ONE: Quick Aussie Roundup first. After leaving yesterday’s game against the Knicks after just 5 minutes with a migraine, the Bogey Man bounced back today with a very solid 21 point, 8 rebound effort against the Pacers. More importantly, the Bucks have won 5 out of their last 6 and seem to be gelling at the right time of the season. Ilyasova and Jennings have stepped up in recent wins, while Drew is in career-best form. They’re equal 8th in the East at the moment, with both Miami and Charlotte ahead of them going through some recent rough patches. The “Bogut for All-Star” campaign might be over, but the “Bogut for Playoffs” campaign is just beginning.
The other big Aussie news this week was Patty Mills first NBA points, which came on a mid-range J late in the loss to Utah. Cheers to reader Ben for posting a link to in the comments to this pic of Patty’s shot.
Since then Patty has managed to score another point off a free-throw in today’s loss to LA. But to say he’s being used sparingly at the moment would be a huge understatement. So far in four games he’s logged 9 minutes, shot 1-5 from the field, dished out 2 assists, and turned the ball over once. Baby steps. Also, check this interview with Patty by Travis Outlaw as part of his Talkin’ with Travis series. Quite amusing.
And on the subject of Portland, what can we make of the fact that the Lakers finally beat them at the Rose Garden – after losing their last 9 there – without Kobe Bryant? Is there anything to read into that? Or do we just point to Roy’s injury?
In Houston, David Andersen continues to get his 13-14 minutes a game and recently contributed in a big win over the Warriors. His 8 points (on 4-6 shooting) and 7 rebounds might not seem remarkable, but that 7 rebound tally is actually his third highest tally for the season (he only averages 3.2 per game). Unlike Bogut in Milwaukee though, his team seems to be sliding. With the way the Memphis Grizzlies have been playing lately, I struggle to see Houston squeezing into the top 8 out West. But of course, I fully expect Coach Adelman and his crew to prove me wrong.
There’s no real news to report on Nathan Jawai. The Big Aussie is still on the Wolves injury list.
TWO: Sure, the issue of guns in the NBA is a sensitive one right now for the league and its front office. So what better time to check out the ten best gun-related nicknames for NBA players, courtesy of Mookie over at A Stern Warning.
THREE: Could there possibly be a correlation between the rise of three-point shooting in the NBA and the demise of the global economy? Crazy right? David Biderman at the Wall Street Journal might make you a believer.
FOUR: You see Lebron today? He was kind of ridiculous. That is Dan Majerle-range right there, and I don’t say that lightly.
FIVE: Us Pistons fans haven’t had much to cheer about this season, but perhaps the biggest highlight (and certainly biggest surprise) has been the play of Jonas Jerebko. A rookie no one had heard about but now appears a certain lock for the All-Rookie Team. Today against the Nets the Swede went for 20 points on a perfect 9-9 shooting, including two threes, to go with his 7 boards. You wonder why I’m not the slightest bit worried about the prospect of losing Tayshaun Prince in a trade? It’s because of this guy. Thank you Jonas. You truly are Swedetastic.
SIX: As readers of this blog will know, one of my good pals is a Ray Allen-obsessed Celtics fan. What you should also know is that Chucko and myself regularly send Ray hate-mail to him whenever Ray has a horrible night, reminding him of the very slim chance that Ray will survive in this league long enough to surpass Reggie’s three-point record. So it was with great amusement I saw this article pop up on ESPN today, suggesting that time may be running out for the 34 year-old gunner.
Do I honestly believe Ray is washed up? No. I think he’s still a quality contributor, and ideally would be coming off the bench (or at least playing drastically reduced minutes) similar to what Michael Finley was doing late in his career. The problem is the Celtics aren’t exactly deep at his position, and Ray is being forced to play more minutes per game than he did in each of the past two seasons. The Celtics have to manage this one carefully. They have a dead-eye shooter who is still capable of epic scoring feats – as we witnessed in the Bulls-Celtics series – but they also have an aging veteran who could very well over-play himself into retirement by the end of the season. The more I think about Ray and the Celtics this season, the more it really does seem like it’s ‘all or nothing’ for the men in Beantown in 09-10, and beyond.
He’s probably more of a true center than a lot of the other guys that people have talked about at that position. Most of them are power forwards playing up a position, while he’s like Dwight, more of a true center. I don’t think there’s any question he’s an all-star caliber guy. But when you’re picking 24 guys out of 400 in the league, it gets difficult.”
Also some quotes from Coach Skiles and the Bogey Man himself. Definitely worth a read, and makes me even more angry that he missed out on an All-Star spot.
The three-month mark is an important one in the NBA calendar, as it means the season is half done. For our Doubting Thomas candidates, it means they’re halfway through their mission of proving the doubters wrong (go back to early November to reacquaint yourselves with each player’s mission). So while providing a good status check, January is also the month where we can start trimming the fat. If you’re still stuck in 1st gear at this point (not looking at anyone in particular Kwame), then your chances of holding the Golden T aloft are virtually dashed. Having said that, the NBA is full of surprises, and just when we were getting comfortable relegating Chris Quinn to the cellar every month, he comes springing back into contention.
By far the toughest decision this month was who to award the #1 spot. It has been owned by Gallo all season long, but in January he slipped just enough to leave the door ajar. Taking full advantage was none other than Goran Dragic. Through January I have watched Chucko turn from the most anti-Dragic supporter you’ll find to a man seriously suggesting he’s the future of their backcourt. The transformation has been shocking and wonderful. Ultimately though, Dragic’s contributions simply count for less than Gallo’s, who at times is left to carry his team and can single-handedly ignite the MSG crowd like few others. Of course, Gallo has the luxury of starting minutes which very few of the DTA candidates have. But rest assured this does not make him a lock for the award. The distance between the Cock and the pack is slimming, and another slip could see the Italian Stallion overtaken on the home straight.
Games played (through January): 15 Games started: 15 Minutes per game: 35.0 DNP’s: 0 Best game: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 7-9 shooting, 3 assists (vs IND 3/1) Averages: 14.9ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.7apg, 0.9spg, 0.7bpg, 41.6% FG, 38.7% 3PT Dare you Doubt?:Is The Cock losing grip? For the first time all season, he’s looking mortal.
Highlight of the month: This photo shoot with Roy Hibbert! Danilo Gallinari Dunks on Roy Hibbert (1-03-10) Best sign he should not be doubted? He’s at the top of NBAmate.com’s Doubting Thomas Awards
10 Reasons why Gallo is proving doubters wrong 1. In January he recorded four 20+ point games. I was going to say Goran Dragic only dreams of 20+ nights but then I see he dropped 32, what the hell?
2. Has been invited to participate in All-Star weekend in the Rooks-Sophs game. Perhaps he will take after David Lee and take out the MVP award?
3. JJ Reddick has a rap group? Well Danilo is Galloiscious and sings like an angel.
“Sup booooi, u wanna be down?”
“To the left to the left…!”
4. Dirk recently commented that he is a big fan of Danilo’s and that his English has improved a lot since he joined the league. “Roko make basket?”
5. According to the NYPost he was named one of New York’s top 12 most eligible bachelors.
6. The Rooster donated $1k for every point he scored against the Lakers in a game this month, donating $21k for Haiti relief. That’s 21,000 more dollars than words Corey Brewer’s own guy has bothered to write about him. I doubt both of them at this stage of the season!
7. My fiancé got me his jersey for Christmas!
8. Still leads the league in 3-point field goals in just his second year in the league (by 2 over Channing “Urkel” Frye who recently featured in such comedies as “Hit the bench” and “0-5”)
9. Got all gansta wit’ it and chewed the fat with Crazy Ass Ron Ron!
10. In a highly anticipated January DTA match up Gallo outdueled Kwame Brown 43pts to 0pts in their two meetings. Way to tough it out Kwame!
Gallo has also recorded his 6th game with at least 4 “stocks” this season, which goes a long way to showing the NBA he is more than a spot up… cough… JJ Reddick… shooter. Although it hasn’t been announced yet, I will announce he is in the 3pt shoot out this year. And although it hasn’t occurred yet, I will announce he won it.
Times are still tough in New York, but if we can take something away from 09-10 (besides 100000 hypothetical LeBron/Wade/Bosh questions and stories) it is that The Cock has balls. Flat out.
Games played: 16 Games started: 0 Minutes per game: 17.1 DNP’s: 0 Best game: 32 points (6-7 threes), 3 assists, 3 rebounds vs UTA (25/1) Averages: 10.1ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.2apg, 0.9spg, 0.1bpg, 49.5% FG, 46.5% 3PT Dare you Doubt?: This is genuinely stunning. After years stumbling in the dark, have the Suns finally found their backup point guard?
