tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1573106730983924232024-03-12T16:28:58.622-07:00The Basketball JournalBasketball Is Life Is BasketballThe Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-55190989903924883562009-10-12T22:15:00.000-07:002009-10-12T22:15:13.942-07:00Let's Get To Work - Coaching updateHey there basketball fans. Here is the new news on my journey to becoming a professional NCAA D1 or higher Head Basketball Coach. Today, I started my new job as assistant coach for my High School's Girl's Team. I know what you're thinking: "That is not a Division 1 NCAA basketball program." And you're right. But my plan is two-fold. I get more experience coaching here, and move on to become a Head Coach. Meanwhile, I hobnob and network with college coaches coming to see my players. Before you know it, people know my name. And once they know my name, I'm IN!!!<br />
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That doesn't sound too cryptic, right? Whatever. I haven't Blogged since the Mercury won the Finals, 3-2 (Big Surprise, right?). Congratulations to them -- Damnit. <br />
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Until Next time, <br />
...The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-41275613266525188782009-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:002009-10-02T09:52:54.472-07:00Iverson Not Done YetIn a recent article with ESPN's Scoop Jackson, <a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/allen_iverson/index.html">Allen Iverson</a> revealed that he was treated not only unfairly during his 77 game stint with the Pistons last year, but dishonestly. While Iverson stopped short of blaming Pistons General Manager Joe Dumars, everyone else in the organization was fair game. From the execs to the coach to even some of the players, Iverson detailed his disdain for what he called the "worst year of [his] career." <br />
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Iverson indicated that his decision to join the Memphis Grizzlies this year was to prove that he can still play and love the game at the same time. Iverson's detractors point to last year as a sign that the 34 year old Shooting Guard has lost some of what made him one of the best players in the NBA for the past Decade - his quickness. Iverson, though, seems determined to silence his critics. And for the first time in his career, Iverson is talking about practice. And not to explain what it is that he doesn't want to do. IVerson is ready to help the Grizzlies move back to into contention for a playoff spot in the Uber-deep Western Conference and the extremely tough Southwest Division. <br />
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I don't know if he'll live up to that lofty hope, but expect the win column to shoot up significantly, especially if Zach Randolph is on board with Iverson's plans. It's never a bad thing when a team full of young players take on a grizzled old vet with something to prove and a lot of skill. I seriously doubt that we'll see him on another one-year contract after this season. In fact, we might see Memphis get it's first All-Star since Pau Gasol. Stay tuned for more on these possibilities as the season moves along. <br />
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Soon, I will be doing pre-season previews of each division, team by team. I'm trying to get a friend of mine to help with the analyses and maybe even do a series of podcasts, so watch out for those in the coming weeks before the season starts. <br />
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Until then fans,The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-45070779738796975302009-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:002009-09-29T12:57:29.417-07:00WNBA Finals PreviewOK, not only did my Sparks lose a series that they really could have won, but my favorite Basketball player wore pigtails in a game that will be played on ESPN classic at least 100 times (Lisa Leslie's last game). <br />
And though I know this is a Finals preview, I have to take a moment to first thank Lisa Leslie for about two decades of one of the greatest basketball careers ever. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSgzm3560Lrq21jMlX4rcBlQvciaQhlcgQCzgrRkqdsBhZnLUnwq0FRMrF2Isy5EZTUCisaBx1u-3BZ9IcA0D3O9VpuPLzy0wdaGRNZnqUSPlRh2LGcV6J_xsURwaxI9P7RMV9u0j4kA/s1600-h/leslie1_627.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSgzm3560Lrq21jMlX4rcBlQvciaQhlcgQCzgrRkqdsBhZnLUnwq0FRMrF2Isy5EZTUCisaBx1u-3BZ9IcA0D3O9VpuPLzy0wdaGRNZnqUSPlRh2LGcV6J_xsURwaxI9P7RMV9u0j4kA/s320/leslie1_627.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386965895319559986" /></a>Some Highlights:<br />
4-time olympian and the only player to win Gold in 4 straight Olympics (Basketball)<br />
3-time WNBA MVP<br />
2-time WNBA Champion<br />
2-time WNBA Finals MVP<br />
2-time WNBA DPOY<br />
14-time WNBA Player of the Week<br />
3-time All Star MVP<br />
7-time First team All-WNBA selection<br />
4-time Second team All-WNBA<br />
4-time All-Pac10 Conference Player (USC - Only Student athlete to accomplish this)<br />
1994 - NCAA National Player of the year<br />
Selected to first or second team each year of WNBA's existence except the year she took off to give birth and the year she came back from the pregnancy.<br />
She once scored 101 points in a high school game during the first half. The other team decided to forfeit and didn't come out of the locker room for the second half. <br />
The starts and accolades are great, but it doesn't nearly describe what she did for women's basketball. When I was in high school, I had three players' posters on my wall: Eddie Jones, Magic Johnson and Lisa Leslie. <br />
Lisa is one of the greatest basketball players ever - Male or Female. Her presence on the court will be missed.<br />
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Now, as for the Finals, we've got a match-up of two teams who choose to be dominant in two very different ways. They were 1 and 2 in the WNBA standings this year. Indiana did it with classic Hoosier Defense and Phoenix did it with classic Paul Westhead offense. Corey Gaines, head coach, has Phoenix playing so well right now that they are surprised when they lose a game. You can see it all over themselves. Remember the Bulls in 1998? The Comets in 1999? The Lakers in 2000? Those teams played with such confidence that a loss was seen more as a detour toward the predestined eventuality that was their championship than a sign of something that they were doing wrong. They don't go out and "Play Basketball." They go out and "Win Games." Trust me, the difference in their mindsets, compared with that of the rest of the league is HUGE. <br />
Indiana, on the other hand, plays with an urgency and passion that makes every loss seem like a personal insult. When they step on the court, they look to win every single possession on each end of the floor and get visibly upset when they give up a transition basket. Layups are not seen as an easy shot for their opponents, but rather as a challenge for a wing defender, too far away to get the block, or a post player who might be able to step in for the charge, just in time. You can tell that the veteran presence on this team wants to win now. You see them explaining proper positioning and the team defensive concepts after every missed assignment, after every blown coverage. Three things you don't see against this team? Long, cross court passes that hit their target, "easy" layups, and senseless fouls. That's the mark of a good defensive team. <br />
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The match up of Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi should be entertaining and will get most of the attention, but Tameka Dixon and Cappie Pondexter have had their battles in the past and no one gaurds Cappie better. Dixon will get a lot more minutes in this series against her (if there is anything good and righteous in this world) and Look for the winner of that matchup each game to determine the winner of the game and, eventually, the series. In particular, if Dixon can goad Pondexter into a lot of bad shots and a low percentage on them (since she usually shoots a pretty high percentage on bad shots), Indiana's excellent defensive rebounding should provide Indiana plenty of opportunities to limit Taurasi's offensive touches, and thus, her effectiveness. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgS6HhwMlSFSCPWqC_ftyvGa4wbGYTcZCRszHQdHV8ECeNhBB4tQqAwCfksyBAHsUYx_vVpdlk4EHGjf2XI-ZQhyxgmwlL_FBqxLUW2lnfhv4SVwuUCIrOffyMcBFyaucF89coPdeveY/s1600-h/taurasi-cappiekiss_625_0709.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgS6HhwMlSFSCPWqC_ftyvGa4wbGYTcZCRszHQdHV8ECeNhBB4tQqAwCfksyBAHsUYx_vVpdlk4EHGjf2XI-ZQhyxgmwlL_FBqxLUW2lnfhv4SVwuUCIrOffyMcBFyaucF89coPdeveY/s200/taurasi-cappiekiss_625_0709.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386969001115977218" /></a>But in the end, I expect the excellently coached Mercury to prove to be too much for the Fever. You can see it in their eyes. They see that Chips and Salsa at the end of the table, and they are hungry. My prediction: Mercury 3-2 Fever. Diana Tarausi (my pick for Finals MVP), will once again find herself at the same place she has found herself for much of her entire basketball career -- whether High School, College or now the WNBA - on top.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-6815026714238383672009-07-10T06:10:00.000-07:002009-07-10T11:24:44.876-07:00What does Candace Parker's return mean for Sparks, WNBA?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZOjENTXm4ldJDY4PEjbH-90isjAw3Egb89quOKEia_U8YTt_P-zLM7wGJmop3Mz8lNL3VZq7suWS8rmT8-6jkxEWc5HCVYHo7rZx_NdUMMk8Sj4UiQtAZ0tRFVL6kiBMCWfS-oiHpLM/s1600-h/candaceprecious.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZOjENTXm4ldJDY4PEjbH-90isjAw3Egb89quOKEia_U8YTt_P-zLM7wGJmop3Mz8lNL3VZq7suWS8rmT8-6jkxEWc5HCVYHo7rZx_NdUMMk8Sj4UiQtAZ0tRFVL6kiBMCWfS-oiHpLM/s320/candaceprecious.