Tag Archives: NBA

Where’s the Help D?

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I wanted to take a quick minute and discuss what Charlotte did wrong in the final possession of last night’s game against Miami. Gerald Henderson picks up Wade close to five feet beyond the arc. Henderson forces Wade to his left, but there is absolutely no help there. Corey Maggette, for some reason, sticks to LeBron at the left baseline, essentially making Henderson’s ‘force-left’ futile. We keep hearing stats about LeBron not taking any 3′s so far; well, Corey, you should have helped on the drive and forced LeBron to take his first long ball of the season. Wouldn’t you rather have that as opposed to a one-on-one drive by Wade?
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‘Three-hundred-and-sixty, behind my back
I take your monkey ass to the rack like Jerry Stack’
Charlie 2na – ‘The Game’

Follow me on Twitter @RohitGhosh

Ricky Rubio’s NBA Debut

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“I saw him for the first time and it was like, ‘He is real,’ ” [OKC Coach] Brooks said, smiling. “Like a folk hero.”

Ricky Rubio has arrived. Last night, the 21-year old talent made his long-awaited debut against the OKC Thunder. Rubio came off the bench to record six points, six assists, five rebounds, and most impressive, zero turnovers in a 104-100 loss to the Thunder.

Although I didn’t get a chance to watch the game live, I did take a look at a condensed version of the game this morning and was impressed by the kid’s composure and control on the floor.  Watching Rubio with the ball instilled a sense of calm in me.  Like a beautiful jazz piece, Rubio’s game has a certain amalgam of individuality and collaboration, combined with a beautiful mixture of improvisation and structure.  Most notable was his understanding of speed and tempo in an NBA game, impressively employing a change of pace only the likes of Thelonious Monk could understand.

At the 10:38 mark of the second quarter, Rubio makes a no-look to JJ Barea on a semi-fastbreak while the defense worries about Tolliver down low.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the next possession, Rubio slows it down even while the defense settles in.  An inexperienced player might easily lose focus, try to attempt something he’s not used to doing, and botch the play. Not Rubio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After using a Love screen, he passes it straight across the lane to Derrick Williams, the one pass no one thought he would make.  It results in an easy two points for the rookie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rubio’s best pass of the night came early in the fourth quarter when he dished another bounce pass through traffic to Derrick Williams for a reverse dunk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rubio, with that rock in his hand on the fast break, reminds me of a Coltrane solo: a player taking his turn as a soloist, and at the same time elevating his quintet.  So here’s to the amigo Ricky, he may sound like a little kid, look like a little kid … but he sure doesn’t play like one.

 

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“If you aint Reggie Bush running the rock
You better be good as Kobe slangin’ the jump shot”

WC – ‘Guilty Be Affiliation’

 Follow me on Twitter @RohitGhosh. 

The New Look Grizzlies

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In what seemed to be one of the busiest NBA trade deadlines to date, Memphis acquired Forward Shane Battier from the Houston Rockets for Hasheem Thabeet and a 1st round draft pick.

What Shane brings to Memphis: Shane not only brings his size, but also his defensive power and the ability to play three different positions.  Although he is listed as a Forward (power and shooting), he can also play at Shooting Guard.  He is a team player that doesn’t complain about minutes played or whether or not he gets to start.  When Manu Ginobili became the Spurs’ sixth man, Battier asked Rick Adelman to to move him to the bench, as it was his responsibility to guard him.  GM Daryl Morey had this to say about the situation: “No one in the NBA does that.  No one says ‘put me on the bench so I can guard their best scorer all the time.’”  After Houston traded Trevor Ariza for Courtney Lee, he regained his starting position.   Battier’s team oriented style of play, and ability to make his teammates better without increasing his own stats can really benefit the Grizzlies as they fight for a playoff spot.

This season, his biggest games include a season high 19 points, where he had 5 three pointers, in a win over Minnesota, a season high 13 rebounds in an overtime win over Utah, and shooting 100% for 17 points, including 9 pts. from three, in a win over Denver.  In his 2nd to last game as a Rocket vs. the Detroit Pistons, Battier held Tayshaun Prince, the Pistons leading scorer, to 1 pt and 0-9 from the field.

