November 26th, 2016
-
Comment
-
November 26th, 2016
Everyone's clueless in Milwaukee
What the Buck?
You must be kidding me. Jason Kidd stepped down 14 games into the season, with his Milwaukee Bucks—the Milwaukee Bucks who landed the third overall pick last year—at 5-9. Barely removed from a "vote of confidence" from owners that portended a possible contract extension. Heralding a still-young team that's like the awkward, gangly middle schooler—aware of its own size and length but not really able to figure it out.
If it's any consolation to Kidd, his most recent forerunner in Milwaukee—we're not counting a season or less here—Scott Skiles, is also out of a job, having been fired after a dismal 4-11 start to the season. The parallels are apt: the Magic and Bucks are both teams who always seem on the cusp of figuring it out. And, of course, they haven't figured it out; teams who have it figured out also have long-tenured head coaches.
Kidd commanded the longest team in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter Williams, foot-Frankenstein (Joel Embiid), Jabari Parker, and new big man Laqua Palmer. And, despite a few injuries, thus far the team has shown talent and just hasn't had any luck. They've posted a run of three straight victories—the first with Kidd at the helm, the next two with one Will Goodrich on the hot seat. They beat the Clippers 98-95 at home, with Joel Embiid putting up 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Laqua Palmer scoring 17 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and logging two blocks. That's a good game all around by anyone's standards.
Their most recent game was pure irony. Facing the Orlando Magic—of course, the Scott Skiles-less Magic—the Bucks hung on to with 101-98 in OT. Despite a miserable day from Khris Middleton (2-11 from the field, 1-8 from beyond the arc), Jabari Parker put home a team-high 20 points, Palmer had a 14-and-14 double-double, and Michael Carter Williams was his usual stat-sheet-stuffing self, accumulating 16 points, 5 boards and assists apiece, and 3 steals and 3 blocks apiece.
The Bucks haven't been too statistically terrible. An even .500 at home, and a subpar—but not terrible—3-5 on the road. There are teams far worse—the Bucks aren't even in the bottom ten teams in the league based on winning percentage (or lack thereof). They've scored nearly 99 points per game and have allowed just under 103 per game, a difference of 3.9. Carter Williams and Middleton rank 1st and 6th in steals per game, respectively, and Middleton is sixth among shooting guards in points per game, with 18.1. Ok, so they haven't been great, and they haven't played all that well at times. Still no reason for such a stinkbomb.
So why did Kidd depart? Upon initial reporting of the new vacancy, ESPN reported that he was unhappy with how public his job status was. Coaches know when they're on the hot seat, and they know that the public does nothing to cool that heat, and in fact augments it often senselessly; a poor excuse by Kidd. What is a good reason, however, is the fact also revealed by ESPN that members of the front office were soliciting head-coaching recommendations from players. That's an awful way to handle things by management, and it's hard to fault Kidd for not feeling wanted.
Kidd will find another job, and the Bucks will find another coach. That's how the NBA works. But situations like these sow seeds of distrust between players and coaches and cast deep shadows upon the operations of an organization. Milwaukee is hardly a prime free-agent destination; now it may not be a prime head-coaching destination.
At least Scott Skiles is available.Comment
-
November 26th, 2016
Kingly Countenance
To those following the NBA in recent years, Rajon Rondo has been a source of constant imbalance. Beginning in the long, lean Boston Celtics years during/after the decline of the first widely-acknowledged Big 3, Rondo played at a top level; the Celtics' decline into the lottery mirrored Rondo's decline in morale. The drafting of point guard Marcus Smart was the straw that broke Rondo's patience; he was swiftly departed to the Dallas Mavericks, where he made the playoffs, but then was gone, landing in Sacramento. After a year of success that included a league-leading 10.2 assists per game and a 47-35 record, the Kings seemed to have turned the corner... and then they went out quietly in a sweep, the broom wielded by the much more experienced San Antonio Spurs. We scribes chuckled to ourselves, thinking that the Rondo relocation circus would begin anew.
Half a year later we are chuckling no more. The Kings have raced out to a convincing 10-6 record (in a division that features Golden State no less), 3-3 on the road but a powerful 7-3 record at SleepTrain Arena. Sacramento has seemed at long last (the word "finally" is the quickest to writers' lips nowadays) to have found a balance that few Rondo-heralded teams have achieved. It's even more surprising due to the presence of another undisputed top-dog in DeMarcus Cousins. And that surprise is even more surprising in that Marco Belinelli has become a bona fide scorer, and the Kings haven't imploded on defense despite a back three of Rondo, McLemore, and Belinelli—they haven't been great, but if a good offense is the best defense, then the Kings have the best defense.
