SB Nation - Darko Milicic

Morning Shootaround: Thunderous Loss, Stuckey, Charlie V's Heel, Darko to Europe & Sheed's Techs in Boston

Packey — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:26:19 -0000

Apologies for not having a legit recap up yesterday regarding the Thunder loss. I'm home for the holidays and prior obligations got in the way. Let's do a little shootaround the interwebz to dust off the cobwebs before tonight's big showdown with the Lakers.

Rodney Stuckey had a quality production against the Thunder (season-high 31 points), but the same criticisms keep resurfacing and that's an indication that he's not learning from his mistakes. Even John Kuester is starting to take notice of these things. 31 points sounds sexy, but Stuckey is trying to do too much at times and needs to learn to help his teammates generate offense, too. (H/T to Need4Sheed)

A lot of Stuckey trying to do too much is probably due to the fact he feels he has to make up for the injured 'stons. He might get a little help on Sunday, as Ben Gordon is questionable for the Lakers game. Tayshaun Prince (back) and Richard Hamilton (hamstring), however, will be out. It'd be nice to start seeing an increase in production from Will Bynum, as well. He started to get back on track Friday night (6-9 for 12 points).

During pre-game, George Blaha was raving about the Oklahoma City crowd. I remember thinking, how loud can they possibly be? But man, were they ever loud. I wasn't the only one who noticed, either. That's a huge home court advantage, especially when they start winning consistently. They have the young talent to do so, and soon.

Charlie Villanueva injured his right heel on Friday, an injury he said he's been dealing with for a few games. He will play against the Lakers, but he says he'll have to keep a close eye on this one. Just what the Pistons need is another injury to one of its top scorers.

The Chucky Atkins story is a nice one. He's overcome a couple injuries (one major) to continue playing at this point in his career (age 35) and has been averaging 20+ minutes a game as the starting point guard due to teammate injuries. He hasn't been putting up stellar numbers, but he's been effective, I guess.

When Jonas Jerebko was 16-years old, he served Joe Dumars popcorn in Sweden. Did you know that? Six years later, Dumars made him a second round draft pick and, well, you know the rest. He's quickly becoming a fan favorite due to his blue collared style of play. He really has been a pleasant surprise.

All good things come to an end, right? Darko Milicic has announced that he will return to Europe next season because the Human Victory Cigar wants the ball and an offense to run through him. That's going to be some offense...

It's pretty cool what Charlie Villanueva does around the league for kids with alopecia. In 15 to 20 NBA cities, he reaches out to those who suffer from the disease he started dealing with when he was 10-years old, kind of taking them under his wing. In Houston he met 11-year old, Joseph Capistran and posed for pictures with the youngster who shares his disease.

Rasheed Wallace's knack for racking up the technical fouls quickly grew tired in Detroit and after 5 1/2 seasons with the Pistons, it was nice to see them go. Just a quarter into his first season in Boston, Celtics fans are already growing tired of his technical fouls.

Larry Brown's Young Players in the 2000s

David Arnott — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:28:19 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Rookies! You're getting this many minutes, so show me what you've got!

Browse more photos »

Let's take a look at the rookies and second year players Larry Brown has coached this decade. I'll list the teams, the players, and their minutes per game. Guys who went on to reasonably decent role player NBA careers or better are italicized.

This ignores Games Played, and obviously, some guys were blocked by legit starters, but... well... draw your own conclusions. All numbers are from the invaluable Basketball-Reference.com.

===

99-00 76ers -- Ira Bowman (1.8), Larry Hughes (20.4), Jumaine Jones (4.2), Todd MacCulloch (9.4), Nazr Mohammed (6.8)

00-01 76ers -- Raja Bell (6.0), Rodney Buford (12.2), Jumaine Jones (13.3), Todd MacCulloch (9.5), Pepe Sanchez (4.8)

01-02 76ers -- Raja Bell (12.0), Damone Brown (3.9), Speedy Claxton (22.8), Samuel Dalembert (5.2), Alvin Jones (5.5), Jabari Smith (10.0)

02-03 76ers -- Efthimi Rentzias (4.1), John Salmons (7.9), Kenny Satterfield (4.8)

03-04 Pistons -- Darko Milicic (4.7), Mehmet Okur (22.3), Tayshaun Prince (32.9)

04-05 Pistons -- Carlos Delfino (15.3), Ronald Dupree (10.0), Horace Jenkins (6.9), Darko Milicic (6.9), Smush Parker (10.0)

05-06 Knicks -- Trevor Ariza (19.7), Jackie Butler (13.5), Channing Frye (24.2), David Lee (16.9), Nate Robinson (21.4), Ime Udoka (14.3)

===

The first major caveat of a backwards-looking glance like this is that we don't know if Brown's methods helped or hurt anyone. Maybe John Salmons really did need to be eased into the rotation at just under 8 minutes per game, and that was the stepping stone experience he needed. Maybe Efthimi Rentzias was railroaded by Brown's total shutdown, and he's selling insurance in Greece because no one else would give him a chance after that.

So, should we be worried by the fact that not a single star has emerged from Larry Brown's influence, with the exception, perhaps, of Tayshaun Prince?

What I see from this list is that Brown will play the guys he thinks are going to help him immediately, and if a guy can't, he'll sit until he's older. That kills the guys whose ceilings are "decent starter". Todd MacCulloch was no great shakes, but he started at center for back to back NBA Finals teams. Samuel Dalembert won't blow you away with his game, but the year after Brown left, he missed the entire season on the injured list, then the next year began starting and has started at center in Philly ever since.

I get the distinct sense it's a very college-hoops-oriented approach: freshmen and sophomores have a higher bar to clear to prove they should play over juniors and seniors. Of course, in the NBA, young players are paid far below their free market value (as are superstars), so it behooves teams to get production from young players while they're cheap instead of sitting them until they reach their qualifying offer years, when their salaries will come more in line with their potential production.

NBA Eastern Conference: Taking Stock

tenaciousT — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:04:32 -0000

NBA –arama

After making my preseason predictions, I said I'd check how things were going from time to time. It's time. Let's take a look around the east, see what’s going on, and fess up to a few big misses. A number of predictions are on target...so far. Preseason predictions are in parentheses followed by current record

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics (63-19) - 20-4
Thought they were going gently into their assisted living facilities, eh? Tut tut, my skeptical friends. The ‘assisted living’ comes courtesy of one Rajon Rondo, point guard extraordinaire. Rondo plays one gear higher than the rest of his starting unit.

11 game win streak says they are rounding into shape after starting strong, stumbling, then slowly righting the ship. The only major surprise was/is the lack of 48 minute intensity, and rebounding woes. They still look like one of the best teams in the NBA to challenge the Lakers. Back with a vengeance? They are back. Vengeance comes later.

Toronto (35-47) - 11-17
International crisis or communication breakdown?
Some expected more, but they are about where I expected and for the same reason – defense. Bargnani is part of the dilemma. He is a skilled big, but not an interior presence. With a domestic vs. international player rift surfacing recently, the Raps played their best defensive game of the season afterwards. Hedo’s not fitting in like they hoped…yet.

