Quick hit from the Las Vegas Summer League, where NBA bloggers enjoy better access to players and personnel than at any point during the season that counts. I, of course, will be following along from home and contributing snark where appropriate.
The Las Vegas Summer League is a place where the unknowns and also-rans have a chance to make a name for themselves against first round draft picks. The games are all about high-octane offense and highlight dunks. Consider it a cross between And1 streetball and the NBDL. While fouls are counted, players cannot foul out of games. This makes for a pick-up basketball atmosphere.
One of the also-rans in Vegas this summer is Morris Almond, a former first rounder from Rice. He was drafted in 2007 by the Utah Jazz with the 25th pick. Almond was a deadly shooter in college (26.1 points per game his senior year) and seemed like a strong candidate to play a Kyle Korver type role in the NBA. Unfortunately, it has not worked out that way. Almond played atrocious defense and when he got the ball in his hands on the wing, he thought one thing only: nylon! Jerry Sloan is not a big fan of me-first shooters and Almond is not a guy who gives up the rock once he has it in his hands. Not much has changed in the time spent in the D-League. Once there, he was chucking away, posting 50-point-plus games. He eventually worked his way to Spain and then back to the NBDL.
Now he has signed with the Chicago Bulls to play on their Vegas team. What are the chances he impresses and makes the squad? He will impress because he will score; that is what Morris Almond does. He will not make the team. How do I know? Because the Chicago Bulls told everyone this when they released their Summer League team roster yesterday. H/T ShamSports:
Courtesy of the NY Post, by way of Golden State of Mind, we have the latest of what are sure to be many trade rumors involving the Warriors. We know the team is looking to get rid of long-term contracts (see Maggette, Corey) and to add bodies to play center (see Gadzuric, Dan--actually don't). The team is looking to build around point guard Steph Curry and erase the mistakes of the Mullin era, read Monta Ellis and Andris Beidrins.
Here is what the Post has cooked up with their specialty, a writer's trade idea masked as a rumor from unattributed sources:
"When Stoudemire becomes official, it would end the five-year era of David Lee, but set up a possibility of a sign-and-trade to add another piece. There's been rumors of a three-way trade talk between Golden State, Minnesota and the Knicks where Lee winds up with the Timberwolves, Monta Ellis comes to the Knicks and Al Jefferson goes to Golden State. Lee visited Minnesota yesterday and it has only $7 million in cap room, meaning he'd want a sign-and-trade."
I would be glad to have either Lee or Jefferson on the Warriors. Yes, Jefferson has a lackluster season last year (17.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) and had ACL surgery in 2009. It typically takes players two years to fully recover from a tirn ACL and the 2010-11 season would be that year. Before his injury, Jefferson was one the best offensive centers in the NBA, averaging 23.1 points and 10.9 rebounds. He's not a good defender but he would be a bull in the paint. If Curry can get reliable production out of Anthony Tolliver, I think he could work some magic with Al Jefferson.
David Lee might be an even better fit. First, he is more durable, playing 81 games for each of the past three seasons. Second, he greatly improved his offensive game last season, averaging 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He, like Jefferson, is not a strong defender but he would be an ideal partner to play the pick and roll with Curry out of the high post. He passes well, has a reliable mid-range jumper and the athleticism to consistently get to the rim. Besides, you can't build Rome in a day. Defense is key to building championship teams, true. The Warriors should be focusing on getting out of the Lottery before worrying about if they are Larry O'Brien material.
Importantly, both guys are good citizens. No motorbike, er, moped accidents. No sulking or complaining about teammates either. They go out and play hard. They just don't play effective defense. Then Monta isn't exactly known for his shut-down defense either. If they can land either big man, the Warriors would have my full support. In other words, I expect nothing like this to happen at all.
Yesterday, I asked how the Warriors would screw this up and they have responded in all their wretched unglory. As we stated, the two clear position needs for this team were and are center and small forward. What do the Warriors do? They draft Ekpe Udoh, the power forward from Baylor.
Get ready for many more awkward Udoh moments.
If you watched the tourney this spring, you may recall him as the big guy who blocked a lot of shots for Baylor and threw down some nice dunks. You may have been intrigued enough by this mobile big man that you looked up his numbers. When you did, you found he averaged 13.9 points, 9.8 boards and a whopping 3.7 blocks per game. Lottery Pick Summary: Power forward with a funky foreign name, excellent defensive timing, a nose for the glass and limited offensive game.
Then it hits you: Holy crap. The Warriors somehow managed to draft Adonal Foyle again.
Remember me?
No?
How about now?
I would love to say there is almost certainly a trade to follow, what with three power forwards on the roster: Udoh, Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright--yes, he is still on the Warriors. But we are talking about the Warriors here and I am not sure God even knows what comes next.
Udoh has the ability to be a solid defensive four in the NBA. But he is 23, so don't expect a surge in skills. He is what he is: a shot-blocker who will clean the glass and score the occasional putback or wide open mid-range shot. A decent add for any team's bench.
The Warriors needed more. My suggestion, despite the soft tag, was they pursue Greg Monroe. He is big, skilled and would have been nasty in the pick n' roll with Steph Curry. Not happening.
Why did the Warriors take Udoh? My guess is they were tired of drafting risky potential as they did with Randolph and Wright, who haven't exactly played up to their potential, and wanted something more assured and solid. They succeeded. They are now driving a brand new Nissan Sentra.
The Warriors Motto: We Don't Build Excitement
Please somebody buy this team and save them from themselves. For another take on this pick, check out Golden State of Mind. I think you'll find they feel similarly underwhelmed.
