villanova gunning opponents down with regularity, they look to have the top tier teams to be legitimately considered the best basketball conference for a second year now. 


Here is how I see it for WVU- De'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks are the best 1-2 forward combo in the country.  Throw in veteran guard play and a proven coach, and you have a very dangerous team.  The depth, shooting ability and defensive style that stretches opponents thin will certainly favor this team into March . I am penciling them into the Final Four now.  You heard it hear first.  

Past West Virginia, Villanova has some of the best guard play in the nation and UConn and Syracuse are deceptively strong and will only get better as the year progresses.  Throw in Georgetown, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Marquette who all have legitimate All-American candidates, much improved Cincy and St. Johns rosters, a Rutgers team that navigated the weak bracket of the Legends Classic to face Florida in the finals, an always dangerous Pitt squad even in rebuilding mode, and of course my eternal East Coast bias and I crown the Big East the number 1 conference of this early season!   Here is how it shapes up:


1. Big East- Two legit final four contenders, two semi-legit contenders and a slew of solid rosters will keep the Big East active and enjoyable.  Please, please, please, take the time to watch Lazar Hayward at Marquette.  He is a senior and the link to last year's 'what if' squad. 

2. Big 12- This is a very close second.  Oklahoma's stumble to three straight mid-majors hurts the conference and the bottom of the conference leaves a little to be desired.


3. ACC- Duke, UNC are top 12 and Georgia Tech is young, strong and scary.  Clemson will go as far Booker can lead them and VaTech, FSU, Maryland and Wake all have legitimate tournament hopes. 


4. This is where the drop off begins. The first 3 are clearly the best in the nation.  SEC and the Big 10 are also clearly better than the Pac 10 right now.  I give SEC a slight nod to the Big 10 for these reasons:

• The top team in the Big 10 is Michigan State and they got beat head-to-head by the second best team in the SEC, Florida
• Michigan is ranked in the top 25 but they got upset by Alabama over the weekend
• The SEC only has one legitimate cupcake right now (Arkansas who are giving up 83+ ppg) while the Big 10 has Indiana, Iowa, and Penn State who have all yet to prove anything.

Bottom line: the SEC was greatly improved before Calipari came to town the the big names at Tennessee decided to stay in school.  Those two factors have really strengthened the conference.  Still, I say by mid February, the Big Ten will have left the SEC in its dust.  Why?

5. Big Ten- Michigan State is probably the toughest out in the country.  Give them a few more weeks to get their big men into a true rotation and watch out.  This team will be in the Final Four.  The depth the conference goes a lot deeper than recent years past with Purdue putting outs its best squad in over a decade and Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota all looking top 25-worthy.  When its all said and done, Indiana will be hitting their stride and Wisconsin will be right there. 

6. Pac 10- Ok, lets microcosm the Pac 10's problems into UCLA.

Here is UCLA's week to forget:

• Crushed by 27 by WCC's Portland.  Ok, this shouldn't happen to the West Coast powerhouse and it wasn't even as close as the score makes it sound.
• Last second loss to Butler.  This Butler team was humbled this week losing to Minnesota and Clemson and needing last second heroics to squeak past UCLA and yet I digress...
• Eleven point beat down by Long Beach State

So UCLA is 2-4 with their only wins coming against Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine.  Wow, thats not a good sign, especially when you consider Kansas and Mississippi State are on the horizon.  Translation:  they haven't won the games they should have won and now need to win the games they are supposed to lose. 

The Pac 10 is 37-19 in this early season which is only a shade better than the WCC's record which is making the ridiculous "Best Conference on the West Coast" debate somewhat intriguing.  

To put 37-19 into perspective, the other power conferences look like this:

ACC- 60-10

BIG EAST- 76-12

BIG 12- 60-12

SEC- 50-19

BIG 10- 34-19 (but they are playing a tougher brand of ball in the early season).  

The Washington's (Washington and Wash State) and Arizona State are the best the Pac 10 has to offer right now.  AZ State crushed LSU and lost their one true test against Duke but they look to be tourney bound.  Washington is undefeated but barely stole a win from Montana and Washington State has played no one of consequence.  Its gonna be a long season in the Pac 10. 

It is still too early to tell for sure who is for real in the Mid Majors but it looks like Butler, Gonzaga, Portland and UNLV are for real and VCU, Dayton, Missouri State, and BYU all in the mix.  

Memphis gets it own line: After taking Kansas to the max, they have taken out a stick and beaten on Central Arkansas and Tennessee Tech, hardly something to mention so I don't know where Memphis fits right now. They only have two real tests before the new year @UMass and home against Tennessee. Then we get to see 'em at Syracuse and the rest of the season is pedestrian.  So... don't be surprised if they are 28-3 heading into the Conf USA Tourney and get a 2 seed in the Big Dance.  I still won't be too impressed. 

Mid Major talent: Watch Paul George (Fresno State) and Larry Sanders (VCU) play.  Both will be wearing NBA jerseys next year. 

Ahh yes, the stew is simmering.  Breath in deeply and enjoy whatever comes next. 

Remembering the Good Iverson

Iverson's Greatest Dunk







Iverson's Single Greatest Game. He shows the full repertoire here. This game was the pinnacle, the proverbial summit of his career. Watch especially from the 5:41 on... this play defines Iverson.