Jose Calderon has disappointed so far in what was supposed to be his big year. The rebuilt roster should be better later in the season, but aren’t built for prolonged defense. They are giving up 103.5 over their last 5 games, which 5 points better than before.

New York (31-51) - 8-16
After a 3-14 start, the ‘D’Antonies’ are 5-2 in their last 7 games. Another team without interior defense. They looked under every rock for a bona fide PG but the right one – the draft. Biggest current embarrassment is choosing Jordan Hill over Brandon Jennings in the draft. This was going to be a learning year anyway, right? Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, Eric Maynor, Jeff Teague were also still out there. Any of those better than Chris Duhon? Maybe some are already.

D’Antoni, frankly, has disappointed as well. I’ll confess, I thought Darko Milicic was a good risk for a team starved for bigs that block shots and play defense. Go figure. Jordan Hill may end up being a good player some day, too. Winning started by benching Nate Robinson. Coincidence? Sharp shooter Gallinari continues to impress, adds some board work.

76ers (41-41) – 6-19
Okay, this is one that’s not going as I thought it would. Oye.
Injuries are only part of the problem. Is Brand a lesser player now? Or is he just on the wrong team? Maybe it’s all bad karma for Elton leaving a good situation in Clipperland. (Yes, I did just say that.) Louis Williams (injured), Marreese Speights, and Thaddeus Young give hope for the future. It’s so bad that Iverson is back. Yeah, I know.

New Jersey (26-56) – 2-24
Say no more. Accident on the Jersey Turnpike. Tie up for miles, but not for years. No, they are not this bad. Bad luck continues with Yi Jianlian getting 50 stitches (yes 50) in his mouth courtesy of a Sean Williams elbow in a recent practice. The sooner this team can exit the swamp the better. Still, Brook Lopez will become an even better player if this season doesn’t kill him first. Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts are all good young talent.

Central Division

Cleveland (58-24) – 19-7
They are much better after starting 0-2 and 3-3. Not dominating like last season, but still a force. Shaq shooting a career low 49%, though they are now winning with him. Most lopsided team scoring distribution I have ever seen for a top team. Only three players in double digits and one of them is Shaq at 10.8 per.

Second best FG% defense and 4th best points allowed means they are still dangerous and in the hunt. Though Shaq is mostly a sideways or backwards move, if they get to the finals he helps against Lakers’ frontline. Shaq can’t slow down an already very slow team…can he? I feared this team more last year. Stop LeBron and you stop the Cavs. Am I wrong?

Stat of note: Cavs lead league in points in paint defense (34.1)

Milwaukee (35-47) – 11-12
Early season surprise coming back to earth lately. Many thought I had them too high. But Skiles always seems to get players to overachieve for a few years, until his tough guy ways get tired. Brandon Jennings makes a big splash with 55 point game but is tailing off since then. Still, he is the real deal and will figure things out.

Bucks are first in shot attempts and dead last in free throw attempts, which pretty much goes hand in hand. No one on this team gets to the line, except Jennings and Hakim Warrick.

Side Note: Toronto is known as the international team. But even they can’t compete with Milwaukee. Current starters are from 5 different countries: Turkey, Argentina, Australia, Cameroon, and U.S. Positively cosmopolitan for a city Shlitz beer made famous.

Detroit (36-46) - 11-14
I guess they are a bit better than I thought. Will this last? Even with key players injured, they put together a recent 5 game winning streak. They are still working a new system with a new coach. Loss of Tayshaun Prince hurts, Gordon is playing hurt, and Rip Hamilton is still in and out.

Still, the biggest surprise is the renaissance of "I’m retiring" Ben Wallace. Back up to 30 minutes and 10 rebounds a game, he can still defend, too. Detroit is 2nd best in points in paint defense. Can he do it all year and where is his help?

Pistons have the 3rd best total rebounding and 3rd best offensive rebounding differential in the league. Rodney Stuckey’s career year (19.3 pts) is offset by lower shooting %. He should stop taking three pointers altogether (21.4%)

Indiana (30-52) – 9-14
Danny Granger’s team is without Danny Granger for a while. With mediocre stats everywhere, just what do they do better than most NBA teams? Foul. They are 3rd in league with 2.2 foul differential.

Mike Dunleavy returns to a system that uses him to his best advantage and not a minute too soon. If the Pacers win 36 games, and that’s possible, that means O’Brien would have coached three straight 36-46 records here. Hey I have to find something interesting, don’t I? T.J. Ford is underwhelming again.

How are they doing attracting more fans? The past three years they went from 30th to 28th to 27th this season in attendance. They are a team with more integrity, but a few more wins wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Chicago (41-41) - 8-15 No one expected this meltdown. The loss of Ben Gordon’s 4th quarter points, Tyrus Thomas’ injury, Kirk Hinrich playing hurt, John Salmons’ underachieving season are all contributors, but all are secondary to Derrick Rose’s lack of noticeable improvement.

The chant for Vinny Del Negro’s head grows louder and I’m not against it. But I’d ask…who hired a rookie head coach for this team in the first place? That is where the blame should lie. Del Negro did reasonably well last season, but the wheels are falling off the wagon now.

Deng is playing well and Joakim Noah is continuing his rise up the food chain, but it’s nowhere near enough. I am fast becoming a Joakim Noah fan. Plays with passion, toughness, and heart.

Southeast Division

Orlando (60-22) -19-6
Fools go where wise men fear to tread – the paint against the Magic. They are crazy deep and probably Boston’s biggest problem in the East. Jameer Nelson returns soon and that’s not good news for opponents. Right now they are better offensively (5th rated) but worse defensively (9th rated) than last season, while giving up 2.2 more points.

This is a great situation for Vince Carter, who is playing 5 minutes less, but leads the team in scoring (19), while still hoisting up 17 shots per and will be a solid 4th quarter option for the Magic.

D. Howard is getting one less block a game, but shooting a career high in FG% (63.4%) While they probably over paid a bit for Mickael Pietrus ($5.3 mil), he continues to be a valuable piece to this team. Ryan Andersen has quietly been a nice addition. Marcin Gortat – the unhappy multi-millionaire.

Atlanta (48-34) - 18-6
This team is playing even better than I thought….and I thought this would be a good team. Woodson said the next thing is to learn how to win on the road. The Hawks are 7-4 so far this season and that is a huge step forward. Three of those road wins were against very tough home teams - Dallas, Boston and Portland.

For a team that could lose their leader (Joe Johnson) and their coach next season, they are moving from pretender to contender. Their youthful exuberance could make up for whatever they are missing. Al Horford and Josh Smith are unique young players and Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson provide the veteran leadership. They are pasting the lesser teams and are 3rd in the league in average winning margin at +8.4 points. Just behind the Celtics and Lakers. Hmm…

Miami (38-44) – 12-11
Dwayne Wade is to this team what LeBron is to the Cavs. Probably more so. Jermaine O’Neal is actually playing pretty well, but is a shell of his earlier self. We knew going in that the Heat go as Wade goes. Michael Beasley is improving and Haslem is solid.

