Tag Archives: Roy Hibbert

by | April 18, 2012 · 2:58 PM

Ribeye to Eye: The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

Even the East is juicy this year

Doyle Rader and Travis Huse discuss the NBA’s Eastern Conference, namely the playoff situation (what do you think of this segment’s tentative name?):

DR: Before we get rolling on how we feel the Eastern Conference playoffs will look, I want to address something that I saw last night. Now, I didn’t watch this game, I feel sorry for anyone that did, but I kept an eye on the score throughout the night because, well, I simply didn’t believe what I was seeing. The Detroit Pistons demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers 116 – 77. Now, the 77 points that Cleveland scored are deceiving. On the surface it appears to be a respectable, albeit low, total. It most certainly was not. At the end of three quarters the Pistons were up 100 – 50. Yes, they had a 50 point lead. 50 points! My God! This is the NBA. I know that there is a very vague level of parity that exists in the league, although it often cannot be found on a nightly basis, but what an embarrassment. At least the Bobcats weren’t the worst team in the NBA for one night.

OK, had to get that off my chest. What do you think about the Eastern Conference playoff picture?

TH: I don’t even know how you let the Pistons drop 100 on you. In the middle quarters, the Pistons scored 71. The Cavs only scored 6 more points than that in the entire game.  Oof.

Home court appears to be set, with the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and Indiana Pacers spread enough apart that no one will be able to chase them. Bulls’ losses at Miami and Indiana could give the Heat a slight chance to make the top seed, but that’s a tough thing to imagine. Due to the NBA Playoff format, Boston will nab the 4th seed after winning the Atlantic Division. The remaining four spots are a murkier view.  With Dwight Howard‘s back injury and the myriad of front office issues the Orlando Magic have faced, it’s hard to imagine them competing with the Atlanta Hawks for the right to play Boston.  That being said, they seem to be a more cohesive, team-first organization without Howard.  Teams with a distinct desire to win will remember this when Dwight-a-palooza 2.0 hits next season, and will likely pass.  He’s more meant for the organizations that have a need for PR purposes than ones who need to win.  Every team has a joker, a guy you can’t rely on (Luke Babbitt, Metta World Peace, Stephen Jackson with 29 NBA teams), but it’s not exactly the best formula for winning if that guy also happens to be your superstar.  Recent history has shown that in order to win, your best bet would be with a humble star (Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki), instead of the splashy names. Orlando’s not a postseason threat to anyone in limbo, but they might make a last push in order to save face. Knicks can have the 7th seed, whatever.

The 8th spot is something to consider, though.  Could the Philadelphia 76ers really fall out of the picture with only 5 games left in the regular season? Absolutely. The Milwaukee Bucks are only a game and a half behind, and they play the 76ers at home. Since the trade deadline, this Bucks team is almost, sorta, maybe clicking, somehow.  A loss here could spell doom for Philly.

DR: Humble stars? Are you forgetting Kobe Bryant? He may actually be humble off the court but on the court he is quite loquacious with his game.

You’re right about the Magic, though. They are dead in the water and I’m pretty sure that Atlanta has the tie breaker over them so it’s doubtful that they move up in the standings, especially with Howard resting his back injury for the foreseeable future. Some have even speculated that he could sit out the playoffs too. Drama Dwight knows how to play ‘em doesn’t he? The Magic will be a first round exit; the top three teams in the East are too good.

As for Philly, they are taking all their cues from the 2007 Mets. This was a team that I predicted was the scariest team in the East at midseason. I was way off with that one. It is simply mind blowing that they could fall apart this bad. There has been plenty of blame to throw around but it is the whole team that needs to accept responsibility for this showing. Andre Iguodala scored more than 20 points last night for the first time ALL SEASON. This is a well balanced team at virtually every position, and hypothetically, they can rely on scoring from all their pieces but this is crunch time and their balance is dwindling. It is completely conceivable that Milwaukee catches them.

New York is locked into the 7th seed behind the might of Steve “Discount Double Check” Novak. What a flawed and exciting team. I’m pretty sure that they can only exist with one star healthy at a time if they have any hopes of winning. Jeremy Lin led the team at one point, Stoudemire did it early on, now it’s Melo’s turn. It’s the oddest damn thing that they cannot coexist.

TH: Kobe’s an outlier, though, simply because of his self-concept as the post-Jordan Jordan. He’s his biggest critic, and he forces his teammates to play at the best of their ability. Dwight, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James have been habitual excuse-makers, and it shows when they’re really tested in the playoffs.

