Thursday, November 26, 2009
Woodson
Wow, what a terrible coaching move. The Hawks were rolling offensively and for some reason Woodson pulls most of his starters, they lose their entire offensive rhythm and allow the Magic back into the game. The Magic are not shooting the ball well and yet are only down 2 points because of all the turnovers by the Hawks once the bench came in the game. Why wouldn't you go to the bench later in the quarter, not at the 4 min mark? Their lead should be much larger than 2 points. Bad move Coach Woodson.
Hawks - Magic
Its kind of sad watching Vince be a straight jumpshooter, but at least he is on fire tonight. The Hawks move the ball very well, no wonder they are playing good ball. It's going from side to side and they are really making the Magic work to get in position on their rotations. The Magic on the other hand are trying to feed Howard, but his game is still limited offensively. His problem is not the offensive firepower around him, it's the lack of firepower in his offensive repertoire.
Thanks for the NBA Tonight
After suffering through two of the most boring games in my history of life earlier today, at least the NBA will give us something to be entertained with tonight. This whole dumb rule of even allowing the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders to be on television should be thoroughly scratched out, never to be written again. I would have rather watched HGTV today. No wonder after a combination of these games, some excellent food from my beautiful wife, and pure exhaustion from having to do no work today, I passed out into a dreamy 2 hour nap. Now, refreshed, I am ready to be entertained tonight. Thank you, NBA.
Tune in for several updates as I give you the fan's perspective of tonight's matchup, Hawks vs. Magic.
Tune in for several updates as I give you the fan's perspective of tonight's matchup, Hawks vs. Magic.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
AI
When I was younger and didn't understand all the nuances of the game as I do today, I thought Iverson was going to be the best guard of his day and maybe he was, but my how his act has worn thin on me as I have gotten older and more mature. I guess that happens to some of us and some of us it never happens to. He could score with anybody and you never questioned the heart and desire he brought to the floor each night, but his actions and attitude totally diminish his greatness on 94 feet. His selfishness, refusal to be a team player, refusal to act like the veteran he is and pass on all the knowledge and experience he has to a young Memphis team who has enough talent to eventually turn that organization around. But they need guidance, they need a leader, they need a coach who can speak up for them and they don't have any of that now with the situation they are in. They need Chauncey Billups. AI is the antithesis of Billups. Why is Billups still winning? Why is he so revered around the league? Is he the best player in the league? Not by a long shot, but he is one of the most respected for not only what he does for himself but for his team, for the veterans and the young players on that Nuggets team. He is a winner. He understands that winning takes more than just you or the skill you possess. AI never learned this.
NBA Weekly Recap - Eastern Conference
Well Boston finally lost, they were due one right? But let's look at it more closely. Pierce was carrying a lot of this load early and now that the weight is as heavy as Big Baby himself, no one else is stepping up to unload this weight. The C's have struggled with Minn, NJ, and lost to Phoenix. Symptoms are starting to pop up. Watch out C's.
Is Miami really 5-1? That's what the standings say. How are they winning? Wade obviously has been consistent, but the re-emergence of JO is really what has gotten Miami off to this heated start. JO is playing not only the d end but is once again effective on the offensive end taking some of that same load I mentioned about Pierce off Wade. Now, I don't think he can maintain this but it will be interesting to watch for the rest of November.
Atlanta, I know it was the end of the road trip but it's no reason to lose to the Bobcats by 20. Most times the Bobcats cannot even score 20 in a quarter and you give up 103? No surprise you bounced back to defeat Denver on Saturday night, but that's what you did last year too and it got you bounced out the 2nd round of the playoffs. You can't lose games to Charlotte.
Brandon Jennings is a talent! I slacked on watching this kid in the pre-season because most times it's hard for me to evaluate secondary minutes which is what I consider pre-season ball, but I should have watched this kid. He has natural abilities that you cannot teach. He's a firecracker and plays with a passion that I wish I saw in some other players. Milwaukee has a winner in Jennings. Let's hope Scott Skiles doesn't wear out this relationship like he has in the past with other players.
Ok, I've been trying to avoid it, but I have to talk about Cleveland. I tried to tell you that this Shaq experiment was not going to work out. He clogs the lane, he can't score 20 anymore, and he takes shots from other players. He is offensively handicapped meaning not only his game but he slows down everyone else's game as well. Let's not talk about how atrocious he is in pick and roll defense which in this point guard league that we have today, is not going to work very well for the Cavs.
