Bank Shots: Scattered thoughts on the day's NBA action.
It's opening night and I must say this is as excited as I've ever been for an upcoming NBA season. Those old enough to be sports writers like to refer to the 1980s as the golden era of the league. But I'm not sure that the influx of talent in the league over the past decade isn't on par with the Jordans, Birds or Magics in terms of skill and personalities.
And the previous dreadful 90s era has finally weeded itself out to only the most useful of players (with Allen Iverson still hanging on for marketing), providing just enough of an old guard (Kobe, Duncan, Shaq and Garnett) to test the new guys (Paul, James, Wade, Howard) in their championship run. That being said, here's some thoughts on the NBA's first night of action:
Boston 95, Cleveland 89:
The addition of Rasheed Wallace at worst makes Rajon Rondo's jumpshot (or lack thereof) a bit more of a moot point. He's not quite an elite point guard but he's pretty good. His best shot charts resemble those of a big man, which works for Boston because their own big men favor jump shots.
Speaking of 'Sheed. I think at this point it's safe to say he's strictly a role player. Six of his nine shots were from behind the arch, which worked out fine tonight but he's not always going to shoot at a 50 percent clip. And three rebounds? For a night at least it was okay.
Garnett looked good. Will it hold up? I find it funny that everyone questions Tim Duncan while it's assumed that Garnett will be fine. KG relies more on his athleticism and let's remember, he's the one that had season ending surgery.
The Cleveland offense continues to be a joke. It's a testament to LeBron James that he could be so poorly utilized and still dominate. It's not easy to guard James but it's of at least some comfort that you never have to worry about where to find him: the top of the key, starting from a standstill, with the entire defense set and focused on him. With the bigger wings in the offseason I actually prefer their sets with Lebron at the power forward. Is it too much to ask for him to get the ball on the move or at more efficient spots on the floor?
Washington 102, Dallas 91
Gilbert Arenas is back. It was just one night but everything seemed in place for Arenas. It's so easy to forget how much of an elite player Arenas was given the developments of LeBron, Howard, Wade, 'Melo and Paul but he's one of the best offensive players in the league so long as he's healthy.
Arenas has an enforcer. Haywood is an overlooked part of the Wizards but right now he's the only one that provides size at an NBA rotation player quality. I also see that Fabricio Oberto got the start. While he's not going to get serious run he's a great pickup in terms of teaching Blatche and the Wizards young frontline how to find shots without having the ball.
The Mavericks need another player that can create offense. Right now Dirk just seems to have too much of a burden right now carrying the offense. Jason Kidd can still find the right passes but he's not exactly creating the passing lanes. Just about the rest of the Mavs offense needs to have their shot created for them. Can you rely on Josh Howard for this?
Portland 96, Houston 87
Where's Houston going to get their shots? There was a lot of talk this offseason about the Grizzlies setting records for fewest assists because the number of ball stoppers on their team. But what about Houston and their lack of creators? Scola can draw double teams in the right matchups and their best shot creator, Brooks, sets up primarily for himself. I'm just not sure who streses the defense enough to draw double teams or cause defenses to collapse. Who's their best passer? I'm not sure you can count on Lowry for eight assists a night.
At this point do you think the Blazers would rather have Oden or Brook Lopez? They're a highly efficient offense, we know. But they're primarily a jump shooting team which means you can automatically pencil them in for at least one loss every playoff series. Jumpers just don't fall every night. Can you picture Oden guarding combinations of Bynum/Kobe or Duncan/Ginobili without getting into serious foul trouble? And they're not exactly an uptempo team so somehow they're going to need to learn how to get easy shots.
Lakers 99, Clippers 92
I'm not sure what I can say about the Lakers that you don't already know. Kobe's good. Bynum can beast weak frontlines. Odom is versatile. We can nitpick all we want here but really Gasol is the one that makes this offense so dangerous and he was out tonight.
On the Clippers part, Davis looked bothered and a step slow. Lakers biggest weakness comes from an inability to guard point guards and Davis just couldn't take advantage. Kaman looked good, Camby overmatched. Gordon on the other hand is the real deal. He can shoot and he's strong. The Lakers towering front line didn't seem to bother him at all. He and Griffin are great pieces to build around. Not sure if Davis should be around when they take over.
The other thing that became obvious: No team that gives Al Thorton major minutes is a good team. He had a terrible shot selection and just doesn't seem to have a great feel for the game. He'll get numbers primarily because he'll force shots but he's not a part of a winning team. Probably my least favorite player to watch in the league right now.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Not Another Team Preview: Previewing Fans in the Southwest Division
By now every major team publication or website's team previews have been out for some time (Hollinger and Dwyer are my two favorites) so other than adding a funny line (as if I had any) or rewording a particular sentence there is not much I can add you don't already know about the upcoming NBA season.
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Dallas Mavericks
Strengths: Blonde hair and silicon. Lots and lots of Silicon.
Weaknesses: Delusions of grandeur. Reflect all the worst traits of irritating owner Mark Cuban. Knowledge of the game (?).
In the mind of the fans:
"20 and 10 last year? Nah, Duncan is washed up. Now Marion on the other hand!"
"Mark Cuban now has stats that tell us to think it was a good idea to dump an aging, has-been All-Star point guard for the ability to sign two never-were centers.
"Mark Cuban now has stats that tell us to think it was a brilliant idea to trade an up and coming All-Star point guard for what's left of Jason Kidd."
"Mark Cuban still tells us what to think."
Houston Rockets
Strengths: You don't mess with a billion Chinese.
Weaknesses: All-Star voting. Stop it with Tracy McGrady already. Damn you China!
In the mind of the fans:
"At least we don't have to worry about whether or not Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming will be hurt this year. D'oh.
Memphis Grizzlies(Editor's Note: after the offseason moves only the owner and players' moms remain as fans)
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
In the mind of the fans.....err....owner:
"Pau Gasol is overrated. Zach Randolph on the other hand!"
"Why does Chris Wallace keep giving me those death stares?"
"I wonder if I can trade Rudy Gay for Adam Morrison without getting more death threats from Gregg Popovich."
New Orleans Hornets
Strengths: Party with the best of them. Leads to a distinct homecourt advantage against less disciplined teams.
Weaknesses: Copying wrestlers Wooooooooo! chants.
In the mind of the fans:
"What the hell happened?"
"Is it okay to start ignoring our NBA team again?"
San Antonio Spurs
Strengths: Ability to celebrate championships without riots, looting, or setting fires. Eva Longoria.
