Tag Archives: Serge Ibaka

by | June 20, 2012 · 2:48 PM

Miami Heat Poised to Win Championship

One more

Doyle Rader: With the Miami Heat one win away from their second ever NBA title, now is as good a time as any for us to talk about the Finals. Last night, the Thunder, namely Russell Westbrook, threw everything they had at the Heat in an attempt to tie the series but came up just short as they have in every game since Game 1. Plenty of people are singling out Westbrook for the foul he committed on Mario Chalmers with 15 seconds left in the game as the moment the Thunder lost the game. (They were down three points at that time.) Yet, this is a complete overreaction to the play in my opinion. If it wasn’t for Westbrook in the first place the Thunder would have likely not even been in this game. He poured in 43 points on 20 made field goals. Everything was falling for him last night. It was a performance on par with what Rajon Rondo did against the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. During the presser LeBron James even likened those two performances to each other. It seems to me that a new narrative (it isn’t that new actually) is forming around Westbrook, scapegoating him, doubting him, much in the same ilk that James has dealt with throughout his career. However, James is on the cusp of shattering his previous narrative and the baggage that came with it.

Travis Huse: If we’re looking at problems here, it’s not Westy. Harden went
2-10 last night and finished with 8 points, and here’s the part where I tell
you that he was still third in the Thunder’s point totals. They managed to
beat the Spurs with an effective team play atmosphere, and they’ve lost the
contributions from Harden and Serge Ibaka. Smart team play can defeat Miami, but pitting a “Big 2″ against a “Big 3″ is suicide.

Casual basketball fans tend to place much more emphasis on offense than
defense, and that’s the population most affected by Anti-Westbrook Fever.
But you can’t overlook how the Heat have been able to control the tempo of
the game, and Harden looks thrown off. He was 2-10 on Sunday, as well, held
to only 9 points. If he wants the label of next-generation Manu Ginobili, he
needs to step up better now, where it really matters.

DR: You’re right, Harden has been bad, but it isn’t just his shooting. For
some reason, and there has been much to talk about concerning Scott Brooks’
rotations, Brooks insists on having Harden defend James for extended periods
of time. I know that James is a player that is difficult to defend on every
level but this simply is not where Harden should be utilized on the
defensive end. Time and again, James will just post him up since he is
bigger and stronger and the results have been devastating.

Zach Lowe over at SI.com touched on that today. By his tally, Miami scored 24 point on James post-ups. The points did not all come from LeBron as he was able to hit open teammates when double teams came his way. He finished the game with 12 assists. How can anyone stop him at this point, let alone an undersized player known more for his offense?

It’s not just Harden, though, you are correct in pointing out Ibaka’s
dramatic fall-off but Kendrick Perkins has been equally awful. He is the
wrench in the gears. Nick Collison showed flashes of brilliance against the
Heat in Game 4 but then vanished. Poof! Scott Brooks is showing us his
inexperience with these stubborn, and at times haphazard, lineups that he
has been throwing out there.

Last year Rick Carlisle showed his flexibility by inserting J.J. Barea into
the starting lineup to wondrous results for Dallas as they went on to win
the championship. Erik Spoelstra was left in the dust scratching his head as
he stuck with Mike Bibby in the starting lineup for too long. Now, Spoelstra
is in command and his small center-less lineups are rendering OKC’s bigs
completely useless.

TH: To be very honest, one of the biggest hindrances in Lebron’s career has
been his unwillingness to post up. He used to be very prone to jacking Josh
Smith-type 3s, so much so that every time I play against him (Miami or
Cleveland) on the 2K games, I will sag off him and make him shoot it. I
might have to change my approach with the next one. And it makes sense that
their success has revolved around his post play, because the dude is the
biggest, strongest, most athletic person that might have ever existed. The
Thunder don’t have anyone who’s going to be able to defend him without
leaving a glaring mismatch. I’m not sure anyone in the league does, and
that’s why the Heat are one win away from the championship.

They’re a stronger team than last year, and they’ve found a way for both
Lebron and Dwyane Wade to play together. Right now their bench is outplaying the Thunder bench. I don’t see any way the Thunder make it as champs, and you’re right, Spo is out-coaching Brooks. Unless something drastic changes, the Heat seem to be poised to close this one out sooner rather than later.