No tattoos, just a young man who was smaller but better than everyone.





He knows the right thing, he can even articulate it at times, yet when it came down to it, he would always do what he wanted to do, for better or for worse. Notice the 5:07 mark. (Cheap shot... didn't he say God sent him to Memphis?)















Fare thee well....

Summer in the City and Notes from Last Night- 11/23/09

Before we get to the action, I need to do something I dread doing but suddenly feel the urge to do... talk about the 2010 Free Agents.

First of all, the Nets.  I am hearing people say that Nets fans need to change their perception of this summer because they will not be landing big name free agents.  The logic?  The Nets organization has nothing to offer these guys because the teams they already play on are better and despite the big market exposure and money, they can do just as well where they are.

Lets stop there for a moment and think about the current Boston Celtics roster?  At the core, these are the guys that have won an NBA Championship and battled to 7 games with the eventual Eastern Conference champ last year.  How was this team assembled?  From the ashes of a 24-58 team in 06/07.  That team was the end of a four year line of losing seasons and (how insane is this) a fifteen year stretch of sub-50 win seasons!  We are talking about the most decorated franchise in this league's history and they played a decade and a half of mediocre basketball.  Yet in the past two seasons, they played at a clip of 128-36.  What changed their fortunes?  Landing big name guys.  Granted, KG and Ray Allen were brought in by trading away quality young talent and building around an existing core of Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo but the concept is still the same- in this league, your fortunes can change overnight by landing some big name guys.

The Nets will have the financial flexibility next year (about $25 mil in cap space) to lure a big name.  The idea that coming to play for a woeful team will scare them away is not sound.  These guys are looking to make a lasting mark and what better place to do it then a big market team that has is in the midst of turmoil.  Granted, certain things need to be in place, namely some young talent, a few quality role players, and a market that can indulge and (mostly) satisfy their big ticket personnas.  Can the Nets meet these requirements?

Young Talent- Brook Lopez (3rd in ROY voting last year and double double machine), Courtney Lee (started in the NBA finals as a rookie last year) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (has stepped up as a scorer this year but looks to be a solid reserve-type).

Few Quality Role Players- More than a role player, they have an extremely capable young point guard in Devin Harris who will cover the other teams best guard and distribute the ball.  Couple that with journey-men like Eduardo Najera and Keyon Dooling.

Market- It is still muddy but it sounds like if the Nets organization can sort out their legal issues by December, they will be on track for building in Brooklyn.  There is uncertainty now  but that will all be settled in soon.  So, if the Nets do indeed make a commitment to Brooklyn, the draw will be huge.

So when I look at the Nets, I look at a near-perfect situation for a big free agent.  You will have a ridiculously loaded owner in Mikhail Prokhorov (Net worth of 9.5 billion), and a social/cultural presence in Jay-Z that can do wonders for a superstar's image. Considering that Jarvis Hayes, Trenton Hassell, Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, Bobby Simmons and Sean Williams are all unrestricted free agents next year, Josh Boone is a restricted and there is a team option on CDR, the Nets have copious amounts of flexibility.   

To be a part of chapter one of a basketball revival in Brooklyn, team up alongside an all-star caliber point guard and center and have some basic building blocks already in place, why wouldn't a LeBron, DWade, Bosh, and/or Amare be interested?

Secondly, lets take a sweep at the Knicks.  Now the Knicks won't have nearly the financial flexibility of their river partners but they have a little more stability in the organization right now with a dynamite coach and president.  They have 6 expiring contracts generating roughly $21 million in space this summer.  However, I am not as comfortable with the Knicks chances.  The league is forecasting a 2.5 to 5% drop in revenues over the year and the thought of the salary cap decreasing in 2010 is becoming more and more a reality.  If the cap drops, the Knicks are very limited in luring anyone along with a LeBron.  Basically, LeBron would be playing in the most famous arena in the world but he will be playing with a team that will remind him more of his early season teams.... a set back for a guy itching to win.  The Knicks are going to have a hard time meeting the three factors needed to make a LeBron happy and thus, I really think they need to go another angle.

Ok, you have the so-called mastermind of the '7 Seconds or Less' brand of basketball.  When Nash was at the helm of this offense, the league was caught with its pants down and they were literally a suspension and a few bounces away from the NBA Finals.  Post-Nash, the system just hasn't been the same.  Chris Duhon is not the answer.  Surveying the landscape, there are many capable players out there who would thrive in a D'Antoni system.  First off, you have to give some love to Joe Johnson.  His career landed on the NBA map when he played in PHX for D'Antoni.  Since then, he has been a solid all star for Atlanta and led that team to its best success in a long, long time.  He can shoot the 3, defend the best guys in the league, get to the rim and distribute the ball.  He is a complete package and a great fit for the Knicks.  The dream situation would be to be able to lure in a big who can run and control the glass for this team.  Um.... have you heard of Chris Bosh?  If the Knicks can somehow work the numbers into a deal for these 2, they would be well on their way to rebounding.  You are still a PG short of a successful roster as Chris Duhon is not capable of running this team and Toney Douglas/Nate Robinson are not valid replacements.  TDouglas is great off the bench as a quasi-2 guard and Nate should be gone.  If they can somehow work out a deal to bring in a PG with "upside" (I am thinking a Mike Conley) or find the space to sign a Luke Ridnour (free agent), then this team really looks good.