Random

  • The Grizzlies also received Ish Smith from Houston.
  • Shane Battier was the 6th pick of the (then Vancouver) Grizzlies in 2001.  He was traded in 2006 for Stromile Smith and Houston’s draft pick.  That draft pick? Rudy Gay (currently out for at least 4 weeks with a shoulder injury)
  • Houston also traded Aaron Brooks to Phoenix for Goran Dragic and a 1st round draft pick.
  • The Grizzlies attempted to traded O.J. Mayo to the Indiana Pacers for Josh McRoberts and a lottery-protected 1st round pick.  However, they failed to complete the trade before the deadline.

Kateasa is a part-time contributor to Stacheketball, and is so glad this is all over; now to prepare for the rest of the season!  Find her tweeting nonsense: @Simply_Kateasa

Deron Williams Traded

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PG Deron Williams has been traded from the Utah Jazz for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and two draft picks.  Williams would not be able to opt out of his contract until after next season.

Story developing.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Deron Williams was not aware of the trade and is very upset about it .

Kateasa is a part-time contributor to Stacheketball, and hopes the Nets have plenty of sharpies.  Follow her on Twitter:@Simply_Kateasa

Your All-Star 2011 Weekend Party Guide

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It’s All-Star weekend time and you know what that means right? P-A-R-T-Y! If you’re a party animal like me (or used to be), you’re probably thinking – “Where are these player hosted parties going to be at?!”. Well you’re in luck because I did a little research and found most of them. I am pretty sure there are more but there are just so many that I probably missed a few. I will definitely update this as soon as I find more so check back often.

WHAT IS IT: I believe this event is a 4 day event through the whole weekend. If you’re a fan of LBJ then this is the party for you. Oh and Chris Paul will be there too.

WHERE IS IT: Cabana Club - 1439 Ivar Avenue Los Angeles CA 90028

WHEN AND WHICH DAYS SHOULD I GO:

  • Feb. 17 2011 – Thursday 8PM -3AM: You have New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul and Miami Heat’s LeBron James.
  • Feb. 18 2011 - Friday 8PM -3AM: Only LeBron James will be here on friday
  • Feb. 19 2011 - Saturday 8PM -3AM: New York Knicks Amar’e Stoudamire will be hosting this party
  • Feb. 20 2011 - Sunday 8PM -3AM: LeBron James will be the one hosting this party

WHAT IS IT: This party will be at Highland on Friday hosted by Dwight Howard. Apparently, Glen “Big Baby” Davis will be there too but he’s not on the flyer lol.

WHEN IS IT: Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 9PM – 3AM

WHERE IS IT: The Highland - 6801 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028 – Level 4

WHAT IS IT: This party will be a 3 day event. I believe the players that are attending are retired NBA player and now NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Kevin Durant, Ty Lawson, Michael Beasley and maybe Charles Barkley since they did say it’ll also be a Charles Barkley birthday celebration.

WHEN AND WHICH DAYS SHOULD I GO:

  • Feb. 18 2011 - Friday 9PM – 2AM: Kevin Durant will be hosting the party
  • Feb. 19 2011 - Saturday 9PM – 2AM
  • Feb. 20 2011 - Sunday 9PM – 2AM – Kenny Smith will be hosting the party and will be celebrating Charles Barkley birthday

WHERE IS IT: La Vida – 1448 North Gower Street Los Angeles, CA 90028-8318

WHAT IS IT:  Myspace event and it’s going to be in the Conga room at LA live. Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Brandon Jennings, Baron Davis, and Trevor Ariza will be at the party. Definitely a star studded cast of players. Evidently there is also another Myspace event that has nearly the same Banner, with the same cast but trade Baron Davis and Trevor Ariza for Paul Pierce and Magic Johnson it’s going to be at the Playboy Mansion.

WHEN IS IT: Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 10PM – 3AM

WHERE IS IT: Conga Room – 800 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles. Across the street from the Staples Center.

