The Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers are separated by a mere half game in the standings. All that's on the line is home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs in which they would be pitted against each other in a thrilling rematch of last year's opening round. Here are two players that will play a huge role in which squad helps his team take that home court advantage.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Kyrie Irving: Not Franchise Worth-It?
Many consider Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers to be the NBA’s next best point guard.
But, as his latest injury has shown, maybe, just maybe, he’s got a little too much Uncle Drew in him…
A 6-3 Chris Paul with a silky-smooth jumper.
His seemingly supernatural abilities remain in such rarified air, that he certainly has the potential to one day be the best lead guard in the NBA.
But, as his latest injury has shown, maybe, just maybe, he’s got a little too much Uncle Drew in him…
Monday, March 11, 2013
Steve Nash the Shooting Guard
Gone is the free-spirited, cowboy with the long hair whipping to and fro as he weaved his way around the court looking to make everyone around him better. In his place, a company man gussied up with a Gatsby-esque Hollywood hairstyle and a stand-in-the-corner until your number is called upon role.
When Nash came to Los Angeles there wasn’t any doubt that he would have to sacrifice a part of his game. In fact, with Mike Brown as the coach and Kobe Bryant as his teammate, Nash understood that he would not be handling the ball anywhere near as much as he had while running the show in Phoenix.
This new reality was clearly evident as the Lakers attempted to run the Princeton offense, which often designated Nash as an off ball screener.
But when Brown was fired two weeks into the season and Mike D’Antoni brought in to replace him, it was the natural thinking of everyone that Nash would once again pick up the mantle of being the main offensive catalyst.
A lot has happened since, but four truths have been revealed as to why the Lakers now focus their offensive attack through Bryant.
When Nash came to Los Angeles there wasn’t any doubt that he would have to sacrifice a part of his game. In fact, with Mike Brown as the coach and Kobe Bryant as his teammate, Nash understood that he would not be handling the ball anywhere near as much as he had while running the show in Phoenix.
This new reality was clearly evident as the Lakers attempted to run the Princeton offense, which often designated Nash as an off ball screener.
But when Brown was fired two weeks into the season and Mike D’Antoni brought in to replace him, it was the natural thinking of everyone that Nash would once again pick up the mantle of being the main offensive catalyst.
A lot has happened since, but four truths have been revealed as to why the Lakers now focus their offensive attack through Bryant.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Be Wary of Falling in Love with Rockets
Heading out of the All-Star break and following their trades of their two most prolific power forwards at the deadline, talk focused around the Houston Rockets falling out of the playoff picture and being overtaken by a suddenly (and at times miraculously) hot Lakers team that has been led by Kobe Bryant, a man clearly on a mission.
But with a win against Golden State on Friday night, the Rockets are instead pushing their way towards the front of the pack, now only a game behind overtaking the Warriors for the sixth seed.
The two teams meet up again next weekend, but face vastly different competition over the next nine days. The Rox will only play three times, two games against the lottery-bound Phoenix Suns and a game against the injury-depleted Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors, on the other hand, face a surging Milwaukee Bucks squad that has won four of its last five games, a struggling but still tough New York Knicks team, a winnable game against Detroit, and a very tough matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
By the time the squads meet back up, it’s very possible that the Rockets will have already overtaken the Dubs.
But with a win against Golden State on Friday night, the Rockets are instead pushing their way towards the front of the pack, now only a game behind overtaking the Warriors for the sixth seed.
The two teams meet up again next weekend, but face vastly different competition over the next nine days. The Rox will only play three times, two games against the lottery-bound Phoenix Suns and a game against the injury-depleted Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors, on the other hand, face a surging Milwaukee Bucks squad that has won four of its last five games, a struggling but still tough New York Knicks team, a winnable game against Detroit, and a very tough matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
By the time the squads meet back up, it’s very possible that the Rockets will have already overtaken the Dubs.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Did the Rockets Really Win Their Trade?
Typically, whenever I set out to analyze trades, I try to put myself in the shoes of the general managers that are making them. Back in 2008, the popular belief was that Memphis Grizzlies’ general manager Chris Wallace had just completed the worst trade in NBA history by shipping off then one-time all-star Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron Mckie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, and two first round picks that ended up as Darrell Arthur and Greivis Vasquez. I felt differently. The team has made several missteps along the way—trading Kevin Love for OJ Mayo while also bringing on Antoine Walker and Marko Jaric, signing Hasheem Thabeet over pretty much anyone else in that draft, trading Kyle Lowry for only a late first round draft pick, trading Vasquez for Quincy Pondexter—but things have turned out for the better based on that trade.
