Tag Archives: Jarrett Jack

by | January 29, 2013 · 5:46 PM

NBA Mid-Season Awards

Thunderstruck might not win any awards, but Durant likely will

Thunderstruck might not win any awards, but Durant likely will

The NBA is just past the mid-point of the regular season so the Kobe Beef decided to jump on the bandwagon and list our selections for who is deserving of an award thus far.

Coach of the Year

Ben Gooding: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls

I’m sure you guys like Mark Jackson.

Travis Huse: Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors

“Mama, there goes that man!”

After years of hearing Mark Jackson spit his catchphrases beside Jeff Van Gundy on ABC, I could have never envisioned that he would be the man to lead the Golden State Warriors back to the playoffs. But now with Monta Ellis gone, The Warriors can now play Stephen Curry at the 2, and allow Jarrett Jack to handle more of the distribution duties. Once you factor in Klay Thompson’s advancement and the return of Andrew Bogut, it is evident that the Warriors might just be the beginning of a perennial playoff team.

Doyle Rader: Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors

It was a bit premature for Mark Jackson to declare that the Warriors would be playoff-bound after he was named head coach last season. However, he was only off by a year. Barring a collapse on the level of the 2007 Mets, Golden State will reach the playoffs for the first time since 2007 as they have already topped their win total from last season. Jackson has melded his rotations well and rode the chemistry that David Lee and Stephen Curry have developed to this point. Not to mention this team is all buckets everything. They shoot 45.6 percent from the floor, and lead the league in 3-point shooting percentage with a mark of 38.8. The Warriors are also the only team to have defeated the Thunder, Heat, and Clippers. Now the team has Andrew Bogut back which will only bolster their roster. His handling of Curry’s recent ankle tweak, by sitting him, also shows that he is not risking his team’s future for one game.

Most Improved Player

TR: Paul George, Indiana Pacers

This award is not even up for discussion. To begin the season, Indiana looked like a sure lock on winning the Central Division, but were derailed by Danny Granger’s knee injury and disappointing play from Roy Hibbert. George has filled the superstar role nicely, and the Pacers now have a serious chance to overtake the Bulls in order to land the 3rd seed in the East by the time playoffs roll around.

DR: Greivis Vasquez, New Orleans Hornets

Vasquez’ play this season has been nothing short of superb. He has quarterbacked a bottom feeding team as well as anyone could imagine and has already set career numbers in points, assists, rebounds, and 3-point shooting percentage and he has done it all in ewer total minutes than he played all of last season. New Orleans has a +/- of -7.9 and a Net Rating of -8.1 when Vasquez is on the bench.

Defensive Player of the Year

BG: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

Chicago is 27-17 and Derrick Rose has not set foot on the hardwood all season. What could be even more astonishing? That the Bulls have that record by only scoring 93 points a game (that’s 27th in the league, folks).

How are they doing it? Defense and Joakim Noah is leading the way. Midway through the season, Chicago is only giving up 90 points a game (3rd in the league) and they are gathering 44 rebounds a game (6th in the league).

Noah is gathering 7.2 rebounds a game and 2 blocks. He’s gathered 15 boards or more eight times this season. His energetic style matched with stingy defense all over the court, is allowing the Bulls to bide their time before Rose returns.

TH: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

The Bulls’ success in the absence of Derrick Rose speaks volumes about the work of head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the way he has managed to keep this team performing at an elite level without his MVP point guard just might be his biggest success to date. But with the defensive identity of this squad is the glue that holds them together, and Noah has been phenomenal as a defensive leader, in a capacity similar to Kevin Garnett’s role on the Celtics.

 DR: Larry Sanders, Milwaukee Bucks

Larry Sanders may be an odd choice for Defensive Player of the Year. Yet, I cannot get past a few aspects of his game that let me to select him. Sanders is by no means a household name. He has scrapped for playing time in Milwaukee, a team laden with forwards, but now seems to be coming into his own as a defensive presence. Sanders currently has the second best defensive rating in the league, 95.9, behind only Tim Duncan and leads in every block category. The most striking statistic being that he blocks nine percent of all the shots taken when he is on the floor. NINE PERCENT! JaVale McGee is second with 7.9. Opposing offenses only shoot 52.7 percent, a dreadful number, from the restricted area when Sanders in patrolling the paint. He also pulls down 8.2 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes and sports a defensive win shares rating of 2.3.