Weaknesses: Live in the land of 1,000 taco stands and most of them hit up every single one of them on the way to the game. Any mention of "*".
In the mind of the fans:
"Jefferson and 'Dice are nice, but can we trade for the Suns entire training staff?"
"DuJuan Blair is the next Charles Barkley!"
"Holy crap...I'm sitting next to Eva Longoria!"
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Dallas Mavericks
Strengths: Blonde hair and silicon. Lots and lots of Silicon.
Weaknesses: Delusions of grandeur. Reflect all the worst traits of irritating owner Mark Cuban. Knowledge of the game (?).
In the mind of the fans:
"20 and 10 last year? Nah, Duncan is washed up. Now Marion on the other hand!"
"Mark Cuban now has stats that tell us to think it was a good idea to dump an aging, has-been All-Star point guard for the ability to sign two never-were centers.
"Mark Cuban now has stats that tell us to think it was a brilliant idea to trade an up and coming All-Star point guard for what's left of Jason Kidd."
"Mark Cuban still tells us what to think."
Houston Rockets
Strengths: You don't mess with a billion Chinese.
Weaknesses: All-Star voting. Stop it with Tracy McGrady already. Damn you China!
In the mind of the fans:
"At least we don't have to worry about whether or not Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming will be hurt this year. D'oh.
Memphis Grizzlies(Editor's Note: after the offseason moves only the owner and players' moms remain as fans)
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
In the mind of the fans.....err....owner:
"Pau Gasol is overrated. Zach Randolph on the other hand!"
"Why does Chris Wallace keep giving me those death stares?"
"I wonder if I can trade Rudy Gay for Adam Morrison without getting more death threats from Gregg Popovich."
New Orleans Hornets
Strengths: Party with the best of them. Leads to a distinct homecourt advantage against less disciplined teams.
Weaknesses: Copying wrestlers Wooooooooo! chants.
In the mind of the fans:
"What the hell happened?"
"Is it okay to start ignoring our NBA team again?"
San Antonio Spurs
Strengths: Ability to celebrate championships without riots, looting, or setting fires. Eva Longoria.
Weaknesses: Live in the land of 1,000 taco stands and most of them hit up every single one of them on the way to the game. Any mention of "*".
In the mind of the fans:
"Jefferson and 'Dice are nice, but can we trade for the Suns entire training staff?"
"DuJuan Blair is the next Charles Barkley!"
"Holy crap...I'm sitting next to Eva Longoria!"
Not Another Team Preview: Previewing Fans in the Pacific Division
By now every major team publication or website's team previews have been out for some time (Hollinger and Dwyer are my two favorites) so other than adding a funny line (as if I had any) or rewording a particular sentence there is not much I can add you don't already know about the upcoming NBA season.
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Golden State Warriors
Strengths: Upside is amongst the highest in the entire league.
Weaknesses: Still tolerate management's presence in the building.
In the mind of the fans:
"We might hate Stephen Jackson, but even we can't blame him."
"Well, we still have a killer video game team."
Los Angeles Clippers
Strengths: The two Bills (Simmons and Crystal).
Weaknesses: Frankie Muniz.
In the mind of the fans:
"Holy Crap! We have a legitimate No. 1 overall big man. A motivated, stud point guard. A promising young shooting guard. Depth up front. And a crap load of cap space in one of the deepest free agent markets next year. Did Sterling die?"
"I can finally wear my team jersey in public!"
Los Angeles Lakers
Strengths: The most famous fans in the entire NBA. Cool under pressure (due to the sedated effect the drugs leave in their system).
Weaknesses: Arrive late, leave early. Bad knees created by years of being on them in Kobe's presence.
In the mind of the fans:
"Have I shown up on the Jumbotron or TV yet? As soon as I do I'm outta here. Can't miss rehab again."
"That person wrote a story that only called Kobe ONE of the greatest players in NBA history? What a hater!."
"ESPN has nothing but Kobe haters! Fox Sports has nothing but Kobe haters! Yahoo has nothing but Kobe haters! Everyone is a Kobe Hater! The Catholic Church thinks Jesus Christ is our savior? they're obviously Kobe Haters!"
Phoenix Suns
Strengths: Desert air apparently increases longevity as much as the Suns training staff. (A lot of old people). One awesome Gorrilla.
Weaknesses: Amare enablers. Still stuck on playoff suspensions of a few years back.
In the mind of the fans:
"David Stern is out to get us. It's a conspiracy, they only want big markets like San Antonio to win."
"At least we'll get to see 130-120 point games again this year. Hopefully we win some of them."
Sacramento Kings
Strengths: Cow bells. Once one of the loudest crowds in the NBA.
Weaknesses: Once being the operative word.
In the mind of the fans:
.....crickets.....
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Golden State Warriors
Strengths: Upside is amongst the highest in the entire league.
Weaknesses: Still tolerate management's presence in the building.
In the mind of the fans:
"We might hate Stephen Jackson, but even we can't blame him."
"Well, we still have a killer video game team."
Los Angeles Clippers
Strengths: The two Bills (Simmons and Crystal).
Weaknesses: Frankie Muniz.
In the mind of the fans:
"Holy Crap! We have a legitimate No. 1 overall big man. A motivated, stud point guard. A promising young shooting guard. Depth up front. And a crap load of cap space in one of the deepest free agent markets next year. Did Sterling die?"
"I can finally wear my team jersey in public!"
Los Angeles Lakers
Strengths: The most famous fans in the entire NBA. Cool under pressure (due to the sedated effect the drugs leave in their system).
Weaknesses: Arrive late, leave early. Bad knees created by years of being on them in Kobe's presence.
In the mind of the fans:
"Have I shown up on the Jumbotron or TV yet? As soon as I do I'm outta here. Can't miss rehab again."
"That person wrote a story that only called Kobe ONE of the greatest players in NBA history? What a hater!."
"ESPN has nothing but Kobe haters! Fox Sports has nothing but Kobe haters! Yahoo has nothing but Kobe haters! Everyone is a Kobe Hater! The Catholic Church thinks Jesus Christ is our savior? they're obviously Kobe Haters!"
Phoenix Suns
Strengths: Desert air apparently increases longevity as much as the Suns training staff. (A lot of old people). One awesome Gorrilla.
Weaknesses: Amare enablers. Still stuck on playoff suspensions of a few years back.
In the mind of the fans:
"David Stern is out to get us. It's a conspiracy, they only want big markets like San Antonio to win."