They stretched the Lakers to a (lucky) Kobe Bryant banked buzzer beating 3 pointer over Wade’s outstretched hand. That probably defines their season as well as anything. With $50 million coming off the books in 2010, this team (hopefully) gets a complete rebuild. With a player option for $17 million, whether Wade stays or not remains to be seen.

Charlotte (33-49) - 10-14
Solid defensive team (2nd in points allowed) that has trouble scoring (27th). Deliberate offense (pace: 28th in NBA) helps keep opponents’ numbers down. 5-5 over the last ten, they added controversial, but multi-talented Stephen Jackson. It gives the team a focal point (and… gulp…leader) Larry Brown has great experience handling prima donna players and Raymond Felton is playing better since Jackson’s arrival.

Gerald Wallace, the last original Bobcat, was plucked from deep on Sacramento’s bench. Time to test him for HRH (Human Rebound Hormone). He has gone crazy boarding, up from 7.8 last season to 12.2 this year. I’d like to know the last time an established player made that kind of jump. He continues to ply his game for a team going nowhere.

Talented DJ Augustine has perplexingly gone backwards this season. Tyson Chandler, who could have been an earlier version of Joakim Noah, is showing how much Chris Paul helped his game.

But we forget just how bad this team was before Larry Brown arrived.

Washington (41-41) - 7-16
In preseason I wrote…. "everyone’s favorite ‘move up’ team." What I didn’t write was that it would take some doing to keep all these scorers happy with shots and minutes. Unfortunately, that appears to be the case. And things aren’t getting better. They are on a 6 game losing streak as I write this.

I never saw a happier, more hopeful team in the losers’ locker room than the one that ended its season against the Celtics last year. They all knew a much better year was coming. They had their version of a big three returning. But ubuntu doesn’t live here. Tragic because there is a lot of talent here. Flip Saunders has to sort this out, but I’m not sure where he starts.

I’ll end by (again) making my pitch for an unsung role player buried on the Wizards bench. Dominic McGuire would make a great (and cheap) Celtic.

There you have it. I apparently thought way too much of the Sixers. Comments welcome on all teams.

10 YEARS OF STIFFDOM: A Decade Retrospective...

Andrew Feinstein — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:04:03 -0000

Who knew that at the beginning of the '00s - with none other than Dan Issel in charge - that the Nuggets would end up having a successful and often thrilling decade? Here's a look back at the last 10 years of Denver Nuggets basketball...

At the conclusion of the 1990s, the Nuggets were in utter disarray. As documented in detail here at Denver Stiffs, this once proud and respected franchise had been turned into an NBA laughingstock thanks to a lethal combination of ineptitude, incompetence, and ignorance. Between 1990 and 1999, the Nuggets made the playoffs just twice and Nuggets fans were forced to endure seasons with win totals under 40 games eight times (including the lockout shortened 1998-99 season in which the Nuggets would likely have "won" about 25 games had an 82-game season been played out). We witnessed five seasons in which the Nuggets won less than 24 games, and in 1997-98 the 11-win Nuggets won less games than the Broncos that year.

Making matters worse throughout the 1990s, the Nuggets never caught a break. Even though they participated in eight NBA Draft lotteries, twice sported the worst record in the NBA (1990-91 and again after that infamous 1997-98 campaign) and had a bottom-four record five total times, the highest pick they were ever rewarded was third (which Issel promptly screwed up by drafting Raef LaFrentz over Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison). We missed out on all the game-changing draftees of the 1990s: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber and Tim Duncan. And a freak knee injury sustained by rising star LaPhonso Ellis in 1994 would prove to be the undoing of the Nuggets only good team of the decade: the 1993-94 squad that had just stunned the NBA world by beating the number-one seeded Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs before taking the Utah Jazz to seven in Round 2.

But make no mistake about it, the Nuggets problems throughout the 1990s were self-inflicted. Cartoonish figures such as Peter Bynoe, Bertram Lee, the Comsat "Corporation," Paul Westhead, Bernie Bickerstaff, Allan Bristow and finally, Issel, made every wrong/bad decision possible, leaving the Nuggets organization in tatters until Stanley E. Kroenke rescued the franchise in 2000 with his purchase of the team. Upon arrival, Kroenke made it clear that he wanted to win and win now, and thus set in motion a series of events that produced one of the better decades in franchise history...

2000-2001 (40-42, no playoffs)

In an increasingly tough Western Conference, the Nuggets remarkably won 40 games but were still seven games off the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. While a 40-win season would normally be a good thing having come off a 35-win season, team "president", "head coach" and dictator Dan Issel had already mortgaged the Nuggets future by sending away numerous first round picks in order to build that 40-win team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Antonio McDyess

Coming off a gold-medal winning performance in the Sydney Olympics, McDyess was a stud in 2000-01. The quiet, dignified power forward averaged 20.8 ppg, 12.1 rpg and 1.5 bpg and even made the All-Star team.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

The aforementioned Issel had previously (and foolishly) traded away the Nuggets own first round picks for 1999, 2000 and 2001 - all lottery picks, mind you - and after an assortment of complicated, even more stupid deals, for those picks he essentially brought back Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Kevin Willis (on the very wrong side of his career), Voshon Lenard and Tracy Murray. But that was just off-the-court. On-the-court, Issel was a tyrant with his players and the refs. At one point, his players were so fed up with the way he was treating Raef LaFrentz (a draft bust of Issel's own making) and others, that point guard Nick Van Exel led a player boycott of practice.

2001-02 (27-55, no playoffs)

After years of overpaying for mediocre players and parting with valuable first round picks in exchange for nothing, the wheels finally came off the Issel Administration and the Nuggets fell apart in 2001-02, precipitated by a major knee injury to McDyess that caused him to miss all but 10 games of the season. Prior to the season starting, Kroenke - either sensing that Issel had too much power, was too incompetent or both - astutely hired Kiki Vandeweghe as GM to a five-year contract.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

After Issel "resigned" the day after Christmas (more on that shortly), Vandeweghe gutted out the roster and made a controversial move that would put the Nuggets on the path of success they still enjoy today. Knowing the Nuggets were going nowhere with the expensive roster he inherited, Vandeweghe boldly shipped out Van Exel, LaFrentz, Abdul-Wahad and Avery Johnson (another overpayee thanks to Issel) to Dallas in exchange for Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway, Donnell Harvey and a future first round pick. When the Nuggets eventually met the Mavericks in the 2009 playoffs second round, I detailed how that major trade actually brought the two once dormant franchises together.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

"Go drink another beer, you Mexican piece of shit!" Those nine words - uttered by Issel towards a heckling Hispanic Nuggets fan after a December 10th loss to the Charlotte Hornets - were exactly what Kroenke and Vandeweghe needed to kick Issel out the door. Issel, a Nuggets legend as a player, had built up so much great PR in the community (he still has some...note Woody Paige's ludicrous suggestion that the Nuggets bring Issel back to the organization last year) that he would have been tough to fire otherwise. After serving a four-game suspension, Issel "resigned" on December 26th, 2001 and unfortunately for Issel, things haven't exactly worked out for him since.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Tim Hardaway

Unlike Howard who - knowing playing in Denver would be a brutal, losing situation - accepted the trade to the Nuggets and behaved like a total professional during his time here (it helps when you're getting paid $18.8 and then $20.1 million per season!), Hardaway was a petulant, angry brat who never got over leaving Dallas where he was hoping to gravy train his way into an NBA Championship. After starting 14 games for the Nuggets, Hardaway unleashed his anger on a TV monitor by throwing it onto the floor and getting himself suspended two games.

