Tag Archives: Kenyon Martin

by | July 10, 2011 · 7:38 PM

Like a Fine Wine…

Michael Jordan played a total of 142 games for the Washington Wizards from age 38 to 40.  He set several records for his age as well as being the only Wizard to play all 82 games in 2002-03.

On December 29, 2001, the 38-year-old jordan scored 51 points against the Hornets.  He broke two records in the 38 minutes he was on the court; the oldest player to ever score 50 and for most points in one quarter against the Hornets with 24.  He shot 21/38 from the field and 9/10 from the free-throw line.

Days later, he scored 39 against the Nets who had Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin on the floor.

As he aged, Jordan was still able to prove his complete dominance.

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by | April 16, 2011 · 4:33 PM

Western Conference Playoff Predictions: Thunder vs. Nuggets

What me worry? Think again Nick.

It really made no sense when NBA fans stated that Oklahoma City would stomp Denver in the first round.  However, it’s really looking more and more like those fans may be onto something but not for the reasons they may assume.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5. Denver Nuggets

Yes, Kevin Durant is a takeover player that people love to namedrop in sports debate. He has scored a lot against the Nuggets as well with 44, 22, 32 and 28-point performances as his Thunder amassed a 3-1 record against Denver this season.  However, he is just one man.

What those fans aren’t discussing is the lack of fallout felt in the Mile High City after Carmelo Anthony left for the Big Apple and how scary that really is.  If you play for Denver now, you either dwelled in Anthony’s shadow for years or were dispelled from New York for the prima dona.  Either way, you have a chip on your shoulder and you play for a coach in the same position.  George Karl has not even been mentioned as a candidate for coach of the year after taking his team 17-7 since losing the All Star (12-1 at home).

Key Matchups:

The issue with why those fans were wrong lies here: it isn’t Durant vs. the Nuggets but the Nuggets vs. themselves, or rather, their ailments.  Denver is very injured.

This team became extremely deep after sending Melo to NYC.  Raymond Felton adds depth to the backcourt, Danilo Gallinari gives them a big body that can shoot, Wilson Chandler provides them another guy down low, Al Harrington gives them size and Timofey Mozgov speaks Russian.  However, starting point guard Ty Lawson sprained his ankle in the last regular season game of the year and is day-to-day.  Arron Afflalo is being called a game-time decision after injuring his hamstring.  Gallinari is probable after injuring his ankle and Nene is probable too with an injured groin.

J.R Smith will have to rise up with Afflalo not 100 percent.  Kenyon Martin and Harrington will have to hold down the frontcourt with Nene and Gallinari injured.  Karl has options but their situation is anything but ideal.  At full health, this team could roll the Thunder but that isn’t the case now.

Next, Scott Brooks needs to take advantage of this appropriately.  The starting lineup in OKC is good but not great.  It’s convenient to have  Nick Collison and James Harden coming off the bench but Eric Maynor running point when Russell Westbrook is sitting isn’t the best.  If Denver isn’t going to have the depth they succeeded with towards the end of the season, then it’s up to Brooks to figure out how to exploit that the best way he sees fit and that’s by playing smart.

X Factors:

Harden will have to show up for this series.  He finished off the season well and is easily the best player on that OKC bench.  While he doesn’t really produce a lot in the minutes he’s given, he doesn’t turn it over and that’s key when you talk about secondary units.  During the regular season, the OKC bench was sixth in the league in lowest amount of turnovers with only four a game.

J.R. and Felton will be on that court against the garbage backup players that the Thunder have and by the way, Denver’s bench is sixth in the league in steals per game. If Harden and Maynor don’t take care of the ball, they will be looking at the back of Denver jerseys for most of this series.  The backup guards for Denver are definitely going to be important due to the fact that it will be them filling in for the injured players.

Prediction:

This will be the best first-round playoff series in the West.  OKC has the atmosphere and Denver has the altitude (Where Durant won his first game there ever this season).  The only thing for sure is that this series will go seven games.  However, the injuries in Denver really make it hard to figure out who has the overall edge.  Durant may be good but he just isn’t going to march his way to the Western Conference finals.  Denver has a lot to fight for, they have a better coach and they have better depth.  The Beef is giving it to them in seven.

