Tag Archives: Charlotte Bobcats

by | December 27, 2011 · 4:03 PM

6 NBA Rookies to Watch in 2011-12

Leonard is one of a few promising rookies this year

Usually, this list consists of ten rookies to keep an eye on during the season. With the shortened season, however, this list is also smaller. Call it laziness on my part, call it whatever you want. It is what it is. Last year’s draft was something out of the Bizzaro universe. It was more notable for the peculiar name pronunciations than anything else. The popular rookies will get press elsewhere so there is no need to cover them in depth on this little blog. Plus, do you really need to read another article about the parallels between Jimmer Fredette and Tim Tebow? No, I didn’t think so.

The way in which the rookies were chosen to appear on this list is completely arbitrary and is a result of hope, sometimes terribly misguided, that these players will transform into household names in the future. Certainly, though, at least one is on here because of the sheer absurdity surrounding his journey to the NBA. (Can you guess which one?)

Norris Cole – PG, Miami Heat

Upon being drafted, Cole quickly discovered how he, as a player, is merely a commodity to teams. He was a member of three different teams on draft night, eventually landing with the Miami Heat. In college, Cole was the focal point of his team’s offense as he took 28.9 percent of his team’s field goal attempts. In Miami that will not be the case (understatement of the year, perhaps). What will set Cole apart will he his ability to pass the ball to the prominent scorers on the Heat as well as conform to the defensive system that Erik Spoelstra employs. His passing is already above average; however, he does have trouble passing out of a double team. Again, though, it will be unlikely that he sees many doubles while on the floor. It would not be surprising if Cole was inserted into the starting lineup at some point during the season so that Spoelstra can bring Mario Chalmers off the bench as an offensive kick for his second unit. Cole must continue to learn and play at a high level for that to happen.

Kawhi Leonard – SF, San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are a damned crafty bunch when it comes to drafting players. For them to have traded a promising young talent in George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for the draft rights to Leonard caused heads to turn. He would have been a great addition to an already scrappy Pacers squad, but they were overloaded at his position. Leonard made his mark in college as a premier (or monster) wing defender, forcing a turnover on 23.8 percent of the possessions in which he was the isolated defender as well as holding opponents to 37.5 percent shooting when he was defending them. His seven feet two inch arm span certainly helped him in these respects. Not only is he a stout defender but he is also a good defensive rebounder. Essentially, Leonard is the ideal Spurs player. Where he needs improvement, which Greg Popovich will administer in his own special way, is with his offense, both his shot and offensive sets. The Spurs are notorious for successfully developing players, much to the ire of rival fans, so Leonard should be in good hands. Also, with San Antonio shopping Richard Jefferson over the summer it looks as though Leonard could quickly move up the depth chart.

Ricky Rubio – PG, Minnesota Timberwolves

Oh, Ricky, Ricky, Ricky. What a zany (channeling Mitt Romney for that one) path Rubio has taken to the NBA. He was drafted what seems like a decade ago only to hold out until the final year of his rookie contract before agreeing to leave his beloved Spain to play in the cold wintery confines of Minnesota. This was either incredibly shrewd or insanely selfish. Rubio is not a typical rookie. He has played at a high level in Spain and internationally with the Spanish national team which is made up of mostly NBA players. One of the major criticisms of Rubio has been his scoring ability, however, he, like other Spanish point guards (read: Jose Calderon) is a pass first, offense facilitator. In Rick Adelman’s up-tempo style of play, especially with a team full of mediocre talent, Kevin Love aside, but that is incredibly athletic, Rubio should learn to thrive in the open court. He must first distinguish himself as deserving the playing time over the 1,000 other point guards that David Kahn has signed, though. That task should not prove to be a problem.

Iman Shumpert – PG/SG, New York Knicks

Shumpert was the buzz of New York after two preseason games. The hype was palpable. Shumpert was drafted for his defensive prowess but his offensive skills soon were apparent once the preseason began. Due to the Knicks’ lack of backcourt depth, he was slated to be a staple in the rotation. However, he suffered an injury in the first game of the season and will be out for several weeks. When he returns to the lineup, Shumpert needs to improve his shot selection, like most rookies, and his ability to finish at the rim. Against the Celtics he only made one of six shots at the rim. Boston maintains a physical defense, especially around the paint, but no NBA team is going to give up easy points around the rim if they can help it. With his usage percentage projected to remain high upon his return, Shumpert must finish the opportunities he is given.

Tristan Thompson – PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

Thompson was drafted pretty high, fourth overall, for a player that possesses little ability to operate away from the rim. He does, however, possess the ability to work off the ball offensively away from the rim in space but this is to free him up on a dive or cut to the basket. He will need to improve his ball-in-hand offense, specifically in the post, in order to adapt his game to the NBA level. Another area of concern for Thompson is his poor defensive rebounding ability. This, for one, is striking due to Thompson’s size, even as a young man, and good post defense. Yet, he cleans the offensive glass rather well which should benefit a team destined to miss a lot of shots. Despite his immediate drawbacks, Thompson has plenty of raw potential and other than Kyrie Irving, represents the only potential the Cavaliers have.