2002-03 (17-65, no playoffs)

Entering the 2002-03 NBA season, Vandeweghe purposefully compiled the worst roster in modern NBA history in hopes of tanking enough games to win the first pick in the draft (knowing that on the horizon was one of the better drafts in NBA history). The Nuggets starting back court of Vincent Yarbrough and Junior Harrington couldn't crack a 14-man roster the following season, and the rest of the roster was littered with names you already don't remember. Armed with two lottery picks - thanks to a great trade that sent McDyess to New York in exchange for Marcus Camby and the Knicks lottery pick - Vandeweghe drafted Nene and some skinny kid from Georgia, and I'm not talking about the university (more on him shortly).

Non-Stiff of the Year: Jeff Bzdelik

In spite of being dealt the worst hand ever dealt a coach in modern NBA history, rookie head coach Jeff Bzdelik refused to make excuses, worked his ass off and was able to get 17 wins out of our Nuggets. I'd argue that was 17 more wins than they should have had and Bzdelik should have gotten Coach of the Year consideration. The Nuggets were awful talent-wise, but they played harder than their opponent almost every night.

Stiff of the Year: Nikoloz Tskitishvili

Drafted fifth overall out of the Republic of Georgia, "Skita" has since gone down in history as the worst fifth overall pick of all time (and believe me, there have been some bad fifth overall picks). Given ample opportunity to succeed in his first season, Skita - listed at seven-feet tall - shot 29.3% from the field as a rookie. At a game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, I once saw Skita shoot a wide open shot in which the ball hit the shot clock first before getting anywhere near the backboard or rim.

2003-04 (43-39, 1-4 in the playoffs)

A full 10 years after upsetting the Sonics in the playoffs, the Nuggets finally got their act together and Coloradoans cared about basketball again. Unable to shake the Nuggets streak of bad luck with the Draft Lottery, Vandeweghe got lucky nonetheless thanks to Detroit GM Joe Dumars' stupidly drafting Darko Milicic (i.e. Skita 2.0), leaving Syracuse star/stud Carmelo Anthony available with the third overall pick. And with Howard's giant contract coming off the books, Vandeweghe was finally able to spend Kroenke's money. Free agent signees Andre Miller, Jon Barry and Earl Boykins joined Melo, Nene and a healthy Camby. Under Bzdelik's stewardship, the Nuggets won 43 games and put up a respectable fight against the Timberwolves in the playoffs first round. As fans, we were happy just to be in the playoffs!

Non-Stiff of the Year: Carmelo Anthony

For the first time since Alex English last donned a rainbow jersey, the Nuggets had a perennial All-Star caliber player in Melo. As a rookie, Melo averaged 21 ppg and 6.1 rpg while giving fellow rookie phenom LeBron James a run for the Rookie of the Year Award. But more importantly, Melo led the Nuggets back to the postseason in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, whereas LBJ couldn't do the same in Cleveland in the weakened Eastern Conference.

Stiff of the Year: Rodney White

Playing for his next contract after his rookie deal was due to expire in two seasons, White gave the Nuggets next-to-nothing in 2003-04 even though he appeared in 72 games and received 14 minutes of playing time per game. Just a few years removed from being the ninth overall pick to Detroit (ahem...Joe Dumars again), White would be out of the NBA completely after the 2004-05 campaign. But hey, at least he was nominated for the Denver Stiffs Hall of Fame!

2004-05 (49-33, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Wanting to build upon the Nuggets newly found success (and at Kroenke's alleged insistence), Vandeweghe spent the entire 2004 offseason shopping for a big name free agent to bring to Denver. After being turned down by Manu Ginobili and Brad Miller, Vandeweghe panicked and got duped into sending three number one picks to New Jersey for Kenyon Martin in a sign-and-trade deal. K-Mart's price tag? $90 million over seven seasons. Under immense pressure to win more games, Bzdelik and the Nuggets floundered out of the gate, starting out 13-15 before Bzdelik got sacked and replaced by a former WNBA coach (Michael Cooper) who went 4-10 as coach of the team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Inheriting a 17-25 team loaded with talent but without any direction and big egos to boot, Karl's no-nonsense, "my way or the highway" approach immediately turned the Nuggets fortunes around. With only 40 games to work with, Karl guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 record (the best in NBA history after a mid-season coaching switch) and had the Nuggets playing the best basketball in the NBA down the stretch of the regular season.

Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

By acquiring K-Mart, Vandeweghe essentially panicked while throwing away all of the salary cap flexibility he had worked so hard and smartly to cultivate. But worse than that, Vandeweghe was eerily silent while Bzdelik was left to twist in the wind as the Nuggets struggled early in the season. Vandeweghe never publicly defended the one man willing to coach the dreadful 2002-03 roster that Vandeweghe had assembled, and Kiki made matters worse by bringing in Cooper to take over as head coach. The Cooper hire cost the Nuggets a higher playoff seed.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Carmelo Anthony

Melo couldn't stay out of trouble in 2004. First, he was cited for marijuana possession at DIA that his cousin conveniently took the blame for (the old "that wasn't my pot!" excuse). Second, he feuded with Olympic coach Larry Brown in Athens and found himself benched on the 2004 Team USA that embarrassingly finished with a bronze medal. Third - and perhaps the worst/dumbest - Melo was caught on a "Stop Snitching" DVD in which alleged drug dealers explain what happens to people who cooperate with the police. Melo didn't improve much on the floor, either, and found himself (rightfully) in Karl's doghouse early and often.

2005-06 (44-38, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Unable to build off the team's incredible run under Karl to conclude the previous season, injuries ravaged the Nuggets and they limped their way to a 44-38 record. K-Mart and Camby missed 26 games apiece and most tragically, Nene succumbed to the Nuggets power forward curse and was lost for the season with an ACL and MCL tear after just one game. At the time, the Nuggets marketing and PR team spun the season as as success under the guise of "Northwest Division Champs" and that the Nuggets were a three-seed entering the postseason. But this was before the NBA properly seeded division winners who have mediocre records. The Nuggets were such a weak three-seed, that the Clippers purposely tanked games to face them in the first round...and when they got their wish, the Clippers clocked the Nuggets in five games. Oh, and that was the Clippers only playoff series win since becoming the Clippers in 1978. Overall, the season was a mess from from the top down (as chronicled in detail at the time by the Denver Post's Thomas George). Vandeweghe would be let go at season's end and was replaced by Mark Warkentien (and eventually Rex Chapman, too). Dysfunction, egos and injuries had set the Nuggets back a few steps.

