HOOPLOG: Memphis Grizzlies

The series we have all been waiting for!!!

Sat, 06 May 2006 15:03:29 -0800

What a great first round. We, the humble fans of the NBA, have been given some great contests filled with buzzer beaters and last second heroics. The first round rattled off without much of a hitch as the favored teams have won as expected. The only outcome which remains to be seen would of course be Phoenix and Los Angeles tonight at America West Arena. It will be a shame for one of these teams to have to start planning their fishing trip tonight, as they have both played a great series. With that said, let us look ahead to a matchup that many NBA fans have been looking forward to for months.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks

The much anticipated west semifinal is finally upon us! Avery Johnson and company will make their way to the AT&T Center for the series opener tomorrow at high noon. This matchup promises to be an extremely exciting one.

Dallas of course comes into the second round after taking out Memphis in four straight. The Spurs, on the other hand, had a little bit more trouble with Sacramento. Given the regular season split of two games a piece this series could very well stretch to seven games. There will be some key factors in this series that play into who is moving on to the next round and who is getting their fishing gear ready. These are a couple of questions that might hold the answer as to who wins the series.

Who will set the tone in Game 1?

Unfortunately the Spurs head into game 1 only 36 hours after playing the Kings in Sacramento. Parker's right thigh contusion and other ailments on his right side will definitely be hurting him. Duncan has looked solid over the the last few games and showed signs that the plantar fascilitis isn't bothering him as much as it had during the regular season. Ginobili also looks to be back close to 100% again. Still, the limited rest has many Spurs fans concerned. The Spurs have played less than .500 basketball on back to backs this year. The Mavs come in with plenty of time off, in fact maybe a little bit too much. They haven't played a game since Monday so the key for Dallas will be how rusty they are and how quickly they can shake that off. However, the pressure lies more squarely on San Antonio being that they must come out and protect their homecourt. The Spurs will have to set the tone by matching Dallas' intensity on both ends of the floor to have a chance of beating the Mavs in game 1.

Whose bench will step up?

Both of these teams possess a lot of depth off the bench. No doubt that the edge of the bench play will be pretty even on paper. San Antonio has enjoyed solid production from Finley, Barry, and Horry thus far in the playoffs. Jerry Stackhouse and Erick Dampier gave Dallas a spark off the bench is the opening round, while Marquis Daniels has the ability to give the Mavs a solid contribution as well. Pop made a change and started Robert Horry in games 5 and 6 of the first round against Sacramento, similar to switching out Ginobili with Brent Barry in the first round last year against Denver. Nazr Mohammed or Rasho Nesterovic will probably slip back into the starting spot for the beginning of this series unless Pop feels that he would rather keep the change with Horry starting and Rasho giving energy off the bench. Regardless, a big key for San Antonio is winning the rebounding battle, meaning Mohammed and Nesterovic will have to give Duncan as much help as possible on the glass inside.

Who will win the battle of the big men?

For Dallas on offense Dirk Nowitzki can create mismatch problems for the Spurs. He is not a prototypical seven-footer in that hes not a low post player. Duncan, who is not an excellent perimeter defender, will hurt the Spurs if hes sucked out of the post. Duncan is a dominant rebounding force and he must remain inside to prevent the Mavs from crashing the offensive glass. Its no secret that the team that wins the rebounding battle usually puts themself in a better position to win the game. Pop, who used Bowen at times during the regular season to guard Nowitzki, will probably give him the assignment along with Robert Horry. Keeping Duncan inside will force Nowitzki to take more jump shots and leave the Spurs a dominant rebounder and shot blocker inside.

Will the student become the teacher?

Avery Johnson will match wits with his former coach Gregg Popovich for the first time in playoff competition. Johnson knows the Spurs better than any head coach in the league. Using his knowledge to exploit the weaknesses of his former team will be crucial if the Mavs want to win the series. The problem: the Spurs don't have a lot of weaknesses. They are the most well-rounded ball club this side of Detroit. Still, Avery has his guys playing great basketball right now and he will bring the defensive mentality that Pop instilled in him during his playing days in silver and black.

Fans should be happy that they get an early preview of the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio and Dallas might be the two best teams in the league. The winner of this series is going to win the West and has a good chance of winning it all. So get ready for some action-packed-hard-nosed-ratings-producing basketball!

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Clippers, Nuggets Set for Round One

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:17:27 -0800

In the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, Aaron Lopez writes that "with a 101-95 loss against the Grizzlies, the Clippers 'secured' the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and will have home-court advantage in a first-round playoff series against the No. 3 Denver Nuggets. Memphis will be the No. 5 seed and open the playoffs on the road against the fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who have the second-best record in the West. Los Angeles dropped to sixth by losing five of seven games down the stretch, prompting some to wonder whether the Clippers were positioning themselves for a more favorable playoff matchup."

Mavericks Have Tough Playoff Foe in Grizzlies

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:17:26 -0800

In the DALLAS MORNING NEWS, Eddie Sefko writes that "four meetings this season produced a 3-1 record for the Mavericks" against the Memphis Grizzlies, "their first-round playoff opponent, which was cemented Tuesday night when the Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Clippers. However, in the loss, the Mavericks were hammered by 20 points at American Airlines Center. In the three victories, they won by a total of 18 points. Clearly, Memphis is not a pushover in any respect. The Grizzlies have made the playoffs for the third consecutive season. They are 0-8, having been swept by San Antonio in 2004 and Phoenix last year."