Bottom line, the Nets are in the driver seat as long as they can sort out their legal issues and the Knicks are looking at the second tier right now but if they can work out something for Chris Bosh, they have hit a home run.  All I know is basketball will be relevant in the New York area again and everyone will benefit.

On to last night...

The Blazers went Jekyll to their Hide last night, romping the tired/sagging/unmotivated Bulls by 20+.  Oden put up a monster 24 and 12 with 2 blocks.  Has he turned the corner?  I can't say that for sure but I do know that a certain man emerged last night with a battle cry seldom reached but constantly sought.  Mr. Oden, let it out you animal.

The Blazers confuse me.  I really like this line up but it seems like when they are not shooting well or they are being outplayed, they don't have a go-to option.  You would think Brandon Roy should be that option but I have always seen Roy as a Scottie Pippen to someone else's Jordan.  He is a great talent on both ends of the floor but he is not the leader of a championship team.  Too many guys on this team are extremely capable of doing the same things.  This is basketball magic when guys are on, but when they are struggling, its like watching a drunk fumble for his keys in the parking lot of a bar at 3am... getting to where you want to go just isn't happening.



Happy ball.

Notes from the Weekend- 11/20/09-11/22/09

I am going to have to work on these throughout the day as work is really busy right now so hopefully this doesn't come across completely incoherent.  Ah, whatever, it probably will....

Let's start with the Eastern Conference.  What did we learn this weekend?

Atlanta is kinda hot right now, but they are beatable.  It looked like they ran into a wall Saturday against New Orleans who seem to be benefiting from the shake up, at least in the short term.  Collison is playing out of his mind which is really cool to see.  Still, this game lands more on the side of "Atlanta-let-down" then "New-Orleans-break-out."  After that wow finish against Houston, Atlanta just ran out of gas going 4-22 from 3 and shooting 37% overall.  4-22.  Yeah, that's not going to cut it.

Orlando had a good weekend in the W column but I am issuing a Tropical Storm Warning over the Orlando area.  Since we are out of official Hurricane season, let's come up with a random name for this storm.  How about.... Tropical Storm Vince.

If you pull up the box score for Friday night's game in Boston, one thing is very clear- it was an ugly game.  And that is on both sides.  Orlando should get credit for winning in a tough environment but if you watched the last quarter of this game, the entire Orlando offense was motionless as Vince Carter continually just gyrated around with his back to the basket.  Sure, he made some incredibly difficult shots, but I need to remind you he took incredibly difficult shots.  What made last year's Magic squad so difficult to beat was the Hedo got the ball at the end of the games and he worked from the top of the key.  He would look for guys off screens, draw defenders for open players, and kick the ball to guards who would be able to find Howard at angles on the post.  Vince.... he shoots.  26 points but that came on 29 shots.  29 shots... 29 shots.  When you have Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard on your team, there is never a good explanation for 29 shots unless you are this guy.  If you had to take a guess at how many assists he had during that fourth quarter, what would you say?  Yes, zero is right.  Couple that with 2 turnovers and you had a guy who hijacked the offense in the end game and really only got credit because Boston self-destructed.

Vince shoots 29 shots in Boston to steal a win from Boston in November.  Everyone is down with that.  Vince shoots 29 shots in April against anybody after shooting 29 shots many games this year.  I don't care if you win or lose, the team is going to be dejected; especially the core.  Orlando, right now, is only going as far as the goodwill for Vince and something tells me Orlando has given Vince just enough rope to hang himself...

Still, concerning Orlando, we kind of set a challenge for them when they fell to Cleveland 2 weeks ago and that challenge extends through this Thursday when they head to Atlanta.  In this stretch they have/will have played the five best teams in the East (excluding themselves).  After the loss to Cleveland, they have beaten the Nets (yawn), eeked out a win against the Bobcats (pass), handled the Thunder (good), won a stinker against Boston (now we are on track), won in Toronto (momentum).... the big challenges remaining.  Miami and Atlanta.  Let's just say that all Tropical Storm warnings aside, the Magic are doing their job.

Concerning Vince... the guy has ridiculous skills.  He has the body and athleticism to score on/against anyone at any time.  Maybe 3 other guys in the league have that.  But what makes Vince so different is he is so accepting of whatever effort he himself gives.  If he shoots 20% of 50%, to him, its only a matter of the shots not falling.  Changing his game, getting other guys involved, going harder to get to the line, working harder, forcing mistakes from the defensive end..... I just don't see it happening.  And this is where the Magic are gonna wear thin.  To work your butts off as this team truly does only to see a "leader" dogging it will zap morale and lead to finger-pointing.

Boston- do we say it?  Should we?  Ok, let's say it.... "What do you have to say now 'Sheed?"

I get it.  Boston is fun to love.  They are good for the league.  'Nothing like seeing those colors on the court' blah blah.  Can we focus on the facts?  They allowed 29 guns Carter to beat them on their own floor and then almost coughed up a hair-ball against those guys wearing Knicks uniforms before Captain Pierce saved the day.  Yeah, I am glad to hear Doc Rivers listens to his players and Pierce is a competitor, and Kevin Garnett would eat a baby if it were in the way of a victory but listen up, Boston is flawed!   They will hit a stride and win 60 games but they are not raising banners because

1. They are a year older and free agency made them even older

2. Garnett is not fully healthy and probably will not be for the rest of his career.   His knees are pretty much hanging it up.