"At least we'll get to see 130-120 point games again this year. Hopefully we win some of them."
Sacramento Kings
Strengths: Cow bells. Once one of the loudest crowds in the NBA.
Weaknesses: Once being the operative word.
In the mind of the fans:
.....crickets.....
Not Another Team Preview: Previewing Fans in the Northwest Division
By now every major team publication or website's team previews have been out for some time (Hollinger and Dwyer are my two favorites) so other than adding a funny line (as if I had any) or rewording a particular sentence there is not much I can add you don't already know about the upcoming NBA season.
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Denver Nuggets
Strengths: Remarkable lung capacity due to yelling at extreme altitudes.
Weaknesses: Coors Light. john Denver.
In the mind of the fans:
"Chauncey Billups slowing down? Ridiculous."
"We'll probably have everything fall absolutely perfect again."
Minnesota Timberwolves
Strengths: Survived Kevin McHale
Weaknesses: Complacency likely given management has already admitted to not caring about the next few seasons.
In the mind of the fans:
"What's a shooting guard, small forward or center? It's been so long since we've seen one?"
Oklahoma City Thunder
Strengths: Enthusiastic glow remains from Honeymoon.
Weaknesses: They're not Seattle. They live in a market so small the city is named after the state.
In the mind of the fans:
"Holy crap! I still can't believe we have a professional team to root for besides the Soooners."
Portland Trailblazers
Strengths: were able to influence management to finally rid themselves of the Jail Blazers era.
Weaknesses: National Anthem. Pairing Bowie and Odom together in any sentence.
In the mind of the fans:
"I'm starting to think that this Oden over Durant thing was a bad idea."
"Roy's not overrated...he's....he's...he's better than Kobe. There, I said it."
Seattle Supersonics
Strengths: Passionate fans.
Weaknesses: Took losing their team to find said passion. No NBA team.
In the mind of the fans:
"Root for the Blazers my A--. F--- You David Stern!"
Utah Jazz
Strengths: One of the toughest places to play in the NBA. And with no night life, one can assume that it's directly because of the fans.
Weaknesses: Black dress pants and short sleeved white button up shirts with ties.
In the mind of the fans:
"Williams is just as good as Paul. No really. I mean it. He's better than Paul. He's bigger, a better shooter, and....and....why won't anyone listen to us."
"Sloan's induction speech wasn't too long, or too boring."
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Denver Nuggets
Strengths: Remarkable lung capacity due to yelling at extreme altitudes.
Weaknesses: Coors Light. john Denver.
In the mind of the fans:
"Chauncey Billups slowing down? Ridiculous."
"We'll probably have everything fall absolutely perfect again."
Minnesota Timberwolves
Strengths: Survived Kevin McHale
Weaknesses: Complacency likely given management has already admitted to not caring about the next few seasons.
In the mind of the fans:
"What's a shooting guard, small forward or center? It's been so long since we've seen one?"
Oklahoma City Thunder
Strengths: Enthusiastic glow remains from Honeymoon.
Weaknesses: They're not Seattle. They live in a market so small the city is named after the state.
In the mind of the fans:
"Holy crap! I still can't believe we have a professional team to root for besides the Soooners."
Portland Trailblazers
Strengths: were able to influence management to finally rid themselves of the Jail Blazers era.
Weaknesses: National Anthem. Pairing Bowie and Odom together in any sentence.
In the mind of the fans:
"I'm starting to think that this Oden over Durant thing was a bad idea."
"Roy's not overrated...he's....he's...he's better than Kobe. There, I said it."
Seattle Supersonics
Strengths: Passionate fans.
Weaknesses: Took losing their team to find said passion. No NBA team.
In the mind of the fans:
"Root for the Blazers my A--. F--- You David Stern!"
Utah Jazz
Strengths: One of the toughest places to play in the NBA. And with no night life, one can assume that it's directly because of the fans.
Weaknesses: Black dress pants and short sleeved white button up shirts with ties.
In the mind of the fans:
"Williams is just as good as Paul. No really. I mean it. He's better than Paul. He's bigger, a better shooter, and....and....why won't anyone listen to us."
"Sloan's induction speech wasn't too long, or too boring."
Not Another Team Preview: Previewing Fans in the Southeast Division
By now every major team publication or website's team previews have been out for some time (Hollinger and Dwyer are my two favorites) so other than adding a funny line (as if I had any) or rewording a particular sentence there is not much I can add you don't already know about the upcoming NBA season.
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Atlanta Hawks
Strengths: Having sat out the better part of the past two decades, Atlanta fans should be well rested which will bode well towards the end of the long, grueling NBA season.
Weaknesses: Inexperience. The mention of the name "Chris Paul".
In the mind of the fans:
"Tony Gonzales was a great addition to the team, he and Matt Ryan are really clicking."
"Undeveloped? Smith already is the second coming of Dominique Wilkins. It's time to tell himstop chucking jumpers too."
Charlotte Bobcats
Strengths: Deep, resourceful. A basketball crazy city, fans can always rely on UNC to balance out the lows of being a Bobcats fan.
Weaknesses: Like the rest of the country, an inability to question anything Michael Jordan does.
In the mind of the fans:
"Forget 50, come back now MJ! It would be nice to see you in the city more than twice a year."
Miami Heat
Strengths: Best tans in the league. Intimate knowledge of opposing players thanks to Miami's omission of closing time at bars.
Weaknesses: Skin cancer. The knowledge that Will Smith once wrote a song based on their city.
In the mind of the fans:
"Wade had a much better year than Lebron, he should have been MVP."
"Beasley in rehab? Damn, there goes our local economy."
Orlando Magic
Strengths: In the land of Disney, fans believe anything can happen.
Weaknesses: Dwight Howard doesn't help fans forget the loss of Shaq by stealing everything Shaq ever did. Cough, Superman, Cough.
In the mind of the fans:
"Holy ****'s Tiger Woods"
"Just because his act is stolen, doesn't mean it's unoriginal."
Washington Wizards
Strengths: Have somehow been able to get behind Stevenson's foolishness over the past few years, especially the LeBron taunting.
Weaknesses: The franchise had to change the name from the Bullets to the Wizards for a reason.
In the mind of the fans:
"Hibachi returns!"
"I think this is the year we can count on injury free seasons from Arenas, Butler and Jamis---o--awwww crap. Nevermind."
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans.
Atlanta Hawks
Strengths: Having sat out the better part of the past two decades, Atlanta fans should be well rested which will bode well towards the end of the long, grueling NBA season.