Oh no you didn't!

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:18:01 -0800

(AP Photo/ Mark Weber)" />For the second game in a row, Ray Allen won a game with a buzzer-beater, proving once again that anyone who thinks the Sonics would trade Ray-Ray for Ben Gordon is a retard. (Yes, Sam Smith, we're looking at you!)

Head-to-Head's Up (2/20-2/26): Trade Deadline Edition

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:54:14 -0800

Well I’m glad the NBA (David Stern) came to its senses and invited Gilbert Arenas to play in Houston this weekend after all. Too bad Gil had to go and finish the first half of the season with a 4-for-22 effort and 6 turnovers at Dallas. Ouch.
So we have All-Star festivities to get through this weekend and then we’re back to the real games and hopefully an exciting week full of blockbuster trades. Here’s looking at you, week 2/20-2/26.

Four Games: Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, LAL, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New Orleans, Orlando, Portland, Seattle.
Three Games: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Golden State, Houston, LAC, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Utah, Washington.
Two Games: Denver, Miami, Phoenix, Sacramento, Toronto.

Season-long trade rumors are finally coming to fruition this week. Darko is moving to Disney World, former Terrapin Chris Wilcox swapped area codes with Vlad Rad, and Stevie Franchise just may get another ‘change of scenery’ if Isaiah Thomas continues his quest to bury the Knicks six-feet-under. Keep a close eye on pending trades as several players are sure to find themselves in new situations that could really boost their second half value.

Plug ‘em in, Plug ‘em in:
Josh Smith/Childress, G/F – The reigning Slam-Dunk champ just put up career-highs of 21 points and 15 boards, while fellow swingman Josh Childress also scored a season-high 21 in a win over the Lakers Wednesday. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Al Harrington will be asked to pack his bags before the Feb. 23rd deadline. Josh & Josh would immediately reap the benefits should Harrington (and his 37 mpg) depart. Smith averages an incredible 2.3 blks in only 27.5 mpg, and Childress contributes across the board but especially in steals with 1.2 spg in 28.4 minutes. Hopefully both will see 30-35 minutes a night the rest of the way and improve on their already respectable numbers. The youngsters have four games next week so get them in your lineups.

Delonte West, PG – LeBron (43/12/11) and Paul Pierce (50/7/8) may have stolen the show in an overtime thriller the other night, but Delonte also filled his stat line with 15/10/8 and 3 blocks. One of the best waiver wire pickups of the year, the versatile guard just keeps on truckin’. Jefferson, Perkins, and Wally are banged up, so West should have plenty of scoring chances in four contests next week.

Anthony Johnson, PG – Jamaal Tinsley is starting to make Marcus Camby and Fred Taylor look like iron men. He’s only appeared in 23 games this season and hasn’t been healthy for a full year since his rookie campaign. Veteran point guard Anthony Johnson has been handed the reins and asked to do what he can to help salvage Indiana’s season. A.J. has been a member of the Pacers’ starting five since the end of December and averages nearly 30 mpg as a starter. Usually just a borderline fantasy starter in deep leagues, Johnson’s hot hand (19/4/5 with 2 threes and 1.3spg in last 3 outings) makes a decent plug-and-play for four games next week.

Darko Milicic, F/C – If there ever was an ideal situation for the young 7-footer, Orlando is it. Darko’s playing time was so limited in Detroit that analyzing his stats does not really give you an indication of his potential. He’s shooting an impressive 51.5% from the floor, yet a miserable 37.5% from the charity stripe this season. But of course, his 17-of-33 FGs and 3-of-8 from the line are such small samples that they are essentially rendered meaningless. If one were to ascertain anything from his stats it would have to be his impressive 15 blocks in only 140 minutes of play this season. He’s sure to see plenty of playing time on his new team, and starting alongside league-leading rebounder Dwight Howard (12.6 rpg) seems to be a perfect fit for the Serbian big man. If you’re feelin’ Darko, get him in your lineups right away. Let's just hope for the best.

Chris Wilcox, F/C – Assuming Evans/Fortson get shipped out of town sometime before next Thursday, Wilcox will have a great opportunity to excel as the new starting PF in Seattle. Now that he lives in Starbucks capital, USA, maybe some grande caramel macchiatos can help Chris wake up and get his head in the game. The former Terp has immense talent and this appears to be a good situation for him. The Sonics frontcourt has lacked athleticism and been clogged up with the likes of Evans/Swift/Collison/Petro/Fortson for too long. Wilcox brings much needed explosiveness up front and could average 15 and 10 if he's focused and motivated. Think of him as a younger/healthier Kenyon Martin, with center eligibility to boot.