Dragic started off this month in what can only be described as a slump. Against the Nets – yes the same team that is on track for a 6-win season – Coach Alvin Gentry decided to take a chance and put Dragic in when the game was still in contention in the first quarter. At that stage Phoenix had built a small lead, but before he could say, “It’s the 3 win Nets, what could possibly go wro…. Oh.” Dragic had peed all over Gentry’s hopes and dreams and allowed the Nets to take the lead. By the time Gentry came to his senses and benched Dragic, Phoenix were losing, at home, to the worst team in NBA history. Understandably, Dragic was not allowed to even look at the court until late in the 3rd when the game was beyond doubt. The following night, Gentry tried to put Dragic in to stop Rose, and this happened.
Goran Dragic – Poster Boy
Being posterized by the #1 pick in his draft year must’ve lit a fire under Goran’s ass because the next game he scored 20 on 5-9 shooting, and then the following game against the league’s best defense, in Utah, Goran went off for a career high 32 points on 10-13 shooting including 6-7 3’s! With these performances which, if consistent, would land him in the 6th man of the year contention, Dragic is definitely making a strong case to collect the Doubting Thomas Award. If he keeps this momentum the Suns front office will have no choice but to decide to ship Amare off so they can build a team around Goran Dragic.
Games played: 16 Games started: 16 Minutes per game: 31.1 DNP’s: 0 Best game: 25 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, 5 rebounds vs OKC (20/1) Averages: 15.6ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.0apg, 0.9spg, 0.7bpg, 47.0 FG%, 45.0 3PT% Dare you Doubt?:Without doubt the biggest transformation of any DTA candidate: 18% on threes in November – compared to 45% in January.
It’s not a good sign that the guy who was supposed to write this monthly column has completely given up on his own player. And I don’t blame him after Brewer’s woeful start to the season. But when I considered dropping Brewer from the DTA race mid-season, I had to stop and realise one thing: this guy could win it all. Of all the DTA candidates, Brewer is the only one who has steadily picked it up every single month. He had a streak of three 20+ games near the end of January which put him in equal second place for the Wolves leading scorer through the month. You know how a lot of people have been pumping up Kevin Love over the last month? Well Brewer averaged exactly the same amount of points per game as Big Kev through January. Think about that.
So if you’re like me and only think of the below dunk when you hear Corey Brewer’s name, stop to realise that this kid is having BY FAR the best season of his young career. And more importantly, realise that he is very much in the running to be the inaugural Doubting Thomas Award winner. Who thought I’d be saying that two months ago?
– Rob D, NBAMate
#4 (4)
J.J Redick
Games played: 17 Games started: 3 Minutes per game: 24.5 DNP’s: 0 Best game: 17 points (3-6 threes), 4 rebounds, 2 assists vs ATL (9/1) Averages: 11.1ppg, 2.0apg, 1.7rpg, 0.5spg, 0.1bpg. 42.4% FG, 37.2% 3PT Dare you Doubt?: Stepped up his minutes big time through January thanks to injuries to Vince. A definite DTA dark horse here.
Well J.J. is finally playing to more of his potential, with his scoring average for this year jumping 5 points over his career numbers. With Carter struggling through an injured shoulder (and a chronic lack of heart!) Redick has stepped up to breach for the Magic, getting crunch time minutes against Boston and playing very well in a win. Following that he also played a big role in a huge victory against Atlanta (27 mins, 8 points, 7 assists) as he shows that he is much more than just a shooter and all that hard work is paying off.
Still no news on the rap supergroup or their first single, but for all your juice on the boy from Cookeville, Tennessee, check back here for all the hot news and to watch J.J. capture his first Doubting Thomas Award.
Games played: 13 Games started: 0 Minutes per game: 18.6 DNP’s: 2 Best game: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists vs MIL (22/1) Averages: 8.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.0apg, 0.6spg, 0.1bpg, 43.6%FG, 36.7% 3PT Dare you Doubt?:Statistically his best month, but will Beli ever crack the DTA’s Top 4? I doubt it.
Beli is back! That’s right, Marco Belinelli is back and better than ever. I’ve been trying to tell you all that he was ready to become a solid NBA contributor and January has been that month where he has shown that he can be that guy.
Specifically, the second half of January, after Beli recovered from his big Italian Christmas, has been a party for the Bolognese Beast. He had six double-figure scoring games during the month, including four between January 19-27. He has become a huge weapon off the bench for coach Jay Triano, leading the second unit and finding himself on the floor at the end of games.
Perhaps Beli’s biggest moment in an NBA game came on January 24 against the Lakers. Beli was matched up with Kobe down the stretch and scored 15 points for the Raptors in a huge one point win, including 10 key points in the second half. This came one game after he put up 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists against Milwaukee. Beli has arrived as a key bench player.
His 8.9ppg, 2.0apg and 1.9rpg for January are all season highs. More than this, he is establishing himself as an important player on this team — a team that has won four straight through 29 January and finds itself in second place in the Atlantic. Heading into the second half of the season, Rocky Balboa is on the up and up. There are many more double-figure point scoring games ahead for Beli during the rest of this year.
Look out DTA competitors, Marco Belinelli is coming for you.
Games played: 16 Games started: 8 Minutes per game: 26.6 DNP’s: 0 Best game: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6-12 threes vs HOU (6/1) Averages: 10.1ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.3apg, 0.8spg, 1.3bpg, 41.4% FG, 42.9% 3PT Dare you Doubt?: At this rate of decline, Frye may well be sitting in the CQP by the end of the season.
Ah January, the time of year when a few extra Christmas pounds are trendy, smoking is at an all-time low and people haven’t declined back into their old habits just yet. Everyone is feeling upbeat at the prospect of a new year and new opportunities. Oh yeah, and it’s the most grinding period of the NBA season.
Channing Frye has been covered off by me a few times already as you have read here at nbamate.com, and I’ve been feeling quite confident that the cheesy-grinned three-ball merchant could take out the inaugural Doubting Thomas Award… until now. Oh how things have changed in January as Frye has failed to wipe the Christmas ham grease from his paws and has subsequently “dropped the ball” on numerous occasions. Memories of some of these performances should be buried so deep within his soul that only post-career therapy will be able to locate them.
Seeing as Channing has let his game wander a little post-Christmas, here’s three “rotten turkey’s” of interest:
Turkey 1: January 11th – Frye manages to only take 5 shots in 37 minutes vs Milwaukee. He doesn’t hit any of them.
Turkey 2: January 18 & 20 – Frye plays a combined total of 28 mins and contributes 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and a block. One of these games was against the New Jersey Nets. *crime*
Turkey 3: January 28th – After playing two solid games against Charlotte and Utah in which he hit 9 three’s combined, Frye puts up a pedestrian 7 points with one three-ball and gets upstaged by Vigo Amundson.
I think the most intriguing element to Channing Frye’s season so far is his inability to harness any sort of consistency. Some blame the player and others blame the coach but I see box score after box score and game after game involving this guy and the same thing keeps cropping up. When he plays well, the Suns generally win. In games where he is allowed to get some space on the perimeter and set his feet, his three-ball is deadly. However, any team with even a Jackie Moon-like scouting staff crowd him and he goes to water. It’s not like Channing’s lazy, he’s really trying out there but hey, Brian Scalabrine tries too and let’s face it, he would be better suited to doing stunts for Michael Rapaport on Prison Break than stealing $3.4m from the Celtics. (Note: They’re also paying PO’B $800k this year. Ouch… but represent the DTA! *fist pump*)
Overall, Frye has averaged 26 minutes, 10 points, 2 threes, 5 rebounds and a block in January. The Suns have gone 6-9 (Houston game pending) and have really dropped their pants and exposed their sunburnt, front-running balls. If Channing Frye doesn’t pick up the pace, he’ll be doing some stunt-double work of his own for Winston in the upcoming Ghostbusters III movie.
Games played: 11 Games started: 0 Minutes per game: 8.8 DNP’s: 4 Best game: 9 points, 3 assists, 3-4 threes vs UTA (23/1) Averages: 2.3ppg, 0.4rpg, 1.6apg, 0.5spg, 0.0bpg 32 FG%, 41.2 3PT% Dare you Doubt?Hey, I didn’t think he’d even get on the court this season, so he’s proven me wrong. Who’s next?
Editor’s note: Can you believe they took away that stupid pic of Chris Quinn dressed as a gangsta on his NBA.com profile and replaced it with a photo of him actually playing basketball? Yeah, me neither. Luckily I saved the image for your eternal viewing pleasure.
