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March 4, 2010 at 11:25 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
This past weekend I had the privilege of visiting my little sister at UC Berkeley, known in the sports world as Cal. The trip was alternately fun, delicious, stressful, and gratifying, and one major aspect was my immersion in the school’s basketball culture. I spent Thursday evening in the front row of the Haas Pavilion student section, yelling my head off as the Golden Bears blew out the Arizona Wildcats and practically running my fingers through Steve Lavin’s greasy hair. We unfortunately couldn’t get tickets to Saturday’s showdown against Arizona State, which clinched for Cal at least a share of the Pac-10 regular season title, so we instead watched the action from a local bar.
Pac-10 hoops have been a mess all year. For example, USC is 7-1 against the top 5 teams in the conference but only 1-7 against the bottom 4. You may have even thought these teams were allergic to dancing by the way they have routinely killed their chances to make the NCAA Tournament.
At this point, Cal is the only program with any shot at an at-large tourney bid. If they win the conference tournament, then the distinguished Pac-10 will only be a single bid league. Compare that to 6 potential teams from the Atlantic 10! It’s like if Taylor Swift suddenly broke out with terrible acne, came down with bronchitis, and then fell down a flight of stairs.
But enough lamenting/lambasting the Pac-10. Let’s turn our focus back to the Golden Bears, who are atop the conference for the first time in 50 years. Though I had already seen them play on TV several times this year, watching a team in person can highlight completely different facets of that squad. From my experience this past weekend, I learned one major, rather surprising thing: Jamal Boykin might be the most important player on Cal.
There is no doubt that Jerome Randle is the team’s leader. He is one of the toughest, most fearless competitors in the country, willing and able to put the team on his back, hit the big shot, and demoralize opponents.
Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson are the team’s rocks. They are solid, versatile, perimeter players who score in a variety of ways, rebound well, and commit to defense night in and night out.
But Jamal Boykin seems like Cal’s heart and Cal’s glue. Mark my words, the slightly undersized starting center will be the key to whether the Bears make a run in the Big Dance. Boykin plays with unbridled energy, passion, and hustle, and his uncomfortably scary game face is a clear indicator of his extreme intensity. He is always the first to congratulate teammates for their effort, and they all appear especially psyched up when he makes a big play. He is like Mark Madsen (without the bad funky dancing stuff) or Ronny Turiaf.
Boykin started his career at Duke, where he received little playing time and was viewed as a bit of a novelty. According to Blue Devils fans, he was all excitement and no effectiveness, a turnover- and foul-machine who occasionally got a dunk in a blowout. In fact, the student section had a chant for him, set to the tune of the Baha Men: “Who let Jamal out? Who, who, who, who!”
After transferring to Cal, Boykin bottled that energy, first turning into a reliable hustle guy. Now, he has expanded his offensive game and actually become an important threat. On a Cal team that is very thin up front, he the is only consistent post option, in addition to being an essential rebounder and defender. If he struggles or gets in foul trouble, the Golden Bears become too unbalanced and perimeter-oriented to be successful.
The statistics strongly support my observations. Cal is 12-5 in the Pac-10. In the wins Boykin averages 31 minutes, 13.5 points, and 7.3 the rebounds. In the losses his numbers drop to 24.8 minutes, 6.4 points, and 3.6 boards, and he hasn’t once hit double digits in scoring or rebounding.
Coincidence? I think not.
Some people say that success in the NCAA tournament is predicated on guard play. Others cite depth, free throw shooting, experience, and defensive prowess. In my opinion, the most important feature is balance; teams need inside-outside offensive options to keep defenses honest and make adjustments. For example, if you look at the previous five championship teams - UNC, Kansas, Florida (twice), and UNC again - they all had outstanding balance. If Cal is going to have any shot at advancing in the NCAA tournament, Boykin is going to need to stay on the court and play well.
Cal fans are definitely not asking who let Jamal out. They’re mainly hoping that he doesn’t get reigned in.
February 22, 2010 at 12:47 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under NBA
As a UCLA Bruins fan, Darren Collison’s recent success is very exciting. As an NBA fan, it is rather surprising and unexpected.
After being taken by the New Orleans Hornets with the 21st pick in last year’s draft, Collison’s role was immediately evident: back up all-world point guard Chris Paul. He was supposed to play 8-10 minutes per game and not screw anything up. Maybe even be a spark.
Collison was not supposed to be carrying the Hornets during their playoff push, but a knee injury to Paul has forced the rookie into the spotlight. He hasn’t disappointed. In fact, he has been arguably as good as Paul, averaging 24 points, 9.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 steals in the last 5 games, three of them New Orleans victories. And this for a team that has very little punch outside of David West.
Where is this coming from?
After watching him play four years in college, Collison’s production is honestly shocking. I didn’t think he was that good. At UCLA, he never quite lived up to the expectations, especially at the offensive end. Senior year he only averaged 14.4 points and 4.7 assists. He was never able to completely take over a game, and he seemed, for want of a better word, guardable. I thought that he would be able to hang defensively in the pros, but I assumed he would lack requisite strength/moves to be a reliable offensive option. Hey, you know what they say about assuming…
So how has Collison been this effective? Please help me out because I’m baffled, and I’m sure that New Orleans is also pleasantly surprised. I’ve unfortunately been unable to watch any recent Hornets games due to their lack of national TV coverage, so all I can do is surmise.
