NBA Off Topic

[SidVish]

Re: NBA Off Topic

Wade's free throw attempts in the 2006 postseason:

48 free throws vs. Chicago (six games)
53 vs. New Jersey (five games)
52 vs. Detroit (six games)
97 vs Dallas (six games)

He shot 250 free throws in those 4 series and almost 40% were against Dallas. That's just too crazy and I don't just buy bad officiating as an excuse.

[SidVish]

Re: NBA Off Topic

This writer went in on Deron Williams.

Nets' Deron Williams resting on his laurels - and fat wallet

NEW YORK — Good morning, Deron Williams.

Thanks for coming, have a seat.

We figured it was time to have this chin-wag — even after a decent but disappointing night at the Garden — because you’re a sensitive soul who needs to be approached carefully even when we venture into something intended as a friendly critique.

This has less to do with how you play — which is bad enough, you readily admit nowadays — than how you act, which is just one evening gown shy of a diva. And by now you may have sensed that everyone around you seems unwilling to share their candid observations with you.

We heard you blame your troubles on coach Avery Johnson, and pine for the days when that wise old crank in Utah ran stuff that was better suited to your individual skills.

Trust us: The national response was raucous laughter, because you were the guy responsible for getting Jerry Sloan to decide after 27 years that he’d rather live with his 30 tractors in McLeansboro, Ill., than put up with your insubordination.

Now you say Sloan was best for your career, not to mention the $100 million contract that validates it? That’s rich.

Sure, revisionist history was worth a shot, but our only takeaway was more sympathy for Avery. He’s done what he had to do with this offense: Establish Brook Lopez, get Joe Johnson acclimated quickly, and whatever sugar remains goes to Deron and Gerald Wallace.

Whether the point guard likes it or not is irrelevant. You make it work. You lead.
And when you miss game-winning shots against the Bulls and Knicks, with no defender in the same ZIP code, you blame yourself — period.

Of course, the lack of accountability is also management’s fault. We recall those stories about you finishing practice and heading up to Billy King’s office to plop yourself on the couch — where even the new boss chuckled along when you called yourself “the assistant GM.” Haw!

But if you understand the GM-player relationship, you know this is a problem. Because with the exception of one guy in San Antonio, no player should have this kind of entitlement. Not even LeBron James, who once prided himself on his ability to hold a franchise hostage, would presume to have this kind of influence.

Everyone knows the power you brandish in Brooklyn, and they have no choice but to enable it. But now they wonder whether you’ll understand that it comes with responsibility.

Consider that locker room you whined about last season. You were the captain. What did you do about it, other than complain?

Funny thing: Back then, whenever someone said “best PG,” you automatically thought Chris Paul and D-Will — zero debate. Now, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving and Rajon Rondo reside at the top of that list, and Deron Williams barely cracks the top 10.

“You could easily argue that Raymond Felton is having a better year than Deron,” a former D-3 point guard named Jeff Van Gundy said before this game last night.

Then the ESPN analyst said this: “I’m trying to figure out how this guy, who was among the very best point guards, is shooting the ball so poorly — and it’s not just this year.

“I mean, does he work at it? For all we’ve heard lately from him by way of explanations, eventually shouldn’t you look in the mirror?”

Van Gundy mentioned that he asked you whether being on poor teams affected how you work, and you replied, “No.” You know where that was going: JVG’s favorite work-ethic cautionary tale is about Derek Harper arriving in New York in ’94, and needing Pat Riley to “coach the Dallas out of him.”

See, Harper thought he worked hard, and everyone was thrilled to have him, but he had picked up a laundry list of bad habits with the then-horrid Mavs. He had to be told the stakes had changed, and he had to change with them. It took a while, but ultimately Harp led the Knicks to the NBA Finals.

Anyway, you told Van Gundy that no such lag exists with you — that the 25-42 on your Nets record does not affect your prep in any way. And he believed you.

Then we noticed that your warm-up tonight consisted of about 60 shots in 10 minutes. Sure, it’s the second night of a back-to-back. But 60 shots for a guy shooting .389 and .292 from 3? A guy who has shot .396 since he left Utah?

For the leader of a team that has gone 2-8 this month, including this 100-86 loss at the Garden, with the only victories coming against the Pistons and Raptors?
Hope it was a constructive shootaround, young fella.

For a minute there, you almost got away with it. You had a good first half, and five great minutes to start the third — rhythm shots, ball movement, different speeds — and your team was a plus-8, leading 61-57.

Then, out of a timeout, you forgot to sink in pick-and-roll coverage, which resulted in one of Tyson Chandler’s six dunks; and shot an air ball that made everything go sideways.

Ultimately, it turned into a typical night — for the Nets and their captain. Maybe it changes, maybe it doesn’t. We’re here today to suggest that it’s entirely up to you. Hopefully you agree. Now please get off our couch.

http://mobile.nj.com/advnj/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=akVnWM7o&full=true#display

[23]

Re: NBA Off Topic

Shaq, Greg Anthony and Kenny Smith all said last night some of it is on him too, especially since he has the ball all of the time... just some.

Either way, they need to move on from this in the media and just work on getting where they want to go.

Pouring out stories for drama gets tiring.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: NBA Off Topic

The writer may be on to something but overall it is pretty much tabloid stuff.