Chris Quinn has had a huge month of January. From being under-appreciated and under-played in Miami, he got traded to the talentless New Jersey Nets where he continues to be under-appreciated and under-played. But there are some positives in this trade; namely, that Quinny is getting some PT and could lift himself up from last spot in the Doubting Thomas Award.
Lets look at this statistically:
At Miami, Chris Quinn averaged : 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists and 0.0 steals.
At New Jersey, the Quinnstar is averaging: 2.2 points, 0.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.1 steals. It’s a good starting point for the season. And since being in New Jersey, he is averaging 8:24 minutes a game. And in that, he has a total of 14 assists, and only 2 turnovers. That is a 7 assist/ turnover ratio.
Lastly check this out, the Nets are unbeaten when Quinntastic gets a block, a rebound and makes two 2 point shots. When Chris Quinn does this, the Nets are 1-0. Pretty exciting stuff if your a Nets fan looking for the the future.
Games played: 4 Games started: 0 Minutes per game: 11.4 DNP’s: 10 Best game: 5 points, 4 rebounds vs CHI (11/1) which was also his worst game (shot 1/6 from FT line, Pistons got beat by 33 points) Averages: 2.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 0.5apg, 0.5spg, 0.3bpg, 50%FG Dare you Doubt?:The ‘Kwame in Detroit’ experiment is officially fucked.
At the start of this season I asked three questions that I thought could measure Kwame’s progress in proving the doubters wrong. Let’s do a health-check shall we?
1) Can Kwame prove that he deserves that starting spot ahead of Grandpa Wallace?
Shot answer: No. Long answer: Not only has Kwame failed to grab the starting spot ahead of Old Ben, but he’s actually regressed three spots on the rotation. Even my farts linger on the court longer than Kwame.
2) Is this the season he proves MJ, Kobe and everyone else wrong for ever doubting him?
Unfortunately for Kwame, no. And I do mean unfortunately. I have always bought into the fact that Kwame is a decent talent who just needs an abnormal amount of TLC and the right supporting environment. I thought that with low expectations on the Pistons this season, and with a frontcourt that is almost non-existent, that Kwame might finally be ready to embrace a bigger role. So what puzzles me more than anything is not Kwame’s lack of skill/effort, but the fact that I can’t imagine a team or environment where he might be able to finally break through. I just can’t envisage where or how this would happen. Not in the NBA anyway.
3) Is this the season he learns to catch? I actually saw Kwame catch the ball once, in December. So I’m going to go with “Yes” on this question. Of course, I was hoping this would be the throw-away question to provide comic relief, so this is still a very very bad result for Kwame.
– Rob D, NBAMate
#9 (9)
Patrick O’Bryant
Games played: 2 Games started: 0 Minutes per game: 3.5 DNP’s: 13 Best game: Don’t deserve one when you only play two Averages: 0.5ppg, 1.5rpg, 0.5apg, 0.0spg, didn’t take a shot! Dare you Doubt?:His field goals are now less frequent than the female menstrual cycle. Still doubting.
11:38:00am (start time)
I am starting this post at 11:38:00am on Saturday, 01/30/10. Why am I telling you my start time before you read about our boy Patrick O’Bryant? You shall find out.
Let’s hit up the basics: in the last month, Project O’Bryant has only played in 2 games. POB sported a fantastic 3:55 of playing time against Dallas on January 17th. He finished with 1 point and 2 rebounds. And wouldn’t you know, Toronto leaves the Lone-Star State with a victory (110-88). POB then touted a solid 3:27 worth of playing time against Milwaukee on January 20th. POB finished with an unenthusiastic stat line of 1 rebound and 1 personal foul. But, his rebound and foul were enough to help push Toronto over the top for another victory in a close game (101-96). Hey Toronto: is it a coincidence that in the 2 games that POB appears in you get a win out of your favorite (and only) Canadian team? Actually, yeah… it probably is just a coincidence. Toronto is on a roll: they’re 9-4 in January. With so many things going well for the Raps, why not put POB in more? I’ll let you in on a little secret…
Sorry. But we are out of time. The secret will have to wait. It is now 11:45:22am and my time is up. I decided that I would only allow myself to write for the same amount of time that POB has played in the last 20+ games (7 minutes and 22 seconds).
Games played: 0 (Deported) Games started: N/A Minutes per game: N/A DNP’s: N/A Best game: N/A – but still better than any game by Kwame or POB Averages: N/A Dare you Doubt?Roko has committed the ultimate DTA sin – pulling out of the NBA because he doubted himself too much. How ironic.
On January 4th, Roko’s running for the Doubting Thomas Award took a turn for the worst. Roko requested for his contract to be voided so he could explore other playing opportunities. Stuck behind Jennings and Ridnour in the “American” city of Milwaukee, Roko took the initiative to leave the Bucks. Obviously, Roko was unhappy in Milwaukee and this gave him an opportunity to get more playing time in Europe where he had previous experience. Roko now plays with the Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey. In one game for the Turkish team, Roko scored 20 pts to go along with his 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He now plays with former Toronto Raptor teammate, Will Solomon.
The move ultimately takes him out of the running for the award but we’ll keep an eye on his progress in Turkey the rest of the way.
There are very few things uglier than blind patriotism. To borrow a line from Irish playwright G.B.Shaw – who had been known to fling a ball or two at his local peach basket – it is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.
So in theory Australia Day has the potential to be a day that embodies all the worst qualities of our peoples. Yet, for the most part, it does nothing of the sort. Rather than an exhibition of Australian pride, the day has almost become a showcase for the all little subtleties that make up Australian culture; successes and foibles alike.
This is epitomised in the tradition of the Australia Day BBQ. The language of a good barbecue is universal, irrespective of what you do for a living or what city you’re in. Well, except Sydney, which is full of obnoxious uppity man-purse-wearing fuckers. I’m joking of course, I’m sure there are some of you who don’t wear purses. But in most places round the country, the same scene plays out over and over.
Firstly, that Shaq-sized hole in the ozone we’ve worked so hard to develop ensures a nice dry heat throughout the day; it’s not a barbecue until your skin is sizzling almost as much as the snags. It’s not a barbecue until there are a cluster of men gathered around the snags, dropping science on the perfect way to extract flavour from a bunch of Woolworths sausages. It’s not a barbecue until you’ve committed at least one act of intense laziness – whether it be stealing another man’s beer because yours was on the other side of the esky or staying in the pool three hours too long because you couldn’t be fucked getting out.
And just like there are certain common threads, there are also some unwritten laws that aren’t to be broken. To quote a somewhat more contemporary dude, certain shit you just don’t do. You don’t bring along fancy bottle of Shiraz: it might be a great drop, but on this day tinnies of VB taste much sweeter. You don’t dress up. And you most definitely do not invite a vegetarian. Now look, I like a nice glass of red as much as the next man, I’m not averse to a crisp shirt and a couple of my very closest friends are vegetarian. But a barbecue with a shiraz-swiller, a dude in a tie and a vegetarian just wouldn’t function – Australia Day is the classic case of the sum being greater than the parts, as long as the parts are willing to play their role.
So it was surely no accident that it was on this past Australia Day, laying drunk on a deck littered with empty bottles of cheap beer, that it finally dawned on me that the Boomers will forever be doomed to mediocrity until they too develop their own sense of transcendent identity.
[An aside:One of the first rules of writing is to introduce your subject early on. It’s a cardinal sin to be writing about one thing (say, basketball) and spend the first five paragraphs blathering on about something else (say, barbecues). Here’s why; everyone interested in basketball tends to stop reading well before paragraph 5, and given this is a basketball blog, that leaves only some poor American bastard who was eager to learn how to put on a gen-u-wine Ausssee BBQ. Oh well, live and learn.]
To hammer the point home, I’d invite you to join me in a game of word association, working through some of the national teams that have had success in international ball. Below are my responses; feel free to come up with your own.
Maybe someone can come up with a better association, but I just can’t see it. This team just hasn’t had any sense of identity ever since Gaze retired. In the Gaze days, you could probably have answered “shooting”. But really, the Boomers were never going to be able ride shooting to a medal. Not when the Yugoslavs and the Lithuanians have had that particular identity on lockdown since anyone can remember. And the current incarnation of the Boomers is certainly no threat to eclipse the best shooting squads.