Sixth Man

TH: Jarrett Jack, Golden State Warriors

Jarrett Jack is just one of those players who can really rally a second unit, and I am pretty damn unsure as to why he hasn’t managed to secure a starting spot on an NBA team. At any rate, he has helped out many a crappy team (looking at you, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh) while being buried under talented starters, and you just have to enjoy him.

[Editor's note: Jack was the starting point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2006-07 season. He started in all 79 games that he played.]

DR: Jarrett Jack, Golden State Warriors

One of the reasons that the Warriors have been so successful this season, aside from their coach, has been the willingness of Jarrett Jack to accept his role as the team’s sixth man. Not only has he accepted this position but he has excelled in it. This is Jack’s first season coming off the bench since he backed up Chris Paul in New Orleans. Now he comes off the bench to spell Stephen Curry or play alongside him. He has posted a win shares rating of 3.6 to go along with a true shooting percentage of 56.2 and 7.1 assists per 36 minutes. The Warriors are a deep team with many good bench players, Carl Landry especially stands out, but it is Jack who has contributed the most.

Rookie of the Year

Unanimous: Damien Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

BG: Portland won 28 games last year. So far this season, they are 22-22. May not seem like a lot but it is when you consider how cursed this team has been with rookies (Sam Bowie, Bill Walton, Greg Oden). Seems like all they needed to do was stop drafting centers to break the curse.

Regardless, no one expected to see what we have already seen from Lillard this season. A 37-point game and six double-doubles so far this season are just a few things padding his resume.

TH: I have tried all season to believe in Anthony Davis. I drafted him too highly on our fantasy league. I bought into all the hype about his “NBA readiness,” and I am still trying to believe that he will pull off winning this award.

 With the passing of each day, it becomes more and more unlikely. The Hornets have been very careful with their franchise prospect, and Eric Gordon has finally returned, taking some of the scoring load off Davis.

 Lillard, though, has crafted an amazing year, finally giving the fans in Portland a capable distributor. He is smart with the ball, and he has been willing to shoulder the burden of a leadership role right out of college. When was the last time the Blazers had that? He maximizes the performance of teammates LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. Blazers GM Neil Olshey certainly drafted himself out of the hot water that he was in after matching Batum’s $46 million, four-year offer sheet from Minnesota.

DR: When I saw him fearlessly attack and harry Steve Nash during the preseason, I was sold.

Most Valuable Player

Unanimous: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

BG: It’s hard not to see him winning MVP at this point in the season. The Thunder have only lost two games in a row once this season and one of those games was to the Heat. He leads the league in scoring (29.6 ppg) on one of the best teams in the league (2nd in the West and league, OKC with 34 wins).

While its just as easy to mention LeBron James in this conversation, it’s an award that belongs to Durant. We never expected Durant to be what he is now while the media, fans, and the league completely set the stage for LBJ.

His stat sheet includes over seven rebounds and four assists a game. That matched up with shooting 91 percent from the free throw line and 42 percent from past the arc, spells out history. Only Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller and Larry Bird have maintained the 40-50-90 line throughout a full NBA season.

TR: Even though Lebron James is the best basketball player in the world, the Miami Heat haven’t particularly shined this season, and that will hurt his chances of hoisting a fourth Maurice Podoloff trophy. Instead, I opt for Kevin Durant, who looks driven and determined to win a ring. His team has managed to maintain such a high level of play even though they traded away James Harden, and Durant is poised to take home his fourth straight scoring title. While Durant has lived under Lebron’s shadow the past few years, this is Durant’s time to shine.

DR: Kevin Durant is in rare form. He is currently a 50/40/90 player, meaning that he shoots 50 percent on field goals, 40 percent on 3-pointers, and 90 percent on free throws. If he can maintain this through the rest of the season he will join the ranks of Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki, and Steve Nash as the only players to finish a season shooting at such a level. Not only is his shooting impressive but he is averaging 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game to go along with his league-leading 29.6 points.