Non-Stiff of the Year: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller

Melo and Miller played in 80 and 82 games, respectively, and carried the Nuggets in 2005-06. Melo improved his scoring average by over six points per game and his field goal percentage went up, as well. Miller - the modern day NBA "iron man" even if he doesn't condition well in the offseason - was a steady hand as always, starting in all 82 games and dishing out over eight assists per game.

Stiff of the Year: Kenyon Martin

Recovering from microfracture surgery and frustrated by knee tendinitis, K-Mart was pretty surly for much of the season and was morphing into a locker room cancer. He allegedly didn't get along with coaches or teammates (according to George's article, K-Mart's teammates questioned his commitment to recovery and work ethic) and it all came to an ugly head during halftime of Game 2 at Los Angeles, when K-Mart went at it with Karl and several teammates. K-Mart was benched for the remainder of the game and eventually su spended for the duration of the series.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Reggie Evans

As perhaps a microcosm of the dysfunction and lack of respect for the game that was taking over the Nuggets, "The Joker" grabbed Clippers center Chris Kaman's testicles while fighting for a rebound during Game 1 of the Clippers series.

2006-07 (45-37, 1-4 in the playoffs)

In spite of it being K-Mart's turn to succumb to the Nuggets power forward curse (he would play just two games all season) and losing their first three straight games by a total of five points, the Nuggets would win 12 of their first 21 games with Melo playing the best basketball of his career. That all changed abruptly on Saturday, December 16th, 2006. In New York facing the Knicks (who had embarrassingly beaten the Nuggets in Denver in Game 3 of the season), the Nuggets found themselves up 19 with 75 seconds to go. Karl - alleged by some to want to rub the victory in Knicks coach Isiah Thomas' face (Thomas had recently sandbagged Karl's good friend Larry Brown) - left his starters on the floor, prompting Thomas to send in his "goon squad" and make the Nuggets pay. What began as a hard, unnecessary, dangerous, around-the-neck foul on J.R. Smith by the Knicks' Mardy Collins erupted into a full-scale brawl...culminating with Melo's cheap shot punch on Collins. Melo would be suspended 15 games and Smith 10, prompting Nuggets management to attempt to salvage the season by bringing in super star guard Allen Iverson from Philadelphia in exchange for Miller, Joe Smith and two first round picks. Little did we know that the fun was just beginning.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

Welcomed with open arms by Nuggets fans and his new teammates, Iverson made an immediate impact on the Nuggets (on and off the floor, in good ways and bad). But with Melo out 15 games, Iverson was able to keep the Nuggets afloat and competitive almost by himself. When Melo and Iverson finally got to play together for a long stretch, the Nuggets reeled off nine straight wins and 10 of 11 to finish out the season strong as the hottest team in the NBA.

Stiff of the Year: Isiah Thomas

In addition to sinking the Raptors as an incompetent vice president, sinking the CBA in a summer as an incompetent commissioner and sinking the Knicks as an incompetent president/coach/alleged sexual harrasser (hell, Isiah was an incompetent broadcaster, too), Isiah would sink the Nuggets season in one fell swoop by commandeering his players to take out the Nuggets starters in that game.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith

Even though Isiah "started it," Melo and J.R. were unable to keep their heads cool and unnecessarily exacerbated an already ugly situation, ruining the Nuggets entire season as a result.

2007-08 (50-32, 0-4 in the playoffs)

Entering 2007-08, the Nuggets would finally have a training camp with their full roster participating from the get-go. With Melo and Iverson having ample time to play together, optimism in Denver was higher than it had been since entering the 2004-05 campaign. So high was the optimism, in fact, that Kroenke had over $83 million invested in the team's payroll (second or third highest in the league at the time) and Melo and K-Mart started floating out "60 wins" as a realistic goal. But even with Iverson appearing in all 82 games, Camby playing 79, Melo 77, K-Mart 71 and vast improvements seen in the games of bench players J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza, the Nuggets weren't able to secure a playoff spot (an eighth seed no less) until the 79th game of the season with a big win at Golden State. As an eighth seed, the Nuggets got worked over by the Lakers in an embarrassing four-game sweep: a series which saw Melo bark at Karl "don't just sit there!" and the benching of Iverson early in Game 3 that didn't go over well. Prior to the Nuggets final regular season game, Melo would get arrested on suspicion of a DUI. It became evident that the A.I. experiment was an expensive failure.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Nene

After being diagnosed with testicular cancer and undergoing surgery to remove his right testicle, Nene remarkably returned to play again on March 27th against the Mavericks, giving the Nuggets a much needed emotional boost that helped them secure a playoff spot down the stretch.

Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Stuck in an admittedly tumultuous and difficult situation, Karl spent much of the 2007-08 sitting on his hands during games while the Nuggets unraveled on the court. While the Nuggets head coach got called for just one technical foul all season (second to last in the NBA), his players finished in the top two in personal fouls, technical fouls, flagrant fouls and ejections. The inmates were running the asylum as Karl's coaching record in Denver got extended to a paltry 3-16 over four years. Karl would later admit to SI.com that "...the last couple of years, I was confused." Watching Karl's Nuggets routinely take nights off that season, so were we.

2008-09 (54-28, 10-6 in the playoffs)

Disappointed with his lack of return on investment, Kroenke gave an edict to management to slash payroll during the 2008 offseason. Camby would be shipped out to the Clippers in exchange for a trade exception, coach and fan favorite Eduardo Najera would not be re-signed, Iverson's contract wouldn't be extended and things were looking grim entering the 2008-09 campaign. But what loomed as a disaster instead became a season of reformation and rejuvenation. Karl came into training camp as "Fiery George" again, Melo won a gold medal with Team USA and learned a thing or two from Kobe Bryant on what an NBA work ethic really is and K-Mart, fully healthy, came into camp with an apology to his coach and teammates and a vow to work harder and play better. With former NBA castaways Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Dahntay Jones added for next-to-nothing (by NBA salary standards) and Nene in real basketball shape for the first time ever, the Nuggets were quietly confident that they had a special season on their hands.

The lone chink in the Nuggets newfound armor would be Iverson who, upset by not receiving a contract extension, showed up to camp out of shape and several steps slow. Remarkably, Nuggets management was able to pull off one of the great trades in Nuggets history by shipping Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups. By adding Billups to a roster primed to take off, the Nuggets would shock the basketball world by tying a franchise record with 54 wins and going toe-to-toe with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Simply put, it was the greatest full season of Nuggets basketball since the 1984-85 Nuggets made it to the conference finals and hopefully a sign of more good things to come in the decade ahead.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Chauncey Billups

The Denver-born Billups - who had been cast off by Issel years earlier without ever given a fair hearing as a Nugget - immediately proved to be the perfect leader for the Nuggets. Coming off six consecutive conference finals appearances with the Pistons, Billups would make it seven when he led the Nuggets there.

