Tag Archives: Chris Paul

by | July 8, 2012 · 10:22 AM

Conceptualizing Team USA

Hybrid

At this time we have no idea what kind of rotations that coach Mike Krzyzewski will use for Team USA. He has a roster loaded with talent especially in the fields of athleticism and speed. Therefore, fans of basketball should be in for a treat once Olympic basketball tips off in London.

The roster has been set. Lineups, however, are a whole other animal. With a team so repeat with talent, finding the right combination of efficient chemistry could take time, yet, with the summer games set to begin in a few short weeks, time is of the essence.

One thing we do know is that Coach K plans to have LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant on the court at the same time for heavy minutes. These players can be cycled through any position that a given lineup has to offer from one through five. They will likely be paired with Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant giving Team USA a college feel with a two guards and three forwards set, forgoing the traditional center.

Team USA does have one center on its roster in Tyson Chandler. Honestly, if Chandler does start a game it will be for appearances only or to compete with the bigs of Spain. Other than that, his role should be limited in London. This is a hybrid team with players who can play multiple positions. Why bow to archaic positional traps? That is not what Team USA is about anymore. 2010 solidified that when the team that won gold at the World Championships started Lamar Odom at center.

Traditionalists may warn that smaller lineups will pose defensive shortcomings in the half court but that is if we assume that opposing teams have fluid, unchallenged ball movement and can work the ball into the post or lane. Reports coming out of Las Vegas, where Team USA was holding practice and scrimmages with the Team USA Select team, noted that the Select backcourt of John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Jrue Holiday were harried from the moment the ball was inbounded and they were tasked with bringing it up court.

This stifling full court defense will be a staple of Team USA. It allows the team to play smaller, more versatile lineups and prevent opponents from easily setting up their offense potentially forcing plenty of turnovers in the process. Smothering the ball as they will could draw comparisons to when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen traded off guarding Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics. Take the ball out of the hands of the playmaker or the opponent’s best player and that team stands little chance.

The key defenders that will be tasked with harassing the ball will be Bryant, though the oldest player on the team he can still muster good defensive possessions, Paul, Deron Williams, James Harden, and most importantly James and Andre Iguodala, whose admission to the final roster was likely based on his defense. Aside from Paul, each of these players can defend multiple positions with James and Iguodala being able to guard anything from a point guard to a power forward. James could also be asked to defend centers. He has that ability.

In fact, that defensive versatility is what makes this team so astounding. Referring back to the lineup of Paul, Bryant, Durant, Anthony, and James, these players can guard almost anyone, towering centers aside. Both James and Anthony proved they could defend power forwards during the NBA regular season and playoffs while Bryant and Durant are suited to guard wings. If their pressure defense works as well as it can, opposing centers could be taken out of the equation all together with ball denial.

However, where versatility is the biggest asset is on offense. Team USA should blaze up and down the court. Key to this will be rebounding. Since the team is relatively undersized it would make sense that Kevin Love should see more playing time on this squad than he did in Turkey, where he was an unbelievably efficient player. His knack for rebounding in volume and his ability to pass into the break plays into the speed that this team possesses. A scenario where Love gets a rebound, hits Westbrook/Paul/Williams with the outlet pass, and the play finishes with a layup, lob, or dunk is very real.

Imagine the above scenario and picture Blake Griffin as the one scoring at the end of the break. Enough said. That is what makes this team so dangerous and why the anticipation for the games to begin that much greater.

Even if a team slows down Team USA, they have a savvy floor general in Paul who can dissect a defense with his passing, and Westbrook to run a pick and roll or find and open shooter. There is no shortage of premier shooters on this roster.

The hardest part, right now, is building a cohesive unit, with interchangeable parts, capable of adapting and excelling in every situation. With a roster as loaded as this one and with the general camaraderie amongst players in the league, not to mention many of these players having played together before, everything should fall into place nicely.

Before Olympic play begins, Team USA will play in several “friendlies” just to wet out appetite.

July 12 vs. the Dominican Republic

July 16 vs. Brazil

July 22 vs. Argentina

July 24 vs. Spain

Enjoy.

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by | July 7, 2012 · 7:09 PM

Team USA Olympic Roster Finalized

London calling

The final roster that will represent the United States in Olympic men’s basketball has been set and is comprised of players who have almost all played for Team USA before.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden are headed to London later this month to compete for the gold medal. They are the favorites to win.

Griffin and Harden are the only players on the roster to have not played on Team USA in international competition before. They, along with Iguodala, were the final three players to be added to the roster. They beat out the likes of Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay, who played on the FIBA World Championship team in 2010, and Anthony Davis, the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Team USA was plagued with former members withdrawing from eligibility throughout the month of June. Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Derrick Rose, all who were locks to play in London, opted out of play, mostly due to injuries.

The omission of such All Stars led some to be concerned about the United States’ chances at defending the gold. However, with the roster they have assembled for London, those doubts should vanish.

The final three players selected are essentially no brainers. Harden, who had a rather rough time in the NBA Finals, is a good scorer with size who should do well in international competition coming off the bench. He an Gordon are almost interchangeable in terms of scoring ability but Harden is lengthier and has a knack for long range shots.