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by | May 30, 2012 · 7:04 PM

New Orleans Hornets win the NBA Draft Lottery

Lucky socks

The NBA Draft Lottery is one of the silliest things ever created that has actual weight behind it. A series of beer ping pong balls dance around in a clear plastic cylinder and that decides who will get the first three picks of the NBA Draft. This is supposed to stop tanking with the random nature of the selection and combination of the balls. It doesn’t and it really just makes rumors swirl throughout the day. As with all things NBA, plenty of people think the whole process is rigged.

It isn’t. Get over it.

This year’s draft class is far superior to last year’s. 2011 was marred with the looming lockout which led some players to stay in college for another year before declaring for the draft, a decision that they will probably be glad they made in the long run.

Anthony Davis, a freshman from Kentucky is widely assumed to be the number one pick in the 2012 draft and now he should have a pretty good idea as to where he is going to begin his NBA career.

On Wednesday night, the New Orleans Hornets, a team with a 13.7 percent chance of winning the number one overall pick, became the future recipients of Davis. By winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the Hornets, who are in the midst of rebuilding after trading Chris Paul before the season began, will have a solid building block. However, New Orleans also holds the tenth pick in the draft so they should be able to get a second good player to help their rebuilding process.

Some will speculate that the Hornets won because the league wanted them to after the NBA took over ownership of the team last season. “Basketball reasons” will often be mentioned, but New Orleans won because that is how the balls fell. Well, there’s that and because Jarrett Jack wore his lucky socks (pictured above).

The rest of the Lottery went like this:

2. Charlotte Bobcats

3. Washington Wizards

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Sacramento Kings

6. Portland Trail Blazers

7. Golden State Warriors

8. Toronto Raptors

9. Detroit Pistons

10. New Orleans Hornets

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Milwaukee Bucks

13. Phoenix Suns

14. Houston Rockets

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by | November 13, 2011 · 5:12 AM

Josh Howard’s Celebrity All-Star Basketball Game

Charity rocks!

Oh, you had better believe we were there, and we live Tweeted it. The NBA is not going on right now, and may not be for quite some time, so we took in the best basketball game our city has seen since game five of the NBA Finals. No, it was not as hype as a playoff game. No, it was not super packed and yes, the game was played on a DISD court, but this is all we have right now and dammit, we enjoyed it.

Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas estimated about 2,000 spectators to be in attendance for the game. However, having tweeted him during the game he might have had that number confused with the amount of three-pointers that Damon Jones took. Seriously, Kevin Durant was just feeding him the ball all night (Russell Westbrook take notice). Honestly, the game could not have been more entertaining. It was a perfect mix of pickup game, meets no defense, meets traveling galore, with sprinkles of flash.

Josh Howard, Nick Young, Andray Blatche (yes, it was a Wizards’ scrimmage essentially), Jarrett Jack, LaMarcus Aldridge, Desanga Diop, Corey Brewer, D.J. Mbenga (in Dallas we still love him), Reggie Evans, Marquis Daniels, Damion James, Jeremy Evans, Anthony Randolph, Trevor Booker, who coached the blue team, Damion Wilkins, Jason Maxiell, Hamady N’Diaye,  and would-be rookie Isaiah Thomas were among the notables playing.

Unfortunately, both Jeremy Evans and Mbenga had to leave the game after both being walloped in the face at one point.

Other than Durant shoveling the ball to Jones on every possession, Young was doing everything in his power to command this game. He was streaking out on the break (there was no transition defense), he was driving the lane (there was no interior defense except for a couple of Diop and Mbenga blocks), and he was knocking down an off-balance outside shot (sometimes). Look, this is what we have and it was fun. Jason Terry and John Wall were in the building as well but they were not dressed out.