Cousins is third among all centres with 21.1 points per game—down from his 26.9 last year... but the Kings are on pace to win 4 more games than last season. Cousins is also fifth among all players with 11.3 rebounds per game, and sixth among centers with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game. He's also third among centers with 3.1 per game. But the real assist king is Rondo, whose 12.2 APG are a full two more than his league-leading total from last year; no other player this year has logged double-digits in assists. Rondo also averages 6.8 RPG, third among point guards, and 2.5 OREB/game, second among point guards. The pair are a the best stat-stuffing combo in the league: Cousins is second in the league with 12 double-doubles (Rondo has 5), while Rondo is first in the league with 2 triple-doubles.
We can't go without mentioning Marco Belinelli, who is, by anyone's definition, having a career season. No, even that's wrong—Belinelli, recently called one of the Kings' Big 3, is having a dream season. He's third in the league in 3PT% with an eye-popping, if not eye-shattering, .561%; he's third in the league in three-point-attempts made per game, with 3.8 per game (that leads all shooting guards); and his .974% free throw shooting ranks second in the league, a mere .002% behind league-leader Kevin Martin. The dream season can be encapsulated thusly: in the Kings' most recent win, a 101-92 home defeat of the Phoenix Suns, Belinelli scored a team-high 29 points... on 11-12 shooting from the field, and a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.
The Kings' last four games are representative of their strengths. In that 101-92 win against Phoenix, Cousins posted 23 points and 10 rebounds to complement Belinelli's great game. The previous game, a tough 92-89 loss to the Rockets, saw Cousins put up 24 points, 13 boards, and 3 blocks; Rondo scored 9, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 12 assists; and newcomers Darren Collison and Luol Deng combined for 9 steals in the loss. The game before that was a dominant 114-93 win in New Orleans, where Cousins went off for 27 points, 15 boards, and 5 assists; Rondo scored 14, grabbed 6 rebounds, and notched a dollar's worth of dimes (for those reading with foreign currency, that's 10 assists); Belinelli, in the type of game that has become his signature, scored 26 on 8-11 three-point shooting. The Kings' best offensive game of the season came against the Rockets in Houston, when they scored over 30 points in each quarter, and four players scored 20 point or more: Deng had 25 (and 7 boards), McLemore 23, and Cousins 20 points and 17 boards. Rondo logged his second "trip-dub" of the year with a 21/12/16 line.
Machiavelli, in his book The Prince, discusses two types of kings: de jure rulers, who are born into power and thus have the divine right of kings on their side, but who are also susceptible to being weak rulers; and de facto rulers, who come to power by their own talent and ambition. It is clear which camp the Sacramento Kings fall into. Their two best players are disliked by the majority of the NBA, and their most capable shooter has never averaged over 12 points per game through his NBA career. The Kings have found their perfect balance; all that remains to be seen is how far they can go.Comment
-
November 27th, 2016
Around the Association—November 27, 2016
76ers' Youth Shines in Memphis; Mavericks Obliterate Knicks; The Interview, With Aron Baynes
1. 76ers' Youth Shines in Memphis
The Philadelphia 76ers (7-11) picked up a solid 108-90 win in Memphis, dropping the Grizzlies (13-5) to 2-4 in their last six games. Jahlil Okafor led the charge for the 76ers, scoring a career-high 31 points; the other 76ers in double-digit territory were rookie Che' King (24 points, 6 boards, 4 assists), and sophomore D'Angelo Russell (15 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists). The Grizzlies were led by Marc Gasol with 16 points, while Zach Randolph added a game-high 13 rebounds. The Grizzlies have looked out of sync since Gasol's return to the lineup after an injury forced him to miss the beginning of the season. The 76ers looked sharp throughout the night, hitting 49% from the field and a sweet 50% from beyond the arc.
2. Mavericks Obliterate Knicks
The game at the Garden saw a lopsided 125-92 victory for the Dallas Mavericks (7-10) over the host Knicks (7-11). The Mavericks scored 30 or more points in every quarter, and saw eight players reach double-digits. Dirk Nowitzki and Wesley Matthews each scored over 20 points (22 and 21, respectively), while Matthews chipped in 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Zaza Pachulia scored 10 points and hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds for Dallas, who shot 54% from the field and landed 16 more rebounds than the Knicks. New York's offense "featured" Tony Wroten's 20 points and Aron Affalo's 16 points and 5 assists; Kristaps Porzingis put up 6 points while collecting a team-high 11 rebounds.
3. The Interview, With Aron Baynes
Q: You managed 15 rebounds, a game high, but the Warriors still beat you [the Pistons] easily, with Klay Thompson scoring 45 points. How does it feel to be on the receiving end of that performance?
A: Obviously you wish he hadn't scored it on you, but they're a good team and they can score so you just accept it and move on.
Q: Detroit came into the game with a better record than the Warriors. Does that improve your confidence going into the game?