Kemba Walker – PG, Charlotte Bobcats

Michael Jordan has a special place in history when it comes to the draft lottery. That place is specifically referred to as Kwame Brown. MJ, let us hope you done right this time. Walker comes into the league with a solid NCAA pedigree. He was a member, and respective leader, of the national champion UConn Huskies. Not too shabby, right? Walker works well as a primary scoring threat for a team in pick-and-roll and off the ball screens. What will be interesting to watch for this season is if his ball hogging tendencies, he shot the ball 63.8 percent of the time coming off of a ball screen while at UConn, will carry over to the NBA. It is apparent that Walker will split and share time with D.J. Augustin in Charlotte, where is off the ball offensive movement will be on display. However with the ball in his hand, how will he react? One game is not a benchmark for anything, but Walker totaled just three assists, each leading to a shot from 16-23 feet, in 21 minutes in his first NBA game. He is a score first point guard.

Tip of the hat to NBA Playbook for many of the statistics used above.

1 Comment

Filed under NBA at Large, Players

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

by | June 28, 2011 · 3:17 PM

Bismack Biyombo’s Contract Woes

Seemingly held back.

Seems as though the mysterious forward from the Congo might have a hard time lacing up in the US.

Bismack Biyombo didn’t seem at all worried about his contract in Europe when the Charlotte Bobcats introduced him to the media earlier this week.  The 18-year-old was drafter seventh overall by Charlotte in last week’s draft but his contract may be a bigger concern than even he realizes.

According to NBA.com, the two sides are supposed to have talks this Friday, July 1 concerning his contract overseas; however, the impeding lockout begins that day as well which may throw another hurdle at negotiations.

Jorge Sanz, a spokesman for the Madrid-based Fuenlabrada, said that Biyombo still has two seasons left on his contract with the team.  His buyout could cost the bobcats $1.4 million but NBA rules state that Charlotte can’t spend more than $500,000 towards a buyout.

Sanz has stated that the team respects Biyombo’s dream to play in America but fully expects to receive payment for his buyout.  If the mediation on Friday does not lead to Charlotte paying the million Euros, the dispute will go to court for a judge to decide on.

While the rule states that the team may not spend over half a million dollars toward a buyout, the Bobcats have several players set for free agency, four of which are frontcourt players.  Kwame Brown, Joel Przybilla and Dominic McGuire are all unrestricted free agents this year while Dante Cunningham’s contract is restricted.  Additionally, these are all players that any team should be willing to dump for necessary money.

Scout’s say that Biyombo is one of the most athletic players picked in this year’s draft but was mainly unnoticed until he recorded a triple double at the 2011 Nike Hoops Summit with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks.  His defense is unquestionably good since he has a natural tendency to position himself appropriately under the basket for rebounds and blocks but his offense is another story.  He’s very raw on the other end of the court and scoring doesn’t come easy for the young forward that still has a lot to work on.

The Bobcats made the playoffs during the 2009-10 season by playing hard defense under Larry Brown.  Last season, they missed the playoffs mainly due to their lack of scoring with only 93 points a game, second to last in the league.  They were also ranked 24th in the league in rebounding with only 40 a game.  Biyombo has the potential to give that frontcourt a little more bite that they have missed since the departures of Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler and even Emeka Okafor.

Bismack Biyombo’s performance at the 2011 Nike Hoops Summit in Portland.

Leave a Comment

Filed under NBA at Large, Players

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by | March 15, 2011 · 1:29 PM

Eastern teams should be wary of the ides of March

Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?

The ides of March is upon us and there are several NBA teams that have reason to beware, especially when it concerns their playoff fate. Teams around the league are beginning to lock up playoff spots, the East already has three such teams (Boston, Chicago, Miami) because it is still the weaker of the two conferences. Out West on San Antonio has secured a playoff bid as of March 15. These teams need not worry about their post season appearances. The ides of March did not only have serious connotations for Julius Caesar, it also marks just less than a month of the regular season left to play and when teams either rise or get murdered in a coup on the floor of the theater of Pompey. Towards the bottom of the standings is where we find the teams who are looking over their shoulders almost constantly. They hope to not be the ones to utter the words, “et tu playoffs? Then fall, (insert team name here)!”

In the Eastern Conference the jockeying for the final few playoff seeds has been taking a rather disastrous turn for all teams involved of late. The Philadelphia 76ers likely will not drop from their seventh seed anytime soon but their play of late has been marred by unenthusiastic and disinterested displays on the court which has led Doug Collins to use the word terrible when describing his team’s efforts. The Sixers have lost two in a row in stylish blowout and near blowout form (they were down 15 in the fourth quarter to the Jazz) after upsetting the coasting Celtics.

While the Sixers look to lockup the seventh seed, the eighth seed remains wide open. The Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, and Milwaukee Bucks are all vying to creep into the playoffs but none of them are by any means as constant as the northern star.

Indiana currently holds a slight advantage over Charlotte for the eighth seed despite the two team’s identical 28-38 records. This is thanks to having defeated the Bobcats all three times the teams have met this season. However, Indiana is currently on a skid which has allowed Charlotte and Milwaukee to think themselves worthy of a playoff bid. The Pacers have only won two of their last ten games, six of their last ten were on the road, and during that span the team has shot only 42.6 percent from the floor while giving up an average of 105.8 points. Indiana’s average total per game during this slump has been 97.2 points. This is not a recipe for success, especially when they only played two top-tier teams over their last ten, both road games, in Oklahoma City and Dallas.

The Pacers’ schedule is not laced with tough teams for the remainder of the season, however, they must face the New York Knickerbockers twice, the Celtics twice, and the Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, and Orlando Magic before the regular season draws to a close. Also in that span they must play the Bobcats and Bucks which may turn out to be Indiana’s most important games if they hope to stave off their immediate competition.