Weaknesses: Inexperience. The mention of the name "Chris Paul".
In the mind of the fans:
"Tony Gonzales was a great addition to the team, he and Matt Ryan are really clicking."
"Undeveloped? Smith already is the second coming of Dominique Wilkins. It's time to tell himstop chucking jumpers too."
Charlotte Bobcats
Strengths: Deep, resourceful. A basketball crazy city, fans can always rely on UNC to balance out the lows of being a Bobcats fan.
Weaknesses: Like the rest of the country, an inability to question anything Michael Jordan does.
In the mind of the fans:
"Forget 50, come back now MJ! It would be nice to see you in the city more than twice a year."
Miami Heat
Strengths: Best tans in the league. Intimate knowledge of opposing players thanks to Miami's omission of closing time at bars.
Weaknesses: Skin cancer. The knowledge that Will Smith once wrote a song based on their city.
In the mind of the fans:
"Wade had a much better year than Lebron, he should have been MVP."
"Beasley in rehab? Damn, there goes our local economy."
Orlando Magic
Strengths: In the land of Disney, fans believe anything can happen.
Weaknesses: Dwight Howard doesn't help fans forget the loss of Shaq by stealing everything Shaq ever did. Cough, Superman, Cough.
In the mind of the fans:
"Holy ****'s Tiger Woods"
"Just because his act is stolen, doesn't mean it's unoriginal."
Washington Wizards
Strengths: Have somehow been able to get behind Stevenson's foolishness over the past few years, especially the LeBron taunting.
Weaknesses: The franchise had to change the name from the Bullets to the Wizards for a reason.
In the mind of the fans:
"Hibachi returns!"
"I think this is the year we can count on injury free seasons from Arenas, Butler and Jamis---o--awwww crap. Nevermind."
Not Another Team Preview: Previewing Fans in the Central Division
By now every major team publication or website's team previews have been out for some time (Hollinger and Dwyer are my two favorites) so other than adding a funny line (as if I had any) or rewording a particular sentence there is not much I can add you don't already know about the upcoming NBA season.
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use. So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans:
Chicago Bulls
Strengths: They can count the friggin’ President of the United States among their ranks. The old SNL skits with John Goodman aren’t too far off. Da Bulls.
Weaknesses: The old SNL skits with John Goodman aren’t too far off.
In the mind of the fans:
“Post players are still overrated”
“Is it to early to order a Wade jersey?”
Cleveland Cavaliers
Strengths: Indians, Browns, pre-Lebron Cavs—Cleveland has the most loyal and tested fans in the entire country.
Weaknesses: Unfortunately they are also the most heart broken fans in history, leading to an extreme fear of success and paranoia.
In the mind of the fans:
“He won’t leave. He won’t leave. He won’t leave (even God’s not that mean, is he?)"
“F-YOU NEW YORK MEDIA. LEAVE US ALONE!” (Perfectly understandable reaction)
Detroit Pistons
Strengths: Amongst the most rowdy fans in sports.
Weaknesses: Prone to acts of violence.
In the mind of the fans:
“Rodney Stuckey is a point guard. Ben Wallace, not Chauncey, was the true heart of the Pistons, and Ben Gordon is the next Microwave.”
“Wasting our cap space?! If we had wanted Bosh we would have drafted him the first time.”
Indiana Pacers
Strengths: Birthplace of the film Hoosiers and Larry Bird.
Weaknesses: Addiction to Reggie Miller highlights.
In the mind of the fans:
“Is there still enough time to trade for Kirk Hinrich?”
“Is there still enough time to trade for Adam Morrison?”
“Is there still enough time to trade for Nick Collison?”
“Do you think we can sign Brent Barry?”
Milwaukee Bucks
Strengths: Ability to handle extreme climates. ???
Weaknesses: Laverne and Shirley.
In the mind of the fans:
“If our owner doesn’t want to spend money on our team, then neither do we.”
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use. So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans:
Chicago Bulls
Strengths: They can count the friggin’ President of the United States among their ranks. The old SNL skits with John Goodman aren’t too far off. Da Bulls.
Weaknesses: The old SNL skits with John Goodman aren’t too far off.
In the mind of the fans:
“Post players are still overrated”
“Is it to early to order a Wade jersey?”
Cleveland Cavaliers
Strengths: Indians, Browns, pre-Lebron Cavs—Cleveland has the most loyal and tested fans in the entire country.
Weaknesses: Unfortunately they are also the most heart broken fans in history, leading to an extreme fear of success and paranoia.
In the mind of the fans:
“He won’t leave. He won’t leave. He won’t leave (even God’s not that mean, is he?)"
“F-YOU NEW YORK MEDIA. LEAVE US ALONE!” (Perfectly understandable reaction)
Detroit Pistons
Strengths: Amongst the most rowdy fans in sports.
Weaknesses: Prone to acts of violence.
In the mind of the fans:
“Rodney Stuckey is a point guard. Ben Wallace, not Chauncey, was the true heart of the Pistons, and Ben Gordon is the next Microwave.”
“Wasting our cap space?! If we had wanted Bosh we would have drafted him the first time.”
Indiana Pacers
Strengths: Birthplace of the film Hoosiers and Larry Bird.
Weaknesses: Addiction to Reggie Miller highlights.
In the mind of the fans:
“Is there still enough time to trade for Kirk Hinrich?”
“Is there still enough time to trade for Adam Morrison?”
“Is there still enough time to trade for Nick Collison?”
“Do you think we can sign Brent Barry?”
Milwaukee Bucks
Strengths: Ability to handle extreme climates. ???
Weaknesses: Laverne and Shirley.
In the mind of the fans:
“If our owner doesn’t want to spend money on our team, then neither do we.”
Not Another Team Preview: Previewing Fans in the Atlantic Division
By now every major team publication or website's team previews have been out for some time (Hollinger and Dwyer are my two favorites) so other than adding a funny line (as if I had any) or rewording a particular sentence there is not much I can add you don't already know about the upcoming NBA season.
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans:
Boston Celtics
Strengths: Experience. Years of knowledge into possibly the most storied franchise in NBA history. Ability to handle booze.
Weaknesses: Ability to handle booze aside, obnoxious even while sober. Fresh memories of failed franchises over the past two decades has done nothing to humble them from the recent success of the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots.
In the mind of the fans:
"Kobe is slowing with age. Tim Duncan is in his 30's, is seven-feet tall with a lot of mileage on his knees. Kevin Garnett? Nah. He's perfectly fine."