There are two aspects that make this really frustrating. For one, the team finally has enough top-end talent to theoretically challenge for a medal. But even more frustrating is the fact that Australian teams in other sports have never had a problem forging their own identity. Often, this simply entails being the team that wins with physicality and grit, as was the case for the Socceroos in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. But no-one can convince me that the Boomers can ever match the toughness and physicality of the Argentines, the Greeks or even the Coach-K-coached USA squad. So what the hell are they?
It doesn’t help that the best players on the team are so stylistically disparate. Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, David Andersen…there might not be a shared trait between the three – a system catered to Bogut would make it tough for the other two to thrive, and vice-versa. This disparity is no accident. In a country whose basketball league has become a laughing stock, where the sport in general carries the stigma of being too ‘soft’ or too ‘American’, it’s no surprise that players have to forge their own sense of style with little in the way of examples.
I doubt we’ll know what a prototypical Aussie baller is any time soon, and the stylistic difference between our best players will likely remain vast. But that shouldn’t prevent the team as a whole from developing its own national identity. It’s difficult to know what to prescribe for the Boomers. Perhaps the solution will come in the form of a great ‘glue guy’. Someone who’ll be able to bridge the gap between a Bogut and a Mills; someone who’ll be able to lead the team in one direction. Or maybe that direction will come in time from Brett Brown, who has done his apprenticeship under the best coach in the NBA; certainly the best at instilling a common ethos amongst his players.
In any case, until the Boomers undergo a seismic change that imbues them with their very own understanding of what it means to represent Australian basketball, this team is bound to fail. The USA, with a team far more talented than we could ever hope to field, discovered this so emphatically in the first part of the decade.
A team that stands for nothing will not stand up when it counts.
Nevertheless, I’m not entirely pessimistic about the future of the team. At least the Boomers are still working with a clean slate, still able to write their own history. At least they aren’t already forever tainted as a soft team that perennially underperforms. In other words, at least we aren’t the French!
“We’re gonna kick ass!” I shouted, high-fiving my newly announced team members. I glanced at Sam. “Hope you’re up for it Franchise!”.
After a night of continued drinking and shitty sleep thanks to my new teammate (the “Crap Golfer”) snoring like a moose orgy, I woke pumped for the day of Ambrose Golf ahead. We were the only team with four players, a distinct advantage no matter who’s on your team. The area this most pays off is in putting, where the void between “Franchise Player” and “Crap Golfer” is often diminished. If the first three guys blow their putts, the fourth guy has had a really good chance to assess the lie, the speed of the green, and the slope, based on the previous shots. We figured even if our long game wasn’t firing, we’d have the upper hand once we got close to the green.
We would be the last group teeing off, and watched as the other groups hit fairly decent drives up the fairway. It appeared that our perennial “Franchise Players” were in good form, including Pete who had somehow slipped to 5th in our rankings. That was not a good sign. Two in-form Franchise Players on the one team normally guaranteed victory, even if they had one Crap Golfer and no Safeties.
As the other groups faded into the horizon, it was time for our team to step up (we did have a team name, but it is absolutely beyond-inappropriate for this blog). Just as any true Franchise Player should, Sam stepped up proudly to the tee, set his ball, and took a few practice swings while maintaining the most focused glare I have ever seen him make. This was our Franchise man, and he was taking this gig seriously. I was loving it. Until I heard these two sounds…
THWACK!
“Fuck!”
Right in the middle of the fairway… of the 18th hole. But hey, this is Ambrose. One bad shot can quickly be made history, and we weren’t going to let our Franchise guy down. Our Crap Golfer stepped up and quickly set about validating his role. The shot dribbled along the footpath to the right, settling near a tree that I could have pissed on from where I was standing. Now, if we were a three-man team the next guy would have had an awfully large amount of pressure on him. But as it was, we were only halfway through our shots and still feeling pretty good about ourselves. Our other trusty Safety stepped up and connected on a drive that hooked slightly left, which would have been fine, except the left side of this hole was a 45-degree-sloped hill covered in trees and shit. Now we were in trouble.
I was up last which was my preferred position, and set about avoiding the danger area on the left. In typical golf fashion, I went dramatically right landing amongst the trees that separated the 1st and 18th fairways. So for those keeping count, we were spoilt with the choice of one crap shot, one dismal shot, one unplayable shot, and one fucking useless shot.
It’s never a good sign in Ambrose when after everyone tees off they start walking in completely opposite directions to fetch their ball. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for the team, and only gives you more time to solemnly reflect on your terrible golf skills and question why you bother playing this game. As it turned out, it was the ‘unplayable shot’ that was the best choice. We ended up rallying to bogey the hole which we thought was “solid”, and swore to get back on par the next hole.
Except we didn’t get back on par.
Ever.
Perhaps burdened with the unfamiliar pressure of being a Franchise Player, or more likely just returning to his natural golfing equilibrium, Sam ended up playing the worst round of golf I have ever seen him play. It probably didn’t help that after every woeful shot he took we’d mutter “nice one Franchise” or some similar smug remark. And we didn’t exactly help the cause by playing very mediocre golf ourselves. But for some reason we felt that our franchise guy was the suitable object for our frustration and the source of our failure. I’m not sure when it happened exactly, but during the back nine this frustration turned to mild verbal abuse, and poor Sam was left stranded on Franchise Island without a canoe.
He didn’t really deserve it. It wasn’t his fault that his recent performances had set the bar too high. That on paper, he had all the right ingredients for a Franchise guy…
THWACK!
“Fuck!”
Sam had shanked another one. I turned to Ham, our other Safety. “He’s not even a real franchise player”, I said shaking my head. I looked at Sam who was violently ramming his four-iron into his buggy, a face of sheer disgust. “Hey Sam, you’re the Joe Johnson of Golf Trip!”. Ham laughed. Sam still looked pissed. I don’t think he knew who Joe Johnson was.
The rise of Joe Johnson is a curious tale. He went from partaking in the decade’s most exhilarating offense alongside Nash, Amare and Marion in a Western Conference Powerhouse, to six months later trying to steer a 13-win Hawks team towards some form of respectability. In Phoenix he was a gunner, a three point shooter, a backup point guard, an athletic shooting guard with mouth-watering potential. But he was all those things on a team that gunned for a living, that shot threes unconsciously, that didn’t even really need a backup point guard, and thanks to Steve Nash, took the hard work out of athleticism. It created an illusion that Joe was better than he really was, that playing fourth banana was somehow robbing NBA fans the pleasure of watching a true superstar explode organically into all four corners of possibility. A Franchise Player in bloom.
The problem was that Joe Johnson never was – and never pretended to be – a Franchise Player. But the illusion had become too pervasive, and arriving in Atlanta he had no choice. He became that guy by default.
His first year as the Hawks franchise player wasn’t that much better than his last as a Sun. Numbers-wise his FG% dropped from 46% to 45%, his 3PT% dropped substantially from 48% to 36% (no doubt the Nash factor) and surprisingly, his rebounds dropped from 5.2 to 4.1 per game. On the plus side his scoring output increased from 17 to 20ppg (keeping in mind he was shooting more) and his assist numbers improved markedly from 3.5 to 6.5. But all in all, this wasn’t the dramatic jump people expected when he was given the reigns (and $70 million) in Atlanta. The Hawks were still woeful finishing with the third worst record in the league. They were barely a franchise, let alone one with a franchise player.
The next season Johnson morphed into something a little more closely resembling the archetypal “franchise player” we’ve come to know and appreciate. Someone who demands more of the ball, who makes themselves accountable, who starts putting up eye-popping numbers. Someone I once called a “smaller Kobe”. Unfortunately for Joe the Hawks were still a terrible team, which meant he was making himself accountable an awful lot. Johnson’s impressive individual season resulted in only four more wins for the team, and it was hard to deny that two years into his gig as The Franchise, things were looking bleak. The stadiums were empty, his teammates were second-rate, and on most nights he lost. No canoe.
Meanwhile over in Phoenix the Suns continued to whoop ass and make everyone believe that it was Joe who benefited from the System, and not the other way around. After all, since when does a franchise-calibre guy leave a team which continues to play at an elite level as if nothing happened?
It doesn’t happen. Because Joe Johnson isn’t a franchise player.
A couple of weeks back I watched the second half of the Hawks v Suns game live on International League Pass. It turned out to be one of the most exciting finishes of the season, Jamal Crawford hitting a long three at the buzzer to win it. Crawford’s antics didn’t surprise me (I actually predicted it would happen 30 seconds before it did, check my Twitter feed if you don’t believe me). Like I said pre-season, not many players have had more 50-point games and buzzer-beaters than JC over the years. He’s no franchise player, but he does have that uncanny ability to stand forth as The Man when it counts. Some people think he’s re-invented himself this year with the Hawks, relishing his sixth man role and carrying them home through countless close finishes. In reality he’s doing what Jamal Crawford has always done, except now he’s on a winning team, and he’s got other good guys around him. He’s got Joe Johnson.