The only explanation I can muster is that the Hornets offense is conducive to point guard effectiveness. New Orleans gives you a steady diet of pick and roll basketball, and little else. Even though the pick and roll has become a staple of every team’s playbook, the Hornets employ it far more often than most. Furthermore, they run it almost exclusively with the point guard rather than with all of their wing players, giving Collison (or whomever) more opportunity to make decisions. So this could be system-based production, such as the quarterback stats at Texas Tech, instead of purely skill-based production.
Still, there’s no way Smush Parker would be putting up those sorts of numbers. There must be something about Collison that translates especially well to the NBA. Or perhaps watching Paul has given him better understanding of how to attack a defense. Or perhaps he’s somehow improved drastically since last year.
I will reserve final judgment until I can watch a few games, but I must reiterate how impressed and amazed I am with his recent outburst. Sports always manages to provide unlikely heroes.
February 20, 2010 at 9:50 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops, Liveblog
If you’re a college basketball fan with few weekend responsibilities, every Saturday is like a free all-you-can-eat buffet. There are countless delicious options to satiate any craving. From the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, I’m almost constantly munching on something, whether it be full meals like Vanderbilt-Kentucky or just snacks like Stanford-Oregon State. And I barely take a gym break to work off the calories.
Today, though, the buffet is offering several different selections: new dishes the chef may be trying out, unusual ethnic fare, or perhaps some food with funky sauces. Despite loving the standard smorgasbord, my diverse palate is always interested in tasting something fresh and expanding its repertoire. Today is BracketBusters, where NCAA tournament bubble teams from various mid-major conferences square off across the nation.
Today we will separate future Dancers from broken hearts, preview future Cinderellas, and overanalyze to our hearts’ content. I intend to cement my already close relationship with my TV, watching as many games as possible and hopefully providing commentary both entertaining and insightful.
Siena (22-5) at Butler (24-4)
The day starts with the Saints vs. the Bulldogs, two of the best mid-majors in the country. Both are the clear leaders in their respective conferences, the MAAC and the Horizon, but there’s always a chance of getting upset in the conference tournaments, which makes this game big. According to the pundits, Siena needs this one more than Butler. Unfortunately they had to start the action at 8 am here on the west coast, so I picked this one up with about 10 minutes to go in the first half.
Halftime Siena 31 - Butler 28: I’ve already watched both these squads once this year and I’m immediately struck by the same observations. They play very controlled, solid basketball with great offensive balance. Few turnovers, few bad shots, strong defense, and good boxing out. My one criticism concerns Butler’s center Matt Howard. The Horizon League POY in 2008, Howard’s numbers have dropped the last two years, and he doesn’t pass the eye test. He seems slow, clumsy, and not quite strong enough. No idea how he dominated a couple years ago.
16:30 Siena 34 - Butler 32: Howard picks up foul number 4. Let’s see how the game alters.
5:22 Butler 53 - Siena 44: Howard returns. The Bulldogs outscored the Saints by 11 during his time on the bench, relying on fast breaks, patient half court offense, effective dribble drives, and a couple big threes from backup Zach Hahn. Meanwhile, Siena missed several open shots and then started losing its composure and forcing things.
Final Butler 70 - Siena 53: Firstly, let me say that this game was much closer than the score indicates and I believe both teams deserve to be in the NCAA tourney. I know it’s cliche, but so often the game comes down to making shots. The Bulldogs did (52%); the Saints didn’t (34%). Butler and Siena have comparable talent in their starting lineups, but Butler is much deeper. In fact, they won this game without injured started Willie Veasley. Also, you won’t find a much more complete player in the country than Gordon Hayward. At 6′8, he can finish around the rim, shoot the three, handle and dish the rock, and he often even initiates their offense. He is just a matchup nightmare.
Louisiana Tech (20-6) at Northeastern (18-9)
Our second Bulldogs of the day, Louisiana Tech, come strangely enough out of the WAC, where they sit in third place at 8-4. Their current RPI is 74, so they might need to knock off Utah State in the conference tournament in order to make the Big Dance. The Huskies, though, still have an outside shot at an at-large bid. They are tied for first (with Old Dominion) in the always tough Colonial Athletic Association and have an RPI of 59. They have gone 16-2 after a woeful start to the season and own a couple of solid victories. However, a loss today would almost assure that they would need an automatic berth to the Tourney. I haven’t seen either team play, so should be interesting.
11:56 Northeastern 18 - LA Tech 13: Announcers make the comment that this is somehow the game’s first commercial break since there had not been a whistle for the last 6 minutes. The game has been very fast-paced and entertaining and clean. Both teams are getting good shots and hitting the offensive glass.
3:48 Northeastern 34 - LA Tech 25: 10-0 run from the Huskies prompts a timeout from the Bulldogs. Northeastern has really turned it up on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and turning them into points. They’ve also maintained their offensive patience and efficiency. I’m impressed.
Halftime Northeastern 38 - LA Tech 37: Tech climbed back into this one with timely three-point shooting and scrappy defense. Both teams shot over 50%. Too many uncontested shots for both squads. Whichever team commits to D and picks up effort on that end should come away with this one. There’s a lot of talent on this court that could probably play for major programs.
10:38 Northeastern 57 - LA Tech 53: More of the same. The defense isn’t noticeably bad, but both teams are still executing and making shots. Still very fun to watch.
Final Lousiana Tech 70 - Northeastern 67: The Bulldogs closed on a 13-2 run sparked by very aggressive man-to-man defense. Tech’s athleticism forced the Huskies into difficult shots down the stretch. Neither team made enough of an impression for this win to positively influence the NCAA selection committee. While they are both exciting mid-majors, it doesn’t seem as if either team has enough to make any sort of run should they make the tournament. Louisiana Tech relies too heavily on their starters, and Northeastern lacks some requisite athleticism.
