Should the West be Afraid of the Denver Nuggets?

Should the Dallas Mavericks (Second Round opponent) or the Lakers (presumably in the Conference Finals) be a little worried about facing the new look Nuggets after the thumping the served the Hornets?

Let's face it, the Hornets were awful. Aside from Chris Paul and David West (sometimes) they had very little production. If Chris Paul doesn't put his teammates in a position to score, chances are they aren't going to score. So basically, they put CP in a straitjacket by beating him up physically (Dahntay Jones and/or Chauncey Billups), and clogging the paint with their shot blockers (Birdman and/or Nene). If the shooters aren't making their shots, series over. The numbers are a bit skewed since they Hornets usually quit by the 4th quarter, and lost Game 4 by 58 points. Still, the Nuggets are clicking on all cylinders, especially on (gulp) defense. 

Their next opponent is the Dallas Mavericks, a team they swept during the season (4-0). I think things will be a little more competitive this time around. It will be interesting to see if the Nuggets defense can be disciplined enough against the Mavs. Unlike their first round opponents, the Mavs have multiple scoring threats and a deep bench. What worked against the Hornets will not necessarily work against the Mavs. While I am fairly certain that Kenyon Martin can contain Dirk Nowitski (a rich man's version of David West), the Mavs don't have to rely on him as much as the Hornets relied on West. Guarding Jason Kidd will be much different than guarding Chris Paul. Kidd is just as big as Denver's stoppers so they won't be able to bully him around like they did CP3. Furthermore, the Mavs have something the Hornets desperately lacked, reliable three point shooters and players who can create their own shot (Jason Terry, Josh Howard). 

So, to answer my own question, the Dallas Mavericks should be a little worried about facing the Nuggets in the next round. I think many of the individual match ups favor the Nuggets. On the offensive end of things, I think these two are very similar. Both teams like to run, but can also play in the half court. Both have a streaky scorer coming off the bench (JR Smith has the higher ceiling but is also the bigger wild card). That said, I think the Nuggets have them covered. I'll take a confident and hungry Carmelo Anthony over Josh Howard. Chauncey Billups is on fire from the three point line and on a "I'm still a great point guard" tour. He took down the young lion in CP, I think he can take down the old grizzly lion in J-Kidd. 

The battle of the benches will be thoroughly entertaining. JR Smith versus the JET will pretty much be a three point shooting contest. I give the range to JR, but the consistency to JET. I don't see JJ Barea getting into the paint whilst the Birdman is patrolling the skies. I am hoping to see Ryan Hollins try to dunk on the Birdman. I haven't decided which would be more fun to watch, Hollins celebrating over the Birdman, or the Birdman sliding his hand through his hair after he sends the shot into the 5th row. I just love saying "Birdman." What an awesome nickname. 

As for the Lakers, a wise man once said, "don't count your chickens before they hatch." I think the Lakers will have a bit of trouble with the Nuggets, but can ultimately win out. I do foresee a few issues for both teams. Billups can run riot on Derek Fisher, and LA might be without Luke "the Melo stopper" Walton. For the Lakers, no one can stop Lamar Odom. Try as they may the Nuggets have no answer for Kobe Bryant (JR Smith, Dahntay Jones, and Kenyon Martin don't work). In fact, the only answer for Kobe may be Lebron James, but that's for another day. 

I guess they could maybe face the Rockets or Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. Maybe. 

Want to Know Why Paul Pierce Is The Truth?

Tonight in Game 5, Paul Pierce showed us all why he's nicknamed "The Truth." On 4 separate must-score situations, Boston isolated Paul Pierce at the top of the key, gave him the ball, and then stood around and watched as he converted 4 incredibly clutch shots. Without Paul Pierce, the Celtics would be headed back to Chicago, down 3-2. He's been handling business like this all year, and yet for some reason, Pierce wasn't in the MVP talk, while Chauncey Billups was.

It was also great to see Pierce bounce back with a big performance like that after the verbal clowning he received from Charles Barkley at the half (Chuck derided Pierce's comments from this past summer that he's the best basketball player in the world). Tonight, The Truth showed us all (including Chuck) why he's in the conversation.

4th quarter:
1) 0:10: Paul Pierce 15 ft. 2 pt. shot to tie the game, 93-93

OT:
1) 1:16: Paul Pierce 16 ft. 2 pt. shot to give Boston the lead, 102-101
2) 0:36: Paul Pierce 18 ft. 2 pt. shot to extend Boston's lead, 104-101
3) 0:03: Paul Pierce 20 ft. 2 pt. shot to give Boston the lead, 106-104

(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

I should note also that the Celtics were carried by very strong performances from Rondo (28 pts. on 12-22, 8 reb., 11 ast., 2 stl.), Big Baby (21 pts. on 7-11, 6 reb., 3 ast.), and a beastly night from Perk: 16 pts. (7-13) 19 reb. 2 ast. 1 stl. 7 blk. And before we all start fretting about how Boston has fallen off without KG, let's not forget that the 8th seeded Hawks took 'em to 7 games last year in the first round of the Playoffs, yet Boston still rallied to take the Finals.

A Couple of Laker Warning Signs

The Lakers finished up the Jazz last night, in less than convincing fashion. The Lakers held leads greater than 20 points in each of their wins (18 in the loss), and still found themselves holding on to win those games in the fourth. This forced Phil Jackson to bring in the starters to mop it up, instead of the ideal of bringing in the bench to eat minutes and gain some sense of comfort for playoff basketball. As if that wasn't enough, the Lakers still have a few hitches in their giddy-up.

Andrew Bynum was supposed to be all the rage this post season. Through the first four games the young center had more personal fouls (12) than he had rebounds (9). His foul trouble limited him to just 7 minutes if playing time in Game 3. Even his heralded defensive presence has seemed a bit lacking. Against an undersized Utah front court he only had 5 blocks. His offensive game struggled as well. The normally efficient Bynum only scored 25 points against the Jazz and did so on 39% shooting. What I found strange was that Andrew couldn't establish good post position against players he should have no problem with (I'm talking Jarron Collins and Carlos Boozer). He got most of his touches a bit outside the paint, where he had to settle for longer hook shots, and some awkward jumpers. 

His poor statistical performance could easily be attributed to his lack of playing time. Phil quickly dissuaded rumors that anything was wrong. When he benched Bynum for the last three games of the series, he did so because Okur would start and Lamar Odom was the better match up. I don't buy it, when is the last time Phil Jackson changed his style to fit another team's scheme. Even though he only averaged 15 minutes per game in the series, there shouldn't be any cause for great concern. After Game 5's post game Phil continually said he was going to play Bynum more in the second half, but both times the Jazz went with a smaller lineup. A weak Utah team would've been great testing ground for the Lakers' center to get him timing and conditioning back. Lets hope he uses this weeklong layoff before Round 2 to work more on his game. 

Luke Walton's is out with a partially torn ankle ligament for at least a week. While Luke wasn't an important cog in the Laker machine he was still a cog, and things ran smoother with him in the lineup. Now Sasha Vujacic will get some more run, and hopefully he can improve upon his dismal 20% shooting, (6/18 from three). Walton gets a ton of mixed reviews from Laker enthusiasts, but you can never fault Luke for lack of effort. He was one of the few bench players who brought constant energy, hustle and activity. He's going to be missed on a bench that has struggled with being lethargic when defending big leads. 

Giving up big leads. Don't ask. Phil Jackson seems to be growing tired of the question, but the answer is the same. The second unit needs to come out with more passion and a better all out effort. It's hard to disagree, I  couldn't count how many uncontested layups and run ups the Jazz had in Game 5. The Lakers forget to get the ball inside sometimes, this is especially true of the bench, who often settle for a three-pointer. If they are shooting well, the bench looks great, if they are not they look terrible. I'm well aware that this is not a novel concept. I do think that when it comes to the Laker bench, their offense sparks their defense, not the other way around. This is a bad thing, and should be cause for concern. Defense should be the one constant. Magic Johnson said it during his Game 5 interview. Defense is important, because even when your shots aren't falling, you can still be right in the game. 