With the 19th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft the Boston Celtics select...Avery Bradley from the University of Texas.
And most Celtics fans went, "Who?" The unsurprising part is that most Celtics fans knew exactly who Luke Harangody was when he was selected in the second round: "Big white guy with the flat top. A little round in the chin. Plays for the Irish. Hard worker. Good scorer. Love him."
Even dedicated Celtics bloggers were a bit unsure after Ainge's selection of Bradley:
Bradley should fit in well with the Celtics. He is an extremely athletic combo guard who plays ridiculous defense. While his size, 6-3, 185 lbs, makes him a point guard, he is not known for breaking defenders down off the dribble or creating for teammates. On the other hand, he has freakish, orangutan arms and is capable of guarding taller shooting guards. My concerns are the lack of playmaking and ballhandling skills and the fact that he shot just 43.2% from the field in his lone college season. It should be noted he shot an acceptable 37.5% from three-point land, indicating he has range if not consistency. What gives me confidence is his athleticism (37-inch plus vertical) and his love and talent for defense.
Smell that vertical.
Danny said he was sure Bradley would be gone before the 19th pick and most mock drafts agreed with him. For posterity I thought I would post a few mocks' takes on where they thought Bradley would be taken.
BEFORE
NBA FanHouse: 13th (Toronto Raptors)
"The Raptors need everything but a sweet-shooting center at this point, with Jose Calderon have joined Hedo Turkoglu in disfavor. Bradley reportedly had a positive workout in T-Dot, and while his NBA development is a real question mark, the signs are positive enough for a team to pick him up in the mid-first. Maybe Bargnani can teach him how to shoot."
Sports Illustrated: 18th (Oklahoma City Thunder)
"With Dwyane Wade handling the ball most of the time, the Heat need a Derek Fisher-like shooter at point guard. That makes Bradley their man. Driving to the basket isn't his strength, but he has three-point range and will defend, which is another priority for the Heat. He's not a pass-first point guard, but they can live with his limitations."
NBA Soup: 18th (Oklahoma City Thunder)
"Many mocks have Bradley dropping out of the first round due to his erratic play, small stature, and lack of a true position. While all of those knocks are fairly warranted, it’s also quite clear that Bradley is young, athletic, and oozing with potential. If he’s able to come off the bench as a role player in his first season, he could shine."
Hoops Addict: 13th (Toronto Raptors)
"He’s the closest thing to Monta Ellis I’ve seen in the college game, an unreal athlete, with a soft touch, incredible body control, long range jumper, basically he’s got it all. He’s going to be one of these guys that we hear NBA scouts go back and forth on non-stop before the draft. He’s not a true point guard, which means that I believe he’s going to be the guy more than anyone else that needs to find a team that’s the right “fit,” for him. The absolute ideal circumstance would be Sacramento, where he won’t have to be a ball-handler and playmaker, go off of Tyreke Evans and guard true point guards."
The Hoop Doctors: 13th (Toronto Raptors)
"After coming out of HS as the #1 prospect in the entire ‘09 class, Bradley showed signs of his tremendous upside as a future NBA player. Problem was he was widely inconsistent. Even though he was a prime candidate of improving his stock by returning for his sophomore season, Bradley decided to remain in this year’s draft even though he still has a shaky jumpshot. On the upside, he showed excellent ability to get to the rim, is in his element in the open floor, and has the potential to be an elite level defender. Toronto desperately needs a point guard and Bradley has the potential to develop into a good one. Comparison: Monta Ellis"
I love the last two, despite the differing opinions on Bradley's jumpshot. Clearly, his athleticism is elite and the Monta Ellis comparisons are swoonerific. One thing, having watched a lot of Monta Ellis here in Oakland, Ellis is not a balls out defender like Bradley is. That's right, Avery Bradley plays defense with his balls hanging from his shorts.
In case you are left thinking all the draft nerds had Bradley going either 13th or 18th (though most really did) here are a few more:
The morning-after consensus is the Celtics did a good job this draft. Some were glowing with praise, some were more lukewarm; I found no one who thought they shanked it. Here is a sampling of opinions and grades:
AFTER
Ball Don't Lie: (A) Talk about drafting for need, the Celtics turned an afterthought draft (Doc Rivers is a week and a half removed from admitting that he didn't know when his team would be drafting in the first round, and we don't blame him for that) into an actual depth-provider by finding a legitimate minutes-sopper in Bradley (a standout defender to back up Rajon Rondo) and potential frontcourt rebound-helper in Harangody.
NBA Fanhouse: (A) Avery Bradley, who could have gone as high as No. 10, slid down to the Celtics at No. 19. Boston also picked up a decent frontcourt rotation option in Notre Dame's Luke Harangody late in the second. Based on Bradley's potential as a Ray Allen replacement down the line and the fact that the Harangody pick led to a cavalcade of hilarious Brian Scalabrine-related tweets, this is a win for Boston.
Sports Illustrated: (B-) Danny Ainge has had a bit of a man-crush on Avery Bradley for weeks, hoping the explosive combo guard would get to the Celtics at No. 19. While most believed Ainge was targeting a big man to fill in for the injured Kendrick Perkins or the just-retired Rasheed Wallace, Ainge was always after the best player available. Bradley was it. Bradley can back up Rajon Rondo and his slashing ability gives Boston a much-needed punch on what will likely be a revamped bench. Luke Harangody was an overachiever in college, but if he turns out to be a good practice player, Boston will keep him around.