As for the Knicks, I still think they can mesh. Mike Woodson has done a great job with Melo so far, and if he can get Stoudemire to buy into him (not his plays even, but Woodson the man), they’ll work. Melo’s triple-double against the Celtics is firm evidence that he’s much more likely to defer a bit to his teammates than ever before. As soon as the Knicks can get Anthony to pass the ball, we’ll see an increase in his shot selection, and they’ll be able to run high pick-and-rolls with STAT, and then they’re golden.  The Knicks need two things on offense, from my perspective. They need unselfish play from Anthony in pick-and-roll situations, and they need to move the ball from left to right in the halfcourt.  If they get defenses paying attention to that sort of movement, it will free up a TON of space for the stars to drive.

DR: With Amar’e coming back from injury soon, Woodson has indicated that he will insert him backing into the starting lineup. Thus, Carmelo will move back to small forward as he has been playing the four spot. I just wonder if this is going to hurt their defense moving forward since Stoudemire isn’t known as a defensive anything. But it looks like we will see a Knicks Heat first round series so that should be fun.

Anyway, there is one team flying under the radar right now and that is fairly unbelievable. The Indiana Pacers are cruising! They have won 10 of their last 11 games and are simply clicking on all levels. The change of tempo that Leandro Barbosa has brought to this team is remarkable. Danny Granger is efficient and resisting the ‘hero-mode’ urge more than usual. Roy Hibbert is a double-double machine and Tyler Hansbrough has returned to his ever scrappy play that we saw in the first round against the Bulls last year. Oh, and they have David West. This team IS dangerous, yet, no one is talking about them at length outside of the guys at eightpointsnineseconds.com. Whether they play Orlando or Atlanta in the first round, the Pacers should see the second round for the first time in a while.

TH: I love this Pacers squad so much.  They were a boatload of fun last season, and all the guys they added are quality.  Of course I have to love George Hill, but David West was such a wonderful pickup for these guys.  I truly feel that this time next year, once the Magic and Celtics and Hawks suck, they will cement themselves as a perennial contender and a new Bulls-Pacers rivalry will form, maybe one that puts Indiana on top.

DR: The job that Frank Vogel has done with this team is remarkable. They have won more games already this season, in a shortened year, than they did all of last year. There aren’t many teams that can make that claim who are making the playoffs.

I think, though, one of the biggest concerns going into the playoffs is the health of the star players. Derrick Rose has been hurt, Rajon Rondo landed hard on his coccyx last night, Howard is hurt, how will Amar’e integrate, and to a lesser extent, Zaza Pachulia is also hurt. Teams like the Bulls and Celtics need to be healthy if they expect to compete deep into the playoffs. I know players will play hurt in the post season with everything on the line but with the season wrapping up it might be wise just to rest players. Miami is already doing it. In fact they will probably be the most rested team by the time the postseason begins.

TH: I’m not going to lie, I burst out laughing when Zaza’s name came up. Only in Atlanta. Not exactly worthy of the “Highlight Factory,” but with Al Horford out, you take what you can get.

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by | July 6, 2011 · 6:17 PM

NBA Lockout Day 6: Fly Like a Vogel

Do you understand the plays that are comin' outta my mouth?

The only thing more inevitable than the current lockout was who the next head coach of the Indiana Pacers was going to be. Today the team officially announced that Frank Vogel will be the head coach.

Vogel replaced Jim O’Brien on January 30 of this year and helped to turn the team’s fortunes around. The Pacers went 20-18 under Vogel’s guidance and claimed the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Before Wednesday, the Pacers had been in the process of interviewing other potential head coaching candidates and essentially beating around the bush knowing full well that Vogel was likely going to move from interim to full-time. Team President, Larry Bird, had this to say about the selection process and eventual choosing of Vogel (via the Associated Press):

“As I stated after the season, I was in no hurry regarding the coach, mainly because I knew I had a good candidate in Frank,” Bird said. “But we wanted to get through the draft, and I wanted to have numerous conversations with Frank about a staff that will cover all areas. I feel strongly he is doing that and this coaching staff, as a whole, will help this franchise continue to move forward.”

The contract will be a three-year deal with “the third season includes trigger and incentive clauses and some guaranteed money,” Adrian Wojnarowski reported. While Vogel, who is the youngest head coach in the NBA, was waiting on the Pacers to make a decision, he interviewed for other coaching opening, most notably for the then vacancy in Houston.

Out from Phil's shadow

On top of the Vogel hiring, the Pacers are bringing in Brian Shaw to be Vogel’s lead assistant coach. Shaw spent the last few seasons sitting next to Phil Jackson’s comically tall chair on the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench as their lead assistant.