The Lakers are fine, and just need some minor adjustments. The bottom line is they have to get Andrew Bynum involved because as they progress in the playoffs, he will become more and more important. They'll have to deal with Luke being out, but the Lakers have the depth to overcome. As Kobe said, he's going to have a "spirited discussion" with the second unit, I'm sure once that happens the bench will straighten out. 

From the Compsognathus to the Triple Double Point Guard

Before the start of this season, us here at Hooptropolis always thought Rajon Rondo seemed like a mini-raptor. He was small, but quick and fierce. We always thought he would feature on this site as one of the ballers who look like dinosaurs.

But after his amazing play in this years playoffs, I felt that although he is shockingly similar to a Compsognathus, he also reminds me of another athletic point guard, who used to drop dimes and grab boards with equal ferocity. Rondo strikes me as this decades version of Lafayette "Fat" Lever.

Fat Lever played through most of the eighties and through the mid-nineties. He was an all-star point guard in his prime, and was know for throwing up seasons where he would average 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists between 1986-89. He also rarely turned the ball over, never averaging more than 2.2 a game during that 4 season stretch. While he was a bit taller than Rondo (6' 3"), he had a pretty slight build, and was bulling his way to rebounds so much as out-quicking other players. The man did get his number with the run and gun Denver Nuggets, so we do have to account for some D'antoni like stat inflation, those numbers a still pretty impressive.

Rondo however does seem like he has more potential. Fat made only 2 All-Star games in his career, and it looks like Rondo is destined for a few more. Rondo also shoots a higher percentage, and he hasn't even learned how to shoot yet. On top of that, Rondo also has a nice big ring sitting at home, something Lever never got. But hey, if Rondo is gonna be phatter than fat, I am all for it.

Lebron James, you are the new Hakeem

With Lebron James and his Cavalier buddies looking unstoppable in the East, I hear more and more people asking the same question. Has a player ever won the 'ship with no other recognizable star on his team? And while the the Cavs got all mopey when Mo Williams didn't make the All-Star team, he is really only the third best player on the Cavs. And Z is great, but he is older, and not really a "star" anymore. Shaq had Kobe, Duncan had some combo of Parker/Ginobili/Robinson, Magic had Kareem and Worthy. Shit even MJ had Scottie. So who was the last guy to really carry his team to the title as a one man show? Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon. Also known as the Dream.

Much like Bron, Hakeem was an uncanny mix of size, skill and mobility. He was a slightly more powerful KG, a better shot blocker and a more natural scorer. In the early to mid-nineties his awesomeness was overshadowed by Jordan's dominance/retirement, but look at these numbers:

Year FG% REB AST STL BLK PTS

1988-89	.508	13.5	1.8	2.6	3.4	24.8
1989-90	.501	14.0	2.9	2.1	4.6	24.3
1990-91	.508	13.8	2.3	2.2	3.9	21.2
1991-92	.502	12.1	2.2	1.8	4.3	21.6
1992-93	.529	13.0	3.5	1.8	4.2	26.1
1993-94	.528	11.9	3.6	1.6	3.7	27.3
1994-95	.517	10.8	3.5	1.8	3.4	27.8

Bold numbers indicate league leader.

That is one hell of a 7 season stretch, and we a probably in the middle of a similar run from Bron. But the season that is really worth comparing is the 93-94 season when Hakeem carried Kenny Smith, Vernon "Madmax" Maxwell, rookie Robert Horry, and Otis Thorpe to the NBA championship. While he got some help from John Starks in Game 7 of the Finals, he still lugged through Clyde Drexler and the Blazers, the Suns of Chaz Barkley and Kevin Johnson, Stockton and Malone, before finally emasculating Patrick Ewing, and my beloved Knicks in 7 games. That is an absolute murderers row of opponents. A Hall of Famer on every team he faced, multiple All-Stars through the in the last three rounds, and the Dream took all comers by his lonesome.

So Bron Bron, you might do something that MJ, Magic, Bird, Russell, Wilt and Shaq never had to. But remember Hakeem Olajuwon did all this back when you were in the 3rd grade.

Basketball's Intangibles: A Semi-Investigative Report

It started with Shane Battier Mania. Now everyone is talking about these mysterious skills that some players have that make them valuable to their team, but financially undervalued. They called these skills the intangibles. They don't show up on the traditional box score and therefore go unnoticed by less keen teams and individuals. Yet these skills are important to a team playing well and winning. Logically, I thought, well, what the hell are these things exactly? What are the skills and characteristics of the NBA's most undervalued players?

So I embarked on a mission to find and detail a list of these so called intangible skills. This mission led me to chatting with the the basketball authorities most accessible to me. Pick-up basketball players, high school coaches, and fellow bloggers. Regrettably Phil Jackson did not return any of my calls. 

It should be noted how difficult it is to quantify some of these complex skills. Things have to be adjusted to minutes played, etc. The report left me with more questions than answers, but here it is anyway. 

1. Winning first attitude. This was the most agreeable quality. Someone willing to sacrifice personal statistics for the greater good of the team. Willing to sacrifice his body, and give an all out effort at both ends of the floor.  A willingness to scrap and dive for loose balls, to tip a rebound to a teammate when he can't safely secure it himself. Good locker room presence; sets a good example for the rookies and listens to the veteran leaders. These things define a winning attitude, and seemed to be the centerpiece of all intangible skills. 

2. Low turnover to "activity"ratio. A turnovers is probably the worst way an offensive possession could end. It's more than just committing few turnovers, if a player doesn't have the ball very often, then his turnovers will naturally be down. The key is doing positive things when the basketball is in his hands. Making the correct pass to the correct player (regardless of whether he will get an assist out of it), or shooting at the right juncture. 

3. Instinctual defender. Team defense is essential to any good team and is usually has huge correlation to winning. This means rotating well, switching over when an offensive player beats a teammate, beating the offensive player to the spot to take a charge, and more.

4. Active defense. This is characterized easiest by deflections. It also includes moving well laterally to stay in front of your man, always contesting jump shots, things of that nature. 

5. Taking "good" shots. Not just when your open, or even high percentage shots, but when the situation dictates it. This could mean taking shots within the specific players strengths, and within his role in the offense. It means Mike Miller should know better than to drive it in to the paint and try to score.

The words high basketball IQ and instincts came up a lot. It was difficult to be totally specific, and you can see why knowing can be so valuable. These characteristics are obviously important to winning games, and get overshadowed by current basketball culture. If teams and GM's can understand which players are the most adept at doing these things, they can scoop them up at a bargain.

The one thing I was left with was this: the intangibles can't be defined easily, thats the whole point. By definition they are not tangible. 

Byron Scott, Return your Coach of the Year Award

Seeing the New Orleans Hornets play the Denver Nuggets has been very disappointing. This was supposed to be one of the better, more competitive series of the first round. Instead we have seen two blowouts. While some of it is attributable to the sick shooting of Chauncey Billups, there is one person who really deserves the blame. Blame deserver, thy name is Byron Scott.

Till recently Byron Scott was the reigning Coach of the Year. But that does nothing more than illustrate the problems with that award. It always goes to the coach of the most surprising team, or if a team is dominant enough, the coach of the team with the best record. Over the last few years, Byron Scott has continually alienated players. On top of that, he has not been a great X's and O's coach either, setting up a gameplan that is ill-suited for the personal he has.

Since Scott has been a coach, he has always had problems with his player. A lot of this is because he is a classic over-coacher, trying to have a set play every time down the court. This wears on his players, and it is especially appalling given that he is an alumni of the Showtime Lakers, and the fact that he has had three of the best freewheeling point guards in the league at his disposal. By all accounts, Jason Kidd hated Scott, and the Nets team that fired him went on a huge winning streak as soon as Lawrence Frank took over. Similarly, when he was hired at New Orleans, he clashed with JR Smith and Baron Davis. Those two have a history of being tough to get along with. However,considering Smith is one of the better pure scorers in the league, and is torching Byron's team now, and that Baron Davis led the legendary fastbreaking Warriors over the Mavs, Scott should have tried harder to get through to them. Now it is obvious that the Hornets have tuned him out. And its not like it happened after the disappointment of this season. Bill Simmons wrote about the bad body language of the Hornets at the start of the season.