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by | November 12, 2010 · 1:39 PM

Beef Stew: Nuggets of hope and a hot Boston team

Beefy

It was a pretty busy evening in the NBA last night with two marquee teams taking the stage against worthy conference opponents.  Sounds like the perfect ingredients for some Beef Stew.

LA looses the perfection

The Lakers walked into Denver last night with an 8-0 record.  They had been playing a very heightened level of basketball to start the season with their newly acquired players adding depth and their starters showing their teeth.

Denver had other plans though last night.

The battered Nuggets, down 93-85 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, turned up the heat and began shooting lights out.  J.R. Smith hit a 3-pointer with just 4:12 left in the game that sparked an 11-0 run that inevitably handed the Lakers their first loss of the season.

Pau Gasol is showing that not all Spaniards are soft.

A shootout pursued throughout the fourth but Denver landed more shots with Smith’s causing both an end to the tiebreak but also sparking life in their defense.  Carmelo Anthony finished the game with 32 points but had a block over Pau Gasol late in the game that really got the home crowd into the game.  A series of poor shot choices is eventually what killed the Lakers as well.

Denver is a scary team that is about to get better.  Nene is finally back and had a good game with 18 points and five rebounds.  He played the entire fourth quarter with five personal fouls but did not get that sixth.  Ty Lawson and Smith led the bench with a combined 30 points.

However, Denver is far from healthy with both Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin out.  When they return, Sheldon Williams will return to the bench but not after receiving a lot of valuable playing time to start this season off.  Their return will add to the depth that is already present in Denver.  In addition, they will allow George Karl to throw a lot more at opponents from all angles of the court.  It could be very scary.

The Lakers shouldn’t be worried about this loss and knowing Phil Jackson, they aren’t.  They came in and matched their season average in points and got production from their stars.  It’s going to be a long season for LA and a lot of teams are going to learn how to beat them.  They weren’t going to stay perfect and a loss will help Jackson work out the kinks in his rotation.  Remember, this team was retooled with two new players in Steve Blake and Matt Barnes.  In addition, Shannon Brown is looking like he could earn a solid role in this rotation.  Before last night, they had only played two teams that even made the playoffs last season (Phoenix and Portland).

Anytime Denver and LA meet it’s a fun game.  Last night did not break from the trend.  The Nuggets are going to be dangerous when they are all healthy.  LA is going to be good but still experience some losses that they will learn from.

Can Miami contend?

The Boston Celtics are officially the fire extinguisher of the NBA with their achievement of being the first team to beat the Three Amigos of South Beach twice.  Actually, it’s really not looking like much of an achievement at all.

Miami came into last night’s game with only one win over a team that finished last season over .500 and that was Orlando which has its own set of problems.  Now, they are looking at back-to-back losses to Utah and now Boston.

Again, there are two storylines.

Boston is a good basketball team.  They were last season, they were the season before that and just because LA won the title and Miami loaded up doesn’t mean that they are just going to fade.  Their blue-collar style of ball is built for a long NBA season and the players are figuring out their rolls.  Doc Rivers has let Kevin Garnett that he is to defend, Ray Allen is to decrease his shots and that it is Rajon Rondo’s team to run.  He is no longer the player with searching puppy eyes looking for Rivers to tell him what plays to run.  He is playing with veteran confidence and racking up nearly 15 assists per game (last night he had 16).

Looks like Boston can stand the Heat

In addition, the Celtics will have the opportunity to retool when Kendrick Perkins returns and they no longer have to rely on Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal for big minutes.  When they rotate to positions off of the bench, Rivers will be able to put them both up against opposing second rotations.  Most teams don’t have the kind of depth that they have at the center position and it will allow them to grind and wear down their opponents.

Then it’s the Heat.

Where to begin in Miami?  First, it’s three players surrounded by garbage.  They need not to look further than Boston to see how a championship team is born.  It needs to have a mix of All Stars and workhorses.  There are no gritty players in Miami that are willing to take the charge.  Instead, they are relying on a limited amount of players to show up big and carry the rest of the team.

Carlos Arroyo started at the point last night.  He didn’t have one assist.  Joel Anthony started at center and he didn’t have a single rebound.  Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James combined for 58 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists.  Outside of Udonis Haslem’s 21 points and 10 rebounds, no one else really showed up for the game.  The big three will not be working on all cylinders every game and with essentially no one else on the team worth sneezing at, they wont win.