The duo of Vogel and Shaw on the sidelines should be a formidable presence for an up and coming team laden with youth. Vogel, who players quickly latched onto last season, brings a gritty determination and that is reflected in the style of play, “smashmouth” ball some have called it, that he expects out of his players. This style was on full display as the Pacers threw everything they had at the Chicago Bulls in the first round, exposing their flaws, and drawing a blueprint  to beat them as well as how to get under their skin. Shaw brings a championship pedigree to the table as he was the right hand man of Phil Jackson.

Indiana is young, athletic, quick, and determined. Danny Granger is their youngest starter at the age of 28 and a proven scorer despite his “hero mode” tendencies. Their frontcourt is anchored by a young core including Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough. Each of them scrap for the rebounds already and have tons of upside. Hibbert’s post moves will improve and Hansbrough has shown the ability to nail the midrange jumper as well as crash the lane. Josh McRoberts rounds out their youthful frontcourt and has proven that he is capable of scoring when needed, rebounding, and working for the loose ball. However, veteran Jeff Foster, the team’s best post defender and rebounding savant, is currently a free agent. When the CBA is restructured the Pacers must work to resign Foster, who has played his entire career with the team, or risk losing him to division rival, Chicago, where Tom Thibodeau would love to have him.

On draft day, the Pacers drafted Kawhi Leonard, which would have been an insane addition to the roster based solely on his length, athleticism, and sacrifice on the court. However, they traded his rights to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill, an Indiana native. (If the Spurs made a trade for Leonard they must know something that no one else does otherwise they would have not given up Hill.) Hill is the player that the Pacers have been looking for as a backup for Darren Collison. His speed and defensive prowess will be useful against other Eastern Conference point guards such as Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, and Rajon Rondo.

Vogel has the pieces in place to make a good run at the playoffs next season rather than just sneaking in again. His team is young and the players have bought into his system. This is a team that will move from mediocrity to the next level in the coming seasons. The Hoosier state deserves that their sole professional team be good and under Vogel they will be. Now all they need is a season to play.

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by | April 19, 2011 · 1:12 PM

Indiana Vipāka

Young forces are at work in the Midwest.

Karma has a strange way of fiddling with the NBA.  With so many strong egos and huge personalities, there are several cosmic forces flowing within the league.

The Pacers are one franchise that could easily complain about getting the short end of the stick when it comes to receiving the fruits of the supreme God Ishvara.  However, we may be seeing a franchise experiencing enlightenment through reincarnation.

They appeared in five ABA title games and won three of them making them by far the best team in the short-lived league. In 1976, the Indiana Pacers began selling off their star players in what would be their last season in the ABA.  However, they were broke.  Somehow they raised the $3.2 million it cost to join the NBA and were one of four teams accepted in the ABA-NBA merger.

It took a large financial contribution and even a telethon to sell season tickets to keep the Pacers’ head above water for the 1977 season.  It was hard to fill seats when they only had three winning seasons in their first 13 years in the NBA.

Additionally, bad management prevented them from ever establishing a strong roster.  They had the third overall pick in the 1978 draft and passed over Larry Bird who grew up in Indiana.  They enraged their fans by picking up Rick Robey instead. They traded away Alex English for George McGinnis in 1980.  McGinnis was past his prime and faded.  English became one of the best scorers in NBA history.

Two legends that the Indiana Pacers never even gave themselves the chance to draft.

The next season, they traded away their 1984 first round draft pick to the Trail Blazers for center Tom Owen who only contributed for one season in Indiana.  Three years later, they had the worst record in the East and would of landed that second overall pick in the draft that included names such as Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Perkins.

It seemed as though the NBA had made a mistake by allowing such a poor and frankly idiotic franchise into its league.  That all changed when Reggie Miller came to town but they still did not win that elusive title.  They made it in 2000 when Miller guaranteed that he would bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Indiana but Kobe Bryant and the Lakers had different plans.  They beat them 4-2.

A year later, they sent Jalen Rose and Travis Best to Chicago for Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Kevin Ollie and Ron Mercer.  It formed what could be considered the best Pacers team ever.

On November 24, 2004, a fan named John Green threw a beer that essentially crippled the franchise.  The Malice in the Palace ensued and the Pacers never fully recovered.  A fallout was felt in Indiana with the loss of Miller and several other players as they entered a state of cleansing.

Larry Bird took over for Donnie Walsh and the seeds of Pāli vipaka have been starting to grow as the franchise begins to reenter the great wheel of samsāra that will lead to Nirvana.  In other words, they are getting their act together as a team and making the right decisions to establish something great up there at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Right now, it may not seem that way though.  They are sitting at 0-2 against the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.  However, this series has been played in a manner that going back to Indianapolis up 2 wouldn’t be too hard to conceive.