The next BracketBuster game is Nevada vs. Missouri St. Neither team, though, is a threat at all to make the NCAA tournament, so I’m switching over to the freefalling Texas Longhorns against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
If I didn’t know Rick Barnes better, I would say this Texas team is terribly coached. They had an 11 point lead with around 8 minutes to go, but then instead of showing killer instinct and playing to win, they proceeded to play tentatively, not to lose. Their transition D was terrible, their offense was stagnant, and their composure was poor. I know the Longhorns have lost 6 of 9, but this is a senior laden team with serious talent. Though they managed to pull out a 4 point win, I really wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up as a 5 or 6 seed and then got upset in the first round of the tournament.
Illinois vs. Purdue
If Illinois is hitting outside shots, they’re very dangerous. If they’re off, then they struggle. They were hitting for about the first 35 minutes of this game, but they went cold at the wrong time. What they lack is a player who can really create his own shot. Demetri McCamey had an awesome game and can create for others, but he’s far from a pure scorer. On the other hand, Purdue’s biggest strength is probably its balance. They have guys who can score from the outside (E’Twaun Moore), the inside (JaJuan Johnson), and both (Robbie Hummel). They also have less heralded guys like Keaton Grant who can give huge boosts every night. Lastly, Chris Kramer imbues them wish a toughness that few teams have. For my liking, though, they lack a bit of something intangible, maybe a swagger or a moxie, that certain players (Sherron Collins) and teams (UNC 2009) have. Can they win it all? Yeah. Will they? I doubt it.
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt
Kentucky keeps escaping. That might be good, helping them learn how to play in closely contested games. Or it might be bad, demonstrating that they’re very vulnerable. Recently, teams have been able to slow down the Wildcats’ transition offense and make it tough sledding in the half court. As far as the Commodores are concerned, they may not have enough of a playmaker. Jermaine Beal did not step up to the moment today.
February 17, 2010 at 11:02 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under NBA
With the trade deadline less than 2 days away, we’ve heard a lot of rumor and speculation about various deals. Will Amare go to the Cavs? Will the Rockets ship T-Mac to the Knicks? There are so many “insiders” these days, but no one seems to know anything for sure.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Clippers had barely been discussed as potential trademakers when swapped Marcus Camby for Portland’s Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake. Compared with the other possible moves, this deal seems as if it will have little impact on either team’s immediate title chances or long-term future.
It’s clear now that the Clips are willing to make moves, and I’m frankly surprised that the media has not even mentioned the prospect of trading Chris Kaman. In my opinion, the Clippers should be doing everything they can to get rid of their center.
Initially, this may appear like a questionable idea. The Clippers’ first all-star since Elton Brand in 2006, Kaman has quietly developed into a very reliable post scorer and rebounder, perhaps becoming LA’s best player. How many of you realize that he is averaging 19.6 points and 8.9 rebounds?
However, the Clippers have been stuck in neutral for several seasons. Despite recent serious offseason acquisitions (Baron Davis) and high draft picks (Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin), they really haven’t gotten any better. Some call it the Clipper Curse. Some blame it on owner Donald Sterling.
My culprit? Identity.
Every sports team needs an identity. The great squads’ identities are often immortalized with catchy nicknames, such as the Showtime Lakers or Greatest Show on Turf. But all successful teams, including the less heralded ones, also have a great sense of who they are. Take the Utah Jazz, who under Jerry Sloan have never won a title yet have been perennially competitive. They have always played tough, smart, and physical, with an offense largely predicated on pick-and-rolls.
Over the last few years, it has become readily apparent that the Clippers have no idea what they want to do on the court. Do they want to get up and down, running and gunning? Play inside-out? Play pressure defense? Or any D at all? Dunleavy’s Clippers are dealing with a crisis of identity as much as anything, which is a recipe for disaster.
How does trading Chris Kaman solve this problem? you ask. Looking at the current construction of the Clippers’ roster, especially after the Camby trade, it looks like they are built to play a fast-paced, open court game. Baron Davis’ athleticism and creativity are much more effective in the open court. Blake Griffin is an explosive Amare-type power forward who is much more dangerous on the break. Al Thornton is a suspect shooter with below average handle, but he is a very strong finisher at the rim. Travis Outlaw (whom the Clips should resign) is a tweener forward who can really get up and down the floor. And Eric Gordon has a diverse enough skill set to play any style of ball.
The odd man out is the slow 7-footer who likes to shoot jump hooks, no matter how solid those jump hooks are.
So who should the Clippers try to get in return for Kaman? I think they should try to clear more salary for the offseason, and then make a serious run at one (or even two) of the marquee free agents this summer. LeBron, D-Wade, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, and even Rudy Gay or David Lee would all fit the new style. Imagine a starting lineup of Baron, Gordon, Johnson, Griffin, and Lee. That team would suddenly be one of the top 3 teams in the West in terms of talent.
As it stands now, they’re going to have around $10 million of cap space, whereas the Knicks and Nets are going to have 20$ million. While there’s no guarantee to score big in the free agent market, the more money you have to play with, the more dangerous you are. Giving up Kaman’s $11 million - he has two years remaining on his deal - for expiring contracts would suddenly vault the Clippers right into the realm of the Knicks and Nets, giving them as many options as any team in the league.
Here are three potential trades, in order from what seems most likely to least likely:
1. Kaman to the Chicago Bulls for Brad Miller straight up: The Bulls have been complaining for years that they don’t have a post scorer to complement their perimeter players. While Joakim Noah and co. are nice rebounders/defenders/hustle guys, they can’t create their own offense down low. Kaman immediately alleviates that issue and gives the Bulls an inside presence. Since Kaman and Miller have essentially the same salary, this swap proves simple to make.