"Is it right to root for a team that added the league's biggest jerk to a team full of arrogant jerks? Hell, it worked when Bill Belichick picked up Randy Moss."
New York Knicks
Strengths: Mecca of basketball. Spike Lee.
Weaknesses: Delusions of grandeur based upon geographic location.
In the mind of the fans:
"LeBron. LEBRON, LeBron, LEBRON....LeBron! LeBron! LeBron, LeBron, LEBRON"
"No assets, not as much cap space as originally thought. No solid talent base...no problem. This is New York. How could LeBron say no?"
"Do you think we could land James, Bosh AND Wade? I mean, we are New York."
New Jersey Nets
Strengths: Most live within a reasonable commute to Brooklyn.
Weaknesses: They'll soon have to drive there if they want to see their team.
In the mind of the fans:
"In Soviet Russia, road drives you."
"Lopez and Harris are the American versions of Duncan and Parker."
Philadelphia 76ers
Strengths: Worst behaved fans in the entire nation. In any sport. (Google Santa, booing and batteries)
Weaknesses: Worst behaved fans in the entire nation. In any sport.
In the mind of the fans:
"F----- You"
Toronto Raptors
Strengths: Ability to flood the e-mails of any national sports writer who fails to show proper love to Canada's team.
Weaknesses: No one fears Canadians.
In the mind of the fans:
"Should we be worried that our Charmin Ultra Soft is tougher than our team?"
"It's not aboot defense, it's not aboot rebounding. It's aboot shooting. It's aboot passing."
So rather than go into the usual cut and paste, blog obligatory features (positional rankings, over/underrated and power ranking) or breaking down the game of our 12th man to its most minute detail, I thought I'd flip the script and create a preview even the countless number of sports bloggers could use.
So without further ado-feel free to add and contribute to the list-here is the annual preview of NBA team fans:
Boston Celtics
Strengths: Experience. Years of knowledge into possibly the most storied franchise in NBA history. Ability to handle booze.
Weaknesses: Ability to handle booze aside, obnoxious even while sober. Fresh memories of failed franchises over the past two decades has done nothing to humble them from the recent success of the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots.
In the mind of the fans:
"Kobe is slowing with age. Tim Duncan is in his 30's, is seven-feet tall with a lot of mileage on his knees. Kevin Garnett? Nah. He's perfectly fine."
"Is it right to root for a team that added the league's biggest jerk to a team full of arrogant jerks? Hell, it worked when Bill Belichick picked up Randy Moss."
New York Knicks
Strengths: Mecca of basketball. Spike Lee.
Weaknesses: Delusions of grandeur based upon geographic location.
In the mind of the fans:
"LeBron. LEBRON, LeBron, LEBRON....LeBron! LeBron! LeBron, LeBron, LEBRON"
"No assets, not as much cap space as originally thought. No solid talent base...no problem. This is New York. How could LeBron say no?"
"Do you think we could land James, Bosh AND Wade? I mean, we are New York."
New Jersey Nets
Strengths: Most live within a reasonable commute to Brooklyn.
Weaknesses: They'll soon have to drive there if they want to see their team.
In the mind of the fans:
"In Soviet Russia, road drives you."
"Lopez and Harris are the American versions of Duncan and Parker."
Philadelphia 76ers
Strengths: Worst behaved fans in the entire nation. In any sport. (Google Santa, booing and batteries)
Weaknesses: Worst behaved fans in the entire nation. In any sport.
In the mind of the fans:
"F----- You"
Toronto Raptors
Strengths: Ability to flood the e-mails of any national sports writer who fails to show proper love to Canada's team.
Weaknesses: No one fears Canadians.
In the mind of the fans:
"Should we be worried that our Charmin Ultra Soft is tougher than our team?"
"It's not aboot defense, it's not aboot rebounding. It's aboot shooting. It's aboot passing."
Saturday, October 24, 2009
A Few Words on Captain Jack
Of all the expatriate Spurs, Stephen Jackson remains my all-time favorite. The most unlikely Spurs player since Dennis Rodman, Jackson was the antithesis of “Corporate Knowledge”.
Yet, Jackson played a large role in our 2003 Championship, nailing huge shots while displaying big (bravado). When he left there were no hard feelings. The Spurs had Manu Ginobili waiting in the wings and were preparing to make a push for Jason Kidd.
With the exception of a few bad decisions in Indiana (of all places) Jackson remained in relative obscurity for several years before emerging on the scene again as the Nellie-ball created Captain jack, where he endeared himself to Spurs fans all over again with his role in the dismantling of the Dallas Mavericks.
Unfortunately his new reputation deteriorated with the rest of the mess the Golden State Warriors front office created, culminating in the now highly publicized—and highly criticized—trade request.
Without condoning the way he has handled the situation, I’d ask people to try understanding. The biggest criticism is the notion that no one forced him to sign the massive contract extension and Captain Jack knew what he was getting in to. But while Jackson may lack corporate knowledge, he’s no idiot.
No other team in their right mind would offer Jackson the contract the Warriors did, it’s not his fault he was overpaid. Still, where is the loyalty?
The Warriors quit first. From what we know of Jackson, he’s a fiercely loyal teammate (even blindly following one of them into a hostile crowd once). He’s also a fierce competitor. Everything the Warriors are about these days goes against those two traits.
Chris Mullin, the man who created the Warriors team Jackson captained, was exiled in a stab in the back power struggle seemingly orchestrated in part by Don Nelson –completing the usual player-gets-his-alcoholic February deadline we’re still looking for an added boost, what reasons would you have against Captain Jack? -life-turned-around-by-coach-makes-good-as-a-general-manage- and-repays-the-favor-by-offering-said-coach-another-chance-only-to-be-betrayed-by-coach-who-turned-around-his-life cycle.
The star point guard is complaining about sharing the backcourt with the new hot shot rookie.
Nelson, the man who made Jackson a captain and helped rebuild his reputation, now only does the bare minimum needed to still claim a paycheck. So how should Jackson react?
And now the Spurs are on Jackson’s wish list of potential destinations. San Antonio has the expiring contracts to match salaries, a prospect or two and rotation player to make a deal happen. Is he overpaid? Yes. But he’s also an upgrade over both Finley and Mason. The Spurs that matter allegedly love him as a teammate and player.
