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Starting Five

NBAMate

  • Shades of Timmy - Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images Recently I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to come up with a fitting NBA comparison for the Andrew Bogut i2.0 that’s been unleashed on the NBA in the last two months. I wanted to be able to preach the greatness of the BoGod to those who are [...]
  • Bogut On Your Big Baby Face - Oh my. UPDATE (11/3): The Dunk that was Heard Around the World Andrew Bogut Obliterates The Gooch – Dime Magazine Andrew Bogut Dunks on Big Baby Davis – Smoking Section Andrew Bogut Crams A Huge Dunk On Glen “Big Baby” Davis – We All Scheme Bucks Andrew Bogut Dunks on Celtics Glen Big Baby Davis – Unathletic Mag Andrew Bogut [...]
  • The Value of a Buck - AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps One of the most news-worthy items of the week (from an Aussie NBA fans’ perspective), was John Hollinger’s look at the In-Season All-Improved team. Readers of this blog will know I’m not always a fan of Hollinger’s work, but this time round can I just say a massive THANK YOU John for recognising [...]
  • Doubting Thomas Award – February Rankings - It’s taken four months but it finally happened – we have a new #1 in the Doubting Thomas Rankings! Danilo Gallinari, who has thoroughly dominated this competition so far, finally slipped up and allowed a surging Mr. Dragic to pass him. With only one more Doubting Thomas ranking left (March and April will be combined), [...]
  • What will happen to Cleveland? - The news is out – Shaq is going to miss two months with his thumb injury, returning just in time for the playoffs… so the plan goes. With Big Z not able to return (and you better believe he will return) for another month or so, the Cavs are severely depleted on the interior. You [...]

Rising Stars

Hoops Adict

  • Oliver Miller Anecdote - Here's an MP3 of author Rus Bradburd talking about a night when Oliver Miller's college coach, Nolan Richardson, walked into Miller's hotel room to find him hoarding four pizza's to himself.
  • Catching Up With Kevin Martin - Last night prior to the Wizards/Rockets matchup the scene in the Rockets locker room was anything but chaotic. Yao is still with the team, but was out due to injury, and McGrady and Artest have since left the team. Current players like Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza and Chase Budinger watched film and quietly joked with one another, and I was the only journalist/blogger in sight. I took advantage of this serene atmosphere, and struck up a conversation with newly acquired guard Kevin Martin.
  • Catching Up With Samuel Dalembert - Hoops Addict was able to chat with Samuel Dalembert this weekend about Haiti, being given the NBA cares award in January and how the past few months have affected him and his family.

Empty the Bench

First From the Bench

Slam Dunk Central

  • Grizzlies Maul Celtics In 111-91 Beating - The Memphis Grizzlies shot a sizzling 55.0% (44-80) from the floor Wednesday night led by forward Rudy Gay who knocked down 28 points and they rolled the Celtics in Boston 111-91. The Grizzlies jumped out to a huge lead in the first 12 minutes of the game and Boston never was able to get their [...]
  • Durant, Westbrook Help Thunder Swat Injured Hornets 98-83 - It was a homecoming of sorts for the New Orleans Hornets as they visited the Ford Center for their game Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. More than likely, it was bittersweet as it was their home court for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina. The matchup, in and of itself, was between two teams that [...]
  • Kobe Hits Game-winning Basket, Lakers Edge Raptors 109-107 - You can probably count on both of your hands the number of times that Kobe Bryant has scored the game-winning basket and saved the Los Angeles Lakers from the jaws of defeat. As it would turn out, Bryant would help the Lakers rally from a deficit and drain the game-winning basket with 1.9 seconds left, snapping [...]

NBA Obsessed

  • Best Duo – Bryant and Gasol - NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball. The numbers don’t lie. As Sheen told Nick in the Jimmy Neutron movie, “Never argue with the data”. The best duo in today’s NBA is Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. There are quite a few dynamic duos in the NBA, but the data points to last year’s champions from the Los Angeles Lakers. I examined all the relevant positive numbers — combined points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and steals, plus-minus ratio (when the two are on the court) and victories. The two-player combos from the Magic, the Mavs, the [...]

    Post from: NBA Obsessed

  • Jason Kidd and the Mavericks roll on - NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball. The Dallas Mavericks just keep on winning due in a large part to an old guy leading them up the floor and on to victory. That old guy goes by the name of Jason Kidd. It is hard to believe that Kidd has gotten a second lease on life. Sometimes in sports that second lease is due to becoming a bit player or designated hitter or an athlete on steroids, but none of these describe Jason Kidd. He is just playing great and shooting [...]

    Post from: NBA Obsessed

  • Allen Iverson is done - NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball. It is sad the way pro sports athletes can only play for so long and then like an early sunset they go out in a blaze of glory or their sun just goes behind a cloud and it is time to leave. You can like Allen Iverson or you can detest the man, but there is no denying his impact on the NBA mostly for the cause of the little man. Maybe the only regret is that Allen Iverson did not play for a winning franchise, [...]