2. Kaman and Rasual Butler to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Etan Thomas and Matt Harpring: (Adding Butler to the trade is the only way to make the salaries match up, but since he is also becoming a free agent this offseason, it is inconsequential.) The Thunder have a great young core of Durant, Westbrook, Green, Harden, and Sefolosha. What they’re missing is a center who can score. (No, Nenad Krstic is not the answer.) For those of you who might think that OKC’s team would be better off playing uptempo basketball, they’ve been more successful this season when slowing the pace, playing solid D, and working for good shots. Though the Thunder have not been mentioned in any trade talks, they do have some young size like Serge Ibaka and BJ Mullens, and they are set to have some nice cap space this summer, this trade seems to make complete sense. They are not going to be competing for any of the top-tier free agents, and David Lee would not be a better fit here than Kaman.
3. Kaman, Butler, Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith to the Houston Rockets for McGrady: (Again, had to throw in a few other expiring contracts to make the salaries match up.) This seems like a long shot. The Rockets are counting on Yao Ming returning to form, and a starting frontcourt including Kaman and Yao would be the slowest thing this side of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. On the other hand, Houston is doing all it can to unload McGrady, Kaman would be a pretty good insurance policy for Yao, and that big frontcourt would also control the boards, create matchup nightmares, and provide quite the deterrent for guards attacking the rim. It’s worth a thought, isn’t it?
While it’s looking unlikely that Kaman will be moved before the deadline, I reiterate that I’m surprised it hasn’t been discussed. Big, skilled centers who aren’t head cases are rare in this league. It’s unfortunate for the Clippers that he really doesn’t fit at all.
January 9, 2010 at 12:27 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under NBA
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that my friends and I like to discuss hoops. Well, yesterday my boy Dan sent out an email discussing future possibilities for LeBron. Here is the transcript of the ensuing conversation:
Dan: Here’s a free idea for your blog, loosely titled, why LeBron is in a unique position in basketball history:
He is definitely one of the two best players in the league. Unlike Kobe he has taken a team of absolute nobodies to the Finals (and yea I know that the East was damn weak that year, but like I said not wholly coherent). Unlike Jordan, everybody likes him and he doesn’t throw his teammates under the bus. Which brings me to my point. He has the skills, the credibility and the charisma to RUN his own team. He can, and should, tell his coach/GM to trade Shaq for another swingman/athletic
4, turn their team from the 2003 Pistons to the 2007 Suns (can you imagine LeBron bearing down on you EVERY time you miss a jumper) and try to win a title like that while his legs are fresh and he hasn’t taken so many hits that his ability to go to the hoop goes south faster than Brandon Jacob’s yds/carry average.
Like I said, not fully coherent, but a thought none-the-less. And admit it, an intriguing possibility.
Matt: Rebuttal:
Who are these “athletic 4s” of which you speak? Of actual impact players, there’s Bosh, Amare, Odom, Rashard Lewis, Anthony Randolph, Josh Smith (if we’re calling him a 4), Al Harrington, Blake Griffin’s ACLs, Beasley… and that’s kinda it. Sure, K-Mart circa 2000 and Matrix circa 2006 would’ve worked, as would T-Wolves Garnett.
Maybe you get somebody to take Shaq’s monster EC (21 mil). Maybe. But the Raps wouldn’t do it. The Suns wouldn’t, obviously. The Magic surely wouldn’t. The Hawks don’t need the cash. So, I’m saying this option is out.
As for swingmen… the Cavs already have Delonte West, Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, and Danny Green. These guys can all shoot and defend. I think they’re pretty set there. Not sure what you want to give up, and who you think you’ll get in return.
I have a better solution: Lebron becomes that athletic 4. Look at what Kobe has done this year with Pau out. LbJ is so much bigger and more athletic than 2009 Kobe, he could be a mix of Karl Malone, Magic Johnson, and pre-injury Amare. He could average 40.
He just needs to wait to do this until Kobe retires, so the Lakers can keep winning rings.
Dan: Well yea, LeBron being the 4 makes a lot of sense, and I think i mentioned that as an option. I’m just saying that if they’re going to trade Shaq and go that direction they need to get someone who fits in their eight man playoff rotation. So they’ve got to trade SOMEONE. How about Shaq for Shawn Marion and Howard. Does that work? Would the Mavs do it?
Matt: Not in a million years.
Dan: Yea okay so maybe I’m not quite awake yet. I think they should trade Shaq to the TrailBrazers for someone and someone (but mostly Juwan Howard cause holy crap he dunked on Marcus Camby HARD a few nights ago. And yes, the one from West Wing is who I mean).
Me (Ben): They can really only trade Shaq to a terrible team that is looking for expiring contracts but has decent pieces. There’s only one team that fits that description: the Knicks. Who on the Knicks would help them win right away? David Lee? Too similar to Varejao. Al Harrington? Too terrible defensively and mercurial. Nate Robinson? Can’t get a gunner who needs the ball in his hands to play with LeBron. I do see one player on the Knicks that would be perfect for the Cavs. Daniloa Gallinari. Put him at the 4 and suddenly you have another dead-eye shooter to space the floor, but one who’s big enough to guard the 4. But would the Knicks trade the only guy they really like? Furthermore, the only big nonexpiring contracts they could unload are Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries. Doubtful the Cavs take on those two guys.