NBADraft.net: (B) There's a lot to like about Bradley teaming with Rajon Rondo in the future. Defensively, you couldn't come up with a much better backcourt. It was important for Bradley to land on a team that didn't need him to play point full-time but would also give him the opportunity to learn the position. Harangody is a value along the same lines as Glen Davis and Leon Powe of previous drafts – a highly productive college player who should be better than Brian Scalabrine, for what that's worth. Neither was a “great” pick, but both were solid and earn a solid grade.
CelticsBlog has a typically well-informed take on the draft that's worth checking out.
Harangody is interesting to me on a number of levels. First, the obvious doofus white guy appeal, and his struggle to show he's not just another big white stiff. Second, the guy really can score and rebound. He is far from a plus leaper but anyone who put up close to 20 points and 10 rebounds throughout his Big East career has some ability. And let's not forget, Danny kills the second round. Last, in the city of Boston, do not overlook the appeal of a player who looks like much of the fanbase.
If the Warriors are a mess, the Celtics are, by comparison, a model franchise. However, a whole hell of a lot could happen this off-season. Ray Allen may have made (and missed) his last three-pointer as a Celtic. Paul Pierce could opt out of his contract and test free agency before he puts any more tread on his tires. Even Scalabrine could be gone (rumors say the Nets may be interested. Hey, if it gets you LeBron.) Only KG, Big Baby, Rondo, Perkins and Rasheed Wallace are under contract for next season, and Wallace has already indicated to Doc Rivers he will be retiring. Hell, Doc could be gone next season as well, though I doubt it.
Here is how the Boston Globe defines the team's needs:
Perkins could miss part of next season, while Rondo still doesn't have a true backup. So help in the middle, as well as at the point guard position, are the team's top two priorities. If Allen or Pierce leave, the Celtics will be in need of a good, young scorer. And let's not forget that the Celtics have very little salary cap flexibility, so the player they draft must be able to step in and contribute right away. No pressure, right?
I agree with most of this. I would like to see the Cs go for a center or a combo guard who can score. My guess is Tony Allen played well enough in the playoffs to make the Celtics take him back and he might sign for less with them than he would anyone else. Nate Robinson? Probably gone despite the Shrek and Donkey sideshow we all loved. If this is how it goes down, they will need someone who can man the point and hit shots. I actually think the Celtics will resign Ray Allen. I believe he wants to stay and will play for less than he could get on the market. He has a few good years left in him. Think Reggie Miller in his mid- to late-30s. The Celtics could use that so long as they don't have to pay market price.
Essentially, the Celtics need to build their team around Rajon Rondo. This means they need guys who can shoot and score. The only need that trumps this is interior defense. For this reason I like the idea of the Celtics moving down in the draft. Check this rumor from ESPN's TrueHoop:
Boston is considering two offers for its No. 19 pick, one from Memphis and one from New Jersey, a source with knowledge of the selection told ESPN.com Wednesday night. The Celtics are mulling over an offer from Memphis for the Grizzlies No. 25 and 28 picks while the Nets are looking at shipping the No. 27 pick in the first round and No. 31 in the second round to the Celtics for No. 19. A source close to the Celtics said earlier Wednesday that general manager Danny Ainge was looking to move No. 19 because he wasn’t enamored with the possible selections at that position.
The Grizzlies trade is the one to go for, though it will cost more as the Nets' second round pick would not come with a guaranteed contract.
The Globe featured a number of players in their list of potential future Celtics. I found it a tad optimistic: Paul George and Gordon Hayward sure to be gone by the 18th pick. No way Indiana can let local white boy hero get past them and George has been a fast riser in all mocks I have seen.
Here are a few players not listed by the Globe that I could live with seeing in Celtic green and who would be around near the end of the first round:
Tiny Gallon: First, he has the best name in the draft. Even more so when you find out he is 6-10, 300 pounds. He played for Oklahoma and is an absolute load down low. He has excellent moves, a good mid-range shot and reminds some scouts of Glen Davis, only bigger. Well, if that comparison holds, I would take it. Fact is he is not as fleet of foot as Big Baby but is a better rebounder and would be even harder to push off the block. On the Celtics you can be assured that he will be pushed to achieve the best level of fitness of his life. The idea of a similarly-skilled, bigger Big Baby gets me fired up. He would almost certainly be available with either the 25th or 28th picks. Did I mention he hates backboards?
Armon Johnson: A combo guard from Nevada who can play either point or shooting guard. I like him as Rondo's back up. He is a lefty, quick, strong and has the size of an NBA point guard at 6-3, 190 lbs. He is an excellent athlete with three years of experience at the college level. Similar to Nate he is a fearless player who will drive the ball on bigger players and his strength allows him to finish. He is not a pure point guard but working with Rondo could help him develop better vision. Even Nate Robinson showed improved passing once he moved from the Knicks to the Celtics, so this isn't that farfetched a notion. He will be around late in the first round. Most mocks have him going early in the second round.
Hasan Whiteside: An elite shotblocker who averaged 5.4 blocks in just 26.1 minutes per game as a freshman for the Marshall Thundering Herd. He should not be coming out this season. He could use another year or two to learn some post moves as well as how to pass the ball. Shooting free throws would help too as he hit just 40% of his attempts from the line. Still, if the Celtics are worried about Perk's ability to come back, Whiteside could be a big help at one end of the floor. His name typically appears in the mid-20s of most mocks I have seen, so he should be there if the Celtics want him.