The other problem is LeBron.  He hustles and plays well but does not have a knack for making those around him better.   He simply takes too many shots and doesn’t seem to trust the players around him at all to lead them to victory.  When those players around you are Bosh and Wade, it could spell out problems now and later.

We all saw what he had to work with in Cleveland and right now it really isn’t much better.  In fact, last season’s Cavs team was put together a lot better than this Heat team and actually played together very well.  The chemistry just isn’t there in Miami and we have yet to see if it forms.  As of now, it looks like they are the exception to the load-up affect that worked in LA and Boston.

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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!

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by | October 8, 2010 · 2:57 PM

Beefy Power Rankings

The preseason is underway and it’s time to rank these teams accordingly.  There are some obvious picks in the mix but there will be some surprises this season.  It’s our power rankings.

1. The Miami Heat

This is a no brainer.  Imagine the Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen signings happening 10 years before they did.  A mixture of three All-Stars built behind Pat Riley’s ego doesn’t spell CHAMPIONSHIP.  It spells DYNASTY.

2.  The Los Angeles Lakers

The defending champions will have the ability to compete for another title as long as Kobe Byrant Stays healthy.  The acquisition of Matt Barnes gives this defense a lot more bite and they finally have a backup point guard in Steve Blake.

3.  The Dallas Mavericks

They may be a little too high on this for some people but we need to consider how they faired after last season’s trade with Washington.  They have had an entire offseason to mold together as a team and their best pickup of free agency, Tyson Chandler, is coming off a gold performance with team USA.

4.  The Orlando Magic

Even though Stan Van Gundy can no longer sport those turtlenecks, the Magic will contend.  Yes, they lost a good defender in Barnes but their contract with Vince Carter expires at the end of the season and he could be very valuable trade bait.  If they could compete last year, they should compete yet again this season.

5.  The Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both coming off of a great summer with team USA.  Their leadership has grown exponentially and we expect it to show on the court.  There will be thunder in Oklahoma City.

6.  The Boston Celtics

Age has always been this team’s Achilles heal and the Shaquille O’Neal signing didn’t make them any younger.  Rajon Rondo proved that he is one of the best point guards in the league last season.  Jermaine O’Neal will give some more depth to the frontcourt but Ray Allen and Paul Pierce need to prove their worth yet again.

7.  The Chicago Bulls

The Bulls had probably one of the most impressive offseasons outside of Miami.  Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer alone will improve the depth on this fairly young squad.  Tom Thibodeaou’s defensive mindset will work well in Chicago and Derrick Rose is proving to be a top player in the league.

8.  The Phoenix Suns

Last season’s Western Conference Playoffs were a definite surprise for everyone.  After losing Amar’e Stoudemire, don’t expect the Suns to stumble.  Hakim Warrick will score less but accomplish a lot more under the basket with his ability to actually play defense and hustle.  Goran Dragic knows what he is capable of as well as Robin Lopez.  Don’t expect anything from Hedo Turkoglu since we really don’t know what we’re going to get.

9.  The Utah Jazz

Yes, Loosing Boozer will affect the Jazz but Al Jefferson will spark that frontcourt.  Deron Williams is getting better and better and has stated that he will turn Jefferson into a better player than he already is.  We don’t expect a veteran coach like Jerry Sloan to trip up over loosing a few key players.

10.  The Atlanta Hawks

Head coach Larry Drew is expected to ease off of the isolation offense that implemented Joe Johnson so ineffectively last postseason for the Hawks.  Expect more balance on this team now that they don’t have to worry about a deal with Josh Smith.  Al Hortford is turning out to be a pretty decent basketball player and hopefully Jamal Crawford will play with the same intensity as last season despite contract issues.

11.  The Denver Nuggets

The only thing keeping Denver at 10 is the situation with Carmelo Anthony.  Contract issues can be very distracting.  However, Kenyon Martin should rebound from last season’s injury and the backcourt is stacked with Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson.  George Karl’s presence alone should revamp this team.

12.  The Milwaukee Bucks

Buck fever hit the nation last season with utter surprise.  Hopefully they can maintain the same level of competition this year.  Andrew Bogut finally has some help in the frontcourt with Drew Gooden and Corey Maggette will offer some veteran leadership on the squad.

13.  The Portland Trailblazers

Health is the main issue for the Blazers this season as both Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla are both coming off of serious injuries.  Luckily, Marcus Camby signed a two-year extension with Portland in April and will be able to hold down the frontcourt until both return.  They must get a full season out of Brandon Roy as well if they want to compete next summer.

