Daily Factoid: This September, Team USA will make their trip to Istanbul for the FIBA World Championships with the hope that talent can overcome experience. The average age of Team USA after the cuts made Wednesday morning is 24.1, while the average age of Spain’s National Team (the reigning champions) is 26.0.
- Jonathan Feigen – ‘Rocket’s sending Anderson to Rapters’: “With their frontcourt suddenly overcrowded, the Rockets shipped Andersen to the Toronto Raptors for a 2015 second-round pick the Raptors received from the Los Angeles Clippers, but only if that pick is among the 51st and 55th picks of the draft that season.The Rockets will also send $1 million to the Raptors to complete the deal but will have a net savings of $4 million in salary and luxury tax with the move. Andersen is under contract for two more seasons, but only $185,000 of the final season of his contract is guaranteed… With Yao’s return and the additions of veteran center Brad Miller and rookie forward Patrick Patterson since the end of the season, Andersen was not likely to receive much playing time.With the move, the Rockets have 16 players signed, 14 to guaranteed contracts, and plan to also bring guard Ishmael Smith to training camp.”
- CBSSports – ‘The lost legend of Yao Ming’: “You have to remember how good this Rockets team was. Or rather, how good they could have been. In 2006-2007, Yao Ming only played 48 games. He broke his kneecap in December and was sidelined until March. When healthy, Ming averaged 25 points per game (26.6 per 36 minutes), averaged 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. He had a PER of 26.5 that year, which would have been good enough for second behind Dirk Nowitzki if he had maintained it for the 34 games he missed. The Rockets were fifth in point differential that season, even with Yao missing all those games… The questions will always be out there. What if Ming stayed healthy? What if Daryl Morey was able to pull off his moves a little sooner? What if Tracy McGrady hadn’t been, well, you know, Tracy McGrady. What if things had gone just a little differently for that Rockets team? Not a lot. Just a little. There are a million unfair endings for NBA players and teams, just as there are in life. Kermit Washington. Sam Bowie. The Blazers are staring down the barrel of such a situation with Greg Oden. But Ming’s was more than just promise. It was delivered. When healthy, Yao Ming was the best center in the NBA. Dwight Howard is an absolute beast. One of the best defensive players you’ll ever see. And Yao Ming had him dead to rights because of his touch, discipline, versatility, and range.”
- ESPN – ‘Howard to return to Wizards‘: “A person familiar with the deal says Josh Howard has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Washington Wizards.”
- Neil Pain of BasketballReference ranks the most efficient players against the top five defenses in the NBA.
- ESPN – ‘Evans, Mayo, Wallace, McGee Cut’: “Team USA trimmed its roster to 15 on Wednesday by cutting Tyreke Evans, Gerald Wallace, O.J. Mayo and JaVale McGee…More cuts are ahead, as the U.S. federation must submit a 12-man roster Aug. 26 — two days before the Americans open pool play against Croatia in Istanbul, Turkey, at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.”
- Chris Shierdan of ESPN: “Cutting JaVale McGee from Team USA was a mistake. He brought a unique skill set to a team hurting for size, he was an insurance policy in case Tyson Chandler (who missed 68 games the past two seasons due to injuries) gets hurt or gets into foul trouble, and he was the perfect 12th man candidate in that he might be needed for only 5-6 important minutes during the entire World Championship, but those could be the very 5-6 minutes that make or break this team’s fortunes… ‘At this point we don’t know how many bigs we’ll end up with… Aside from Lopez, we can safely surmise that the bubble list begins with Jeff Green, who needs to mix it up inside the way Kevin Love has been doing (Krzyzewski went out of his way on the conference call to praise Love for being the team’s best rebounder), and also includes Danny Granger, who was given the benefit of the doubt in the cut considerations because he suffered a slight calf injury at practice last Thursday. Eric Gordon/Stephen Curry is another obvious bubble situation, with four of the five guard spots seemingly locked up by Derrick Rose, Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo.”
- NBA Playbook: A video breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of the Spurs’ newest acquisition, Tiago Splitter.