Non-Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Nuggets Management and George Karl

After years of placing talent over character, the Nuggets GM "troika" of Warkentien, Chapman and team adviser Bret Bearup had assembled a roster stocked with good character guys and also deserve credit for not panicking after the 2008 playoff debacle. Warkentien would be rewarded with the NBA's Executive of the Year Award, but it should have been shared by all three guys. Karl, meanwhile, turned in one of his finest performances as an NBA head coach while bridging whatever gap had existed between him and his mercurial stars Melo, J.R. and K-Mart.

Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

The NBA will soon be announcing their "All Decade Team" and it will be fascinating to see if A.I. makes the squad. One of the greatest players of the decade, Iverson ultimately proved to be a bad fit for the Nuggets and a bad influence on Melo and J.R. This became painfully clear when the Pistons imploded after bringing Iverson on board in exchange for Billups.

Overall, the '00s were a great decade for Nuggets basketball: six straight playoff appearances, two 50-plus win seasons, All-Star players and thrilling performances (how many game-tying and game-winning shots has Melo made?!). And while it would have been nice to see a few more playoff series victories prior to last season, the memories of the Bickerstaff and Issel Administrations are still prominent enough for me to appreciate what's been going on recently.

Fortunately for Nuggets fans, four of our best players - Melo, J.R., Nene and rookie Ty Lawson - still have many seasons ahead of them and hopefully will remain in a Nuggets uniform into the next decade. At the very least, we're guaranteed that the new decade starts out reasonably well and it will be fascinating to see where this franchise is standing in 2020.

Thanks for the memories and Go Nuggets!!

Photos courtesy of AP and NBAE/Getty Images

Preview: Knicks at Kings

Ziller — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:00:27 -0000

by Mike Groll - AP

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That's low, Al Harrington. Real fricking low.

THE OPPONENT

This is going to blow your fricking mind: the Knicks defense is better than the Knicks offense.

That is more of a commentary on the dreadful shooting the Knicks have given the world this season. New York ranks 22nd in effective field goal percentage, and 24th in three-point shooting. This is particularly problematic because the Knicks have taken more threes than anyone else. A full 32 percent of New York's FGAs are threes, which is outpaced by Orlando (34 percent) but still bloody robust. And, again, bloody, considering New York hits only 31 percent of those. That's an eFG of about 46 percent on threes, which is comparable with lower echelon two-point shooting. While threes are among the most efficient shots in the game, you do need to remain fairly good at hitting them to reap the benefits.

As for New York's defense: opponents turn the ball over quite a bit against the Knicks. Larry Hughes is the only passing lane wizard on the squad, but Sacramento has shown such a propensity to turn the ball over lately that even Eddy Curry could morph into a hawk before our eyes. A frightening visage, no doubt.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Al Harrington	14	31.1	6.7	15.1	44.3	1.4	5.1	28.2	4.2	4.9	85.5	1.1	4.8	5.9	1.4	2.4	1.2	0.4	3.3	19.1
David Lee	14	32.6	6.9	13.1	53.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	3.4	4.6	73.4	2.3	7.4	9.7	2.6	2.4	1.2	0.4	3.4	17.2
Danilo Gallinari	14	29.1	4.6	10.2	45.5	3.0	6.7	44.7	1.7	2.0	85.7	0.6	3.6	4.2	1.5	1.4	0.8	0.6	2.2	14.0
Larry Hughes	12	33.4	4.5	10.8	41.9	1.1	3.8	28.3	2.5	3.2	78.9	0.8	3.3	4.1	4.1	1.7	2.1	0.7	2.5	12.6
Wilson Chandler	14	33.0	4.9	12.3	39.5	0.7	3.3	21.7	1.8	2.0	89.3	1.6	4.0	5.6	1.7	1.7	0.5	1.2	3.6	12.2
Nate Robinson	8	21.4	3.3	8.9	36.6	1.5	4.5	33.3	0.9	1.4	63.6	0.6	1.3	1.9	3.3	1.6	0.8	0.4	2.4	8.9
Toney Douglas	13	14.5	3.4	6.6	51.2	0.8	2.2	37.9	0.4	0.5	83.3	0.2	0.8	1.1	0.6	0.8	0.4	0.0	1.5	8.0
Chris Duhon	14	34.5	1.9	7.7	24.1	0.8	3.9	20.0	1.9	2.3	81.3	0.3	2.9	3.2	6.2	1.9	1.2	0.1	1.4	6.4
Eddy Curry	4	11.3	1.8	4.5	38.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	3.3	53.8	1.0	1.5	2.5	0.0	2.8	0.0	0.0	2.0	5.3
Jordan Hill	7	7.7	2.0	3.1	63.6	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.6	0.7	80.0	1.1	0.6	1.7	0.3	0.7	0.4	0.4	1.6	4.6
Jared Jeffries	13	19.7	1.2	3.0	41.0	0.2	0.8	30.0	0.4	0.7	55.6	1.2	1.7	2.8	1.4	1.2	0.5	0.8	2.2	3.1
Marcus Landry	4	5.3	1.0	2.0	50.0	0.3	1.0	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	2.3
Darko Milicic	8	8.8	1.0	2.1	47.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.6	1.6	2.3	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.1	0.9	2.0

Seth of Posting & Toasting is the funniest 20-year-old I've ever met, which the two exceptions being Donte Greene last year and myself at age 20. (If you can't see the joke in there, my humor is way too next level for you.)

THE KEY BATTLE

I would announce the coming conquest of Tyreke Evans over his worst DraftExpress comp (Hughes) if Evans were certain to play, but alas, he is soft. (This is the greatest: part of the Peaches crusade against Kevin Martin was that Evans was so tough that he'd play through minor things like sprains. "If it isn't broke, you play." Guess what? Sprains hurt! They limit your ability to run, stop, jump, cut and slide! Basketball requires those movements! Frequently! And basketball players -- even tough basketball players -- need to let their body heal sometimes. Sorry that Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans and Bobby Jackson are robbing you of your $0 tickets.)

In conclusion, if Grant Napear were an actor, he'd be Peter O'TOOLe. If Grant Napear were a president, he'd be IDIOTham Lincoln. If Grant Napear were a Danish philosopher, he'd be Soren DOUCHEgaard. If Grant Napear were a game show host, he'd be Pat SaJACKASS.

THE KEY BATTLE, NON-TANGENT EDITION

Beno Udrih, meet Chris Duhon. Destroy Chris Duhon. Destroy him. (I will also accept Jason Thompson vs. Al Harrington.)

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

The Kings are 0-1 in games when free pregame buffets are provided to fans. But I've got a special feeling about this buffet. Yes, this one will beget good things. Lofty things. (Seriously, nice promo, Kings. Golf clap. If I didn't have a date with an infant and some spit-up, I'd be right there with you shovelling mashed potatoes down my throat, leaving my seat to visit the gentlemen's room at a crucial point in the game. Right there with you.)