Considering the Hornets have one of the quickest, and THE best point guard in the league, one of the most lively big men (who is also 7' 2"), one of the NBA's best atheletes period in Julian Wright, this team should be getting up and down as often as possible. They even have a bevy of shooters to trail the break in Peja, James Posey and Rasual Butler. But since Scott loves his set plays, they play at the third slowest pace in the league. Since David West and Paul are the only player capable of creating their own shot, whenever they are forced to play halfcourt their offense becomes very predictable. Another annoying part of the offense is how there are 3-4 play stretches where Paul isn't involved at all. Stop running isolations for Butler and Peja.

On defense some of Scott's decisions are even more questionable. Why is Peja guarding Carmelo Anthony. Melo might have the quickest first step in the league. At this point in his career, Peja is slower than Scott, any of the Honeybees or Hugo the Hornet. This is especially puzzling cconsidering the paid defensive ace James Posey 24 million this offseason. Both guys are essentially spot up shooters on offense, so get the guy who gives you something else. In fact Butler and Julian Wright are both solid perimeter defenders, so let them have a shot at Melo.

So Byron Scott we implore you, stop making your players hate you, use the talent you have, and let us see the competitive series we were supposed to get. If you don't, you suck, and I hope CP3 gets a coach who actually knows how to use him.

The 6th Man of the Year Award Makes Absolutely No Sense

It was reported recently that Jason Terry has won the 2008-2009 Sixth Man of the Year Award, which apparently is awarded to the league's most valuable player coming off the bench. Let's take a look at JET's stats (courtesy NBA.com):

2008-09 Statistics
PPG	19.6
RPG	2.4
APG	3.4
SPG	1.3
BPG	0.3
FG%	0.463
FT%	0.880
3P%	0.366
MPG	33.7

Now, these are certainly worthy numbers, but please notice the minutes per game, which I've conveniently highlighted for you in red. Jason Terry played the third most minutes per game of any Maverick and we're calling him a Sixth Man? Are you kidding me? If for every Cavaliers game, Lebron James sat out the tip, and Mike Brown immediately called a timeout on the first Cavs possession to bring King James into the game, would he win 6th man of the year? If so, then I would hereby like to begin my campaign to petition the Cavaliers to start benching LBJ for the tip (hey, he might even 3-peat with MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and 6th man of the Year!).

To further highlight the absurdity in this award, I've compiled a short list of starters in this league who averaged less than Jason Terry's average of 33.7 minutes per game during the 2008-2009 season. Here they are (in no particular order):

1) Mehmet Okur
17.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, .485 fg%, .817 ft%, .446 3p%, 33.5 mpg

2) Tim Duncan
19.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.5 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.7 bpg, .504 fg%, .692 ft%, .000 3p%, 33.6 mpg

3) Shaquille O'Neal AKA The Big JabbaWockee
17.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.6 spg, 1.4 bpg, .609 fg%, .595 ft%, .000 3p%, 30.0 mpg

4) Kevin Garnett
15.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.2 bpg, .531 fg%, .841 ft%, .250 3p%, 31.1 mpg

5) Rajon Rondo
11.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 8.2 apg, 1.9 spg, 0.1 bpg, .505 fg%, .642 ft%, .313 3p%, 33.0 mpg

6) Yao Ming
19.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.4 spg, 2.0 bpg, .548 fg%, .866 ft%, 1.000 3p%, 33.6 mpg

7) Jason Richardson
16.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg, .477 fg%, .769 ft%, .397 3p%, 33.5 mpg

8) Steve Nash
15.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 9.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.1 bpg, .503 fg%, .933 ft%, .439 3p%, 33.6 mpg

Yeah, I know there's a lot of centers on this list (whom as a coach you would want to limit in minutes per game in order to avoid injury), but you get my point (and notice particularly that Rajon Rondo, the young starting PG of the Celtics, has been playing less than JET). And keep in mind there's a whole laundry list of players who didn't make this list but average just barely a few more minutes than Jason Terry per game (Mo Williams averaged 35.0 mpg, Dwight Howard AKA Superman averaged 35.7 mpg, Devin Harris averaged 36.1 mpg).

Can we please stop giving out this meaningless award?

Get 'em Ronny

Why it Sucks to be Deron Williams

I'm going to begin by saying Deron Williams is my favorite point guard in the NBA. More than Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, I like D-Will. It's a damn shame that he continues to torch the Lakers and has to look up at the scoreboard and realize he is down by 15+. On the back of that, I'd like to say that Deron is either cursed or just extremely unlucky. 

Let me count the reasons: 

1. He will, for the foreseeable future play second fiddle to Chris Paul and be regarded as the second best point guard in the NBA. Chris Paul was the first point guard off the bench for Team USA in the Olympics. When they were both in the game D-Will had to shift over to shooting guard and let Paul run the offense. D-Will is an awesome point guard, but Chris Paul is pushing legendary status, grabbing headlines and triple-doubles all across the NBA. 

2. Even for the Jazz, he will always play second fiddle to Utah's adopted son, John Stockton. The Hall of Famer led the NBA in assists from 1987 until 1996. That's NINE consecutive NBA seasons, a tall order for Williams, who has not led the NBA in assists a single season. Last year he was third in the NBA in assists (10.5 per game), and this year he was second (10.7 per game), both times behind one CP3. I guess the only way to shake Stockton off his back is to win a title. Which leads me to the third reason.

3. He plays for the Utah Jazz. They are terrible and I don't see them contending for an NBA title anytime soon. They have allowed the Lakers to shoot over 60% in Game 2, and 56% in Game 1. They have some sort of road jinx, they don't play well against top teams, they are just bad. Things don't look like they'll get better next season either. They'll probably keep Boozer, but it will be hard to resign all of their free agents. Okur, Millsap, and Korver's contracts are all up, and the Jazz have a lot of decisions to make. 

4. His chances of winning are aligned with Carlos Boozer. Boozer has the quietest 20-10 I've ever seen. People have this misconception that Carlos Boozer likes to bang and is a bruiser. It's a classic case of if it looks like a duck, smells like a duck, then it must be a duck. Boozer looks and sounds like a bruiser, but really he is soft in the center. This year, 53% of his shots have been jumpers (a pretty high number for a bruiser who I expect to either lay it up or dunk it). Speaking of dunks, only 5% of his attempts have been dunks. He rebounds pretty well, no argument there. 

Defense? What defense? I can't really describe Boozer's complete ineptitude in words. So here.  How many blocks do you think Boozer has this season? Guess... Boozer has a total of 7 blocks this season! Granted injuries caused him to miss 45 games, but 7?! Chris Andersen's season high for a game is 8. Regardless of how bad Booz is, he is Deron's best shot at winning. 

5. He is a consummate professional. I've never heard him complain to the media about any of his frustrations. The Jazz played a makeshift season this year. He still led them in scoring, assists, and carried them into the playoffs. In Game 1, he didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but he had 17 assists. In Game 2, he had 35 points, 9 rebounds. The rest of his pony squad was out eating hay.  

It's okay Deron, you still have the best crossover I've ever seen. 

Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo; the East's Paul and Williams

Too soon?

Did you watch Saturday' game? On Monday morning, water coolers all over America will be brimming with talk of Derrick Rose's performance in Chicago's Game 1 upset of the Champs. But you can tell them you heard it here first. Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo, are destined to do this forever (and by that I mean until one of them retires). 

Watching those two to toe-to-toe for almost the entire game was what playoff basketball is all about. Every Rose layup was answered by a Rondo layup. The best was saved for last. Being clutch is not something you expect out of Rondo (especially with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in the game), even less was expected out of Rose. This being one the first few times I had actually seen Derrick Rose play, I was tremendously impressed. His poise and staunch personality was downright scary. Put yourself in Rondo's shoes, you are a battle tested, you've experienced the playoff pressure.Then here is this kid; all of 20 years of age, who is just ICE, matching you play for play. 

The last 31 seconds was just spectacular. Rose crosses, drives, 95-94 Bulls. Next possession, Rondo dumps in a lefty hook with 22 to go. 96-95 Celtics. Next possession, Rose is fouled with 9 seconds left, down by one. Cooly nails both free-throws, nothing but nylon. 97-96 Bulls. 