Iguodala played a crucial role on the “B-Team” during the Worlds in Turkey in 2010. He was the premier perimeter defender on the squad with his defense leading to plenty of transition opportunities for a team that was lightning fast.

As for Griffin making the roster over Davis, well, yeah, of course. If Davis and his propensity to groom himself as an homage to Frida Kahlo had made the roster he would be relegated to the role of Christian Laettner. Griffin is there because he can do this and this and this. Frederick Weis should be glad he doesn’t play anymore.

Though Chandler is the only legitimate center on the team, Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has shown a willingness, especially with the 2010 team, to employ an unconventional or hybrid lineup. This incarnation of Team USA presents matchup options across the board with James’ ability to post up, Durant’s length and shooting ability, and Love’s ability to stretch the floor, opening up lanes for the likes of Westbrook, Williams, and virtually every player on the roster. And as Marc Stein points out, this team has some pretty good jump shooters as well.

Starting lineups have yet to be set but it would not be surprising if Chandler came off the bench depending on the matchups. This is the best team heading into the Olympics. Spain is a close second but they do not have the shear determination to win that Bryant brings to the table. That and the bonuses from all the endorsements.

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by | May 22, 2012 · 3:25 PM

Western Conference Finals Preview

“Why, Lord, must we play the Spurs?” -James Harden

Travis Huse: With the Oklahoma City Thunder’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night, our Western Conference Finals matchup is set. They can book their flight to San Antonio. Frankly, this series looks to eclipse the NBA Finals in terms of excitement. These games are going to pit the league’s two best offenses against each other, and with some very strange matchups to make things interesting. We have the league’s best scorer in Kevin Durant being guarded by Kawhi Leonard, the best defensive rookie this season. The Thunder’s best defensive player, Serge Ibaka, will have to defend the rejuvenated and driven Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobili on James Harden. Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook trying to blow by each other. I’m totally pumped for these games. But looking at the Spurs lately, as well as their games against the Thunder this season, is there any hope for the Thunder to pull this off?

Doyle Rader: I agree that this series has great potential, it probably won’t be a seven game series as some might be hoping for, though. However, each game should be extremely competitive. As far as your matchup predictions I think you have it dead on with Leonard defending Durant. As for the rest I think that Scott Brooks will have Kendrick Perkins, if he is healthy, guard Duncan. Or at least until Duncan steals his lunch money and gives him a swirly. Perkins’ has the body mass to try and dislodge Duncan from the block but will get lost when Duncan drifts to the top of the key or his favorite 45 degree bank shot location. I just don’t see Ibaka as a viable defender on Duncan. His defensive prowess is predicated on off ball positioning and weak-side help and shot blocking. Ibaka has improved his face up defense this season but he need s the freedom to roam and hedge to be effective.

Much like we saw against the Clippers, the Spurs will probably use Danny Green to try and slow down Russell Westbrook. I doubt Parker will spend a whole lot of time guarding Westbrook this series. It looks like the Spurs have the advantage with disrupting the Thunder with the number of matchups and mismatches they can create on the court, but the Ginobili/Harden battle should be special.

TH: Ginobili vs. Harden is a great situation because they’re both 6th men, both fan favorites, and can play with some fire. As for Parker on Westbrook, I could see Pop keeping Tony on him just because he’s not Chris Paul. Against the Clippers, you need Green’s long arms to prevent Paul’s unparalleled passing ability, whereas with Westbrook, you’re going to be better the more he has the ball. If the Spurs can goad him into playing hero ball (like he did, in oh, say, last year’s WCF), the Thunder are done. The only way the Thunder have a chance is if Westbrook defers more. And if he can still score 30 while deferring. So it’s going to be tough.

Another thing I’d like to reiterate. This is a series that contains both the #1 and #2 offense in the league. But the Spurs stars have played so much less this season and are so much deeper, that the Thunder will need to highlight their defense to prevent giving up insurmountable leads while their stars rest. Look at these minutes numbers so far this season (including playoffs):

Kevin Durant: 2912
Russell Westbrook: 2655
James Harden: 2219

Tony Parker: 2203
Tim Duncan: 1890
Manu Ginobili: 1002

Even if you throw out Manu’s numbers because of his injuries in the regular season, that’s a pretty big contrast. Tony Parker has played less than OKC’s 6th man, which is a huge thing to take into consideration this season, because all those games were condensed.

DR: All of the OKC players you listed are younger than us. I think they’ll just fine in terms of fatigue, they have yet to show any signs of dwindling yet. In fact they outscored the Lakers in the combined fourth quarters of their series 119-97.

As you mention, these are prolific offenses. Maybe I’m just old-school, but I still think defense will define the series. The 7-Seconds or Less Suns never got to the Finals for a reason. The Spurs, though they have completely altered their identity, still have a defensive pedigree. They might not be as fast as the Thunder but they work well as a cohesive unit defensively and have completely dominated their previous opponents. I expect a platoon defense to be used on all three of the Thunder’s stars that features Parker, Ginobili, Leonard, Green, Gary Neal, and Stephen Jackson. That’s a lot of bodies and fouls. Brooks should do the same against Parker and Ginobili with Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Thabo Sefolosha, and Daequan Cook. Don’t expect Derek Fisher to matter. The backcourt of San Antonio is too quick.