Or has Joe got Jamal Crawford?
This is what struck me while watching the end of that Hawks-Suns game. Joe, the Franchise, didn’t score a single point in the fourth quarter. And when it came to the crunch the Hawks gave the ball to Crawford who scored five points in the last three seconds of the game (sounds ridiculous but it’s true) to steal the win. And you know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It felt completely natural that JC would be the hero on that day. He wasn’t treading on anyone’s toes, especially not Joe Johnson’s.
Because Joe Johnson isn’t a franchise player.
Most people would agree that the Atlanta Hawks are having their best season in over ten years. They will finish top four in the East, and have every chance to give the top two or three a real shake. As a team they are more complete than they’ve ever been. Josh Smith learnt how to be patient and exploit his talents. Al Horford is already one of the best centers in the East (and an All-Star, apparently). Bibby hasn’t fallen away like many said he would. No one thought Jamal Crawford could subdue that ego and become a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Marvin Williams helps stretch the defense and continues to be a solid role player, as are Zaza and Maurice Evans.
And Joe? He is having his quietest year since his days wearing a Suns jersey. The minutes are down, the numbers are down, and now he’s not even the crunch time hero any more.
And you know what? He likes it this way, because on most nights he wins. Because Joe Johnson isn’t a franchise player.
THWACK!
My shot went flying hopelessly towards a forest of trees. Sam blankly exhaled, and stepped up to take the last shot for the team.
He was no Franchise Player. But on this day, he had no choice.
Thanks to NBAMate reader Zac for posting this one. Seems like the “Bogut for All-Star” campaign is not dead yet, according to Steve Aschburner at NBA.com.
Also, my respect for Jerry Stackhouse has grown significantly. Check these quotes:
“Bogut, why isn’t he on the All Star team? A guy averaging numbers like that, a double-double, for a team on the cusp [of a playoff berth]? If he gets a little luck and maybe a little mean streak in him, he’ll be there….
He reminds me of Dirk [Nowitzki] so much, man. Just meeting him, his personality,” Stackhouse said. “Look at him on the court, you get kind of an aloofness from the outside in. But being around him in the locker room and on the plane, he’s always joking and stuff. There’s a lot of similarities between those two.”
Also some great quotes in there from Coach Skiles. Great to read this kind of praise for the Big Aussie, especially on the official NBA site.
The Bogometer has been a little behind lately, and indeed I haven’t spoken much of Mr. Bogut since I lamented his inability to string four good games together. Well, Drew must have read my post because since I wrote it he has enjoyed his most consistent patch of the season: 5 double-doubles out of 7 games, scoring double figures every time, shooting 60% from the field and averaging an impressive 3.4 blocks per game. The Bucks went 3-4 during that stretch which doesn’t sound great, but they were competitive in every single one of those games (and don’t forget they lost Michael Redd for good along the way). What’s more, Bogut didn’t have one mediocre game in that stretch. Not one. Every single thing I said about him not being able to smash that three-game barrier goes out the window. Really, he must have read it.
As far as his All-Star chances go, they’re looking slim. On Marc Steins list of All-Star snubs there’s not one mention of Bogut, although he pulls a shifty trick by putting Bosh as his reserve center. I could see the coaches doing a similar thing (it’s not based on position after all), and it’s hard to argue against Josh Smith and Gerald Wallace as legitimate candidates this season. David Lee has continued to dominate (averaging 23-14-6, and I can’t believe those are his numbers) over his last five games, and as consistent as Bogut has been lately, he just hasn’t put up those sort of eye-popping stat lines. It was always going to be tough for AB when the Bucks started to slide (they’re now 18-24) – it’s hard enough getting the spotlight on Milwaukee when the team is playing well, let alone when they’re struggling.
In case you haven’t been following the D-League, Patty Mills has been ripping it up. Now five games into his Idaho Stampede career, Patty is averaging 25.6 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals, to go with 50% shooting from three-point range. It was with great surprise then that I saw him on the Portland Trailblazers bench in today’s game at Detroit. I only caught the last quarter of that game (lets not talk about the result ok?) and I saw a glimpse of Patty in the final seconds, arms locked with his teammates as they watched Aldridge sink the game-winning free throw. “That’s Patty Mills!” I shouted. I’ve never been so excited about seeing any player sitting on the bench.
Over in Houston, it’s been a solid couple of weeks for David Andersen. His best game came in a 115-106 loss to Miami on January 15th where Andersen notched 12-5-3 on 4-6 shooting. He also contributed 15 quality minutes in the Rockets huge upset win at the Spurs – seriously, every time I seem to write about these guys they have a ridiculous against-the-odds win. How do you beat the San Antonio Spurs when Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks are your joint top-scorers? (and when Ariza only scores 13 points?). Tell me how!
In Minnesota, the month of January has seen Jawai play the least minutes of any other month this season. He did play 21 minutes in a blow-out loss to Memphis, but he still only managed 5 points and 6 rebounds. What’s even more concerning is that Jawai hasn’t registered any minutes the past two games, breaking a streak of 10 games where Jawai stepped on the floor. I was very surprised big Nate didn’t get any burn today considering they were blown out by the Bucks by 30+ points. If you’re not getting minutes in a game like that as a bench warmer, when will you? (UPDATE: Thanks to marriard for pointing out that Jawai is actually on the inactive list, hence not playing the last two games. Fair enough, Brian Cardinal is pretty good)
On a final note, we’re obviously only two days away from Australia Day. I say “obviously” because if you’re an Aussie you’re no doubt aware of this and in the middle of enjoying an extra long weekend. If you’re not an Aussie, I strongly suggest you consider cracking open a Fosters in two days time to pay tribute to this great country. Take a minute to appreciate all the incredible basketball players we’ve produced (and really this should only take a minute). Throw a shrimp on the barbie or go to Outback Steakhouse or whatever it is you do in the US to celebrate in Aussie style. Just know that Fosters is shit and hugely inferior to everything us real Aussies will be drinking 10,000 miles away.
Yes you’ve undoubtedly already heard that the arcade classic NBA Jam is making a comeback (though only on the Wii ), a game we all fondly remember for its fast game-play, towering dunks, flaming balls and an abundance of hidden characters. Not only that but the commentary, rife with catchphrases that are still regularly uttered today, was the most memorable in-game commentary there’s ever been in a sports video game.
In this column I’ll be taking a look at who’s rising and falling in fantasy circles and grouping them according to a famous NBA Jam phrase (all stats shown are those for January 2010).
He’s Heating Up!
Andris Biedrins 62.1% FG, 0.0% FT, 5.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.9 bpg, 0.4 t/o
The recent increase in minutes may have been enforced upon him due to the multiple Golden State injuries, but at least Biedrins is (very) slowly starting to turn things around. Now’s the time to grab him if he’s on your Free Agent list and reap the FG%, rebounding and block benefits.
Corey Brewer 44.6% FG, 64.0% FT, 14.5 ppg, 1.3 3pg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.9 bpg, 2.3 t/o
The FG% is now bordering on manageable as Brewer tries to cement himself as the Wolves’ 3rd scorer. There is much to worry about though, from the poor FT% to the abysmal assist to turnover ratio. He may be a risky player to have on your fantasy team long term but he’s had my favourite dunk of the season so far so at least he’s got that going for him.
Baron Davis 43.8% FG, 84.6% FT, 17.1 ppg, 0.4 3pg, 4.0 rpg, 9.4 apg, 2.0 spg, 3.7 t/o
A fantastic start to the month by Baron, particularly for owners in non-turnover leagues. The 3 point attempts are down and the FG% is up…I feel there’s lesson to be learnt there somewhere. That said the last time Davis went at least 43/84 in a month was November 2004 so you know he’s not gonna sustain this level of shooting for much longer. A sell high option.
Boris Diaw 45.8% FG, 80.0% FT, 10.9 ppg, 1.1 3pg, 6.1 rpg, 5.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.4 bpg, 1.9 t/o
The main casualty of the Stephen Jackson acquisition, Diaw is now starting to find his feet in January and it’s no coincidence that the Bobcats have won 7 of 8 games during that stretch. It’s been a combination of increased integration into the Charlotte offense (causing a rise in assists) and increased effort (causing a rise in rebounds, steals and blocks). Scour your league’s FA list as he may well have been dropped by a frustrated owner in December.