WHAT IS IT: Not much is known about this event but according to the banner, Derrick Rose and Shannon Brown will be attending the party

WHEN IS IT: Friday, Feb. 18, 2011

WHERE IS IT: 1600 Argyle Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028-6408

WHAT IS IT: D-Wade’s “South Beach Meets Hollywood” party.

WHEN IS IT: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 –  9PM – 2AM

WHERE IS IT: Supper Club - 6675 Hollywood Blvd.  Los Angeles CA 90028

Al is a contributor to Stacheketball. If you have any tips on ways to cook Bacon, and tips on how to get Jessica Alba and Keira Knightley to go on a date with him, then you should tweet him at @ahmong. Oh, and he now just realized Britney Spears is pretty.

Under the Radar

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This season, so far, has circled around Miami’s Big Three, whether or not the Lakers will 3-peat, Boston’s Big Three, and Blake Griffin.  I decided to ask the Stacheketball crew who we all felt were the most underrated in the league, and these are the players we feel have been somewhat forgotten about:

5.  Arron Afflalo:  Afflalo is shooting 51.5%, 44% from 3 point range, and 86% in free throws for the slightly distracted Denver Nuggets.  Both @jubanator14 and @charliewiddoes state that he is also a great defender, and one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league.  He averages 3.2 defensive rebounds per game, with a season high of 10 vs. Portland in December.

4. LaMarcus Aldridge:  Greg Oden is out for a season due to injury, as is Brandon Roy, after having arthroscopic surgery on both knees.  Sophomore player Jeff Pendergraph injured his knee during the pre-season, and is also missing the 2010-11 season.  Recently, veteran Marcus Camby fell to injury in a win against Minnesota.  Instead of completely buckling, the Blazers are 8th in the close Western Conference race, winning 6 of their last 10, and leading the way is Forward LaMarcus Aldridge.  Aldridge is averaging  21.1 ppg, including a season high 37 vs. Minnesota, and has only scored in single digits in 4 out of 47 games played.  He’s 5th in the NBA in field goals made, 3rd in offensive rebounds, 5th in offensive rebounds per game, 7th in double doubles, and will probably be an All-Star snub.

3.  Luis Scola:  When the Houston Rockets are mentioned, the first thought is usually Yao Ming, and the second, Kevin Martin.  With Yao out for the season, Martin has picked up the slack, however, Scola averages more points, rebounds, and blocks per game.  He averages 19.0 ppg despite never making a 3 pointer, and only  has one attempt.  He is 9th in field goals made and 12 in defensive rebounds.

2. Dorell Wright: From Suga_Shane, Wright’s stats this season: 16.5 ppg, 5.8 trb, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3.5 3s a game (shooting 41.5%).  His points per game have increased 9.5% from last season, rebounds up 2.5%, assists up 1.8%, and his 3 point percentage is up 2.7%.  He is currently #1 in the NBA in 3 pointers made.  (“Some people probably still think he plays for the Heat.”-Rey Moralde.)  Wright signed with the Golden State Warriors as a free agent from the Miami Heat, and should be a strong candidate for Most Improved Player.  Would that do him justice?

1.  Eric Gordon:  Gordon was nearly unanimously selected by all of us as the most underrated player this season.  He averages 24.1 ppg, shooting 48.6%, 81% from free throw range, 3.1 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.2 spg, and and he’s shooting 35.9% from 3 point land.  His statistics have increased from nearly every aspect this season from last season, except his three-point percentage (down 1.2%).  He’s 8th in the league in pointers per game, 14th in field goals made, and 11th in free throw percentage.  He’s only scored in single digits once this season, in a loss to Dallas on Halloween (9 pts).  He does all of this while living in the shadow of Blake Griffin.