The only other option I see is trading Shaq to the Rockets. I know this sounds crazy, but what about Shaq for TMac, straight up. Both contracts expiring. TMac won’t play with this Rocket bunch. Houston has no size right now. (At least not vertical size. Chuck Hayes is pretty wide.) What about LeBron TMac on the wings. It’d be a risk, but it might be a good one.
But here’s what I think the Cavs really should do. Salary Cap for next year is $58 million. As it stands now, the Cavs are on the books for $50 million, as Shaq and Z are expiring. I think you gotta get one more big expiring contract and then get Bosh or Wade for next year. What about Varejao, Delonte, and JJ Hickson to Portland for Darius Miles’ contract and Steve Blake, who’s also in the last year of his deal. Salaries match up. Portland needs big man help with all their injuries and Blake lost his starting job. Losing Varejao might hurt Cleveland short run, but Blake is a solid PG who can guard both 1s and 2s, allowing them to go small and move LeBron over. Most importantly, next year the Cavs would drop $21 million under the cap, perfect to sign Bosh or Wade. Furthermore, you can always find Varejao replacements late in the draft. See Blair, DeJuan.
January 5, 2010 at 11:09 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under NBA, Rants and Raves
Each year at the beginning and end of the season, games mostly go according to form. The good teams beat the bad teams, with decent squads fighting it out in between. However, wacky things always happen in December and January, with uncharacteristic upsets seeming unusually common. In only the past week and a half, the Magic lost to the Pacers and Bulls, the Cavs dropped one at home to the Bobcats, the Celtics were beaten by both the Clippers and Warriors, the Hawks lost at home to the Knicks and got blown out by the Heat, and the Lakers almost fell to the Kings (twice).
Now, there are several reasons as to why this occurs. The NBA season is so long that even though the players are professionals, it’s hard for them to bring maximum effort every night. For the league’s best teams, it’s difficult to get fired up emotionally for every game, especially if you consistently blow out your opponents. For example, when Pau Gasol returned from injury the Lakers won 16 of 17 games by around 13 points per contest. Then they had several tough battles against poor teams. Not to mention that the top franchises always receive their opponents’ utmost, as everyone wants to knock down the champs.
Furthermore, teams have to account for nagging injuries and poor shooting nights. Coaches may start to rest star players to keep them fresh for the playoffs. These are some of the valid explanations for mid-season slip-ups.
But how about another theory that may never have been posited before? How about the SAD theory? I know this sounds a bit goofy, but SAD is actually an acronym standing for Seasonal Affective Disorder, a medically recognized mood disorder. It is caused by, among other things, a decrease in melatonin due to less sunlight during the winter months, and it is characterized by depressive symptoms.
For those of you who think SAD is a bunch of BS, I can attest to its legitimacy. I experienced it myself during the first real week of winter my freshman year at Columbia. Growing up on the West Coast, I was shocked by how brutal it could be, and I spent a good week not leaving my dorm, not changing out of my pajamas, and not eating anything but Chinese delivery. (Thank god for lunch specials.) People who know me know that I am almost always extremely happy. So SAD was a surprise to me and them, and SAD exists.
Can’t SAD, then, explain some of the ostensibly unexplainable outcomes at this point in the NBA season? One night Kobe might rather read a book than a defense. One week LeBron might rather dunk cookies than basketballs. One month Dwight might rather watch Seinfeld reruns than Grunfeld’s team run. If any of these things happen, losses to worse squads don’t seem so surprising.
Players would never admit it, but maybe sometimes they’re just down, just SAD. In a league filled with athletes so competitive and skilled, the slightest deficit in energy and intensity could be enough to turn an easy win into a disconcerting loss.
December 7, 2009 at 2:16 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under Uncategorized
It’s been a crazy 10 days in the wide world of sports. Tiger evidently has even better game with the ladies than he does on the links. Ron Artest obviously didn’t get the memo that Hennessy is low in electrolytes. And hopefully I can finally turn on Sportscenter without being forced to look at the exceedingly unappealing figure of Charlie Weis.
Here are some of my random thoughts on the current basketball scene:
- Nowadays the Lakers always blow out the Suns. Since the Pau Gasol trade, Los Angeles is 6-1 against Phoenix, with four wins coming by double digits. The Suns are to the Lakers as Mr. Potato Head is to a small child; the Lakers can seemingly do whatever they want to the Suns. Sometimes they play nice and allow Phoenix to look good for a bit, but then they decide to rip off the arms and shove them in the eye sockets.
- The US Senate has shown significant interest in preventing sports injuries, most recently looking into concussions in football. Perhaps a committee should investigate the Portland Trail Blazers’ drafting of bigtime centers because they can’t avoid terrible injuries either. Greg Oden, who just suffered a season-ending patella fracture, is following down the unfortunate path laid by Bill Walton and Sam Bowie. You’ve heard of the SI cover jinx, the Madden curse, but it’s time to acknowledge the Blazer Bigman Hex. (I tried to think of a catchier name but drew a blank.) Maybe Portland should adopt a run-and-gun system a la Phoenix, for if I were a center, I’d do my utmost to stay out of Oregon. On a serious note, though, I really do sympathize with Oden. He was starting to look like a legitimate NBA center, to feel comfortable on the court, and now he has to shut it down yet again. It’s sad.
- I’m still trying to figure out why the 76ers signed Iverson. I understand both the arguments circulating right now. The monetary - he’ll put more fans in the seats. The basketball - he’ll actually make them more competitive this season. However, a move like this sets any rebuilding team back several seasons, in team chemistry, young player development, and a chance at a higher draft pick, which also implies future years of financial futility. As great a player as Iverson is (was), I think it’s been proven that you cannot win a title with him. And isn’t that the goal. It’s kind of like signing Terrell Owens. At some point, you just have to stop believing that he’ll act differently for your team.