- BallDontLie: Ron Artest being Ron Artest.
- Forum Blue & Gold- ‘State of Loyalty in the NBA’: “By most fans’ standards, LeBron James’ much-ballyhooed departure from the Cavaliers earlier this month not only tarnished his carefully crafted image, but also any notion of loyalty. In fact, if there is one overarching theme to this topsy-turvy NBA offseason, it is probably just that—loyalty. At what point though, are players released from the burden placed by fans and media and allowed to move on to a better opportunity? If a superstar like Chris Paul officially demands a trade from the mediocre Hornets—a team and city he has almost single-handedly revived over the past few years—is he automatically deemed disloyal?… While L.A. hasn’t participated in this offseason’s flurry of superstar moves, the acquisition of Matt Barnes, on the heels of last season’s pick-up of Ron Artest—two players that drew the ire of Lakers fans prior to them donning the forum blue and gold—calls into light the nature by which we judge free agents and trades. A little over one year ago, STAPLES Center roared as a belligerent Artest was thrown out of Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. This past season, Lamar Odom and Matt Barnes engaged in a good ol’ fashioned no-holds barred Twitter war after a contentious road game in Orlando. Flash forward one year later and crazy Ron Ron has cemented a [positive] place in Lakers lore and Barnes just wrapped up a two-week romance with Kobe that eventually led to him signing with the Lake Show… Loyalty is undoubtedly an important quality in life and in a lot of ways, sports acts as a microcosm for the world we live in. However, the truth of the matter is that sports isn’t completely reflective of real life, as much as fans want to believe. NBA players and front offices play by different rules and can’t always be held to the same standards.”
- Boston Hub – ‘Sources: C’s in Lead Poistion in Rudy Ferdandez talks’: “First off, let me just say this is terrific news. Fernandez is far and away the best swingman readily available on the free agent/trade market. I would expect Danny Ainge to be very aggressive here, but make no mistake the C’s will likely have to give up something of value. Given that Fernandez is under a team-friendly contract, signed for the next three years (including options), I doubt just one late 1st round pick would be enough to get it done. With Fernandez wanting out though, it might be the best Portland can get for him.”
-ESPN Houston Rockets Affiliate- Rahat Huq - founder, editor email: rahathuq@red94.net
RFWC,
I'd say attacking the basket definitely draws more FTs than shooting Js.
My theory is that you get FTs by disrupting the defense,which usually comes from attacking the basket.
Once the defense breaks down and the defensive players are out of position,they have to speed up their moves to the point they're almost out of control and commit fouls they otherwise would never do.(For instance 3pt shooters are rarely fouled by the defender in front of them,but often by some defender flying out to the perimeter trying to "contest" an open shot.)
I believe there are 4 ways a defense can break down:
1)The defending players don't want to play defense.(They're tired,have quit,whatever). This either results in a foul-fest as they reach w/hands instead of moving feet or simply give up and it's a lay-up drill for the offense.
2)An excellent offensive system well run. A well run motion-based offense will break down a defense and get the defense out of position to point defenders are scrambling to recover and end up fouling because they are out of position.
3)An offensive player so skilled he can get clear seperation from his defender. This is usually done from perimeter of D and gets the defense scrambling to recover w/usually bad results for the D. This gets FTS from defenders trying to stop lay-ups as they left their man inside to stop the drive,fouling the offensive player driving or hasty close-outs on open shooters.(For example,how many times did Landry,Scola and Yao go to the line because McGrady drew their man and the help defender arrived late and decided to foul rather than give up a basket.)
4)An offensive player can beat his man 1-on-1 but cannot get clean seperation. This esp applies to skilled bigs as the closeness to basket and defenses packing the lane prevent seperation.(How often in pick-up ball did your defender whack you going for a strip or block as you just got around him as opposed to your shooting a face-up or fall-away jumper?)
In 2-4 the defense is scrambling to recover and a defender is often faced w/either giving up an open shot or committing a foul and hoping it doesn't get called?
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