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356899067390010258" /></a>How long does it take to realize greatness? A year? A lifetime? A season? Sometimes, greatness doesn't wait to be recognized. Sometimes, greatness stands up and boldly proclaims "Here I am! Deal with me!" When Candace Parker finished her college career as the best female athletes since Marion Jones, people knew that she was good. After leading the league in rebounding during her first season, while taking home the Rookie Of The Year and Most Valuable Player awards, we took notice, and even thought, "She's something special." But on Sunday evening, when she entered the game against the Mercury with 5:35 left in the first quarter and less than two months since giving birth, that was the third time since the WNBA's inception that a player stood up boldly and shouted "Take Notice! Or be the only one who doesn't!" <br /><br />The first time was in the WNBA's third annual finals when Cynthia Cooper decided that she could score and assist at will, propelling Houston to it's third of the Four straight championships to get the League off to a good start. The second was when Lisa Leslie, aging, but still one of the best in the League, took a fast break pass with no one in front of her and calmly, but demonstratively, stepped to the front of the rim and softly stuffed the ball through the net (possibly in response to the then-college star, parker dunking twice in a game the week before). Both of those performances were significant on the court, of course. But off the court they made statements that would help propel the league forward. Cooper's performance told the then-doubtful public "Yes, a woman can be a fearless cruch-time scorer and send chills down your spine with her ability to score when her team needs it." Lisa Leslie's performance said "Yes, we are less athletic than men. But we are still athletes! We still compete! And if average Joe-six pack thinks that he can run with us, come try me."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBlSlcy-o84_jvUHNYsKOjQ23AH4Pf-UU7CRnlKZhAT-n7hgH6-vkdz9kPrI0yq_-LZCaKomspxuDSe4xYpFdY9Z1MIj0EvBcVQ6ZxDZ57VpiXXeJp1di2JWiXsDTkSnrHSBpISun2tU/s1600-h/candace_parker3espn.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBlSlcy-o84_jvUHNYsKOjQ23AH4Pf-UU7CRnlKZhAT-n7hgH6-vkdz9kPrI0yq_-LZCaKomspxuDSe4xYpFdY9Z1MIj0EvBcVQ6ZxDZ57VpiXXeJp1di2JWiXsDTkSnrHSBpISun2tU/s200/candace_parker3espn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356897656151621698" /></a>Parker's performance, which she would even admit was a sub-par for her standards, was significant for a completely different reason. We've all heard it said, "The WNBA is nothing but a lesbian league." "None of the women have kids because athletes can't have kids and still compete." When Parker played in Sunday's game, less than two months after giving birth to little Lailaa. Seriously, that's amazing. A woman who works in my office, sitting behind a desk needed four months to come back from pregnancy. Now of course, she's not the first mother to play in a WNBA game. Yolanda Griffith and teammate Lisa Leslie are two notable examples of WNBA Mothers. But Leslie waited until her career was almost over before having her baby - after the Championships, after the MVPs, and after most of her statistics. And then she took a whole year off. Many others, like Griffith, had babies before they knew that they would have Basketball careers. Others, like Parker's teammate Tina Thompson, don't take the entire year off, but also don't contribute significantly in the year that they return from pregnancy. Paker, though, chose to have a baby with her husband and obviously got pregnant DURING the season, giving birth a little over a month before the following season began. <br />What's most significant, though, is that she was the best player in the league last year. So if she can get back anywhere close to her peak ability this year, we will probably start to see a lot more players planning May/June Babies. Parker's return to action shows that young female professional athletes don't have to wait until their mid-thirties to have babies. Rather, as Leslie pointed out, Parker's age (22) will no doubt assist in her recovery from the pregnancy and allow her to fully recapture her physical prime beter than a woman in her late thirties. So instead of ending a great career early, women can just take a couple of months off in their twenties. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfAq9zd2s6UHq_sdmHdpuWtI5TqCqK9vGqVzDPd7rrwNiPDFNIt9q-7o3cQvfxdpcuo6u71Ee5iw-IivzroEPXPL5MkLyMkKsb3CMSXrc4xjDrpgvIse9VqIqIOI7DEsypOuX3D_Ipc0/s1600-h/CandaceParkerRedDress.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfAq9zd2s6UHq_sdmHdpuWtI5TqCqK9vGqVzDPd7rrwNiPDFNIt9q-7o3cQvfxdpcuo6u71Ee5iw-IivzroEPXPL5MkLyMkKsb3CMSXrc4xjDrpgvIse9VqIqIOI7DEsypOuX3D_Ipc0/s200/CandaceParkerRedDress.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356898060564826034" /></a>This, in combination with her undeniable skill on the court, charisma in interviews and charming demeanor all around (not to mention her near flawless beauty) will help to propel Parker from athlete to national and international spokeswoman for the game. <br /><br />The WNBA has found it's Magic, with Leslie playing the part of Kareem, to build around for the next 15 years. Here's to hoping that she comes through on all the promise we see in her. Candace, the WNBA's future and success is in your hands... No pressure, though.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-36426267337371383752009-07-02T17:46:00.000-07:002009-07-02T19:12:59.981-07:00Ron Artest to the Lakers. Ariza, probably out...Let me preface everything I'm about to tell you with two cautionary statements. First, I am perpetually dubious towards guys who have stand out numbers in contract years and especially step it up in the playoffs during contract years. Generally, it wreaks of someone who doesn't put in enough effort to maintain those same numbers over the life of his contract. <br /><br />Secondly, I remain completely skeptical about guys who attack men half their size (and 1/64th their pigment) on national television without clear and indisputable evidence of their reasons for doing so. And even more so of guys who then have their barber carve the logo of their franchise into their heads. Rodman did it. T.O. did it (I think), and I'm certain that both those guys are crazier than talking carrot sticks.<br /><br />Now, having said that, I LOVE Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest! With the signing of Ron Artest, the Lakers will now have 5 All-Start quality players, any of whom could score 30 points on any given night. That is, of course, if they keep Lamar Odom.<br /><br />If the Lakers resign Odom, this will be a monumentally successful off season for the Lakers, even if Ariza does sign with another team, as he probably will. But even without Ariza, the Lakers' team has actually upgraded over the team that just won the championship last month. <br /><br />So to recap the off-season so far:<br /><br />Shaq goes to Cleavland and all but promises a ring to Cavs fans. Cavs fans and most of the media, evidently decide to ignore the fact that they are not getting 27-13 Shaq from a decade ago. They're getting the Shaq that didn't play on the second night of back-to-backs last year. They're getting the short bus Shaq. You know what I mean. This is the Everybody-gets-a-trophy Shaq. Don't make me spell it out for you, Everyone has been talking about his resurgence. Seriously? Am I the only one who noticed that it doesn't exist? <br /><br />Anyway, moving on...<br /><br />Charlie Villanueva and, for some reason, Ben Gordon Agree to sign with the Pistons. Ok, this one was even more perplexing than the Shaq Trade. I understand Charlie V. He's a big, mobile guy who can hit jump shots and defend a little bit. Kind of like Rasheed Wallace before he dissapeared off the face of the planet. If he can remember what defense is after playing in Milwaukee, he could fit in well with Detroit. But, uh What about Gordon? <br /><br />Here's a guy who plays the two guard position pretty well. He uses screens very effectively, whether on the ball or on the weak side. He's solid, but not spectacular defensively. And offensively, he can hit jump shots with a high accuracy and consistency. He'll take big shots and is one of the best conditioned athletes in the League, so you know that he could probably play 40 minutes every night if you need him to. Though he still takes too many three point shots, He's basically been proving his critics wrong - whatever those critics wanted to say about him - since he came out of U-Conn. <br /><br />So why don't I understand this signing? Read the Last paragraph again. I'll wait. Seriously, just humor me and actually read it again. Can you honestly tell if I'm talking about Ben Gordon or Richard Hamilton? Watch this:<br /><br />2008-2009 Season Statistics<br />..........Richard Hamilton............Ben Gordon<br />Point.... 18.3....................... 20.7<br />Rebounds. 3.1........................ 3.5<br />Assists.. 4.4........................ 3.4<br />Steals... 0.6........................ 0.9<br />Blocks... 0.1........................ 0.3<br />FG%...... 44.7%...................... 45.5%<br />FT%...... 84.8%...................... 86.4%<br />3P%...... 36.8%...................... 41.0%<br />Minutes.. 34.0....................... 36.6<br />Fouls ... 2.6........................ 2.2<br /><br />OK, three point percentages aside, these guys are eerily similar. They even went to the same freakin' college!!! If this were another team, I would say "Great Job, Orlando, Cleavland, New York, Seattle, Sacremento, Utah, Denver, UTAH!!! DENVER!!! or Minnesota!" But this just seems to me like a GM who had too much money to spend and not enough time to spend it. Joe Dumars must be feeling right now, like if he doesn't do SOMETHING, then he'll let too much go and he would rather just look busy than be fired for inactivity. It wreaks of that situation. Otherwise, why would they hire a Richard Hamilton Clone right after giving the Original Rich Hamilton (well, the real one anyway. The original Richard Hamilton was Reggie Miller) a big contract? It doesn't really make any sense. <br /><br /><br />Now, on with it.<br /><br />The Lakers agreed to terms with Ron Artest to get him signed at somewhere around the mid-level exception. This is the biggest move so far by ANY team because of the Lakers' status. If he had gone to Cleaveland, Orlando, Boston, San Antonio or even Portland, that team would have to be considered to be seriously in the running for a Championship. But he didn't. He just made the best team in the League even better. His defense, especially, will improve the Lakers' overall team defense as well as keep someone on the floor to guard the opposing team's best perimeter players. Kobe is always up for the task, but sometimes, it takes too much to do that every night. Also, it gives the Lakers yet another person who can score on his own and command a double-team. That makes 5... at least 4, but maybe 5 on some nights .The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-64789275290445339682009-05-21T08:45:00.000-07:002009-05-21T09:18:57.234-07:00So Much Things To Say Right Now...- I'm kind of tired of hearing all of this "Who is Better, Lebron or Kobe?" mess. They're each better at different things. Lebron is now the more consistent scorer, while Kobe can still score in a lot more ways. <br /><br /> - It's interesting watching Dwight Howard and Lebron James in a series right now. They're the two most physically gifted athletes... maybe EVER in the NBA. And both of them are so busy making 10 "Where Amazing Happens" commercials per game to do the things that signified some of the past greats. Watching them fumble around on the low post for their respective teams is especially amusing. Watch them. It looks like someone pulled the old Dennis Rodman "Pull the chair from under him" routine almost every time they try to make post moves towards the basket. On one play, yesterday, Lebron almost stumbled over his own feet... but he still got the two points. I guess that as long as they're scoring, it doesn't matter how pretty the move is. But if Dwight had moves like Olajuwon, he would score like Wilt.