TH: Yeah, we’re going to see a ton of different lineups, but I think the onus is on the Thunder to figure out how to crack this Spurs team. San Antonio is on a roll, and performed very well against the Thunder this year (and since Kevin Durant first made the playoffs with this team, the Spurs have won 8 of 10). The strategies that they have been employing simply haven’t worked, and there’s no reason to believe that unless the Thunder manage to change their game significantly before the start of this series, that there is no plausible hope that they can win it.

DR: Scott Brooks has definitely grown as a head coach this season but he is out classed and outmatched in every conceivable way in this series. Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest coaches that the NBA has seen and is a future Hall of Famer. He has seen just about everything and has more contingency plans than NATO had for a Soviet strike during the Cold War. Pop is the best coach in the league, and not just because he won Coach of the Year this season. I just don’t see any coach left in the playoffs that could possibly out-coach him and that is what it is going to take to beat the Spurs.

TH: My neighbor gave me 10-to-1 odds on a bet that the Spurs would make the Finals. It was the day the Spurs signed Boris Diaw (March 23rd), and I felt at that time they were as complete as they could possibly be. Plus, I would have only lost 10 bucks. They’ve lost two games since then, and right now I feel pretty darn secure with that decision.

DR: As a Mavs fan it is hard for me to heap praise on the Spurs, (don’t fret Thunder fans, I equally despise your team too) but I’m not so biased as to be blind. They are the better team in this series, hands down. Spurs win the series in five games.

TH: 5 games? Damn, that’s rough. I’ll say they pop two off against the Spurs. Spurs in 6.

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by | May 9, 2012 · 11:43 AM

The Narrative of the Clippers

Flop!

Doyle Rader: From what one can gather, beyond their 3-1 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Clippers are not a team about basketball. Sure, they are comprised of men who run around on a basketball court and occasionally dribble or shoot an orange Spalding, but at their essence, we should believe, that is not what they are about. No, they are about flopping and doing so as if it were their birthright. Forget Chris Paul‘s brilliance, forget Blake Griffin‘s power, and forget Reggie Evans‘ muckraking. They are all floppers! That is all we need to know about them.

Travis Huse: Since when has a Los Angeles sports team been about sports? The officials are giving them superstar calls, and it’s not surprising. Last season, the Thunder won a first-round game against Denver because Kendrick Perkins got off with a clutch offensive interference (the same situation that earned Rick Carlisle a technical foul in THIS season’s opening series). With the obvious decrease in league-wide interest in the Lakers, as well as the splashy new ownership of the Dodgers, the league has to protect the market in LA. Wait, did I just say that?

DR: You did. It’s OK. I’ll let it slide. But you are right to some extent that sport is not the first thing one thinks about when it comes to the narrative of the Clippers. There’s the bigotry of Donald Sterling, the years of futility, and Billy Crystal. But this is different. Those are examples of narratives within the team and its existence…and Billy Crystal. This isn’t about calls either. Flops aren’t a foul, they are a tool used to draw them, an embarrassing one, but one nonetheless, and I refuse to believe that the league has motives to call the series a certain way. This is about a narrative, that of the flop, being superimposed on the Clippers by outside forces rather than letting the Clippers forge their own story. It’s akin to preëmptive hindsight in a way. If that even makes sense.

TH: I’ll agree with you on some aspects of what you just wrote. But not too much. The Clippers have a wonderful offensive lineup, with the best playmaker in the game in Paul, and one of the best finishers in Griffin. But for a team that relies so much on strength and athleticism, their defensive strategy has been, well, wimpy. In the regular season, they let opponents shoot 36.5% from the three, a mark that places them third worst in the league. Griffin has a vertical leap of about a trillion inches, yet hasn’t recorded a single block in the first four games, but he’s gathered 21 fouls. His biggest criticism all season long was his lack of a complete basketball game, and this team is comprised almost entirely of players in much the same vein. What happens when the Grizzlies move firmly to a hack-a-Quake strategy? He’s shooting 55.6% from the free throw line, compared to his FG% of  56.9% so far this postseason. This Memphis team is a strong team, and could still pull off this series. If they don’t, the Clippers are going to face the best offensive team in the league right now in San Antonio. They might not have the interior big men defenders that Memphis has, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable at all trading buckets with the Spurs. This is a team that should be able to use their size, agility, and speed to shut down pick-and-rolls, but it takes the thing they lack. Grit and grind.

Let them win a playoff series. It will make their second-round exit that much more humbling, and they need that. They don’t deserve a shot at the Western Conference title; don’t deserve a spot in the playoffs. I’m not ready to crown the Thunder the heralded kings of the West, let alone the Clippers.

DR: I’m not ready to crown anyone. You’re right that the Clippers are a wholly flawed team but that isn’t what their narrative is being shaped as. Nor is it trending towards their resiliency late in games thus far though the indomitable will of Paul. The overarching theme of the flopping Clippers has been propagated by entities such as True Hoop and their Hoop Idea campaign. Together they have forced a narrative on the Clippers. The idea of the flop as the embodiment of the Clippers is an idea created by others rather than letting the team forge its own image. This seems to be a larger concept that I am working towards as a whole. It isn’t the numbers or play on the court that seem to matter. It is one thing that defines them.