Joakim Noah then decided to make things a little more interesting, and you know how the rest goes. If you want to see it, it's right here. 

The Bulls are in the rise and the Celtics figure to compete for the next few years. Regardless of how this series turns out, we have not seen the last of Rose vs. Rondo. 

In the west, Chris Paul and Derron Williams battle it out for point guard supremacy (although lately its been all CP3). The east now has Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo. Their are less stark contrasts between Rose and Rondo, so this figures to be a great debate for years to come. While Deron and Paul have very different body types and thus different styles, Rose and Rondo are quite similar (in body type and in game). Both have comparable quickness, and both prefer to attack the basket rather than shoot from the outside. Rondo is a bit longer and has a good nose for getting rebounds, but Derrick Rose is stronger. I'm not even going to get into specifics, we could be here all night. 

I'm just getting the conversation started, debate away loyal HoopTrop readers. 

HoopTrop's Party Crashing Playoff Picks

Armed with nothing more than our above average basketball obsession, our pretty average human intelligence, and lots of beer we will attempt to take down the giants. And their friends.

All are welcome. Either email us your picks or leave us a comment (by tonight or very early Saturday morning). Winner gets a six-pack of your favorite brew courtesy of HoopTrop.

This round is the First. Predicted winner, in however many games, with the series MVP's to serve as tiebreakers. Click on the links to get into our logic (or lack thereof) for each pick.

May the best man win.

One last thing: 5 points for correct winner. 3 points for correct number of games. 2 points for consensus series MVP.

West

1. Lakers v. 8. Jazz

GetYouAStanceLo: Lakers in 4

The Real Alex G: Lakers in 5

Chuck the NoteBoom: Lakers in 5

J-Jigga Man: Lakers in 5

2. Nuggets v. 7. Hornets

GetYouAStanceLo: Nuggets in 7

The Real Alex G: Hornets in 7

Chuck the Noteboom: Hornets in 6

J-Jigga Man: Nuggets in 7

3. Spurs v. 6. Mavericks

GetYouAStanceLo: Spurs in 7

The Real Alex G: Mavs in 6

Chuck the NoteBoom: Mavs in 6

J-Jigga Man: Spurs in 7

4. Blazers v. 5. Rockets

GetYouAStanceLo: Blazers in 6

The Real Alex G: Rockets in 6

Chuck the Noteboom: Blazers in 7

J-Jigga Man: Blazers in 7

East

1. Cavaliers v. 8. Pistons

GetYouAStanceLo: Cavs in 5

The Real Alex G: Cavs in 4

Chuck the NoteBoom: Cavs in 4

J-Jigga Man: Cavs in 5

2. Celtics v. 7. Bulls

GetYouAStanceLo: Celtics in 5

The Real Alex G: Celtics in 5

Chuck the NoteBoom: Celtics in 6

J-Jigga Man: Celtics in 6

3. Magic v. 6. 76ers

GetYouAStanceLo: Magic in 5

The Real Alex G: Magic in 4

Chuck the Noteboom: Magic in 6

J-Jigga Man: Magic in 6

4. Hawks v. 5. Heat

GetYouAStanceLo: Heat in 7

The Real Alex G: Hawks in 6

Chuck the Noteboom: Heat in 7

J-Jigga Man: Heat in 7

Chauncey and the grand narratives of the MVP

Recently, ESPN came out with the MVP ballots of their various writers. One thing that I feel really stood out was the amount of support for Chauncey Billups. He is as high as third on a ballot, and kept Chris Paul off of 3 ballots. I have always been a huge Chauncey fan, but I gotta say these guys are taking it too far.

Billups is averaging 17.9 ppg and 6.4 dimes a game, and is currently 35th in the league in player efficiency rating. Those are nice numbers and all, but given the year that players like Lebron, Wade, Paul, Howard, Kobe and Brandon Roy are having, Billups have no business being that high. If anything, he has had a major decline from last year with his PER dropping from 23.48 to 19.04.

The main reasons behind the support for Chauncey seems to be that he has fixed the combustible group that is the Denver Nuggets, and the decline of his old Pistons team. He was the steady hand that came in and settled down all the crazies, while the Pistons have gone from 6 straight conference finals to barely making the playoffs. I have a couple of problems with the line of logic. First, the Pistons were already on decline. On top of that, 3 of their other starters from last year have played less than 67 games this year. Jason Maxiell, their top reserve from the previous year, has not been given as much playing time as last year.

On the other hand, the rise of the Nuggets has been greatly exaggerated. Last year they won 50 games, but were closer to a 52 win team based on scoring margin. This year they will 54 or 55 games. While some say they did this without Marcus Camby, Nene and Birdmand have combined to give them at least the same level of production from the center position than Camby did last year. Anderson has a PER of 18.41, and Nene puts up 18.9, while Camby had a 18.6 last year. On top of that, whileCamby was a great eraser, Nene is a better on the man defender, using his quickness and strength to give low post scorers trouble.

Billups also gets credit for improving the Nuggets D. I mean, while he is a solid defender, and Iverson was only a ball hawk who will never be mistaken for Bruce Bowen, the improvement has been greatly exaggerated. The Nuggets played at the fastest pace in the league last year, disguising the fact that they were actually 9th in the league in defensive efficiency, giving up only 103.2 points per 100 possessions. In fact, they were actually second in the league to only the mighty Celtics for a good part of the seasons first half. This year they are 8th, but actually give up 103.5 points for 100 possessions. On offense they scored 107.6 points per 100 possessions last year, and they are at 107.7. So as the actual numbers show, the Nugs are not actually that much better than last year. While they aren't falling apart right as the playoffs are coming around, I don't think Billups should be considered among the most valuable player in the NBA for what his team has done.

So why is Billups getting all this credit? Cause giving him the cred makes a nice little story. Heady pass first point guard replaces the selfish gunner and his team takes off. And people love those kind of stories. That is why we loved Steve Nash's seasons. We saw a team playing a fun style, and winning games, and where so happy with the results, that we gave Nash a bit too much credit. We forgot that Amare was so young, and entering his 3rd season, when a leap should be expected. It was easy to forget that the Suns had gutted thier team halfway through the season before, swapping quality players for expiring contracts. Or that the season before that, a younger, similarly high flying Suns team led by Stephon Marbury had taken the eventual champion Spurs to 6 games (as far as Nash ever got against them). I feel this year, Chauncey's has a similar kind of support behind him, though to a lesser scale. On top of everything else, can we please hold off on giving him all the leadership credit until JR Smith actually starts speaking to George Karl again. A heady vet should at least make that happen.

Its not just MVP where the storylines get us drunk either. Remember the time we got so high of the Blazers 13 game win streak last year, and made Brandon Roy and all-star instead of Baron Davis. Then the Warriors finished well ahead of the Blazers, Baron hit shots to beat the Celtics and the Lakers, and everyone felt kinda dumb. We drank up the Hornets surprising season last year, and it got us to make David West an all-star instead on Manu Ginobili last year. Again we now realize that was really stupid. We realize we hooked up with the wrong people. So this year, when you are drinking the Nuggets as a second seed Kool-Aid, don't get so wasted that you vote for Chauncey Billups as MVP. Especially when there are hottie's like Bron, Kobe, Wade, Dwight or CP3 to hook up with. And if leaders are really you thing vote for Paul Pierce. That dude has actually made a difference.

Who Really Improved

The NBA has a Most Improved Player award, and this year has a great field of players. Devin Harris, Danny Granger, Jameer Nelson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Roy and Roger Mason Jr have all put their hats in the running. However, my problem with this field of player is most of these guys are just players who were given more opportunities, be it more shots or minutes, or were just making their natural progressions as they got more experience. So here is the Hooptrop team of players who actually made significant improvements, and/or added some new tricks to their NBA toolbox.


Point Guard: Will Bynum
This year was Bynum's first season in the NBA since 2005-06, where in 15 games with the Golden State Warriors, he essentially proved he had no business playing in the NBA. He put up 3.6 points and 1.3 assists per game on 40.4% shooting and 62.5% from the line. All in all it added up to a PER of 8.78. In the two years since his translated Euro stats suggest he is nothing more than a 12th man, as an undersized scoring guard. Essentially he was a homeless man's Keyon Dooling.