- This has nothing to do with basketball, but I’m also a general sports fan, and I need to talk about the BCS for a minute. Pitting TCU and Boise St. against each other in the Fiesta Bowl again marginalizes both teams. They’ve still been denied the chance to beat up on the big boys. Like almost everyone else, I would love to see a playoff, but here’s another interesting idea for you: What if the top 10 teams (after the bowl games) were required to play each other at the beginning of the following season. This wouldn’t add any games during finals time, it wouldn’t take away any of the magic from the bowls, and it would make the start of the college football season much more exciting. Imagine if TCU opened at Alabama next year. Right now, the best teams are wary of scheduling such teams because they only provide a chance to slip up. The only problem I see is that schedules are set a couple years in advance. Still, this is intriguing, no?
- Yay Nets! But you’re still gonna have the worst record ever.
- Gerald Wallace, a small forward, is leading the league in rebounds. In the history of the league, only power forwards and centers have led the NBA in boards/game. Should Wallace keep it up, it would really be incredible.
November 27, 2009 at 12:59 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
You can’t win ‘em all. But certain teams should never lose like this.
After watching UCLA get dismantled by the Portland Pilots 74-47 last night, the Bruins’ worst loss since 2003, I asked myself how this could possibly happen? How could the most celebrated program in America fall to such depths, just two years removed from three consecutive Final Fours?
I know that fluke upsets happen in sports. Gimme-your-lunch-money beatdowns? Only in sitcoms is the bully supposed to be turned into the wimp.
No, this game wasn’t a fluke. This was further evidence that the 2009-10 version of UCLA isn’t very good. However, I was too distressed while watching the game to really think critically about it. I walked away from the television without a strong grasp on the reasons precipitating the Bruins’ decline. So this morning my dad and I decided to break down their plight and pinpoint its causes.
My father’s first instinct was that UCLA is now suffering from a lack of talent. He attributed this dearth to two things: coach Ben Howland’s grind-it-out style being unattractive to top recruits and stars leaving early for the NBA. I’ll admit that there is some truth to this theory. John Calipari’s dribble drive motion offense, for example, particularly showcases individual talent, and Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Jrue Holiday could all still be suiting up in blue and gold.
However, UCLA’s winning tradition has always been enough to lure blue-chip high-schoolers, and every big time program has dealt with one-and-done guys. The Bruins’ 2008 recruiting class was ranked #1 by ESPN and their 2009 class was ranked 13th. Though they are currently playing without the best player from each class (Holiday and injured Tyler Honeycutt), there should still be plenty of talent on the floor. (At least enough talent to keep up with the likes of Portland and Cal State Fullerton.)
We therefore determined that there had to be something more. After studying statistics and mentally reviewing game film, I discovered the root of UCLA’s issues: point guard play.
If you look at Howland’s very successful teams, they’ve all had one constant feature. They’ve been led by tough, quick, feisty points guards who dictated tempo on both sides of the ball. From Brandon Knight at Pittsburgh to Jordan Farmar and Darren Collison at UCLA, they were all able to put pressure on the opposition by harassing rival point men and attacking offensively. The point guard is supposed to set the tone on the defense, forcing the other offense to start its sets uncomfortably far from the basket. He must also run Howland’s many plays smoothly and authoritatively, making smart decisions with the ball while being a threat to score.
I hate to foist the problems of an entire team on one young man, but Jerime Anderson isn’t that guy, and thus UCLA must suffer. He was highly touted coming in, but he hasn’t yet figured it out. On the season Anderson is shooting 29%, has more turnovers than assists, and hasn’t been that necessary defensive pest. Against Portland, the Bruins consistently settled for poor shots after running ineffective offense, whereas the Pilots (and point guard TJ Campbell) got whatever they wanted.
Unless Anderson finds a way to dial up his defensive pressure and better control the offense, UCLA is going to have a very long season.
November 13, 2009 at 8:31 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under Game Analysis, Lakers
That’s the way it seemed for the Lakers when they beat up on the Suns last night. The final score of 121-102 does not even come close to describing the extent of Los Angeles’ domination. This was more lopsided than the hunchback of Notre Dame, and no, I’m not referring to Charlie Weis.
What a disappointing outcome for Phoenix, a team that had started the season 8-1 and was trying to establish themselves as legitimate contenders to the Lakers’ crown. Feeling rejuvenated, the new old Suns believed that they could compete with anyone.
News flash: They can’t.
They will have serious trouble against any decent team with a large, scoring center. I don’t mean just any good big man, but rather a strong 7-footer with skills to boot.
I’m not making this judgment based solely on the Laker game; that would be rash and unfair. However, if you look at this season’s young history, you will see a disconcerting trend emerging. The Suns, who went to Boston and took down the previously unbeaten Celtics, get thrown off their game when dealing with a behemoth.
Let’s start with the game last night. Los Angeles outscored Phoenix 78-48 in the paint. Andrew Bynum went off, totaling 26 points and 15 rebounds, while the entire team shot 58% from the field and 50% from downtown. This wasn’t a fluke lucky shooting game either, as the Lakers repeatedly found very good looks at the basket. They played inside-out, moved the ball, and allowed Bynum to manhandle Channing Frye, Amare Stoudemire, or whoever else tried to stand in his way. The Suns don’t have a post defender capable of making life tough for big guys, not to mention stopping them. Furthermore, if you have to double hard every possession, you will give up open shots and get tired constantly trying to rotate.