I also seriously doubt that I was the only Spurs fan rooting for Jackson as he they doled the most humiliating defeat in the Dirk Nowitzki-Mark Cuban. And I doubt Jackson is the only one around that hates Kobe Bryant. So why not Captain Jack?
Yet, Jackson played a large role in our 2003 Championship, nailing huge shots while displaying big (bravado). When he left there were no hard feelings. The Spurs had Manu Ginobili waiting in the wings and were preparing to make a push for Jason Kidd.
With the exception of a few bad decisions in Indiana (of all places) Jackson remained in relative obscurity for several years before emerging on the scene again as the Nellie-ball created Captain jack, where he endeared himself to Spurs fans all over again with his role in the dismantling of the Dallas Mavericks.
Unfortunately his new reputation deteriorated with the rest of the mess the Golden State Warriors front office created, culminating in the now highly publicized—and highly criticized—trade request.
Without condoning the way he has handled the situation, I’d ask people to try understanding. The biggest criticism is the notion that no one forced him to sign the massive contract extension and Captain Jack knew what he was getting in to. But while Jackson may lack corporate knowledge, he’s no idiot.
No other team in their right mind would offer Jackson the contract the Warriors did, it’s not his fault he was overpaid. Still, where is the loyalty?
The Warriors quit first. From what we know of Jackson, he’s a fiercely loyal teammate (even blindly following one of them into a hostile crowd once). He’s also a fierce competitor. Everything the Warriors are about these days goes against those two traits.
Chris Mullin, the man who created the Warriors team Jackson captained, was exiled in a stab in the back power struggle seemingly orchestrated in part by Don Nelson –completing the usual player-gets-his-alcoholic February deadline we’re still looking for an added boost, what reasons would you have against Captain Jack? -life-turned-around-by-coach-makes-good-as-a-general-manage- and-repays-the-favor-by-offering-said-coach-another-chance-only-to-be-betrayed-by-coach-who-turned-around-his-life cycle.
The star point guard is complaining about sharing the backcourt with the new hot shot rookie.
Nelson, the man who made Jackson a captain and helped rebuild his reputation, now only does the bare minimum needed to still claim a paycheck. So how should Jackson react?
And now the Spurs are on Jackson’s wish list of potential destinations. San Antonio has the expiring contracts to match salaries, a prospect or two and rotation player to make a deal happen. Is he overpaid? Yes. But he’s also an upgrade over both Finley and Mason. The Spurs that matter allegedly love him as a teammate and player.
I also seriously doubt that I was the only Spurs fan rooting for Jackson as he they doled the most humiliating defeat in the Dirk Nowitzki-Mark Cuban. And I doubt Jackson is the only one around that hates Kobe Bryant. So why not Captain Jack?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Hill and Blair are the stories of the preseason
DuJuan Blair is a beast. George Hill is a point guard. If Spurs fans take anything away from this year’s preseason, these two stories were the most prominent throughout the exhibition season.
Sure, there were other things to glean from this year’s games (if you had the opportunity to watch them), though most were simple reaffirmations of what we already knew (Tony Parker is really good) or had too small a sample size (can we take the bubble wrap off of Manu Ginobili) to draw an educated conclusion.
Not since 2003 have the Spurs had two young players with such exciting, unknown upside that were also ready to contribute heavily in the Spurs regular season rotation. Then the Spurs counted on a rookie Ginobili and a still wet behind the ears Parker as key cogs in a championship run.
This preseason served as an extention of impressive summer performances for Blair and Hill. Last year’s unheralded draft pick from IUPUI cemented his role as back up point guard and defensive ace off the bench while Blair has already endeared himself as a fan favorite.
Spurs fans (over) reaction to Blair’s performances have pegged him as everything from the Spurs power forward of the future to the second coming of Charles Barkley. While I must admit to drinking the Blair Kool-Aid I would warn others not to become drunk off it.
For all of his positives he does have limitations “and that is before delving into any potential knee issues” that will likely keep him as merely a valuable reserve. Blair is a grossly undersized power forward who has great strength and long arms but is not much of a leaper. As such finding suitable matchups for him on defense will be difficult against elite teams with huge frontlines like the Lakers or Blazers. While he can muscle with the best, ultimately skilled big men can simply shoot right over the top of him and in help defense he’s not going to be helpful in protecting the rim. He must learn to read opponents and draw charges to be successful, and even then his minutes against certain matchups must be monitored.
Offensively he will have trouble getting his shot over taller defenders, even after establishing great position, as evident by the number of shots he’s had blocked or altered (of course, it doesn’t hurt that he always gets the ball right back and puts it in anyways). Right now his pet move is sealing his defender on one side of the rim and laying it in on the other, using the rim as protection from the shot blocker. While he’s more physical than Glenn Davis, ultimately like Big Baby, Blair will have to develop his mid range jumper to be a consistent offensive threat.
All that being said, Blair is a beast. We’ve seen him flip 7-foot future draft busts over his back, nearly rip players’ arms out of socket on several rebounds and put up staggering numbers in limited time so far.
There have been plenty of undersized power forwards (see: Diogu, Ike) who produce numbers whose size precludes coaches from giving meaningful minutes but Blair, early in his Spurs career, seems like the type of player who, matchups be damned, you put on the floor because his positives will outweigh his negatives.
But as exciting as Blair is, perhaps the more relevant story for this season is the rapid development of George Hill. Last year’s first round draft pick provided two thing the Spurs badly needed last year—athleticism and defense—but could not fulfill his duties as a backup point guard well enough to remain on the floor.
Sure, there were glimpses of potential. Like the multiple 20-point games he put up with Tony Parker out. Hill could finish and draw fouls thanks to his athleticism and long arms but his dribble game lacked any elusiveness to it. All of his drives were straight lines where he was simply able to get a first step on the defender. At the end of the season I was pleased with Hill as a backup point guard but pegged his ceiling as an Antonio Daniels type player with better defense, which is great for a late first round draft pick.
But that type of player isn’t untouchable in my mind, and in the offseason I felt like Hill shouldn’t’ be either. My line of thinking was that if you can get a starter who can carry major minutes in exchange for a player who would have trouble finding meaningful time behind Tony Parker then do it.
Oh, what wonders one summer with Chip Engelland can do. It may be a small sample size, but judging by the blistering shooting percentages, George Hill can shoot. From deep. Especially from the corner. Now a lot of attention will be paid to his development as a point guard. And rightfully so, Hill finally looks comfortable there. But the most important development for him, so far as his future with the Spurs is concerned, is his jump shot.
