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BasslineSpin.com The
BaselineSpin—by Bobby Gerould - ARCHIVES March 22, 2010 ...Our
annual look at the
Sweet 16 players remaining in the
NCAA Tournament is linked here. March 17, 2010 ...The
fifth of five installments of “65 players to watch in the NCAA Tournament” is
linked here:
Shooting
Guards /
Centers March 16, 2010 ...The
first three of five installments of
“65 players to watch in the NCAA Tournament” is linked here.
Point
Guards /
Small
Forwards /
Power
Forwards March 9, 2010 ...The
rare opportunity to see two small(er) school future NBA players exists
tonight in the form of the Summit League Championship game. Oakland boasts
Center Keith Benson - a
shot blocker, and rebounder with a .700 EFR for his career. Meanwhile - IUPUI
sends out Robert Glenn - a
highlight reel dunker - that is a more consistent three-point shot away from
being a factor at the next level.
Check
out Glenn’s highlights to get an idea of what he is capable of. Once linked - look to right hand column for
“Glenn & Young Highlights” - then click “view video”. March 3, 2010 ...Last
night I saw something I rarely, if ever, see in a game. Rodney Williams of the Minnesota Golden Gophers did a
360 dunk DURING THE GAME. You might see a 360 in a lay-up line or a dunk
contest but seeing one in game action? I think I have to go back to the days
of Ernest Lee at
Kennedy High School in Sacramento in the 80’s.
Check
out Williams’ dunk here.
March 2, 2010 ...Nicolas Batum is having a positive impact on the
Portland Trailblazers since returning from injury. Batum is shooting 56% FG and 90% FT as a
vital piece of the Blazers - who have won four of their last five games.
Portland continues to hold on to the final Western Conference playoff
position and I think they WILL maintain that spot—if not move up. Portland
now has Andre Miller as the clear cut Point Guard with Steve Blake exiled to Clipper-land. Meanwhile - Marcus Camby helps to fill the hole left by Greg Oden who is out for the year. ...The Indiana Pacers waived Travis Diener. I have long felt that Diener can be
an effective NBA backup PG. He was never given a real chance to play for the
Pacers. Consider - Diener played behind Jarrett Jack, T.J. Ford, and Earl Watson in the last two seasons. It is hard
to see any time and prove yourself when you play the same position as the
aforementioned trio. Diener has an outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio in
the limited minutes he has played in the NBA. He has also impressed us in
Summer League play. I think the Kings should give Travis Diener a
look—especially given that Sac has only one true PG on their roster (Beno Udrih). ...The Pacers continue to stink in
part because Brandon Rush plays
way too many minutes for as inefficient as he is. Beyond that, the lack of
foot speed up front (Troy Murphy, Roy Hibbert) is also a huge factor in Indiana’s
20-39 record. ...Drew Gooden who is
on his eighth team in eight NBA seasons, looks as fit and trim right now as
I’ve ever seen him be. Gooden is now a
Clipper. ...Before any team spends “max money” on Amar’e Stoudemire - they better make sure they have
watched him closely as a defender. He is not very good at all on that end of
the floor. I would also argue that offensively he will not be as good if he
does not have Steve Nash dropping
him gifts at the rim. In short, I would NOT spend huge dollars on Amar’e.
...Stoudemire’s Suns teammate Robin Lopez has
played very well since his return from injury. Lopez and the improved play of
Goran Dragic are
two under the radar reasons why Phoenix has been more than just a nuisance in
the West. ...Very quietly - Luke Ridnour has
been the best Point Guard off the bench in the NBA this season. Ridnour’s
efficiency rating (.515) is actually higher than the EFR of Bucks rookie
starter Brandon Jennings (.429). |