They led for the entire first game but gave up too many rebounds and clutch shots in the remaining minutes.  Last night, they lost a key player in Darren Collison but still managed to hang in there.  It came down to turnovers and last minute plays that simply didn’t go their way.  These are all symptoms of a young team with a young coach.

Yes, being matched up against Derrick Rose and the Bulls in the first round is a daunting task and may seem unwinnable especially since they entered the playoffs with a sub .500 record.  However, we are getting to see what this team may be able to accomplish one day.

Krishna must have come to Tyler in a dream after he received a blow to the head in game one.

Tyler Hansbrough has come out strong in this series and is showing the doubters that he can take his game to the NBA level.  He hung in there after taking a hit from Kurt Thomas.  He finished the game with 22 points after barely being able to walk himself to the locker room.

In game one, they gave up a late three to Kyle Korver who has been silent for most of the series outside of two extremely clutch shots.  Danny Granger missed a late shot, Rose eventually went to the line and there wasn’t much else they could do against the Baby Bulls that are beginning to look like grown men.

Instead, it’s the Pacers that are looking like babies but there’s nothing wrong with that.  These young guys are the ones stepping up.  Acquiring Collison from New Orleans was the right thing to do.  They needed a point guard and the Hornets were willing to part with the boy that made his name by filling in for the injured Russell Westbrook at UCLA.

He sprained his ankle during the first half of the game last night and head coach Frank Vogel says that he might not return for the series.  Their depth at the position really stepped up last night though in Chicago.  T.J. Ford and A.J. Price came in with a lot of hustle but the scoring simply wasn’t there.  They got some much needed points with Ford’s 70-foot shot at the end of the third quarter and Price’s late free throws but they missed shots towards the end.  That happens especially when it’s your first trip to the postseason and your own the road so it’s no surprise.

In this tale of David vs. Goliath, it is the big men in Indiana that also deserve some recognition.  Roy Hibbert was thrown into a starting position very early in his NBA career and carries a frontcourt on a very small team.  He was out there battling as well and is getting a lot of experience.  The rookie Paul George is the same way and his 18 deflections showed that he is a hustle player.

Both games were losses but the Pacers are doing a lot better than we had expected in this series.  The 0-2 doesn’t show how hard the young players in Indiana are playing and how they are setting the Karmic wheels in the right motion.  They are the pieces that will deliver this franchise from the depths.  They are the light.

Ultimately, the Pacers will loose this series.  Rose cannot be contained and simply shutting down the rest of the Bulls wont be enough.  Korver so far has hit some really important shots and it’s really hard to compete against all the personnel that Tom Thibodeau can put on the court.

These young guys in Indiana have been playing scrappy bally all season and have come up under a franchise somewhat defined by being the underdog as of late.  They need to release that in order to achieve full nirvana they needed a period of rebirth and this is it.  With a few more pieces, they will succeed and hopefully reach the ultimate goal that has eluded them for so long.

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by | February 17, 2011 · 10:06 PM

Playoff outlooks at the All Star break

Tonight marks the end of the first half of the NBA regular season.  Each of the top eight teams in each conference have battled hard to get in the position they are in.  Each has it’s own story and each has made a case as to why they deserve a playoff berth.

Let’s break it down.

THE WEST


 

 

Methodical wins and pace have been primary themes for this perennial playoff team.  This season, it’s a more upbeat pace led by players that weren’t on the last title-winning squad (Gary Neal, DeJuan Blair and George Hill).  If they keep up and avoid injury, everyone should be very afraid of the Spurs.

 

 

Tough luck.  Injuries (Dirk Nowitzki, Rodrigue Beaubois and Caron Butler) have really set the Mavs back; however, they have responded well.  They are the only team in the league that has beaten all the other powerhouses.  The Mavericks could have three wins against the team mentioned above but again: injuries are a bitch.

 

 

They look sleepy when it matters and can’t seem to beat the Bobcats.  Combined with losses to Cleveland and Sacramento, it’s a wonder that this team is in the position they are in.  They have an opportunity to make a move and they need to capitalize in order to reinvigorate this offense.

 

 

Kevin Durant is scoring at will and Russell Westbrook has shown that he is an elite point guard.  The only thing hampering them is their age.  Westbrook is leading the league in turnovers with nearly four a game and defense isn’t exactly their forte.  The team needs a big man but who doesn’t these days?  They are scoring at home and on the road but they still need a player that can make big shots other than the Durantula.