The defensive issues, though, may not even be what hurts Phoenix the most. Against the Lakers, the Suns were often taken completely out of their offensive rhythm. I attribute this to two things. Firstly, it is much harder to push the tempo after permitting a made basket. I know that the Suns still try to run, and they do so more effectively than other teams in the league, but they’re less potent after a miss. Secondly, Phoenix was found scrambling on defense a lot more than usual, which again makes it more difficult to score in transition. When you need to worry extra about rotating and boxing out, you aren’t as ready to run. All this was evident as the Suns struggled to reach the century mark on the scoreboard.
Phoenix seemed oddly uncomfortable and forced the action more than usual. They took uncharacteristic shots and looked frustrated.
Prior to the Laker game, the Suns had faced two other teams with dominant big men, the Magic and the Clippers (this isn’t your mother’s Chris Kaman). Orlando also blew out Phoenix, winning 122-100 behind Dwight Howard’s 25 points in 23 minutes. They barely beat the lowly Clippers by 2, as Kaman dropped 22 and 9.
What about the Celtics? you ask. Kevin Garnett is a great offensive big man. I’ll reiterate what I mentioned earlier, though. The Celtics do not have a scoring center. Garnett is long and has a bevy of moves, but he won’t go through or over people. Despite Channing and Amare’s defensive limitations, they won’t get physically eaten up by KG. That slight distinction is enough to cause a world of difference.
I also know that this criticism was made several years ago, when Mike D’Antoni held the reigns to Phoenix’s wild horses, but this time around they were hoping it would be different. Alvin Gentry is supposedly trying to instill the ability to play defense in specific bunches, and to do so in a way that hides their lack of size. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be working yet.
Here’s the good news: Not the many teams own the type of player that destroys the Suns, so they should have a very successful regular season.
The bad news: They still won’t be able to get out of the West.
November 9, 2009 at 8:04 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under NBA
Everyone knows that the NBA is season is very long and championships are definitely not won in November. Teams are still jelling, coaches are figuring things out, and players are reestablishing their rhythms.
However, you can make certain critical evaluations after just a few games, and you can either make or break a season depending on the consequent adjustments.
I’ve scoured game tape and statistics of every team in the NBA, uncovering both positives and negatives. Here, I present what I believe to be each squad’s best feature at this point in the season, as well as one area in which they need to improve if they want to ultimately succeed.
EAST
Boston Celtics (7-1)
Best Feature: So many it’s hard to choose, but most impressive might be how smoothly they’ve incorporated the new guys, ‘Sheed, Shelden, and Marquis.
Improvement Area: I hate to nitpick when they are beating teams by an average of 14 points. However, Garnett doesn’t look completely comfortable on the offensive end yet.
Miami Heat (5-1)
Best Feature: They are forcing opponents to shoot terribly against them, especially from behind the arc (25%).
Improvement Area: They’re still too reliant on Wade for offense. At some point they might need to trust Michael Beasley.
Atlanta Hawks (5-2)
Best Feature: Jamal Crawford is a huge upgrade over Flip Murray playing the role of scorer off the bench. His firepower has already been a key to several wins.
Improvement Area: Though they’re making strides, Crawford, Josh Smith, and Joe Johnson have not quite kicked the habit of going one-on-one a little too often.
Orlando Magic (5-2)
Best Feature: They are ridiculously deep, which has enabled them to start strong even though they have missed key elements with injuries (Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus) and suspension (Rashard Lewis.)
Improvement Area: Teams are getting to the free throw line against them, and Dwight Howard has been in foul trouble more than ever.
Chicago Bulls (4-2)
Best Feature: Luol Deng is back from his injury and as good as ever. He gives them a versatility on the wing that they lacked last year.
Improvement Area: John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich need to start hitting from downtown to make room for Derrick Rose’s slashing.
Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)
Best Feature: LeBron is still awesome! (I wish there was more good news but there’s not.)
Improvement Area: Shaq and Varejao don’t know how to play together effectively. This was a common concern entering the season and it has proven legitimate.
Milwaukee Bucks (3-2)
Best Feature: The supposed “gamble” on Brandon Jennings seems to be working out. Jennings is sometimes erratic but always electric.
Improvement Area: Michael Redd cannot find his stroke (32%), and they’re definitely going to need his scoring.
Toronto Raptors (3-3)
Best Feature: Bargnani is really trying to silence the haters and justify his #1 pick. He’s shooting lights out from all over the court and playing tougher down low.
Improvement Area: They are missing the fifth piece of their starting lineup. Coach Jay Triano has not showed much confidence in rookie DeMar DeRozan, and neither Antoine Wright nor Marco Belinelli are the answer.
Charlotte Bobcats (3-3)
Best Feature: They are killing teams on the boards, pulling down almost 7 more rebounds than their foes, which is good for second in the league.
Improvement Area: Charlotte is the NBA’s sloppiest team, turning the ball over more than 18 times per game. Three individual players, Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Boris Diaw, all cough up the rock at least three times.
Philadelphia 76ers (3-3)
Best Feature: Though still inconsistent, Lou Williams is showing signs that he might be a competent starting point guard. Additionally, Marreese Speights appears to have serious all-star potential.
Improvement Area: The Elton Brand experiment does not look any more promising in year two. Either he hasn’t actually recovered from the injury or he’s just a terrible fit.
Detroit Pistons (3-4)
Best Feature: They have multiple guards/wings who can put the ball in the cup.
Improvement Area: By far last in the league in assists, evidence of a selfish, stagnant offense. (But what did you expect when their big off-season signing was Ben Gordon?)
Indiana Pacers (2-3)
Best Feature: Roy Hibbert looks pretty good manning the middle, posting three straight double-doubles and blocking shots.