You see, if Hill is to carve out more than cameo appearances in meaningful games it will have to be as more than a backup point guard because there’s just n o way you’re limiting Tony Parker’s minutes come Spring and Summer. So if Hill is going to be an impact as a Spurs player he needs to be able to play beside Parker rather than replacing him. For years that only prerequisite for that, at least offensively, is the corner three.
If Hill can maintain a consistent outside shot it’s huge. It means he can actually cover the Spurs two biggest weaknesses (perimeter defense and athleticism) for meaningful stretches. It also means that he has a future here past his rookie contract.
Sure, there were other things to glean from this year’s games (if you had the opportunity to watch them), though most were simple reaffirmations of what we already knew (Tony Parker is really good) or had too small a sample size (can we take the bubble wrap off of Manu Ginobili) to draw an educated conclusion.
Not since 2003 have the Spurs had two young players with such exciting, unknown upside that were also ready to contribute heavily in the Spurs regular season rotation. Then the Spurs counted on a rookie Ginobili and a still wet behind the ears Parker as key cogs in a championship run.
This preseason served as an extention of impressive summer performances for Blair and Hill. Last year’s unheralded draft pick from IUPUI cemented his role as back up point guard and defensive ace off the bench while Blair has already endeared himself as a fan favorite.
Spurs fans (over) reaction to Blair’s performances have pegged him as everything from the Spurs power forward of the future to the second coming of Charles Barkley. While I must admit to drinking the Blair Kool-Aid I would warn others not to become drunk off it.
For all of his positives he does have limitations “and that is before delving into any potential knee issues” that will likely keep him as merely a valuable reserve. Blair is a grossly undersized power forward who has great strength and long arms but is not much of a leaper. As such finding suitable matchups for him on defense will be difficult against elite teams with huge frontlines like the Lakers or Blazers. While he can muscle with the best, ultimately skilled big men can simply shoot right over the top of him and in help defense he’s not going to be helpful in protecting the rim. He must learn to read opponents and draw charges to be successful, and even then his minutes against certain matchups must be monitored.
Offensively he will have trouble getting his shot over taller defenders, even after establishing great position, as evident by the number of shots he’s had blocked or altered (of course, it doesn’t hurt that he always gets the ball right back and puts it in anyways). Right now his pet move is sealing his defender on one side of the rim and laying it in on the other, using the rim as protection from the shot blocker. While he’s more physical than Glenn Davis, ultimately like Big Baby, Blair will have to develop his mid range jumper to be a consistent offensive threat.
All that being said, Blair is a beast. We’ve seen him flip 7-foot future draft busts over his back, nearly rip players’ arms out of socket on several rebounds and put up staggering numbers in limited time so far.
There have been plenty of undersized power forwards (see: Diogu, Ike) who produce numbers whose size precludes coaches from giving meaningful minutes but Blair, early in his Spurs career, seems like the type of player who, matchups be damned, you put on the floor because his positives will outweigh his negatives.
But as exciting as Blair is, perhaps the more relevant story for this season is the rapid development of George Hill. Last year’s first round draft pick provided two thing the Spurs badly needed last year—athleticism and defense—but could not fulfill his duties as a backup point guard well enough to remain on the floor.
Sure, there were glimpses of potential. Like the multiple 20-point games he put up with Tony Parker out. Hill could finish and draw fouls thanks to his athleticism and long arms but his dribble game lacked any elusiveness to it. All of his drives were straight lines where he was simply able to get a first step on the defender. At the end of the season I was pleased with Hill as a backup point guard but pegged his ceiling as an Antonio Daniels type player with better defense, which is great for a late first round draft pick.
But that type of player isn’t untouchable in my mind, and in the offseason I felt like Hill shouldn’t’ be either. My line of thinking was that if you can get a starter who can carry major minutes in exchange for a player who would have trouble finding meaningful time behind Tony Parker then do it.
Oh, what wonders one summer with Chip Engelland can do. It may be a small sample size, but judging by the blistering shooting percentages, George Hill can shoot. From deep. Especially from the corner. Now a lot of attention will be paid to his development as a point guard. And rightfully so, Hill finally looks comfortable there. But the most important development for him, so far as his future with the Spurs is concerned, is his jump shot.
You see, if Hill is to carve out more than cameo appearances in meaningful games it will have to be as more than a backup point guard because there’s just n o way you’re limiting Tony Parker’s minutes come Spring and Summer. So if Hill is going to be an impact as a Spurs player he needs to be able to play beside Parker rather than replacing him. For years that only prerequisite for that, at least offensively, is the corner three.
If Hill can maintain a consistent outside shot it’s huge. It means he can actually cover the Spurs two biggest weaknesses (perimeter defense and athleticism) for meaningful stretches. It also means that he has a future here past his rookie contract.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Bank Shots: Spurs Preseason
· The Austin Toros experiment, to date, is entirely dependent on Malik Hairston at this point—more so than George Hill or DuJuan Blair, I looked forward to this preseason to see what fruits the Spurs developmental league team would bare.
Mahinmi is still the biggest mystery and might be worth extending. Right now I think for player comparisons you can start at Francisco Elson as your worst case scenario though his ceiling seems to be dropping fast.
Williams appears to be an NBA player. Though I can only envision him as a point forward that neither helps nor hurts you—only he’s young, still learning, and at this point does, in fact, hurt you.
The good news is Hairston seems ready now but still D-league eligible. The best thing I can say about Hairston is that no situation seems too big for him. For a player who has had to transition out to a perimeter oriented game, that’s huge. He’s had a steady handle, excelled at finishing and been a surprising passer with a few multi-assist games. At this point I’ll declare the Austin success ratio as 1-for-3, which I’d say is a success for what the Spurs are looking for.
· Curtis Jerrell irks me—Since we’re on the subject of Austin, there are a lot of Spurs fans who would like to see the former Baylor star show up in Austin. I’d highly advise against it. Jerrells over dribbled his way through the entire Spurs preseason and likely only stayed on the roster so the Spurs could continue scrimmaging while Parker rested. To me, his entire preseason can be summed up with the closing minutes of the Clippers game. With an opportunity to tie he took the ball, raced down the end of the court and forced a shot with plenty of time on the clock.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have some tools. I think he could develop in Austin, though at the cost of the development of those around him. And given that we already have two young point guards I’d rather have a generic system point guard that will get the ball to our developing wings and bigs. To emphasize my point about the Clippers game, that rushed shot would have been a perfect opportunity to see what Blair, Hairston or Williams could have done in the clutch.