 

 

They simply can’t rebound.  Outside of LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby, the rest of the frontcourt is a bunch of no names.  The Cambyman is injured so Aldridge has had to pick up most of the work under the basket.  With Brandon Roy injured as well, it’s kind of weird that they are on a six-game winning streak that is helping them hold onto their position in the West.  Andre Miller is the only other guy stepping up right now but he’s on the trading block.  It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for the Trail Blazers.

 

 

A hot start has a lot to do with where the Hornets are in the West.  However, they have fallen a bit since.  It’s weird that they are even winning without the usual offensive prowess that they normally employ but Monty Williams has his guys playing defense well.  January fared well as they won 12 of 16 games.  February has been another story.  They are 2-7 this month with losses to Minnesota, New Jersey and Golden State.  Ouch.

 

 

We are all sick of all the Carmelo Anthony talk but he is playing well in the midst of the commotion.  He is scoring over 30 points per game in their last ten and they are leading the league in scoring with 107 a night.  Seems as though his performance as of late matched with the fact that they are even in the playoff hunt means he could spend the rest of the season in Denver.  However, a certain team in the East lost their superstar to free agency last year for nothing and we all know how they are performing without him this year…

 

 

A coaching change in Utah after almost three decades with Jerry Sloan isn’t proving to payoff yet.  The Jazz have lost the last four games since he entered retirement.  They are 2-6 in February and even lost to the Rockets (ewwww).  Luckily, they come back from the break with games against Dallas and Boston (sarcasm).  Looks like they are really going to have to grip to that eighth and final spot in the West.

THE EAST


 

 

The Celtics are good. They are pulling out wins and leading the East even with a myriad of injuries to several players.  They lead the league in assists and in points allowed.  However, they need Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal back.  Kendrick Perkins can carry the front court for now but it can be argued that his injury is what caused them to loose in the Finals.  Imagine how dangerous they will be when everyone is finally healthy…

 

 

They built a super team of only three players.  It’s sad that they are second in the East with two starters (Zydrunas Ilgouskas and Mario Chalmers) that are only putting up around six points a night.  It is a true testament as to how bad that conference is.  They are 3-6 against the Lakers, Boston, Dallas and Orlando and aren’t undefeated against any of those powerhouses.  However, they are beating up on all of the garbage that didn’t make the playoffs last season.  They are 22-4 against those teams but last time we checked, they will not be facing any of those squads in the post season this year.

 

 

The Bulls made some major moves by bringing in Carlos Boozer (frontcourt phenomenon), Kyle Korver (three-point specialist), Ronnie Brewer (athletic wing man) and Brian Scalabrine (fat cheerleader).  Head Coach Tom Thibodeau has them playing defense as they are only allowing opponents to score 92 a night.  Their mix of young talent and veteran leadership will do them well come playoff time and hopefully Derrick Rose can reach the second round for the first time in his career.

 

 

Otis Smith has the balls to make big moves.  Hedo Turkoglu looks like his old self and Jason Richardson looks at home.  Combined with Dwight Howard’s ability to rebound nearly everything, this team of shooting specialist should finish strong.  However, we don’t see them doing what they did last post season unless they actually make another move for a forward that can change things up a little for this offense that can feel predictable at times.

 

 

When you take a glance at the record of the Hawks you notice that it is a tidy 34-21. Are they really that good though? Short answer: no. Atlanta is easily the worst team with 30 or more wins this season. Their record is a result of a soft schedule so far with only two noteworthy wins, both against Orlando. As the schedule gets tougher after the All Star break do not be surprised to see the Hawks lose ground in the East at an alarming rate.

 

 

The Knicks are back, baby! Well, kind of. The hype surrounding the resurgence of the Knicks completely overshaddows the fact that this is a team that has hovered just above .500 all season. In fact, the entire up and down nature of New York can be juxtaposed by two games. This season the Knicks have lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the worst team in the league, and beaten the Spurs, the best team in the league.

 

 

The 76ers are a team that no one is really talking about this season. Doug Collins has his team in the middle of the pack in virtually every offensive and defensive category which is a great improvement over last season. They have already equaled last year’s win total with 27. Night in and night out, the Sixers give it their all. Currently, Philadelphia sits in seventh in the East which is not an ideal situation as it means they will likely not advance. However, this team is young and can only improve in the coming seasons with Collins at the helm.

 

 

The Pacers are the most dangerous team in the East right now. That is especially true if they have a first round matchup with Miami. For some reason the Pacers play the Heat better than any team not in the upper tier of the league. Their length and size will give any team fits. Rebounding and hustle plays allow the Pacers to hang tough against the league’s elite teams and those plays are generally centered around the efforts of Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough.

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