This year, he has been a revelation for the Pistons. He has improved his shooting, going 46.3% from the field 79.1% from the line. In addition to this he has upped his rebound rate and his scoring has gone from 13.3 points per 40 minutes, to 20.4 per 40. But possibly the most impressive improvement has been the jump from 4.7 assists to 8 per 40 minutes. He finally seems to see teammates to kick it out to when he cannot finish his drives. His PER is a robust 17.74, putting him ahead of the likes of Mo Williams, Jason Kidd and Derrick Rose. I'm pretty sure he will not have to look to Europe for a contract.

Shooting Guard: Von Wafer
Von Wafer's career high in PER previous to this season: 1.19 last year. Before that, he had put up -1.54 in 05-06 with the Lakers. So he was not just bad, he was incredibly terrible. Admittedly, those numbers came in a small sample size, but both years his teams decided he was not worth keeping around. But this year, he has become a spark plug of the bench for a playoff team.

In his previous stints, he would try to shoot the ball as soon as he got it. He had 100 field goal attempts and 11 assists in his career prior to this year. And it is not like he was making the shots he took either. 23% from the field before this year. This year, he has still been gunning away, but managed to drop 70 dimes to go with his 502 FGA's. The most important change has been that he actually makes the shots he takes at a decent clip. His true shooting percentage is a nice 54.5%. To top it all of he has cut his turnover rate to about half of what it was last year. Nice job Von.

Small Forward: Danny Granger
Sometimes everyone else is right. Granger looked like a real nice player last year, but this year he has taken it to another level. And in many ways the improvement from nice player to legit star is the hardest step to take. Granger has been gettin to the line a lot more than previous years, and shoots a lethal 88% when he gets there. He has upped his usage rate significantly, going from 21 last year to almost 27 this year (possessions which end in an assist, shot or turnover per 40 minutes, adjusted for a teams pace). The real shocker is he has done this while reducing his turnover rate and maintaining his shooting percentages. He also improved his already impressive blocks numbers, while giving bigger small forwards a tough time when he was guarding them. While a lot of guys talk about Melo and Durant as the crown prince of small forwards going forward, it may be Granger that is #2 to Bron.

Power Forward: Ronny Turiaf
This is one of the guys you have to watch to see the improvements he has made. While his numbers have not changed, its how he has found a real niche in the NBA. I agree with ESPN's Ric Bucher when he said Ronny deserves some Defensive Player of the Year love. Dude has always swatted shots around, but has taken it to Birdman like levels this year. Well actually, he is behind Birdman in blocks per minute, but comfertably ahead of everyone else. And its not like he is hacking people trying to swat shots, as he is 5th in the league in blocks per foul. But where his defense has really improved has been when he is locking down his man. He has given the like of Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard fits at times. And his defense is especially stands out since he plays with mannequins likes Corey Maggette, Jamal Crawford and Rob Kurz on the G-State Dubs.

The other improvement has been his passing. He has upped his assist rate from 19 last year to over 25 this year, and is throwing around over 4 dimes a game as an undersized 5. In addition to that he ia also the best cheerleader in the game.

Center: Andrea Bargnani
Yeah, he officially graduated from the Darko/Kwame class of draft bust to the Sam Bowie/Tyson Chandler class. While he is still a disappointment for a no 1 pick, he has had a decent season. His PER has improved to 14.66 up from last year. The cause is an uptick in his rebounding and scoring numbers, and a huge jump in his shooting percentage. On top of that he has also improved his block numbers, and since he is playing center instead of on the wing, he doesn't get toasted off the dribble nearly as often. I'd still have Brandon Roy, Ty Thomas, Lamarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay or Randy Foye, but Andrea has proved himself to be better than Adam Morrison or JJ Reddick at this point.

Well that's all I got. Peace out.

One Stop to Save the World or the Quasi All-Defensive Team

I often think of the most ridiculous things related to basketball. This is my latest. Let's pretend some galactic ballers bent on taking over the earth give humanity one chance before they invade. Think 'Monstars' without the trademark infringement or the cartoony stuff. These dudes(?) can ball, but are bound by our laws of physics and have no extraterrestrial powers. Miraculously, Team Earth is up by one with 24 seconds to play.

If you had to handpick five basketball players (current, of course) to send into the game and get the final stop who would you grab? Go. 

Lebron James- Do I even need to explain myself? Size, speed, strength, quickness, SPEED. Lebron has gotten a lot better on defense, especially one-on-one, but he will always be the ultimate help defender. If anyone gets by their man, I want James chasing them down. His leaping ability makes it hard to get a shot off and his speed lets him recover from any miscue. This will probably be James first year on the All-Defensive Team, and it is well deserved. Just like actually defense, Lebron is much more than steals and blocks (1.6, and 1.1 respectively). He has locked players down this season. I have never seen Kobe struggle, the way he struggles when LBJ is hounding him. It must be frustrating when nothing you do is good enough. My only hesitation is that Lebron is actually a galactic baller, not from earth and he betrays us. 

Kobe Bryant- The Doberman. A no brainer for me, one possession I stick him on the shooting guard. I realize many consider him an overrated pick for the NBA's All-Defensive First Team, they may be right, at this point in his career he is probably selected based on reputation. Still, he has to total package as a defender; he has all the physical requirements and has the mentality to put everything to use. Kobe is strong, quick, and tenacious. He has a high basketball IQ, he reads the passing lanes, and knows when to shoot the gaps. When he wants to guard Kobe gets up into a player and plays very physical. He is terrific as a help defender, and is above average on the ball. He's not the best, which is why I have him on the SG and not the point. I can trust Kobe to not make a mistake, never give up and pour everything he has into the final possession. 

Dwight Howard- The guardian of the paint. This season, Dwight leads the NBA in rebounding and shot blocking (nearly 14 boards per game and 3 blocks per game). He is probably the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, and their is really no argument against him. He anchors a defense like no one else. Intimidates would be penetrators, and the attempts don't even have to at the rim. He can block anything in the paint. I would feel very comfortable having Superman's freakish leaping abilities in the paint to change a shot and snatch the game-winning rebound. If the ball is anywhere near the rim he'd pull it down. 

Kevin Garnett- I know what you are thinking...psycho much? Yes, and that's exactly the type of intimidation I want on my team, especially against crazy galactic ballers. I once saw him come up with the game winning steal on Sebastien Telfair of the Timberwolves; that's a steal on a good ball handler to win the game. Call me crazy but I'm sticking KG on the point guard. He is quick, long, ferocious and can guard anyone from the five to the one. He's as versatile as they come.

Tim Duncan- Steady as a rock, I honestly think Tim Duncan is  still one of the best on-ball big man defenders. Consistency and savvy is his game. His combination of length and footwork make him a great shot blocker. He isn't going to block one into the stands, he is going to tip it to himself and secure the ball. He rarely gets caught flatfooted, he is always in the right position. I want Duncan's steady hands on my team. 

I guess this is also who I would pick to make the NBA's All-Defensive first team. 

The Hidden Disappointment of the Lakes' Season

While the Lakers have had a great season, and in all likelihood will cruise to the NBA Finals, they have to unhappy about the regression of Jordan Farmar. Last season he seemed like he would take over the starting point guard position, but instead he has fallen behind Shannon Brown in the Lakers point guard rotation.

Last year Farmar posted a PER of 15.29, but most of his value came from his ability to put the ball in the bucket. He only averaged about 5 dimes per 40 minutes, but also put up 17.7 points in the same time. Couple the scoring with his nice true shooting percentage, and he was a very efficient scorer from the point guard spot. However this year he is only averaging 14 points per 40, with a shitty true shooting percentage (46.8%). He has also turned the ball over too much. On top of all of that his free throw percentage has dropped for the second consecutive year, and now he is at 58.4%, which is unacceptable for a little man.

The decline in his shooting has been across the board too. The big dip is in his percentage on inside shots. Last year he shot a fantastic 57% on inside shots, but this year he is down to a pathetic 34%. His three point shooting has also dipped from 37% last year 33% this year. Since his scoring ability is where most of his value comes from, he isn't going to find much playing time.