Since paul Silas took over for Larry Brown in Charlotte, the Bobcats have gone 19-19. This is a major reason for them being within reach of the playoffs. Over their last ten games they have gone 4-6, with all six of their losses coming in a row. All but one of those losses were at the hands of playoff bound teams. Against the Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Bulls the Bobcats mustered an average of 80.6 points on approximately 41 percent shooting while surrendering 101.2 points per game in those five losses and allowing their opponent to shoot 48.9 percent. With numbers like these, Michael Jordan needs to decide if watching his team be swept in the first round is even worth it. This is a team that is primed and ready to be blown up this summer.

What more is there to say about the Bucks after that pathetic performance against the Celitcs where they only scored 56 points. Clearly, the ides of March arrived slightly early for the Bucks. If Milwaukee, and their anemic scoring,  somehow makes its way into the playoffs, both the Pacers and Bobcats should spend next season in the D-League to reflect upon the embarrassment that they brought on the league.

It says a lot about the Eastern Conference that, statistically, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not yet out of the playoff chase. Statistically they could still mike it while in the West both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are out. Now, realistically, the Cavs have no shot at making the playoffs but that should serve to temper the comments that the East is now the dominant conference.

The Western Conference is slightly more complicated, however, the teams currently sitting in the lower playoff spots may be the ones that ultimately make the playoffs. Right now, only four and half games separate the sixth seed and the eleventh seed and each of these teams (New Orleans, Portland, Memphis,  Utah, Phoenix, and Houston) has a record of .500 or better. On top of that, each has won at least five of their last ten games as they know that not just making the playoffs, but playoff seeding is on the line.

Lower seeded Western Conference teams will likely fair somewhat better in the first round of the playoffs as opposed to their counterparts in the East. This is simply because the distribution of talent is not as top-heavy as it is in the Eastern Conference. This is why there has been a better likelihood of an upset in the West over the past several years.

The bottom tier of the Eastern Conference playoff picture has a long way to go if it is to ever become relevant. Teams slipping into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record bring nothing to the table. Sure there are some decent to good players on these teams but in a division that holds the Nets, Raptors, and Cavaliers there is no reason not to find a couple more wins during the season. Outside of the top four teams in the East, there is nothing but teams asking for handouts in the forms of wins. None will see the light of the second round. When beggars die, there are no comets seen.

2 Comments

Filed under NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by | March 8, 2011 · 10:29 AM

Blake Griffin dunks against Bobcats

Blake Griffin was kind enough to send the Beef an early present against the Charlotte Bobcats last night. We thank him for it.

It is good to see that Mo Williams can in fact throw a decent lob for Griffin. However, that only means that somewhere Baron Davis is green with envy as he reminisces about the days before he found himself in Cleveland. Good thing there is always comfort in food.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season

Tagged as , , ,

by | February 24, 2011 · 4:50 PM

The NBA Trade Deadline was anything but Dead

Next time you see Perk in the club he will be doing the Thunder Clap

I was away from a computer and Twitter during the final one and a half to two hours before the trade deadline of 2 PM Central Time. When I was finally reconnected with the world of nonstop communication and media my partner here at the Beef sent me this text message, “Bunch of nuts trades went down.” I quickly scrambled to refresh my timeline only to be completely shocked. He was not kidding.

The rundown:

Boston and Oklahoma City

The Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder have orchestrated a deal that sends center Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder along with Nate Robinson in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

This season, Perkins has struggled with injury missing much of the season coming off surgery to his right knee. He has only played in 12 games thus far and is expected to be out for a week again with a sprain in the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Nonetheless, Oklahoma City got the big man they have been craving since they were ousted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Currently, the Thunder sit just two and a half games behind the Lakers, who are in third, in the Western Conference standings. This move is clearly a shot at the defending champs who were quiet as the deadline passed. Now the Thunder have a big man who can and has matched up well against the Lakers should the two teams meet again in the playoffs.

On the Celtics end, the trade means that the team has given up all hope of ever beating the Lakers again. Doc Rivers has always said that the Lakers can never beat his starting five when they are all healthy. Now, they have traded away the key member of the starting five that allowed Rivers to make those claims in the first place.

Jeff Green is having his second best scoring season of his short career. His numbers are bound to slip upon his return to Boston, the Celtics drafted him, as he will be placed in a bench role instead of being a starter. However, with it becoming more apparent that Marquis Daniels will likely miss the rest of the season, it was important for Boston to add another reserve perimeter player to their lineup as they coast into the playoffs.

As presently constructed the Celtics’ center rotation looks like a grab bag of hobbled old pieces from formerly great teams that made the NBA Finals in the early 2000s…because it is. Shaquille O’Neal, Jermaine O’Neal, and Krstic are all liabilities. Boston clearly must have realized that Miami has a terrible center rotation so they could trade their one good piece away and still compete in the East.

Oklahoma City and Charlotte

The Thunder also made another move to bolster their frontcourt depth before the trade deadline. In a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats, the Thunder acquired Nazr Mohammed in exchange for Morris Peterson and D.J. White (we do not know who he is either).

Charlotte and Portland

In another cost cutting measure from Michael Jordan, the Bobcats have traded versatile defender Gerald Wallace to the Portland Trail Blazers. In return the Bobcats will receive two first round draft picks. Hopefully, Jordan will not squander these draft picks as he has in the past.

Initially, Charlotte had been making a push to acquire Nicolas Batum as part of this trade but the Blazers insisted that he was not on the table at anytime during negotiations. Instead, the team settled for Joel Przybilla and Dante Cunningham (no relation to Richie).