    Post from: NBA Obsessed

Give Me The Rock

  • Day 135 of 170: I win for me! FOR ME! - Line of the Night: Jason Kidd (1.31). Playing his former team in the Nets, Kidd finished with 20 points, 9 assists and 4 steals in 44 minutes on the court. He was also 5-8 from three in the game as the Mavs won 96-87. This brings up the interesting question, after being left for dead [...]
  • Where NBA Commercials Happen - Bull Bear Sock has collected the newest NBA commercials for you. Just wanted to throw that out there cause I agree with ‘jammaster2j’ that they’re awesome. My favorite is the Clutch one with Kobe saying “I knew I had to knock it down.” Which one do you like? sr_adspace_id = 5975307; sr_adspace_width = 300; sr_adspace_height = 250; [...]
  • Day 134 of 170: Jarrett Jack will show you efficiency; Kobe Bryant will show you a W - Don’t Forget: Wednesday means it’s time for GMTR’s Weekly Fantasy Game. 5 people have already signed up! What are you waiting for? Line of the Night: Jarrett Jack (1.45) shot 4-8 from the field and 8-8 from the line to end with 18 points (2 threes) and 0 turnovers. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, had 7 [...]

Both Teams Played Hard

  • All the News Fit to Six: March 4, 2010 - (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
  • Boston, Boredom, Rondo, Sheed, Chewbacca - As a nice little dovetail to the Celtics thing I did yesterday, I ended up joining John Karalis (who you know from this Logo Project post and The 8th Seed NBA Podcast) and That Sports Babe (who you should follow @ThatSportsBabe) on their aptly titled radio show Boston & That Sports Babe. Here’s last night’s episode. I [...]
  • Great Moments in Facial Hair History: Vol. XVI - Baron Davis once again makes Great Moments history by offering to sell you the beard that’s gonna change your pathetic beardless lives. And it could be all yours for for the recession special price of $29.99. But wait … there’s more. Get this — the beard comes along with a free Deron Williams Texturizer Kit. Shop now [...]

Roy Jordan’s Picks’N Roll

  • Cavs Strong Without Stars - A hot team loses their star, and things can fall apart. A team loses three of their most important players, and even the most hard-nosed critic can be forgiving of a poor performance under such conditions. The Cavaliers proved that it would take way more than that to stop them, sending a chill down the spine [...]
  • Lots of stars on deck for Thursday night - It’s not quite the NHL trade deadline, but there’s still some excitement for Thursday’s weekly doubleheader in the NBA on TNT. Two of the league’s biggest superstars will do battle in Florida, while there should be a shootout in the desert in the late game. Lakers vs Heat odds – Thursday, March 4, 8:00 PM [...]
  • Wildcats look to end Jayhawks’ home streak - After the NHL trade deadline wraps up for NHL betting players at 3:00 PM ET, college basketball betting players will be in for a treat on Wednesday, when Kansas State heads to Kansas for a clash of top-five teams, and Kansas hasn’t lost at home in 58 straight games. The Wildcats would love to snap [...]

Good… Unfocused

Pickup Crews

Ball Don’t Lie – NBA – Yahoo! Sports

  • The 10-man rotation, starring the next huge basketball movie -

    A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

    C: Videogum. This is going to be amazing. So much material to mine for jokes.
    PF: SLAM. The definitive analysis of the Knicks' season.
    SF: Twitvid. Melas gracefully provides us with Emeka Okafor's(notes) two air-balled free throws.
    SG: The Root. Before the NBA was desegregated, there were the Black Fives. Read this.
    PG: Silver Screen and Roll. Is Derek Fisher(notes) worse on offense or defense?
    6th: A Stern Warning. Chris Bosh(notes) reviews mobile phones.
    7th: SB Nation. Would you rather have a rich owner or great player? Jerry Krause loves this post.
    8th: Hardwood Paroxysm. A new way of looking at assists.
    9th: The No-Look Pass. Ersan Ilyasova(notes) is in commercials now.
    10th: Red's Army. The Celtics' defensive problems start with Rajon Rondo(notes).

    Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at trey.kerby (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.

  • Chicago is going down -

    The Bulls are in trouble.

    I understand this season wasn't supposed to matter. I was out in front, making the clarion call, letting everyone know Chicago was mainly looking forward to the summer of 2010 to take that next step, and that the team would be well pleased with sneaking into the lower end of the Eastern playoff bracket this year, possibly taking in an extra few bullet points to provide to any potential free-agent signings, along with that always desirable playoff revenue.

    And here we are, in the second week of March, watching the Bulls try to sneak into the lower rung of the playoff bracket, full of expiring contracts, looking forward to next summer. So what's the difference? Why the worry?

    Because that shot at the playoffs? That, "at-least-they'll-be-first-round-fodder" ideal that made all this salary clearing and forward thinking palatable to their fans? It's sliding away.