Stash ‘em or at least keep on your radar:
Antoine Walker – He was back in the SLU for a couple games before the break (scored 26 pts and hit six treys on 2/15). Employee #8 needs a starting gig to be a consistent fantasy contributor, and he may just land one if traded to the right team.
Shaun Livingston – Prep-to-pro point guard struggling in his second season, "the next Magic Johnson" has started three of the Clips last five games, averaging 6.7 assists in those contests. The potential is there for a monster second half if 36-year-old Cassell were to go down with an injury.
Earl Watson – Incessant trade rumors surrounding Denver’s reserve PG are making me nauseous. He could have some value if given a starting job somewhere (New York?)
Nazr Mohammed – The big man averaged 11 pts and 8 rebounds for the Knicks last season. He has been stuck on the Spurs’ bench all year, but exploded for 18 pts and 20 boards Wednesday night at Philly. He could make some noise if he were to take the starting spot from Rasho, or perhaps filling in for an injured Duncan.

Forget about ‘em and move on:
Larry Hughes – just went under the knife again and will be lucky to return for the playoffs.
Emeka Okafor – they’ve been saying he’ll be back in 3-5 weeks for over a month now. Word out of Charlotte is that he’ll likely sit for the rest of the season.
Jameer Nelson – Specialists can’t figure out what is wrong with his foot, and he is out for at least another three weeks. Even if he returns, he’ll have to fight for playing time with a crowded Orlando backcourt.
Sebastian Telfair – Stephon Marbury’s little cousin was benched in favor of the Blake/Dixon combo. Bassy needs to learn the pro game and improve on his "Dick Cheney-esque" shooting (36.6%FG) before he can be a reliable fantasy force. Maybe next year.
Marko Jaric – Yes, he may be traded, but he is just stinkin’ it up this season.
Deron Williams – Did they really draft him ahead of Chris Paul? Williams is simply not a good fit for the Jazz and Jerry Sloan is not a good fit for fantasy owners.

Also… the Knicks/Magic exchanging Jamal Crawford and Steve Francis would help all parties involved (especially their fantasy owners).
Enjoy the All-Star festivities and be ready to pounce once those trades are announced.

Fantasy Basketblog Midseason Awards

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:35:33 -0800

What, you thought I’d let DM give out the midseason awards? As if …

Stud of the Year : To the best-performing first-round pick.
Shawn Marion, PHO
And it really isn’t even close. With Amare sidelined, Marion has been forced to pick up his game, and boy, has he ever. His FG% is up to a remarkable 51%, and he’s a legitimate 7-category player. He’s solved his struggles at the line, going from 68% in December to 86% in January. It’s at the point where, if he keeps it up, Marion could be considered for the #1 overall pick next year. Runner-up: LeBron James.

Supporting Stud of the Year : To the best-performing second- or third-round pick.
Rashard Lewis, SEA
Lewis has been the prototypical supporting stud this year. He’s a huge asset in two categories (threes and points), and doesn’t really hurt you anywhere. I’ve been very critical of Lewis in the past because he doesn’t rebound enough to be a good forward, nor does he get many assists, but at the end of the day, he does enough of everything else to give him supporting stud of the year. Runner-up: Chauncey Billups.

Breakout Player of the Year
David West, NOK
Despite the fact that I hate him for what he did to my Wizards on Monday night, West is undoubtedly the breakout player of the year. His per-minute averages haven’t changed all that much, other than points, and he’s a perfect example of why we preach minutes above all else here at FBB. Still, can he maintain those percentages in the long run? Runner-up: Mehmet Okur.

Breakdown Player of the Year : To the premier player who’s lost the most value between draft day and today.
Steve Francis, ORL
Listen, we’ve been through a lot with Steve Francis, starting with his “99.9%” guarantee to return to Maryland for his senior year. Then there was the draft debacle when he practically died on the spot when drafted by Vancouver. Then his clashes with folks in Houston. Then his clashes with Orlando when they traded his buddy Cuttino Mobley. Still, through it all, his numbers stayed OK. But now he’s complaining again, and his suspension earlier this year got him “last straw” status here at FBB. Now he’s basically admitting he’s not playing his best, because of trade rumors, and the last straw was … well, you know. You just can’t trust the Franchise anymore as a stud, and he should be avoided until at least the middle of the third round in fantasy drafts next year. Runner-up: Stephon Marbury.

Leaper of the Year : To the player who’s made the leap to stud status.
Pau Gasol, MEM
Admittedly, this has very little – if anything – to do with Gasol’s play. But when you draft him, you know you’re going to dominate the Beards category. Plus, he’s getting real live stud minutes now that the Hubie experiment is over in Memphis, and that’s allowed him to finally live up to the promise he showed his first two years in the league. The free throws are a worry, but it’s always good to have something to work on. Runner-up: Carmelo Anthony.

Junior Leaper of the Year : To the mid-round pick who’s made his way to supporting stud status.
Samuel Dalembert, PHI
All he needed was someone to believe in him. Now that he’s getting starter’s minutes, he’s turned into a legit 2nd-tier center. His blocks are absolutely incredible, but don’t overlook his respectable FT% for a center. Runner Up: Rasheed Wallace.

81 Freaking Points

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:30:18 -0800

So, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points last night. Let's say that again for you: Kobe Bryant scored 81 points last night. We know we're not the first place to tell you this, and we're definitely not the loudest, but here it is: Kobe scored 81.