George Hill 57.1% FG, 75.0% FT, 8.7 ppg, 0.9 3pg, 2.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.9 t/o
The numbers may not look good on the surface but he has scored in double digits in 4 of last 5 games. Tony Parker is struggling with plantar fasciitis so Hill is worth a look in deep leagues.
Kirk Hinrich 45.5% FG, 72.7% FT, 13.3 ppg, 2.3 3pg, 3.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 t/o
Captain Kirk is a Bulls starter once again and he’s certainly making the most of his increased playing time. He should be a solid multi-cat contributor and viable 3rd PG for fantasy teams the rest of the way. If he’s sitting on your FA list and you’re wondering whether you should pick him up, well, take your advice from Arnie. As he so eloquently put it in Predator: “C’Mahn! Do it Now!!!”
“What are you waiting for?!? Do it now!”
Luke Ridnour 42.2% FG, 95.0% FT, 12.3 ppg, 1.1 3pg, 1.3 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.6 t/o
Try as they might, Charlie Bell, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino and Hakim Warrick have all been too inconsistent in attempting to fill the statistical hole left by Michael Redd, hence the pending signing of Jerry Stackhouse. Standing above this flotsam and jetsam has been Luke Ridnour whose passing proficiency (certainly better than Jennings at setting up Bogut on offense) makes him someone you should add to your watch list.
Derrick Rose 50.6% FG, 70.6% FT, 22.8 ppg, 0.0 3pg, 5.0 rpg, 7.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 2.8 t/o
Guess who’s back? Rose has recaptured his explosiveness while his underrated mid-range jumper remains as solid as ever. Surprisingly the assists have increased despite the insertion of Kirk Hinrich into the Bulls starting lineup. There are still glaring holes in his fantasy arsenal (namely the lack of 3’s and steals) but owners can finally feel comfortable having Rose as their #2 PG.
He’s On Fire!
Wilson Chandler 51.3% FG, 89.5% FT, 17.3 ppg, 0.4 3pg, 6.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.5 bpg, 2.9 t/oMike D’Antoni has tightened his rotation (meaning bit parts for Nate Robinson and scraps for Larry Hughes). This has allowed Chandler to be the main wing scorer and he has responded by shooting over 50% last 2 months while also improving on the boards. Add to that his ability to contribute the odd 3, steal and block and Chandler has become an unfairly overlooked fantasy player.
Sam Dalembert 75.0% FG, 90.0% FT, 12.4 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.7 bpg, 1.1 t/o
He always had the potential to do this, but the rebounding and blocking numbers are finally off the charts for Sam. He’s been able to finish around to basket too and consequently has pushed Marreese Speights into fantasy irrelevancy.
Monta Ellis 46.8% FG, 76.2% FT, 28.7 ppg, 1.3 3pg, 4.0 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.9 spg, 4.1 t/o
OK, so Monta is leading the league in turnovers but his offensive output just about makes up for it – he’s even been putting up the 3-ball without hesitation. The Warriors are an absolutely horrid team with Nellie appearing reluctant to expend much effort as he heads towards an undeserved all-time coaching wins record, but it’s time we recognised how much load Ellis has been shouldering for this injury-plagued team.
Randy Foye 45.2% FG, 92.3% FT, 15.2 ppg, 1.0 3pg, 2.6 rpg, 5.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 1.7 t/o
Hopefully you were the owner who raced to the FA list and snapped up the main beneficiary of Arenas’ suspension. Washington’s new starting PG has an impressive assist to turnover ratio has and has been solid from the field thus far for a career 42% shooter.
Antawn Jamison 50.6% FG, 72.7% FT, 26.6 ppg, 1.9 3pg, 11.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.3 bpg, 1.1 t/o
Jamison’s career month is being overshadowed by the Wizards chaos but his fantasy owners must be loving it right now. Throughout the adversity, Jamison has picked up his game like a true leader. Sure, he’s leading the team to losses but he’s leading them nonetheless.
Kenyon Martin 48.6% FG, 48.4% FT, 15.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.9 bpg, 1.5 t/o
The uptick in points and rebounds were borne out of Carmelo’s recent absence due to a knee injury. Now that Anthony is back the points will drop down a little but I think the increased rebounds will be here to stay. A good time to hand off Kenyon to another owner if that’s been your inclination throughout the season.
Andre Miller 51.1% FG, 77.8% FT, 18.6 ppg, 0.1 3pg, 4.1 rpg, 8.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 2.9 t/o Martell Webster 50.5% FG, 62.5% FT, 18.9 ppg, 3.7 3pg, 6.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.7 bpg, 0.4 t/o
Two players who have stepped up amongst all the Blazer injuries. Webster’s assists and steals are pretty poor but he’s been killing it from behind the arc and is still worth a pickup if you have deadweight on your roster. Steve Blake only recently returned from injury so Miller may not be as effective for the remainder of the month but the increased production is nevertheless encouraging.
Can’t Buy A Bucket!
Trevor Ariza 40.4% FG, 69.6% FT, 15.6 ppg, 1.9 3pg, 5.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 3.0 t/o
His lack of a wide-ranging offensive repertoire is being exposed as his FG% remains awful. That’s too bad because he otherwise has plenty to offer: If you add up a player’s averages in 3’s, steals and blocks (which embarrassingly enough I did) then you’ll find that Ariza is 2nd only to LeBron on the season.
Channing Frye 38.0% FG, 83.3% FT, 9.8 ppg, 1.8 3pg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.4 bpg, 0.6 t/o
The bubble has burst like we knew it eventually would as this month Frye has started to look less like Andrea Bargnani and more like, well, Channing Frye with four consecutive single digit scoring games and counting. On the plus side, at least he’s been giving owners at least 1 block and steal per game this month. On the verge of being droppable in 12 team leagues.
Devin Harris 38.7% FG, 80.5% FT, 13.8 ppg, 0.3 3pg, 3.7 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.3 t/o
I’m one of many frustrated Harris owners who expected 3rd round value (at least) from the PG on a team that is on track to be the worst in NBA history. Over at FourPointPlay (a site worth reading if you need a daily fantasy fix) Henry has been advocating getting rid of Devin. I, on the other hand, am not so sure. Yes, the shooting is horrible but the rest of his game seems to be coming around – the assists, the steals, the effectiveness at the free throw line. So maybe I should hold on to him and reap the benefits when he starts to knock down his shots…or maybe I should just take Henry’s advice and look to offload him so that I can sleep easier at night? Actually, I shouldn’t be thinking about Devin Harris at all when sleeping at night! Aarrgh!!!
Josh Howard 33.7% FG, 79.3% FT, 12.0 ppg, 0.7 3pg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 1.4 t/o
The horror season continues for Howard but keep an eye on him – he was recently inserted in the starting lineup for the first time since early November with Dallas desperately needing another scorer to relieve the offensive burden that Dirk has been shouldering. Overcoming the niggling injuries may be a long process but it should be worth the wait. It might just be time to grab Howard if he’s somehow still on your league’s FA list.
Brandon Jennings 28.4% FG, 88.5% FT, 11.6 ppg, 1.5 3pg, 3.5 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.8 t/o
It’s amazing just how far his FG% has continued to plummet. In fact, it’s safe to say that Jennings is the biggest drain on FG% for fantasy teams: He is to FG% what Dwight is to FT%. Theoretically, Jennings should be stepping up his offensive game in the absence of Redd but his only good scoring game since then has been against an accommodating Warriors team. Alarm bells should be at deafening levels right now for Jennings owners. Unfortunately it may be hard to find a willing buyer.
Rashard Lewis 40.0% FG, 72.2% FT, 11.7 ppg, 1.8 3pg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.8 bpg, 1.8 t/o
One of the biggest fantasy disappointments. He’s getting squeezed out of the Orlando offense. The shooting % is something he can eventually overcome, but more concerning are the steady decrease in rebounds and non-existence of assists (a very similar affliction affecting Jeff Green at the moment). Will the Magic will sort out their recent problems by making Rashard more of a focal point? A risky buy low candidate and a temporary benching for your roto team.
Hedo Turkoglu 35.4% FG, 60.7% FT, 10.6 ppg, 1.6 3pg, 4.9 rpg, 4.9 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.6 t/o
Hedo has continued his passive play this month and it’s evident he’s not comfortable in sharing the playmaking role with the Toronto point guards. It’s seems as though everyone on the Raptors (besides Bargnani and Bosh) are just getting in the way of each other’s fantasy production. Someone needs to tell coach Triano to stop thinking about wins and instead concentrate on a way for everyone to get their fantasy numbers!!!