The acquisition of Wallace gives the Blazers a lockdown wing and post defender capable of guarding and playing multiple positions. However, Wallace does not like playing power forward any longer and prefers to play small forward. Luckily for Portland that should not be an issue as they have a capable, to say the least, power forward in LaMarcus Aldridge.

For now, though, the waiting game begins. It is only a matter of time before the curse of the Blazers digs its claws into Wallace, or rather his knees. No one wants to see it happen but there is just something rotten in the water up there.

Phoenix and Houston

Aaron Brooks has had some issues with the Houston Rockets this season. That is putting it lightly. As a result, he is no longer a member of the Rockets. Houston shipped Brooks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Goran Dragic and a first round draft pick.

Dragic made a name for himself in last years playoffs but has failed to follow up that success with any kind of consistent production as he is shooting a mere 27.7 percent from behind the arc. Yuck.

Houston and Memphis

Can anyone legitimately explain this trade? I mean seriously. Houston needs size in their frontcourt but generally speaking just having a tall guy there does not really mean a whole lot (see: Shawn Bradley). The Rockets traded the defensive minded Shane Battier for the absent-minded Hasheem Thabeet. Yes, the same Thabeet that was the highest draft pick to ever be sent to the D-League.

Well done Houston, only you could think of pairing Yao Ming and Thabeet on the same team. Well done. General Manager Daryl Morey generally does a good job about acquiring talent for his ball club but this has to be the singular low point in Rockets history. However, not all is lost. Houston will also receive a first round draft pick from the Grizzlies. The Rockets also sent Ishmael Smith (who?) to Memphis in the deal.

As for Memphis, they get a proven defender in the wake of losing Rudy Gay, who will be out for at least another three weeks with a dislocated shoulder. The team is gearing up for a playoff push as they sit in the final playoff seat in the West. A veteran like Battier will likely serve as a key contributor and locker room presence as the team looks to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

4 Comments

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, Trades

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

by | January 21, 2011 · 3:03 PM

With Thomas Down, Bobcats Likely Out

From the court to crutches

While watching the Chicago Bulls dismantle the somewhat hapless Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night the screen flashed for an instant a shot of the back of a jersey that had the name Thomas on it. It was Kurt Thomas. Yet, for one fleeting moment images of Tyrus Thomas and the Baby Bulls danced about the mind.

Now, the news coming out of the Charlotte Bobcats is that Tyrus Thomas will be out for eight weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee. As of this afternoon the Bobcats sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff picture with a record of 17-24. Yes, in the East a losing record is still good enough to make the playoffs any given year.

Thomas had surgery to repair the tear on Friday. He will be on crutches for the weekend and will start rehabilitation on Monday according to Mike Cranston.

Thomas has been one of Charlotte’s best players this season, especially now that Larry Brown has been replaced by Paul Silas. His numbers, per 36 minutes, are outstanding. He leads the team in scoring at 18.5, is tied in steals with 1.4, leads the team with 2.7 blocks, and is third in rebounding pulling down 9.6 boards per 36 minutes. Technically Thomas is fourth on the team in rebounding but for the purposes of this article Dominic McGuire‘s numbers are being discounted due to the relatively few number of games he has played in. However, McGuire is the likely candidate to step in for Thomas during his absence. That is not an ideal situation.

Add to that the fact that Thomas also has the best defensive rating on the team, 100, and it is easy to see why he will be missed dearly by the team as they head into their toughest stretch of the season. Zach Lowe points out that up to this point the Bobcats have had the fourth easiest schedule in the league. Yet, “their next 28 opponents have a combined record of 629-549 (.534 winning percentage).” Maybe MJ should start lacing up.

Combine the loss of Thomas with the upcoming difficult schedule and toss in Gerald Wallace‘s distaste for playing power forward along with the rumors that he may be traded to Cleveland, and tack on a myriad of other issues including the interest Stephen Jackson is generating among other teams and Charlotte is in a heap of trouble.

The present makeup of the Bobcats is not conducive to competing on a high level in the top-heavy Eastern Conference. Just making the playoffs now seems to be a long shot now. Charlotte has been at a crossroads, or cliff rather, for the entire season. With the departure of Brown and the poor on-court performances away from Time Warner Cable Arena it seems as though the team will either look to blowup its roster or simply hunker down and accept defeat. Knowing the personality of their owner, it is unlikely to be the latter.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, Players

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | December 23, 2010 · 8:48 PM

Brown’s out but the problems are staying

It isn't you, it's me.

Larry Brown is known for his ability to turn teams around.  Though criticized for not staying in the same place for long, the well-traveled coach can turn losers into winners.

Before Jason Kidd went to New Jersey, the Nets had only made the playoffs in ten of their 25 seasons in the NBA.  They made it in 1982 and 83 under Brown.  The same happened with the Clippers when he coached them to their first two trips to the playoffs in 1992 and 93.  In his first season in San Antonio, the Spurs were the worst team in the league.  He took them to the playoffs the next season in what would become one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history.

And now, he is moving again in the midst of changing teams due to his inability to shut his mouth.  He targeted Stephen Jackson publicly after he was ejected 4 ½ minutes into a loss in Milwaukee.  The Boston Celtics held them to 62 points in Charlotte.  It has been a messy season with no scoring and no impressive wins.

Michael Jordan was dealing with a coach that was unable to hold a team together and saw a crossroads when they hit 9-19 on the season.   Regardless of the situation, the Bobcats are turning into a complete and utter failure.  Jackson isn’t the force that he used to be and his scoring is down.  Gerald Wallace has already experienced ankle problems this season.