A: We go into every game looking to win; it's nice to beat a tough opponent, but we just try to focus on our record rather than our opponent's.
Q: Does your team have anyone who can get as hot as Thompson was tonight?
A: We're a different kind of team, but if someone were to explode it would be KCP [Kentavious Caldwell Pope]. He flashes some serious talent.
Q: Festus Ezeli had a good game against you, scoring 14 points on 7-8 shooting and getting 9 rebounds. What made him so tough tonight?
A: He played a good game. The Warriors are so tough cause they can beat you any way, and tonight one of those ways was getting the ball to him. Just gotta be ready to stop it next time.Last edited by AdamJones113; 06-24-2016, 06:04 PM.Comment
-
November 28th, 2016
DAVID ALDRIDGE IS REPORTING THAT THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES HAVE INITIATED A 3-TEAM TRADE CENTERED AROUND RICKY RUBIO & ROOKIE NIKOLA MAZURANIC. MINNESOTA SENDS RUBIO & JOHN JENKINS TO WASHINGTON & MAZURANIC TO PORTLAND. MINNESOTA GETS OTTO PORTER, DAVID LEE & JIMMER FREDETTE FROM WASHINGTON WHILE GETTING PORTLAND'S 2019 1ST ROUND PICK. AND PORTLAND ALSO SENDS NOAH VONLEH TO WASHINGTONComment
-
November 29th, 2016
TRADE REVIEW
by Yellz
This was a very interested trade to say the least. You have some unproven youth, some unproven vets and three teams that are all looking to turn the corner. Let's take a look at this trade team by team shall we:
Minnesota:
Minnesota had been experimenting with Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward as they already had Dieng & drafted Mazuranic. Now letting the post presence of Mazuranic who I think will be a great post player for years to come was a bit premature in my opinion... but what do you do when you have that surplus in a league that's going small. Now KAT can go back to playing center which should be a huge plus for this athletic team. Next up was moving Ricky Rubio. It seemed like this move was a bit late but now we will have the chance to see what Lavine can do in this spot full time. Moving Jenkins equals no loss for the Wolves.
The true beauty in this trade is that they may have a better synergy once they lock in a full time coach or keep McCarthy. Now everyone will have a solidified position that they can be comfortable in. Wiggins will likely slide to the SG position & Otto Porter will be a great fit as another athlete. He also plays solid defense & more importantly should give Wiggins & KAT more room to operate because of his three-point percentage. Picking up Fredette is pretty much moot but adding David Lee is a great move for this young team. Whatever may be missing up front Lee will provide. The most important item that Lee will bring to this young team is leadership & an example of hard work.
Lastly Minnesota picks up a 2019 1st round pick from Portland. Depending on how Mazuranic pans out, this could be a safe swap for him.
Washington:
Washington has been stifled by injuries thus far this season in a year that was supposed to be a big one for them. Their backcourt duo of Wall & Beal have been in plain clothes for the majority of the season and may e out a few more weeks. Picking up Rubio will give them someone that can run the team in the meantime.
The question of what happens when Wall returns from injury is the big one. Rubio has been questioned as a starter over the past few years but just how much time would he get behind Wall & is there any version of small ball that Washington may play to allow Rubio, Wall & Beal on the floor at the same time? One thing is for certain; if the Wizards are still looking to pickup a big name, Rubio's contract will prevent that unless he is a part of the trade.
Oh let's not forget the Wiz picked up John Jenkins who if nothing else can shoot & Noah Vonleh who will get a second chance here as they are a bit thin up front.
Portland: Portland could potentially be the big winner here. They essentially gave up nothing & picked up the #10 pick from the draft & a player that many thought should have went much higher. In only 22 mpg playing behind Towns & Dieng, Mazzy puts up 8.5 points & 7.4 rebounds.
The one thing that the Blazers seem to be missing is post presence & now they have potentially picked up that exact piece. Mazuranic is projected to start once cleared in Portland & with a scorching hot Damian Lillard & a player like C.J. McCollum on the perimeter, Mazuranic will have lots of room to operate. Minus the three-point element; dare I say it... Sabonis 2.0? We shall see.Comment
-
Comment
-
December 1st, 2016
Eastern Conference
Lebron James (CLE)
25.4 PPG - 10.1 RPG - 7.1 APG - 1.6 BPG
Western Conference
Russell Westbrook (LAL)
27.5 PPG - 8.1 RPG - 6.4 APG - 1.3 SPG
Eastern Conference
Jabbar Wilson (WAS)
10.8 PPG - 9.2 RPG - 5.3 APG - 1.5 BPG
Western Conference
Rayshaud Hill (LAL)
10.5 PPG - 4.5 APG - 2.5 SPG - 67% 3FG
Eastern Conference
Mike Budenholzer
14-3
Western Conference
Greg Popovich
11-5
Comment
Comment