14.  The San Antonio Spurs

Age will slowly kill this dying dynasty but until then, plan on one more run by the Spurs.  It’s time for Popavich to put in the young fellas and let DeJaun Blair and George Hill do their thing.  It’s their only hope with such a geriatric squad and an 82-game season.

15.  The Memphis Grizzlies

It may be time for this young Griz team to make the playoffs in the post-Gasol era.  Rudy Gay has shown that this is his team and his time with team USA will hopefully payoff.  It’s a solid core and with Zach Randolph in the mix, anything can happen.  They have several options on who to start at point guard but they really need to figure it out fast since that will determine if they are ready for the playoffs.

16.  The Charlotte Bobcats

They really took a step backwards by losing both Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton.  Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace are the best players on the team but they need to stay healthy (Wallace is injured all the time).  D.J. Augustin says he is ready to be this team’s point guard while it’s Tyrus Thomas’s first full season in Charlotte.

17.  The Sacramento Kings

It’s weird putting them up this high (yes, 17 would be high for some of the more recent Kings’ teams) but it all depends on the development of these young kings.  Tyreke Evans has shown that this is his show and hopefully he wont hit a sophomore slump.  Demarcus Cousins has the potential to be a great basketball player if he keeps his head on straight.  Samual Dalembert will hopefully aid in his growth as an NBA big guy.

18.  The Houston Rockets

By limiting Yao Ming’s minutes and Brad Miller already showing signs that his career is dwindling, Houston has a big problem at the center position.  Yes, they may make the playoffs but it depends on a lot of things.  Kevin Martin has already shown that he has trouble adjusting to new offenses and new players from his time in Sacramento (even he has injury problems).  He needs to kick the old habits and start scoring if the Rockets want a chance.

19.  The Indiana Pacers

It all revolves around the point guard position this season for the Pacers.  Darren Collison is good but he really needs to prove his worth.  He is going from a very deep backcourt in New Orleans to a very shallow one in Indiana.  Danny Granger needs to play with the same intensity and injuries need to be kept to a minimum.  If all this works out, the Pacers may be seeing the postseason for the first time in years.

20.  The New Orleans Hornets

An unhappy super star on the squad never helps a team.  This is exactly what is going down in the Big Easy and signing Trevor Ariza will not be a catalyst in making Chris Paul stay.  It is Monty Williams first full season in New Orleans but we have seen that this team’s problems run deep.

21.  The Washington Wizards

Over the past few seasons, we have seen that it takes a lot more than a first round pick to turn a team around.  John Wall is good but something is stirring up in Washington.  Gilbert Arenas has said that it is no longer his team and is eying an exit.  Good luck Gil.  Washington signed you to a maximum six-year contract in 2008.  You aren’t going anywhere.

22.  The Golden State Warriors

The Nelson era is over but we have yet to see if his style of ball with depart as well.  Keith Smart is going to have to implement some defense but that may be hard with a crew that is so used to running and gunning.  We will see some upsets and good games from these young guys but it’s going to take a little more than David Lee to turn it around for the Warriors.

23.  The Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Love is coming off of a productive summer and Corey Brewer improved a lot last season.  Michael Beasley has said that he wants to turn his life around and get serious about the game and what better place than the frozen tundra (sarcasm).  Drafting both Wesley Johnson and Lazar Haywood were steps in the right direction but it isn’t the Wolves time… yet.

24.  The Cleveland Cavaliers

Don’t feel sorry for them.  They did this to themselves.  LeBron James had no incentive to stay and management did very little to make him feel welcome by not including him in the coaching decision.  Byron Scott has a lot of work on his hands.  Antawn Jamison will be leading this team now and that wont be enough.  The only glimmer of hope for the Cavs is J.J. Hickson who showed a lot of potential last season.

25.  The New York Knicks

Amar’e Stoudemire and Eddy Curry spell out maybe one of the laziest frontcourts in the NBA.  They will win more games but Mike D’antoni has his work cut out for him.  We have already seen that he has a tendency for pissing his players off with his limited rotations.  Let’s see how that rotation works with a bunch of out-of-shape washouts.