TH: Those are things we’ve heard all season long. I think the hype now on flopping is more a statement that they need an induction into hard playoff basketball than anything, and I wish the refs would let them take the sort of contact that they’ve received. This team should be so much tougher than they are, but there’s been too much posturing and preening. It has to feel good to bring such a historically awful team to the brink of the second round and I understand that. But watching them is infuriating because they only work half of each game. It’s been thrown around too much, but it’s there, and it shouldn’t be ignored.

DR: Obviously, the flopping can’t be ignored. It happens. We see it. It’s embarrassing for everyone, yet, the over emphasis in coverage of the flopping is verging on ludicrous. Flopping is not the embodiment of the Clippers. Lots of NBA players flop. It just happens. Perhaps what I am really trying to say is “get over it” and stop positing one act, out of the hundreds that take place during the course of a basketball game, as the end-all be-all of the Clippers playoff run. Just roll your eyes and move on.

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by | March 22, 2012 · 6:10 PM

Is Ramon Sessions breakout bound?

Stealing that extra bow

I have always been a fan of Ramon Sessions since his days in Milwaukee and his one odd and humdrum year in Minnesota. I remained a fan as career stagnated in Cleveland post LeBron, though his numbers were quite good during his first season with the Cavaliers. Better than those of Brandon Jennings in 2010-11, for comparison. Now, Sessions finds himself on one of the most storied franchises in NBA history and he is primed for a breakout moment. The moment I have long been waiting for. The moment to leap into the spotlight and get the attention he deserves. Or at the very least the 15 minutes Andy Warhol guaranteed him.

Though his game is at times methodical and probing, knowing when to and where to get the ball to his teammates, he has flashes of quickness and swagger, pulling up for an open, timely, three or driving the lane in order to collapse a defense and find the open man. In his short time with the Lakers, just four games totaling 100 minutes played, Sessions has shot a whopping 56.7 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from behind the 3-point arc, both of which, if they maintain present form, would blow away his previous highs in these categories (though that is unlikely based on the rule of averages). He has done all this to the tune of 17.3 points per 36 minutes. Yes, it is an incredibly small sample size and he is only playing an average of 25 minutes off the bench, so take everything with a grain of salt, but something has certainly clicked with Sessions and his new team.

The Honeymoon period is always is always a forgiving time, though. Look at the Knicks since Mike D’Antoni left: they haven’t lost. But Sessions has shown these flashes of brilliance in the past. He showed the same prowess once he became a starter to finish the 2008-09 season in Milwaukee and last season in Cleveland. This is more than just a grace period. This is Sessions melding into an offense, and team, he is comfortable with.

His average of six assists per contest further illustrate that point. This was most apparent in the Lakers’ win against a depleted Mavericks team on Wednesday night. Sessions totaled nine assists during that contest, 36 percent of the team’s assists for the evening. Since joining the team, he has tallied 27 percent of the team’s dimes and 41.8 percent of them while he is on the court. His effort is paying dividends for the Lakers’ offense as a whole. Zack Lowe of SI.com expands on just that:

…in the 100 minutes Sessions has played, the Lakers have scored 114 points per 100 possessions, a mark that would lead the league by a mile, according to NBA.com’s stats tool. The Lakers have been more efficient in just about every way possible during those 100 minutes…

With Sessions at the helm, Mike Brown‘s offense is finally making some headway. Lowe continues stating that the Lakers are also shooting more three-pointers with Sessions on the court, but this is largely do to his expended play with the second unit that does not consist of the Laker bigs looming in the post, where the ball is likely headed on many offensive sets.

Again, despite my wishful thinking, this is only the smallest of sample sizes. If they were to predicate a trend it would be a phenomenal one. Nonetheless, it has put Sessions on the map, being in L.A. has helped but his performance is what has made him note worthy and far more viable than any of the other point guards that Los Angeles has employed this season. No one is talking about Andrew Goudelock, after all.

Maybe it is too early to declare a breakout for Sessions. Maybe my dreams will have to wait. Whatever the case, he has certainly made the Lakers a scarier team. I have no doubt that he will secure the starting point guard role before season’s end as Steve Blake has been a shell of whatever he once was. There is obviously still a learning curve for Sessions with his new team and Mike Brown will likely keep him in a reserve role until he feels that Sessions has a solid grasp of the offense. That is understandable.

This is Sessions moment. Now is the time my oddly self-serving desire to see him explode onto the national scene can be realized. The interesting thing is, with Sessions, he does not even need to be stellar. All he needs to do is perform well in a major market with consistency. At least then the casual fan will understand the impact he can have on the game, they will understand that he is a solid player capable of running the offense on a playoff team. No, he isn’t Derrick Rose or Chris Paul but he doesn’t need to be. A breakout for Sessions is the notoriety that he deserves. Through four games he just may have gained it.

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by | February 29, 2012 · 8:47 PM

Clippers want ‘Clipper Darrell’ to drop his Nickname

Clipped wings

The Los Angeles Clippers are a historically flawed organization. Since moving to L.A., they have been the bumbling fools of the Western Conference. From top to bottom, the team and its management has seemed completely uninterested in establishing a successful, or even relevant, second franchise in Los Angeles. Instead, they were content to let the Lakers bask in the Southern California sun.