Improvement Area: Besides Danny Granger, can anyone hit a 3 on this team? I guess Troy Murphy usually shoots the ball well, but Dahntay Jones, TJ Ford, and Brandon Rush have no range at all. How are they going to have any floor spacing?
Washington Wizards (2-5)
Best Feature: Arenas is finally healthy! He looks fluid and can still fill it up with the best of them.
Improvement Area: Arenas is finally healthy. He’s back to his old tendencies of attempting questionable shots and turning the ball over. The Wiz were hoping that a couple years watching from the sidelines would help him play smarter, but so far that hasn’t been the case.
New York Knicks (1-6)
Best Feature: Danilo Gallinari has been a real bright spot in Madison Square, unleashing that beautiful stroke.
Improvement Area: They are undersized and getting absolutely smashed on the glass.
New Jersey Nets (0-7)
Best Feature: Well, they’ve been close in a couple games. And Brook Lopez is the real deal.
Improvement Area: Devin Harris is a very good player, but he seems to be significantly lacking in the area of team leadership. If someone’s going to rally these guys, it’s gotta be him.
WEST
LA Lakers (6-1)
Best Feature: Andrew Bynum has apparently made that next step towards greatness, averaging 20 and 10 in the early going.
Improvement Area: They go through periods of extreme laziness on defense and impatience on offense.
Phoenix Suns (6-1)
Best Feature: They are incredibly balanced offensively, with 6 players scoring more than 13 points/game.
Improvement Area: Next to miserable Memphis, they have the worst turnover differential in the league at -2.8. On such a potent team, those squandered possessions could be huge.
Denver Nuggets (5-2)
Best Feature: Carmelo is playing like a man on a mission. He has taken his game to another level. And Tyrannosaurus Lawson is a fantastic backup sparkplug.
Improvement Area: They need to maintain consistency in all facets of the game.
Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
Best Feature: Shawn Marion is a great fit for the Mavs, on both ends of the court.
Improvement Area: Though Jason Kidd has lost more than a step, he’s going to need to figure out how to be more of a scoring threat. Right now he’s just a spot-up shooter.
Houston Rockets (4-2)
Best Feature: They are better than the sum of their parts because they are coached well and give maximum effort.
Improvement Area: When Aaron Brooks isn’t creating, their offense struggles mightily. Trevor Ariza is trying to become a go-to guy, but he’s not quite there yet.
Portland Trail Blazers (4-3)
Best Feature: They are playing pretty well in spite of Nate McMillan’s constant lineup tinkering. That’s because they’ve got a lot of versatile guys that can play multiple positions and guard multiple positions (think Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Andre Miller)
Improvement Area: Which of the role players is going to step up and become the third major option besides Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge? So far it’s been a different man each night, but Portland is going to need one to be consistent.
Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)
Best Feature: They are playing unbelievably better defense than last year. In particular, Kevin Durant is making a point of committing on the defensive end.
Improvement Area: They need more inside/outside offensive balance. At the moment, they have barely any post presence.
LA Clippers (3-4)
Best Feature: Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon are not only effective, but efficient. The pair is scoring 42 points/game while both are shooting over 50%.
Improvement Area: Al Thornton has seemingly regressed, which is bad news considering he was supposed to be an important part of the Clips’ future. Rasual Butler is a more than solid backup, but he’s not a viable starter.
Sacramento Kings (3-4)
Best Feature: Their recent draft experts should be proud. Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson, and Spencer Hawes all have very promising futures.
Improvement Area: Their best offensive player, Kevin Martin, is an awful defender, and the rest of his mates are not so good either.
San Antonio Spurs (2-3)
Best Feature: Like typical Gregg Popovich teams, these Spurs don’t beat themselves by turning the ball over or taking bad shots.
Improvement Area: The Spurs have more corrections to make than any other contender. They appear to sincerely miss Bruce Bowen on the defensive end, as they are giving up more points than they have this decade. On the other side of the ball, Duncan and Ginobili seem somewhat out of sorts. Is age or injury finally catching up? Or is it that all the off-season moves that looked good on paper are failing on the court.
Utah Jazz (2-4)
Best Feature: Deron Williams is continually getting better and better.
Improvement Area: They’ve lost that characteristic toughness that was once synonymous with coach Jerry Sloan.
New Orleans Hornets (2-5)
Best Feature: This team has quickly gotten rather uncompetitive, but I guess Chris Paul’s 3 point shooting (68%) has been a pleasant surprise.
Improvement Area: Chris Paul is enough to win them a decent amount of games, but the Hornets’ supporting cast stinks. So maybe they should hustle more or focus on defense.
Golden State Warriors (1-4)
Best Feature: Their roster includes my erstwhile favorite Laker, Ronny Turiaf. My jersey is now a collector’s item.
Improvement Area: They take the term “matador defense” to a whole new level. My cereal defends against my spoon with more effort than the Warriors. They allow 115 points and 51% shooting. GUARD SOMEBODY!!!
Memphis Grizzlies (1-6)
Best Feature: Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol look great offensively, and OJ Mayo has flashes of brilliance. And it’s encouraging that they’re the youngest team in the league.
Improvement Area: I don’t think they understand the concept of “team.” Best case scenario: Iverson’s permanent leave prompts a reevaluation of chemistry and they develop a strong sense of ubuntu.
Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)
Best Feature: They were lucky enough to play the Nets in their first game and thus obtain a victory. They also only lost by two to Boston (though I’m not sure how).
Improvement Area: Try to get Al Jefferson some easier looks by moving him to different spots on the floor. Defenses have been keying on him and making his life miserable.
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