26.  The New Jersey Nets

We have seen what Avery Johnson can do with a team that is already built (The Dallas Mavericks in 2005) but we have yet to see what he does with rebuilding.  He does an excellent job of implementing defensive schemes and the players in New Jersey will prove to be good students.  They finally have some depth with Anthony Morrow, Troy Murphy and Travis Outlaw but a reunion of Devin Harris and the little general could prove disastrous.

27.  The Philadelphia 76ers

It will take more than Evan Turner to turn this team around.  Andre Iguodala has proven that he isn’t a primary scoring threat and Allen Iverson and Andre Miller attributed to his early career success.  There isn’t much else in Philly to take the attention away from him.  Don’t expect much.

28.  The Los Angeles Clippers

Baron Davis showed up for the season out of shape.  Eric Gordon played well in the FIBA Championship but has shown that he is injury prone.  Blake Griffin is showing signs of promise but do we really expect a rookie to turn it around for the other team that plays at Staples Center?

29.  The Detroit Pistons

They are being sold.  That’s about all that they got going for them.

30.  The Toronto Raptors

They will be athletic with Leandro Barbosa, Julian Wright and the growth of DeMar DeRozan but Toronto will suck.  General manager Bryan Colangelo has shown that the Raptors are not done dealing but there really isn’t much for them to offer or even acquire that can turn this franchise around.

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by | September 25, 2010 · 6:02 PM

Melo Drama

Time may be running out for a Carmelo Anthony trade

This summer’s free agency was so thunderous that it found its way to affect contracts set to end next July.  A key one being Carmelo Anthony’s deal with the Denver Nuggets.  Entering his eighth season in the league, the three-time All-Star has opted to take his talents elsewhere by not agreeing to an extension with the Denver.  After what we have seen so far this summer, is anyone really surprised?

The Nuggets are another team that has built a team around a 2003 rookie and done nothing but fallen short.  Anthony only took the team past the first round once but was eliminated in the conference finals by the LA Lakers on his birthday.  Tough luck.

Now, it looks as though a four-team deal is brewing with the Nets set to acquire Anthony.  However, it has become apparent that he is not looking to go alone.  He is no idiot and knows that it is going to take a little more than just his talent to turn around a team that flirted with having the worst record in NBA history last season.  In addition, we have seen Avery Johnson take a team to the finals but that Mavericks team was already built.  We have never seen the young coach build a squad from the ground up which is essentially what he is being faced with in New Jersey.  Chris Paul has even entered the conversation but when they moved Darren Collison to Indiana, it became fairly obvious whom the Hornets want as their point guard.  He isn’t going anywhere.

Rumors have spread that he may be heading to Charlotte instead.  The talent level is a little higher for the young Bobcats but they too are not without flaws.  The point guard situation there is flaky.  Sharon Collins and D.J. Augustin are very young and the team has yet to even win a playoff game.

Denver has even been talking to other teams including Cleveland and Indiana about a potential trade.  The delay is just further frustrating the Nets’ general manager Billy King who wants to finish the deal by Monday.  The delay also puts the other two teams in the trade, Utah and Charlotte, in a bind that may force them to pull out of the deal.  A looming deal could affect the training camps of all four teams as players on the block try and figure out where they will be playing next season.

It’s the nature of the business though and Denver has a lot to weigh out.  The deal would send them rookie Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko and two first-round draft picks.  It would essentially send the Nuggets into a rebuilding phase that would set them back years.  The careers of J.R. Smith, Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington wont last forever.

However, Denver does have a bit to build with.  Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson are good building blocks that will be better when those draft picks are made in 2011 and 2012.  It’s a hard decision to make and the Nuggets don’t have much time.

Running an NBA team is like running a business.  The right decisions will bring about the best results and Denver really has to weight out their options.  It’s a matter of time before a deal is made but the Nuggets and Carmelo need to make sure it’s one that will benefit them both the best.

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by | April 9, 2010 · 1:18 PM

News and Notes

Derrick Rose and Vinny Del Negro eye the playoffs

What is happening around the league currently? (Follow the Kobe Beef on Twitter to keep up to date in 140 characters or less.) Several items transpired after last night’s round of games and into this morning. Here we break down a few key points that will play a role today, into the weekend, and beyond.