If the Celtics keep their pick at #18, I would like to see them grab one of James Anderson, shooting guard from Oklahoma State who is a great scorer; Damion Jones, forward from Texas with great toughness and rebounding despite being a bit small for a power forward; or best of all, roll the dice with Eric Bledsoe. He's the elite point guard John Wall bounced to shooting guard at Kentucky. Kid is raw as hell but is an incredible athlete and the Celtics have had some luck with underrated, speedy point guards from Kentucky.
Today is the final day of the NBA season. Sure, the Finals finished up last week. And, yes, the Lakers beat my Celtics. I would still donate my left nut to science if it meant we could go back in time and have the Celtics corral even a few more defensive rebounds. Kendrick Perkins may be stiff as a corpse on offense but he would've taken many second chances away from L.A. just by grabbing rebounds. And with that, we will speak no more of the Finals.
There may be no more games to play but the NBA keeps our attention through today, the Draft, and tomorrow, the Analysis. After this, except for the lunatics, it's lights out until next November for fans of the NBA. And a strong case can be made that, really, it's lights out until next April when the playoffs start again.
But for now let's take a look at tonight's draft and the likely and best candidates for the local heroes, your Golden State Warriors. First, my top five.
John Wall (It's guard-dominated league and Wall's speed, passing and willingness to cut the throat of opponents primes him to be a top point guard in the association for years to come. Tea Leaves: All-Star as soon as his second season.)
DeMarcus Cousins (Talent trumps attitude. The kid averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 boards and 1.8 blocks in a scant 23.5 minutes per game. Arguing with his coach looks bad, yes, but a couple of things to note here: First, he argued because he cares. A skilled big man who cares? That has to count for a lot. Second, he was arguing with John Calipari, neither the world's sternest disciplinarian nor a master of Xs and Os. Calipari is the world's greatest recruiter and a firmly middle of the road coach when it comes to game strategy. Maybe Cousins was right to argue with him. Tea Leaves: Serial All-Star.)
Evan Turner (Do-it-all swingman who can play the point, shooting and some small forward. Very NBA-ready and a good passer. The test will be how he handles the bigger twos and threes at the next level. Love his passing skills. Tea Leaves: Potential All-Star.)
Derrick Favors (Stud athlete who played just one year of college ball. Despite the fact that he is guaranteed big dollars as a top-five pick, he should've stayed another year to hone his offensive game. In the right situation, read: low pressure with increasing minutes playing with a quality point guard, he could become a regular at NBA All-Star games. In a bad situation, he relies solely on his size and hops and never really develops his game. This would mean a few very strong years in his early 20s then a quick fade as the grind of the NBA steals some of the spring in his step.)
Wes Johnson (Great defender who can pass and finish on the break. Only his age, 23, gives me pause. Johnson should enjoy a solid if unspectacular NBA career. I see a lesser version of Shawn Marion. Tea Leaves: Mini-Matrix.)
The Warriors, of course, have the number six pick. So, who will they take? Given the lame duck status of the franchise, they will probably work to keep costs down and just keep the pick instead of using it to trade for a higher priced veteran. There are really two guys who make sense in this scenario.
Greg Monroe: The kid is a skilled athlete who can shoot, jump, and most importantly for the Warriors, pass. He has the size, 6-11, to play center and the youth--he's just 20--to improve. By all accounts, he is by far the best passing big man in the draft. He seems nice and a bit passive from the dozens of articles I have read and this isn't a good thing in the NBA. The NBA favors the angry, cocky and mean. This doesn't mean he is a pussy, rather that he needs to drink a little tough juice and learn to love contact. On the Warriors, he would add a lot of skill in the middle. He can pass and shoot from distance. I can see him working a sweet pick and roll with Stephon Curry. Best case scenario he gives the Warriors a blacker, bouncier version of Brad Miller in his prime. Worst case scenario he gives the Warriors Mark Blount with better passing. Either way, I see him as an upgrade on Andris Biedrins.
Always looking for the cutter or open shooter at the arc.
Al-Farouq Aminu: With Corey Maggette now shipped to Milwaukee in a salary dump, there is a need at small forward for the Warriors. Sure they have the electric scoring of Reggie Williams, but I wonder if with his size, he can be a solid defender at the three. Aminu, on the other hand, is 6-8 with 7-3 wingspan. Dude is a fucking condor. He has great hops and with his age (just 19) he has what Digger Phelps droolingly calls, "tremendous upside." He averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds in his sophomore season. He will defend, hit the glass and get out on the break. All good things for the Warriors. The downside? He is not a good outside shooter. I wonder, though, if the Warriors actually need another shooter on this team. With Steph Curry, Monta Ellis, Reggie Williams, Anthony Tolliver and Kelenna Azubuike to name a few, they have plenty of chuckers already. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to draft a hard-working, athletic stud who loves to get after it on defense. Yeah, so there is no chance the Warriors make this move. Look for them to "outsmart" everyone and take Luke Babbitt from Nevada. Hey, at least he's a good shooter.
All together now: Smell my nuts!
The Warriors are all kinds of messed up right now. Owner Chris Cohan is in tax trouble, is selling the team and his management team may have jobs only for as long as it takes the new owner to sign a term sheet. The Maggette trade was made to save money for Cohan and help whomever the new owner is rebuild the team without too many burdensome contracts. In short, the only future this group is considering is the short term. The fanbase is just waiting for the new owner to get the keys to the house.