DR: After the body language that Durant showed last night in the post game
presser this series could wrap up Thursday night. During that presser we
witnessed the return of Durant’s backpack, which had been MIA all
postseason. It too was just as sad an dejected as Durant as he let it fall
to the floor, shoulders slumped. It reminded me of the Western Conference
Finals last year. There were many a sad backpacks to be found in that
series.

Here’s the thing though, as I am not a true fan of either of the teams in the Finals, just a fan of the game, I have slowly come to view the post game presser as must-see throughout these playoffs. Sure, the questions are generally fluff, verging on inane at times, but I find them to be truly interesting.

Chris Bosh, who has been great this series, gives one of the best presser
interviews there are. Honestly, if more people heard him speak, instead of
instantly buying into the “Like a Bosh” or “Bosh Face” trope, they would see
just how smart, composed, and well spoken he is.

But of course the presser is all about the clothes. Man, these players
(Westbrook) wear some silly expensive shit. That said, Wade won the presser
clothes game last night when he came out wearing glasses that were straight
off the face of Dwayne Wayne from Different World.

TH: I’ve never really understood why Bosh gets so much shit. He’s a consistent 20-10 player, a perennial all star, who stretches the floor very well. His outside touch does wonders for the sometimes-anemic Heat offense, exposing the rim for the slashing of the other two stars.

It has become so commonplace to make fun of the Heat, that the worst thing I could think of has happened. I have moved past resenting them, past feeling sorry for them, into rooting for them as an underdog. Obviously, they are not the underdog, but I now feel that I have to throw stats in the faces of anyone who harps in on how much they hate the Heat.

DR: I found myself in the same place as the Finals started this year. For various and extremely biased reasons I cannot bring myself to root for the Thunder organization so that left me with only one choice. I have James many times on this blog, taking both a negative and positive view of him and his game. Seeing all the backlash towards one of the greatest players the league has ever seen has continually shocked me, though. Sure he, and the Heat have made some questionable choices in the past but does that really outweigh what goes on in a game? Miami is the most scrutinized team in sports and it is simply ludicrous to hear some of the things said about them.

The Heat deserve to win the championship this year, if for no other reason that silence the doubters who continually lob volley after volley of asinine rhetoric interspersed with buzz words at them all the while refusing to make sound judgments and arguments. At this point, if winning a championship is the only way to get it through the thick skull of some people that James is good and so are the Heat then so be it. They shall be vindicated.

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by | May 22, 2012 · 3:25 PM

Western Conference Finals Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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by | November 13, 2011 · 4:07 AM

Team USA continues Despite the Lockout

 

What the future may hold

LeBron James is in, Kobe Bryant is a go, and Kevin Durant will likely suit up. After that the state of USA Basketball for the 2012 Olympics in London is up in the air, especially with the possibility of losing the entire 2011-12 NBA season.

Monday looks like the day that could make or break any possibility of an NBA season. This has been stated many times over during the course of the lockout but with the players union preparing to rejected the latest offer from the league, this is quite possibly the last grasp at a 72 game season before talks completely break down with the owners reverting to their hardline 53/47 percentage split of basketball-related income and the decertification of the NBPA. With that possibility looming, where does Team USA stand?

USA Basketball are not conjoined at the hip, though they are virtually inseparable. The national team, since FIBA altered their rules in 1989, has been comprised entirely of NBA players. This will not change even with a lockout. It would be foolish to send a team of college players to the Olympics and expect to compete with the likes of Spain, Argentina, and Lithuania. Yet, there can be no denying that the lockout could strain the eventual formation of Team USA.

Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has no NBA affiliation as he coaches the men’s team at Duke University. There should be no complication with him returning to coach the program. However, aside from Jim Boeheim who coaches at Syracuse, the assistant coaches coach in the NBA. Mike D’Antoni is the current head coach of the New York Knicks and Nate McMillan coaches the Portland Trail Blazers. As per the rules of the lockout, neither D’Antoni nor McMillan is allowed to have any contact or communication with the lockout players.