<br /><br /> - Congratulations to Shelden Williams and Candace Parker-Williams on Baby Layla Nicole Williams (Not Sure of the spelling). Also congratulations to Uncle, Anthony Parker. On a separate note, wouldn't you love to just watch a pick up game at one of their family bar-b-qs? If Layla knows what's good for her, she better play basketball. I could see her biography on Lifetime now "In the shadows of BB", with the inevitable scene where she's caught reading up on constitutional law because she wants to be a lawyer, then the family has an intervention to find out what's wrong with her.<br /><br /> - Tonight is Nuggets V. Lakers, Game 2. The Nuggets played better in the last game and still lost. I picked the Lakers to win in Six, but after seeing that, I might want to change it to Lakers in 5. Especially if the Lakers get an extra home game on Monday Night when Vince McMahon gets his way in the Pepsi Center. <br /><br /> - My Never-Ending quest to become an NCAA Coach took a positive turn this week when I was offered a position. Not as an NCAA Coach, but as a High School coach. Still, it's something. Now I just have to figure out how to survive in Los Angeles for a year on $23.45, the entire stipend for the position. I'll let you all know if I end up taking it. If I do, you'll probably see me at your local Wal-Mart Convenience store in the mornings. <br /><br /> - In the meantime, I'll be coaching another season at MVRC, beginning next month. I'm excited about that, even though it looks like I might not have 7 kids on the team. I guess they'll just have to get in shape.<br /><br /> - OK, that's it for now. More later.<br /><br /> - Wishing you all Love, Peace and Soul, Everybody... I miss Don Cornelious. Shamar more is a very poor replacement.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-26765696763103646632009-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:002009-01-19T08:39:31.172-08:00MVRC Jazz: 1-1We got our first win!!! We're only allowed to have one practice per week for one hour, so yesterday was the first time we got everyone on the court together. In fact, one player joined the team yesterday! I put a couple of plays into our offense - one to use against man to man and one to use against the zone defenses. Also, we worked on spotting the open man and getting him the ball quickly. Then, we made sure that each person knew for certain what positions he is supposed to play when he's on the court, depending on who else is on the court with him. But the best thing about practice was the intensity that the guys played with. It made me very confident about today's game. The last thing I said in practice was "Tomorrow, we get our first win of the season. But it's not really about winning or losing, it's about having fun... but winning is REALLY fun!!!" Well, it is.<br /><br /> Game day. A few players show up early and we're working on running the plays that we put in yesterday. Not too hard. It's pregame warm up, not practice. And I don't want us to over exert ourselves right before a game. Everyone seems to be feeling very confident with themselves because last week, though we lost by 15 points, we did much better in the second half than the first and we didn't have an offensive identity yet. Now, we know who we are on offense. We know what we're doing and how to do it. <br /><br />When the game starts, we jump out to a very quick 10-2 score on the strength of 3 layups and a couple of offensive rebounds, as well as some very inspired defense on the other teams best player, a sweet-shooting, ball handling small forward who can only really go right, but last week scored 10 points in about a minute of game time. We were very worried about him. After the first half, we were up by 17 points. But I reminded the guys what happened last week. The suns had beaten us down in the first half and we shaved 10 points off of their lead in the first 15 minutes of the game. If the refs didn't institute a running clock, we probably could have won the game. We just ran out of time. Plus, one of their players scored 10 points in a minute, so they're capable of coming back. Everyone was happy with themselves, but intense and focused on the task at hand. We ended up winning by about 22 points and, oh yeah, our starting point guard wasn't there due to a prior engagement (Club Soccer in the valley, good luck Daniel).<br /><br />Then we all went out for pizza where the boys got a chance to mingle as a team, away from a basketball setting and really start to get to know each other. Their parents came too, of course which was even more important, because now we have someone in charge of bringing water for the games and snacks for afterwards.<br /><br />All in all, it was a good day :). I can't wait till next week.<br /><br />As always, you'll know more as I do,The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-86721509526478165212009-01-13T15:03:00.000-08:002009-01-13T15:30:37.044-08:00Here we go againAs of Right now, there are currently 9 teams on pace to win 50 games in the NBA's Western Conference. And while in past years, I would use this statistic to talk about the dominance of the West over the East, I simply can't. Because, while the Lakers currently technically have the best record in the league (30-6, compared to the Cavaliers at 29-6), the East currently has three teams - one in each division - on pace to win over 60 games!!! A total of 13 teams are currently on at least a 50 win pace, making this spring's Playoffs look like it already could be better than last years, which was one of the best ever! Let's look at some of the possibilities, come this April, May and June.<br /><br />As it stands right now, some of the first round match ups we could see might be. The Lakers would be slated to match up with their most constant western conference rival, Utah, while San Antonio would be hosting another wild match up with Phoenix. Portland and New Orleans would meet in a match up of two of the best Rookie-Of-The-Year award recipients this decade (no offense to Elton Brand and Kevin Durant). This would probably be the most exciting series in the West, with two very young teams that rely heavily on their well-rounded guards and adept low-post scoring Power Forwards. In fact, come to think of it, they also both have young Centers who are pretty good defensively, but not quite there offensively and coaches who - well, they both have coaches. Anyway, this would be a fun matchup to watch and every single series could go either way (even LA Vs. Utah if they get Boozer back). <br /> But after the Lakers, the next eight teams are only separated by 2.5 games. That means that if number 2 San Antonio wins three of their next 5 games and number 9 Dallas wins all five of theirs (which wouldn't be much of a surprise seeing how each have had stretches like that this year), they could potentially switch places in the standings. The number 2 team in the west could be out of the playoff picture by the end of next week, so it's way to early to start talking about playoff match ups. But it's still fun :).<br /><br />In the East, on the other hand, the balance of power isn't so... well, "Balanced." The Three top teams, Boston, Cleavland and Orlando, figure to finish in the top three in some order. I wouldn't be surprised to see Boston, Cleavland or Orlando end up with the top spot. Then there's Detroit and Atlanta, who will be fighting to have home court advantage in their series against each other, but will be playing one of those top three in the second round. After that, you've got 6 teams that are fighting to get into the playoffs with between 16 and 19 wins right now. I wouldn't be surprised to see any three-team combination of those six be wiped out in the first round by the top three. I also suspect that no more than 2 of them will wind up with a winning record. Maybe none of them will win 42 games. Only one thing is for sure. There's very little chance of them winning ANYTHING in the playoffs this year. There are some exceptions. Miami has seen Dwayne Wade go Crazy in the Playoffs before and he's healthy again, so there's no reason why it can't happen again. In particular, against Orlando, if the match up is right. Toronto always has a shooter's chance, as long as their shooters get back to full health. In particular against Cleavland, who has a difficult time guarding early three point shots. And If Indiana is matched up against Boston, they have a good chance. I don't know why. But they seem to play ridiculously well against Boston and LA. <br /><br />I can't believe this. It's January, and I'm already talking about the Playoffs! Man, I love this game! Oh, wait, that's the old slogan. Whoops.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-83214303534618790082009-01-11T01:25:00.001-08:002009-01-11T01:47:59.986-08:00Fantasy Basketball Update # 4: Oblivion.I'm ranked 1st in one of my leagues, tied for second in another, and all of the others have just gone away completely. I don't know what's going on. Brandon Roy is out, Nate Robinson is out, Zach Randolph, Carlos Boozer... It's really not a good year to be on one of my fantasy teams. It's Just really bad. What I said before about the New York/Golden State trade seems to have been accurate so far. Especially for Al Harrington. Monta Ellis should be back in a couple of weeks, so we'll really get to see the effects of three guards who think a chest pass is a character flaw running the same floor together. <br /><br />And that doesn't just apply to fantasy ball. Harrington is really doing well for New York, who recently beat Boston on the strength of a Monster game by him. His numbers: 30pts, 7 rbs, 2 asts, 11/23 FG, 5/9 3FG. Those are good numbers for a center who averaged 12 points and got more DNPCDs than Blocks in the first month of the season. <br /><br />But My teams suck now. Bleh.