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@  thejohnnygold : (29 September 2015 - 05:16 AM) FYI, it was media day today. Interviews are up at NBA.com
@  slick shoes : (23 September 2015 - 06:37 PM) kind of late in the day but NBATV is broadcasting classis Rockets games all day today.
@  SadLakerFan : (16 September 2015 - 04:37 AM) Man, as a Laker fan, I'm learning how little you care about the off season when your team sucks. Anyway, a quick moment to remember Moses. Still remember watching the 81 team as a kid - losing record, NBA Finals. I would have cried w/joy if they could have beaten the Celtics.
@  jorgeaam : (15 September 2015 - 08:30 PM) http://bleacherrepor...ist-after-crash
@  jorgeaam : (15 September 2015 - 08:30 PM) So to celebrate his new contract, Montrezl Harrell saved someone's life on monday
@  thejohnnygold : (14 September 2015 - 04:36 PM) A good article from Blinebury talking about when Hakeem and Moses used to play in the park. LINK
@  rockets best... : (14 September 2015 - 02:29 AM) I agree totally. I got to watch his Rocket days and the man was a hell of a player. BIG MO R.I.P.
@  Mario Peña : (13 September 2015 - 05:24 PM) Sad to see Moses pass. I don't remember watching him as a Rocket but I do remember his Philly and Hawks teams. He was the perfect man to mentor Dream. It's a very sad day for his family and friends and there are many.
@  majik19 : (12 September 2015 - 09:01 PM) i just saw a post wishing Yao Ming a happy 35th birthday... am I the only one whose mind is blown that he's only 35?
@  cointurtlemoose : (08 September 2015 - 01:17 AM) aaaah, thanks jorge
@  jorgeaam : (08 September 2015 - 12:21 AM) Love it how Hinkie and Morey always target the same players, but hoping he isn't another Covington
@  thejohnnygold : (08 September 2015 - 12:03 AM) Christian Wood has signed with Philly
@  jorgeaam : (07 September 2015 - 10:32 PM) If I'm not wrong, he hasn't been waived yet, they have until october 4th to do that
@  cointurtlemoose : (07 September 2015 - 05:39 PM) Anyone else surprised that Kostas hasn't gotten picked up by anyone yet? I wanna see that guy play somewhere
@  redfaithful : (05 September 2015 - 10:48 PM) Llull line from today loss to Serbia: 30MIN 1-10PG, 0-5 3PG, 4-4FT 6AST, 1TO, 4REB, +/- -11
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:27 AM) this dude's gun fired and all he got a misdemeanor at bush lol: http://abc13.com/new...ush-iah/815795/
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:26 AM) theres more articles all over, but the jist is houston (and texas) doesn't really arrest for it, they just recommend you leave it in your car when they catch it. So seems dwight got lucky he was in texas and not cali or the NE.
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:22 AM) honestly we should just be glad they caught it...
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:21 AM) response: http://nymag.com/dai...n_airplane.html
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 01:42 AM) one bullet left in the chamber is diff than fully loaded and ready to go. Still stupid...but not like he was prepared for a shooting spree.

phaketrash

Member Since 31 Dec 2012
Offline Last Active May 09 2014 09:36 PM
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Topics I've Started

Coach of the Year [espn prediction]

14 April 2013 - 09:18 PM

Coach of the Year
George Karl, Denver Nuggets

 

5319.jpg
Karl

 

The Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year races were such gimmes that I feel guilty launching into my usual whiny lament about how complicated the Coach of the Year equation is.

Not that the guilt stopped me from whining away Thursday via my Twitter feed.

It's as true in 2012-13 as it's ever been: There are several potential outcomes here that you'd totally embrace with when reigning COY Gregg Popovich has had three best players together for only 45 games and is still threatening to usher San Antonio to the top seed out West. And when Mike Woodson is getting more out of Melo and the enigmatic J.R. Smith than any coach before him and has thus managed to steer the Knicks, through countless injuries, to their first division title since 1994. And when Mark Jackson has helped change the culture in Golden State, even without projected defensive anchor Andrew Bogut and key reserve Brandon Rush for much or all of the season, to guide the Warriors back to the playoffs for just the third time in the past two decades.