It's so bad that the area's only major daily, the San Francisco Chronicle, doesn't even know the numbers of the positions in basketball...and there are only five:
Note to Chronicle editorial staff: The article your headline links to speaks of the Warriors' need for a small forward (three) or a center (five). One is the point guard position, and we already have a future all-star there in Steph Curry. Hey, at least you got one of two right. Good to see you care.
Glen Davis and Nate Robinson give some good post-game press conference:
Not much to add here. These guys clearly enjoyed each other and the moment. Celtics fans have to hope there is more of this in the remaining games in the series. Davis' role is pretty well cemented: energy guy who spazzes out in the post, gets blocked, gets rebound, gets blocked again, then somehow forces the ball through the hoop. Last night, it was mostly just the last part and, as a result, it was his best game of the series.
Nate? He just needs more minutes. Doc has been running Rondo out there like he's T.T. Boy at a porn shoot. Give the man a rest. Nate Robinson adds a level of craziness to the offense that throws the Lakers off. Most significantly, he is a threat from beyond the arc, which forces the Lakers to stretch their defense and opens up the lanes. If Doc can get Nate 15-20 minutes per game going forward, I will feel better about the Celtics' chances of beating the Lakers.
Nate, seizing the moment, has updated his Twitter avatar to reflect the latest Celtics' meme. Clearly, he and Big Baby will be invited to future pressers no matter how well they play. This ain't your daddy's Green Team.
I took a quick jog through the blogs and papers this morning and the verdict is in: the Celtics were jobbed by the refs in Game 3. If you like your media mainstream, you can read about it here or here or here. If you like a blog in your pants, check out this, especially the italicized intro.
The bottom line is this: the referees, Bennett Salvatore, Danny Crawford and Finals-first-timer Bill Kennedy, cost the Celtics the game. Silence, you objective basketball fans masquerading as Celtics loyalists. This loss had nothing to do with the Lakers posting up Big Baby Davis at every opportunity in the 4th Quarter. It is completely unrelated to Paul Pierce's lack of rebounding or scoring. And don't tell me how unacceptable it is that the bench outplayed the starters all game long.
It was the refs, just not for the reason you think. Sources close to the last night's officiating crew have revealed to me that it was Danny Crawford who did in the Celtics, with assistance from Salvatore and Kennedy. How? He used black magic to switch bodies with Ray Allen 15 minutes before the game. This was disastrous for the Celtics as everyone knows Danny Crawford is a terrible jump shooter.
"Which one of you will I turn into a fat toad? I'm feeling Sheed."
Crawford, it seems, is a master warlock. He has been practicing the dark arts for the past four decades and is second only to Dick Bavetta among NBA officials in his abilities. He has been working on the body switch for the past few weeks and bet Salvatore that he could do it on Ray for the whole game. Bennett was skeptical.
"How will I know it's you?" Salvatore asked.
"I am going to break Dennis Johnson's Finals record for the worst shooting performance in Finals history."
"Craw, you are one crazy motherfucker!"
"Yup, I am going to shoot every chance I get and will go at least 0-for-15. Unless Jackass Rivers benches me, that record is mine. If I hit even one jumper--and you know I won't--you win."
"You are so on!"
Crawford did not break DJ's record, shooting just 0-for-13, but nonetheless will be collecting a sack full of souls from the doubting Bennett sometime tonight.
"This whistle can summon the Hounds of Hell. Don't make me blow it, Doc."
One could whine that this is completely unfair but it's pretty obvious that Crawford has been even-handed about his spell-casting. After all, Ron Artest shot 6-for-20 in the first two games of the series. Also, that story Ron likes to tell about seeing a guy staked through the heart? That was Crawford doing the old body switch.
New York City has long been heralded as a point guard mecca, where the best street moves are developed and the best players can break down anyone, anytime, anywhere. At least that's how it used to be. There hasn't been a kid from the five boroughs to make an impact on the hardwood since Stephon Marbury, and that was...well, a long time ago. Starbury's rookie season was in 1996. At least he is making an impact in China, where this spring he won the All-Star Game MVP wearing a 24 carat jersey.
Marbury is not looking to pass here.
The city with the biggest rep for point guards is not representing in an era where the point guard has more freedom than ever in the NBA. Ever since the hand-checking rules were put in place, the NBA game has changed from a post-up, half-court isolation-play dominated style to one that favors the fast break and even more, point guards who can break defenders down off the bounce, penetrate and score or dish. Extra points go to those point guards who can shoot it from deep because they force defenders further from the basket, giving they and their teammates more space in which to operate. See Deron Williams, Steven Nash, Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul and Steph Curry. We are in an era of shooting, scoring point guards. With a few exceptions (Rajon Rondo, Jason Kidd, Andre Miller) the best point guards shoot to set up the drive and dish. The typical point guard these days brings the ball up, but more often than not hangs around the three-point line to stretch the defense. His role is to knock down jumpers on ball rotations more than to drive and set up teammates. Think Mo Williams, Jameer Nelson, Derek Fisher, Mike Bibby, Beno Udrih.
And maybe that's the rub with New York City point guards and their abdication of the throne: They can't shoot a lick and, for the most part, never have. NBA teams prefer points who pose at least a modicum of a threat from outside.
NYC's NBA point guards (and their career field goal percentage):
Mount Rushmore
Bob Cousy (.375 --It was all about the pass for the Houdini of the Hardwood)
Lenny Wilkens (.432 --Had they invented the jumper when Wilkens played?)