Kateasa is a part-time contributor to Stacheketball, and is ready for All-Star Weekend, even though she’s not going.  Find her on twitter @Simply_Kateasa

This Week’s Delicious Hot Links

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What is a Hot Link? Well, to most people, it’s a type of spicy hot peppery smoked sausages often found at barbecues in Texas and South America. Here in Stacheketball, it’s a list of links from this week’s best of the NBA Blogosphere

  • Hot Hot Hoops: Raul Takahashi of HHH shows us how much LeBron James loves Big Z and how James Jones and Carlos Arroyo are both fighting for Dwyane Wade’s affection.
  • Hoops Hype: Didn’t know Rod Benson a.k.a @boomtho contributes for Hoops Hype. He writes about Basketball and the lifestyle that comes with it.
  • SBNation: Evan Dunlap of SBNation measures the efficiency of all the starting Point Guards in the league with charts.
  • Basketball-Reference: Wanna know the best season of your team? The worst? Or Both? Well Basketball-Reference has those for you.
  • ESPN Los Angeles: Neil Olshey lives 2 blocks away from Blake Griffin. Oh I mean, Neil will do everything in his powers to keep Blake Griffin in a Clipper uniform FOREVER
  • Ball Don’t Lie: Kelly Dwyer’s Mid Season awards. He got Tyrus Thomas as his 6th man of the year
  • The Basketball Jones: Apparently both teams are confused and weirded out about the Orlando Magic’s 4 point plays. If you ask me, I though it was something out of the twilight zone. And I am  an Orlando Magic fan.
  • ProBasketballTalk: Got 14,999 dollars to spend? It might just get you a Blake Griffin rookie card.
  • The Denver Post: New Jersey Nets backs out of the “Melo Drama”. So what happens now Denver?
  • Tauntr: Remember when Ron Artest said that he wanted to get dunked on by Blake Griffin? Well apparently it hasn’t happened yet. Soon though, soon.
  • Twitter: Kevin Durant is awesome. We seem to have the same taste in women.

Al is a contributor to Stacheketball, if you have any tips on ways to cook Bacon, and tips on how to get Jessica Alba and Keira Knightly to go on a date with me, then you should tweet him at @ahmong.

Basketball Boom

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When they’re healthy (which they’ve been for just a few games this season thanks to injuries to stud big men Carlos Boozer and then Joakim Noah), the Chicago Bulls have everything you’d want in an NBA title contender: a superstar (Derrick Rose); a proven All-Star (Boozer); a reliable third scorer (Luol Deng); an all-world dirty work guy (Noah, though he’s really too skilled to be labeled as a “dirty work guy”); and good role players (C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson, and Kurt Thomas). They’re a deep, they’re well-rounded, all the pieces fit, they have an old-school pecking order that everyone adheres to, they play hard for their coach (Tom Thibodeau, doing an excellent job in his rookie year as a head man), they’re one of the best defensive teams in basketball (another nod to Thibodeau, the defensive mastermind of the Celtics before he took the Chicago job), and gosh darnit, they just play well together.

Problem is, despite all of that, the Bulls are probably only the fourth best team in their own conference. In the early part of this century, the Bulls would have been Beast of the East. In 2011, the other top teams are just too loaded. Boston has Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and a host of good supporting players. Miami has their much ballyhooed Big Three. Orlando surrounds Dwight Howard with Jameer Nelson and new additions Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Gilbert Arenas. Out West, the Lakers are the Lakers, and the Spurs’ fourth best player this season has arguably been the man universally recognized as the best power forward who’s ever played the game. Before they lost Caron Butler to a season-ending knee injury, the Mavericks were also a team that would probably be considered more talented than the Bulls.

For the Bulls, this is bad. For the NBA, I think it’s good. The 80s were their glory era, and right now the league sort of resembles the 80s in that the elite teams are stacked. I won’t give them the “super-team” designation we’d all give those Sixers, Lakers, and Celtics teams (I won’t include Isiah’s Pistons because, despite their undeniable excellence, I don’t think they were as gifted as their championship peers), obviously, but…you get the point. Bill Simmons gets at a similar one in his column that went up Thursday.

And hey, maybe the Bulls and their team chemistry will upset a team with superior talent this spring. Doesn’t really matter, though. I’m just happy to be able to follow it all.

Basketball is once again booming.

(Photo credit: sportige.com)

Anthony is a part-time contributor for Stacheketball and the same at boxing blogs Bad Left Hook and The Queensberry Rules.  Follow him on Twitter at @Antwonomous.