All Erik Spoelstra did in Miami, meanwhile, is oversee a 27-game winning streak and play his part in keeping a bunch of big-time personalities in Miami connected, selfless and locked in at a time of the season when the defending champs were widely presumed to have absolutely nothing to play for.

We could go on and on but don't really have the room. There just isn't the time or space to dig deeply into the good work in the face of various health crises submitted by Indiana's Frank Vogel, Chicago's Tom Thibodeau or Boston's Doc Rivers in the East ... or the withering team D coming from all three of those teams. Ditto for four more good coaching jobs going well under the radar out West: Oklahoma City's Scotty Brooks, Memphis' Lionel Hollins, Houston's Kevin McHale and Dallas' Rick Carlisle.

But that's because the focus, from here, rightly shifts to Karl, who has the Nuggets in prime position to snag the West's No. 3 seed despite the fact that Denver has no All-Star -- let alone a superstar -- and has seen its two top scoring threats (Ty Lawson andDanilo Gallinari) go down with serious injuries.

By dragging Denver through an outrageously difficult early schedule and then turning a group of mostly good-but-not-great players into legit contenders fueled by their boundless energy and good chemistry, Karl has established himself as the Nuggets' star, alongside the young front-office whiz Masai Ujiri who put this team together.

Lawson's health, as much as anything, figures to determine what sort of playoff team Denver can be, but the best regular season in the Nuggets' NBA history has enabled Karl, by the slimmest of margins, to prevent Pop from a COY repeat.

Stein's ballot: 1. George Karl; 2. Gregg Popovich; 3. Woodson

http://espn.go.com/n...3/awards-ballot

(emphasis added)

 

Overall, I think I agree. I think George Karl is a great coach, and in the past, he's always suffered from the 'being in the middle' syndrome where his team's weren't so good that they were dominating the conference, but not so bad that he could 'coach them up' to seem better, if you will. But I think DEN has done exceptionally well this yr, and it almost feels like George Karl is owe his due as he has never won once! lol.

 

But this is definitely a tougher award to decide than say league MVP or ROY.


Asik's defense [Sloan Paper]

05 April 2013 - 11:22 PM

This is interesting...I know Asik does a lot of other stuff on the defensive end that makes him so good, but I am a bit surprised that opponent's FG% when Asik is within 5 ft is so low (last page of link)...and that Bargnani's is so high! LOL

 

http://www.sloanspor...for the NBA.pdf


Is Parsons already a top 10 SF?

05 April 2013 - 03:40 AM

Setting aside his glorious contract, is Parsons already a top 10 SF in the league? Or rather, setting money aside, how many SFs would you take over Parsons right now? (regardless of fit on our team) For me, only in approximate order:

 

1. LBJ

2. Durant

3. Melo

4. Paul Pierce

5. Paul George

6. Batum

7. Luol Deng

8. Iguodala (if counted as SF)

9. Kawhi Leonard

10. Chandler Parsons

 

Iggy only if we think he counts as an SF for the purposes of these rankings. I don't think JSmoove should really count as an SF, so I didn't put him in this list. I suppose you could swap him and Iggy in this list. I put Pierce on this list even though I would not do such a trade because of his age, but Pierce is better right now so I mean, he really has to be ranked higher than Parsons.

 

Rudy Gay is one of the most inefficient shooters, and a volume shooter no less. He's horrible from distances that matter :P No way I'd take him over Parsons, even for the same amount. 

 

Lots of people like Gallinari over Parsons, but that makes NO sense to me. Parsons leads Gallo in practically every stat, and simply plays better. Gallo shoots worse from 3 range, and has ~41% FG%...his off ball movement and other stats and defense are not really superior to Parsons either. 

 

Gordon Hayward I rank equal to Parsons. I'd take either, they're both pretty darn good. 

 

So does that mean we already have a top 10 SF player?


Delfino Interview

05 March 2013 - 08:47 PM

Saw this interview posted on clutchfans. Really liked how refreshingly honest Delfino can be, and some of the insights he gives.