At The Buzzer…
We’ve already heard this commentary line a number of times this season:
Anthony Morrow 43.5% FG, 100.0% FT, 8.7 ppg, 1.6 3pg, 1.6 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.6 t/o
His numbers have been awful and he’ll miss the next couple of weeks with a sprained knee, so Morrow is obviously not worth a spot on your fantasy roster. However he did manage to score a healthy 24 points in a recent game against Miami – in fact it was his first 20 point game in over a month. How was Morrow able to come up with such a good game in the middle of a month long slump? Well, here’s what he happened to have on his feet that night:
Top Ten
The announcement of NBA Jam’s return has resulted in numerous internet forums and columnists providing their 2 cents on who they think would be the best NBA Jam teams today. And while I like to consider myself a bastion of originality I know that in reality I’m not above ripping off an idea, hence I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and present my Top 10 NBA Jam pairings (with a fantasy take on each team of course):
10. Boston – Ray Allen/Paul Pierce These guys don’t dunk anymore but shooting has them in the top 10. Their NBA Jam strategy would be to fake the dunk and pass the ball off mid-air to the teammate for an open jump shot. (Note: If Big Head mode is returning in the latest version of the game then it’d be hard to leave Shelden Williams off the Boston team).
Fantasy take: Allen’s has finally found his shooting touch (particularly from beyond the arc) but his remaining cumulative stats are pretty unspectacular. Pierce has bounced back from an ordinary December. I’d still recommend shipping out these 2, particularly in H2H leagues.
9. Indiana – Danny Granger/Troy Murphy Not much better at dunking than the Celtic pair, but they’re longer and stronger and in love with the 3 point shot, pushing them into 9th position.
Fantasy take: Health is the big issue here. Granger’s FG% has been hurt by his affinity to throwing up shots at every opportunity (blame Jim O’Brien’s game plan for this). Murphy will be subject to a lot of trade rumours as the trade deadline approaches. If he somehow stays with the Pacers I think he’ll have a solid finish to the season.
8. Denver – Carmelo Anthony/J.R. Smith Anthony is a no-brainer selection and Smith’s game seems more suited to NBA Jam than the actual NBA, thus keeping Billups off the team.
Fantasy take: Anthony has picked up from where he left off pre-injury and his career year will continue to roll on. Smith is notorious for starting the season slow but finishing strong (check the pre and post All-Star splits from the last couple of seasons). Owners will have to hope history repeats itself as his shooting has been poor enough so far to earn him a spot on the bench on roto teams.
7. Toronto – Andrea Bargnani/Chris Bosh The best big men pair in the game, harkening back to the Sonics Kemp/Schrempf combo of the past.
Fantasy take: Andrea is off to a strong start in the new year. Rebounds are the main area of concern and hopefully his efforts on the boards in the last few games are an indication of things to come. Like Bargnani, Bosh has been an extremely valuable fantasy commodity as he continues his highly efficient season. Hold onto these guys if you own either of them.
6. Lakers – Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol They’re only ranked this low because they’d get outrun by the teams above them.
Fantasy take: Kobe’s FG and FT %’s have unsurprisingly fallen off since the finger injury as has the rest of his game. He should seriously consider taking some time off and the worry is that this time off will come during your H2H playoffs. The next time he strings together a couple of good games you might want to consider moving him.
Gasol had a decent first game back from injury and should return to providing 1st round value soon. Andrew Bynum is actually the player facing the acid test with Pau’s return. His numbers are markedly different in the presence of the bearded Spainard.
5. Atlanta – Jamal Crawford/Josh Smith No Joe Johnson? Well, I reckon Crawford’s speed and streakiness makes him more valuable in the NBA Jam arena. Josh Smith is an obvious addition – his dunk rating would be at the max.
Fantasy take: Crawford is the league’s most valuable non-starting fantasy player because win or lose he always gets his minutes. He’s obviously loving life in playoff bound Atlanta, currently shooting above 45% for only the 2nd time in his career. Smith is settling into his role after a rough a December with FT% being the only downer.
4. Memphis – Rudy Gay/O.J. Mayo The defense would stink but on offense they’d have all the options (which of course in NBA Jam means either dunk, jumpshot or awkward looking layup). The Memphis pair might also have the best combined quickness of all teams.
Fantasy take: How about some props for the entire Grizzlies team? Above .500 and in the thick of the playoff race. Gay has continued (and should continue) his understated yet effective play while Mayo’s stats are practically identical to his rookie season, with a bump in FG% up to 46% being the only significant change. If you own any Grizzly your best bet is to hold.
3. Orlando – Vince Carter/Dwight Howard We know Vince hates contact and driving into the paint nowadays. NBA Jam’s format would let Dwight do all dirty work while Vince just lays backs and shoots his preferred jumpshots.
Fantasy take: The Magic have hit a rough patch and a lot of it stems from not getting the ball into Dwight’s hands. That said, Howard needs to learn a few counter-moves in post to back up his favoured running hook in the middle of the lane. A disappointing season offensively but at least the hustle stats are still around the mark.
Carter’s shot has been off the entire season and he currently sits at career low 38.9% from the field. An unnecessary headache that fantasy owners would rather not have.
2. Cleveland – LeBron James/Mo Williams LeBron would be a huge threat in this game, knocking over guys on defense and jumping over guys on offense. Mo’s favourite shot is the fast break pull-up jumper which suits NBA Jam to a tee.
Fantasy take: LeBron keeps on keeping on (so far shooting an extraordinary 55.4% in January) while Williams owners may want to note that his numbers have continued to slowly dip as the season has progressed.
1. Phoenix – Steve Nash/Amare Stoudemire The obvious pairing for the Suns, Nash would constantly be on fire while Stoudemire is the ideal mobile, dunking big man for the game. Jason Richardson is perhaps unlucky to miss out on a spot but we haven’t seen much high flying exploits from him recently.
Fantasy take: Nash has shown no signs of slowing down as he has averaged 20/10 in the last couple of months. Of course, it seems like he’s not even bothering to play much defense anymore with the steals at their lowest since his rookie season. The Suns have had a tough January so far but that’s through no fault of Amare. The rebounding has picked up in the last 2 months and the scoring is slowly creeping up as well. Fantasy owners should now be satisfied with Amare after a shaky start to the season.
Other Games Finally, here’s who would make the cut if these other classic video games were to be remade:
Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest reunite in Arch Rivals
Jordan vs Bird: now featuring DeAndre Jordan & Chris Andersen!
My annual Golf Trip that distracts me from blogging for one week every December is not some casual, loosely-planned getaway. Now in it’s 8th year, it has become a regimented week of routine and tradition with almost military-like precision. There is an afternoon warm-up round, an evening dedicated to brutal drinking games, a full day of Golf, another evening for brutal drinking games, a day of Ambrose Golf, more drinking games, a Stableford Tournament where we play for the prestigious Brown Jacket, a night spent playing “Drisk” (The Drinking Game of Global Domination), and two other nights of brutal drinking games. If you hadn’t already gathered, it’s a trip that has little to do with the Golf and more to do with mates hanging out on a Golf Course. And drinking.
I tell this story not to gloat about my splendid holiday habits or to condone binge drinking, but as some background for the tale I’m about to tell. You see, for all the lack of Golf-oriented purpose and elements of serious sport, there is one day on Golf Trip which is indeed, all about the Golf. This is not the Stableford Tournament (as some of my mates would perhaps believe), but the day of Team Ambrose. Let me explain why.
Golf, to me, has always been a sport that severely lacks a competitive edge, or more precisely, an avenue to express (and satisfy) a competitive desire. Many golfers would probably disagree with me, pointing to the competitive streaks in some of the best golfers throughout history. Those reading this blog might even point to Michael Jordan, a very keen golfer, as evidence that golf can sooth even the most ruthless of competitive souls.
Golf, so they tell me, is a sport where one challenges oneself – it’s just you, the ball, the trees, and your atrocious slice. There’s nothing or no one to harass you, allowing you to channel and apply your focus on a completely different level from most sports. I get that. I’m all for competing against yourself, against the elements, with the challenge of getting better and slowly shredding that handicap. But that alone, for me, can never stoke the competitive fires as much as seeing an opponent in front of you, trying to stop you, trying to make sure he (or his team) is ahead when that final siren sounds.