Is Miami really 5-1? That's what the standings say. How are they winning? Wade obviously has been consistent, but the re-emergence of JO is really what has gotten Miami off to this heated start. JO is playing not only the d end but is once again effective on the offensive end taking some of that same load I mentioned about Pierce off Wade. Now, I don't think he can maintain this but it will be interesting to watch for the rest of November.
Atlanta, I know it was the end of the road trip but it's no reason to lose to the Bobcats by 20. Most times the Bobcats cannot even score 20 in a quarter and you give up 103? No surprise you bounced back to defeat Denver on Saturday night, but that's what you did last year too and it got you bounced out the 2nd round of the playoffs. You can't lose games to Charlotte.
Brandon Jennings is a talent! I slacked on watching this kid in the pre-season because most times it's hard for me to evaluate secondary minutes which is what I consider pre-season ball, but I should have watched this kid. He has natural abilities that you cannot teach. He's a firecracker and plays with a passion that I wish I saw in some other players. Milwaukee has a winner in Jennings. Let's hope Scott Skiles doesn't wear out this relationship like he has in the past with other players.
Ok, I've been trying to avoid it, but I have to talk about Cleveland. I tried to tell you that this Shaq experiment was not going to work out. He clogs the lane, he can't score 20 anymore, and he takes shots from other players. He is offensively handicapped meaning not only his game but he slows down everyone else's game as well. Let's not talk about how atrocious he is in pick and roll defense which in this point guard league that we have today, is not going to work very well for the Cavs.
NBA Weekly Recap - Western Conference
What a surprise the Phoenix Suns have been. They are back to running and gunning, Nash looks great, Amare is rounding into shape, and G Hill and J Rich are filling their complimentary roles perfectly. But most importantly, these boys are playing a little d now, not a lot, but enough to win games. This starts with Amare who I said at the beginning of the season was one of the worst defenders in the league, but he has really started to make a commitment to the d end which has certainly helped this start.
Also, a team to talk about in the West is the Houston Rockets. Who would imagine this team would be sitting at .500 right now after all the changes, but a couple things are certain here. First, Rick Adelman can flat out coach. Second, this is the hardest playing team in the league. They just outwork you. Guys like Scola, Landry, and Hayes are as blue collar as the sky and they show it on a nightly basis. Also, this team can spread you out because they put so many shooters on the floor. Long rebounds lead to offensive rebounds when you have guys like these 3 working that hard for you.
What's going on with San Antonio? The Spurs look old. They look rusty and they don't look to be on the same page right now. Their classic defensive rotations aren't there. They don't have a legit 5 who can play off Duncan on the defensive end and their not getting much from their wings on the offensive end. I picked them 3rd in the West, I still think they can finish there, because Popp can get it done. However, TP better be healthy for that to happen.
Finally, you can see how top heavy the West is. The bottom is what it is, terrible. None of these teams will win 40 games except maybe Oklahoma City but as you could see from this week, they have a lot of growing up to do in the 4th quarter. I watched Durant three times this week take bad shots at the end of games. He's a super talent, an exceptional talent, but the next step in his learning curve is learning how to finish. He has to be that player for his team.
Also, a team to talk about in the West is the Houston Rockets. Who would imagine this team would be sitting at .500 right now after all the changes, but a couple things are certain here. First, Rick Adelman can flat out coach. Second, this is the hardest playing team in the league. They just outwork you. Guys like Scola, Landry, and Hayes are as blue collar as the sky and they show it on a nightly basis. Also, this team can spread you out because they put so many shooters on the floor. Long rebounds lead to offensive rebounds when you have guys like these 3 working that hard for you.
What's going on with San Antonio? The Spurs look old. They look rusty and they don't look to be on the same page right now. Their classic defensive rotations aren't there. They don't have a legit 5 who can play off Duncan on the defensive end and their not getting much from their wings on the offensive end. I picked them 3rd in the West, I still think they can finish there, because Popp can get it done. However, TP better be healthy for that to happen.
Finally, you can see how top heavy the West is. The bottom is what it is, terrible. None of these teams will win 40 games except maybe Oklahoma City but as you could see from this week, they have a lot of growing up to do in the 4th quarter. I watched Durant three times this week take bad shots at the end of games. He's a super talent, an exceptional talent, but the next step in his learning curve is learning how to finish. He has to be that player for his team.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Family Life
I'm trying to watch the 4th quarter of the New Orleans-Boston game and my dog decides to golden shower my daughter's bed spread! Thanks, Coco!
Boston's Famous 3rd Quarters
Boston is on it's classic open up the 2nd half and it's time to end this game run. Will NO be able to deflect this new energy in the Garden and get back to running their offense? They are going to have to get some stops or this game is going to get ugly like Sam Cassell.
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