Brown turned them into a playoff team last season and now it looks like they are falling apart just as quickly as he put them together.  The loss of Raymond Felton is really leaving a mark in Charlotte.  D.J. Augustin did what any smart player that wanted run point should do and declared that he was ready for the position.  He isn’t.  He hasn’t shown up against the big teams and was even held to 0-8 from the field against Boston.

Meanwhile, Felton is in the middle of some wild times at Madison Square Garden as Spike Lee is getting to see a little more notches in the win column than he’s used to.  However, it’s the sheer depth in Charlotte that is so bad.

Tyson Chandler was traded for Eduardo Najera, Matt Carroll and Erick Dampier who was nearing the end of an expensive contract.  They saw the opportunity in Damp for trade bait but they ended up just waiving him at the end of the summer.

Instead of doing something smart, they signed Kwame Brown…

Tyrus Thomas shows promise but is only getting 20 minutes a night and averaging just above 10 points a game.  He has only started once this season.  He’s averaging well over 20 in games where he sees 30 minutes or more.  He simply isn’t getting the time he needs to grow.  This in turn reflects poorly on Brown as well.

When we look to the bench for any promising young guys, it’s pretty bleak.  In the 2010 Draft, Charlotte would have had the 18th pick in the draft.  They traded it away to get the 20th pick in the 2008 draft.  They drafted Alexis Ajinça who plays in Dallas now.  There is nothing on the horizon but an overconfident point guard and a young forward that isn’t getting enough minutes.

By the way here are some players drafted after Ajinça in the 2008 draft:

26. George Hill

34. Mario Chalmers

45. Goran Dragić

It’s simple: it was time for change but coaching shouldn’t be the only shakeup.

General manager and former Bull, Rod Higgins, has not been making the best decisions for this franchise.  However, it really comes down to Michael Jordan’s inability to run a team.

He’s been with the franchise since 2006 and was a part of bringing Brown to Charlotte in 2008.  Jordan oversees all basketball operations there.  It’s his mess.

Paul Silas is coaching and don’t expect much.  They do have a chunk of guys entering free agency and they will save a lot of money if Boris Diaw leaves (paying him $9,000 this season.  He hasn’t scored 20 points on back-to-back nights all year).

It’s time to rethink the guard position and look to bring in a veteran that knows how to run the court (hint: Mo Williams has an early termination option on his contract that ends at the end of this season).

Same goes for the center position and if you look at most of the contenders this season, they are stacked with at least four players they can move in and out of the four and five positions (just look at the rotations they are able to run in Dallas, LA and Boston).  Kwame is not going to cut it and Nazr Mohammed isn’t having a consistent season.

Luckily, they will have the opportunity to free up money in free agency but we have already seen that they have no idea to spend it.  They haven’t traded away their first-round pick for this season… yet and we have yet to see what a potential lockout’s affect could be on college players seeking big money (It has been speculated that 2012 is where it’s at).

Yes, it does seem as though it was time for Larry to go and the way things are shaping out, Charlotte will remain bad.  Trades are always a possibility but I can’t imagine many teams looking to Charlotte for anything other than a place to dump old talent that they no longer want to pay.  They have a chance to start over but knowing how things are run in Charlotte, they wont realize it until it’s too late.

2 Comments

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

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | November 9, 2010 · 12:59 PM

Power Rankings

It's good to be undefeated

It’s only a handful of games into the season but it’s these games that can set the pace for teams.  Some have started the season off well.  Some haven’t.  Some are building what could be formidable playoff teams while others are already snowballing into what will turn them into lottery teams next summer.  However they are starting the season, every team is setting a theme for both the best and the worst.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (7-0)

Being the No. 1 scoring team in the league should be at no surprise for the defending champs.  Point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are both averaging only four assists per game and they are putting up 22 a game (9th in the league).  They are spreading out the ball and utilizing their depth very appropriately.  We could still question parts of this bench but Blake and Matt Barnes give them a lot more to work with.  As long as Pau Gasol is playing well both defensively and offensively, sky is the limit for the Lakers.

2. New Orleans Hornets (6-0)

The Hornets are only scoring 97 points a game.  This stat comes to no surprise when you look at who can really score in New Orleans but the fact that they are still undefeated really sticks out.  A team built around arguably the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul would be thought to be perfect this far into the season around offense.  Instead, it’s the defense that is propelling this team forward.  While giving up only 91 points a game, the Hornets have held Milwaukee to 81, Miami to 93 and San Antonio to 90.  This is the best start in franchise history for the Hornets but how long can the winning last?

3. Boston Celtics (6-2)

The pieces are coming together nicely in Boston.  Rajon Rondo is averaging 15.5 assists a game and has surely won over the respect of both his teammates and the pundits.  Scoring distribution will keep this team fresh and a good man running point will definitely help.  Five of their six wins are over teams that were in the playoffs last season.  We have yet to see Shaquille O’neal and Kendrick Perkins both active on this roster.

4. Atlanta Hawks (6-2)

It’s balance that is keeping these Hawks afloat and that’s the best thing to build a season on.  Josh Smith is making a case for early MVP consideration and will just get better over the course of the season.  It’s also looking like extending Al Horford’s contract is looking like a good decision.  They are averaging 104 points a game while still collecting 32 defensive boards a game. However, this team needs to recover from its recent two game slide.