3. Rondo doesn't have the same pressure to prove his worth
4. Brian Scalabrine is playing meaningful minutes
5. Eddie House's family has a reality tv show

Ok, maybe not the last one but all-in-all, there are issues with this Boston roster.  So, Boston is flawed, Orlando is philosophically flawed, and Atlanta is great but a wee-bit inconsistent in the long-term and in need of another quality big so where does that leave us?

Yeah, Cleveland is once again the team to beat in the East.  Ho hum.

Speaking more on Orlando, Dwight Howard is probably on everyone's short list for best big man.  Other names that you would fire off would be Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, Andrew Bynum, Amare.... My only question is where does Chris Bosh fit in?  At 27 ppg and 12 rpg, Bosh has the statistical resume to match and beat any of these guys mentioned.  I think you can safely say he outplayed Dwight despite the loss on Saturday.  Mind you, he does all of this on an under-sized roster that depends on him for board-work because Bargani is not a rebounder.  Translation: Bosh works his butt off nightly and deserves more credit.

Oh yeah, and Carter took 24 shots in this game.  Its coming....

Granger got worked by LeBron to the tune of 40.   Granger is still second tier on the superstar list but what about on the 3 Point Chuck List!!!  95 3s at the clip of 8.6 a game.
Seriously though, LeBron took it to him.  Doesn't it seem like LeBron is taking a lot of things personally this year?

Moving to the West:

Sacramento is spirited and willing.  That's good for volunteers, though, not NBA squads.  Sorry guys but keep up the work.

Portland played the Jekyll/Hyde bit to perfection this weekend leaving me with no clarity on this team except that I like to watch them and they have great players and I hope they make lots of baskets.

If you are playing the Lakers in the next 2 weeks... watch out.  I am just saying.

Finally, this is a must read on Dirk.  I really, really enjoyed it and am in the process of really assessing how I feel about this lovably 7-footer.
http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magazine/2009/December/Dirk_Nowitzki_Is_Saving_Dallas_Basketball_One_Shot_at_a_Time.aspx

Happy ball.

Notes From Last Night- 11/19/09

Happy Friday.  It only seems right that we dedicate last night, the Night of the White Guy!!!  Somewhere, I like this think these guys are smiling...

                Why, you ask, can this claim be made?

First of all, not sure if you have noticed but these guys are top MVP candidates right now.

And don't say you saw that coming!  Yeah, we all kinda saw Dirk filling the stat sheet but we didn't expect the late game heroics and "get on my shoulders, we are winning this" stretches.  Nash has the Suns in place for the best record in the league.

In fact the Suns had been on such a torrid pace until they ran into this guy.

Peja somehow channeled his inner-2003 and said "not tonight Mr. Nash... not on my watch."

Peja had 24 points on 7-11 from behind the arc and grabbed a dozen boards in truly vintage form.  On strange nights when his back aligns, we see what could have been.

For your daring, your brawn, your trajectory, your goofy chest hair, your vicious glasswork, your all-things-man domination... LET IT OUT PEJA!!!








Moving on, a certain 7 foot Spaniard wandered onto the floor in Los Angeles las night and this happened.  Gasol was uber-efficient with 24 points and 13 glass-wipes, 7 on the offensive end proving that the Lakers are good with Kobe, great with Pau and Kobe. 

Plaschke revealed a very telling stat about Gasol in this article.

Since the start of the 2007-2008 season -- during which Gasol arrived in February -- the Lakers are a vastly different team when he's part of it.

During that time, when Gasol has been on the court for more than three minutes, the Lakers are 116-35.

When he has not, they are 44-24.

Obviously Gasol back on the floor was a good news for the Lakers.  Actually, it seemed to invigorate everyone's play except Kobe who struggled from the floor and settled for 21 points on 21 shots.

Even this guy got into the action with 2 points!

 Well, I have ran out of white guys to speak about.  I guess I will dry to drum up Kirlenko's 13 pts, 3 assists, 3 steals on 12 shots.... Although I must say that his passing in the open court was impressive and pivotal in sealing a big win for the Jazz in San Antonio, something that have not done since this guy ran the team.

Notes from Last Night- 11/18/09

Today is Thursday.  It is a good day.  That is because this happen last night.  That's right you read that correctly. The NYC Metro area is breathing a little easier now and perhaps holding in that last joyous inhale before they exhale and see this guy in blue and orange.

Some things to point out from last night's game.

1) The Knicks were EXTREMELY resilient.
2) The Knicks were very efficient from the floor.
3) Eddy Curry was a very positive factor, joining the team for the first time this season in limited action, scoring 10 points on 4 shots and grabbing 3 offensive boards.
4) The Knicks will have a winning streak after tonight... that's right that team that is 0-12 is up next.  


Speaking of that team, they are in danger of breaching historic territory.  No, not historic territory such as this.  More like this.