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-53202125366318314712009-01-10T22:33:00.000-08:002009-01-11T01:21:45.209-08:00MVRC Jazz: 0 - 1Woo Hoo!!! Alright, I know that the team lost today, but we won the second half :). As you know, I am the head coach for the Mar Vista Recreation Center (Not Utah) Jazz. Yesterday, we had our first practice with five or more people in attendance. Then, today, we had our first game. As you can probably imagine, we didn't do very well. First half score: 12-37. The Kids came back to the bench deflated and dejected, looking to me for guidance and direction. I peered into their glazed-over eyes, glanced up at the scoreboard and winced a little, searching for a muse, some method of conjuring up any ounce of oratory inspiration and encouragement. As the kids panted before me, only one thing went through my mind. So, being the man that I am, I had to be honest with them: "Wow", I gasped... "That was pretty rough." What do you want from me? I'm new to this stuff. <br /><br /> Honestly, we were down by 25 points for two reason: Lack of practice time together, and lack of an experienced coach. So I looked to the 75% of a team we had available and I told them "It looks bad right now, I know. But we're going to do better in the second half." I told them all that this was not the time for us to shrink and hide, but to shine. When you're down by 25, you might as well experiment, right? All the pressure is gone. You know, they say that it's all about having fun, so I told them to just go out there and have fun. And can you believe that they actually bought it?<br /><br /> We instituted a "Don't-Look-At-The-Scoreboard" Rule in the second half, which just made people look at the scoreboard more, and the MVRC Jazz went out and played their hearts out in the second half. My substitution patterns were more succinct and meaningful and the defense was more inspired. The offense still sputtered and looked at times like we hadn't worked on any offense together as 5-man units (we still haven't, actually, but that's beside the point) but the play was inspiring. By games end, we had shaved 10 points off of the "Suns" lead and would have gotten it down further if not for a running clock. <br /><br /> All in all, I'd say it was a successful outing. No one got injured, everyone seemed to have fun, I finally got a really good look at how my players react to each other and in different situations. Also, I found out that I'm putting a couple of players in positions that they don't need to be in. We Still lost by double digits, but we did much better in the second half and once we finally get our full team together (Hopefully this Friday), the Jazz are going to be a force in the MVRC Majors division league. <br /><br /> Next week, win or lose, I'm taking all the kids out for pizza after the game (man I hope we win... I scouted next week's opponent in today's game and they have some really good players). You'll know more as I do. <br /><br />Until then,The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-61826767518052550782008-12-19T00:25:00.000-08:002008-12-19T03:19:19.045-08:00My New League Makes Me Happy :)I'm going to break with my habit of posting almost exclusively on NBA topics today. See, there's another League that has taken my interest lately. No, I'm not talking about <a href ="http://www.bigwest.org/sports/mbball/">Big West</a> Basketball. That goes without saying. No, I'm talking about the Mar Vista Rec Center Winter League, Majors (10/11/12 years old) division. I will be taking the MVRC Jazz to the mountain top from my perch along the sideline. I'll try to list the times here so all of my many (2) readers can come and support the kids and see some good, clean, fundamentally sound basketball. After each game, I'll try and give a recap and include any significant stats, game trends or interesting/funny moments during the game.<br /><br />We had our draft on Tuesday. We based the draft on rankings we determined by putting the kids through basketball drills a week earlier and rating each basketball skill on a 1 to 5 scale, then averaging those scores for a final number. Some of the kids weren't able to make it to the evaluation day, so the coaches who knew them gave us all rankings based on what they knew about their athletic abilities and basketball skills. Now, the fact that all of the other coaches in the league have sons playing created some interesting dialogue. Here's one of my favorites:<br /><br />Coach 1: How would you Rank your son?<br /><br />Coach 2: Umm... I would say he's about a ... uhh... four or so.<br /><br />Coach 3: No! There's no way your Kid's a four. I'd Say a two. 2.5 at BEST.<br /><br />Coach 2: ...Um ... Oh.<br /><br /><br />That's great! You're basically telling the guy that his kid sucks. Yes, I'd say a good time was had by all. I ended up with what looks like a pretty good team. Now, I can't wait to get all the kids in the gym and start practicing. As I was drafting, I kept in mind the different ways that we could use the players' skill sets to our team's advantage. Originally, I thought that we might do a 40 minute full court press a la Rick Pitino, but that was shut down quickly when I found out that I don't control substitution patterns. I'm not trying to tire out all of my kids. I'm going to love this! I know that it's not much, but for someone who loves basketball as much as I do, this is going to be GREAT!!! I'll keep you all (both) updated. <br /><br />In other news, one of my friends from college, Ross Schraeder, was caught up in a great YouTube Moment in Spain recently. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zbashUnhZNQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zbashUnhZNQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Yeah, that's him with the double-low-fist celebration. Good Job on the Buzzer-Beater, Ross. Keep up the good work! It was kind of an illegal pick, but with .9 seconds left, it's not called "illegal", it's just "Savvy".The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-57118203929589954712008-11-26T14:26:00.000-08:002008-11-26T15:12:34.822-08:00Fantasy Basketball Update #3 (Trades: The Alpha Factor!!!)OK, so we discussed draft strategies and the folly of overreacting to Two DNPCDs to start the season in our <a href="http://bballoverkill.blogspot.com/2008/11/fantasy-basketball-update-1-damn-you.html">last update</a>. Now let's discuss another aspect of your 30 week odyssey into Basketball Geekdom; namely, Trades. I'm not talking about the fantasy trades that only affect how well your opposition is doing relative to your own team. I'm talking about real-world, NBA-League trades. Sometimes, those trades can give a player you have a sudden, unexpected fantasy boost, sometimes, your player ends up losing out. For instance, let's say you have Allen Iverson and he plays for... I don't know, let's say the Nuggets. But then, he gets traded to... just for the sake of argument, let's say he gets traded to the Detroit F'ing PISTONS! Well, then you might see his stats take a hit from a trade like that. Don't worry though, it shouldn't be anything drastic. He shouldn't go from top 5 in scoring with 7+ assists to 17 points and 3 assists. Right? I'm going to cry. <br /><br /><br />OK, so I'm back. Let's talk about the other side of these NBA Trades. Sometimes, you look at the NBA and there are trades that seem so obvious at the time that they're made that you just ask yourself "Why didn't the Commish (AKA the <A href="http://bballoverkill.blogspot.com/2008/04/nba-where-loyalty-means-nothing-happens.html">accomplice</A>) just mandate this one at the beginning of the season?" Al Harrington got traded to New York for Jamaal Crawford. How perfect is that!?!?! This trade takes one valuable fantasy player and creates 3 high-quality fantasy players with a single swipe of the pen. Crawford is a good player. But he's no All Star. He doesn't have the personality or the game to Rule a city like New York. But in Golden State, where they sell out 50 loss teams and stand up rooting like it's the final four? He will be treated like a king. The fact that he shoots too often and doesn't really give your team a chance to win won't matter, which means that Don Nelson will be free to play him at the 3 alongside Stephen Jackson with both of them jacking up half-court fallaway threes with two guys on them. Throw Monta Ellis in the mix, driving into two seven footers and just throwing it off the back-board a la Dwayne Wade, but without the accuracy or the foul calls... a la Flip Murray... Well, Let's just call this team the "7 passes or less" era for Golden State. If the guards make more than 20 passes in a game, everyone in attendance gets a free Chalupa from Taco Bell!!!<br /><br />Look at New York's end of the Deal, though. Not only do you get a shooting "big-man" to go alongside David Lee, but you free up time on the floor (and thus, shot attempts) for Nate Robinson. Harrington was not happy in Golden State for whatever reason. Now he's going to the only other Coach in the league that will absolutely correctly utilize his exact offensive skill set while gleefully ignoring his glaring defensive deficiencies (read: Steve Nash, 2-time MVP, 438th out of 367 in Defensive Player of the year voting). <br /><br />Interesting side note here: The two best offensive head coaches, who play nearly the exact same style of basketball made a trade involving players who were built and trained to only play in that type of system. This is like the Rockets trading Shane Battier for Bruce Bowen. It's a once-every-ten-seasons trade that makes perfect sense for every single person involved. From the parties traded, to the other members of the teams they were traded to/from, the coaches and even for the franchises and the fans. And speaking of those coaches, everyone knows that Nelson practically invented NBA Small Ball. I mean, we call it "Nellie-Ball" for defense' sake. But I think D'Antoni has perfected it. Nelson said that he could win without defense, as long as his players could rebound, run fast and shoot. And he was right. But D'Antoni had this crazy idea that his players should also be able to pass to the open man so that guy could take the shot. Simple, obvious, should have been done from the start. Just like this trade. <br /><br />The NBA: Where "Why didn't I think of that?" HappensThe Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-43018059806779988412008-11-17T23:49:00.000-08:002008-11-18T00:30:07.969-08:00RIP Pete NewellPete Newell passed away today. For anyone who has enjoyed the game of basketball over the last 50 years, and especially if you, like I, have enjoyed watching the great post-players of the last half-century, then you understand why I couldn't sleep tonight without mentioning coach Newell first in this space. He has influenced nearly every post-player in the world and EVERY coach who teaches Low Post/High Post offense or defense on the West Coast. <br /><br />I first learned about Pete Newell through his Big Man Camps because my favorite team, The Lakers, employs one of the longest tenured coaches for the Camp (Stu Lantz) as a color-commentator. Through his tutelage, and his philosophies on Post play and "Big-Man" play, some of the most famous and successful players have increased their skill level and overall knowledge of the game. Coaches the world over teach his techniques to their players because he his nuanced, results-oriented training approach has produced a list of basketball legends who quickly credit Pete Newell with helping them to improve their game as long as any coach you can name: Bobby Knight, Coach K, John Wooden... Pete Newell. <br /><br />Here's a few of the names on that list that I can think of right now:<br /><br />Kareem Abdul Jabaar<br />Jack Sikma<br />Bill Walton<br />Shaquille O'Neal<br />Alonzo Mourning<br />Hakeem Olajuwon<br />Moses Malone<br />Karl Malone<br />Patrick Ewing<br />David Robinson<br />Stu Lantz<br />Tim Duncan<br />Andrew Bogut<br />Shareef Abdur-Raheem<br />Derick Coleman<br /><br />and plenty of others <br /><br />A moment of silnce for Pete Newell:<br /><br />...