Tag Archives: Al Jefferson

by | October 24, 2012 · 4:32 PM

Northwest Division Preview

New kid on the block

Doyle Rader: The Northwest Division looks to be one of, if not the most, competitive divisions in the NBA this season. Last year three teams (the Thunder, Nuggets, and Jazz) made the playoffs. Utah made a late push to secure their playoff berth only to be eliminated by the Spurs in the first round. Denver took the Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semi-finals. And the Thunder eventually lost in the NBA Finals. This season the division is only deeper.

Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves were early season darlings to make the playoffs last season with the Blazers’ hot start and the emergence of Ricky Rubio in Minny. What curtailed these teams was the fire-sale in Portland and the injuries that plagued the Timberwolves. However, Minnesota has completely reloaded their roster in an attempt to make a playoff run this year. They just have to wait for Kevin Love to recover from his broken hand.

Travis Huse: What’s remarkable about this division is that each of its franchises is looking toward the future.

Let’s begin with what’s been going on in Denver: the Nuggets’ reload looks really enticing to me, much in the same way that the Pacers have the past couple of seasons. They’re going to play blindingly fast, group-effort basketball, a hard-nosed team approach. What really makes things interesting is Iguodala’s defensive role, alongside his ball handler abilities, which were hidden behind Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday in Philly.

Iggy will have to play the roles of Danny Granger, Metta World Peace, and Lebron James simultaneously, and how successful he is at integrating with George Karl’s style will determine the success of this team. Coupled with the maturation of Ty Lawson and JaVale McGee (seems strange to mention maturity and McGee together), this is a well-built team, with players who complement their teammates’ strengths. Next step: tightening up on defense.

DR: Yes, their pace belies a low defensive effort as they want to be streaking up and down the floor. However, this team has the potential to be quite serviceable defensively and it all begins with Iguodala.

He will be their premier perimeter defensive player and will be tasked with defending the opposing team’s best wing player and even point guards at times. Denver must focus its defensive efforts in transition. This is where the team will be most venerable. In the halfcourt they have the like of McGee and Timofey Mozgov, as well as Kosta Koufos (who I particularly enjoy watching), to anchor the middle with Iguodala patrolling the arc.

Where I think Iguodala will be most beneficial to the Nuggets is when they play the Thunder. It will be his job to guard Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City won this division last year on the back of Durant’s scoring so bringing an elite defender was very important for Denver.

TH: Yeah, OKC is still the hands-down favorite to win this division this year, regardless of whether or not James Harden receives an extension. But next year, who knows? There’s so much young talent on these teams and the stars for each team are about to truly hit their stride.

Damian Lillard running the Blazers could change the entire dynamic of LaMarcus Aldridge’s game, assuming they didn’t handicap themselves too much with Nicolas Batum’s contract. In the Northwest, they’re the furthest away from being a playoff lock, and I could envision this division becoming as competitive as the Southwest was a few years ago. They’re thin as hell as just about every position, but for a rebuilding team, they don’t look to be wallowing in their sorrow for much longer.

DR: You’re right, the Thunder are the class of the division. That shouldn’t change this year and perhaps Kendrick Perkins will actually be useful to them now that Dwight Howard is in the West. Yet, he is still a liability against the more hybrid centers.

As for Portland, Lillard has shown that he is ready to compete at the NBA level. In five games this preseason, Lillard has averaged 17 points on 50 percent shooting while also dishing out six assists per game. Beyond the numbers, he is assertive on the court, even aggressive at times. Against the Lakers he frequently attacked Steve Nash off the dribble, getting to the rim with ease once he became comfortable with the flow of the game. Of course, Nash has never been a good defender but it was impressive to see a rookie go directly at a two-time MVP with little regard for his mythos.

What will hurt the Blazers is their lack of depth. Jared Jefferies will contribute more than anyone knows off the bench, though it may not always show up in the box score. Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard, the team’s only true center, are major questions who have considerable upside.

Outside shooting will also be an issue going forward. This is a team built around the mid-range jumper. If Aldridge goes down again, this team will wallow in the basement once again.

TH: You’re neglecting Batum here. His contract is so weighty, the Portland front office will push him to fill more of a starring role, and the hiring of Terry Stotts as head coach will also give him more responsibility. If Stotts is able to formulate this team based off what he saw in Dallas, and modify the 2011 championship core of Jason Kidd-Jason Terry-Dirk Nowitzki (Lillard, Batum, and Aldridge, respectively), the Blazers have more than enough skeleton for their squad.

Which means:

Much is spoken on how the NBA’s system favors tanking. But teams are finding creative ways to rebuild without having to ride the lottery hoping for a once-in-a-generation talent. The Blazers are well on their way to rebuilding (only 7 months after blowing their team up), without having to seriously tank.

They were only 8 games out of the playoffs last year, and while this year might be a bit sore, Blazers fans should be optimistic. They managed a sizable reformation in the quietest way possible, and they did it with a vacant GM seat for over a year. Looking at what Neil Olshey created with the Clippers, it will be interesting to see how he fleshes out their roster.

Another franchise attempting a “soft rebuild” is the Utah Jazz, a team that has really reached a crossroads. Swapping Devin Harris for Mo Williams isn’t exactly a game-changer (it’s never a good idea to start a third-string PG from the Clippers), and Raja Bell is as good as gone. They need guard help badly, and the big man logjam finally must give. If the team still cannot decide whether they trust Enes Kanter or Derrick Favors, they need to move them sooner, rather than later. By all accounts, Kanter has an ego, and will not like playing second fiddle to Al Jefferson; but Jefferson’s much too good to move.

DR: If we are going to make a Mavs comparison when it comes to the Blazers, I feel that Batum represents more of a Shawn Marion role. Only his scoring responsibilities will be somewhat equivalent to Marionon the Suns.

As for the Jazz, they have a wealth of big men and they seem to be happy about it. I don’t think it’s a question about if they are willing to move Jefferson, but rather they could lose Paul Millsap. That would truly be a blow to this organization but as you pointed out they have Kanter and Favors.

Last season, Kanter was essentially a non factor. His skills around the rim were unpolished, to be kind, and played mostly during garbage time. So far in the preseason he has been drawing double-teams and averaging a team high 12 points per game. The jazz seem content to run out a platoon rotation in the post which should help later in the season as it allows their stars (Jefferson and Millsap) to rest. Kanter and Favors should garner around 20 minutes a night.

Mo Williams is a completely serviceable point guard. I doubt he can return to the form he showcased in Milwaukee, but he still has the ability to run an offense effectively while also scoring the ball. Like Memphis, Utah runs a lot of post plays but Williams’ outside shooting and ability to dish the ball should open up the floor creating opportunities for shooters like Alec Burks, Randy Foye, Gordon Hayward, and Marvin Williams.

Hayward will be key for the Jazz. He is quietly becoming a good perimeter defender and has gained a considerable amount of muscle since coming into the league. Tyrone Corbin has molded Hayward into a hardnosed, physical defender. It would not surprise me if he was at least discussed as a possible DPOY if his improvement continues. He won’t win, but he making the discussion is always a plus.

TH: I’m not saying that their big man platoon isn’t a bad idea. It’s a great thing to have through an 82-game season. However, both Kanter and Favors are starting-caliber players in the NBA right now. Favors is nearing the end of his rookie contract, a solid producer with room to grow (and a team option for next season). Aside from the solid production at a low price tag, these players are highly desirable for contending teams for many reasons. Kanter is a skilled big body who plays a thin position.

Would the suddenly broke Sam Presti really contemplate letting James Harden go in order to free up cap space? Probably not, but that is not a bad rumor to float.