This is both why I love basketball and struggle to embrace golf. For reasons that I’ve learned over the past decade during which my sporting interests (and ability) peaked, I do not excel in sport unless I can see the guy I’m trying to beat, unless I can see his face, sense his emotion, and gauge just where his head is at. I sometimes don’t fully wake up in basketball games until my direct opponent scores against me, or until someone steals the ball from me. It’s then the competitive juices start flowing and I want to go back down the other end and punish them. I deliberately look my defender in the eye every time I’m dribbling down the court or facing someone up on the wing – it can tell you so much about a player, how focused they are, and how willing they are to compete. I listen out for comments the opposition shout to each other – “stay close to number 10!” if I’m shooting well, or “he can’t go left!” if they’re defending my admittedly average dribble. I don’t brush off these comments as I probably should, but instead pick the ones that resonate with my competitive spirit, and set about proving them wrong.
These are the things that I pay attention to on the court, whether I’m playing or just watching. In basketball mentality and mindset are valued just as much as physical abilities, because it is a sport where each competitor, essentially, is naked. There is no armour, bats or helmets to disguise you. There aren’t 10 or 17 other teammates to hide behind. There isn’t a 300-foot pitch to distance the gaze and grasp of every opponent and teammate. There isn’t the comforting serenity of a lonely fairway. It’s ten guys running through and around each other on every play, within arms reach, within ear shot, with only four other people you can trust, with a clock running down, with the scores glowing twenty feet away. A mental weakness or lack of spirit can easily stand out in basketball, more than any other team sport I know. And it’s that nakedness that amplifies the competitive spirit of the true greats. It’s why you can sense when Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant is about to take over a ball game – sure it’s a team sport, but one man’s willpower alone can still overwhelm the other five. You can see it. You can feel it.
I’m not for one second comparing myself to these legends of the NBA. I enjoy a competitive game of sport as much as any average bloke does. But for some reason, it’s that competition and battle of wills that makes the game enjoyable for me. If there’s no score, I’m less likely to be interested. If there’s no opponent to trash talk, I’ll get bored. Basketball fulfils that need more than any sport (or thing) I know. Golf never will. But it does come close…
For those unaware, the Ambrose version of Golf involves playing in teams, whereby after everyone tees off you choose the best collective shot for the team, with everyone hitting their second shot from that spot. So in two-player Ambrose you essentially get two shots from every spot, which naturally increases the probability that one of those shots isn’t lost in the woods, and ultimately results in a better score. Ambrose Golf creates several intriguing dynamics that normal Golf lacks. There’s strategy in the order of taking shots – who’s your most reliable hitter? Should they go first? Or maybe wait till last in case everyone else screws up? Maybe Bruce will hit around the trees to be safe but George will aim straight for the hole because he hits further? There’s the extra pressure on close putts and chips – George and Bruce both missed the putt, so it’s all up to you to secure the par for the team. And it is all about the team. How often do you jump up and high-five everyone in a game of normal Golf? In Ambrose it happens almost every second hole.
It’s essentially the best elements of team sport combined with Golf, and it very quickly gets those competitive juices flowing. You sense a role within your Ambrose squad, especially if its three or four men deep. You keep asking about how the other team’s are scoring when you pass them on the fairway. And you silently curse to yourself when you hear them celebrating on the next hole 350 meters away. Can’t believe those wankers got a birdie… We really gotta nail this next hole. So when it comes to Ambrose day on Golf Trip, I awake wide-eyed and legitimately excited for the day ahead.
Except this year (well, last year) was a little different. You see, the Ambrose teams are decided based on your handicap, which is adjusted based on your individual scores in the preceding three days of Golf Trip. We then rank everyone from best to worst, and choose the fairest teams. Normally this is a fairly simple matter, owing to the following:
- There is a small group of players (four to be exact) who are actually good at golf (I am not a part of this group) who can regularly hit in the low 90s or maybe even the 80s on a good day. They are, as I like to describe them, the “Franchise players”.
- There is another small group of players who are semi-decent but wildly inconsistent, and could score anywhere between 95 and 115. But if required to hit a simple 120m shot up the fairway (because the preceding players shanked their shots), this group of players will most often deliver. For that reason we call them “Safeties”, and I’m proud to admit that I am indeed a Safety.
- There is the final group of players who generally don’t play golf, score anywhere from 120 to 180, and often arrive at Golf Trip with their father’s clubs from the 1970s. You know, the ones that look like they were made by a blacksmith at Sovereign Hill. These players have no official name, but they’re sometimes called “Crap Golfers”.
As it turns out, the Ambrose teams can be pretty conveniently organised by ensuring each team has one Franchise player, one (or two) Safeties, and one (or two) Crap Golfers. It’s strange but there isn’t really anyone who sits on the fence between these groups – there really are only three types of golfers on this trip.
Except this year. Thanks to a startling jump in form over the first few days of Golf Trip, my good mate Sam suddenly found his handicap at an all-time low. Sam is also the Mark Price of my Thursday night basketball team. He’s hit more threes than anyone in the history of our club, and also has a signature layup that involves an overly exaggerated ball-fake to the right before laying it up with his left. It’s the kind of move Mark Price would make if he found himself hurtling towards the rim, and it curiously works 95% of the time. So while I respect Sam’s basketball talents, he had been, up until this point, a fairly average golfer. He was always a Safety, like me. But this year his magical touch saw an end to that. Reading out the scores which he had spent the last four hours calculating, my mate Pete declared that Sam had the fourth best handicap.
Holy shit! Fourth? That means you’re a Franchise Guy!
It sure did, as our other perennial Franchise player had suffered a curious drop in form (perhaps owing to the excessive drinking). We all debated possible line ups, and quickly settled on the teams. Thanks to an odd number of players this year, I would be in the team of four – the others were groups of three. To balance out this advantage, we were given one Crap Golfer, two Safeties (me included), and the lowest-ranked Franchise player…
Sam.
To be continued in Part II: Joe Default and his Merry Men
I don’t know whats scarier. Monte Ellis’ look of pure terror as he watches his teammate undergo mid-air castration. Or the murderous look of disgust on Bogut’s face as he prepares to unleash hell. Either way, this is, without doubt, the nastiest dunk of Mr. Bogut’s career.
The latest update is that Martin is in a stable condition and is recovering at home. Team officials spent several hours after the game searching the court for intact pieces of his pride, and testicles. Understandably, no evidence was found of either.
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ONE: Quick Aussie Roundup first. After leaving yesterday’s game against the Knicks after just 5 minutes with a migraine, the Bogey Man bounced back today with a very solid 21 point, 8 rebound effort against the Pacers. More importantly, the Bucks have won 5 out of their last 6 and seem to be gelling at the right time of the season. Ilyasova and Jennings have stepped up in recent wins, while Drew is in career-best form. They’re equal 8th in the East at the moment, with both Miami and Charlotte ahead of them going through some recent rough patches. The “Bogut for All-Star” campaign might be over, but the “Bogut for Playoffs” campaign is just beginning.
“Sup booooi, u wanna be down?”
Goran Dragic – Poster Boy
The refs say Goran rocks. We all agree
And no, I didn’t have to edit Winston!
In case you haven’t been following the D-League, Patty Mills has been ripping it up. Now five games into his Idaho Stampede career, Patty is averaging 25.6 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals, to go with 50% shooting from three-point range. It was with great surprise then that I saw him on the Portland Trailblazers bench in today’s game at Detroit. I only caught the last quarter of that game (lets not talk about the result ok?) and I saw a glimpse of Patty in the final seconds, arms locked with his teammates as they watched Aldridge sink the game-winning free throw. “That’s Patty Mills!” I shouted. I’ve never been so excited about seeing any player sitting on the bench.
Over in Houston, it’s been a solid couple of weeks for David Andersen. His best game came in a 115-106 loss to Miami on January 15th where Andersen notched 12-5-3 on 4-6 shooting. He also contributed 15 quality minutes in the Rockets huge upset win at the Spurs – seriously, every time I seem to write about these guys they have a ridiculous against-the-odds win. How do you beat the San Antonio Spurs when Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks are your joint top-scorers? (and when Ariza only scores 13 points?). Tell me how!
In Minnesota, the month of January has seen Jawai play the least minutes of any other month this season. He did play 21 minutes in a blow-out loss to Memphis, but he still only managed 5 points and 6 rebounds. What’s even more concerning is that Jawai hasn’t registered any minutes the past two games, breaking a streak of 10 games where Jawai stepped on the floor. I was very surprised big Nate didn’t get any burn today considering they were blown out by the Bucks by 30+ points. If you’re not getting minutes in a game like that as a bench warmer, when will you? (UPDATE: Thanks to marriard for pointing out that Jawai is actually on the inactive list, hence not playing the last two games. Fair enough, Brian Cardinal is pretty good)
Andrew Bogut (MIL)
Nathan Jawai (MIN)