Yes, Nets, you are entering some hallowed ground.  Looking ahead, you have the Knicks at home before going to Denver, Portland, Sacramento, and Los Angeles of the good variety (Lakers).  Translation:  If you want to avoid the historic 0-17 start of the 98/99 Clippers, you better win tonight because the road does not get any easier.

What does that mean?  Yep, there will be meaningful basketball played in the tri-state area tonight.  That is a first... well, lets put hockey aside for a second.  Since October 11, after the New York Giants pounded on the corpse known as the Raiders, New York/New Jersey professional sports have seen a total of THREE wins.  Yeah, three.

New York Giants- 0-4
New York Jets- 1-4
New York Knicks- 2-9
New Jersey Nets- 0-12

I thought this was the city of champions?

If only this guy played every major sport.

So meaningful basketball will be played.  The Nets are avoiding epic failure status.  The Knicks are going for 2 straight and Mr. Iverson may be coming to town.  I love this game.

Not all is sour in the Net's camp.  Chris Douglas-Roberts is channeling is inner Bernard King lately.  Swine flu this!!! is all he is saying.

Dropping two straight double-doubles a week after returning.  You my friend have a domain to dominate.  You are in hallowed ground.  Let it pour big fella.

Dirk was a beast one again.  Might as well save that quote as I will be pasting it often.  Isn't Dirk top 3 in the league right now?  How can you say he isn't?  Think about it....

I got some love.

The Cavs got no love.

31 Points for Jamison.  Washington is saying welcome home!  Um, let's not get crazy here but maybe Jamison is what was needed to right the ship.

Rondo- 18 pts, 12 assists.

Hickson- reset button.  6 points.

Oden.  -15 +/-

Granger 3point count- 79.

Larry Bird's face. Priceless.

Happy ball.

The Allen Iverson Show: (Hopefully not) Coming to an Arena Near You!

There is a lot of talk surrounding Iverson lately.  Rather than spew out the same rhetoric, I am going to make or break a case for every NBA team.  Let's have some fun:

Southeast:
Orlando Magic- This team is already dancing a fine line with too many scoring options.  Nelson going down doesn't make this prospect anymore appealing unless Jason Williams busts.  Still, I don't see Iverson as the type of guy that will fit in with their championship hopes. Although watching a scene break out where the final 10 seconds of an elimination game are ticking away and Vince and Iverson are locked at midcourt trying to wrestle the ball away from one another while Dwight Howard is stomping his feet in the key screaming "but I am Superman!" would be priceless.  BREAK

Miami Heat- Riley likes taking on projects and I could definitely see him loving the possibilities here.  There was a lot of buzz this summer about a possible Miami stint.  When Wade is out the offense tends to go stale.  Still Iverson will not make this deal work for two reasons.  First, Chalmers has the starting PG spot and I don't think they will take that from him.  Second, no one on this team will be able to prove to Iverson what his role SHOULD be.  He just won't co-exist well with Wade and Beasely provides enough antics.  I am sorry, that last one was a cheap shot.   BREAK

Washington Wizards- Hibachi just isn't sizzling, Foye is injured and what do they have to lose?  I think Iverson can either sell tickets or sneak you into the 8th slot.  MAKE

Charlotte Bobcats- For entertainment purposes alone, how could you not want to see this?  You have Jordan in the luxury box (well, not really) Stephen Jackson and Iverson patrolling the streets of NBA cities, and lack-luster guard depth.  Larry Brown is one of the largest Iverson supporters in the league. Still, I see implosion written all over it.  Perfect Bobcat recipe!  MAKE

Atlanta Hawks- This team is in need of a big body, not another shoot first minutes-mongrol.  Like so many teams, if Iverson would accept the bench role, this could be a sweet match.  Alas... BREAK

Atlantic:

Boston Celtics- The Marbury project didn't pan out.  Rondo signed a big deal but outside shooting woes and dropping 3 of 5 has gotten the Celtic camp nervous.  Garnett and Pierce could be good balancing forces on Iverson and I could see him if not deferring, at least sharing the load with the duo.  Personal opinion aside, I could see this happening.  But I just don't see Iverson accepting the role he would need to play.  BREAK

New York Knicks- Here we go... everyone has their two cents on this one.  The way I see it, you are building for the future; Iverson is short term.  You are developing a quality young guard in Toney Douglas at 30 minutes a night; those minutes will go to Iverson.  The young guys need quality mentoring especially on the practice court; Iverson is notorious for his practice habits.  So, in every way it seems to not add up.  Yet, it still makes sense.  The Knicks are stagnant offensively, no one is stepping up as a leader, and the Knicks are 1-9. So, why not?  Its a one year commitment and everyone knows the Knicks are just waiting for summer '10.  The Garden could use some buzz as well as economic uplift.  Chandler is fit for the 3 and Toney Douglas can have the pressure released to produce wins.  He will take a dip in minutes but maybe that isn't such a bad thing.  D'Antoni can definitely work around this issue with his wacky lineup concoctions.  And practice?  We're talking about practice?  D'Antoni doesn't run stiff practices... they are the country club variety so what's to lose?  Not much, you are 1-9.  MAKE

New Jersey Nets- SURE! Who really cares??? MAKE

Toronto Raptors- This seemed to make sense as they are a bubble team that could use a push but the push they need is on the defensive end.  Hedo is still finding his role and introducing another variable, especially a highly volatile one does not seem to make sense.  BREAK