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Eddy Curry will not feel like commiserating with Francisco Garcia over the dangerous realities of exercise balls. (Speaking of which, does anyone else think El Flaco should spend his time away from the court doing stand-up? "An Israeli soldier, Sean May and Eric Musselman walk into a bar. And then I'm like, wassup fellas? <cackle>")

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Considering the Sexy Systemic Rating System has been an abject failure in determining margins of victory, let us stick to the mainstream methods: random guesses, based on intuition and hope. Kings 124, Knick 78.

DETAILS

7 PM start (for the game and the game thread. Forreal this time). Buffet opens at 5:30. No Game Thread II tonight. Post-game thread at 9:45. Go Kings.

Can Eddy Curry make a difference?

Seth — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:19:23 -0000

It's becoming time for Eddy Curry to prove his worth. However "rusty" he is, the Knicks could use Eddy's size to impede opposing slashers and big men and allow David Lee to play his natural position of power forward. Defense has never been Curry's calling card, but if the big fella's newly svelte stature is not an optical illusion, he should be able to run the floor and at least make a passing effort at contesting shots.

As for tonight's game in Indiana, the word from Alan Hahn's Twitter is that Curry won't start just yet (Toney Douglas will!), which is to be expected. If Eddy's up to it, though, expect him to get real minutes against the Pacers' Roy Hibbert, who simply cannot be checked by any of the other rotation Knicks.

Do you have faith, though? I'm personally worried to fall into this trap again. I was excited over the summer for an energized Curry to compete for minutes with Jordan Hill and Darko Milicic, but that really hasn't panned out. Eddy looked nice in training camp, but went down almost immediately to a leg injury. Meanwhile, the other two big men haven't gotten nearly enough time to spin, but I digress. It's hard to get over the possibility that Curry's body will quickly break down once more, though his much-improved physique might give us a glimmer of hope. If he's healthy enough to compete, this could be Eddy Curry's chance to prove he can still have an impact. If things go to plan, it sounds like that quest could start tonight. Whether his presence can improve the 1-9 Knicks remains to be seen.

Warriors 121, Knicks 107

Seth — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:09:06 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Kmonicek - AP

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So, if it wasn't clear before, I think it is now. The Knicks are a very, very bad team. I know this because the Warriors are a very bad team, and they carved up New York like it was nothing. This Knicks squad is in a whole 'nother league, bros. The game was pretty much what you expected: lackadaisical defense by both squads and oodles of shots. As tends to be the case, though, it was the Warriors that connected on those oodles, while New York couldn't really find the range.

Notes and such, after the jump...

- This game featured some of the smallest lineups you'll ever see in professional basketball. Don Nelson had no problem trotting out Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson as his big men at points, and Mike D'Antoni responded with a lineup featuring Al Harrington and Wilson Chandler at the 4 and 5. As you can imagine, jump shots were plentiful.

- D'Antoni finally let Darko Milicic and Jordan Hill spin. The fact that he did so against the one opponent without a real center is typically ironic, but I've decided not to get bent out of shape about it. Darko may have shed some light on the reasons for his benching. He played only 5 minutes in this one, but managed to do absolutely nothing in that timespan. No joke; Darko was a foul away from a trillion. Jordan Hill, meanwhile, started the third quarter and was active as hell. He had 5 fouls in 14 minutes (at least one of which was bullshit), but did plenty of good. He nailed a couple of 18-foot jumpers, had a nice put back, and threw down a pretty viscous transition dunk. Jordan doesn't box out like a pro yet, but he was able to noodle his way to a few rebounds, and was also the the only Knick to ever contest a shot. I should also mention that those five fouls came while Hill was guarding Jackson and/or Maggette, which is just a silly proposition for a 6'10'' rookie. I'm also gonna blame his two turnovers (a bad pass and a palming violation) and his teammates, because that would make me feel better. I wouldn't be all that wrong, either. Jordan Hill looked solid, y'all.

- When I say Hill was the "only Knick to ever contest a shot", I'm looking at you, David Lee. Lee's turnstile defense was at its absolute worst tonight. Had Dave even put a hand up to contest Monta Ellis and Kelenna Azubuike's drives into the paint, this would have been a close game.

- Meanwhile, Stephen Curry got only three minutes for the Warriors, and he spent at least one of the minutes blocking David Lee's shot and then having words with him, which was super awkward. Golden State may have won the game, but I'll take the '09 Draft win for the time being.

- Danilo Gallinari showed up with a fresh haircut and guns ablaze. Gallo had 10 rebounds to supplement his efficient 19 points (7-10), and by "efficient", I mean GALLO NEEDS TO SHOOT MORE. Congrats to Danilo on his first double-double, though. It's funny that a 21 year-old might be the Knick I trust most with the ball.

- Chris Duhon hit a shot.

- Du and Wilson Chandler are decent offensive players, but both pick the worst times to attempt long-range jumpers. If you're gonna take a heat check, you should 1. Be hot and 2. Not be in the midst of an opposing 10-0 run.

- Interesting statistic put forth by Mike Crispino regarding Chandler: Wilson took 6 free throws in the season opener, then took 6 free throws in the next eight games combined. He got to the stripe for 2-3 last night, which is about a quarter of what he could produce if he didn't settle for jumpers.

- Clyde on Stephen Jackson: "He can't control what goes in or out of his mouth".

- Toney Douglas kept up his solid offensive production (15 points, 3 assists, and only 1 turnover this time), but had a bit more trouble than one would expect defending Warrior guards. Toney's not getting over picks like he was in Summer League. He's still the most determined defender on the team, though, and one of the few Knicks who's really a pleasure to watch. Also, he may or may not be growing a beard. DWTDD.

- With 5:30 remaining in the third quarter, the Knick lineup was Douglas, Hughes, Gallinari, Lee, and Hill. As far as I'm considered, there's your starting five. The Knicks are 1-9. I see absolutely no reason why not.

- Clyde to Mike Crispino: "I heard you like desserts".

- My friend and I decided that Al Harrington should convert to Islam, grow a beard, and go by "Al-Farouq Harrington". Partly because that'd be awesome, and partly because the Knicks don't have a draft pick.

- And that's really my central point- something that dawned on me this past week. After ugly losses last year, I'd make my way over to Draft Express and soothe my troubled soul with tales of Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio. Now? Nothing. I wanna kick Isiah Thomas in the butt.

With that, I leave you. We'll enjoy a few days of respite before the Knicks next play, as they head to Indiana for a Wednesday night matchup. Thanks to everybody who's been showing up for game threads. It's really the best way to keep having fun when the team is this dreadful. Keep stopping by keep up the comments.

RECAP: Warriors 121, Knicks 107 - WESTSIDE til I Die!

R Dizzle — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:16:16 -0000

I don't get it man. We destroy the Knicks and NELLIE RUMORS ARE STILL POPPING UP? This is ridiculous...

Peep out my #1 brother's take on the whole situation (RUMOR: Golden State Warriors Head Coach Don Nelson on his way out)

Preview/ Game Thread (800+ Comments)

Final Box Score

Blog Buddy: Posting and Toasting

Final - 11.13.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden State Warriors	32	34	20	35	121
New York Knicks	26	26	28	27	107

Complete Coverage >

After seeing this post on SB Nation yesterday, I got a little inspired...