5. Miami Heat (5-2)

For those of you that expected the Heat to win 82 games, sorry but that can’t happen now.  In addition, loses to both Boston and New Orleans should be nothing to be embarrassed about right now.  Erik Spoelstra needs to figure out the best rotation of the bench that wont hurt them too much.  Right now, the bench is being outscored and outplayed.  It’s a long season and three players cannot carry a team by themselves.

6. Orlando Magic (5-1)

Orlando should technically be 6-1 but issues at Madison Square Garden caused the Knicks to postpone their inevitable loss to the Magic.  Regardless, their one loss to the Heat is warranted and Rashard Lewis needs to put up more than 2 points for the Magic to win such a statement game.

7. Denver Nuggets (4-3)

Nene, Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin are out with injuries.  They beat the Mavericks in Dallas with Sheldon Williams starting and that speaks volumes about how this team will perform when their big men return.  Their depth will increase tremendously.  If Denver keeps winning, it may translate to a happy Carmelo Anthony and when Melo is happy, everyone is happy.

8. Portland Trail Blazers (5-3)

Holding Phoenix to just 92 points and later Milwaukee to only 76 is what is helping this Trail Blazers team make the point that they are serious about defense.  Marcus Camby can defend well but Nate McMillen will need to figure out how to get some more scoring from his frontcourt.  His starting forwards only scored nine points against the Lakers on Sunday and they aren’t even breaking 100 points per game. It was, however, their fifth game in seven days.

9. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

Dallas has seven players that will show up every night on the court. Jason Kidd is showing almost no signs of age while the frontcourt is stacked with Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler.  Dallas narrowly beat Denver last Wednesday just to lose to them Saturday.  The Mavs will rebound once Caron Butler and Shawn Marion hit their strides.  However, Dallas needs to clean up its turnovers that are at 16 a game and their bench is ranked second to last in scoring. Although there are no “statement” games in November, beating Boston is the closest you can get to having one.

10. San Antonio Spurs (5-1)

Their record is impressive until you see that they have only beaten one team that made the playoffs last season in Phoenix.  They are fourth in the league in scoring with 109 a game and their next three games are easy wins against the Clippers, Bobcats and the 76ers.  The youth in San Antonio surrounded by a mix of good coaching and veterans will spell out an interesting season.  However, Greg Popavich needs his young guys to get the minutes they need to grow.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

It’s funny that a team with Russell Westbrook is ranked 30th in the league in assists per game but when you look at the depth in OKC, it begins to make sense.  The ball isn’t being spread out enough and sheer depth may haunt the Thunder again this season.  Again, it’s 82 games and it takes more than an sixth man to get through a season and make the playoffs out West.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)

Rudy Gay became the first player in franchise history to score at least 25 points a game in five consecutive games.  However, it’s their defense that needs to step up since they are allowing their opponents to score 107 points a game.  They are undersized and young which is a bad place to be in the Western Conference.  It’s going to a long season with hopefully some growth.

13. Utah Jazz (3-3)

Deron Williams and company are obviously hurting from loosing some of their star players.  With Mehmet Okur out, the Jazz are limited in size and they are obviously having a hard time scoring when they can only muster up 78 points against the Warriors.  It wont get any easier with them playing Miami, Orlando and Atlanta this week.

14. Phoenix Suns (3-4)

Steve Nash entered the season with reservations about the Suns’ chances this season.  Losses to Portland, San Antonio and LA aren’t something to be ashamed of this season.  In all three of their loses, Hedo Turkoglu has scored six points twice and nine points once.  Maybe it’s time to put some production into this starting lineup. Alvin Gentry is going to get to the point where he no longer asks permission to yell at his team.

15. Chicago Bulls (3-3)

Derrick Rose and the Bulls really took it to the Celtics last Friday in a come back that forced overtime.  They fell short in the extra minutes but the play of both Rose and Joakim Noah should keep Bulls fans optimistic.  If Tom Thibodeau and company want to win, Ronnie Brewer needs more minutes and Carlos Boozer needs to return from injury.

16. Golden State Warriors (5-2)

The Warriors have started the season off 4-0 for the first time in 20 years.  Subsequently, three of those four wins are against teams that failed to reach the postseason last year and Utah isn’t the beast it once was.  Monta Ellis has already had two very impressive outings of 46 and 39 points and the return of Stephen Curry will greatly help this backcourt.

17. New York Knicks (3-3)

A win in Chicago could or couldn’t be a big deal this early in the season since we have yet to see them form.  Their other two wins were against Toronto and Washington which both paint a better picture of what this team is truly capable of.  We all know that Mike D’antoni teams can get worn out and that Amar’e Stoudemire’s heightened level of play wont last.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)

Cleveland has the fourth best bench as far as scoring in the league.  That same bench never got LeBron James a ring so we don’t really expect the same to pan out for Antawn Jamison and friends.  Byron Scott is letting them grow but that’s about all we expect from this season.  An initial win over Boston is impressive until you see that they lost to Toronto and Sacramento the following days.

19. Sacramento Kings (3-3)

The Kings are scoring but still allowing their opponents to rack up 107 points a game.  DeMarcus Cousins has yet to record a 10-rebound game and Tyreke Evans is still trying to do too much on the court.  Good news is that their both young and when they click, it could mean a lot to wherever the Kings end up playing next.

20. Milwaukee Bucks (2-5)

Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting the Bucks rolling into this season.  They are 30th in the league in scoring at only 89 a game and it’s mainly due to their depth.  Drew Gooden is giving them some more power up front but with just Corey Maggette producing off of the bench, it may be a long road for the Bucks.