Philly- Been there, done that.  I just don't see it happening. BREAK

Central:


Detroit Pistons- Well let's start out by saying.... NOPE  BREAK

Indiana Pacers-  They have a good thing going all of sudden and it fully revolves around the ball being in Granger's hands.  I can't see Iverson playing nicely.  Too bad because here is the broken record... like so many teams, Iverson could fit in well here if he knew how to play a role position.  BREAK

Chicago Bulls- Offense is in need of help.  Rose has been struggling.  But then again the talks about swapping Gordon for Iverson went no where and I just don't see another Iverson maneuver here.  BREAK

Milwaukee Bucks- If Redd returns healthy, this is a no brainer.  If Redd struggles and Jennings cools off, maybe we will talk.  Until then... BREAK

Cleveland Cavs- They have mixed and matched a lot this year after last year's "ideal LeBron team" fizzled and faded near the end.  There are a lot of positives on this team but the truth is nothing works unless it is running through LeBron.  That's just the way it is and who can argue it?  Another case of a team that is on the hump of the NBA Finals and AI may push them but in the right direction?  I say nay.  If the Cavs do find a way to deal DeLonte and can salvage some production from that spot, that about seals and AI talk in Cleveland.  Regardless, I don't see it happening.  BREAK

Southwest:


Houston Rockets- This team has a set identity and its built on role-playing, unselfishness.  Both things don't mix well with Iverson.  I am interested to see what happens to this oddly functioning team when McGrady returns.  If he can give them some positive offensive production while not getting in the way defensively, he is enough to keep Houston in the playoff mix.  Iverson does not make them any more of a contender and he offsets the balance so... BREAK

Memphis Grizzlies- Apparently, when the move happen this summer, Iverson felt it was God who wanted him to play in Memphis.  Ummm, Bueler?  Bueler?  BREAK

San Antonio Spurs- Older by the minute.  This is the type of team that hits a stride after the All Star break and can really become dangerous.  Again, what this team needs is role players, not aging stars.  BREAK

Dallas Mavericks- Well, I think this line up could actually use the skill set Iverson possess but at what cost?  There have been many failed experiments built around Dirk over the years.  Imagining AI and Kidd teaming up kind of gives me a headache.  Kidds runs the show.  AI needs the ball in his hand to be effective.  The offense rotates around Dirk while Howard and Marion get out and run the floor and Terry provides the "microwave" minutes.  Once again, if he were going to accept a new role, AI could make this team dangerous.  Not happening.  Then again, this is Mark Cuban we are talking about.  I will give him the benefit BREAK

New Orleans Hornets-  You know when you are in the 2nd grade and you put your hand underneath your desk during class only to find it is infested with dry gum and boogers?  That is the New Orleans Hornets right about now.  Wait a minute, that has bring in an aging ball hog written all over it!  Chris Paul is out with a broken heart.  The organization is throwing money at the Peja corpse and the Tin-Man, Okafor.  Another scorer at the very week 2 guard could make things at least watchable again in the Bayou.  Plus the prospects of Chris Paul slapping Iverson come February are too lucrative to pass up.  MAKE

Pacific:


Phoenix Suns- Balance is everything for this team and Iverson offsets the balance.  This team only works with the ball in Nash's hands and Iverson needs the ball in his hands to be effective.  You can't make this work.  BREAK

Los Angeles Lakers- Fisher is on the bench waiving a towel.  Farmar and Shannon Brown are exchanging giddy high fives at the bottom of the bench.  Sasha is wrapped in a leopard-skinned robe tweeting about a new Euro-club on the strip.  Artest, Iverson, and Kobe are doing their best Rodman/Pippen/Jordan as they walk off in tandem after putting the nail in the coffin of a Finals clincher.  Ok, splash colder water on my face. Pau Gasol is coming back.  Despite the doomsday predictions that his bacon is sizzled, Pau will boost this team back up and a healthy Bynum/Pau with Odom and Artest teaming up with Kobe and Fisher and Brown/Farmar off the bench... there just isn't room.  Plus, Jackson's triangle offense features a PG who does nothing really except hit open 3's.  So nay to Iverson.  BREAK

Los Angeles Clippers- I think there is potential on this roster.  I would love to see Dunleavy gone and Byron Scott in.  He works well with young guys and Rasual Butler flourished in his system.  This team is guard heavy and the rotation is sorta set.  But if they keep losing like they did last night, AI may be cruising the PCH with Artest afteral.  Alas, I am not ready to accept it because Baron and Eric Gordon control the back court and I just don't see that changing and as you already know, Iverson will not accept a role.  BREAK