We know we're supposed to be all jaded and unimpressed, all "he's a ball hog" and "we hope he didn't celebrate in a hotel room by a ski resort" -- and some people are taking care of the cynicism side for us -- but 81 points in a game is ridonkulous. And even more impressive, the Lakers were down double-digits at halftime, which means it wasn't just a blatant "Look, I'm just chucking threes now" type of thing. It's so impressive, even longtime Kobe haters YAYSports! are forgiving Kobe his trespasses and those who trespasses against him.

Eighty-one points. Fifty-five points in the second half. Are you kidding? Man, we're gonna start wearing the Kobe leggings while doing the site.

Holy Fuck Kobe Bryant [YAYSports!]
Little Hatorade With My Morning Coffee [Sweaty Men Endeavors]

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Related: Grizzlies Get Beard Fever!

McInnis to Griz?

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 11:02:49 -0800

Jeff McInnis initially said he really didn't hear that much about the possibility of him being traded to Memphis, but then he sounded like he had given the possibility more than a passing thought. "Damon's a friend of mine, so...

Skiles Resists Lineup Shuffle

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 10:55:41 -0800

"Because the Bulls played well and snapped their eight-game losing streak Friday night in Milwaukee," John Jackson of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES writes, "coach Scott Skiles decided to stick with the same starting lineup -- Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Michael Sweetney and Othella Harrington -- for Saturday night's game against Memphis at the United Center."

Grizzlies roll to rout of Bulls

Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:18:18 -0800

Mike Miller scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 19 points and 11 boards Friday night to lead the Memphis Grizzlies over the Chicago Bulls 95-77. Miller was 8-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Gasol shot 6-of-9 and added four blocks and five assists. Memphis held a double-digit for much of the game as Miller and Shane Battier made the Bulls pay for doubling-down on Gasol.

Miller, Gasol lifts Grizzlies over Bulls (AP)

Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:18:13 -0800

Mike Miller scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 19 points and 11 boards Friday night to lead the Memphis Grizzlies over the Chicago Bulls 95-77. Miller was 8-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Gasol shot 6-of-9 and added four blocks and five assists. Memphis held a double-digit lead for much of the game as Miller and Shane Battier made the Bulls pay...

As the Point Guard Turns

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 07:57:26 -0800

Three Situations to Pay Attention To (Because Five Just Makes This Column Too Damn Long)

Denver
Earl Watson was one of my favorite guys to write about when doing this column last year. The Memphis rotation prevented him from having consistent fantasy value, but whenever Jason Williams was out, Watson was worth plugging in there. In 14 starts he was good for 11.9/3.3/6.5 with 1.4 steals and 1.1 3s. People thought it was odd when he signed with Denver in the offseason since the team already had point guards Andre Miller and Earl Boykins on board. Those opinions certainly didn’t change after he appeared in just one of the team’s first eight games, and Watson seemed like one of the players most likely to be moved once Dec. 15 came around. But with Earl Boykins nursing an injury, Watson has used the last four games to remind us of what he can do. He’s stepped right into Boykins role, coming off the bench gunning. In four games he’s put up an impressive line of 14.3/2.8/4.5 with 2.0 steals and a shockingly great 3.5 3pg in just 27.3 mpg. The 3s are the big surprise. He’s put up at least seven in each of those four games; he had never attempted seven 3s in a single even once before this stretch. So what does it mean for your fantasy team? Not all that much. Boykins will probably miss a few more games, so Watson will have a few more chances to show his stuff. (It should also be noted that Marcus Camby has missed the last three games and Kenyon Martin sat out yesterday’s, meaning there was more offense to go around.) When Boykins is ready to return, it’s hard to see Watson maintaining any of his current value. Andre Miller is playing some of the best ball of his career, and because of size issues, there’s just no way that all three of them can be on the court together for an extended period of time. Watson’s inspired play this past week has surely captured the attention of teams around the league, but at the same time it probably reminded the Nuggets of why they signed him in the first place. Watson’s a nifty little player, and he’s probably better to have around than Boykins, as Watson’s +9.6 (tops on the team, by the way) compared to Boykins’s –3.0 might attest. The Nuggets are in dire need of interior help with Camby and Martin perpetually banged up and Nene out for the year, so it’s possible Watson could still be shipped out. And now you know – or at least are reminded – that Watson can be filed in with the same group of guys as Jameer Nelson and Mo Williams – all they need is an opportunity.