Manu Ginobili inked a new three year deal with the San Antonio Spurs today for just over $38 million. Ginobili’s abilities as a proven flopper with low basketball IQ are invaluable assets to a team that will soon be involved in the rebuilding process. George Hill and DeJuan Blair are the future for the Spurs and Ginobili is likely sticking around because of his play of late, which has been remarkable especially with the frenetic pace at which he plays and his simply stupid luck (which he has always had) shooting the ball. Ginobili stays a Spur but what will become of Mr. Eva Longoria?

Not many things can actually be decided in the playoff race in the West before the dust settles on 14 April but at least two things can be gained by certain teams tonight, if they are lucky. The Los Angeles Lakers travel to the Target Center tonight to play the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season and are lottery bound; the Lakers on the other hand hold the top spot in the West. They could lock up this top seed and secure the best record in the West with a win over the Timberwolves tonight. Having rested Kobe Bryant last night in their loss to the Denver Nuggets last night, he will undoubtedly be ready to play and win.

The Dallas Mavericks are the other team that can have part of their fate decided tonight, if they get a little help from the Memphis Grizzlies. Dallas travels to Portland to play the Trailblazers tonight, which could still shape up to be a first round matchup depending on where all the pieces fall. Portland has had the Mavericks number all season having beaten them in each of their three previous meetings this year. In one of those wins Andre Miller was completely unstoppable and dropped a career high 52 points against a hapless Mavericks team. Other than playing for sheer pride and redemption the Mavericks are also playing to secure the Southwest Division title. If they can finally find a way to beat the Blazers tonight they will be half way to that goal. Memphis holds the key to the other half of the equation as they travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs. The Grizzlies must prevail tonight for the Mavericks to lock up the Southwest, if, of course, the Mavericks themselves win.

In the Leastern Conference the race for the last playoff seed has become even tighter. Last night the Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-108. LeBron James sat out last night’s game for rest which has fueled speculation, especially north of the border, that the Cavaliers would rather play the Bulls in the first round. Both the Toronto Raptors and the Bulls hold identical 38-40 records and are tied for the final playoff spot in the East. I have written ad nauseam, it seems, about the intertwined destinies of both Chicago and Toronto so I will not write on the issue here more than I already have. (Read previous entries on this topic if you have not done so.) Sunday is their showdown, tune in if you can.

Kenyon Martin hopes to return to the Denver Nuggets by Saturday from a knee injury that has kept him out of the lineup and in street clothes for the last five weeks. His return may help stop the bleeding that Denver has experienced of late. But the team may have already righted the ship as they have rattled off four consecutive wins. Chauncey B-B-B-Billups probably has something to do with this as he said, “For us, the playoffs started a week ago and we’ve got to play ugly and fight and scrap and claw.” Over these last four games they have been doing just that as the Nuggets attempt to hold onto home court advantage in at least one playoff round. Getting Martin back will certainly help this team play ugly, fight, scrap, and claw as he is one of their best defenders and has quite the knack for rebounding. Hopefully, however, K-Mart’s return will be more appropriate for his young fans than his recent tirade was after an April Fools prank which he was the victim. Take a listen.

Jerry Colangelo has some ‘splaining to do. Kobe Bryant has not officially agreed to play in the FIBA World Championship as yet but he certainly hasn’t ruled it out. According to Bryant he is playing as far as he knows. This is great for Team USA, isn’t it? Kind of. You see, Colangelo, for some bonehead reason decided to make LeBron James mad which led to LeBron basically saying he has no plans on recommitting to Team USA. Thanks, Jerry. Dwyane Wade is going through an unfortunate divorce, the proceedings of which could interfere with the games which are being held in Turkey this summer. So you have a vague commitment from Kobe, LeBron is mad, and Wade is going through the Big D and we don’t mean Dallas. (On a side note: Dwyane Wade, please come play for the Mavericks. I know the officials and Emperor David Stern handed you a title here to spite the fans and Mark Cuban but winning a ring here while wearing blue, silver, and white would go a long way to helping heal deep, deep wounds. Give it some consideration.) What is Colangelo to do? Well, he damn well better do something before more players decide to opt out. It would be wise on his part to invite young players (Kevin Durant, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, DeJuan Blair, Russell Westbrook, etc.) to tryouts and practice for the team to instill a sense of pride in them for being able to represent their country. Do it for your neighbor, do it for Obama, do it so the lazy Spaniards don’t win again, and do it for America (cue the America song from Team America). The skill level that Team USA brings to the Worlds will not be in question but it would be nice if America’s best talent participated.

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