I can only think of three NBA teams who wouldn’t listen to offers on Kanter, because they are seriously the only NBA teams without concerns in the middle. The Lakers have Dwight now; the 76ers are going to see where Bynum goes as a leader. I had to throw in the Raptors, because, well, they’re in a similar situation as the Jazz; the arrival of Jonas Valanciunas has made Bargnani more than expendable.

You’re also right about Mo Williams: He is a completely serviceable point guard. But with their lineup, the Jazz are one torn ligament away from Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson bringing the ball up the floor. The Jazz are lacking roster balance, and their contingency plan is Alec Burks.

DR: My love of the bad boy Pacers has always endeared me to Tinsley and Watson filled in well when Devin Harris was hurt last year. It could be worse for the Jazz.

One team with high hopes for the season is already bemoaning their star being out with injury. As I mentioned above, Kevin Love will miss at least the first month of the season with a broken hand resulting from the oh-so-cool-bro knuckle pushups. Luckily, the Timberwolves have reloaded their roster.

They brought in Brandon Roy, fresh from retirement, bad knees and all and added Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved from Russia. Nikola Pekovic also hails from Russia and is one of the better centers in the league. Despite the number of white guys on this team, the Timberwolves are primed to make the playoffs. Hell, their guard rotation alone is enough to get them there and they are stacked beyond that. Once Love returns they could be dangerous in the West.

It will be interesting to see how Derrick Williams fits into the rotation. He seems to be the odd man out this year despite being drafted so highly two years ago.

TH: With Love out until December, this Timberwolves squad is left without its two young stars in Love and Ricky Rubio. How the team fares without them will be a good litmus test to see how the rest of the rotation fits. But this is also a team that, like you mentioned, added Roy, who’s never been afraid to put his team on his back. These injuries will strengthen the Wolves, and I anticipate one of their wings picking up the scoring slack. There are many questions as to just exactly who will rise, but their depth chart, from 1 to 3 is loaded with talent. J.J. Barea is only one year removed from being an unstoppable blur for the Mavs, and he’s still buried behind Rubio and Luke Ridnour. Shved’s a monster, and should have a fairly easy transition to the NBA with Kirilenko beside him.

And all that is forgetting Chase Budinger, who will be able to fit in much the same way that Wilson Chandler has in Denver, slashing and providing decent outside shooting (believe it or not, he posted a 40% 3-point percentage last season) for the second unit. The whitest of white dudes in the NBA these days, Budinger is often overlooked, but his time spent with Rick Adelman in Houston will give him an early chance to prove himself. He’s dangerous when left in the corner, and when Love and Rubio return, it will be key for them to utilize their passing abilities and wing talent.

Injuries or not, this team is going to be fast and fun, with a healthy amount of competition amongst players vying for minutes. The coaching change should help us to see a bit more specialization of players, as well as championship experience.

Oh, and they got rid of Michael Beasley. Thumbs up on that one.

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | February 1, 2011 · 8:55 PM

Numb#rs

Sigh...

Seems as though the Timberwolves are making quite a stink about one of their superstars not making the starting lineup for this year’s All Star Game.

Minnesota’s public relations department has put together a fake advertisement for Kevin Love’s new fragrance line called ‘Numb#rs’ to help convince coaches to at least vote the third-year player out of UCLA as a reserve for the game.

The box was mailed out to all Western Conference coaches the day the starters were unveiled and Love was not on that list.  The packet includes a 30-second DVD containing a fake commercial along with an actual bottle of the fragrance.  The team has even set up a website -612AllStar.com (612 is the area code for Minneapolis).

This isn’t the first time the Timberwolves have had to lobby for one of their players to make the All Star roster.  They last sent out GPS units to all the coaches to promote Al Jefferson for the 2009 game with the slogan “map to Phoenix.”

It didn’t work since Jefferson went down with a knee injury just before the break.

No one should be surprised by how hard they are having to push to get some attention for their young star.  Minnesota has an 11-26 record and is last in the league at points allowed.

The only teams that they have beaten that made the playoffs last season are the Bucks and Cavaliers.  This season, Milwaukee isn’t that dangerous and Cleveland sorely misses LeBron James.

However, the Timberwolves are No. 1 in the league in rebounding mainly due to Love.  He is averaging 21.6 points and 15.7 rebounds a game making him the second player since Moses Malone to average 20 and 15 a game when he did it in 1982-83.  In addition, he recorded 31 points and 31 rebounds against the Knicks in November becoming the first player to record a 30-30 since Malone did in 82.

Love’s numbers stick out and hopefully his cologne will too for his sake.  However, a team such as the Wolves is doubtfully going to get any love from the coaches out West.

1 Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, NBA at Large, Players, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | December 6, 2010 · 2:05 PM

10 Player Report Card

Back on October 14 I listed 10 NBA players to watch this season based on what they had done in the preseason or at the FIBA World Championships as well as my own personal biases towards some of them. Now that the season is a quarter of he way finished there is no better time than to hand out a report card. Not only is it a nice little grading scale for the players but it also serves as somewhat of a referendum of my choices.

Patrick Beverley | Grade: N/A

About ten days after I declared that you, the Beef readers, should pay attention to Beverley, the Miami heat went and cut him to make room for Jerry Stackhouse. Geez, way to throw egg in my eye, Pat Riley. Therefore, Beverley receives no grade at all. He is currently playing in China with the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks, Yao Ming‘s old team.

Darren Collison | Grade: C

Collison’s first real stint as a team’s starting point guard has not gone as smoothly as he or the Indiana Pacers would have hoped. He has already missed three games due to injury which has thrust T.J. Ford, who is ever-present on Indy’s trade block, into a larger role with the team. Collison is averaging just six minutes more per game than Ford but his average stats, outside of his 13.7 points, are not much better than Ford’s numbers. 2.7 rebounds per game for Collison compared to Ford’s 2.5 and 4.4 assists to Ford’s 3.9. Collison also has an assist to turnover ratio of 2/1. Collison needs to improve his non scoring categories if he and the Pacers hope to see a return of the player that filled in for Chris Paul so wonderfully last season.

Dominique Jones | Grade: Incomplete

Jones has appeared in only nine of the Dallas Mavericks’ 20 games thus far. Because of this, his grade is an incomplete. When he does get time on the court his play is marred by turnovers. This is undoubtedly because he likes to get to the rim in traffic when hands come flying in at the ball from all directions. His lack of minutes is also due to the fact that the Mavericks are unbelievably deep this season, especially at shooting guard. Hopefully as the season progresses, Rick Carlisle will find more minutes for this promising rookie. However, for that to happen, Dallas will need to start blowing teams out more frequently instead of playing somewhat tight games.

Linas Kleiza | Grade: D -

The Toronto Raptors are not as bad as we thought they would be this season but Kleiza is far worse than anyone could have imagined after a quarter of the season has passed. He is a shell of the player he was during the FIBA World Championships this summer. So far, Kleiza is averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds this season in 23 minutes per game. Gross. He is also shooting an appalling 24 percent from deep. What happened to the fit, muscular Kleiza that we saw over the summer? Apparently he left that side of himself in Turkey. Maybe he should tell Allen Iverson where to find it.

Kevin Love | Grade: A +

“Yeah., yeah, yeah … here he goes again lauding the efforts of Kevin Love. We know, you have loved him for some time now and his numbers a ridiculous this year but you really do not need to keep piling on the love.” (That  is what I can assume your thought process is, if you are a regular reader, when you see Love’s name mentioned anywhere on the site.) He had the first 30-30 game since 1982. He has pulled down 15 or more rebounds in a game ten times this season. No other player has done that more than six times. He leads the league in both offensive, defensive, and total rebounding and leads in total rebounding average with 15.3 per game. This is what I wrote about Love when I said that he was a player to watch this season, “Plain and simple: Kevin Love is the best rebounder in the league.” Looks like I was more than right.