<br /><br />...<br /><br />...<br /><br />...The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-4747987119102476352008-11-14T00:31:00.000-08:002008-11-14T01:33:02.451-08:00Fantasy Basketball Update #2 (Damn You Scott Skiles!!!)OK, so a month ago, <a href = "http://bballoverkill.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-dont-care-its-not-just-fantasy-to-me.html">I went on and on</a> about how much energy we put into something with the word "Fantasy" in its title. For me, at least, it has paid off. In the opening week, I won in all 5 of my Fantasy leagues. in 3 head to head match ups, I cam out on top and in two Rotisserie Leagues I was number 1. This, depite starting Ramon Sessions in Week 1 and Scott Skiles Vowing to forget that he exists and leave him on the end of the bench, as well as starting Deron Williams on the Same Fantasy team in a format that counts totals, not averages. <br /><br />Well, this brings me to my real point here. If you are so damn stuck on Defense that you are willing to allow Offense to go by the wayside for FOUR SEASONS in Chicago; if you refuse to play players who don't earn their minutes defensively; if you claim to be a "True student of the game" who has his team playing a certain way and doesn't want to change because of popular opinion; and if these oh-so-strong core values of your are so important that you would basically flip off a guy who's being paid millions of dollars by your employer to do a job that you're not letting him do, just because he doesn't do it exactly like you think he should; then stick to your F'ing guns!!!! <br /><br />Ramon Sessions got two DNP-CDs in his first two games this year, despite being the best Point guard on the team presumeably because he doesn't play defense. Now I could understand this if Joe Dumars was your other Point Guard. Or even Derek Fisher. But he sat Ramon Sessions for the <i>"Defensive Juggernaut"</i> known as Luke Ridnour. Just to put that in perspective, imagine parking your Lamborghini for your Pinto because the Lambo doesn't have any cup-holders built into it... Only, your Pinto's cup holders are too small to hold your cups. So your coffee keeps spilling into your lap and burning your right leg. Now imagine that the guy who sold you the Pinto told you before you bought it "Oh, don't try to use the cup holders. I know it says that it has cup holders, but they don't work. Trust me. I've tried it. It just won't work", and you still do it anyway. <br /><br />That's what Scott Skiles did for the first few games causing me to say "You know what? Even though I spent more hours than Ramon Sessions' stalkers did keeping up with his movements, workouts and medical reports this summer. I knew that Skiles was more of a defensive-minded coach, but I didn't think he was insane. Clearly, he is insane and he's not going to play his best lineup because of a tiny little issue that he has. One that's not even resolved by playing the alternative. It's a lost cause, I shouldn't have drafted him in the Sixth Round. I'm going to drop him and pick up Wilson Chandler (who I'm not mad I picked up at all). <br /><br />And, of course, as soon as offered to wash the Pinto, the Lamborghini comes out of the garage. And someone else swoops in to take him. Damnit! Damnit, Damnit, DAMNIT, Scott Skiles!!! A Pox on your house for further ruining a fantasy basketball team that already included injured superstars Deron Williams and Josh Smith. A Pox, I say!The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-62426235341517462572008-11-13T23:58:00.000-08:002008-11-14T01:26:20.794-08:00Really? Mike D'Antoni Isn't The Early Favorite For Coach Of The Year?<div>OK, so someone said to me a few months ago "Why do you even need a coach in professional sports? If they're being paid that much money, shouldn't they just be able to play?" Well, here is the difference that a coach can make. The Knicks come back with essentially the same team they had last year, and not only do they have a winning record (Anyone can have a winning record 8 games into the season) but they actually look good doing it. They have an offensive system that they all seem to believe in and D'Antoni is clearly a master at casting the right actors as the right characters in his plays (or lack-thereof). It's amazing what they're doing so far and I, for one, hope it continues. It's always nice to see the Knicks in the Playoffs because there is NO better atmosphere for a sporting event than MSG in May... except maybe MSG in June. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. </div><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.espn.go.com/o/4720c49c66127264/491d3208430f7333/4720c49c66127264/5abe5648/widget.js"></script>The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-50998060362067771672008-11-04T13:02:00.000-08:002008-11-16T15:14:37.708-08:00The NBA: Where "Injuries" HappensGreg Oden was the Number one pick in the draft. A year removed from high school, he was given the hopes of a franchise, along with a multi-million dollar contract and a plenty of endorsements. He then had micro-fracture surgery on his knee and it was declared that he would not play for at least a year. <br /><br />So we waited. We waited for an entire year for him to make his debut. And on the eve of his return, the newspapers were littered with stories pitting him against Andrew Bynum - who had taken 8 months to come back from his own knee injury, four years after being drafted at 17 years old. The Matchup of 7'0", 285 pound, young centers could not be ignored. It was billed as everything from Olajuwon Vs. Robinson to Bush Vs. Ahmadinejad... And then, he got injured in the second play of the game. And then, yesterday, Andrew Bynum was hurt IN PRACTICE(!!!)<br /><br />Deron Williams, Micheal Redd, Monta Ellis, Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, Manu Ginobili, and of course Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, when they get injured around 45-60 games from now. The List of Big-Name Starters (and Manu Ginobili) getting hurt to start this NBA Season is enough to drive a guy away. I'm almost afraid to ask who's going down next. It just goes to show you exactly why people involved with teams always throw that little caveat in there when talking about their hopes for the season ("We could go all the way, barring any serious injury").<br /><br /><br />It's been a minute since I actually posted ANYTHING. I wanted to wait until the election was over (it's over for me, I voted this morning after waiting in line for over two hours) before I posted anything. Politics are important in this country, people. More important that sports (even basketball?). If you haven't voted yet tonight, and still can (HI, CA, OR, WA, AZ, AK, etc), I Urge you to hurry out to your polling place and do it. It's one of the most powerful decisions you'll make all year, and it only takes the stroke of a pen or the push of a button... or the touch of a screen or the depression of chad... Look, just vote, OK!!! And make your vote Count.<br /><br /><i>UPDATE [Friday, November 7th, 2008]: We didn't even get out of the week before another star player went down. Josh Smith will likely be out for about a month, thus ruining my fantasy league in which I picked up Deron Williams and Josh Smith 12th and 13th (Yeah, I picked last in my draft).</i><br /><br /><i>UPDATE [Friday, November 7th, 2008]: As if to prove my point, today shortly after Josh Smith's ankle fell off, Kirk Hinrich suffered a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament because every team is trying to have at least one injured player before the week is out. Thankfully, for the Lakers, that one player is Sun Yue, who got Mono a couple of weeks ago.</i><br /><br /><i>UPDATE [Sunday, November 16th, 2008]: OK, so get this. For the last four years, T.J. Ford has been regarded as a good player who can change a game wiht his speed, passing and ballhandling ability, but one who just can't stay healthy. Last year, when he inevitably missed half of the season, his backup played better than he did and the team was better too. so this summer the Raptors traded Ford away to clear room for Jose Calderon to take over the starting position because you can't ever guess whether or not Ford will be in the lineup from one game to the next. Well, of course, Jose Calderon was held out of today's game and it's unsure how many games he will miss because of this injury. Meanwhile, TJ? Healthy as an ox. Ah, the NBA. "Where Irony Happens"</i>The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-7780911118357686512008-10-14T02:26:00.001-07:002008-11-14T01:24:15.065-08:00I don't care. It's not just Fantasy to me!!!So it's that time again, kids. The beginning of the NBA season is about 2 weeks away and while most people have gotten their fantasy teams ready to go, some people are still trying to get a few more owners for their leagues, or updating their player-rankings one more time before the draft. It's amazing how much time and effort we put into this stuff. <br /><br />A friend of mine once asked me, after watching me spend no less than 16 hours with my pre-draft ranking of over 400 NBA players, "...And you're not getting paid for any of this?"