Herein lies the first hurdle for Team USA. They will be without two of their assistant coaches if the lockout persists. With Krzyzewski, D’Antoni and McMillan have successfully orchestrated the present liquidity that embodies Team USA. The Redeem Team that won gold in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics was completely dismantled two years later, partly do to lack of interest and previous engagements by the players who were a part of that team, and transformed into a lengthy and quick, uptempo and undersized bunch who won gold at the World Championships in Turkey in 2010. D’Antoni is fluent in the rules and style of the international game having coached for years in Italy which has helped NBA players transition to FIBA rules and style. Losing both coaches will be a hit for Team USA but not one that will completely derail the coaching staff.

The coaches can be easily replaced. Though this means that the staff may not have the same continuity with the pool of players eligible to fill out the fifteen man roster. However, other college coaches such as John Calipari, who is always looking to increase his recruiting pool, Tom Izzo, and perhaps even Roy Williams could be considered to fill the roles of the assistant coaches. Other names may also be included if D’Antoni and McMillan cannot return to the bench. Larry Brown jumps out as a possible candidate having been head coach of Team USA before. Yet, this is all just speculation at this point and is predicated on the length of the lockout.

Team USA could also be without their trainers Casey Smith and Keith Jones, who work for the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets respectively. If the NBA season is lost, not only will Jerry Colangelo have to recruit players to join the 2012 incarnation of the national team but he may also have to rebuild his coaching and support staff.

Colangelo is still a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns. His position as managing director of USA Basketball, however, has allowed him to remain apprised of players’ interest in joining Team USA, though he cannot discuss the lockout in any terms. Colangelo believes that despite the lockout, a team can be assembled with players from both the 2008 and 2010 squads.

According to the official team roster at USABasketball.com, the pool of players available is much greater than just those who have played on the national team before. Other than Bryant, James, who have both committed, and Durant, how the roster will fill out is anyone’s guess. It is likely that Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony will return, and Chris Sheridan has speculated that Blake Griffin is a “shoo-in.” Chris Bosh will probably return, as will Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul. After that it becomes dicey (as if speculation was not already). There are still six spots open on the roster if these players to indeed return.

To fill the remaining vacancies will require coach Krzyzewski to determine the style of play that his team will execute in London. As stated above, the 2010 national team was swift and agile relying more on their athleticism than on physical size.

The candidates that are left are Lamar Odom, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, possibly Kendrick Perkins, and perhaps Eric Gordon. None of those players are slouches and if Team USA prefers to reincarnate the 2010 team then Andre Iguodala should also be considered.

At this point, nothing is certain. The Olympics are where players build their brand. It is not completely about national pride, do not delude yourself. This is a stage on the global market. In most countries outside of the U.S. everything stops so that they can watch their nation compete. NBA players fortunate enough to be selected to the national team know that and so do their agents and sponsors. The Olympics are a big deal and London has been a world city since the middle ages. That is not lost on the players.

With the season in flux and headed towards what might be complete and utter fail (pardon the meme), the Olympic games in the summer of 2012 are the last remaining legitimate basketball that NBA players could see for some time. As of now, Team USA is keeping their summer schedule conservative, understandably. Official rosters must be submitted in June. On the slate for Team USA is two exhibition gamed against Spain in July 2012 as well as a friendly against Great Britain. France will also likely get a friendly in too before the start of the summer games. However, a quick resolve to the lockout could change everything.

The lockout threatens only the NBA at this point. Team USA is still in good hands.  No matter what happens to the 2011-12 NBA season, there will be a formidable team fielded by the United States. They will be the favorites to win it all. Haters will pick Spain with their frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka. Honestly though, a team representing a country in as many financial hardships as Italy cannot be taken too seriously. There is a reason all their players moved to the U.S. (financial aside). The United States has reestablished itself as the dominant force in international basketball. Do not for one second, or one lockout, that players do not want to maintain that supremacy. A gold medal might not be the Larry O’Brien Trophy but it still speaks wonders unto itself.

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by | July 4, 2011 · 10:43 AM

NBA Lockout: Day 4

I like Chinese

As we celebrate the 4th of July by blowing up cheaply made fireworks, the NBA lockout has reached its fourth day. Though only four days old, the number of rumors that have swirled in recent days is enough to fill the bag that held all of the rumors surrounding Carmelo Anthony last season. Players are continuing to mull their options if the lockout becomes protracted and many have expressed interest to play in Europe.