This season seemed to be shaping up the same way despite the team drawing more attention with its young and talented core. Then Chris Paul was added to the mix in a trade with the New Orleans Hornets. Suddenly, there was hope in Clipperland. Perhaps the organization was changing its losing ways. Maybe this is the turning point that will bring the team into continued relevance. The front office finally did something good for the team.

In terms of what the Clippers are doing on the basketball court, the team is good. They are winning and Paul and Blake Griffin are leading “Lob City” to regular wins in a deep conference. For once there is hope. Only the Clippers could screw up such a good thing, and they have.

Through all the tribulation that the Clippers organization has put its fans through over the past decades, there has been on man who has stood by the organization for the past 15 years. Darrell Bailey, known to the world as “Clipper Darrell,” has been the face of Clipper fandom. For more than a decade, he has been a season ticket holder and has attended 400 plus home games. As the Clippers have been in the dumps for much of that time one would assume that they would celebrate Clipper Darrell’s dedication to the organization. However, as Clipper Darrell noted on his blog on Wednesday, that is simply not the case.

The Clippers have told Bailey to drop the “Clipper” from his nickname as it infringes on the organization and allows him to unduly profit because of his unofficial association to the team.

MediaBistro has the details from Bailey:

According to Bailey, the Clippers offered him an additional free season ticket if he dropped the Clipper nickname.

“That’s when everything went haywire and they said I was trying to make money off sponsorships,” Bailey added. “If people are going to pay me to do some things, why not do it? I don’t see any harm in it as long as I’m not hurting the brand itself. I’m going to high schools, charity events, I do it all. They told me at the end of the conversation that, ‘We would like you not to be Clipper Darrell anymore and would like you to go back to Darrell Bailey.’”

Yeah. Way to go, Clippers.

Here is their official statement, via the OC Register:

“The Clippers have done absolutely nothing wrong or inappropriate as it concerns Darrell Bailey. His claims are absurd and unfounded. He has never been an employee or representative of the Clippers organization, and therefore cannot be terminated. The Clippers have never engaged Mr. Bailey’s services. When he has been in need, the organization has regularly provided him a seat for games. No good deed goes unpunished.

We have had multiple conversations with him concerning his inappropriate use of the Clippers’ team name and trademark for his own unmonitored commercial gain. We have spoken to him repeatedly about his desire to make public appearances in ways which improperly suggest that he is officially affiliated with our organization. In all cases and over a long period of time, he has consistently rejected our efforts to operate in consultation.

In a conversation with an authoritative and tenured Clippers’ executive last week, he was asked again to either consult with the team on all public appearances and/or commercial ventures, or stop undertaking those opportunities representing himself inappropriately. His response was an offer to stop representing himself commercially in that way and his offer was accepted in principle.

The next thing we heard was the baseless claims he has made today and the ensuing media rush to judgment.

We hold all of our fans in the highest esteem and we have been patient and generous with Mr. Bailey. He has not returned our support in an honorable way. He is not actually a fan of the Clippers, but a fan of what he can make off of the Clippers.  We are no longer interested in that kind of association with him, and that is why we accepted his offer to remove our team name from his stage name.”

What a smug statement. One has to wonder if it was originally written on a Donald Sterling eviction notice letterhead.

Obviously, the next logical step for the Clippers’ front office is to send a cease and desist order to Bill Simmons for regularly touting that he is a season ticket holder. He is also clearly trying to profit off the Clippers’ name and product.

So, well done, Clippers management! Now that your team is relevant you scorn your most recognizable and likeable fan. Surely, no backlash will come from this. Oh, wait, the internet picked up on this story and ran with it. Not only that, but three of the biggest stars on the Clippers, yes, actual players, tweeted their support for Clipper Darrell.

Paul, Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan all issued their solidarity with Clipper Darrell. Griffin tweeted, “Bring back #ClipperDarrell.” Jordan chimed in with, “I love Clipper Darrell….#ClipperDarrell.” And Paul tweeted directly at him, “@ClipperDarrell WE GOT YOU!!!” Since the tweets initially went live Wednesday afternoon, both Griffin’s and Jordan’s have been removed from their profiles.

It was not just Clippers’ players who sided with Darrell. The Milwuakee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut also showed his support via twitter saying, “@clipperdarrell mate that is terrible. If you want to be Buck Darrell you are always welcome. The NBA needs more fans like you!”

“Am I going to go back as Clipper Darrell? I can’t. It’s kind of hard to get back into a groove again. Honestly, it tells me they really didn’t care about me from the jump. They just used me for their advertisement and that’s the hurtful situation,” Bailey told MediaBistro.

Clearly this move by the Clippers can be called boneheaded and that is keeping it PG. Was it not obvious that they would somehow ruin their success? Most probably thought it would be with player management but this is a public relations disaster. It should take a while for them to clean up this mess…about as long as it takes Donald Sterling to do the needed repairs on one of his slum tenements.

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by | January 31, 2012 · 11:45 AM

Kendrick Perkins, Welcome to Blake Griffin’s Poster

Contributor Travis Huse and I discuss the merits, historical connections, and effects of Blake Griffin‘s monstrous dunk on Kendrick Perkins last night.