21. Houston Rockets (1-5)

All five of Houston’s losses came from very formidable teams this season (Lakers, Warriors, Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets).  Aaron Brooks will be missed and Kyle Lowry will not be able to carry the load by himself.  Luis Scola and Kevin Martin are working out well with all the injuries but Rick Adelman needs a healthy roster in order to compete.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (2-5)

Philly started the season off with losses against Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Washington.  If you are surprised, close this window immediately.  Evan Turner’s scoring has been up and down but what can you expect from a rookie surrounded by a bunch of trash?  Surprisingly, their bench is ranked first in scoring.

23. Indiana Pacers (2-3)

At first, it’s looks like Darren Collison may be a little in over his head at running Indiana’s point.  Then again, look at who this young man is passing to.  He filled in when Westbrook went down at UCLA and stepped up last season when Paul went down in New Orleans.  However, the talent is pretty thin in Indiana.  Danny Granger seems to be approaching a nice stride but there isn’t much other good news coming out of Indiana.

24. Detroit Pistons (2-5)

The Pistons are bottom feeders in almost every statistical category. This does not bode well for a team that is striving to achieve mediocrity. However, they have won their last two contests. Pistons fans should take any small achievement as good news because there will not be much this season.

25. Los Angeles Clippers (1-6)

At least one team in L.A. has a tough start to their schedule. The Clippers have faced the likes of Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Utah in their first seven games with their only win coming against the struggling Thunder. It must be hard to be the bastard child of the Staples center and see the Lakers with a sugarplum and lolly pop schedule until late January.

26. New Jersey Nets (2-4)

Right now the Nets are on a better winning pace than last year. That is the upside. It doesn’t look like Avery Johnson is ever going to let third overall draft pick, Derrick Favors, into the starting lineup anytime soon now that Troy Murphy is back. In their most recent loss, the Nets did their best Washington Generals impersonation to the Heat’s Globetrotter act.

27. Washington Wizards (1-4)

John Wall and Gilbert Arena will be reunited again. That’s good.  Their one win however, well, that’s not so good. December is going to be a rough month for the Wiz so now is their best opportunity to get some wins under their belt. Hopefully, the Republicans won’t try to filibuster their next win.

28. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6)

They were in the playoffs last season and had the number one rated team defense in the league. Now, they have a defensive rating ranked 20th. Not good. Maybe His Airness can breathe some life into this franchise. Something needs to happen, and quick, if they want another playoff birth.

29. Toronto Raptors (1-6)

The Raptors are bad. We knew they would be. They were bad last year even with Chris Bosh on their roster so what are the expectaions of them now that he is gone? Right, there are none. One thing that Raptors fans can take delight in is that the so-called Young Gunz on the team will put on a decent show every night. Jose Calderon needs to be back in the starting lineup otherwise the team’s assists will continue to be dreadful.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)

We wrote an open letter to David Kahn. This is something we normally wouldn’t do. However, the T-Wolves are terrible. Kurt Rambis coaches like a chicken with his head cut off and has no sense that Kevin Love is their best player. They are ranked last in most every statistical category. They only thing that Minnesota fans have to look forward to is the high draft pick that the team will get next summer…which Kahn will promptly waste on yet another point guard. KAAAAHHN!

2 Comments

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season

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

by | November 1, 2010 · 10:31 PM

2010 NBA D-League Draft

Getting down with the D-League

Say whaa? Since when does the D-League hold a draft let alone make any noise outside of very small market cities? They have been doing it for a few years now. Tonight, November 1, the NBA Developmental League held its annual draft. So how does this have any relation to the NBA other than being a player purgatory of sorts, you ask? NBA teams and the league itself are shifting the premise of the D-League into what can be considered a minor league of the NBA much like the system that Major League Baseball employs. This will allow teams to “grow” talent within their system without forcing some young players to sit at the end of a teams bench missing valuable actual game time.

The D-League Draft is quite unlike its counterpart in the NBA. It is an eight round event that is serpentine in nature meaning that the draft order alternates each round.

As this molding continues to take place the D-League will become a more viable component to professional basketball as it could potentially help keep drafted and undrafted players from departing for leagues overseas. On to the big question:

Who are these guys and more importantly who drafted them? (We are just going to tackle the first round because we like our sanity.)

1. Nick Fazekas – Reno Bighorns (Warriors, Kings)

This is a return of sorts for Fazekas as he played college basketball at the University of Nevada Reno. Those familiar with the Dallas Mavericks may recognize Fazekas (or at least vaguely remember his name) because he was drafted by the Mavericks in 2007. Since then he has played with the Clippers and in Belgium and France. He will join the Bighorns who are coached by Eric Musselman, another name familiar to basketball fans (he used to coach the Kings and Warriors).

2. Alan Anderson – New Mexico Thunderbirds (Hornets, Magic)

Anderson had a modest NBA career after being undrafted in the 2005 NBA Draft. He appeared in 53 games with the Charlotte Bobcats before heading for teams in Europe and Israel. He played college basketball at Michigan State. The Thunderbirds are coached by Darvin Ham.

3. Magnum Rolle – Maine Red Claws (Celtics, Bobcats)

It has to be said that Rolle has one of the best, if not slightly inappropriate, names in sports. Rolle was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2010 with the 51st overall pick. He played this summer with the Indiana Pacers’ Summer League team.

4. Matt Rogers – Texas Legends (Mavericks)

This is the inaugural pick of the Texas Legends. Rogers was the NCAA Division II Player of the Year in 2009 while he was at Southwest Baptist. He appeared in three preseason games with the Bobcats this year. He will be a nice addition to the roster that Head Coach Nancy Lieberman has to work with.