<br /><br />But what does she know? I may not be making any money, but I will win the right to call myself KING OF THE FANTASY REALM!!! Or at least brag to my friends that I beat them. <br /><br />Here's my key to a successful Year of Fantasy Basketball - Superstars and Sleepers. Most Players in the NBA are going to average around 10 -13 points, 3-5 rebounds, 2-4 assists, etc, etc, etc. Now, while it's important to draft people who will be near the higher end of those averages, it's not going to make a huge difference. Those are the players that everyone is getting in the middle rounds. You'll hear people saying things like "Oh, he's still available, I have to take him there." or "I'll take him now, hopefully, he won't get injured." Not a big risk, not a big reward. Those are the middle rounds. In a 13 round draft, with a 12 team league, those would be approximately rounds 4 through 9. They're the fluffer rounds. Nothing Gained, nothing lost. Fantasy Basketball, though, is won at the beginning and the end. <br /><br />See, everyone knows who they're going to pick first. You have your list of eleven or twelve players and if you're first, you know you're taking CP3 or LBJ, if you're 8th, you know you're taking Dwight Howard or Amare Stoudemire. Whatever it is, there's not much excitement. but rounds 2 and 3? That's when you get to look over last year's list of "budding superstars" and make that decision: "Who is going to take a step back because they can't handle the pressure (Bogut, Tinsley, etc) and who is going to break out of the pack? Who will be the next "Greatest thing since Sliced Bread"? Will it be Brandon Roy or Kevin Durant? Should you pick Danny Granger, Rudy Gay or Josh Smith? These are the questions that can make and break a season in those 2nd and third rounds. Last year, I felt that I was right on the money when I took Al Jefferson in the late 3rd round last year (34th overall pick). This year, there's no way he gets close to the end of the 1st round. My breakout SUPERSTAR picks for this year are - in order:<br /><br />Josh Smith<br />Brandon Roy<br />Danny Granger<br />Rudy Gay<br />Tony Parker (at least until Manu gets healthy)<br />Jamal Crawford (He will remind you of Bernard King and score 40 at least 5 times this year)<br />Lamarcus Aldridge<br /><i>note: I know that all of these players are already good. TP already has a finals MVP to his credit, after all. But this is the list of players that, after you see what they do this year, you will think "There's no way I'm letting him get past me in the first round next year (a la Amare Stoudemire).</i><br /><br />But that's not all you have to manage. Because, while picking the right breakout candidate can move you from middle-of the pack- to leader-of-the-pack, if you want to leave the pack behind you, you're going to need at least one sleeper. What is a "sleeper", you ask? Well, that's someone who is "Slept On", and then has a good showing that no one really expected them to have. Now, this is the biggest kept secret in Fantasy Sports because the minute that someone get some hype around them, they're no longer a sleeper. I.E. Greg Oden, who is overvalued in Fantasy Circles right now just because of his name. He could have been a nice sleeper candidate if people hadn't been talking about him so much since high school. However, he's got a couple of team mates who might qualify. <br /><br />Here's my list of sleepers (since no one really reads my blog, I can go ahead and put them out there. But don't tell anyone that I'm in a league with because I don't want them to take my guys before I can get to them in the last couple of rounds. <br /><br />Ramon Sessions<br />Nate Robinson (I'll take a small, quick Point Guard playing for D'Antoni any day)<br />Derrik Rose (he'll be even better than the being the #1 pick would indicate - and soon)<br />Rudy Fernandez (Maybe not a sleeper after his showing at the Olympics)<br />Marc Gasol (See note for Rudy Fernandez)<br />Daequon Cook<br /><br />If any of these guys are still available and you don't know who to pick last - take one of them. You can't go wrong. Especially with Ramon Sessions. He's going to be the next Jose Calderon and you'll want him on your team and probably try to trade for him by December.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-1143855967560082872008-09-09T01:33:00.000-07:002008-09-09T02:07:21.126-07:00Who wants to go to a Sparks Game?I think I'm going to go to a sparks game on Thursday... or maybe against Seattle on Sunday. Do any of my two readers want to join me? <br /><br />So football started this week, and, like most people in the country, I was watching. And like most people who live in Los Angeles, I was watching, somewhat. But no matter what sport I'm watching, my heart is always with Basketball. LeBron was at Cleavland's game on Sunday. Carmelo was Baltimore's honorary team captain for the day. See what I mean? I see it everywhere I go. <br /><br />I'm going to try to pursue a career in basketball. I'm not sure, yet, what that will entail. I'd love to coach, but I don't have the experience, nor the expertise needed for that. Or to be a scout. Or really anything. Maybe I should get a reality show a la "New York Goes to Hollywood" to chronicle my journey into the world of sports professionals. <br /><br />I have begun by writing all the contacts that I have on organized basketball teams and asking for advice. And we'll see if he writes or calls me. I'm thinking about going to ASU (American Sports University, not Arizona State) to take classes in coaching and Sports Journalism, while doing a little networking with other up and coming sports professionals. Updates on this will follow.<br /><br />Stay tuned for next week's WNBA Preview.<br /><br />Until next time Bat fans,The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-83972595740994355002008-08-14T18:52:00.000-07:002008-08-14T21:10:39.511-07:00Where Have I Been? Where Have YOU Been?Hey you! Yeah, you. The guy who likes to write about basketball. Yeah, you. You know, there's a little tournament going on right now in this gym in Beijing that you might be a little interested in. <br /><br />Ok, so I know it's been a minute or two since I last wrote anything. In case you didn't know, there are sports in existence other than basketball (I was as shocked to find this out as you are). The Olympics has been a joy to watch. Not just because I enjoy sports or for all of the normal reasons. Because NBC.com has the best Olympic coverage EVER! Now this is not to say that other networks didn't do great jobs in their own rights. But the technology that NBC has at its disposal is so far advanced compared to just four years ago, it's astounding. My main problem with the Olympics has always been that during the opening ceremony, we see all of these different countries and cultures coming together to compete. Then we see two weeks of America and it's over. This year's coverage has been unparalleled for several reasons:<br /><br />First of all, this year, NBC has 5 different channels covering the Olympics, some of which are minimally interactive, all of which are recording and broadcasting every jump, hurl, stroke, sprint dive and toss in beautiful High Definition. In the past, it was unnecessary because not too many people had High Definition televisions in 2000 and in 2004, it was still too expensive to broadcast that much HD programing. Maybe one channel would have been in HD in 2004 with the rest in standard definition. <br /><br />But that doesn't solve my main problem, because, even with 5 different channels, the only event I have been able to watch thus far that did not directly involve at least one American has been the Women's Beach Volleyball match up between Russia and Georgia yesterday (Georgia beat Russia 2 sets to 1, while being outscored 47-53, if you're interested). Evidently, the NBC Execs thought that the burgeoning war between the two countries provided enough drama to justify televising the two countries' volleyball match. So while the five channels does allow me to watch everything from Badminton to women's weightlifting, if I want to watch the finals in Greco-Wrestling, or Group B in Womens and Men's Basketball, for that matter, I'm out of luck. <br /><br />In steps the internet! In 2004, the technology existed for streaming video to be fed over the internet. In fact, it was widely used. I had a 3 mbps download speed back then and all the capability of using the technology. But 3 was fast for the time and still is a far cry from the most common speed today - 6! Now, in 2008, EVERYBODY has broadband internet. It's as common as the telephone - many of which are run through broadband internet services now. And NBC is taking full advantage of this fact. You can literally watch every single second of every single sport, whenever you want. <br /><br />You can even watch up to four sports at once right from your browser! To give you an idea of what this can do to someone, just take a look at what it has done to me. We are on day 6 of the Olympics and I have not gotten a full 3 hours of consecutive sleep in 1 week. In that time, I have found time Around my 3 jobs to watch:<br /><br />Women's Basketball (haven't missed an American game yet)<br />Women's Table-Tennis<br />Men's Basketball (Watched two replays online, but seen each game)<br />Men's Badminton<br />Women's Fencing<br />Men's Fencing<br />Women's Cycling<br />Men's Cycling<br />Women's Weightlifting<br />Men's Weightlifting<br />Women's Team Gymnastics<br />Men's Team Gymnastics<br />Women's individual Gymnastics<br />Men's Individual Gymnastics<br />Women's Rowing (team of 4)<br />Men's Rowing (team of 4)<br />Women's Rowing (team of 2)<br />Men's Rowing (team of 2)<br />Women's Indoor Volleyball (Oooh, those Brazilian women!!!)<br />Men's Indoor Volleyball<br />Women's Beach Volleyball<br />Men's Beach Volleyball<br />Women's Soccer<br />Men's Soccer<br />Women's Field Hockey<br />Men's Boxing<br />Women's Softball<br />Men's Baseball<br />Women's Swimming<br />Men's Swimming<br />Women's Team Archery<br />Men's Team Archery<br />Women's Individual Archery<br />Men's Individual Archery<br />Women's Judo<br />Men's Judo<br />Men's Greco-Wrestling<br />Men's Kayaking<br />Men's Taekwondo<br />Women's Shooting (Air Rifles, I think)<br />Men's Shooting (Air Rifles, I think)<br />Women's Handball (That was weird. I had never seen it and it's like soccer mixed with basketball... Just weird)<br />Women's Equestrian (can't we just call it cowgirl?)<br />Men's Water Polo<br /><br />I think that might be it for now, but keep in mind that it's only day 6 and I'm about to wet myself just thinking about the next week. So that explains why I haven't been writing, right? Before the Olympics started, I was watching the prelims and trials. How could I be expected to do things like Blog, and sleep when there are so many sports to watch? <br /><br />Anyway, about the Basketball teams: <br /><br />First the women. I Know I've said it before, but Candace Parker is Amazing. I just want to see her dunk on Margo Dydek! That would cap off a perfect summer for her so far. And speaking of Candace Parker, how bad do you feel for Anthony Parker? Probably the only NBA player who knows deep down that his little sister could beat him in a pickup game. Yesterday, I was thinking about how cool it will be to see the US women win Gold again (Four times in a row after this Olympics is over) and know that they are only the second - or maybe even third most dominate American Women's team. And not far from fourth. Here's how I have it ranked:<br /><br />#1 - Women's Softball: Haven't gotten anything less than gold in any international competition (World Championships, Pan-Am games, Olympics, etc.) since International competition in the sport began back in the mid-eighties. In their opening game of the Olympics this year, they set a record for most runs scored in the Olympics by ANY team by the fourth inning... and at the same time, they threw a shared no-hitter. The game was stopped early on the "Mercy Rule". So far, they have not given up a hit in the Olympics.