Portland
Oh, happy day – a legitimate excuse to actually write about my favorite basketball player of the past decade, Steve Blake. If you’re a regular reader – and if you aren’t, may I ask why not? – you should know that we are Wizards fans and former Terps. So we have a long history with Stevie – I even have a Wiz jersey with his name on it. When Antonio Daniels and Chucky Atkins came on board over the summer it was clear that Blake was out of the Wizards’ plans, which was obviously disappointing to me. I didn’t mind seeing Juan Dixon leave – he’s just not all that good. But Blake, while far from a perfect player, is a useful guy to have around as a backup point guard. He signed with Portland, and like Watson, immediately found himself #3 on the depth chart behind Sebastian Telfair and rookie Jarrett Jack. Again like Watson, he was a forgotten man early in the season, appearing in just two of the first 12 games of the season. But once Nate McMillian gave him a chance, he offered some solid production off the bench and when Telfair went down with a thumb injury it was Blake, not Jack, who got the starting nod. That was quite a breakout performance on Friday against the Sonics – 19 points, 13 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 3s, 1 block on 7-of-14 shooting. Despite picking up two fouls in the first minute of last night’s game against the shitty, sorry, no-account, pathetic Wizards, Blake went for 14/5/4 with a 3 in 23 minutes, leading a short-handed Blazers squad to victory. So what does Blake bring to the table? Well, since he arrived at Maryland as a freshman he’s tried to shed the label that he’s not a strong outside shooter, but he’s actually not bad. Over his career thus far he’s 119-for-311, which is a strong 38%. For comparison’s sake, “great shooter” Juan Dixon is a career 32% shooter from long range. Blake’s a smart player who looks for his teammates but has a tendency to try to make the spectacular play a bit too often. I always argued that his game would be better suited for the NBA when he would be surrounded by players who could anticipate and handle his passes. And then he ends up on the 05-06 Blazers. Oh well. Blake seems to have won the trust of McMillian over the past week or so and should stay in the starting lineup as long as Telfair is out, which could be anywhere from a few games to a month. Just keep checking the Portland papers to find out. (Note: Reports indicate Telfair will be out for at least a month. Great news for all the players mentioned here.) As long as Blake is starting he deserves serious consideration and makes a great guy to plug into the utility spot this week, although road games against Detroit, Memphis and Minnesota aren’t the most enticing matchups.

Juan Dixon qualifies at PG in at least Yahoo leagues, and now that he’s cracked the starting lineup for the Blazers, it’s time to give him a shot. We’ve been tough on Juan around here, but we still love him. He’s still not going to be a fantasy savior and given the same amount of PT, Blake should have more value, but Dixon should hit just enough 3s and grab enough steals to have some marginal value. His FG% will always be a drag – he’ll have his good games, like last night’s 8-for-13 performance or his 13-for-22 game against the Hornets two weeks ago, but be prepared for some 4-for-15s. He’s actually been a complete non-entity in the steals department this year, but he averages 1.7 p40 over his career, so you’d expect him to approach that level with regular PT. Jarrett Jack is another person who could have some value in the deepest of leagues while the Blazers deal with all of their injury issues, but it seems like McMillian likes keeping him in a limited role. He had a very impressive 11/6/8 performance last night, but played just six minutes in the game before that. He was Telfair’s primary backup before he went down, and the fact that he was passed over for the starting nod seems to be a pretty good indication of how McMillian wants to use him right now.

Los Angeles Clippers
Shaun Livingston was a popular preseason sleeper pick despite the fact that he has already proven to be quite brittle and would be in the backcourt with proven vets Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley. But it was understandable based on his April stats from last season and the simpler fact that the kid can flat out play. In 10 April starts he put up a line of 11.0/4.4/7.4 with 1.4 steals on 45% shooting. Nice numbers, but he didn’t even attempt a 3 in that period. Not too bad in real life – a point guard needs to make good decisions, and if you can’t hit the 3, don’t take it – but that’s not what we look from from a PG in fantasy land. The Clippers took their time letting Livingston get healthy at the beginning of the season, sensing no need to rush him considering his past and the Clippers fast start. The 20-year old was rusty in his first game back, failing to register an assist in 20 minutes of action; he notched at least one dime in every game he played last year. But Livingston showed why he was so highly regarded in his second game back as he dished 10 assists (with just a single turnover) in 29 minutes of action in a Clips win over the Rockets. Livingston was out there during crunch time, and while that may have had a lot to do with the fact that Corey Maggette was out, it is still worth noting. He obviously has a long future in the league, but his fantasy outlook is still murky. Playing time issues aside – and it looks like he should be able to see around 20 mpg as long as Cassell and Mobley are healthy – Livingston still needs that secondary skill to help him emerge from the pack. We know the assists will be there, but what else? His 1.6 steals p40 last season was good but not great. We already know his complete aversion to shooting 3s. He shot 41% last year, so we can’t expect anything great there. Right now he’s looking a lot like T.J. Ford. Check out their rookie season p40:

Livingston: 10.9/7.4/4.4 with 1.6 steals, 0.5 blocks, 3.7 turnovers, on 41% shooting.
Ford: 10.6/9.7/4.8 with 1.6 steals, 0.1 blocks, 3.8 turnovers, on 38% shooting.

Ford has added sort of added the 3-point shot to his repertoire this year (hitting 0.6 per game on 41% shooting) and he’s seriously boosted his FG% even with more shots. So Livingston certainly has a chance to be much improved in the near future. But even if he somehow found himself with a starting job, he looks to be PG2 material for the time being.

Comet Gain
Jason Kidd – 14/9/1 with two 3s, a steal and a block yesterday – in the first quarter. You knew those assists were start piling up

Andre Miller – Speaking of piling up assists, 10.1 in the last 9 games for Miller; also picking up scoring slack with injuries piling up, but career low 72% from the line isn’t too hot.

Chris Duhon – You know he runs hot and cold; 17.0/3.7/4.0 with 3.7 3s and 61% shooting over last three is pretty hot.

Chauncey Billups – Don’t bother calling it an All-Star game if Chauncey’s not there this year; 21.3/2.713.0 with 3 3s on 64% shooting over last 3 is almost – almost – expected at this point.