Golden State Warriors- Wow.  Um where do you start here?  StephJack is gone.  They bring in Raja Bell who is nothing short of a gamer and he opts for season ending wrist reconstruction.  Vlad may or may not work out which could really determine a lot.  Seems like Monta will be gone any day.  Morrow and Randolph are slowly creeping more and more into the rotation.  Curry has been off/on and spotty at best but serviceable and very commendable for a rookie.  Maggette is Maggette and Mikki Moore has weird hair.  Meanwhile, Don Nelson looks like a mix between Chuck Daly and John Daly right about now.  Where does that leave us?  I really don't know.  Maybe this is a situation that Iverson is perfect for; just come in, slap on a jersey and hog minutes.  There will be plenty of shots to go around as the Warriors favor the blistering pace.  Iverson and Nelson will surely spat but what else is new for either?  It is easy to be lured into a false sense of hope with this team after last night's tough fought loss to Cleveland but, nah.  Maggette was inspired by the awkward faux-rivalry LeBron fosters.  Randolph and Morrow did a sneak preview of 2011 and in the end, they fell short.  Hey you know what, deal Monta for a bruiser to gobble rebounds and insert Iverson on a team that is superstar-less.  Um, that may actually work.  MAKE

Sacramento Kings- Well, for starters, Kevin Martin is out for a while.  But he will be back.  Tyreke Evans has been great/good/inconsistent.   The rest of the line up (Jason Thompson excluded) has been rather blah.  At 5-5 they may be deceiving you.  First off, 2 of those wins came to Golden State and Memphis. uh huh.   They pulled of a quality with in OKC and at home against Houston and a rather pedestrian win at Utah.  Not to downgrade there quality play but they will not be .500 all year.  But they are.  And that underscores a cohesiveness this team is kinda/sorta showing.  Scratch off San Antonio is week 1 and Chicago last night, Sac-town has been in every game very competitively.  Read: Team chemistry is solid.  Don't introduce volatile elements.  Why not ride out the KMart injury, see what you got with 'Reke and see what dealing Nocioni can do for you?  BREAK


Northwest:


Oklahoma City Thunder-  I have been dying to get to this one.  I love this team and the upside that resides in that locker room.  This team has 'future" written all over it except they are doing it in the present.... as in right now.  Yet, what holds this team back is end-game situations are too predictable.  An understandably immature end gamer, Durant, gets the ball and everyone waits for him to make something happen.  Now, what if you slap #3 in there.  He can take the ball and pressure off Durant.  You can roll Durant off screens or post him on smaller defenders.  You can let Iverson penetrate and draw defenders.  All I am saying is Iverson could be worth an extra 5 wins for a team that may really benefit from an extra 5 wins.  Still, this is all nill as that would require Iverson playing a role position most likely off the bench.  You are not taking Thabo out of the line up because he is becoming a Bruce Bowen/Stacey Augman/Ray Lewis hybrid and his ability to lock down quality shooting guards (17.3 ppg and 37% from the field against Thabo this year and that includes DWade, Kobe, TParker etc).  Russell Westbrook is the PG and although turnover prone and erratic from the arc, AI is no better.   BREAK


Minnesota Timberwolves- You are the Midwestern equivalent of the Knicks right now.  Promise me I will get at least a quarter of the Johnny Flynn/Ramon Sessions show every night and AI is all yours.  Perfect cesspool for him to drop 25 a night.  MAKE

Utah Jazz- I would try to make a case why AI could work on this roster but this post got Sloan-blocked, just like any talk of AI in Morman-land.  BREAK

Denver Nuggets- This one is pretty straight forward.  With Iverson they straddled the playoff fence.  Without him, they were a few bounces away from the NBA finals.  While it would be funny to see Chauncey's face when they welcome AI back to the community, it ain't gonna happen.  BREAK

Portland- I don't really know what to make of this team yet.  But one thing is for sure, they have overloaded the guard position.  When you consider Jarred Bayless and Martell Webster could break out any day, Andre Miller and Steve Blake are constants, Rudy Fernandez can meander through 3 spots on the rotation and Brandon Roy pretty much does it all.  Sorry Iverson, this bus is full.  BREAK


And we have reached the end of our MAKE or BREAK: The Allen Iverson addition.

Isn't it sad that we are talking about a Hall-of-Fame, MVP, offensive specimen totally unmatched in any generation past, present, probably future, and yet we can only reasonably think of seven situations that work, none of which are winning teams?  Chalk this up to inflexibility of the superstar.  At least team's know what to expect now.  Memphis thought they got a guy happy to come off the bench and earn more minutes but what they got was a prima-dona, aging veteran who's pride and ego were too important to be shelved.  I do not mean to bash Iverson.  I love(d) watching him play and know that no one will go at it harder on the floor while on the floor.  But that doesn't mean my opinion of him has not changed.  The "Warrior" tag he basically owned will no longer be his.  A guy who isn't even willing to go out and earn a spot he thinks he deserves?  He signs a deal with a team he knew was going no where and gave up on them after three games?  No, these are not the characteristics of a warrior.  To find disrespect where a challenge lies; to choose exile over a battle; to serve one's ego over one's duty; no... not a warrior, just a delusional 34 year old who has a lot of amazing, truly one-of-a-kind stories but never really got it.

Notes From Last Night- 11/17/09

Pops found a new (old) home!

The Thunder went in to South Beach unabashed and showed you what they are capable of when things are going right... I love Thabo who only scored 2 points in 34 minutes of action but contributed 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.  The shots will come.  I was ready to feed the Durant monster but then I saw Thabo do this and I realized... you don't need to score a ton of points to get your Wry on.  So, Mr. Sefolosha.... Let it out.   