The one positive (kind off) is that he has been hurt, so might recover strong last year. Jordo relied on his athleticism quite a bit, so if he is missing some explosiveness, that may explain his struggles. Hopefully he will back to form next year. Especially if he gets traded to a team I like.

The Bizzaro End of Year Awards

ESPN, SI, and blogs everywhere are in full debate over who deserves this season's end of year awards. Here at Hooptrop, we celebrate the worst as much as we celebrate the best. 

Least Valuable Player: Tracy McGrady/Carlos Boozer

Disappointing seasons to say the least. I'll start with Tracy "Glass Legs" McGrady. Signing Ron Artest was supposed to make the Rockets a serious contender for the title this year. Instead McGrady played on and off for 35 games before being completely shut down for the rest of the year. When he wasn't hurt, he wasn't his usual self. T-Mac shot a career worst 38% from the field on route to 15 points a game (his low as a Houston Rocket). His rebounding numbers also took a dive, he averaged 4.4 per game, his lowest totals since his rookie year. Injuries are nothing new for T-Mac, but this year was particularly bad, as high expectations made a lot of people question his toughness and willingness to play. 

Boozer and the Jazz were also supposed to challenge out west. Instead Boozer got hurt, missed a huge chunk of the regular season, and has struggled in his return. He is shooting a career low 49% and is averaging 16 points per game. Not too bad, unless you consider he was a regular 20-10 guy for the Jazz and had shot at least 52% in each season he's been with Utah. He also upset some Jazz fans when he said he would opt out at the end of his contract. 

12th Man of the Year: Rob Kurz

I don't know why Don Nelson loves this 6-9, 230 pound undersized PF from Notre Dame, but he does. Kurz has started five games on the Warriors "Going for the Lottery" tour. His game logs re a reflection of the Jekyll and Hyde Nellie Ball. On any given night, he can play 5 minutes or 35 minutes. The Warriors' front line has been decimated (Brandan Wright, Jermario Davidson, and Andris Biedrins), but its still questionable whether Kurz belongs on an NBA roster. 

Worst Coach of the Year: Mike Dunleavy

I guess it's not his fault Baron Davis mailed it in, Zach Randolph and Al Thorton are black holes, and Elton Brand pulled the old switcheroo. Or is it? He tried to suffocate Baron into a system he is not comfortable or happy playing, he handled the Brand thing wrong, and he traded for Z-Bo as GM. Oh, the Clippers are among the worst in the NBA at 19-62, including a few meltdowns. They play virtually no defense and give up 103 points per game.  They also feature the worst offensive rating in the NBA and are 25/30 in defensive rating. Great work, Mike. 

Worst Executive of the Year: Mike Dunleavy

Read above. 

Least Improved Player: Allen Iverson

What can be said about AI? The 33 year old more than lost a step this season. All his offensive numbers slipped (career-low 17 pts per game, career-low 6 free throw attempts per game, 41% from the field) and he's been less than a great teammate. Chemistry was terrible with the starters, so he was subjugated to the bench. Bitched about being on the bench...was shut down due to injury. 

Veteran of the Year: Jason Kidd

Reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out another solid season. Career-best 40% from three-point line (who says J-Kidd can't shot?), 8.6 assists per game, and a point guard-leading 6.1 rebounds per game. At 35, still showing he's got it in leading the Mavs to a respectable 49-32 record. 

Worst Defender of the Year: Anyone on the Sacramento Kings. I chose Rashard McCants. 

Put that on your flat top

Happy Birthday to our old friend Baron Davis. Man turns 30 today. And while this season has been a disappointment for Boom Dizzle, I'm sure this will bring his spirits up. Enjoy it all you Warrior fans.

The Difference Maker: Delonte, not Mo

Before I begin, let me firmly state that Mo Williams is the man, and his acquisition by the Cavaliers made a tremendous difference in the team. Despite some people's initial concerns over his defensive work, Mo has proven that he can play great D with the rest of the Cavs, while continuing to produce at previous levels. Take a look at Mo's production (courtesy NBA.com):

Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
03-04	UTA	57	0	13.5	0.380	0.256	0.786	0.4	0.9	1.3	1.3	0.5	0.0	0.89	1.50	5.0
04-05	MIL	80	80	28.2	0.438	0.323	0.850	0.6	2.4	3.1	6.1	0.9	0.1	2.45	2.80	10.2
05-06	MIL	58	12	26.4	0.424	0.382	0.850	0.5	1.9	2.5	4.0	0.9	0.1	1.81	2.50	12.1
06-07	MIL	68	68	36.4	0.446	0.346	0.855	0.8	4.0	4.8	6.1	1.2	0.1	2.99	3.00	17.3
07-08	MIL	66	66	36.5	0.480	0.385	0.856	0.6	2.9	3.5	6.3	1.2	0.2	2.76	2.80	17.2
08-09	CLE	80	80	35.0	0.467	0.434	0.911	0.6	2.8	3.4	4.0	0.9	0.1	2.20	2.70	17.8

Mo has continued to score at previous levels and has even improved his 3p% and FT%. Sure, the assists dropped off a bit, but 4.0 APG is more than enough when you've got Lebron James averaging 7.3 APG and Delonte West averaging 3.5 APG. The turnovers are still a bit high, but they're easy to overlook when you remember everything else Mo is bringing to the table. In many ways, he's the perfect addition at the PG position to a Lebron James team; since Lebron James is able to get so many assists per game, all the Cavs needed was a scoring point guard like Mo who could take some of the offensive pressure off of Lebron and create offense on his own. No longer are the Cavs a team that frequently resigns to giving Lebron James the ball at the top of the key and letting him play 1 on 5.

Even yet, the often overlooked aspect of the Mo Williams acquisition is that it allowed the Cavs to play Delonte West at his more natural position of shooting guard, after playing PG for the Cavs last year into the playoffs. If you'll remember the 2003-2004 college basketball season, Delonte West and Jameer Nelson formed the inimitable backcourt of a St. Joseph's squad which finished the regular season with a 27-1 record and narrowly missed the Final Four. That year, Delonte averaged 18.9 PPG and 6.7 APG, while Jameer put in 20.6 PPG and 5.3 APG at the point guard position. The Mo Williams-Delonte West backcourt is reminiscent of that St. Joseph's squad, and allows Delonte to play the way he's used to playing, as a shooting guard who can play off the ball but still function as a playmaker. Part of coaching is putting your players in positions or situations that optimize their natural abilities to succeed, and the Mo Williams acquisition has certainly done that with Delonte. One look at the statistics will give you an idea of D. West's improvement (NBA.com):

Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
04-05	BOS	39	7	13.0	0.426	0.358	0.704	0.4	1.3	1.7	1.4	0.5	0.2	0.62	1.80	4.5
05-06	BOS	71	71	34.1	0.487	0.385	0.851	0.8	3.3	4.1	4.6	1.2	0.6	1.87	2.80	11.8
06-07	BOS	69	47	32.2	0.427	0.365	0.853	0.5	2.6	3.0	4.4	1.1	0.5	2.03	2.20	12.2
07-08	SEA	35	5	20.8	0.388	0.339	0.667	0.4	2.4	2.7	3.2	0.9	0.3	1.89	1.30	6.8
07-08	CLE	26	26	31.0	0.440	0.367	0.788	0.7	3.0	3.7	4.5	1.1	0.7	1.96	2.30	10.3
08-09	CLE	62	62	33.7	0.457	0.400	0.828	0.5	2.7	3.2	3.5	1.5	0.2	1.45	2.00	11.7

Delonte has improved his FG%, 3p%, FT%, SPG, TO, and PPG (also note he's still dropping 3.5 dimes per game), and both Delonte and Mo are now shooting over 40% from 3! Add to that Lebron's 3p% of .345, Wally Szczerbiak at .406 from 3, Sasha Pavlovic at .411 from 3, and Daniel Gibson at .381 from 3, and you've got a deadly team from the perimeter. Importantly, the addition of Mo Williams has also allowed the Cavs to push Wally and/or Sasha out of the starting lineup into a more natural position as shooters coming in off the bench, and no one doubts that with these two players' abilities, they can provide a major spark in big games.