5. Vernon Goodridge – Springfield Armor (Nets, Kicks, 76ers)

The only thing that the Armor had going for them last year was that they played in a town named for the one the Simpsons live in. Goodridge, 6-foot-9, is out of LaSalle and was a camp invitee of Golden State this year.

6. Chris Lofton – Iowa Energy (Bulls/Suns)

If you are still reading at this point, I commend you. You either care deeply about the game of basketball and supporting our blog or just have nothing better to do. When I think of Iowa, energy is not the first thing that comes to mind. It must be some kind of loose reference to ethanol or some other wasteful subsidized crop. Anywho,

7. Robert Vaden -Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets)

Vaden attended Alabama-Birmingham University where he was named First Team All-Conference USA as a junior. He reached the 1000 point mark in just his 50th game at UAB, becoming the fastest player to do so in school history. These are just a few of the feats that Vaden performed in college. He also had 15 20 point or more outings in college. The Charlotte Bobcats selected him 54th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. Vaden is a natural scorer and will likely become the leading scorer on the Tulsa 66ers…because he was traded to them for Mustafa Shakur.

8. Brandon Costner – Utah Flash (Hawks, Jazz)

Costner, 6-foot-9, attended the other college in North Carolina, NC State. Last year he played in Belgium. In 2005 he was a McDonalds’ All American out of Seton Hall Prep.

9. Chris Johnson – Dakota Wizards (Grizzlies, Wizards)

The Wizards have been one of the most consitent D-League teams in recent years having made the playoffs each year since joining the league including winning the D-League Championship for the 2006-07 season. Now they add NFL running back, Chris Johnson to their roster. This will be the greatest crossover player since Bo Jackson. Just kidding, this is a different Chris Johnson but that would have been cool. This Johnson attended LSU and averaged 9.65 points and 6.9 rebounds during his junior and senior years combined.

10. Obi Muonelo – Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pistons, Pacers, Bucks)

Muonelo played in five games with the 76ers’ Summer League team over the summer averaging three points and 1.8 rebounds in 11 minutes of game time. He played college ball at Oklahoma State. I have personally seen this kid play and he can simply light it up from behind the arc. At 6-foot-5 he falls into the range of a combo or hybrid guard but that is the way of the sport right now so he should do just fine. It would not be a surprise if he gets called up to the “Show” at some point.

11. Cheikh Samb -Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat, Timberwolves)

Samb, from Senegal, has played in the D-League before for two different teams but did not play in the league at all last season as he was with Spanish club Real Madrid. He has been a member of the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets and was one of the players included in the trade that sent Allen Iverson to Detroit. Samb has recorded a triple-double once in D-League play.

12. Marqus Blakely – Bakersfield Jam (Clippers, Lakers)

Blakely was a standout at Vermont and was signed to a partially guaranteed contract this summer by the Clippers. He is yet another forward to be taken in the first round of the draft although at 6-foot-5 he will likely become a wing or two guard. During his senior campaign at Vermont, Blakely averaged 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds with 1.9 blocks and 2.4 steals per game. These are the numbers of an all around player.

Many of the first 12 picks in the D-League Draft were big men, either power forwards or centers. This is because these positions are rarities in the the league as they have an overflow of wings and guards. Plus, good swing players are available throughout the deep rounds of the draft as all the big men usually go first due to the importance placed on them by teams. Do not be shocked to see any of these names deep on an NBA roster near you towards the end of the regular season.

1 Comment

Filed under NBA at Large, Players

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

by | October 31, 2010 · 8:28 AM

Brandon Jennings’ First Triple-Double

A career milestone

It came just five days into the season and it came against the team that lead the NBA in team defense last season and it was also the first in the players young career. Last night the Milwaukee Bucks hosted the Charlotte Bobcats in what will be a night that Brandon Jennings will not soon forget, if he ever forgets it at all.

Early last season, Jennings wowed the NBA world when he dropped 55 points as a rookie in just his seventh game. Even he admits that his first career triple-double trumps that effort. “This is my best game since I’ve been in the NBA just the fact that I had a nose for the ball and I was being unselfish and I was everywhere. I was being a floor general tonight.” Jennings finished the game with 20 points on 6-8 shooting including all three three-pointers he attempted, ten rebounds, and ten assists helping the Bucks to their first win of the season 98-88.

It was the first triple-double recorded by a Milwaukee player since Ramon Sessions (one of the Beef’s players to watch this season) did so on April 1, 2009.

Jennings’ most productive quarters were the first and third. He tallied five points, three rebounds, and five dimes in the first quarter as the Bucks posted a lead of 27-18. In the third quarter he scored seven points, pulled down three rebounds, and dished out three assists. Milwaukee led 73-62 after three.The Bobcats would get within six points of the Bucks in the fourth quarter but not any closer than that.

Charlotte took the lead only once during the game coming mid way through the second quarter on a D.J. Augustin three-pointer making the score 34-33. It was simply not in the cards for the Bobcats last night as Jennings was the main attraction. He had four points in the second quarter to go along with two rebounds and one assist. These statistics were identical to the ones he recorded in the fourth quarter.

One thing is certain this year, with Brandon Jennings continuing to improve his game along with the rest of the sophomores it will be certainly be difficult for the rookies to win this year’s rookie sophomore challenge. Milwaukee’s playoff aspirations are in good hands with Jennings holding the reins.

Leave a Comment

Filed under 2010-11 Regular Season, NBA at Large

Tagged as , , , , , ,