Doyle Rader:  Last night, Blake Griffin threw down the dunk of the year and Kendrick Perkins became the vice president of the Timofey Mozgov Get-Thunderously-Dunked-on-by-Griffin Association. That dunk was sheer power. LeBron James‘ dunk over John Lucas was all fine and dandy but it was John Lucas. Griffin destroyed Perkins. The Thunder brought him in to be a defensive presence in the paint but there is little he can do when the Blake Show has its eyes set on the rim. Not only did Griffin demoralize the Thunder but the Clippers beat the “vaunted” Thunder.

Travis Huse:  Payton-Kemp, Stockton-Malone, those are the names that play conjures up.  The feed from Chris Paul was absolutely perfect, and I’m excited to see how defenses try to prevent the Clips from even attempting side pick and rolls.  I would like to give Kendrick Perkins some credit, though, for even trying to put his body in there.  The Thunder were down 19 on the road, in a regular season game, but Perkins aimed for the contact.  I can’t see any other center in the league who would risk the embarrassment, but Perk didn’t seem very fazed in his post-game interview.  As basketball junkies, there’s nothing better than mid-air collision combat, and this was prime beef, to say the least.

DR:  I believe that Perkins said “It happens” when he was asked about being dunked on. So, on the surface he took it in stride but c’mon, his pride has to have taken just a little hit, everyone’s would. Yes, it was commendable that Perk sacrificed his body to end up on a poster but the end result was just making the play more spectacular. Scaling a grown man is damn impressive. But back to what he said, “It happens.” That is possibly the best way to describe Griffin’s play and effect on the league. It happens and it is happening more and more. He might not have the most refined post game or is a lock down defender but Griffin plays beyond himself and above the ground. Add Paul to the mix and one can only expect more show-stopping dunks.

TH:  The moral of this story is that if you give Blake Griffin 10 feet to gain speed, he’ll plow through you every time, no matter who you are.  He knows he can dunk on anyone, so even if defenses leave him wide open, he’ll still take it to the rim.  No one in the league can truly match up with him, and he plays more like Josh Hamilton as a blitzing linebacker than any active NBA player, he truly looks the most comfortable when he’s unleashing his power.  Killdozer.

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by | January 16, 2012 · 12:55 PM

Team USA Finalists Announced

Repeat?

Earlier today the 20 finalists for Team USA were announced. These players will compete for a chance to represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in London. Here is the list:

Guards:

Deron Williams

Chris Paul

Russell Westbrook

Chauncey Billups

Derrick Rose

Kobe Bryant

Eric Gordon

Dwyane Wade

Forwards:

LeBron James

Andre Iguodala

Rudy Gay

Kevin Durant

Carmelo Anthony

Kevin Love

Blake Griffin

Lamar Odom

LaMarcus Aldridge

Chris Bosh

Centers:

Tyson Chandler

Dwight Howard

The vast majority of these players have played for Team USA before. Only Griffin and Aldridge have not suited up in the red, white, and blue.  What will be interesting to see is how these players fare after a brutally compacted season. If anything, the final 12 players selected to play in the Olympics might come down to a matter of health above all else.

From this list of 20 there are clear shoe-ins, most of whom played on the Redeem Team in Beijing. Paul, Rose, Bryant, and Wade are the top guards in the group. Bryant expressed his interest in returning to play for Team USA long ago and Wade has stated that this will be his last run as member of the squad. However, Wade’s future with the national team is up in the air presently as he is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.

As for the forwards, where Team USA is loaded, James, Anthony, Durant, and potentially Love or Bosh will be the main candidates to make the final roster. Bosh is playing exceptionally well this season but his ability to be multidimensional will come into question if he is to make the cut. If head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s philosophy remains the same, Howard will be the only center who makes the final cut. Under Coach K, the national team has become a model of hybridization. 2010′s gold metal team at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey was a pure experiment and subsequently a benchmark for teams composed of hybrid, multi-positional players. That team started Odom at center over Chandler and it worked.

With that in mind, and assuming that none of the “shoe-in” players listed above have health setbacks, there are still three positions left to make the full 12-man roster. Williams, Iguodala, and Aldridge would be, in my opinion, the best choices to round out the squad. Aldridge, because of his size and shooting ability, would serve the team nicely as a power forward/center. Iguodala, who shined in Turkey, should be included for his defense which will lead to transition offense for the team. Williams is easily the most replaceable player that I have mentioned who has a chance at making the roster. It might be wise to go with another rangy, multi-positional forward instead like Gay or even Odom, who can play three positions on the team not including point forward.

Whatever the final makeup of the roster, health allowing, Team USA will be heavy favorites this summer in London. Hopefully, they have another catchy nickname and congeal as a team. I wonder if Bryant will be spotted in the stands at the beach volleyball tournament this time. Let’s hope so.