 

Looking from the outside, there were more doubts than certainties when Carlos Delfino accepted an offer from the Rockets, a team that had been dismantled in order to pursue a superstar but had failed in their first attempt, Dwight Howard. But the santafesino saw what others didn't and today, six months later, he is enjoying his own very high level and Houston's surprising record, holding the last Playoff ticket at the moment. "The key was not to rush... I made my decision thinking that all of this could happen. I wanted a change after what happened in Milwaukee (editor's note: he was angered when he did not receive the contract offer he was expecting from them). With the Bucks I played a more standing role, waiting for the corner three. Here I have more freedom and confidence, I play more with the ball in my hands... I wanted to grow with the team and luckily it all came together," he explains while he enjoys his day off.

-Your prediction came true, even though you didn't even count on James Harden...
-Yes, it all came together, even though it was well known that a great player was going to come here. Nobody expected much anyway, but the pieces of the puzzle fit together well in spite of the lack of names and the team's youth. We are a fast team, which scores a lot and are ambitious. I feel very comfortable.

-You had a role without Harden and another one with him here, with less guaranteed shots... But you have made the most of his arrival.
-The truth is I was happy when he came here. When we had Kevin Martin, who doesn't create many shots for others, I saw things tougher going forward; but James is no ballhog. He is a natural scorer who can also create, who passes the ball and when he doesn't, he comes in the next day and admits his mistake. You don't see that very often in the NBA. I also always knew my role was to be the "spare wheel" and I liked the challenge.

-How do you evaluate your season? From outside it looks very good, in spite of your physical ailments.
-Yes, while I was physically well I think I did well and up to the challenge. I started off with adductor problems and now my elbow, but I keep patching myself up (laughs). I try not to think about the pain, I don't go crazy. I am going through an important moment for the team, playing a lot, and have earned the coach's confidence. It all adds up.

-It's clear that the system gives you a lot of freedom.
-Yes, freedom and confidence. In Milwaukee I had a more defensive role, waiting on the corner to get a shot... Now I do a little bit of everything. In Houston I'm having fun again, I have regained the joy of playing. I have fun doing a little bit of everything. In previous years I have felt that way when playing for the National Team, but that only lasts a month and a half...

-You have shown again that you can play through pain. Or come back from injury and get back into rhythm quickly.
-There comes a point in one's career when you learn how to play through pain and injuries. You can stand them. There's days in which my elbow bothers me more than others, but I don't think about it too much.

-From the numbers, it looks like your shot, especially your efficacy from the three point line, is key to the team.
-Yes, I'm happy. Everybody even tells me I should shoot more, even on the fastbreak, but sometimes I don't... And that gives you composure and confidence. Yesterday (Sunday) I was 0-5 from three but I don't even think about it, I know that in the next game I will shoot a lot and my teammates and my coach will ask me to do so. When I had a game like that last year I would fall back a bit. The margin of error was smaller.

-Your numbers are a lot better on the road (12.2 PPG and 44% 3FG) than at home (9 PPG and 37% 3FG). Why is that?
-I didn't know that, really? I can't find an answer for that. Maybe it's just that at home the twins don't let me get enough sleep (laughs).

-And how have you been defensively?
-The defensive tasks have changed a bit this season. Last year I wore out in that area, because I had to play more minutes and defend the other teams' best players. Now Parsons mostly handles them and I come from behind, so the wear is different. The responsibility is mostly greater in the last 6/7 minutes. So I get to that point in the game in better shape and can even defend power forwards.

-How was the experience of playing four? I know your teammates had a lot of fun at your expense...
-Yes, my teammates had fun and the press talked a lot about it. But I took it naturally because we had been closing out many games with four small guys and me playing power forward. Now, there were three games in a row in which I had to play Ibaka, Evans and Okafor, who are all huge, and I ended up exhausted. But for a few minutes I can do it, no problem. The experience also adds up.

-McHale highly praised the professionalism and solidarity that is a trademark of Argentine players. Do you feel respected because of that?
-Yes, I luckily had that feeling from the get go with him, and now his confidence and our communication are both very high. He knows I am not a vocal veteran, who is always speaking up and giving advice, but one who preaches by example, plays through pain, works out hard and wears the overalls for the team. He values that highly and he always sets me as an example to the team. That's another thing that makes me happy.

You can tell by seeing him play.

 

(original interview in spanish, below)

 

http://www.ole.com.ar/basquet/titulo_0_877112405.html