Add Pau Gasol and Serge Ibaka to the list of players who have expressed their interests to play overseas if the lockout prevents an NBA season. Ibaka is currently on vacation in Spain, where he played for two seasons before joining the Oklahoma City Thunder, and suggested that he would like to play there, if at all possible, if the lockout causes the cancellation of games in the NBA.

As for Gasol, Spain tops the list of possible destinations if he is forced to play elsewhere due to the lockout. This should come as no surprise as it is his native land and has plans to play for Spain in the European Championship in September in an attempt to grant Spain a bid to the 2012 Olympics in London. However, Gasol also expressed an interest in China.

China, it seems, has caught the eye of many NBA players who are facing the uncertainly of an extended work stoppage. Two agencies, the Wassermann Media Group and Landmark Sports Agency, are attempting to assemble barnstorming tours of China featuring the star players that they represent. The Wassermann Media Group represents 45 NBA players including Derrick Rose, who would likely headline any tour of China set up by the agency.

Landmark Sports Agency and Rob Pelinka represent the biggest American star in China: Kobe Bryant. (Sorry, Yao) As of right now a showcase featuring Bryant is in the preliminary stages but has the potential to be a financial blockbuster if it actually come to fruition. Amar’e Stoudemire has even shown interest in joining Bryant if the barnstorming tour happens as the result of the lockout. Yet, Stoudemire would only play if he could be insured in case of injury.

Needless to say, nothing is written in stone quite yet. The two agencies would likely have to work together if they were to put any tour of China together showcasing NBA players alongside some of the top Chinese players. That is just one of the hurdles any barnstorming tour would face.

China is notoriously skeptical of any outside interests entering their country. This comes with any communist government as they want to maintain total control over their populous and not have their citizens subjected to any outside influences that may go against the party line. Therefore, the Chinese government will have the final say as to whether any such basketball incursion by American players, and likely other nationalities from the NBA, will actually happen. Simply playing games for what would likely be sell out crowds would not be enough for the Chinese to grant approval to players looking to make the trip. They must see the tour as beneficial to Chinese basketball and to the local communities as well.

These are just a few of the obstacles facing any such tour of China, with the Chinese government being the giant red elephant in the room. However, insurance, marketing and television rights also pose a challenge. Do not get your hopes up that this idea will pan out any farther than it already has. It could, but it should be looked at as a sort of reach on the part of the agencies and players. Besides, this could all be for naught if the owners and the union hash out a CBA agreement before the start of the 2011-12 season.

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by | May 8, 2011 · 10:59 AM

A Wall of Thunder

Like a mongoose on the Black Mamba.

Thabo Sefolosha is an essential part of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s starting 5, doing wonders for this team’s efficiency.

I often wonder whether the Thunder would be better served by placing James Harden, now rounding out his second year in the league, in his stead.  Harden packs quite an offensive punch (16.4 points per 36 minutes of play), and with Russell Westbrook’s recent ball-hogging woes (see: Joe Johnson), a more prominent role for Harden might be able to incite ball movement.  But Sefolosha exemplifies the “Intangible Defensive Player” that championship teams need in order to survive in the playoffs.

There are a few examples of this type of player within the surviving contenders, and the grit of these players is more beneficial than their stat lines show.  The Dallas Mavericks often use DeShawn Stevenson to guard opposing guards, and Tony Allen has demonstrated that determination can lift a middle-of-the-pack team like the Memphis Grizzlies shockingly deep into the postseason.

Sefolosha’s numbers aren’t impressive in the slightest, but as any baseball fan can tell you, it’s very hard to quantify defense.  Per 36 minutes, he’s averaging the lowest in points for his career, and this season his usage rate dropped to under 10% for the first time since entering the NBA.  But watching the Thunder on Saturday in their 101-93 loss to the Grizzlies, I was able to note a few ways that Sefolosha is paramount to the success of his team.  Some examples:

1st Quarter

10:24- Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka fight hard against taller Grizzlies players for a defensive rebound underneath the basket.   Thabo secures the ball and takes it coast-to-coast for an uncontested layup.  With defenses occupied with preventing offensive production from Kevin Durant and Westbrook, Scott Brooks should bring Sefolosha into the offense in much the same manner as he has Ibaka.

8:42- On a cut from Durant under the hoop to the corner, Sefolosha sets a hard screen that knocks Tony Allen to the ground.  The pick is set well, his feet planted firmly, and Allen goes down like he hit a brick wall.  With his defender incapacitated, Durant knocks down a three.  Sefolosha’s become incredibly adept at creating contact, yet only fouling when it’s beneficial to do so.