· Marcus Haislip needs time and opportunities—Though I’m not sure he’ll get either. I suppose his true value (or lack thereof) will become apparent once he matches up with the perimeter based big forwards that have caused us problems.
Right now as a “stretch four” he seems to lack NBA range, which is no surprise according to ESPN’s Hollinger. As he points out it normally takes a season to get acclimated to the NBA three-pointer. He appears to have a good shot though. Additionally, it seems he still is figuring out what he can get away with in the NBA. He favors a between the legs dribble drive that leads to some out of control drives. Hopefully he’ll figure it out.
· Bonner and Finley can still shoot—It’s not their fault they were miscast as 30 minute a night major contributes. Both have looked great in the preseason and given reduced minutes and roles perhaps they’ll last the season while their new teammates are better equipped to mask their weaknesses.
Mahinmi is still the biggest mystery and might be worth extending. Right now I think for player comparisons you can start at Francisco Elson as your worst case scenario though his ceiling seems to be dropping fast.
Williams appears to be an NBA player. Though I can only envision him as a point forward that neither helps nor hurts you—only he’s young, still learning, and at this point does, in fact, hurt you.
The good news is Hairston seems ready now but still D-league eligible. The best thing I can say about Hairston is that no situation seems too big for him. For a player who has had to transition out to a perimeter oriented game, that’s huge. He’s had a steady handle, excelled at finishing and been a surprising passer with a few multi-assist games. At this point I’ll declare the Austin success ratio as 1-for-3, which I’d say is a success for what the Spurs are looking for.
· Curtis Jerrell irks me—Since we’re on the subject of Austin, there are a lot of Spurs fans who would like to see the former Baylor star show up in Austin. I’d highly advise against it. Jerrells over dribbled his way through the entire Spurs preseason and likely only stayed on the roster so the Spurs could continue scrimmaging while Parker rested. To me, his entire preseason can be summed up with the closing minutes of the Clippers game. With an opportunity to tie he took the ball, raced down the end of the court and forced a shot with plenty of time on the clock.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have some tools. I think he could develop in Austin, though at the cost of the development of those around him. And given that we already have two young point guards I’d rather have a generic system point guard that will get the ball to our developing wings and bigs. To emphasize my point about the Clippers game, that rushed shot would have been a perfect opportunity to see what Blair, Hairston or Williams could have done in the clutch.
· Marcus Haislip needs time and opportunities—Though I’m not sure he’ll get either. I suppose his true value (or lack thereof) will become apparent once he matches up with the perimeter based big forwards that have caused us problems.
Right now as a “stretch four” he seems to lack NBA range, which is no surprise according to ESPN’s Hollinger. As he points out it normally takes a season to get acclimated to the NBA three-pointer. He appears to have a good shot though. Additionally, it seems he still is figuring out what he can get away with in the NBA. He favors a between the legs dribble drive that leads to some out of control drives. Hopefully he’ll figure it out.
· Bonner and Finley can still shoot—It’s not their fault they were miscast as 30 minute a night major contributes. Both have looked great in the preseason and given reduced minutes and roles perhaps they’ll last the season while their new teammates are better equipped to mask their weaknesses.
Welcome to Bank Shots (Rebooted)
Hello all. We're going to try and start anew here at Bank Shots after a rough initial outing. Just a little information on me and what to expect:
I graduated with a degree in journalism from from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio in 2006. I've worked for a few small papers and helped out in small, part-time roles at the Express-News. After seeing newsrooms across the country shred their staff I bailed on those dreams and am pursuing teaching, so this blog will serve as one of the last outlets for my writing.
Being from San Antonio I am a huge Spurs fan. I try and keep a grounded and unbiased take on all things NBA but this blog will probably be a little Spurs-centric. That being said, I want to stop short of calling this strictly a Spurs site as I often have thoughts on the entire NBA in general.
There will be the mandatory lists from time to time (best players, teams, overrated, underrated, All-Stars, etc., etc.), columns, a few attempts at humor and while I won't do game recaps--there are newspapers still in existence after all--I will try to maintain a semi-daily feature titled "Bank Shots" with random thoughts across the NBA.
In addition to my work as a freelance and staff reporter over the past few years I've also worked as an artist from time to time and will post paintings as they come up.
I'm a Spurs season ticket holder for the first time and using that and Twitter I'm hoping to have live game comments for anyone who cares to follow along.
I follow a lot of different blogs and writers. 48minutesofhell.com, Kelly Dwyer on Yahoo Sports, ESPN TrueHoop and Bill Simmons are among my regular reads. I've never been a big stats +/- guy. Though I do see value in them I believe they simply serve as something that should narrow down what you look for then allow for an eye test.
Now, as far as what I expect. I'd like for you guys to comment on anything you'd like: Whether you have tips for my writing style (like or dislike), my opinions. Mostly I just want to have some healthy basketball discussions here. Thanks and enjoy.
I graduated with a degree in journalism from from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio in 2006. I've worked for a few small papers and helped out in small, part-time roles at the Express-News. After seeing newsrooms across the country shred their staff I bailed on those dreams and am pursuing teaching, so this blog will serve as one of the last outlets for my writing.
Being from San Antonio I am a huge Spurs fan. I try and keep a grounded and unbiased take on all things NBA but this blog will probably be a little Spurs-centric. That being said, I want to stop short of calling this strictly a Spurs site as I often have thoughts on the entire NBA in general.
There will be the mandatory lists from time to time (best players, teams, overrated, underrated, All-Stars, etc., etc.), columns, a few attempts at humor and while I won't do game recaps--there are newspapers still in existence after all--I will try to maintain a semi-daily feature titled "Bank Shots" with random thoughts across the NBA.
In addition to my work as a freelance and staff reporter over the past few years I've also worked as an artist from time to time and will post paintings as they come up.
I'm a Spurs season ticket holder for the first time and using that and Twitter I'm hoping to have live game comments for anyone who cares to follow along.
I follow a lot of different blogs and writers. 48minutesofhell.com, Kelly Dwyer on Yahoo Sports, ESPN TrueHoop and Bill Simmons are among my regular reads. I've never been a big stats +/- guy. Though I do see value in them I believe they simply serve as something that should narrow down what you look for then allow for an eye test.
Now, as far as what I expect. I'd like for you guys to comment on anything you'd like: Whether you have tips for my writing style (like or dislike), my opinions. Mostly I just want to have some healthy basketball discussions here. Thanks and enjoy.
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