Chucky Atkins – The 3s are starting to come in bunches – 13 in his last four games; with Jarvis Hayes out for at least the next three games he’s a great short-term add as he’s seen 44.5 mpg in his two starts thus far.

The Hold Steady
Gilbert Arenas – Absolutely killing his owners in FG%, but absolutely dominant in 3s, FT%, assists, steals and points. That’s not a bad trade off.

Sarunas Jasikevicius – Still a starter even with Jamaal Tinsley back? That’s good news. Expect fewer assists, but the steals and 3s should still be there.

Marko Jaric – Numbers haven’t been great (8.5/3.5/6.0 with 1.5 steals and no 3s), but the fact that he’s seen 39 mpg in the two contests since Troy Hudson returned is at least encouraging.

Mike James – A clunker yesterday, but 19.0/3.0/4.7 with 2.3 3s in the three games before that were a nice bounce back.

Stephon Marbury – Still waiting for him to bust out; after going for 30+ in 17 games last year, has done it only twice this year.

The Fall
Jason Williams – Maybe he won’t officially lose his starting job to Gary Payton, but you’ve got to think that especially with Riley on board, he’ll be on an extremely short leash when he gets back.

Nate Robinson – There’s a reason the Knicks are a team to stay away from; one day you’re a “must” pick-up, the next day right back on the waiver wire.

Damon Stoudamire – Still a solid option, but team’s recent scoring woes have taken a toll on his production; career low in steals is very disappointing.

Steve Francis – Shooting only 19-for-54 (35%) since returning from injuries, with a 20 assists/13 turnovers to boot. Quite unimpressive.

Mike Bibby – Another second overall pick that’s been disappointing; I’m still a big fan, but the 0.9 steals after tying his career high with 1.6 last year is bad news.

...On Successors

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 15:20:57 -0800

[editor's note, by TZ] I originally posted this Saturday evening before the Sonics game, but figured I'd bump it up top for those that don't spend every waking weekend moment on Sactown Royalty. -Tom

While we idly wait for Rick Adelman to get the axe, let's look at the prospective replacements, both short- and long-term:

Elston Turner. E.T. is Adelmania's lead assistant, and would no doubt be the immediate choice as an interim head coach. He's never been a head coach in the league. There are a couple of intriguing things about E.T. - he's not ancient (46 years old), he's the defensive guy on the staff and he's been around these players enough to understand their psyche, hopefully. All that said, the guy is the defensive assistant on the freaking Sacramento Kings. He's not exactly the NBA's Marvin Lewis or anything.

Terry Porter. The former Kings assistant is currently doing TV color commentary for the Spurs. He got completely screwed by the Bucks (his hometown team) a few months ago, getting fired a week before the draft because the franchise wanted to make a run at Flip Saunders and Nate McMillan (they got Terry Stotts instead). He spent two seasons in Milwaukee, and finished third in "Coach of the Year" voting in 2003-04 (behind Hubie Brown and Jerry Sloan). That season, the Bucks were quite Kings-like - an above-average offense, a questionable defense and really poor rebounding. It reminds us that unless you have a tyrant like Larry Brown, personnel dictates everything.

John Whisenant. I personally think it's silly that Whiz keeps getting brought into the conversation. But the possibility does exist - Whisenant is an old business buddy of the Maloofs and has been seen around ARCO a lot lately. The guy won a championship with the 'Narcs, but still. This is kind of like Bill Laimbeer and the Knicks, right? Just idle speculation? I really hope so, unless he can work out a Yolanda-Griffith-for-Peja-Stojakovic trade.

P.J. Carlesimo. A lot of people hate the rotating head coach carousel, and I tend to agree. P.J. is an assistant with Gregg Popovich and the Spurs right now and hasn't been a head coach since the 2000 season. He's a very good defensive coach - even his putrid Golden State squads were above average on D. But, his career win percentage in the NBA is below .500 and he's never won a playoff series. And he replaced Rick Adelman in Portland. You wouldn't want to, you know, copy Portland.

Eric Musselman. If there was a Bizzaro Adelman, Muss would be it. He's a strict, pushy, bossy little guy. He's working as an assistant in Memphis right now. He totally got jobbed in Golden State after almost getting to .500 twice despite crappy rosters (Cherokee Parks and Dan Langhi combined to play in nine games for the 2004 Dubs). I'm actually surprised Muss hasn't gotten another job yet; it's almost a no-brainer that this guy could be one of the best in the league in a short time. He would certainly whip these guys into shape, even if it meant benching some of the "stars."

Paul Silas. I think Paul got a raw deal in both Charlotte/New Orleans and Cleveland, but still. He's pretty old and he's probably not a championship-caliber coach.

Mike Budenholzer. I get excited just thinking about getting Bud as Sacramento's coach. He's another Spurs assistant, and is considered Pop's right-hand man. He's been an assistant there nine years, and the guy is only in his mid-30s. Mike Brown, the last Spurs assistant to leave, is doing pretty well in Cleveland. I wish I could wager on things like "Mike Budenholzer will lead an NBA team to multiple championships by 2015." I've never read a single bad word about him anywhere ever in my life. And it's not like his name is hard to Google.