Tiny Archibald (.467 --Tiny was ahead of his time: a scoring point guard and could shoot from anywhere)
Mark Jackson (.447 --Jackson's percentage is only this high because he feasted on smaller point guards in the low post. He was an ugly outside shooter.)
Cousy set the mold of the pass-first, shoot-worst NYC point guard.
Other Past PGs of Note
Rod Strickland (.454 --Like Jackson, Strick scored far more in the post than from deep. He was a terrible 3-point shooter)
Kenny Anderson (.421 --Couldn't shoot but had crazy quicks)
Pearl Washington (.452 --Great point guard for 'Cuse but lasted just three years in the NBA)
Kenny Smith (.480 --An exception to the rule. The Jet was the opposite of most NYC point guards: great shooter, average handles and passing)
The Not So Current Crop
Stephon Marbury (.433 --Marbury's cringe-worthy jumper never impeded his willingness to chuck it)
Rafer Alston (.383 --Fans have turned to stone watching his jumper)
Jamaal Tinsley (.395 --Classic NYC PG: Sick handles, tough as hell, poisonous jumper and a complete knucklehead)
Sebastian Telfair (.390 --Ugh.)
Erick Barkley (.356 in just 27 NBA games)
Omar Cook (.333 in 22 NBA games. St. Johns doesn't make em like they used to)
So what's the deal? Why are New York City point guards traditionally such poor jumpshooters? Thanks to this article in today's New York Times, we have an answer. It's the blacksmith's fault! The schoolyard and playground rims are made by John Fitzgerald, city welder, and his crew. While the rims are strong enough to last through the Apocalypse, if you grow up shooting on them, your jumper won't survive high school. If you are short and want to score on courts with these rims, you had better figure out how to get close in because that jumper has to be dead solid perfect to drop through. It is hardly surprising, then, to find that New York City point guards are especially adept at driving their way to those dolomite rims. Conversely, if jumpshots are a bad offensive option, it is easy to understand why these same point guards don't develop this skill and are, as a rule, crappy shooters.
Fitzie thinks jumpshots (and breakaway rims) are for pussies. Wanna fight about it?
Now, these days the top NYC preps are playing indoors on AAU teams and never deal with John Fitzgerald's rims. So, why would they continue to be poor jump-shooters? More than that, why would their shooting get even worse? The last group of point guards listed above are the most recent NYC points to play in the Association and they are by far the worst shooters. Why? Perhaps because after years of stylistic evolution, what defines an elite point guard in New York has crystallized into great ball-handling and heroic lay-ups in traffic. The local hero point guards you aspire to be as a young player in New York are great dribblers, finishers and passers; not great shooters. In short, though Fitzgerald's rims aren't used at the most elite levels of prep basketball, their cultural legacy is very much in play.
They say Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry ate some bad deep-fried avocado before tonight's Lakers-Suns game in Los Angeles. The results were not pleasant.
This begs a few questions:
Q: Is there such a thing as good deep-fried avocado?
A: Unknown at this time.
Q: Even if there is, is Alvin Gentry the slimmest person ever to have eaten it?
A: Without a doubt in the fucking world.
Q: Is the man with the bow tie sitting behind Gentry somehow responsible for Gentry's sudden case of bubble guts?
A: I'd like to think so. The problems of the world are so much easier to deal with when they can be blamed on something obvious, like men in bow ties or liberals or Al Davis.
Q: What exactly are bubble guts?
A: How should I know? I'm white. White people who are asking this question should go to Urban Dictionary then drop their newfound knowledge at the next party. Yeah, I give great advice.
Q: Is "ate some bad deep-fried avocado" code for "my team is getting its ass kicked and I have this motivational technique I've been waiting to use all season long."
A: Yes, and that is why Alvin Gentry is a genius and you are not.
Two weeks I reported on the injustice of excluding the ambidextrous duo of David Lee and Chris Kaman from this year's All-Star game. I am happy to report that my advocating, um "journalism" has yielded some results. David Stern and the coaching staffs of the Eastern and Western Conferences listened to what I had to say and have corrected their errors.
David Lee will play for the East, replacing Allen Iverson, who will miss the game for "personal reasons." Specifically, his daughter is ill and Iverson has missed the last week of Sixers games to be with her. Makes sense that he would miss the festivities. Especially as he shouldn't even be there in the first place, unless being an All-Star is a lifetime achievement award and not a recognition of a player's work during the actual season. Oh wait, I forgot, it is. More on the 1992 All-Star game in another post. For the record, here are Iverson's numbers for this season:
14.4 points, 0.4 3-pointers, 4.7 assists, 0.6 steals on 44.8 percent shooting from field and 80.3 percent from the line.
Let's compare Iverson against an unnamed Player B in some of the same stats:
Player B: 10.2 points, 0.9 3-pointers, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals.
So who is this mysterious unnamed Player B? Keen-eyed regulars of Yahoo Sports' Player Profiles might recognize him. He is the average guard in the NBA. Yes, Allen Iverson scores 4.2 more points but hits 0.5 fewer 3s, dishes 1.8 more dimes and snares 0.2 less steals...THAN THE AVERAGE NBA GUARD!!!
I loved AI as a player. He was the scariest sub-six-footer ever to lace them up. He is a no-question first ballot hall-of-fame player. His jersey was the top seller throughout the '90s and early '00s and justifiably so. But, sentimentalism aside, he had no business starting for this year's All-Star game. Of course, I am making this argument as if the All-Star game actually mattered any longer. But the reality it is as watered down as the league itself.