Yes, it was sloppy. At one point Durant just tossed the ball out-of-bounds intentionally. It looked as though he may have been going for the off the wall dunk but he missed horribly. He was more concerned about assists on this night. At one point he ran over to the scorer’s table to ask if they were keeping statistics because he wanted to set a personal high in assists. They were not. However, he probably did set that mark.

Without an official score keeper it is safe to say that Damon Jones led all scorers. All of those three-point attempts (and they were plenty) gave him that edge. Yet, his game is boring and he is not even in the NBA anymore.

Howard’s team won the game, despite him not playing in the second half, 139-128.

Thank goodness there were people with Ball is Life t-shirts on there filming the event. The highlights will be posted here when they are available for YouTube embedding, but right now you can view them here. We will post our grainy camera phone pictures on our Tumblr.

After the game was over outside, I shouted at Blatche and Young that I hoped they have a season. Young said that he hoped they did too. Blatche was more occupied by the two women in front of him. Oh, Andre.

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by | September 12, 2011 · 12:30 PM

Another Exhibition Game featuring NBA Players scheduled in D.C.

Once more for charity

The nation’s capital and the surrounding area has hosted several prominent basketball games this summer. Exhibitions such as the Goodman League versus the Drew League and the Goodman League versus the Melo League saw NBA stars descending on the area to suit up. With the NBA lockout still in full effect, these games, along with the FIBA tournaments in Europe and the Americas, have been a small respite for basketball fans longing to see their favorite players on the court once more. Now, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, it looks like there is another game in the works, this time for charity, that will feature only NBA players.

The game, billed as the “Clash of the Superstars,” was organized by Hanif Hill, a trainer who has worked with several NBA players including Kevin Durant, Greg Monroe, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, and Monta Ellis. Durant, who has appeared at seemingly every basketball event this summer, and Monroe have committed to playing in the game. Other players who are slated to play are Jeff Green, DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden, Eric Maynor, Kemba Walker, Jarrett Jack, Corey Brewer, Samardo Samuels, and John Wall, who may not play but will attend.

Event proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club 10, the Calomiris YMCA, National Capital YMCA, and Capital Elite Academy. The game will take place Saturday, September 17.

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by | August 31, 2011 · 8:13 AM

Goodman League vs. Melo League Recap

Durant shined while Paul dimed

With the lockout dragging on and no end in sight, this summer has provided fans a glimpse of their favorite NBA players doing what they love most: playing purely offensive basketball with little care for defense. Yes, that is what all of these urban leagues are and let us be serious, we kind of like it, do we not? The most recent showdown was between the Goodman League of New York City, fresh off of their triumph over the Drew League, against the Melo League from Baltimore. Stars including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant came out for this one and put on a show. Other participants included Austin Daye, Josh Selby, Jarrett Jack, Gary Neal, Eric Bledsoe, and Juan Dixon. It had been rumored prior to the game that Eddy Curry, yes, that Eddy Curry, would play in the game but he was nowhere to be seen. Jeff Green also played in the game but his contribution was so minimal he might as well not have shown up like Curry.

Durant, who has been a mainstay of the streetball circuit this summer put on another impressive display as he dropped 59 points in the contest, mostly while James was guarding him. Guarding, here, is meant to be read in the loosest of terms. Despite Durant’s scoring output, his Goodman squad fell to the Melo League 149-141. James poured in 32, Anthony finished with 27, and Paul had 16 as well as a bevy of dimes. Daye scored 23 points, Selby had 16, Jack totaled 13, and Neal dropped 17. However, it has been noted that an official score keeper was not present, these numbers are relative. Be sure to check out Beckley Mason’s break down of the game for more insight.

It will not be the last time this summer that NBAers suit up for a friendly exhibition. A league is in the works that will take place over two weeks in Las Vegas that will feature only NBA players and will abide by NBA rules. The details have not been fully hashed out yet but the league is expected to begin the week after labor day. We will have to wait and see with this one but until then enjoy some highlights of the Goodman League vs. Melo League game. The Sports Center sound after every flashy play, there are a lot of sloppy plays too, is priceless. All videos via superball052

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by | February 24, 2011 · 12:53 AM

Carl Landry traded to New Orleans Hornets

On the move again

Is David Stern allowed to make trades? Can he do that? Well, he kind of just did. On Wednesday the New Orleans Hornets, who are owned by the NBA, finalized a deal with the Sacramento Kings. So, yes, apparently Stern can make trades.