<br /><br />#2 - Women's Basketball: Lisa, Candace, Seimone and company are going for their fourth straight Olympic Gold Medal. The US Women have not lost a single Olympic game since 1992 semifinal game and ended up 8-1 that year. Since then, they are a staggering 27-0 in Olympic competition. So far, they are winning their games this year by an average of 47 points per game including a 56 point win against Mali. Now let's put that in perspective. The 1992 "Dream Team", which included Magic Johnson, Micheal Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Stockton to Malone, David Robinson and about 5 other Hall of Fame players (and Christian Laettner) but contained ZERO opposition from any other teams, won their games by an average margin of about 41 points. Their Largest margin of Victory? 50 Vs. Angola. I'd say this team is good, but that would be giving the word "Good" too much credit. <br /><br />#3 - Women's Beach VolleyBall: Every once in a while, we get to see a pair of truly dominant individuals who come together to become so much more than their individual selves. Micheal Jordan and Phil Jackson in 1996, Mohammad Ali and Howard Cossel in the 1970s, Serena and Venus Williams during the Wimbledon Doubles competition in 2002, Snoop and Dr. Dre in the early nineties, Mario and Luigi in 1986, Chaz Micheal Micheals and Jimmy McElroy during the 2007 ice skating doubles at the winter Olympics. What I'm trying to stress is that the teaming of Misty May-Treanor and Keri Walsh has created a duo of historic proportions. They have now won about 100 straight matches. No, that is not a typo. They simply do not lose. Period. Watch them play. Just watch them. It's like losing is against their religion. You'll see Jews and Muslims gathered 'round a table pork chops and hamhocks together before you see them submit to losing. I'm convinced. The only reason they aren't higher on this list is because the two teams above them win in such demoralizingly perfect fashion. Still, neither of the teams above can claim the kind of winning streak that Treanor-Walsh can. And most people never will. Not even the '72 Lakers could boast such a long list of consecutive losers in their path.<br /><br />#4 - Women's Fencing: It's Hard to rank this women's fencing team 4th on ANY list. Individually, they just swept with three medals, and now they're fighting on the same team. Need I say more? Well then let me repeat that. Individually, US Women took home the Gold, Silver AND Bronze, and now they will compete together against a bunch of people who couldn't beat any of them apart.<br /><br /><br /><br />I know that wasn't all about the Women's Basketball team, but... whatever. Sue me. I'll post on the Men's Basketball team tomorrow. <br /><br />Until then, sports fans,The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-5377191582221156962008-07-09T09:34:00.000-07:002008-07-09T10:13:54.843-07:00OMG!!! What the hell was that, Brand?Ok, so I thought that none of the Big names this year would be talked about that much on this space. Well I was wrong. This is my Sad-Angry-Brand Rant. Ever since before he entered the league, in '99, I loved to watch Elton Brand Play. I never wanted Duke to win so bad. When Chicago picked him, I kind of secretly rooted for Chicago. He's just a great player and a nice guy and he's fun to watch, and he clearly wants nothing more than to win. That's why, when the Clippers Drafted Tyson Chandler and promptly traded him for Elton Brand, I was ecstatic! More than ecstatic, I was in near Nirvana. <br /><br />When we came one Tim Thomas 3 pointer away from an L.A. - L.A. Hallway Series in the Playoffs a couple of years ago, I cheered my heart out for a player who was everything that, historically, the franchise was not. Even when he missed about 65 games in a season, but came back for the last 10 or so, I was impressed to no end. I mean, who has a guaranteed contract and still does that? There was no way the team was going to win a Championship - Hell, they were 20 games out of the playoffs with 10 to play. Three teams' entire rosters would have had to have fallen off the face of the earth simultaneously to even consider putting them in the playoffs. But There was Elton Brand, Second Game of his season, playing like it was game 7 of the NBA Finals. <br /><br />And if that wasn't enough to make me love him, when he opted out of his contract on June 30th, he and his agent played it to everyone like it was an act of charity (presumably, Brand was going to give up about 2-4 million dollars in order to provide the team the financial flexibility to bring in Baron Davis. See, Baron Davis also opted out of his contract unexpectedly on June 30th, then quickly committed to a verbal agreement with the Clippers on July 1st. All I saw were pictures of Baron and Elton together (they are both friends and movie producers who it would make sense to have together in Los Angeles). I even told several people myself, "Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, Al Thornton... The Clippers are going to make some noise next year." It was that much of a slam dunk. But there was one thing that I forgot. The Clippers are the Kwame Browns of NBA Franchises. The Ryan Leafs of the sports world. Even a slam dunk can clang off the back of the rim and bounce 3000 miles away.<br /><br />See, I understood when he signed that offer sheet with Miami in 2003. It made sense then. The Clippers said that they would match any offer, but who really believed them? Their entire history had been a business school lesson on running an NBA Franchise - Successful Failure 101: How to make money without winning, EVER. But then the unthinkable happened. They matched offers for two players resulting in the spending over 130 million dollars that summer. Now they were for real! Now, they were going to matter! Now, they had one of the best low-post presences in Basketball locked up for 5 years!!! And they continued their commitment to trying to WIN through this summer by letting Maggette go ONLY so that they could add Baron Davis to the bunch. What could go wrong? <br /><br />But the player who played just for the sake of playing; the player who almost added "Generous" to a list of adjectives to describe him that already included "Ferocious", "intense", "Committed" and "Hard-Working"; the player who made us all believe it was possible for a Clippers team to be good; he left. Why? Because Philadelphia offered him more money. Considerably more money than the Clippers could after agreeing to terms with Davis. And I understand all of this. Hell, if somebody offered me an extra 2 dollars an hour right now, I would put in my two weeks notice tomorrow morning. But it's about the way that he left. Players leave all the time. Lamar Odom Did it a few years ago when he signed with Miami and told the organization "Please don't match the offer". Maggette is probably signing a contract with the Warriors as I type this. I understand all of this and wished them both the best when they left. But this... This is Carlos-Boozer-esque. <br /><br />The problem isn't that he left. It's about HOW he left. I was content before he came loving the Clippers from a distance, unconditionally, no matter how many games they lost. I was <font strikethrough>happy</font> content having something to root for in the lottery every year. But then he came and made me think that something speacial was going to happen. That there was a chance. I don't remember a summer since he got here when I thought "The Clippers are going to be Really bad next year"... until he left and toook the franchise's hopes and dreams with him. <br /><br />I never thought that I would or could ever feel like this, but I want Elton Brand to Lose. A LOT. I wish he weren't going to Philly. That's a respectable franchise. That's the franchise of Allen Iverson, Charles Barkeley and so many others. I wish he were going to Oklahoma where they have no franchise to sit around and not even exist for the next 5 years. I don't wish any particular harm as far as his well being, but as far as his basketball career goes, I wish him no good. None whatsoever.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-86836547357920975102008-07-02T20:32:00.000-07:002008-07-02T21:19:00.423-07:00A Dark Day in Washington StateToday, Seattle is a little grungier, a little rainier, and just that much more <a href = "http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3471503">depressing</a>. Kurt Cobain could never have written a song tumultuous enough, nor sang it with enough angst to truly capture the spirit of the Seattle Supersonic fan on July 2nd, 2008. This day will go down in infamy as one of the darkest in American Basketball history. <br /><br />In a stunning, unbelievable turn of events today, Seattle Mayor, Greg Nickels signed a settlement agreement with Clay "Son of Satan" Bennett in the amount of forty-five million dollars up front with a possible additional 30 million dollars to come. A total of $75,000,000.00 was enough to get the mayor to part with the team that has come to symbolize Seattle culture for almost half a century. <br /><br />My only question is, how much did Nickel get under the table for this deal? Today, a Seattle area judge was supposed to come out and tell Clay "I Have Too Many Consonants in my name" Bennett "Screw you and the $350,000,000.00 horse you rode in on. You can't have my team!!! Instead, that Judge went home tonight knowing that it was officially out of her hands. The team that she grew up watching, cheering for and eventually loving was going away - hijacked from the city by a billionaire and his buddies (read: David Stern) and delivered, as he originally intended, to his hometown of Oklahoma City. <br /><br />Let me say that I am not upset with the people of Oklahoma City. It is understandable that you would want an NBA Franchise. Nothing can really compare to the product the NBA offers. I understand it. We Angelinos love it enough for TWO NBA Teams. And after having Chris Paul in your city for most of two season, I certainly feel for you. But this was simply not the right way to do this. If Clay "Middle-aged-Dennis-the-Menace" Bennett really wanted to own an NBA franchise, he should have done one of two things: petition for an expansion team, or buy and move a team that didn't have the kind of support and history that the Seattle Supersonics have - er, had. Toronto is a choice. They've had some good players and currently have a pretty nice roster, but they aren't, historically, what Toronto is about. Honestly, you could have just tried to buy the Hornets when they were already playing in Oklahoma City. Heck, Memphis hasn't even been in Memphis for a decade yet! I'm sure the fans there aren't THAT attached to Darko and Kwame. As much as I would hate to admit it, Los Angeles doesn't treat the Clippers right when they aren't winning... even they - with almost 30 years in Los Angeles - would have been a better choice than Seattle. <br /><br />Instead, you buy a team and say all the right things, "I want to stay here in Seattle", "We're in WASU for the long haul"... while secretly emailing things like "It might take a year or two, but we'll get them to Oklahoma. <br /><br />... <br /><br /><br />...I can't even think about the levels of treachery right now. I'm so upset with my NBA team owners for approving the move! I can't even stand it. So now the Sonics have the option of getting the next expansion team or pulling the Grizzlies to Seattle when they get sold. At least they get to keep the name, colors and logo for the next franchise in the Pacific Northwest. And speaking of the Pacific Northwest, you know what would be cool? If Greg Oden won the Rookie of the Year next year and had a 18 year grudge match with Interstate-5 rival Kevin Durant (this year's winner) and it resuscitated the league like Bird-Magic and the fact that they're so close and naturally rivals played into... oh wait, that will NEVER HAPPEN NOW!!!