Wesley Matthews | Grade: B +

Matthews stepped into the starting lineup when Brandon Roy went down with an early injury for a couple of games. Since that time he has usurped Nicolas Batum in the starting rotation. He now frequently leads the team in scoring. In the seven games that Matthews has started this season he is averaging 20.9 points, connecting on 2.4 shots from deep, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals. He has topped the 20 point plateau in four of his last five games.  It appears that the money that the Portland Trail Blazers spent to lure Matthews away from Utah has been a good investment.

JaVale McGee | Grade: C +

Both of us here at the Beef want nothing but good things for McGee. He is one of those players who we can just not seem to quit rooting for. McGee is having a decent season with the Wizards this year but he could improve his numbers. Head Coach Flip Saunders wanted McGee to improve his rebounding during the preseason and as McGee is currently averaging 8.5 rebounds there is certainly still room to improve. He should be a double-double threat every night. Where he does not need to improve is with his shot blocking. McGee currently averages 2.6 blocks per game and has a total of 49 blocks this season which ranks him second, in both categories, in the NBA behind, of all people, Darko Milicic. I said in my initial article that McGee edged out Andray Blatche to make the list but it looks like Blatche will have the final word with the season he is putting together thus far.

C.J. Miles | Grade: B

Miles is Utah’s sixth man this season as Raja Bell finds himself in the starting lineup. Obviously, Jerry Sloan knows what he is doing bringing Miles of the bench as an offensive spark. He is averaging 11 points per game but 17.2 per 36 minutes which is better than Al Jefferson. Miles is in there to score the ball and little else. It would be nice to see him improve his field goal percentage which is only 39.7 percent at present. Bringing it up to 42-43 percent is what he needs to shoot for.

Ramon Sessions | Grade: either B – or D depending on the night

Sessions is another one of those players who I just cannot quit. He has flashes of brilliance followed by the dregs of mediocrity. He is averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 assists this season as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ backup point guard who sometimes gets the start. However, his game-to-game numbers are like a roller coaster ride. Here are his point totals through 20 games this season: 14, 4, 21, 7, 9, 6, 15, 14, 17, 7, 16, 2, 15, 3, 13, 5, 14, 11, 18, 2. Twice this season the only points he has scored have come at the charity stripe. His assist numbers remain fairly consistent though which seems to be his most redeeming quality as a player this season and why I am not grading him harsher. Despite his scoring ups and downs, he is the tied with Antawn Jamison for total points on the team with 213 and is just one point behind J.J. Hickson who is third on the team.

Marreese Speights | Grade: D

There are some redeeming qualities for the Philadelpia 76ers this season, unfortunately Speights does not find himself among them. He is averaging only 12.8 minutes per game scoring only 5.3 points and collecting 3.8 rebounds. His per 36 minutes numbers are much better but they do not matter when it takes him three games to log that much time on the floor. Doug Collins cannot seem to find a place for him in the regular rotation with Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, and Spencer Hawes ahead of him. I said that he needed minutes to see actual dividends in my original article and it looks like those minutes may never come.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, Players

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | November 11, 2010 · 11:29 AM

For Utah Jazz, Twice is Nice in Florida

Where there's a Will(iams), there's a way

It seems like just the other day we were writing about the Utah Jazz’s monumental comeback effort, fueled by Paul Millsap, against the Miami Heat. Well, that is because we were. So what could the Jazz even think of doing for an encore? I mean seriously, after their 22 point overtime comeback there is not much that can equal its luster. Plus, the Jazz had to play against Orlando the next day. This had all the signs of a 1-1 trip through America’s wang. Utah had other ideas.

The Jazz went into the Amway Center having played the most memorable game of the season. Of course, the Magic, at home, wanted to spoil the high note that the Jazz were riding. Orlando came out rolling and posted an 18 point lead with a minute and a half left in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the Magic did not realize that the Jazz had them right where they wanted them.

Crank up the dejavu switch to 11. Utah came storming back as most of their players had a hand in erasing the deficit. Millsap was active, scoring five points and grabbing a rebound during the run. Kyrylo Fesenko also contributed five points while Raja Bell scored two while getting a rebound and an assist. C.J. Miles added a pair of rebounds and assists as well. However, it was Utah’s star players that turned the tides.

Andrei Kirilenko contributed five points, three rebounds, and an assist during the spurt. Al Jefferson added nine points, many on second chance opportunities, and a rebound. However, the catalyst of the comeback was point guard Deron Williams. During their 13 and a half minute run, Williams scored 22 of his 30 points, had three rebounds, and dished out six assists.

It was not just the will of the Jazz which helped them pull out another comeback. Jerry Sloan switched from man-to-man to zone defense which completely boggled the Magic during Utah’s run. Apparently, Stan Van Gundy has no answer for a simple zone defense. The Jazz also used zone defense against Miami in their comeback the night before. It appears as if Sloan is taking advantage of teams by defending them the simplest way possible. Since teams tend to not even practice against the zone it is genius. Sloan is a mastermind.

Rallies are becoming old hat for the Jazz as this is the third game in a row that they have won in comeback fashion. They came back from 18 down against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. I guess all these teams forgot that you never count out a Jerry Sloan coached team. Maybe they should remember that next time around. Utah outscored Orlando 39-20 in the final quarter.

Millsap finished the game with 23 points and Jefferson had 21 for the Jazz. Vince Carter finished with 20 points to lead the Magic who shot 43 percent from the field for the game. This was Orlando’s first home loss of the season.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | October 28, 2010 · 9:37 PM

Beef Stew

So beefy

After three days of NBA action there are a few storylines worth noting that are not from south Florida (you can read about ‘them’ everywhere else). With that, we bring you our first installment of a new segment: Beef Stew. This segment will be an assortment piece in which we discuss various issues, musings, and teams from around the league all in one article. We have done this before, but with the new season upon us we decided upon a snazzy new name. Please enjoy.

Hope in Clipperland?

Blake Griffin is the real deal. Clippers fans have waited a whole season to see their top draft pick in regular season action. Was the wait worth it? Well, they could have used him last year but they are sure happy to have him this season. He did not disappoint in his opening game. Griffin’s first points of his career came off a monster flush. He made it a habit of dunking regularly throughout the game even against Marcus Camby and LaMarcus Aldridge who guarded him at times. Griffin finished his evening with 20 points and 14 rebounds, nine of which were offensive. (Seriously, nine offensive rebounds!) He also chipped in four dimes and a steal. Not a bad night, huh? Looks like the Clippers finally have something going for them. Let’s see how fast Donald Sterling can mess this up.

Show me some Love

Kevin Love is good, real good. (Are we beating a dead horse yet?) Yes, yes, we write about Love extensively here at the Beef, but we have reasoning behind it. He is the best player on Minnesota’s hodgepodge roster. Therefore, it is easy to see that he should see his minutes increase over last season especially with Al Jefferson no longer being on the team. Apparently, Kurt Rambis is blind, dumb, or just stupid. Love recorded less than twenty-four minutes of game time in the Timberwolves season opener and sat the final eight and a half minutes. Rambis played Anthony Tolliver over Love for the majority of the game because of Tolliver’s defense, which allowed Carl Landry to score with almost the same ease. Love recorded a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds in his limited role. This is an interesting occurrence as this was supposed to be Love’s year to lead the team but his head coach apparently does not agree. If this keeps up the relationship between Love and the Timberwolves could grow as cold as a Minnesota winter. KAAAHHN…err, RAAAMBIS! (Love is blogging for GQ this season. Check it out.)