The trade will send forward Carl Landry to the Hornets to bolster their frontcourt which has experienced issues with injuries this season. In exchange the Hornets will send Marcus Thornton to the Kings along with cash considerations.

Ever since Chris Paul demanded a trade last summer, the Hornets have been busy making trades to appease him. New Orleans answered Paul’s cries on several tiers. They traded away Darren Collison, James Posey, and Julian Wright in a four team trade and acquired Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli. The team then traded two draft picks to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerryd Bayless. Soon thereafter, New Orleans traded Bayless and Peja Stojakovic to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks, and David Anderson.

Phew!

Now throw Landry into the mix. The Hornets have made a ton of moves since the summer and are doing everything they possibly can to convince Paul to remain in New Orleans. However, it may not be enough especially with more and more of his peers vaulting for the Eastern Conference in the hopes of establishing “super teams.”

For now though, the Hornets are trying their best to make their team appealing to Paul. Yet, at what cost are they doing so? Remember, this is a team that is owned by the league.

New Orleans is over the salary cap and was forced to absorb $2.24 million as part of Landry’s $3 million contract. They acquired him using a trade exception as Thornton’s contract was only worth $762,195. This is a team that the league was forced to take ownership of because of financial hardships yet the Hornets are now taking on more salary. Odd. Is that even allowed?

Nonetheless, this trade is nothing but a win-win for the Maloof’s, who own the Kings. Because the NBA was forced to take over the Hornets, all of the league’s owners became part owners of the Hornets. They are already seeing a return on their investment.

Clearly, there is some Cajun voodoo working in the Hornets favor. Yet, it has yet to be seen if this voodoo will have Landry back in the form he was in with the Houston Rockets, when he was playing at his best.

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by | November 20, 2010 · 5:14 PM

5 Player Trade between New Orleans and Toronto

The new Dudley Do-Right

Just when the shadow of Hedo Turkoglu had lifted from the Raptors they acquire the likes of another aging one-deminsional player. Peja Stojakovic has been traded to the Raptors from the Hornets along with Jarryd Bayless according to an ESPN report. In exchange Toronto will send Jarrett Jack,  David Andersen, and Marcus Banks to New Orleans.

Stojakovic is in the final year of his contract in New Orleans and is earning $14.25 million this season. He has appeared in only six of the Hornets eleven games this year and has seen his numbers steadily decline each of the previous four seasons.

Due to a contract restiction, Bayless, the third-year backup point guard in New Orleans, will have to be traded seperately. His contract stipulates that he cannot be part of a multi-player deal until after December 23.

Jack has been operating as Toronto’s starting point guard although he has been splitting the duties with Jose Calderon. It is not known whether the point guards will continue to see evenly split action on the Raptors but it is likely that Calderon will move into the starts role.

The Hornets have obviously heard Chris Paul loud and clear. This summer Paul demanded a trade from the team after seeing other players move around the league dramatically altering its makeup. This is the second move New Orleans, who are an NBA best 10-1 on the season, has made since Paul’s haphazard demand. They brought in Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli before the season started.

The acquisition of Andersen gives the Hornets more depth at the center position as, until now, the only backup to Emeka Okafor was D.J. Mbenga. Banks is in the last year of his contract and has only appeared in three games this season.

For the Raptors, this trade can be seen as an effort to continue to rebuild and free up salary for next season after Stojakovic’s contract expires. Bayless will make a nice addition to the “Young Gunz,” as they have been coined, who are made up of DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, and Amir Johnson. If Toronto is smart, they will try and move Stojakovic before the trade deadline as his contract is large enough to fetch a talented player or two with the icing on the cake being that it is an expiring contract. What the Raptors need to look for is more depth in their frontcourt as Solomon Alabi finds him self as the sole true center on the team with Andersen’s departure. It would also be wise if the invested in a big man with considerably more defensive prowess than Andrea Bargnani.

