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April 18, 2009 ...MVP:
Lebron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant.
...Rookie of the Year: Derrick Rose.
...Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard. ...I
like to pick the All-Rookie team that I think will be best long-term - rather
than the guys who may have seen the most floor time by their coaches. My five
rookies: Rose, Russell Westbrook, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, and Greg Oden. Second Team: Anthony Morrow, Eric Gordon, Anthony Randolph, Marreese Speights, Brook Lopez.
...Did you know that DeShawn Stevenson posted
an assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 3 to 1. I still don’t like his
game. ...This season—196 players shot better than .333 from three point
range. April 17, 2009 ...We
did efficient work and have already posted the 2008-09 Final NBA regular
season Efficiency Ratings for
each position. ...Our annual listing of the
players that participated in every regular season game is now posted.
Click
here! April 13, 2009 ...I
believe the recipe for a winning team includes so many variables that one
could literally write volumes on the topic. I believe in players that have
historically had more assists than turnovers. I believe in getting to the
free throw line which is a sign of toughness. It is the most efficient way
possible to score. I believe taking a charge is more important than blocking
a shot or even getting a steal. The charge taken is the only one of the three
that guarantees your team a possession while counting as a negative in the
scorebook (a foul) for the opposition. I believe tough players take charges.
I believe every team needs to have one outstanding rebounder on the floor at
all times - usually this guy also can use his muscle on defense to push opposing
post players out of the paint. I like players that compete. I think you
always have to have a minimum of one slasher or penetrator, one deep shooter,
one back-to-the basket post player, one primary ball handler, and one
defensive stopper that anchors the defense. I like players that understand
the art of the mid-range game. I believe in length at the wing positions;
guys that can bother, if not block, an opponent’s perimeter shot. I value guards that rebound. I like Point Guards that are unselfish
but can also score. I like players
that encourage their teammates. I like hard workers. Free throw shooting does
matter. Confidence is important too but the line between cocky and confident
is a thin one. I like coaches that are into every play of every game.
Basketball is a game of inches. A
coach should never waste an opportunity to ensure a two-for-one offensive
opportunity that makes sense. I see wasted trips nightly in the NBA. Nor
should a coach concede just inbounding the ball with less than two seconds
left in the first half. Good coaches
get their team a decent shot - even going length of the court. I am irritated
by players that shoot the ball just after the buzzer at the end of a quarter
so as to save their three-point percentage. ...Last night—there were six NBA
games. Here are the average sizes (according to NBA.com listing) for each
starting position: PG 6’1” 192 lb., SG 6’5” 206 lb., SF 6’7” 225 lb., PF 6’9” 247, and C 6’11” 257 lb. April
12, 2009 …After watching the Nike Hoop Summit yesterday I
have concluded even more strongly that this years NBA Draft just isn’t that
good. The Hoop Summit features the USA
Basketball high-school age team vs. the world’s best. What I saw in that one
game were players with more chances for superstardom than anyone in this
draft other than Blake Griffin. ...John Wall, a guard with ridiculous speed and skill, stuck out
like searchlight. Donatas Motiejunas of
Lithuania was equally as brilliant. USA guard Avery Bradley looks like a future hero as did his
forward teammate Xavier Henry (the
son of former Kings player, Carl Henry). North Carolina bound John Henson is super-long and productive, and he
too is going to be a big-time player. Tomislav Zubcic ran
the Point effectively at 6’11” for the World team. ...The World team best
Team USA 97-89 mostly due to the lack of quality BIGS for the USA. Also - Nilan Macvan, who does not have great athletic
ability - simply out muscled the Americans on his way to 23 points and 14
rebounds. April
9, 2009 ...The NBA Draft is getting deeper by the
day—although I will caution that I do not foresee many superstars in the 2009
class. In L.A., we hear that USC will
have
three
underclassmen declare.
DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson were expected but what is Daniel Hackett thinking? ...The Kings waived Will Solomon. I thought he could maybe stick as a
backup Point Guard in the NBA at this point in his career. I guess I was
wrong again. Meanwhile—the other guy I think could be helping Sacramento - Ike Diogu - rarely, if ever, gets to play. Bobby Jackson said “Ike kills in practice” (KHTK
radio). But Kenny Natt obviously
does not think Ike can help. ...As for Natt… he seems like a nice guy who has
paid his NBA dues. I agree with his philosophy of playing guards that
pressure the ball. But that is about where my positives end. The Kings, if
they are ever to get back to where Gavin Maloof wants
them to be, are going to have to get $eriou$ about their roster and coaches.
They need to use every roster spot available and buy the Reno Bighorns
D-League team. They should write the checks and get out of the way of the
basketball operations people. Then they need to hire a coach like Flip Saunders. No more experiments. Flip is a proven winning coach with an
adult lifetime resume in HEAD COACHING. He is not an assistant with big
dreams or a former player that lives on a players’ schedule. Flip would teach
while bringing a sound hoops philosophy. ...Yes, I do realize that it is easy
for me to say what I say about the Kings. I don’t have to “write the
checks”. That said, don’t speak
publicly to your fan base about wanting to win again and then do things like
waive Drew Gooden to
save money. I am a fan. And I am not a
fool. As Gooden is helping the Spurs during the playoffs it will be easy to
see how he could have been a nice cornerstone piece for the future in Sac. April
3, 2009 ...What it is. If I wasn’t raised to be a newshound
I would probably cancel my Sacramento Bee subscription. The Sports section
without Marty McNeal and Scott Howard Cooper is now such a quick read I question
if it is worth keeping. But I am programmed to wake up and read the paper.
It’s the first thing I do every day. Marty Mac is a friend but more
importantly—he is a friend I respect very much. His NBA connections are too
numerous to count and his opinion always matters to me. Since he moved to the
Sacramento area he has become a staple in the local sports world due to the
tremendous amount of contacts he has made. ...You get what you give - and
Marty is always the first guy with a hug or a pound - usually followed with a
smile and a comment. He’s a REAL dude that has never been afraid to ask a
question or call out someone (in print) that is deserving of being called
out. I hope that Marty’s tremendous talent and resources will appear in
another paper or on the web very soon. I wish I had a budget to expand this
site to include Marty. ...Scott Howard Cooper was the Bee’s best at feature
length basketball writing. He too is deeply immersed in the Association and
not having him on staff is a huge blow to the paper. ...The other night I
attended the Vlade Divac jersey
retirement ceremony. The game was fantastic with Rasual Butler hitting a buzzer beating three point
shot that gave New Orleans a one point win over the Kings. |