When men get engaged, they lose a lot…of minutes

Sasha Vujacic is going to see a decreased role on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Lakers’ fans, rejoice! You know what this means? It means the Lakers have a better bench than the mess of mediocrity they had last season. With Steve Blake and Matt Barnes coming to Los Angeles and Shannon Brown seeing an increased role behind a banged up Kobe Bryant, minutes are scarce for Vujacic. Do not feel bad for him, though. His consolation is being engaged to Anna Kournikova. Poor guy.

Magic Moments or Hitting the Wall

Did you know that Florida has more than one NBA team? Orlando sure does. The Magic rudely interrupted John Wall’s first regular season game with a walloping of the Washington Wizards. No, seriously, this one was ugly. Stan Van Gundy emptied his bench early in the fourth quarter with Orlando up 30. Ouch. Unfortunately, Van Gundy still has no idea how to use the talents of Brandon Bass. Couldn’t he find minutes for him in a blowout? You would think so. But, he didn’t. A win is a win and Orlando likes them in whatever fashion they arrive. Consider this a wakeup call to the boastful bunch from Dade. Wall finished the game with 14 points, nine assists, and three steals but was an atrocious 6-19 shooting.

Melo-man Madness

Yeah, Carmelo Anthony still wants to leave Denver. What else is new?

Technicalities

This season, the NBA has made it an emphasis to call a lot of technical fouls. It is like David Stern sees every player through Rasheed Wallace goggles (similar to drunk goggles). So far 16 technicals have been called (through the end of the Magic-Wizards game, at least) this season in a mere three days of play. If the league were a player it would be suspended for a game. The NBA suspends a player for a game once they accrue 16 technical fouls. From that point onward, every technical foul a player receives results in a suspension.

1 Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | October 24, 2010 · 11:36 PM

The Kobe Beef indulges a Fantasy

Our fantasy does not exist on an island

Soon everything will be right with the world again. The NBA resumes on Tuesday night. Once again we will be treated to the poor calls of referees especially on the quick on the draw technical fouls, the media will continue to sweat everything Miami, Los Angeles (not the Clippers), Boston, and Oklahoma City, and the league and the players union will grow ever closer to an impasse and eventual lockout. Yes, the world will be right. What this time of year also means is that fantasy basketball is here too. Our draft was Sunday night. Here at the Beef it will be our third nonconsecutive year that we have played together. There are eight other teams in our league. We figured that we would share our opening day rosters with you.

First, the roster spots:

Rosters consist of 15 available slots with only 12 players being able to be played on a given night. The positions are point guard, shooting guard, guard, small forward, power forward, forward, two centers, and four utility players.

Statistics are as follows:

Field Goals Attempted (FGA) -.25; Field Goals Made (FGM) 2.25; Free Throws Attempted (FTA) -.25; Free Throws Made (FTM) 1.25; 3-point Shots Attempted (3PTA) -1; 3-point Shots Made (3PTM) 4; Points Scored (PTS) .25; Offensive Rebounds (OREB) 2; Defensive Rebounds (DREB) 1.25; Assists (AST) 2; Steals (ST) 1.75; Blocked Shots (BLK) 2; Turnovers (TO) -2

Now without further adieu, our rosters:

TruWariers 5.0 (this will be the fifth season of the TruWariers; one championship, two third place finishes)

Dipset (this will be the third season of Dipset; two second place finishes)

We’ll keep you updated (albeit infrequently) on how our teams do this season. If you have a team, good luck to you as well.

1 Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | October 14, 2010 · 3:42 PM

10 NBA Players to watch in 2010-11

You already know the storylines and what to expect from the league’s All Star players and potential rookies of the year. Why spend any more time talking about them? Leave that to ESPN. The players assembled on this list, for the most part, are some of the lesser known players in the league. In fact, there are a couple on here that made the cut simply because of wishful thinking as they will likely polish the pine for their given team but that does not discount their talent. Others are players who will soon make a name for themselves in the league as their careers begin to take hold. Two on the list are rookies and the rest have had some, but not many, years experience in the NBA. Agree or disagree you should at least know their names.

Patrick Beverley, PG: Miami Heat

Of all the players on the Heat to watch for this season, well there are really only three and a half (Mike Miller is the half. No offense.), I choose Patrick Beverley. Are you still reading? If so, please, hear me out. So far this preseason, Beverley is not lighting it up per say but he is logging solid minutes while the Triumvirate sits and is averaging 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and a steal. Not bad. However, when Pat Riley…err, Erik Spoelstra had him log 41 minutes against the Spurs, Beverley dropped a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He added five dimes and three steals all while never committing a turnover. I know, I know, Beverley will see limited minutes (if he sees any during the regular season) as he will be a bench option on a team such as the Heat but that does not mean that he will not make an impact. If Mario Chalmers’ ankle continues to be a concern throughout the season it would be Beverley who would replace him in the starting lineup. Beverley has a strong basketball pedigree and should not be overlooked. Plus, if Karma strikes the Heat, Beverley will be the only one left to play other than Udonis Haslem.

Darren Collison, PG: Indiana Pacers

Collison came to the Pacers in a massive four team trade this summer that has been over shadowed by a four team trade that never happened. The Pacers were the ultimate winner in the trade as they received the point guard they have been looking for during the better part of the previous two years. T.J. Ford just was not cutting it for them. Collison was Chris Paul’s back up in New Orleans last season and had his opportunity to shine when Paul went down with an injury. In 37 starts, Collison averaged 18.8 points and 9.1 assists. He will be the starter in Indianapolis and if these numbers can translate to the Pacers, a team as equally mediocre as the Hornets, expect Collison to easily enter any top point guard conversation this season.

Dominique Jones, G: Dallas Mavericks

Jones is one of only two rookies to make this list, Beverley is the other. Will he really make an impact on a team such as the Mavericks, though? The Mavs are deep. How deep? Deeper than Sage Francis. Minutes will be in short supply but expect Jones to get his fair share coming off the bench. Unlike the standard Maverick prototype, Jones loves to get into the paint and to the rim and is not content to settle for a jump shot. Subsequently, he will draw plenty of fouls with such aggressive play. His only issue right now is his ability to finish at the rim. During preseason he is only shooting 36 percent. He is a natural scorer, however, and his percentage is sure to climb as he becomes more acclimated to the NBA. He has carved out a niche for himself so far as the team is impressed with his abilities on the defensive end of the floor and as a passer on offense. He is averaging 3.6 assists this preseason. He may see limited minutes but expect him to make every one of them count.

Linas Kleiza, F: Toronto Raptors

In all reality, Kleiza may be the only thing worth watching in Toronto. No offense to Jarrett Jack, Sonny Weems, or DeMar DeRozan (all of whom can Dougie quite well) but we all know that Kleiza has the potential to be “the guy” in America’s hat. Every account and story about Kleiza since his return to the NBA from Greece and his time at the FIBA World Championships is that he is in the best shape of his career. He averaged 19 points on 57.8 percent shooting and 7.1 rebounds per game during the world championships with Lithuania. Since the international game is different from that of the NBA, do not expect these numbers to directly translate but they should be a good ballpark indication of what he is capable of doing night in and night out in Toronto. In limited play during the preseason, Kleiza has averaged 11 points and four rebounds. Expect the Raptors to lean heavily on Kleiza this season as he may turn out to be their main scoring threat, when the Andrea Bargnani experiment crumbles, on a team full of lackluster talent.