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by | December 26, 2011 · 5:24 PM

NBA Christmas Wrap

Merry Christmas

With much fanfare and an obnoxious LMFAO ad that was played almost every commercial intermission, the NBA season kicked off in superb, albeit rusty, fashion. Yes, lockout legs could be seen throughout the five games that were aired but that is to be expected with abbreviated training camps. chemistry was also an issue as many teams have a number of new players to integrate into their rotations. Nonetheless, the NBA is back and fans and players are happy. A reaction:

Boston Celtics 104 – New York Knicks 106

Carmelo Anthony looked great in this game. His 17 points in the fourth quarter were the difference and why the Knicks thought it necessary to gut their team to acquire him. Throughout his time in the NBA, Anthony has proven he has a knack for performing in the clutch and he showed it on Sunday. However, the already shaky depth of the Knicks has grown even more unstable with a knee injury to rookie Iman Shumpert which will sideline him for at least a couple of weeks.

As for the Celtics, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass, who is finally free from the tyranny of Stan Van Gundy, were the offense with Paul Pierce missing the game. Rondo continually broke down New York’s defense and got to the rim. When Pierce comes back to the lineup the Celtics should be a more rounded offensive unit, until then this will be Rondo’s team.

Naughty: Kevin Garnett choking Bill Walker.

Nice: Carmelo Anthony’s clutch play.

Miami Heat 105 – Dallas Mavericks 94

The Mavericks raised their championship banner but that is all they had to celebrate on Sunday. Dallas came out looking flat and out of sync, in essence, they looked old. That should be no surprise because their entire core is over the age of 30. Rick Carlisle is integrating Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Delonte West, who played well, and Brandan Wright into the rotation while dealing with key losses across the board. Jason Terry was the only Maverick who showed up to this one.

Miami looked like they were just rolled off of a German assembly line. They were well oiled and fine tuned. What they did to the Mavericks was scary. Say what you will about all the exhibition games this summer but they seem to have kept LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in game shape, that and their complete desire to destroy everything in their path. This was a blowout, like a brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class versus a Trabant. Not only were the Heat good but they will get better. Rookie Norris Cole turned some heads with his play in 24 minutes of action. If he continues to improve he could supplant Mario Chalmers as the starting point guard.

Naughty: The Mavs’ 37.8 percent field goal shooting.

Nice: LeBron James‘ box score: 37 points, 10 rebounds, six assists.

Chicago Bulls 88 – Los Angeles Lakers 87

Forget Showtime, these are the Slowtime Lakers. That is not a knock on them, however, not in the least bit. This Lakers squad proved to be as scrappy and gritty as any I have seen. Perhaps this is what Mike Brown brings to the team, perhaps this is what a bunch of blue-collar white guys bring to a team, or perhaps this is just what happens when you lose Odom and Andrew Bynum serving his suspension. Nonetheless, I like the Slowtime Lakers. Where they do need to improve is offensive player rotation. Too many times they reverted to Hawks-esque isolation with three players around the perimeter and one near the post.

Chicago played well throughout, with the exception being the third quarter. With the game close, Luol Deng stepped up and made the big plays. It was his defense against Kobe Bryant and his steal late in the game that allowed the Bulls to go on a 7-0 run, capped by Derrick Rose‘s floater in the lane, to win the game. Rip Hamilton started for the Bulls but did not contribute much due to foul trouble therefore his time was split with Ronnie Brewer. Brewer is a solid defender with good court vision and should see more minutes this season.

Naughty: Kobe’s last shot attempt.

Nice: Rose’s floater to win the game.

Orlando Magic 89 – Oklahoma City Thunder 97

Much like the Heat Mavericks game, the final score does not do justice to the thrashing that actually occurred. Like Miami, the Thunder look ready for the season. Very ready.  Oklahoma City pounced on Orlando early and never relented. Their team is largely the same as it was last year so their learning curve is near zero when it comes to knowing each other and how to execute plays…when they are not freewheeling. Speed and athleticism are the monikers of this team and they will serve them well out of the gate. If only they could improve their shot selections *cough* Westbrook *cough*.

Where the Thunder took plenty of questionable shots when they had built their sizable lead, the Magic took even more haphazard shots throughout the entire game. I have said it many times: the Magic’s offense is terrible. There is nothing more that can be said. It looked like they thought that there was a pit of lava inside the three-point line. Get Dwight Howard the ball in the post and let him work.

Naughty: Hedo Turkoglu clearly indulged his gluttonous side during the lockout. Dude is chunky.

Nice: Kevin Durant. Need I say more?

Los Angeles Clippers 105 – Golden State Warriors 86

If ESPN had their way, this would have been a documentary about Mark Jackson and the greatness of his coaching style. Nevermind the fact Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were on the court, this broadcast was about Mark Jackson, hands down (man down). They showed a clip of him quoting Shakespeare before the game. He was the only coach shown in the huddle, mostly saying cliché motivational shit like “execution” and “focus.” That is all fine and good, but he does have a decent team that the broadcast could have talked about. I think Jackson will be a good coach but that much attention is unwarranted, especially on a nationally televised game. His first coaching milestone was the hack-a-Jordan technique he used on DeAndre Jordan.

The final score is not indicative of how the Warriors remained close for much of the game. Clearly, the Wizards of Lob are the better team but last night they showed chinks in their armor. The aforementioned hack-a-Jordan technique stymied the Clippers offense and brought it to a halt. Luckily, the Clippers have Paul, Chauncey Billups, and Griffin. All played well as they were able to outlast the Warrior. The new look Clippers are a work in progress to say the least and last night they showed it.