The cap flexibility gained from Brown’s expiring contract allowed Memphis to sign Zach Randolph, while Marc Gasol has blossomed into a better player than his brother, and one of the three or four best centers in the league. The duo now forms the NBA’s most fearsome front court. The pick from the Lowry trade produced DeMarre Carrol, who was later traded for Shane Battier, who played a key role (including hitting the game winner of the franchise’s first playoff victory) in guiding the Grizzlies past the Spurs and into the second round of the playoffs in 2011.
All that to say, we won’t really know how any of the trades that went down yesterday will affect each team moving forward. The popular thought today, could be ultimately proven wrong a couple years down the road.
Which brings me to the Sacramento and Houston Deal in which Houston received: Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, and Tyler Honeycutt. Sacramento received: Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas, and $1 million
The cap flexibility gained from Brown’s expiring contract allowed Memphis to sign Zach Randolph, while Marc Gasol has blossomed into a better player than his brother, and one of the three or four best centers in the league. The duo now forms the NBA’s most fearsome front court. The pick from the Lowry trade produced DeMarre Carrol, who was later traded for Shane Battier, who played a key role (including hitting the game winner of the franchise’s first playoff victory) in guiding the Grizzlies past the Spurs and into the second round of the playoffs in 2011.
All that to say, we won’t really know how any of the trades that went down yesterday will affect each team moving forward. The popular thought today, could be ultimately proven wrong a couple years down the road.
Which brings me to the Sacramento and Houston Deal in which Houston received: Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, and Tyler Honeycutt. Sacramento received: Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas, and $1 million
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Laker Dwight Needs to Be More Celtic
This post just seemed fitting seeing as the Lakers are playing the Celtics tonight.
Also, now that Mitch Kupchak has come out and made statements regarding “not trading” Dwight Howard that are so definitive that he would never get anyone to believe him again if he went back on them, it is time (for those outside of Orlando who didn’t already know) to accept these facts.
Howard, in my opinion, is not a franchise player. He is not a leader. He doesn’t just shy away from conflict and scrutiny, he passive aggressively avoids them. He is not serious—ever. He still remains noncommittal on his future with the Lakers. He is a one-dimensional player who believes himself to be three-dimensional. He refuses to consistently do the two things that he is better at then everyone else in the league—pick and roll to the hoop, and defend. He has not improved any of his weaknesses since entering the league. He has built an impressive career off his unmatched athleticism, but has come nowhere close to returning to that athletic level following offseason back surgery. He’s talked a lot about his injuries and how they have aversely affected him this year, but was still able, and willing to do this. Despite getting everything he said he didn’t get in Orlando (big market, championship caliber roster, first class front office), he has pouted and somehow managed to rub all of his teammates the wrong way—even Steve Nash, the world’s preeminent teammate.
Also, now that Mitch Kupchak has come out and made statements regarding “not trading” Dwight Howard that are so definitive that he would never get anyone to believe him again if he went back on them, it is time (for those outside of Orlando who didn’t already know) to accept these facts.
Howard, in my opinion, is not a franchise player. He is not a leader. He doesn’t just shy away from conflict and scrutiny, he passive aggressively avoids them. He is not serious—ever. He still remains noncommittal on his future with the Lakers. He is a one-dimensional player who believes himself to be three-dimensional. He refuses to consistently do the two things that he is better at then everyone else in the league—pick and roll to the hoop, and defend. He has not improved any of his weaknesses since entering the league. He has built an impressive career off his unmatched athleticism, but has come nowhere close to returning to that athletic level following offseason back surgery. He’s talked a lot about his injuries and how they have aversely affected him this year, but was still able, and willing to do this. Despite getting everything he said he didn’t get in Orlando (big market, championship caliber roster, first class front office), he has pouted and somehow managed to rub all of his teammates the wrong way—even Steve Nash, the world’s preeminent teammate.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Second Half Season Preview: LA
Lakers
It’s been one crazy ride. The most recent development was the passing of owner Dr. Jerry Buss who finally succumbed to his nearly two-year battle with cancer. For those in the know, this was an inevitability just waiting to happen. For the rest of us, this came as somewhat of a surprise—though in this Lakers season, nothing really is surprising anymore.
Rest in peace Dr. Buss—the greatest sports owner in the history of American professional sports and a true visionary who helped mold and create the game that I love.
It’s been one crazy ride. The most recent development was the passing of owner Dr. Jerry Buss who finally succumbed to his nearly two-year battle with cancer. For those in the know, this was an inevitability just waiting to happen. For the rest of us, this came as somewhat of a surprise—though in this Lakers season, nothing really is surprising anymore.
Rest in peace Dr. Buss—the greatest sports owner in the history of American professional sports and a true visionary who helped mold and create the game that I love.
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