6:26- With a chase-down block, Sefolosha prevents a fastbreak layup from Sam Young, creating incidental contact that throws Young to the ground. At the same time, the Thunder gains possession after the ball goes out-of-bounds off of the Grizzlies.  This play was all heart, and indicative of the positive play Sefolosha can provide, though the stat sheets will only show a block.

3rd Quarter

11:09- Sefolosha prevents an easy tip-in from Zach Randolph, leaping across the paint, over four players.  At this moment, I truly begin to realize how athletic this player is; his speed and jumping ability is rarely lauded in the way that they are with Westbrook and Ibaka, but they should be.

Always the first to get set on defense, Sefolosha can pose problems when guarding opposing stars.  Against Sefolosha, Kobe Bryant’s points per 36 minutes drop to 20.4 from 30.7 when he’s on the bench.  His FG% is 40% against Thabo, and 57% against the rest of the Thunder.  Dwyane Wade’s FG% plummets from 53% to 27% against him, and his defense causes NBA MVP Derrick Rose’s +/- to dive from a +49.7 to a -12.8.  Across the league, stars are drastically affected by his play.

Never again will I doubt his skill set, no matter how many times I see Westbrook wave him off.  He’s a perimeter defender in the vein of Ron Artest and Bruce Bowen, and as the Thunder become an increasingly more dangerous opponent, his play will be likewise respected.

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by | January 11, 2011 · 7:35 PM

Javale McGee aiming to ‘bite’ the competition

Fans, get ready for the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest because Javale McGee is ready to get paper.  Literally.

A video leaked today showing McGee biting a piece of paper out of the net before dunking the ball.

McGee has some good competition with Serge Ibaka, Blake Griffin and Brandon Jennings also taking part.  This is the first time he has ever competed in the Dunk Contest and hopefully his tutor, Chris Webber, will have him primed for the event.

The Beef is a big fan of the young man and we doubt he leaves the fans in LA unimpressed.

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by | November 15, 2010 · 10:47 AM

Fantasy Update

Tell Slater that even Screech is beating him in fantasy

We are now a few weeks into the season and the league is starting to take shape. Here is an update on how are teams, Dipset and TruWariers 5.0 are doing.

Dipset

For Dipset, things could not have gotten off to a worse start. The team is in last place (10th – 2951 pts.) and needs a dramatic turn around if there is going to be any hope of finishing in the top three. Luckily, there is a lot of season left and that turn abound could come at any moment if the right moves are made.

Dipset has made just two moves this season, both coming shortly after the draft. A boost should come when Carlos Boozer returns from injury but in the meantime players other than Dwyane Wade need to have better production for Dipset to start making the climb up the ladder. It also did not help the cause when Wade finished with negative points the other night.

TruWariers 5.0

The story is much different for TruWariers 5.0. After beginning the season hovering in ninth and eighth, TruWariers 5.0 catapulted into contention and now sits in third place (4121.50 pts.), well within striking distance of second place.

TruWariers 5.0 has made three moves this season. One of them came on draft night while the other two were timely production based moves. The second move was dropping Kendrick Perkins, who is injured, for Serge Ibaka, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s backup center who splits time, almost exactly, with Nenad Krstic. Most recently, TruWariers 5.0 dropped Linas Kleiza, who unfortunately is not playing at the level he was this summer at the world championships and is down with injury, for Mike Dunleavy Jr.

The TruWariers benefited greatly this week when Kevin Love dropped 31 points and 31 rebounds against the New York Knicks. It was that night that propelled the team into the upper echelon of the league.

Below is a team by team comparison.

From this we can determine that Dipset is shooting 46 percent on field goals, 76 percent from the charity stripe, and almost 32 percent from downtown. TruWariers 5.0 is shooting 45 percent from the field, almost 78 percent from the line, and 34 percent from behind the arc. From these numbers, the two teams are very similar. However the disparities abound in terms of rebounding as assists especially with TruWariers currently leading all teams in rebounding.

We will have another fantasy update for you in another couple of weeks. Hopefully, this current makeup will have changed for the better for each of the teams as they play for pride and 1st place.

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