Naughty: ESPN’s love affair with Mark “Momma, there goes that man” Jackson.

Nice: Caron Butler‘s circus shot.

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by | December 24, 2011 · 1:27 PM

New additions, same Knicks

Even with Chandler, D'Antoni has his work cut out for him

The New York Knicks enter the protracted season with high hopes and deep playoff aspirations. Why should they not? This is a team that has, since the trade deadline in February, been one of the largest movers on the market. They have brought in star talent to contend now. However, with all the moves that they have made, are the Knicks ready to compete with the likes of the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, or the Boston Celtics? It appears that everything is riding on this season no matter the fact that it is shortened and they have a heap of new players to work into the rotation. The clock is already ticking and the start of the season is less than 24 hours away.

Though they did not make the biggest splash in the hectic free agency period, that honor goes to the Los Angeles Clippers for wresting Chris Paul away from the New Orleans Hornets, the Knicks did land the most coveted center on the market. Tyson Chandler, coming off his career defining championship season with the Dallas Mavericks, chose New York over a host of suitors. New York was a likely fit for Chandler because they could offer him the money he thought that he deserved; roughly $56 million over four years.

During his time in Dallas, Chandler proved to be the backbone of a stout and flexible defense that was quite adept at employing complex zone schemes which allowed Chandler to operate autonomously in and around the paint. As defensively porous as the Knicks were a season ago, a defensive rating of 110.1 which was good for eighth worst in the league, it is no wonder why they spent the money to acquire Chandler. They need defense, and badly.

Yet, one player cannot change the defensive structure of an entire team, it takes each individual on the court to put forth a concerted effort. Carmelo Anthony knows this and believes that the Knicks “can be a great defensive team.” As with anything, words are easier to come by than action.

Last season the Knicks’ best defenders, in terms of defensive rating, were Amar’e Stoudemire and Ronny Turiaf. Each checked in with a rating of 108. Cult hero Anthony Randolph had a lower rating than either Stoudemire and Turiaf but his time on the court was so negligible it renders the rating moot. Determining defensive ratings for players relies heavily on the defensive rating of the team so it is understandable why all the players would own bad ratings.

Mike D’Antoni, the head coach since 2008, is known for an offense first game plan. Defense is an after though, if it is even thought of at all. Chandler is not an offensive powerhouse and can take seven seconds or more to run the length of the court if he is caught under the defensive rim when the Knicks transition to offense. How will he integrate into D’Antoni’s uptempo system? It will be D’Antoni who will have to adjust to Chandler’s presence.

With the lackluster defensive talent on the Knicks’ roster it would behoove D’Antoni to implement similar zone schemes to the ones Chandler anchored in Dallas. From there an individual mandate and trust can be passed to each player when the team plays man-to-man. Trust will be one of the most important issues for the Knicks to cultivate this season if they are truly committed to improving defensively.

On the opposite end of the floor, D’Antoni’s team packs an offensive punch, with two players at least. Combined, Anthony and Stoudemire were used in 60 percent of the offensive sets. The next five players in terms of offensive usage are no longer on the team. In terms of scoring, the four players immediately behind Anthony and Stoudemire are also gone. Toney Douglas is the next player on the list, in both categories, that is still on the team.

Of course there is Chandler, but as stated above he is not going to be a go-to guy on offense. Instead, the Knicks will have to rely heavily on some new and returning players. This includes the aforementioned Douglas, who will quarterback the team, Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert (oh, how he is hyped already), Bill Walker, Mike Bibby, Jared Jeffries, Steve Novak, and Baron Davis. Davis, however, will not take the court for some time as he is dealing with a bulging disk in his back. Not only that but he has lost a step going into his thirteenth season.

This is a team with serious depth issues. This is none more apparent than at point guard. D’Antoni’s system relies on strong play from his point guard (see: Steve Nash) and his options going into the season are far from promising. Douglas is far from Nash and had a two-to-one assist to turnover ratio last season. Now that Raymond Felton is in Portland, Douglas’ ratio could become worse.  Since coming to New York, D’Antoni’s teams have committed the most turnovers. Until Davis is healthy, Bibby will be the backup point guard. Anyone who watched his play with the Miami Heat last season knows that his time on the court is met with groans rather than cheers. The turnovers will continue to be plentiful.

New faces are nothing new for the Knicks, they have also had the most player turnover of any team over the last four years. Therefore, the current Knicks situation is no different that it has been during D’Antoni’s tenure. Nothing in New York should ever be all that easy. Unfortunately for D’Antoni, this is the last year of his contract. If he cannot but all the new pieces together he could be in a long unemployment line.

To expect much of this team in a shortened season would be foolish. Despite their formidable frontcourt, there are too many places where they need to improve, especially defensively, and be able to integrate new players. Not only that but their lack of depth will really hurt them with the increased number of back-to-back games and the inclusion of back-to-back-to-backs. Finishing sixth in the East, as they did last season, would seem to be about right for the new-look Knicks of this season. The Anthony trade gutted this team of a young core and the effects of that will be seen this season. Knicks fans can take solace, though, now that Eddy Curry is no longer on the team. That is a win in and of itself.

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