Kevin Love, F/C: Minnesota Timberwolves

If you are a frequent visitor to our blog you probably already know how much love we show to Love. Can you blame us? Look, the fact is that Love is going to be one of the best players in the entire league next year but no one is talking about it because their heads are too far up Miami’s ass. Plain and simple: Kevin Love is the best rebounder in the league. What, you do not believe me? You need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid at Dwight Howard’s party. I wrote a piece shortly after the world championships ended and I will direct you to it for a more in depth look at why Kevin Love is a player to watch. Read that article here. Still do not believe me? Then look at all his numbers here.

Wesley Matthews, G: Portland Trailblazers

Matthews is one of the newest members of the Blazers having signed an offer sheet with them this summer worth an estimated $34 million over five years which Utah failed to match. Looking at Matthews’ career numbers one thing strikes you; they are by no means daunting. However, if you have ever seen him play, especially in the playoffs last year, you know why the Blazers wanted him so bad. This kid hustles on every single play that he is on the court. He shredded the Lakers second unit in the playoffs with his tenacity and determination. He is averaging 15.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 dimes while shooting 48.7 percent on field goals and 40 percent on threes during the preseason. It looks like he has found his place in Portland. Matthew’s will likely be one of the first players off the Blazers’ bench and should take minutes away from the perpetual whiner, Rudy Fernandez. Portland spent the money and they will see results.

JaVale McGee, C: Washington Wizards

John Wall with the alley-oop to JaVale McGee for the flush! Get used to hearing that because it will become common. In fact it will likely appear on Sport Center’s Top 10 Plays regularly throughout the season. We have been fans of McGee for a while here at the Beef and feel that he is a household name of the future. McGee is young and full of talent which it why he edged out Andray Blatche as the only Wizard to appear on this list. Head Coach Flip Saunders has said that McGee needs to improve his rebounding otherwise Hilton Armstrong may get the start over him. This is merely some Phil Jackson-esque head game on the part of Saunders. Everyone knows that McGee will start and that not starting him hurts the team. However, Saunders’ statement must have hit home as McGee pulled down 11 rebounds against Atlanta in the teams’ most recent preseason game to go along with 16 points. These numbers would seem to be what we can expect of McGee this season which will be his first as the starting center. With Wall running the point, McGee’s future looks bright as the two should bourgeon into one of the league better young duos.

C.J. Miles, G/F: Utah Jazz

Miles lost his running mate in Wesley Matthews, in terms of hustle, but that should only help increase the minutes he will see this season. Over the past two seasons, Miles has seen his role on the Jazz increase dramatically (and his basketball card seems like it is in every Upper Deck pack). During the 2008-09 season, he started in all 72 games he appeared in and last season started in 28 of the 63 games in which he played. Yes, his increased time is linked in some way to the injuries of Andrei Kirilenko and his time spent as the Jazz’s sixth man but that certainly has not diminished his value in the eyes of Jerry Sloan. Miles is currently averaging 11.3 points in preseason play and has averaged 9.5 points over the previous two seasons. Expect another increase in production from Miles this season, which will be his sixth, especially as opposing teams will focus on slopping Al Jefferson and Deron Williams which should leave Miles open on many plays. If he plays well, he could easily find himself in the discussion for most improved player. (Plus, Miles is from Dallas so you have to love that.)

Ramon Sessions, G: Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland is a barren wasteland. Few dare to even mention its name anymore. For a time there were fertile fields and flowers blooming, and then a pestilence swept over the land leaving nothing but scorched earth. It will take time to recover but the wounds left may never fully heal. What is left is a shell of what once was. However, do not over look it just yet. Ramon Session, a name that many people have never heard, was acquired by the Cavaliers this summer in a manner that was in stark contrast to how they lost a player. While no one thought much of this trade but it will help the Cavs more than anyone realizes. Byron Scott, Cleveland’s head coach, likes to push the ball up and down the court. He likes a fast paced game. Byron Scott may find that the only way for his team to be competitive is to go small and force the opponents to adjust to him. This bodes well for Sessions. He has already had a double-double this preseason against the Wizards with 10 points and 10 rebounds as well as six assists. He is averaging 12 points, five rebounds, and 4.8 points in the preseason to date. It would not be absurd to think that Sessions could potentially return to the same playing form he showed with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2008-09 season when he averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 dimes, mostly off the bench.

Marreese Speights, F: Philadelphia 76ers

Of all the players on the 76ers, Speights is the one that no one is talking about. Yet, it may be him that has the best season on the team. Not Jrue Holiday, not Evan Turner, not Lou Williams, but Speights. There are parts of me that want to predict anywhere from 37-40 wins for this team and there are parts of me (much smaller parts) that think they win no more than 29 games. Nonetheless, everything, in my view, hinges on the play of Speights and whether he can stay healthy or not and get the time he deserves. He must prove himself worthy to Doug Collins so that he is not relegated to a bench role behind Thaddeus Young and to do this he must improve his rebounding. OK, honestly, having Speights on this list is a bit of a stretch. He is good though, it is just uncertain if he will actually see the minutes he needs to prove that. Lucky for him, Elton Brand is an injury waiting to happen. If any of the big forwards on the Sixers goes down this season, it will be Speights who will step in to fill the void. When, not if, this happens it will be up to him to convince Collins that he is the player that he has the potential to be.

3 Comments

Filed under Players

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | September 27, 2010 · 9:49 PM

NBA Media Day and More ‘Melo, More Problems

Nugget for now

Ah, yes, media day across the NBA is upon us once again. The hardwood is polished, player edition sneaker boxes line the locker room, our Twitter feed is chalk full of goodies, Ira Winderman is as giddy as a schoolboy despite the fact that Brian Windhorst will cover the Miami Heat for ESPN, and the smell of freshly cut grass and hot dogs wafts through the air. Wait, scratch that last part. After a long and tumultuous summer, all 30 teams are fully assembled yet again as they prepare for their first practices which begin Tuesday. New faces are introduced to the media as well as the new numbers and jerseys that the players will don this year. The new adidas jerseys seem to carry a promise similar to that of PF Flyers. Yes, all is right with the league, faces are smiling, players are sounding allegiance to their teams, and every team garners some hope for the coming season. Well, not exactly. The Timberwolves have all but ruled out a championship run. Other teams are likely to follow suit in due time.

Since the two man staff here at the beef is not yet of the press ilk that are invited to events such as media day we will do our best to keep you informed of all the happening around the league. Here is what is transpiring across the NBA on the first day of the new season. Let the games…err, practices begin.

As of today the most pressing issue that has faced the league is where Carmelo Anthony will end up. Today, he reported to the Nuggets media day, spoke to the press, and will attend practices tomorrow. So much for the nonsensical rumor that he might not show up to camp. Who would honestly believe that anyway? The only possible scenario that would involve him not appearing at camp with the Nuggets would have been if he had been traded. They still pay him after all. The least he can do is show up. Anthony’s entire stance during the “Melo Drama,” as it is being universally called now, has been one of silence. He even went so far as to say that he never publically requested a trade. Adding further that, “I’m leaving my options open.” Really, ‘Melo? You are leaving your options open? Who could have guessed?

Anthony is likely leaving his options open because of the faltering four team deal that would end up sending him to New Jersey. Why is deal faltering? Anthony does not want to be sent to a Nets squad that will be forced to give up former All Star point guard Devin Harris, who is not too thrilled about his role as trade bait of late, to the Charlotte Bobcats which would leave the reigns of the offense in the hands of Jordan Farmar. If you ever watched Farmar quarterback in Los Angeles you too would have second thoughts about this arrangement. Naturally, Chris Paul entered the conversation because of his insistence that the New Orleans Hornets trade him after he ‘witnessed’ the scorched earth tactics of some of his fellow Beijingers. Yet, Paul could not be acquired by the Nets either later this season or in 2012 due to the teams issues with cap room if they did trade for Anthony and have him sign an extension with them.

