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BasslineSpin.com December 10 , 2007 ...My
latest
NBA Draft list is here. ...I believe in the youth movement
in the NBA and in college. Players are coming in with more skill due to the
proliferation of DVD's and tapes that are teaching the fundamentals of
basketball. Children are specializing earlier in life. I know this because my
nephew plays hoop year round. He is a seventh grader and he’s been playing
basketball exclusively since he could run as a toddler. This is the
information age. Unlike no time in history have humans had access to the
proper way to do things. Want to make
P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps? Look on the internet and bam—you can have the
recipe in an instant. Want to know
what is appropriate to say at a retirement party? Google it, and in an
instant, you have five things to say that are approved by Miss Manners. It is the same with basketball. As Magic Johnson says on his commercial that runs
seemingly non-stop on NBA-TV, “You don’t have to go to camp - I’m bringin’
camp to you.” Want to shoot like J.J. Redick? The Better Basketball DVDs can
teach you his form. ...I am not
suggesting that a bunch of 23 year olds are going to win the NBA Championship
right away. I am saying though that are some really skilled youngsters out
there right now. Let’s start with Andrew Bynum (20).
He can’t walk into a bar but he’s making the Lakers look like they made the
correct call on not trading him for Jason Kidd last
season. Bynum is averaging 11 ppg w/
10 rebounds per in just 26 minutes a contest. He is shooting 58% FG,
and has more assists than turnovers. How about 22 year old Al Jefferson? This big dude owns the paint with
averages of 22 points and 11 boards a game. ...Lebron James is about three weeks shy of his 23rd
birthday - leading the NBA in scoring. ...Dwight Howard is 22
and he leads the league in rebounding. As a matter of fact—and this is
unheard of -
go to NBA.com’s stats page and
look at the pictures in the nine categories for individual team leaders. Five
of the nine possible faces are of cats age 22 or younger. Chris Paul (22) leads the NBA in steals. Andris Biedrins (21) is #1 in FG %. Josh Smith (22) is top shot blocker in the
league. ...We haven’t even mentioned the undeniable talent in rookie Kevin Durant (19), Chris Bosh (23), LeMarcus Aldridge (22), Rudy Gay (21), Andre Iguodala (23), Brandon Roy (23), Luol Deng (22), Monta Ellis (22), Al Horford (21), Ronnie Brewer (22), Deron Williams (23), Carmelo Anthony (23), Devin Harris (23), Kevin Martin (23), Marvin Williams (21), or Jordan Farmar (21). ...The crop of guards in
college basketball is the best since my first year of really concentrating on
the NBA draft in 1999 (Baron Davis, Jason
Terry, Steve Francis, Andre Miller, Richard Hamilton). I
see quality in O.J.Mayo, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayliss, Ty Lawson, and Derrick Rose to
start with. ...The point of all this is to persuade more folks to think
progressively ala the Warriors who snatched the 23 year-old Kelenna Azubuike from the D-League rather than have a
less athletic older veteran.
...Finally - on the Kings front - I believe Quincy Douby just is not getting it done. I think
with all my basketball heart that Anthony Roberson is a
better player than Douby currently is. I like Douby but I think he needs to
go to the D-League and gain his confidence back. Roberson is playing in
Jerusalem at last check. I do not know his contract status. December 16, 2007 ...I saw some good coaching today
while watching the Kentucky, UAB contest. Billy Gillispie, the
Wildcats coach, called a timeout with
three seconds left in the half which allowed him to draw up a hook-n-ladder
play that worked perfectly. The inbounder ran the baseline, and threw to
mid-court. The mid court receiver, in one motion, caught the ball and made a
pass to a streaking shooter who received the pass in stride and nailed a
three pointer as the clock expired. ...The game was won by UAB in comeback
fashion. Their star is Robert Vaden who
erupted for 33 points. He is a smaller version of a Martell Webster, or Dale Ellis; a guy that does nothing else but
shoot and score. Vaden doesn’t get to the line much. He just shoots! …I made
a Tahoe run this mid-week which meant I bet on some games. I was a Wednesday
winner with Toronto beating Dallas in Toronto. The Raptors record does not
indicate their quality. Chris Bosh has
been hurt but when he is good, and with Jose Calderon running
the point—the Raptors can race with anyone at home. I lost on the Warriors at
Portland. I thought the Blazers would struggle without LeMarcus Aldridge (injury) so I took the Warriors and
they laid an egg. ...It seemed to me that a Denver Nuggets, New Orleans
Hornets match up would produce OVER 206 points. It did not (204). ...Thursday
at Tahoe—I thought I had a winner in Mississippi State at home playing Miami
(FL.). Surely with my man Jarvis Vernardo, and Jamont Gordon, and Charles Rhodes - there was no way Miami could hang.
As it turns out—not only did Miami hang around—they won the freaking game.
...In Kings-land - the Sacramento’s won their first road game by beating the
76’ers. They followed that game with a loss to Washington. I continue to
maintain that Sac needs to be better than Quincy Douby as a
minutes playing backup. ...Dahntay Jones was
signed by the Kings. They waived Darryl Watkins.
Jones is an NBA quality athlete that has a chance yet to be a contributor.
His flaw has always been that he doesn’t produce enough offense. Perhaps Reggie Theus will persuade Jones to suddenly find
some offensive aggression. Jones IS an excellent rebounding guard. December 18, 2007 ...Time
for our bi-weekly look at who is on pace to be an NBA All-Star this season.
We base this on the current fan voting, and the BasslineSpin.com Efficiency
Rating. The fans votes account for the
starters. I like doing this because it is a reality check. Too many people
throw around the possibility of a guy being an All-Star without actually
considering the landscape. ...WEST: Guards: Fans say: Kobe Bryant, Tracy
McGrady. We add Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili and Chris Paul. Forwards: Fans say:
Carmelo Anthony, and Dirk Nowitzki. We add Carlos Boozer, and Tim Duncan.
Centers: Fans say: Yao Ming. We add Amare Stoudemire, and Marcus Camby. ...If
that was your West team - the following guys would not make the cut: Allen
Iverson, Baron Davis, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Shawn Marion, and Al
Jefferson. ...EAST. Guards. Fans say:
Dwyane Wade, and Jason Kidd. We add Chauncey Billups, Michael Redd, Jose
Calderon (we are thinking too progressively here), and Caron Butler.
Forwards: Fans say: Kevin Garnett, and Lebron James. We add Chris Bosh, and
Paul Pierce. Centers: Fans say: Dwight Howard. We add Brendan Haywood
(obviously that will NEVER actually happen - but for the record - as of today
- Haywood has a higher EFR than Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and
Jermaine O’Neal. And… the Wizards have a better record than Miami, Cleveland,
and Indiana). |