I won't lie. I didn't see this coming either but JJ is a MONSTER.  He is playing completely within himself, feeding off of LeBron and displaying very surprising athleticism.
Just what did he do last night?  How about 21 points on 9-9 shooting and 9 boards.  21 points on 9 shots?  That is freaky good production.  Freaky good.

How does NBA.com allow garbage like this on their front page?  Really.....

By far the lowest three point output of the season for Granger last night (1-4) as they Pacers route the Nets for... wait for it... wait for it.... 5 straight wins!  Granger's 3 point chuck total goes to 71 for the year so the average dips to just under 9 a night.  Pick up the pace Pacer!

Speaking of the Pacers, Hibbert goes for 19, 10 boards, 3 blocks on 9-11 shooting.  That is pretty nasty if you ask me.

Maybe the problem with the Nets is that they need new shoes... maybe these?

How cool is this?  How can you not like Battier?

Speaking of Houston, they almost were able to take one from the Rockets but the Suns again showed great poise to hold them off.  Nash played great, Dudley provided key minutes and JRich/Grant Hill continue to be a good wing combo.  Even Amare is looking all grown up.  I am surprised by the Suns' success.  I really am.

One final note... there was a great game on the ESPN College Basketball Marathon last night.  #2 Michigan State was able to hang on against a very impressive young and unranked (not for long) Gonzaga team.  This game had everything you want in a college basketball game including an annoying co-ed screaming behind the announces and getting picked up the ENTIRE game!

Zags out played State for the first 20 and stretches of the second 20 but State was just too strong and Summers had a monster 2nd half, scoring from all over the floor.  Also, I loved watching Lucas dissect the defense and get to the rim at impossible angles.  Just great college basketball. I recommend any game involving one of these 2 teams this year.

Tennessee had a laugher dropping 124 pts on UNC Asheville.... be careful of the Basketball Karma train.  Just ask this guy...

Happy ball....

Local Boys Do Whatever It Takes to Get on National TV

Saint Peters beat's Monmouth 58-36 in 6am Start

Not my favorite idea but when else do you see Saint Peters on the National scene.

And great unintentional humor as pointed out in the article above:  the first basket was scored by Ryan Bacon.

Hahahaha hhhhhhhaaaaa

Notes from Last Night- 11/16/09

Quiet night last night.  Well, sort of.

After being crowned numero uno in the power rankings, the Hawks pass test 1 against Rip City.  The Hawks played very inspired ball last night.  Josh Smith scored 20 on only 14 shots and grabbed 16 boards.  Hortford  posted another double-double at 15-10 and Joe Johnson paced the squad with 35 and 9 assists.

At first glance, Joe Johnson's numbers look a little erratic as he shot 13-31 from the floor.  But if you look closer, he really stepped up when he was needed.  In the 4th quarter he scored 10 points on 2-2 from 3 and charity along with 3 assists.  In OT, he was 3-4 from the floor and 2-2 from the line for another 8.  So when they needed him, he made great decisions, which is why I really like this Atlanta team.

Johnson is a great floor leader and Josh Smith's sudden maturity makes them a dynamic big game combo.  Both guys will guard anyone.  Bibby is a proven floor general and Jamal Crawford can bring that "microwave" factor.  Marvin Williams has one a National Championship at UNC playing a role so why not in the NBA.  Hortford is a proven winner many times over and provides the paint stability needed to hold up in 7 game series.  Still, the Hawks are one big man away from truly being ready to compete.  Another body to eat minutes and fouls will go a long way for this team.

Going back to Joe Johnson, for your end of game production (18 points, 4 assists in the final period and OT)  you, my friend have earned it.  Live it up.  Let it reign.  Pride over your domain....





Did you catch this over the weekend?  Kobe and Artest is just a poor man's Jordan and Rodman.

Good stuff, Ron.... but you still have a long way to go.

Dallas and Milwaukee was such an entertaining game.  Jennings, in defeat, was still incredible.  What stands out is his ability to make decisions at such a high pace.  Can we give the credit to Euro ball?  I will touch on this at some other time.  Despite the loss, I give Milwaukee a lot of credit because Dallas had many opportunities to bury them but the Bucks just hung in there.  They did not have a lead for ALL of regulation but tied it up at the end.  That's crazy.  Then in OT they had a chance to put Dallas away themselves until Dirk went all Brüllaffe on them.

Still, Jennings is the most impressive thing in the NBA right now.  He just missed (2 rebounds and 3 assists shy) a triple double last night and had to opportunities with the ball in his hand to end the game... then Dirk said Danke and did it himself.

Least impressive thing- the Nets

2nd Lest impressive- the Knicks.

Speaking of the Knicks, is Iverson coming to town?  More on this another time.  I don't have the energy to speak about Iverson right now.

Lastly, Stephen Jackson was quick to suit up for Charlotte last night.  Sure, they are no title contender but I must say, I am not as down on Charlotte as everyone else.

Think about it, they hung in last night with Orlando for most of the game and really balanced the floor.  This with Jackson being a member of the team for all of 8 hours before game time.  I am not saying they are going places but they will be good for a lot of spoiler moments this year and it will be fun to watch.  Think of them like a band of marauding pirates feasting on NBA teams.  They will have some ups, some downs, and probably end up marooned on an island, low on rum supplies and Stephen Jackson will go traitor on everyone.

Happy ball.