Further complicating the proposed deal is the statement that the Utah Jazz made today concerning their role in the trade. In the original package, the Jazz were to send Andrei Kirilenko to the Nuggets. Now they are saying that they have no intention of moving the Russian box score stuffer. This is the second time a team has had misgivings about this deal. Charlotte did not want to move D.J. Augustin. Despite that, however, the deal appeared to be moving forward, albeit at the speed of molasses. As the four way trade began to catch snags other teams stepped up with offers of their own.

The Philadelphia 76ers were said to have been using the likes of Andre Iguodala to lure Denver into a trade for Antony. Then, the Golden State Warriors hoped into the fray with a half-hearted offer including Stephen Curry. Hell, even the Minnesota Timberwolves got involved. Everyone wants a piece of Carmelo Anthony. It was joked that any Minnesota deal for Anthony would require a point guard to be sent to the Timberwolves. Each of these potential deals was quickly shot down be one of the sides involved. Now that media day has drawn to an end, however, and Anthony has still not been traded, the goal of the Nuggets is to get him thinking about remaining in Denver. They might not get him to sign the extension they offered him but they could convince him to stick around a bit longer. At least that is their end goal even though it may appear futile at this point.

Hey now, you're an (potential) All Star

Jazz fans can rest easier tonight knowing that the team does not plan on moving Kirilenko and that Kyrylo Fesenko did not turn up in Houston for media day. Fesenko, after a long holdout, decided to resign with Utah. When asked why he did not take the Rockets’ offer he simply said that he did not want to move. The Jazz now have two viable options at center, the other being Francisco Elson, while Mehmet Okur is out. At present there is no set time table for Okur’s return. Even better news for the jazz is that Deron Williams has his eyes set on making new teammate, Al Jefferson, an All Star this year. That should not be that hard given Jefferson’s skill sets but his health will always be the one thing holding him back.

Unlike Fesenko, Erick Dampier still has yet to find a team to call home. However, the list he made is down to four potential suitors but only one will receive a rose from Dampier. Those teams are the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trailblazers, and the Toronto Raptors. If Dampier hopes to attend the playoffs this year in uniform rather than in the stands, he really has just three choices.

Another player who has been involved in the trade buzz over the summer is Rudy Fernandez. For quite some time it was rumored that the Chicago Bulls had interest in the Blazers’ spark off the bench. Well, that was then and this is now. Today, Fernandez tweeted (yes, we use Twitter as a valid source of information) that he “prefers the European style” and “I don’t feel good in NBA.” Wow, talk about a buzz kill. No one will touch him with a 10 pole now let alone want to trade for him. Can anyone explain why these Spaniards dislike the NBA so much? Pau and Marc Gasol seem to like it just fine. What is it about Spain? Is it their three hour lunches followed by a siesta every day? Is it the Iberian weather? Is the work ethic in the NBA too much for them? Seriously, throw us a bone. We have no clue what their deal is.

At least one European expressed his interest to remain in the NBA today and with the same team nonetheless. Tony Parker, after having been connected to joining Amar’e Stoudemire in New York to play for the Knicks at the start of the summer, reaffirmed his commitment to the San Antonio Spurs. “I hope Spurs fans know I want to stay here … I’m going to take Manu’s example from last year,” Parker said. The only example that we can think of that Manu Ginobili has ever set is flopping 101. Essentially, Parker will continue to end up on the floor 87 percent of the time he drives the lane for the Spurs for years to come.

Gilbert Arenas is back. Gone are the days of treating the locker room like it was the OK Corral. This is a new Agent Zero. Wait, he changed his number. He now wears the number nine. So what are the fans and media supposed to call him now? That is presently up for debate on Twitter with some of the better ones being “Cloud 9,” “The Ninth Wonder,” and “District 9.” Seeing as how he plays for the team located in the District of Columbia, “District 9” seems to be the most apropos. Hopefully that one will stick.

“I’ve gotten better.” Those simple three words are how Kevin Durant described his game today. He still does not think that he is on the same level of LeBron James, however. Durant is a modest player. Obviously, Durant is not on the same level as James. No, he surpassed that level this summer. He surpassed him in Turkey, he surpassed him in scoring last year, and he will surpass him in MVP votes this year. It is a good thing that Durant has such a good head on his shoulders. It would be a shame if he became “one of them” and did it all for the celebrity of it.

Curry should lay off the curry while he recovers from his latest injury

In some lighter news, Eddy Curry, the much maligned and hamburger loving center for the Knicks, injured his hamstring to day during running drills in which he was lapped several times. Mike D’Antoni must have been running them hard today. It must be noted that he was lapped before he pulled his hamstring. He is expected to miss four to six weeks. Curry, looked to be the third string center going into this season despite being paid around $11 million. The Knicks are going play some of their preseason games in Europe but Curry will not travel with the team because of his injury. The whole of Knicks fandom should jointly look up to the sky, shake their fists and yell, “ISIAH!!!” Go ahead, do it. You will feel better.

The Sacramento Kings probably will not make any playoff ripples this season, but that is not stopping one of their players from wanting to make as big an impact as he can. DeMarcus Cosins wants to be the Rookie of the Year. “When I’m on the court, I’m trying to show you … especially the people that doubted my basketball skills,” Cousins said. “I want to be the Rookie of the Year. I didn’t get a chance to be the Player of the Year in college. I need my own individual award. I want mine.” That should keep the cowbells ringing at Arco. At least half of the staff at the Beef gives him a legitimate shot at taking the honor home with him this year.

Down the 101 in Los Angeles, new Clippers head coach, Vinny Del Negro, is already complaining that Baron Davis is fat. Guess he has been hiding a second chin under that beard for all these years. This story has dominated all Clippers coverage so far. Blake Griffin seems to be a complete after thought…just like the Clippers themselves. It really is too bad that Eric Gordon is relegated to play for that organization. He needs to demand a trade.

Four-tet

As people who follow the Dallas Mavericks have come to expect over recent years, the Mavs began their season touting their roster depth at media day. It is beginning to sound like a record skipping. (Do kids even know what records are anymore?) The Mavericks are easily one of the most consistently deep teams put together every year. This season, however, they have one glaring omission. There is not a traditional power forward to back up Dirk Nowitzki. Time at the backup four spot will likely be given to Shawn Marion but that makes for a small lineup. Playing the four is nothing new to Marion but a more serviceable big might be needed down the stretch. Depth at the guard will also be an issue with Rodrigue Beaubois being out with a foot injury to start the season. The Mavericks had hoped to start the young and explosive guard alongside Jason Kidd this season in an effort to ease him into a replacement role down the road. Those plans will have to be put on hold for the moment.

These are just some of the stories facing the teams as the season gets underway. Soon the squeak of rubber on wood floors will be heard in 30 different places as players either try to make the cut or work on finding their rhythm after a long summer. What media day brings everyone is a great sigh of relief. Now all the filler stories and rumors can stop being written and everyone can get back to the business of basketball. What the upcoming season may hold no one knows. What is certain after media day, however, is that everyone still hates the Miami Heat.

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | September 14, 2010 · 3:12 PM

All You Need is Love

Love will find a way

As the well deserved accolades continue to pour down on Kevin Durant for his performance at the world championships this summer, the scope of just how well the members of Team USA did is becoming more apparent. Throngs of people will oversimplify what actually took place in Turkey and will only remember the performance of Durant. His play was astounding but it was not the singular standout performance of the FIBA tournament for the Americans. We have discussed, variously, the performances of the other players on Team USA in our coverage of the FIBA World Championships when necessary. To say the least, we are quite pleased with the play of all the members of Team Beef who were on the national roster in Turkey or invited to camp. Now that everything is said and done, one player’s performance remains glaring back at us leaving us astonished. What he was able to do with his time on the court is almost unheard of and further signals to the immense upside he has.