Marc Iavaroni. He's considered the next big thing in NBA coaching. He was almost the Blazers' coach (until they got Nathan Mac) and he was almost the Lakers' coach (until they got Phillip back). He'll be a head coach before the 2006 draft - mark my words. Would he be willing to leave a rather plush assistant job in Phoenix when he could wait and essentially pick his gig this summer? Who knows.

Jerome Jenkins. Ha ha. Whoops, sorry. Don't know how that got there.

Okay, okay. That's enough. Let's rank the top five, in order of my preference:

Mike Budenholzer
Marc Iavaroni
Terry Porter
Eric Musselman
Paul Silas

The top two are my favorites by a landslide, though they're probably the least likely replacements. If anyone runs into a drunken Maloof, pass this list on, will ya?

l attached to this story by clicking Entry Link below. If you pick 'other,' leave a comment as to whom you like that I have failed to acknowledge. I may or may not ridicule you.

Artest misses second straight game with sore wrist

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:38:13 -0800

Artest misses second straight game with sore wrist

by Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana forward Ron Artest was inactive for the Pacers' game against Memphis on Saturday night, the second straight game he has missed because of a sore right wrist.

Artest, who leads the NBA in steals and is the Pacers' second-leading...

Waxing Masonic

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 09:09:03 -0800

Author's Note: I love meeting new people, regardless of whether more often than not I come away dissapointed. Friends say I have impossibly high expectations... I contend that I rather mind myself with quality and not quantity. I'm lazy, get bored easily and find it far sweeter to meet someone who challenges the limits of personal osmosis. The subject of this article is just that. Someone who may make me mildly obsessed for a decade. Still, it's worth noting that women are on a completely different scale - interactions based solely on aesthetics.

I am pleased to introduce you to Anthony Mason, Jr. Sir Anthony, Young Mase, whatever you may want to call him - the quick and dirty is that he's a Freshman at St. John's, playing in the Big East under Norm Roberts. He played high school ball in Memphis and was relatively well recruited, considered a top 25 small forward in last year's class. Peep his St. john's bio page and an article about him from the Red Storm student paper. Here he is in the skin:

If you've never read FreeDarko before and get dizzy easily I suggest you go read those links and skip ahead a few paragraphs. I'll even buffer the splendor by images that make no sense. For the gutless - if you see the man below in cartoon form, you've arrived at your destination.

The long of it is more disturbing, because extended details on Simba (as I call him) are scarce. It leaves much to the imagination, and around here those are fruitful parcels.

Honestly, I assume we can all agree that we expect little from the offspring of NBA stars gone by. The Abdul-Jabbars and Jeffrey Jordans of the world dissapointed us one time too many. No need to put hope there with so much else in the I Love This Game to care about.

Those that have followed in the footsteps well enough to make it to the league barely made an echo. Mike Dunleavy Sr. is too old and bald for us to remember him, too impotent to make Junior worth anything more than being a Dukie who I resent because he's always been coached by a pro. I'd like to think that in 2023, Thanksgiving Day at the Dunleavy House will still feature bickering about potential never met, a promise long past wasted.... if those blue bloods get together at all.

But I have no such bile and vile to spit on the Mason family, no such dark wishes to tempt my amusement. I wish both Senior and Junior only the best.

I am of the belief that both Anthony Masons will keep on mattering. A beautiful equilibrium will exist. The first because he was such a destructive presence, long established for our memories. And his offspring is a joyful tease - offering clues about the poison of his family line, indications of both the talent and trauma of being named Anthony Mason. But first a few notes on Senior.

Lately, the new class of FreeDarko has touched upon their boyhood crushes. Those players that meant so much to them, reflecting their turn from young watchers of the Association to grizzled commentators on the fringe of the Life. Similarly, Anthony Mason, Sr. occupies a special place in my heart - representing that year when I stopped being a fanboy simpleton occupied with only the success of my home team and its roster of scraps. The moment when I began to dive full force into the mana of the NBA.

At the risk of sounding tawdry I'll try to be brief. I initially loathed the man. He represented the undying passion of the Knicks in its most raw form. I didn't respect his talent, nor that of John Starks. I was hell bent on pedigree - Khalid Reeves, Billy Owens and other demagogues - not ready to embrace this bruising journeyman who appeared as a barbaric slap to the face of Jordan's league.

During the late 90s, I was able to watch from afar. Mason, Sr. was relegated to Charlotte and more important things were afoot at home. Riley had made his way down to Miami and I now began to appreciate his skill in finding jewels amongst coal. While during his Heat tenure he hasn't found another Starks or a Mason - the Ike Austins, Bruce Bowens and Vo Lenards of the world have been briefly sweet. Alas, today's Heat roster - saturated with talent - leaves no room for these dark horses to tread.

It was in the same days of the trade that brought King Anthony to Miami that I was lacing up my own hightops for the Masters of the Klondike Intramural Basketball Team in suburban Philadelphia. Bethlehem Shoals, Shoefly, Silverbird (er Shadowfax) and I had managed to seduce some ringers to play for our team.