On any given play, Mo, Delonte, or Lebron can be given the ball and asked to create. Meanwhile, Andy is evolving into an excellent cutter off the ball and Big Z provides a big, tall target for passes into the paint. Overall, the Cavs have become a much more balanced offensive team.

But the moral of the story is don't doubt D. West. The stats don't even tell the whole story, and this kid has a versatile game. He can post up, create off the dribble, shoot the 3, and sometimes he's even got a sick 'fro.

A Pure Game

Ever since the Tim Donaghy scandal broke loose, I think that most sensible NBA basketball fans have been imbued with a healthy dose of skepticism regarding the league. But for as big of a story as this was, it's remarkable that it isn't discussed more, though I suppose that since such stories serve to undermine the NBA, the system as a whole exerts a lot of pressure on trying to maintain people's faith in NBA basketball. But, as a basketball fan, it's still always in the back of my mind: Is the NBA fixed? Is the NBA creating a Cavaliers-Lakers Finals this year?

Take this quote from the New York Times article listed above:
According to Donaghy, N.B.A. executives directed referees “to manipulate games” in order to “boost ticket sales and television ratings,” and he cited several examples. Although the team names were withheld, Donaghy pointed to Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals as one such instance.



Tim Donaghy was a former NBA referee sent to prison for conspiring with gamblers, but during his case, he also accused the NBA of exerting pressure on referees to create certain scenarios. Earlier this year, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said regarding Lebron James and the referees in Cleveland: “They all wear No. 23 and help him throw that (expletive) up in the air when he’s at the scorer’s desk. He gets away with murder, on top of it, on his home court.” The marketability of a Lebron James vs. Kobe Bryant at this stage in both of these superstars' careers (Kobe: 2007-2008 MVP; Lebron James likely being handed the MVP torch in 2008-2009) is undeniable.

So, what do you think? Is the NBA fixed? Having watched most of the Cavaliers games this year, it's easy to see that Lebron James gets a lot of whistles. The referees are poised to blow the whistle any time he takes it to the rack since he gets fouled so frequently on his drives, and sometimes, they might inadvertently blow the whistle on a drive where benign contact (if any) has occurred.

In the referees' defense, however, I should say that it really is a tough job being a referee in the NBA. I was at the Cavs-Celtics game yesterday, and it really hit me how much pressure there is on the referees to judge an even game, and as a viewer, you can see how they sometimes insert make-up calls here or there to try to level the playing field if they sense that things are becoming skewed. And when you have a superstar like Lebron James (who generates a boat load of money for the NBA) criticizing referees, saying he isn't receiving enough calls, there has to be a good deal of pressure weighing down on the referees' shoulders. Ultimately, the game becomes a kind of pull-and-tug war between individual players and coaches. Phil Jackson might accuse Dwyane Wade of traveling on all of his drives; Lebron James might say he's getting fouled more often than it is called; everyone's trying to exert their little bit of influence to skew the referees in their favor.

As Phil Jackson said after Game 2 of the NBA Finals last year: It's the illusion that's created. The referees referee an illusion. Our guys look like maybe the ball was partially stripped when they were getting raked or whatever was happening, but it was in the crowd, so the referees let that type of thing go. So we have to create the spacing that gives the right impression, and that will have to get accomplished.

As Phil Jackson admits here, teams are constantly battling to give "the right impression," because the game is at least partly about an illusion that's created for the referees. Players flail their arms, players flop, players jerk their heads after receiving contact, all to create this illusion. While the number one thing on a referee's mind might be to judge an even game, I'm sure that they must be constantly second-guessing themselves and the calls they've made.

That being said, can the NBA ever be a pure game? Tennis is, I think, an example of a sport that can eventually be 100% pure, devoid of the kinds of biases that can affect judges and referees. Since all of the calls in tennis are about balls that are inside or outside of certain boundaries, which can be measured by computerized systems, tennis may eventually become a sport that is judged completely by computers, and, thus, a perfectly refereed game (apart from the rare computer errors, of course).

But in the NBA, the job of a referee is much more complex: they have to call fouls, traveling, illegal defense, shot clock violations, and the list goes on... Still, though, there must be some room for technology to come into play, especially on boundary issues, such as those which can be judged well by computerized systems in tennis. I think that it is conceivable that we may one day be able to judge 3 seconds or players stepping out of bounds by some type of sensor system between players' shoes and the basketball court's boundaries. The same may be true for judging whether or not the ball touched the rim on a shot. But, the question of fouls may be one that's always up in the air. At least the situation's not as bad as in soccer, where a single foul call by a referee may lead to a penalty kick that ultimately decides the outcome of the game!

The purest basketball game may always be restricted to the ones we play on playgrounds, or in informal pick-up basketball situations, where even if you lose one game where you felt like the other team was calling too many fouls, you can challenge the other team to a rematch and keep on playing until you feel like the proper outcome has been reached. I suppose that when millions of dollars become involved, it's inevitable that issues of fairness arise. But, above all, it's important that the NBA continue to police itself in terms of fairness, so that we, the fans, are not just being given the illusion of purity, but a game where, despite mistakes in refereeing here and there, the outcomes of games and playoffs series are not determined by (inadvertent or advertent) mistakes in refereeing.

The Legend of Anthony Randolph

While a myriad of injuries have made this a lost season for the Warriors, one positive has been the play of Anthony Randolph. While the rookie has had his ups and downs, all signs point to a promising future. The youngest player in the NBA, right now he plays like a mix of Lamar Odom and and one of the vampires from "30 Days of Night".

His amazing mix of athleticism and enthusiasm leads to a ton of rebounds, steals, blocks and dunks. Among rookies only Greg Oden and Kevin Love have better rebounding rates. And neither of those guy bring the ball down and go galloping the other way with it. He is also second to only Brook Lopez among rookies in blocks per game, despite only averaging 17 minutes per game. And recently he has picked up a knack for thieving, with 1.4 steals a game in 5 April games.

In fact, his numbers have been fantastic across the board in April. He is averaging a double double, 13.8 points and 10.2 rebounds, with a block and 1.33 steals a game. He has also lowered his turnovers per game, despite an increase in minutes played. Giving the ball up has been one of his biggest weaknesses, so the improvement is a good sign.

But asides from the numbers what is really encouraging is Randolph's attitude. Dude is supremely confident and always looking to get involved. This Friday against the Rockets he repeatedly tried to dunk on Dikembe Mutombo. Trying to climb Mount Mutombo takes a lot of gumption, but that's something that Randolph has in spades. This competitiveness is what really makes me think he can develop into a star player in the future. He still needs to work on his shooting, and needs to cut down on his fouls, but the Dubs are certainly happy with what they got with the 14th pick.

F the Lakers (but only in Vegas)

Like the drunk guy next to me at the Venetian said in the waning moments of yet another Lakers loss in Portland, Oregon (that makes eight in a row), “Kobe Bryant owes me $200, I'm going to his house to go get it.” Alas... Kobe only owes my a twenty.

Yesterday's loss was as frustrating as they come for Laker fans. The old Kobe reared his ugly head and a one point game with a minute thirty to play ballooned up to five with five tics left. It was a disastrous final few sequences for the Lakers. They completely went away from the triangle and instead decided they would watch Kobe try to win it. I'm sure Kobe didn't give them much choice in the matter. Still, this conversation wouldn't have happened if Kobe had made shots he has been making this season. It did however, raise questions that haven't really come into the fold by virtue of the Lakers not being in many close games. What should happen when the games are this close and Kobe isn't his virtuoso self?

I'm not one to rock the boat and go against the default give it to Kobe. Sometimes hero mode just isn't there. I'm fine with it being the first option for the Lakers, but it shouldn't be the only option, like it was last night. Shannon Brown was having a hell of a game, and hit a few clutch shots. Derek is usually very steady at the end of games, and Lamar can break down a defense like very effectively.

I feel like Kobe wanted this game really bad, and took it upon himself to get it. He went away from the triangle and the whole trusting your teammates bit. It wasn't there and he forced the issue just a tad. It was probably a perfect storm of not having Phil Jackson to sort of “rein” him in, and Andrew/Pau not having great outings. Normally they are the first options of Kobe passes when a double off penetration comes. Whatever the reason, I'm coming for my twenty Kobe. I know where you live.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thanks the Golden State Warriors for covering a eight point spread at the very last minute with a three bomb from Anthony Morrow. 