[SidVish]

Re: NBA Off Topic

I just found it interesting that Deron's had his worst shooting percentages in the NBA all with the Nets. He was a 46% shooter in 6 seasons with Utah and so far with the Nets is only a 38% shooter. That's a pretty drastic change.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NBA Off Topic

I'm trying to figure out what exactly he was trying to say. Is he saying that he got lazy ever since he got paid?

FWIW, some of the stuff that Writer said, I don't disagree with either because I've noticed it at times as well.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: NBA Off Topic

I just found it interesting that Deron's had his worst shooting percentages in the NBA all with the Nets. He was a 46% shooter in 7 seasons with Utah and so far with the Nets is only a 38% shooter. That's a pretty drastic change.

Well, I don't or at least haven't had the luxury of watching a whole lot of Jazz or Nets basketball in Deron's career, but I'm pretty sure he's shooting the ball a lot more in NJ/Brooklyn than he had to in Utah with the likes of Boozer, Korver, AK, etc. as opposed to......Keith Bogans? Brook Lopez? Sundiata Gaines? Jordan Farmar? Kris Humphries? Etc.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: NBA Off Topic

I'm trying to figure out what exactly he was trying to say. Is he saying that he got lazy ever since he got paid?

FWIW, some of the stuff that Writer said, I don't disagree with either because I've noticed it at times as well.

Overall I think the writer was trying to say Deron needs to be more accountable. He needs to take more responsibility for team struggles, i.e. not take shots at Avery's system.

Further, I feel like the writer is questioning Deron's work ethic. He references Derek Harper as an example.

I can say Deron probably won't be fielding too many questions from this writer if they ever cross paths.

[The 24th Letter]

This is about as passive as I've seen Deron, I figured it was a result of Iso-Joe though...

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NBA Off Topic

Overall I think the writer was trying to say Deron needs to be more accountable. He needs to take more responsibility for team struggles, i.e. not take shots at Avery's system.

Further, I feel like the writer is questioning Deron's work ethic. He references Derek Harper as an example.

I can say Deron probably won't be fielding too many questions from this writer if they ever cross paths.

Yeah but how much more responsibility should he take or how much more accountable can he be? He's already taken responsibility for his awful play and admitted he's needs to play better so other than going out there and doing, what else more can he or should he do?(Not asking you specifically but a question in general).

Honestly, he's been shooting bad all year even after that hot start last month but I always figured that wasn't going to hold up much longer and low and behold, it hasn't and we're seen the negative results from it.

[SidVish]

Re: NBA Off Topic

Well, I don't or at least haven't had the luxury of watching a whole lot of Jazz or Nets basketball in Deron's career, but I'm pretty sure he's shooting the ball a lot more in NJ/Brooklyn than he had to in Utah with the likes of Boozer, Korver, AK, etc. as opposed to......Keith Bogans? Brook Lopez? Sundiata Gaines? Jordan Farmar? Kris Humphries? Etc.

Nope that's not it. I just checked this and going by his one full season in NJ last year he put up 961 FGA. In Utah he put up more than that almost every year with the exception of his rookie season; 805, 1083, 1117, 984, 1053.

I'm not sure if it's just him or the offense in NJ but he's taken more shots and shot a better percentage in Utah.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NBA Off Topic

Welcome back to the NBA, Mr. Thomas:

Fresh off a dismal stint as a college coach, basketball vagabond Isiah Thomas is making his return to television. The former NBA on NBC analyst is joining NBA TV as a studio analyst and will make his debut this Friday. Here's the news from NBA TV...


"Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas will join NBA TV as a studio analyst, making his debut Friday, Dec. 21, during the network’s AutoTrader.com Pre-Game Show at 7 p.m. ET. He will make several appearances each month on the network and will also be a regular contributor to NBA.com. Thomas is a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Thomas played 13 seasons in the NBA, all as a member of the Detroit Pistons. He led the franchise to back-to-back world championships in 1989-90 and earned NBA Finals MVP in 1990. During his career, he was named All-NBA First Team three times (1984-86) and All-NBA Second Team twice (1983 and 1987). He was also a two-time MVP of the NBA All-Star Game (1984 and 1986). Thomas averaged 19.2 points per game during his professional career and 9.3 assists per game. In his 13 seasons with the Pistons, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in points, assists, steals and games played. His No. 11 was retired by the team in 1996. Off the court, Thomas received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1987."

As awful as Thomas' stints were with the CBA, with the Knicks, with Florida International, and so on and so forth... he wasn't much better on television. The soft spoken Pistons great never had a real presence on TV and was out of the broadcast booth quickly.
Much like Matt Millen, it's tough to see Thomas have any great credibility with viewers thanks to his many jobs and high-profile failures in recent years. Yes, he's a Hall of Fame player, but can he get anyone watching to actually remember those days in analyzing the league and convince people he really does know something about basketball? Has he improved his television presence since his NBC days? It's going to be a challenge. But in good news, at least he's safely away from the Knicks front office.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: NBA Off Topic

NBATV, I thought you were better than that

[Altimus]

Re: NBA Off Topic

NBATV is better than him...

[The 24th Letter]

I don't remember any analyst work, but Isiah wasn't that bad of a commentator if I remember correctly...