As we advanced through the season and into the playoffs, we became enamored with our collection of talent. The team, aptly named The Masters of Style, began to dole out monikers for everyone on our roster. We pooled real life players from the early millenia Dallas Mavericks - it made sense since our point had Nash like hair and our four/five was tall and white enough to be Nowitzki-like... and so on...

But as those conversations got to yours truly, Shoefly was at a loss for Maverick comparison. My game was bruising, devoid of any real skill. Between my still-broad shoulders and my then-added college beer weight (now gone, I assure), I was a moving brick wall that lacked sense, compassion or feeling. Often, my court defness was complimented by pre-game shots of Patron or a low level narcotic. I was a tidy package of rage and pain.

Thus, it came of no surprise that the other Masters dubbed me Anthony Mason. I saw myself in him - teased that his actual skill was that which I could tap into with new, expensive sneakers and more exercise!

Now, let's rejoin those readers that couldn't stomach the excess...

Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed reading about the Red Storm. The rest of us have gotten a little personal.

Indeed, the facts on Anthony Mason, Jr. are scarce. We know little of him or his promise. But we do know much about his kin. I challenge you all to remember his father as best you can. Keep his spirit alive, because his was the rare soul that could incite the Yale Herald, that bastion of fair and balanced journalism, in April of 2002 to speak of him so ill... saying:

In 2002, Mason has changed very little, but he has successfully transformed the Bucks from a title-contending team to a group of dispassionate and disgruntled parts. Mason demands a touch on every possession, and his lack of speed prevents the team from using its run-and-gun offensive attack. The Bucks' offense, which last year relied on quick ball movement and unselfish perimeter play, now goes through Mason, and the team's average production has fallen from 101 to 97 points per game. Further, the surly power forward has created locker room dissension to the point that Bucks players have lost all confidence in one another. Mason achieved the unimaginable, tearing the heart from a team that thrived almost entirely on passion in its run to the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals.

Mase, Sr. certainly always had that ability to get under someone's skin as he did to Herald writer Kenneth Hammond (assuredly a silly Bucks fan to blame their failures wholly on him). Yet, that quote's purpose here is to illustrate how Hammond's description of Mason is formed with such hate... this man had the uncanny ability to draw attention and scorn that seems almost a futuristic omen to today's era of FreeDarko. Mase had a power to spark. I doubt he drew the passion out of the Bucks (oxymoron), he probably just tipped the balance over a bit too much...

My new hope is that his son will bring the same flavor. Many of you must be asking yourselves, how can Anthony Mason, Jr. possibly measure up to the dark circles under his father's eyes? How could we not expect that the semen of a godly man with Samson like strength not be watered down if intermingled with that of a simply maiden? His was the loins that should have penetrated one of the Williams Sisters, even Sheryl Swoopes if she swung that way...

Granted I know nothing of Senior's bedfellow or Junior's teat feeder to judge her - but I had hoped that it be written in Scriptures that Anthony Mason, Sr. should have proliferated a new breed of muscle bound but fleet footed 3s with a comparably raw and talented athlete.

But it seems, that the lady was a more than suitable match. Because given what we know about his father and with the small bits that we have about Mase, Jr..... we find a delicious paradox of anger inherited and intelligence granted. Sugar AND spice.

Yes, first glance is that he's a Mama's boy. Junior is a self-proclaimed lover of Shakespeare's Macbeth and member of the National Honor Society, while his father was famously charged with third-degree rape of two teenage girls in 1998 and must be relatively illiterate.

But, this is no boy done too good. Delving further, his literary tastes and personal motto show a teenager with some contempt for the legacy given to him, refusing not to stake his own claim. But also a boy who grew up in awe of his father - imitating him on the court and in his personal hygiene patterns.

For where his father would carve messages into his scalp, his son went far further and has become a new trail blazer for what can be accomplished with a razor and cream.

He has already one-upped the other sons and daughters simply by the "M" gloriously carved into his right eyebrow. This is enough for me to call this kid NeXt. Of course, around these parts we have a lurid infatuation with the promise of the future. Granted, too, we don't know much about Simba's game - seeming right now a bit thin for his size and a bit to doting to predict a daily Mason-Family-psycho-session.

But if you believe that the little things are indicators of future greatness, then he has them in droves. This Young Prince has already been characterized as "long" and "lanky" - bringing "length", "athletic ability" and "perimeter shooting" to the Red Storm according to his Coach. We know that length is the en vogue characteristic of a great player - at least until we start to measure forward lean. Nevermind that M carved into his eyebrow.

Physique wise he must fill out to fulfill the greatness I see for him. Around 200 pounds now, I need him to be at least 275 to tear the backboards down and be all the monster his father was and more. We know the pedigree is there. The word BULK is written accross every A T C G building block in his strings of DNA.

How about game? Again, there are limits to what we know - but I will watch closely as this college season unfolds. Luckily, if mental acumen/fortitude is still seen as the great separator between superstar and journeyman in the NBA - Young Mase should be ripe for consistent praise and psycho analysis. Apart from the Oedipus Complex that must both torture and fuel this young man, a great comfort is his choosing to don the same college uni as Ron Artest.

Think 'Melo without the 'Melo - a lanky three who should bulk up and has the anger patterns to tear shit up. I hope he makes Papa proud. I'll be watching.