    The Bulls are 31-32 with a game in Orlando Thursday night, already a full game out of the East's top eight. They've lost five straight, Joakim Noah(notes) is still weeks away from returning from a bout of plantar fasciitis (and history tells us he won't be right until the offseason, anyway, with that malady), Luol Deng(notes) is out and suffering through right calf and left knee issues, and the schedule is about to get nasty.

    Real nasty. Counting Thursday's loss to game with Orlando, 14 of the Bulls' final 19 games are against teams .500 or better. And it's not as if Chicago has its way with the mediocre ones. Teams like Memphis, Houston and Miami still give Chicago fits, and they'll more than have their way with the Bulls if Noah is gimpy (that's an absolute certainty), and Luol Deng is trying to muddle through yet another injury-plagued year.

    All the signs for a flameout are there. Vinny Del Negro is hardly the coach you want navigating a team through times of Strum und Drang, and Chicago's lone strength (it's ability to contest shots and play sound defense) is falling apart with Noah's injury and the (pound-wise, penny-foolish) trade that sent Tyrus Thomas(notes) to the Charlotte Bobcats.

    Chicago has gone from sixth in defensive efficiency to 11th over the course of this five-game swoon. The team, as currently presented, is a miserable defensive outfit with some of the worst individual defenders at their respective positions (Derrick Rose(notes), Brad Miller(notes), Hakim Warrick(notes)) having to take on extra duty and play roles that they're just not suited for. With Thomas gone and Noah and Deng out, Chicago just doesn't have the length to contest nor the foot speed to stay with opponents, and the results have been pretty terrible over the last two weeks.

    Worse, though Chicago has seen the light offensively at times over the last few games, this is still a terrible offensive team that doesn't get to the line, can't shoot straight from long range and has a miserable time getting easy interior looks.

    Even after a hot March, the Bulls are 27th in offensive efficiency this season, about where they've been all year. With Deng and his 18 points per game having to take a seat in favor of undistinguished rookie James Johnson(notes), this only figures to get worse.

    It's not pretty, and while the focus for the last two years has been to clear cap space and build around some combination of Derrick Rose, Deng and Noah starting this summer, it still burns a bit to see the final playoff spot fall just short of Chicago's grasp. And though the Bulls will have a game in Charlotte on the last night of the regular season to try and make things right, if the team is two games out of the playoff bracket by then, what will it matter?

    We need a patient tone, I understand, because 2009-10 isn't supposed to count. But I don't think even the most dour of the ardent Bulls followers, to say nothing of the team's front office, expected this team to fall short of the top eight in the miserable East.

    But with 14 of the next 19 games coming against teams with winning records, last year's starting frontcourt gone to either North Carolina or the sidelines, and a coach that really hasn't proven much of anything in his 144 games at the helm, this is a reality that Bulls fans will likely have to warm to.

  • Lamar Odom didn't marry Khloe Kardashian to sell t-shirts -

    Marrying Khloe Kardashian has been good for Lamar Odom(notes). Outside of the eating chocolate in bed part, everything has been coming up Lamar. The Taco Bell commercial, the Power Bar commercial, even his crazy clothing line has been picked up by retailers since he got married.

    But it's not all chocolate and championship rings. Lately, Lamar's had to defend his relationship, and that doesn't make Lamar smile even though almost everything makes Lamar smile. He told Janice Carr of the Orange County Register what he thinks about people being in his business, his biz-nass.

    "It's funny (but) not in a good way," said Odom. "Yeah, (it's annoying) kind of the whole thing. People, especially in that world, they will say what they want. I don't pay too much attention to it, either does she.

    Matter of fact, we were together yesterday, hanging out. Slept in the same bed."

    Haters gonna hate, Lamar. But that's why I always say you shouldn't marry reality television stars. You're just asking to end up on the cover of OK Magazine.

    However, there has been one added benefit that Lamar wasn't expecting. He illuminated his favorite part of his Hollywood marriage to ESPN's Arash Markazi.

    "When I married Khloe I turned into a Laker beau, which I've never been called before," Odom said. "Now, I'm a beau. ... I didn't marry her to sell T-shirts but I'd probably marry her to be called a beau. That's the one thing I do want out of the relationship, to be called a beau."

    Lamar Beau-dom? Works for me.

The Association

Basketball.org

  • Printable Division II Brackets - For those diehards out there, the 2010 Division II and Division III men’s and women’s tournament brackets are now up on our site. Division III was actually out last week, but we’ve updated the progress after the first two rounds of play over the weekend. Men’s Division II Bracket Women’s Division II Bracket Men’s Division III Bracket Women’s [...]
  • Basketball Offense Philosophy - Basketball is like a game of chess. Both games consist of a lot of moves and counter-moves. In basketball, these moves are made by individual players, or in a team concept. On offense we talk about how the defense is always taking something away, but at the same time, the defense is always giving something up. [...]
  • Update: Dribbling - Whether you are a big man who plays in the post or the point guard on your team, being able to handle the ball is one of the most important fundamentals to any offensive player’s skill-set. Good ball handlers are able to add an extra dimension to their game and being able to handle the [...]
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