Let's be real - Warriors vs Knicks? Two poor teams that can match 'em to each other? West Coast vs. East Coast? Isn't this a bit reminiscent of...

Stephen Jackson

"With nothing to lose, it's just me against the world."

Me Against the World

The harsh reality in this situation is that no matter what Stephen Jackson does from this point on, no Warriors fan has got his back. He can have a strong performance like last night, 23 points, 8 boards, and 5 steals, but still be hated on (and rightfully so). Mu ch like 2Pac, you don't know what you're going to get outta him. One day, he'll be inspirational and give you a reason to wake up and do something to change this world. The next - he'll throw a temper tantrum and look like a fool. Good work tonight, and here's to hoping if he'll "Hit 'em Up" tonight.

Monta Ellis

"Picture me rollin in my 500 Benz,

I got no love for these n----, there's no need to friends"

Picture Me Rollin

Monta's got the epitome of the - "I don't give a - what you think of me, I'm doin my thing" - attitude. His 22 points will win the game, but the 2 assists, 4 turnovers, and 4 fouls will prove why he's not a PG. Let's be real, he's not making many friends on the team with his selfish play and his lack of desire to do things ("That's why I won't do it. I just won't do it.") But why would he care? He's got a dope moped. Picture Monta rollin!

Nate Robinson

"Sky is the limit and you know you can just keep on

Keep on pressin on"

Sky Is the Limit

Sigh...I feel really really REALLY bad for Nate Rob. The man's got talent, he's fun to watch but he's stuck on THIS team. Yeah yeah, the Dunk Contests are rigged, but they're still awesome. Who knows where he'll end up next year, but I wish the man well. I kinda wished he slammed all over SJax's face...

Donnie Walsh and Isiah Thomas

"Mo Money, Mo Problems."

Mo Money Mo Problems

Sucks to be Donnie Walsh...

Darko Milicic

"Been around the world and I I I
And we been playa hated [say what?]
I don't know and I don't know why
Why they want us faded [ahehe]
I don't know why they hate us [yeah]
Is it our ladies? [uh-huh]
Or our drop Mercedes [uhh, uhh]
Bay-bee bay-BEE!"

Been Around the World

Remember who got drafted after Darko? 3 All Stars. Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade.

How many teams has Darko been on since his first draft team - the Pistons? 3 teams - Magic, Grizzlies, and Knicks.

Been around the world? Been playa hated? Still got a fine lady? Rollin in a Benz?

Kelenna Azubuike

"Soon as I stepped on the scene I'm hearin hooches screamin

Fiendin for money and alcohol

The life of a west side playa where cowards die and it's all ball"

California Love

This man has been ON FIRE. Over the last 3 years, he's grown into his own and you can expect a consistent game from him every night. Pullin down 22 points on 9-13 shooting ain't no joke. Mad props to Booke. I'm sure the ladies love his biceps...

CJ Watson

Who knows when CJ will be on the court long enough to earn one of these, so I'll give the man his moment of praise. CJ played well and was ALL OVER THE COURT. 7-8 shooting and 2-2 three point shooting are amazing stats...kinda makes ya wonder why he's not in more?

I'll follow MTII's Pac quote....

"I know it seems hard sometimes, but

Remember one thing

Through every dark night, there's a bright day after that.

So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out

Keep ya head up

And handle it."

Me Against the World

REST IN PEACE TUPAC SHAKUR AND CHRISTOPHER WALLACE

Yahoo! + NBA

CSN Bay Area + Golden State Warriors

Poll

Which player is most like 2Pac?

Stephen Jackson

197 votes

Monta Ellis

73 votes

Kelenna Azubuike

45 votes

C.J. Watson

13 votes

Anthony Randolph

21 votes

Corey Maggette

15 votes

Andris Biedrins

66 votes

430 votes | Poll has closed

Where The Hell is Darko Milicic?

Seth — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:55:48 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

Give Darko some minutes or he'll begin hording basketballs and ruin the fun for everybody. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Browse more photos »

A number of us asked that question verbatim last night. The moment was right. David Lee and Al Harrington were both getting pretty soundly bulldozed by Al Horford in the third quarter, which allowed the Hawks to take the lead and never look back. It almost made you wish the Knicks had a defensively capable 7-footer on the bench to deter Horford's points in the paint. Ohhhh.....wait. Darko Milicic didn't leave the bench last night, and hasn't done so since the Milwaukee game last Saturday. Darko saw 17 minutes on opening night, and has hit double digits only twice since then. What gives? In the footnotes of today's article, Marc Berman sheds some light:

Backup center Darko Milicic received his second straight DNP. "A couple of games, I was playing for five minutes, it's not like playing 30 minutes to zero minutes, not really a shock," Milicic said.

Milicic has looked out of place on the offensive end. Mike D'Antoni, once known to be good with European players, explained his decision is based on wanting more speed in the lineup.

The Knicks are trying to make room for Eddy Curry, who could be ready next Wednesday in Indiana. D'Antoni indicated Curry won't have to earn his minutes, a shift in previous philosophy.

Speed, eh? I'm not so sure Darko would be slowing anything down. Though the Knicks are 5th in the league in pace so far, they are near-last in fast break points. New York gets possessions aplenty because of poor shot selection and worse transition defense. So, if the speed ain't happening either way, why not employ some size? David Lee's looked pretty helpless playing out of position, and Jared Jeffries can only do so much with his skeletal frame. The fact that the past week went by with neither Darko nor Jordan Hill (another big who deserves at least a glimpse of the floor, if only for appearances) getting a real chance to check Horford (9-16 for 25 points), Carlos Boozer (10-14 for 23), or Andrew Bogut (8-14 for 22) for any significant stretch of time is perplexing.

I suppose that a rejuvenated Eddy Curry could help fill the hole in due time, but Eddy's never been a defensive specialist, to put it kindly. Also, Curry still won't be back for a week or so. Why shoot yourself in the foot in the meantime? I'd say D'Antoni's best bet is to free Darko immediately, and liberate Jordan Hill while he's at it. The Knicks could use some size, and when you're 1-8, there isn't much to lose.

What say you?

Don't Mess With Darko

aramnath — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:53:45 -0000

Since Darko Milicic was drafted No.2 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft behind Lebron James and before Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade among others, he has become a constant source of ridicule and is often categorized as the Sam Bowie of his generation. With Milicic currently playing on the Knicks, Cleveland coming to play at Madison Square Garden tonight and the impending summer of 2010 around the corner I am sure this is something that will be heard on the ESPN telecast about 50 times tonight. I would warn people that while Milicic may look like an easy target I would be extremely careful not to piss him off.

Milicic Darko (English sub) after Serbia-Greece Euro 07 game (via KaktusCzar)

Anyways if Darko does get pissed, hopefully ESPN has a contingency plan to protect the announcers and their families as soon as the game finishes tonight.