Despite only playing for 80 minutes during the tournament, the third lowest total of all the players on Team USA’s roster, Kevin Love proved himself to be the most dynamic and efficient player that no one is talking about outside of basketball aficionados and us at the Beef. On the surface, his basic statistics are decent but certainly not Durant-esque. Durant logged a total of 254 minutes during the tournament and his time spent on the court is representative of his productions. He scored 205 points, more than double Chauncey Billups’ 88 points, and pulled down 55 rebounds.  Billups was the second highest scorer on Team USA and played 208 minutes. However, it was Lamar Odom that outpaced Durant in rebounding with 69 total rebounds in 198 minutes. In comparison, Love scored 51 points and had 44 rebounds. Like I said, it was not that impressive on the surface to most viewers but it was definitely a legitimate contribution to the team on their way to the gold medal.

Again, you must remember that Love totaled only 80 minutes of playing time; 51 points and 44 rebounds in 80 minutes. Is his overall impact becoming a little more clear? He shot 57 percent from the field during the world championships, 61.5 percent on two-point field goals and 44.4 percent from behind the arc on nine attempts. Love had the third highest offensive raking on the team at 130.8 behind Tyson Chandler’s rating of 140.3 and Durant’s 132.3. Team USA’s offensive rating as a unit was 123.8. For those who do not know, offensive rating is the calculated number of points a player produces per 100 possessions that the player was used. Love was used 27.2 percent of Team USA’s offensive possessions while he was on the floor which is the highest percentage of times a player was used out of all the players on the roster. Durant was a close second with 26.5 percent. Generally, the more a player is used in a team’s offense his offensive rating will decline due to the difficulty of shots that must be taken with an increased offensive role. A player who has an offensive rating above 110 who also has a possession percentage above 23 is considered an offensive standout. Other than Love and Durant, Russell Westbrook is the only player on the US roster who meets these criteria.

To go along with his stellar offense production, Love also had the best defensive rating on the team at 82.9. Defensive rating is the number of points a player or team allowed per 100 possessions. Therefore, a lower rating is a sign of better defense. As there are five players on the court at any one time, it can be assumed that a player will face 20 percent of the opposing possessions while on the floor. Since that is the case, much of a player’s defensive rating is based on the overall performance of his team’s defense. Team USA’s defensive rating was 91 which is a full 10.1 points better than the 2006 national team that won bronze at the world championships. Durant, once again, was second in this category with a rating of 88.1.

Even though Odom, who tallied more than twice the minutes that Love did, led the team in rebounding Love finished only 25 boards behind him and 11 behind Durant. Love’s rebounding percentages were through the roof. He gathered in 16 offensive rebounds with an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.8 percent. Defensively, his rebounding percentage was 34.1 percent. Offensive and defensive rebounding percentages are the estimated percentages of available offensive and defensive rebounds that a player recorded while on the floor. Odom finished second on the team in both categories with 13.2 and 22.2 percent respectively.

Simply put, Love was the model of efficiency for Team USA. But, this is certainly nothing new as fans of the Timberwolves. That is if they actually still have any semblance of a fan base as the team took out a full page ad in the Star Tribune on September 13 that stated, “So will we challenge for the NBA championship this year? Not likely.” Honesty is the best policy after all and David Kahn is never one to be anything but blunt. Nonetheless, Love has proven that the numbers he put up this summer were not a fluke. In his two year career in the NBA, Love has had an offensive rating of 113 while being used in 21.6 percent of the Timberwolves offensive possessions. One must remember that in his first two seasons in Minnesota, Al Jefferson was the center piece to their offense while Love was frequently used as the sixth man. Jefferson was used 26.6 percent of the time on offensive sets when he was on the court during those years.

Although, Love’s defensive rating, 109, is nothing to write home about during his first two years in the league it can be chalked up the overall poor defensive performance of the Timberwolves as a whole. The Timberwolves had an average defensive rating of 111.5 over the previous two seasons. That does not bode well for the ratings of any of the players on the team.

As for rebounding, the story is more of same in terms of consistency along the lines of his performance this summer. Love has gathered in offensive rebounds at a rate of 14.8 percent and lead the NBA in this category his rookie season with a mark of 15.1 percent. Defensively, he has averaged 27.9 percent rebounding. Last season (2009-2010), his defensive rebounding percentage climbed to 28.6 percent which is up from 27.3 percent the previous year.

Combine all of that with the fact that his outside shot is improving, he connected on 33 percent of his shots from downtown in 2009-10, and you have the makings of a perennial All Star. There is no question that Love should be voted in by the fans to play in Los Angeles at the Staples Center in February in front of celebrities and the world media. The problem is that little if any attention is paid to the Timberwolves. Yes, they were the worst team in the Western Conference last season but that should not deter the focus from the achievements of Love. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year, as last season he missed 60 games, mostly at the start of the season, and earn a roster spot in the NBA’s biggest popularity contest.

He will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2012 as his next two seasons are under a team option on his initial rookie contract with the Timberwolves. It would behoove David Kahn and company to keep Love around for as long as they can. However, with Kahn holding the reins, anything is possible. Love has stated in a recent interview with HoopsHype.com that he would “love to sign an extension and kind of get that out of the way.” But he also added, “If they wanna to move me, it’s up to them. I’m just going to go out there and play my butt off and try to make any team that I’m on better. I look at it like, you know very few players play their whole career with the team that drafted them.” (Technically, he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies who then traded him to Minnesota.) Yet, as with all players looking at signing an extension or testing the waters of free agency in the near future, the future of the collective bargaining agreement talks loom large.

Next time Mark Jackson tells Kevin Love to ride with the luggage under the bus he needs to stop and think twice. Love is the real deal. The experience he gained this summer playing with a unit as cohesive as Team USA will turn Love into a leader in Minnesota. There is no question that his confidence will be higher now that he has won gold in Turkey. With Jefferson having been traded to the Jazz, Love should begin to play an even more focal role in Minnesota. With an increased role where he is not relegated to coming off the bench, his numbers could skyrocket. He already averages more rebounds per 36 minutes than Dwight Howard does and it would not be inconceivable that his numbers could simply eclipse Howard’s all together with more playing time. Kevin Love is that good and proved it to the world in Turkey. It is time that he gets the credit he deserves. I purchased my ticket for the Love train a while ago. Have you?

(Many thanks to Basketball Reference on their diligent statistical record keeping as they were the source of the statistics found above.)

2 Comments

Filed under NBA at Large, Players, Team USA

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | August 4, 2010 · 1:43 AM

The NBA releases ‘Marquee’ Games Schedule & Shaq to Boston

Future teammates?

The NBA has released its schedule…of ‘marquee’ games for the upcoming season. Sorry, Nets, you did not make the cut. Do not feel left out though, many of the NBA’s best teams were snubbed. This is yet another in the league’s attempts to drum up attention for itself during the summer doldrums. It would be more successful if there were not leaks that have led to many game matchups having already been reported by various outlets. Simply put, this is the NBA and David Stern at their pandering best. Hell, the NBA is accustomed to pandering so why would they stop now? It loves to showcase its preferred and anointed teams to a national audience even though many fans detest these teams but may like a player or two on them. So this year will be the year of the Miami Heat. It seems like they have the nationally broadcast game of the week nine times a week. Less than one tenth of the actual schedule has been released thus far and the Heat are the winners. (By the way, Miami plays in Cleveland on 2 December.) Stern loves to pander to ratings and the advertising revenue that it brings in above all else. He completely ignored claims of tampering in the Miami Thrice coup d’état but will now reap the financial benefits of having the trio on national television all the time. (And he says the league is losing money…) The only way that Stern would not have had the schedule arranged (I am well aware that he does not personally make the schedule but as the commissioner he has a say as to what teams will be spotlighted on certain days, i.e. Christmas Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and opening night.) such as this would have been if Mark Cuban had lured LeBron James to Dallas. Seems that if Cuban even breathes Stern is going to fine him or investigating him.