Let's take a quick look at the number of players (and more importantly players' agents) who will technically be able to call themselves 2010 All-Stars:
Eastern Conference Starters G: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers (out: personal reasons) G: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat F: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers F: Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics C: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic Reserves G: Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks G: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics G: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls F: Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics F: Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats F: Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors C: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks F/C: David Lee, New York Knicks (Replaces Iverson)
Western Conference Starters G: Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns G: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (injured) F: Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets F: Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs C: Amar'eStoudemire Phoenix Suns Reserves G: Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets (Replace Chris Paul) G: Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks (Replaces Kobe Bryant) G: Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets (injured) G: Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers (injured) G: Deron Williams, Utah Jazz F: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder F: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks F: Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies F/C: PauGasol, Los Angeles Lakers C: Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers (Replaces Brandon Roy)
That makes 28 All-Stars for 2010. And in ten years when Brandon Roy can point to being an All-Star in 2010, who, if even he, will remember he wasn't even on the team? There have to be replacements and injuries are part and parcel of NBA life but this year has been egregious. And, honestly, if not for the election of Allen Iverson and disastrously close near-election of Tracy McGrady, this wouldn't be that big a deal. It certainly is no worse than the Pro Bowl, where every Pro Bowler from the Colts and Saints were replaced by other players. There were 11 such players.
Yet, despite this inflation still professional sports organizations find ways to exclude worthy players. Josh Smith is a better forward than at least three others on the Eastern team. Whom?
1. Al Horford. This one isn't even close. Smith is far more disruptive on defense and far more dangerous in the open court. While Horford's improved game has helped the Hawks this season, the single biggest reason for their improvement has been the play of Smith. Smith no longer jacks crazy threes and is working within the offense. On defense, he remains the same a blocks and steals machines who may gamble a bit too much but whom the other team always has to think of. Horford poses no such threat.
2. David Lee. I know, I know. I spent so much time pimping him two weeks ago, now I am saying he shouldn't be an All-Star. No, actually, that's not what I am saying. It's juts that despite his career year, he isn't better than Smith. As much as the All-Star game likes to showcase a few white guys, there is no way Lee should be ahead of the force that is Josh Smith, whose defense is far beyond his. Besides, as I pointed out two weeks ago, Lee should be there ahead of Horford. There is room for both he and Smith on the team.
3. Kevin Garnett. Ow. My soul hurt when I wrote KG's name. It's time to face facts. KG is not what he once was. He still has a jumper and still makes good passes from the high post but the tireless defense? The erasing of guards when they blow into the lane past the first defender? The thunderous dunks in transition? All gone. Josh Smith is the better defender now and far more explosive on offense. Sure KG remains a better shooter but that's about it. In all other phases of the game I take Smith before Garnett. Yeah, I am not looking forward to this match-up should it occur in the playoffs. But if does come to pass can we just give KG this weekend off, so he can rest and perhaps improve the health of his knee? Did that sound like wishful thinking? Yeah? Crap, it was.
Taking aside defense and all-around better play, the last reason Josh Smith should be on the team ahead of these guys is the wow factor. J-Smoove will wow you, especially in an all-star game where they allow dunks like Amsterdam allows pot smoking...and prostitution...and in this one club called the White Swallow... The point is we all expect to see vicious, consciousness-altering dunks during an all-star game and Josh Smith is a guy who can deliver them. Check the following video of his dunks and blocks:
Trust me, Smith could put an all-time in-game dunk down this season if given the chance. Of course, he wasn't given the chance and here we are with old-timers like Jason Kidd and Kevin Garnett roaming the court. To Kidd's credit he should deliver a few lobbed alley-oops to someone on the Western team and that's about all we should expect of him. Though looking at the Western Conference roster, they don't have too many crazy dunkers. If we wants the goods from Kidd, he better toss it Stoudemire's way because those alley-oops to Tim Duncan and Zach Randolph? Well, I hope you like bank shots. Garnett? He'll probably just scowl and set illegal screens against PauGasol.
The other glaring omission? Monta Ellis. I get that he's hurt now (sprained ankle) and that he probably couldn't go any way but come on. This kid is the closest we have to the old Iverson in the league right now. Little guy, scores at will, never looks satisfied, seems relentlessly driven. Get his ass in the All-Star game! Or for Christ's sake, if you going to have a dumbass H-O-R-S-E contest in the weekend, why wouldn't you invite the guy who can do this:
Maybe I ask the impossible but all I want is a game where both sides care. It doesn't matter if the defense is inconsistent. We want a show after all, but don't let it be non-existent. I mean is it too much to ask the East to get pissed off after years of everyone talking about how much worse they are than the West? And is it too much to ask of the West to get cocky and try to humiliate the East? Because if they try to do that, we might actually get something other than showboating in the game. We might see some pride. If we saw that, I would forgive the omission of Josh Smith. This season. Next year you have to get this guy in the game!
Thanks to J.E. Skeets at Ball Don't Lie, we have an advance viewing of the 2010 All-Star reserves. Click the link then come back. Seriously, come back.
Does anything strike you as odd from the list? No? What you don't obsessively pour over box scores and beg for your spouse to go out with the girls on Thursday nights so you can watch the NBA on TNT? You know what I call people like you? Literate and fulfilled. Don't make me take it to a darker place.