<br /><br />I officially renew my vow to never, EVER, acknowledge the existence of the Oklahoma City Dusty Tumbleweeds, or whatever they're going to be called, except to make disparaging remarks about Clay "I Steal Babies From Church" Bennett. And if you didn't read my <a href = "http://bballoverkill.blogspot.com/2008/03/save-seattle-supersonics.html">previous</a> <a href = "http://bballoverkill.blogspot.com/2008/04/nba-where-loyalty-means-nothing-happens.html">postings</a> on the subject, this includes missing Lakers Games, even in the playoffs, if necessary.<br /><br />The one, last hope is that Howard Shultz, the Coffee guy, can regain ownership through his lawsuit. Read about it in the first link. I'll keep you all posted as I find out more information.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-63532313552123525152008-07-01T13:14:00.000-07:002008-07-01T17:29:30.382-07:00And they're off!!!Free Agency starts today in the NBA and teams are already clamoring to capture the biggest names and the best players, hoping to make a Kevin-Garnett-esque addition to their team this year and compete for a title. <br /><br />Well, everyone knows about Baron Davis and Elton Brown. Most people know about Kirk Luol Deng and Monta Ellis. But what really makes a successful off-season is the depth chart. <br /><br />Last year, This year's two finals teams looked much different than they did as they matched up against each other this June. And while most people will point to Boston's off-season acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, and Los Angeles' mid-season trade to bring in Pau Gasol, those moves only tell a small part of the story. <br /><br /><br />Last year, when Kevin Garnet moved to Boston, his Gargantuan Contract displaced four other players. Add that to the earlier departure of Ray Allen to the Sonics for three players and a draft pick, and you've litterally erased Half of Boston's Team. What's more, two key players from lat year's team didn't return for other reasons (And just as I was getting so anxious to revel in the confusion of Ray Allen and Allan Ray playing on the same team!!!) What's important to note, then, is that after the acquisition of KG, Boston didn't just rest on its Laurels. Instead, they went out and got James Posey (the guy Shaq said "We definitely wouldn't have been able to win a championship with out him" about), Eddie "I can play any style of basketball for 48-minutes-a-night" House, and, later, Sam "The-Anti-Rondo" Cassell. No one will ever know for sure whether or not the Celtics would have won without these key off-season pickups, but what we do know is that they won the Championship WITH them. <br /><br />The Lakers, meanwhile, went a different route. Last year this time, it was just coming out how miserably ineffective Kobe would be as a GM ("Andrew Bynum? Are you kidding me? This is Jason Kidd! Trade his ass"). For the Lakers, they were thinking "Stability", moreso than shaking up the entire roster. They wanted to convince Kobe to stay and that meant stability. So they turned to an old friend, Derek Fisher. A self described "33 year old Point Guard who just averaged 3 assists per game", but someone who has always been a voice of reason and rationality, a calming hand and a steady ball handler. By the time Andrew Bynum Got injured, the Lakers, with essentially the same squad as a year before, but with Derek Fisher taking the place of Smush Parker, were number 1 in the conference. I'm not making this up. Check the standings from that day. The Lakers had a better record than San Antonio, New Orleans and, yes even Phoenix. <br /><br />The Addition of Gasol definitely helped them out, but it was Derek who helped them change team around first. <br /><br />So I said all of this to say that if your team doesn't get Gilbert Arenas or Antawn Jamison or Baron Davis or Elton Brown this Summer, don't feel bad. You never know. Janero Pargo might just be the cog that makes your team's machine run. Stay tuned for all of the pertinent information as I see it. <br /><br />-'Till next time, folks!The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-79198351233448616562008-06-16T14:19:00.000-07:002008-06-16T14:39:09.158-07:00"And there's no kneecap there, as you'll notice."Ok, I know that you're all expecting me to talk about the Lakers' win over the Celtics yesterday in game 5 of the NBA Finals. Honestly, I'm just really busy right now and don't have time to really disect that game or even begin to MENTION that atrocious game four COLLAPSE!!! ... Even though I just mentioned it...<br /><br />...Anyway, I just saw this news headline on NBA TV while taking a break from work: "Clippers <b>G</b> Shaun Livingston cleared for basketball activities. Are you kidding me?!?!?! In case you don't remember, about a year and a half ago, Livingston tried to become an overnight contortionist, and it didn't work out for him. <A href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=iidSWc18KrY">This was just nasty</A>, and I wouldn't watch it if you're easily nauseated!!! Ralph Lawler's reaction to it was priceless and really caught the emotion of the building, I thought, when he said "...Oh Dear... oh..." I was going to put the video on here, but you really shouldn't be subjected to that video (Or the inevitable montage of soccer injuries that will follow... and especially not that footage of Allan Ray's Eye) without proper warning. <br /><br />Anyway, Congratulations to Shaun Livingston, who is a very nice kid and has worked hard just to get back to the point where he can put pressure on his leg, much less walk on it and do the unbelievable - play basketball t an NBA level again.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-17303790371445387302008-06-05T17:57:00.000-07:002008-06-05T20:53:46.637-07:00Blogging the Finals - Game 1I'm talking on the phone with my brother right now. He asked what I mean by blogging the game. This is where I watch the game and post on my blog intermittently while watching the game. You'll hear some of the little things involved with the game, the telecast, the people I'm watching the game with... pretty much whatever I'm doing while watching the game, If I find it interesting enough to tell somebody, I'll type it and you'll read about it. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6:02</span>, they just finished the introductions and now ABC is showing a really cheesy intro graphic... actually, it's kind of cool. A virtual walk through the hallway and onto the court while seeing images from some of the past 65 NBA Champions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6:04</span>, Mike Breen (SP?) has a band-aid over his left eye. I can only imagine that Mark Jackson Punched him for stealing his lunch money.<br /><br />...The Coaches' pre-game speeches really define the differences between their styles. While PJ is busy telling the team about how Boston likes to get off to fast starts, Doc is babbling about "tri-angulation"??? and trying not to look into the camera as he talks, kind of like people that real world cast members visit for the first time since they've been on the show. They know they're not supposed to look into the camera and they're supposed to act normal, but neither really happens.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6:20</span>...OK, I like Derek Fisher. I like him a LOT!!! But let's do the math, shall we, Mark Jackson? We'll use a 10 point to negative 10 point scale. You take away Smush Parker, who is at best a 2, at worst, a negative 4 and add D-Fish, who is at worst a 3 and at best a 6. Take away Smush and add D-Fish you get between a +1 and a +8. But you take away Kwame Brown (-3 to -7) and add Pau Gasol (+6 to +8) and you get anywhere from a +9 to a +15. The Pau trade was definitely more important!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6:24</span>...OK, Garnet just put the Celtics up 12-10 on a series of great post-up moves that ended up with a near dunk that ended up being a goal tend on Odom. But he went toward the basket. Twice now. I GUARANTEE that he won't do that in a close fourth quarter, especially in an elimination game. But not even tonight. Mark my words.<br /><br /><br />...OK, my bad. I haven't posted anything since halfway through the first quarter. The Lakers are about to lose now which of course makes my prediction incorrect. But I still believe that the Lakers can win in 6. It helps to have three straight in Los Angeles.<br /><br />Singing off.The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157310673098392423.post-79138914519252315662008-06-05T17:49:00.000-07:002008-06-05T17:56:35.135-07:00Finals PredictionThis was supposed to go after the Finals Analysis, but I need to get my prediction for the Finals out there before the finals begin. I'll continue the analysis later on, but if I don't get this prediction out there yet, I'll feel like it's not valid. <br /><br />I Think the Lakers' best chance to win a game in Boston is Game 1. They will come out aggressively, Phil Jackson will do some things on defense that will confuse Doc Rivers, who won't properly counter it at half time and in the end, Kobe will be too much for Boston to handle so they'll win the first game. <br /><br />In game two, I think Boston will come back with a "F-U, I'm not losing two straight at home" attitude and either Blow the Lakers out, or just win demonstratively. <br /><br />When the Series switches back to LA, there's no way the Lakers (KOBE and Vujacic, especially) will allow themselves to be handled like there were in game 2. Lakers by at least 8 in Game 3. It's Tought to win three straight at home in the 2-3-2 format, so I'll give Boston game 4, with the Lakers taking game 5 and a 3-2 advantage with them back to Boston. <br /><br />Once Boston is on the ropes 3-2, expect Rajon Rondo to try to do everything on his own. Lakers will wrap it up then.<br /><br /><b>Prediction: Lakers in six</b>The Guruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02768048474726307166noreply@blogger.com0