NBA Players Who Resemble Dinosaurs: Installment 1 - Chris Bosh

Not only does he play on a team called the Raptors, the 6-10 Olympic gold medalist Chris Bosh also looks something like a dino and damn sure plays with the ferocity I've come to expect from dinosaurs ever since I saw Jurassic Park as a wee lad. I can only guess as to his origins in some kind of covert governmental research lab in genetic manipulation. Take this scene from Jurassic Park (courtesy imdb.com):

[about the velociraptors]
Dr. Alan Grant: What's their growth rate?
Muldoon: They're lethal at eight months, and I do mean lethal. I've hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move...
Dr. Alan Grant: Fast for a biped?
Muldoon: Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles an hour if they ever got out into the open, and they're astonishing jumpers...
John Hammond: Yes, yes, yes. That's why we're taking extraordinary precautions.
[to Ellie]
John Hammond: The viewing area is over there, and...
Dr. Alan Grant: Do they show intelligence?
Muldoon: They show extraordinary intelligence, even problem-solving. Especially the big one. We bred eight originally, but when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others. That one... when she looks at you, you can tell she's working things out.

Lakers vs. Kings or how the Bench got its Groove Back

The Lakers hung 122 and won by 18 yesterday against the Sacramento Kings. That win was just what the doctor ordered for the much maligned Laker bench. Kobe, Lamar sat out the entire 4th quarter, and Pau only played a few minutes. The bench played great, led by Luke Walton's 11 point, 9 assist game (and a staggering +32, plus-minus). Hell even the Machine got into the mix. This was of course the worst team in the league, they have 16 wins to their name and give up a league-worst 109 points a game. 

There are plenty of reasons why Laker fans should no longer cringe when the reserves come in with a double-digit lead. Phil Jackson did a few things, that I think can mean future success for the bench, beyond just this game. 

1. Rather than than substitute for all five (or four, as Pau usually stays in the game) starters at the end of the 1st quarter, he only brought in two or three to play alongside the Kobe, Lamar, Pau trio. This way you don't lose too much of a scoring punch, and the bench players are able to play in a more stable environment. I don't know if this is going to be an isolated event, Phil could have brought in Luke and Shannon Brown to match Sacramento's pace. Whatever the reason it worked. By the end of the third quarter, Phil had transitioned the entire Bench Mob into the game.They secured the lead, even expanded it, and made sure the starters could rest in the fourth. 

2. More Shannon Brown. Less Jordan Farmar. We all know the triangle offense doesn't need a true point guard, just someone to bring the ball up. The Lakers have plenty of able ballhandlers. Farmar has been struggling all season with his shot (1-8, last night) and Phil gave some of his minutes to test Shannon Brown. He went 4-7 with 2 steals in 11 very productive minutes. Think of him as a poor man's Trevor Ariza. 

3. Lamar Odom running the second unit. For long stretches in the second and third quarter the second unit played as it did at the beginning of the season. The bench's play was much more cohesive when LO was in there, they ran the offense through him, and he produced. This is a sign of things to come (what with Andrew Bynum coming back on Sunday, or possibly even Thursday). Either way LO has said he wouldn't mind coming off the bench, and I'm sure the bench wouldn't mind having him. He adds that stability and focal point the bench has lacked during their stretch of poor form. Maybe its his personality out on the court, but when LO is out with the reserves they tend to play less individually, the ball doesn't stick and everyone is moving without the ball. 

So sure, you can think of this as a just another victory against the lowly Kings (who by the way had more Laker fans at Arco than there were Kings fans), or you can see this as a a great game for the bench. One that seemingly restored their mojo, hopefully for these final few games and into the playoffs. 

No more Manu

So Manu Ginobili is out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. I assume Greg Popovich is in a room somewhere, cursing the entire country of Argentina. While this injury is to his right ankle, not the one that he needed surgery on after the Olympics, I'm sure the Spurs weren't happy about one of their main assets playing for his country after hobbling through the playoffs. And there is no way to know that the injury wasn't caused by him compensating for his other leg.

Without Ginobili, I cannot see the Spurs doing much damage in the playoffs. Right now they have the 3rd seed in the West, and would play the Blazers if the playoffs started today. But they still have a few games against some tough opposition left, including games against the Hornets, Jazz, and the Blazers. They could conceivably be without homecourt advantage in the first round. And once they get into the playoffs, the Spurs will really miss his shot making abilities. While Duncan and Tony Parker can still play, most of the secondary players have lost a step. Or in the case of Oberto and Bruce Bowen about 3 or 4. George Hill and Robert Mason Jr make up for some of drop off, neither can do the things Manu can.

Now teams can focus the efforts of their top perimeter defender on stopping Tony Parker. On top of that, the Spurs now lack a guy you can throw the ball in the last minutes of a game, and know that they will create something. Duncan free throw shooting means you cannot run the offense through him in the waning minutes of a close game. Tony Parker is a great scorer, but he relies on getting into the paint, both for his points and what he creates for other people. Ginobili on the other hand, can shoot, take fools of the dribble, dish, and he makes his free throws.

The Spurs will also be limited to set plays to get Roger Mason Jr. open shots in the last seconds of a game. When they had Manu, they could also just throw the ball to him. And if he got to go left, he was almost certain to score. Without him, the Spurs are almost certain to go out before the conference finals.

Ode to the HOFers

Today the NBA sent MJ, David Robinson, John Stockton and Jerry Sloan to the Basketball Hall of Fame. While there isn't much that needs to be said about His Airness, I thought Stockton and the Admiral deserve a little shout from us here at Hooptrop.

John Stockton will of course go in to the Hall as the all-time assist king (and the man of steal as well), and that is what he should be known for. He assisted on 50.24% of the shots his teammates made while he was on the court, the highest rate of all-time. He had 10 seasons of at least 10 assists per game,and holds the NBA's single season record for assists per game, with 14.5 a game in the 1989-90 season. I mean, Karl Malone almost ended up as the NBA's all-time points leader, and almost everyone of those points came on the end of a Stockton pass. On the steals front, he ranks 6th all-time in steal percentage. Combone this with his mean streak, low turnover rate, and great shooting percentages, he was Chris Paul with fewer rebounds and more range. While Mr. Jordan made sure that a championship was missing from his resume, he did make 10 All-Star games, getting an MVP in one of them, two finals, got an Olympic gold medal and never missed the playoffs in his 19 year career. However, his most remarkable attribute might have been his durability. In those 19 years, he played in all 82 games 16 times. Couple that with all the playoffs every year. Throw in a microfracture surgery, back when microfracture actually ended careers. And think of the physical basketball that is a hallmark of the Jazz, and you realize Stockton is from the Iverson family of physically freaky little men.

David Robinson on the other hand was anything but small. Despite his stature he sticks out as the gentle one when he get inducted with the renowned mean streaks of Jordan, Sloan and Stockton. My main memory of the Admiral was he won the first scoring title of the Jordan Retirement 1 era. He was in a tight race with Shaq, and Shaq dropped 70 points over his last 2 games. Well Robinson went nuts in the last game of the season and dropped a 71 point bomb on the Clippers dumb heads.

Robinson, in many ways was the Dwight Howard of his era. While his 1320 SAT score and legendary chess talents are probably not up Superman alleys, ridiculous athleticism is. Robinson was an absolute freak. Despite being 6'7" when he entered the Nacy, he scored higher than anyone in his class on the gymnastics test. By the time he joined the NBA, he had the physique of someone that was built for basketball. He was famous for being nice, and often seemed to be to soft to take a team to the promise land. This was especially apparent when Hakeem Olajuwon absolutely killed him in the playoffs in 1995, and let him keep his MVP only out of pity.



Eventually, he did get to play sidekick to Tim Duncan, forming one of the most dominant frontlines of all-time. They offcourse went on to win 2 NBA titles, cementing Robinson's status as one of the all-time great big men. Along the way, he hadover 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, almost 3000 blocks, gold medals, and MVP, and now of he takes his place in basketball pantheon of greats.