Back to the question at hand, what (or should I say who) is missing from the rosters of the Eastern and Western Conference squads? Why David Lee and Chris Kaman respectively. Anything strike you as similar when viewing these strong young men whom the All-American Basketball Alliance would be proud to call their own. That's right, sports fans, they are both ambidextrous. And this, apparently, is all it takes to be excluded from what some members of the mainstream media like to call the Black Super Bowl.
Now, some may say I am playing the "race card" here. Well, sirs, I have no idea what game the race card would even be played in. Texas Hold 'Em? Hearts? Spades? Um [fingering collar], let's just move on. No, the issue isn't race. There are several white guys who will play supporting roles at the All-Star Game this year: Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol. And, yes, several is the scientific term for three. Note that none of the above All-Stars would be accepted into the All-American Basketball Alliance. While they are white, none had the good fortune to be born in the United States of America.
Clearly, the issue at hand is the ambidextrousness of Messrs. Lee and Kaman. Both are equally adept at finishing with either hand at the rim and both can drive just as well in England as in America. Dirk Nowitzki has said of Kaman, "Kaman might be as close to ambidextrous as we've got in this league. It's more normal for smaller guys to be good with both hands. For big guys, it's rare." And Clyde Frazier is fond of announcing in telecasts after David Lee scores, "Lee is ambidextrous." A side note here: Clyde has not confined this announcement to the play-by-play of Knicks games. He also makes it known when he and Lee are stationed at adjoining urinals:
Scene 1: Clyde and David are urinating next to one another in a bathroom.
Clyde: Ladies and gentlemen, David Lee is ambidextrous!
David: Clyde, please.
Clyde: Ambidextrous!
David: Clyde, I just want you to stop staring at my penis.
Clyde: And good looking too!
David zips up and quickly exits the bathroom. Clyde shakes his head smiling. It obviously hasn't been easy for either player. One would have thought this was the season where they would've broken through the prejudice and made their first All-Star teams. Check the numbers for each:
David Lee: 19.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 55.4% shooting from the field and 78.5% from the line.
Chris Kaman: 20.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 50.1% from the field and 75.4% from the line.
These are great numbers and are at least the equal of some of the reserves selected ahead of them. The East took Al Horford of the Hawks ahead of Lee.
Here are Horford's digits: 13.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 57.3% from the field and 75.6% from the line.
Let's see: worse, worse, worse, slightly better and worse. Case closed. Clearly, Al Horford has the bone fides to take Lee's spot on the squad. Well done, sirs. I too detest math and common sense.
Now, let's turn our eyes to the West, where Pau Gasol will be the big man off the bench.
Pau Gasol: 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 53.8% from the field and 82.7% from the line.
A closer case here than between Lee and Horford but there is another factor. Gasol has only played in 29 games to Kaman's 41. His hamstrings are made of jamon serrano and really, do we need another passive Euro in the All-Star game? Kaman will at least take it hard to the basket. I made a case for Kaman in a blog post for FanIQ earlier this month. Gasol? Is this what you want to see in your 2010 All-Star game:
Me either. My God, it looks like Gasol glued a ferret to his chin and forgot to feed the poor creature. Somehow, it was able to reproduce and its young took up residence in the Spaniard's armpits. We cannot have ferrets at an All-Star game.
Let's just hope that despite the obvious discrimination displayed by the NBA, young, ambidextrous kids out there aren't discouraged from taking up athletics. They have enough to fight through already, what with Clyde Fraziers lurking in every small town in America. Next year, let's do it for the kids and select a couple of ambidextrous big guys to the All-Star Game in 2011.
It's true. Greg Oden, the injured starting center for the Portland Trail Blazers, has a big penis. I know, I know. You are shocked. After all, this flies in the face of all expectation. Oden is seven-feet tall, black and an NBA center. Guys like this never have huge dongs. Just ask Greg Kite; he'll tell you. In a simpler time—a time without Twitter, without YouTube, without sports blogs—this would not be news. How could it? Instead this would be the province of players' wives, girlfriends and the team's medical staff. Reporters would note what they observed but never publish it, at least not until a book deal was secured. But now? Of course this is news and all over the blogosphere. So here I am with my two cents.
It used to be you would just joke with your buddies about the imagined, though probable, genital prowess of sports stars. Hell, the better part of Wilt Chamberlain's current fame is derived not from the fact that he scored more points than any player in NBA history but from the fact that he banged more chicks than any player in NBA history. In fact, some writers have downplayed his achievements in the court because he played against watered-down competition. None can downplay his mattress-work however, especially as the majority of his playing career took place before the sexual revolution. This means Wilt was laying the Stilt before feminists had told women it's OK to orgasm.
While few view Wilt as a social revolutionary, he was nothing but. With every white chick he nailed, he was getting one back for Jack Johnson. Naturally, after a man claims to have bedded thousands of women other men are given to speculate about his equipment. Inevitably, one of the guys on the couch will trot out the old chestnut, "It's not the size of the wand but the magic in it," and get roundly mocked for his naivete. In the end everyone would agree, "Damn I wish I was Wilt Chamberlain...except for the racism and stuff."
Now, you and your boys need speculate no further. Somewhere, out there is someone willing and able to get you the pictures you need. In this case, we can thank With Leather among countless others. To think that at one time the only ones who could answer the question, "What's bigger, Greg Oden's dong or his impact on the game of basketball?" were select groupies from Portland or Columbus. Groupies like this: Given that Oden missed his entire rookie season, played poorly in 61 games last season and will miss the rest of this season with a broken kneecap (after just 21 games), the big man has no chance of approaching Wilt in the NBA record books. But given what we have seen, he has every chance of catching him off the court.
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