Ok, enough rambling about the flaws of the NBA and its commissioner. There will be plenty of time for that in the future. On to the games (that have been officially released).

Opening Night(s): 26 October

The first game of the national double-header will be those Miami Heat traveling to Beantown to face the Boston Celtics. By itself this is a good matchup between the reigning Eastern Conference champion and the team that some (*cough* Hollinger *cough*) think will win 70+ games. That sure is some billing, but there is something else that will be brought into the already loaded equation. According to a tweet by Stephen A. Smith, Shaquille O’Neal will join the Celtics today. He was right on the whole Chris Bosh and James to Miami so I am going with him on this one. Shaq will be a Celtic. “The Big TD Garden” or “the Big Leprechaun.” Shaq played with both LeBron and Dwyane Wade. He helped Wade to the most tainted ring in NBA history. Before the Shaq factor, the tag line being thrown around was about opposing big threes, but the story should have really been about Eddie House facing off against his former team. Who care if Shaq is in the last year(s) of his career, he still steals the story. (Really just wanted to jump the gun and write about Shaq as a Celtic so the rest will be light info. Read Marc Stein’s breakdown of the games for more information and analysis.)

The second game of the double-header will be the Houston Rockets at the Los Angeles Lakers. Clearly the first game will overshadow this one due to star power and time zones but this should be one to watch. Houston is good and Yao Ming should be back barring any serious setbacks in training camp. If Yao is back and healthy Lakers fans may get familiar with Theo Ratliff before they ever imagined they would. One key matchup will be between Shane Battier and Kobe Bryant. They are always fun to watch compete against each other. This will also be Ron Artest versus Trevor Ariza, but we are too over that to even bother discussing it.

27 October

Chicago travels to Seattle…er, wait, Oklahoma City to take on the very young, very exciting, and very lacking in the department of serviceable big man Thunder. Since the Bulls acquired Carlos Boozer this summer they should have the edge in the paint along with Joakim Noah mopping the glass. If the Bulls can slow Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook it would be something. Derrick Rose should be taking notes during his time with Durant on Team USA.

Portland gets one of their obligatory appearances because of time zones in the second nationally televised game. Yet, they will be on the road in Los Angeles…facing the Clippers. The Clippers are rarely seen on a national broadcast and there is a reason for it. Expect this to be their only game televised nationally. Do not worry east coast dwellers, the game will be on so late you will not even have to watch the Clippers lose.

28 October

Ah, John Wall gets his first national exposure in the NBA…against the Orlando Magic. The Wizards have made some decent moves this summer in bringing in Kirk Hinrich and resigning Josh Howard and they should Beretta Gil back too but against the Magic, who have played in each of the last two Eastern Conference Finals, do not expect a coming out party for Wall or Washington.

Phoenix will travel to Utah in the Western Conference matchup of the evening. Both teams have had to retool at the power forward positions this summer after their former fours decided to head east. The Suns brought in Hakim Warrick and the Jazz traded for Al Jefferson. There will be a good matchup at the point as well with Steve Nash and Deron Williams squaring off.

29 October

Here come those Heat again. They will host the Magic in what is a tough, tough, tough first two games for Miami. Jeez, why can they not play New Jersey of the Wrath of David Kahns every game? Gee golly it just is not fair! By the time this game is over we should have a good idea of how vulnerable Miami’s interior defense is.

In the west the Lakers travel to Phoenix in what has become a classic regular and post season matchup. However, the Suns really do not have anyone to defend/piss off Kobe Bryant anymore so the rivalry has dimmed a bit.

Christmas Day

The NBA has put together a set of five games for this day. Can you guess one of the matchups? Wrong. If you said that the Heat would play the Lakers you are wrong. Miami will play Los Angeles in all five games! How do those schedule makers do it? First they will play a game at 4 am in Madison Square Garden, and then they will fly to Miami for another game, after that it is off to Chicago, then Denver and finally they will face each other in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Phew! Incredible right? Boy, the NBA has it figured out this year. Bravo David Stern, bravo.

Actually the five matchups are between the Bulls who travel to New York to face the Knicks, followed by Boston at Orlando, then the aforementioned Lakers versus Heat in Los Angeles, Denver at Oklahoma City, and finally the Golden State Warriors (sans Nellie?) will host the Portland Trailblazers.

MLK Day

Chicago at Memphis; Orlando at Boston; Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers. Blah, blah, blah. Really like the inclusion of the Grizzlies though. They should be a good team this coming season. Probably will be another case where if they were in the east they would make the playoffs.

Is anyone else starting to get tired of certain teams? The season has yet to begin and already the homogeneity is vomit-inducing. Can we not be treated to New Jersey vs. Minnesota? Ratings be damned! What about Toronto vs. Miami or Toronto vs. Phoenix? People would watch these games. Not everyone cares solely about ‘star’ players. Some of us like the sport for what it is and will watch any and every game we can. Speaking of which, more games need to be shown on ABC during the regular season. The cable monopoly has got to stop. The league needs to get the product out to the most people possible and the best way to do that is on network television.

Notable Snubs

Dallas Mavericks: Really no surprise here. Stern and the NBA have never shown love to the Mavericks despite the fact that they have been in the playoffs every year since 2000 and were the second seed in the west last year.

San Antonio Spurs: This team will probably still make some people’s lists as championship contenders when the season starts. They have won four titles and are methodical and precise. Oh, that’s right, people hate methodical basketball. Last time I checked, George Hill is far from methodical.

Milwaukee Bucks: Don’t you dare go to sleep on this team, NBA. This team is made to be a giant killer. They took the heavily favored Hawks to seven games in the playoffs last year and have only gotten better this offseason. With a healthy Andrew Bogut they will be the most dangerous team in the east.

Atlanta Hawks: They really did not do much of anything this summer other than resigning Joe Johnson to a giant contract. Good thing for the Hawks that during the regular season Johnson will play like he is worth it. Come playoffs however, a whole different story unfolds.

Sacramento Kings: If you watched them in Summer League play you know that DeMarcus Cousins is the real deal. He and Tyreke Evans should work well together. Add Samuel Dalembert and Carl Landry and you have the makings of something good.

Philadelphia 76ers: They acquired Spencer Hawes, Andres Nocioni, and drafted Evan Turner. Sure they had a bad year last season going 27-55 but injuries did not help anything. (Nor did Allen Iverson.) The previous two seasons the 76ers were just shy of making the playoffs so it is reasonable that they could get back to form.

New Orleans Hornets: You would think with all the Chris Paul chatter and trade demands that they would show at least one ‘marquee’ game featuring the Hornets. If they did we could see Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, who cares about Paul anyway? “LeBron did it so I want to do it too, waaaah.” Boo-hoo.

Cleveland Cavaliers: This is a team that is the most spurned in sports history. However, they should still be a .500+ ball club. Antawn Jamison is more than capable of scoring points in droves and being a double-double machine. The addition of Ramon Sessions should help speed up the tempo, which is what Byron Scott likes, for them as well. They no longer are living in the shadow of one player but now we must see if they are living with his ghost.

The full 2010-11 schedule will be release on 10 August but it will likely be completely leaked before then.

1 Comment

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,