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by | October 14, 2010 · 3:42 PM

10 NBA Players to watch in 2010-11

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

Patrick Beverley, PG: Miami Heat

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

Darren Collison, PG: Indiana Pacers

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

Dominique Jones, G: Dallas Mavericks

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

Linas Kleiza, F: Toronto Raptors

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

Kevin Love, F/C: Minnesota Timberwolves

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

Wesley Matthews, G: Portland Trailblazers

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

JaVale McGee, C: Washington Wizards

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

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

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

Ramon Sessions, G: Cleveland Cavaliers

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

Marreese Speights, F: Philadelphia 76ers

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

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by | August 1, 2010 · 9:00 PM

Hedo Turkoglu Speaks Out about Colangelo and the Raptors

No love lost

Add Hedo Turkoglu to the list of players taking shots at their previous organizations. An article by Fox Sports Arizona has an interview with the former Toronto Raptor and he has some choice words about his previous employer. “People have to realize something is wrong with that organization and nobody wants to go there anymore. It’s not just the players who see this.” Turkoglu’s comments were spurned forward after Bryan Colangelo made discouraging remarks about Chris Bosh‘s willingness to play for the team late in the season when they were in a heated playoff push for the eighth seed in the East with the Chicago Bulls.

On Colangelo: “If he was feeling this way, why not have the guts to say it during the season? Why not say it to Chris? Now that Chris has left, it’s not nice to say those things. Chris has been a franchise player and he did a lot of good things for the Raptors,” Turkoglu said. “I don’t think Chris is the type of player to quit on his teammates.” Many believed that Turkoglu was as equally unmotivated as Bosh was, during the playoff push, while serving his entire stint in Toronto. Can you blame him though? Whether Turkoglu or Bosh “quit” on the Raptors is a mute point as it is in the past, but the organization and Bryan Colangelo have done little if nothing to keep their two former players in the spotlight to scapegoat them for the Raptors’ failings. Yet, as a whole, the Raptors organization has done little to instill a since of purpose or camaraderie in its players. It is not the fault of the players for the ongoing gaffes of the Raptors. Turkoglu was just another player to feel the effects of Colangelo’s mismanagement. Bosh certainly felt the same way. Toronto is going nowhere.

This offseason, the Raptors have lost their marquee player, attempted to work a three team deal in which Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats backed out of at the last minute, and tried to acquire Matt Barnes without the money necessary to do so. They had already spent the money they offered Barnes on the offer sheet that they signed Linas Kleiza; clearly, bookkeeping at its best. In a hasty attempt to replace Bosh’s vacated position after his departure, the Raptors signed Amir Johnson to a five-year deal worth $34 million. Yes, this is the same Amir Johnson that averaged 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season and 4.7 points and 4.2 rebounds over his career. It is not hard to misinterpret this as anything more than a hasty stopgap hinging on unproven straight-out-of-high school talent. Jose Calderon, after the failed trade with Charlotte, has found himself out of favor. He would certainly like to know his future with the organization. If he is not dealt this summer and continues to split time with Jarrett Jack next season again, can you expect him to play with any reasonable amount of heart? He will become yet another scapegoat. There are a couple of bright points for the team though. Both Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan performed satisfactorily, to say that they performed well would be a stretch for any player other than an undrafted one, in Summer League this year. However, none of what Toronto has done this summer, or for the past couple of seasons, bodes well for their future.

“I don’t have to talk any more about it for me because it’s past now,” Turkoglu said. “I don’t care anymore what people say about me because I’ve got other things to worry about.” So do fans of the NBA. Bryan Colangelo has done everything in his power to make the Raptors irrelevant. The voices calling for Colangelo’s resignation are growing, as they should be. He has done little if anything but make the Raptors a ‘W’ for opposing teams. Do not think that Leandro Barbosa will make any difference. Colangelo needs to leave the FIBA game planning to his father, Jerry. The NBA is not FIBA. If matters do not improve in Toronto the Raptors could quickly find themselves as relevant as last year’s New Jersey Nets.

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