SB Nation - Brian Cook

Some Thoughts on Kobe & Shaq

Josh Tucker — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:01:03 -0000

A few days ago, as you all remember quite well, Kobe Bryant hit this ridiculous game-winning bank shot over Dwyane Wade to beat Miami and keep the Lakers' winning streak (now at 9 games) alive. It was incredible, and yet, because it was Kobe, completely unsurprising. I was out of my mind, and yet, because it was Kobe, I should almost have expected it. It was an amazing shot, and yet, because it was Kobe, not a shocking one.

For me, as for many Lakers fans, the experience went beyond that single shot. In the day or so that followed, I found myself mentally reliving many of Kobe's previous buzzer beaters. Two of my favorites, of course, are the double-whammies versus Portland and Phoenix — in both of which, Kobe first ties the game at the buzzer to send it to overtime, and then, at the end of overtime, hits another shot at the buzzer to win it. (Side note: I wonder how many other players have hit two buzzer beaters in the same game, on more than one occasion? Anyone know?)

Suddenly, something occurred to me. My wife, who often watches Lakers games with me (lucky man that I am), had probably never seen either of those shots (or rather, pairs of shots). We got married in late 2006, and it was only after that that she started watching with me. So, of course, I called up YouTube and played them for her.

That's when I noticed something — something different about Shaq and Kobe...

Back in May of this almost-over calendar year, the NBA was busy applying fancy editing to some of the more dramatic moments in NBA playoff history, and the results were awesome. You had Dr. J's reverse layup, Larry Legend's inbounds steal, Magic Johnson's baby skyhook, and of course, Kobe's clutch alley-oop pass to Shaq.

When the Kobe-to-Shaq commercial ran, Jason Kottke noticed something about the play:

Bryant creates 95% of the offense here by crossing Pippen over and throwing a perfect lob to O'Neal. O'Neal throws it down and the camera follows him as he heads down the court yelling in celebration, totally blowing right past Kobe, who has his hand out to high-five Shaq. Kobe half-heartedly grabs at O'Neal's forearm as he passes; Shaq doesn't even notice.

Henry Abbott picked up on Jason's observation and ran it on TrueHoop, referring to it as "Where Amazingly Sad Happens."

Watch the video at the top of this post, and you'll see what they were referring to. Here's the unedited version, which further reinforces Kottke's point, making it even more clear that Kobe, not Shaq, is responsible for this play; Shaq was open for the lob because Kobe drew four defenders (Derek Fisher was keeping the fifth one honest).

Kobe created that play for Shaq. Kobe deserves most of the credit; all Shaq did was cash in on an incredible move and a gorgeous pass by Bryant. In fact, it's worth pointing out that in this situation, Kobe did what Magic didn't — pass the ball to his open big man. In light of Kobe's reputation as a supposed ball-hog (7 assists in the triangle offense, anyone?), even that is worth something — especially since Kobe had enough space to take the shot himself, and a free-throw jumper is almost automatic for him. But he made that pass, found his open big man, and created the biggest play of the game.

But what's Shaq's response, when the momentous play is completed? It's certainly not to show any appreciation to his very deserving teammate. Instead, he turns and points to the home crowd as he runs down the court.

It's as if to say, "I've done it! I've all but won us the game — give me the glory!" He's too busy exalting in his greatness and soaking in the adoration of the fans to even notice Kobe, let alone thank him. The star of the game, as Kottke also points out, was Kobe, who had 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks in the amazing comeback, as compared to Shaq's 18/9/5/1. The credit for the pivotal play belonged to Kobe. But there's Shaq, taking all the credit.

Watch the unedited video again. As Kottke points out (the dude was full of insights), it shows Shaq finally finding Kobe for a high-five, long after the play is over and he's sought out and received his props from the fans and his teammates. Kottke points out that "it's a brief moment; they slap hands and go their separate ways, foreshadowing Shaq's departure four years later." To me, it looks like more of the same from Shaq — his body language says, "High five me for that awesome play I just made." (To his credit, Kobe does just that.) Not that there's anything wrong with that, when it's deserved; players do that all the time, when they've just done something awesome. It's just that, in this case, it should have been a high five, or even a hug, that said, "I'm high fiving you for that play you just made."

Kinda like this:

Having been blown away by Kobe's game-winner over Miami, and having gone back to relive this previous clutch Kobe moments with my wife, I noticed something that reminded me of Jason Kottke's and Henry Abbott's observations regarding the Kobe-Shaq alley-oop.

Kobe deserved more credit for his game-tying floater than Shaq did for his alley-oop dunk. Unlike Shaq, Kobe created his own shot, and it was much more difficult. The presence of mind to know how much time was on the clock, and to know what kind of shot he could get in that time, was incredible. That left fake before he goes to the right around Raja Bell is simply brilliant. The twisting floater over Diaw to avoid the block was as perfect as it gets, and a very tough shot found nothing but net. As one commentator puts it (sounds like Hubie Brown, maybe?), "This is a miraculous shot."

But incredible as that shot was, it never would have happened without Smush freaking Parker's (!!) strip and deflection. And Kobe knows it. From stripping the ball without fouling, to dancing along the sideline while chasing a loose ball, to the presence of mind required to calmly make the controlled tap to an already-breaking teammate (Devean George), Smush Parker was, quite simply, playing way over his head. It was a brilliant, savvy, smart play that set up Kobe's shot. Get this right, folks: Kobe may have tied the game, but it was Smush Parker who saved it.

And Kobe knows this. He's just sent the game to overtime, and the crowd is going nuts for him, and he could care less about any of that. Instead of celebrating his own incredible shot or soaking in the crowd's mind-numbing adoration, he makes a bee-line for Smush. There's no simple high five here, no quick butt-smack. He freaking smothers the kid, and doesn't let go of him until Smush knows that he was the man on that play. Even after his teammates catch up and mob Kobe for making the shot, he still doesn't let go of his boy.

Smush Parker didn't put up 25/11/7/5 on the game. In fact, he was pretty bad on the night, going 2-12 for 5 points, with 3 rebounds, only 1 assist, and 5 fouls (and no free throws of his own). As hindsight has made so very clear, it had to be frustrating for Kobe to be playing the mighty Suns alongside a player of Smush's caliber (not to mention Devean George/Brian Cook and Kwame Brown, who, together with Smush, composed 3/5 of the Lakers starting unit). But in this moment, none of that matters, because as far as Kobe is concerned, Smush is the hero of the moment, and he makes sure his point guard gets every ounce of the appreciation he deserves.

Now, don't take this as being some sort of end-all point to completely settle the argument — but doesn't it seem a bit off to you, in watching these two plays, that Kobe had the reputation of being such a bad teammate, and Shaq, such a great one? Certainly, Kobe has had his flaws. But, as this video session suggests, perhaps it's not nearly so cut and dry — perhaps Kobe was never as bad as he was made out to be, and perhaps Shaq was never as good.

Just some food for thought, for the next time the Shaq-Kobe "relationship" comes up.

Practice Report: Stan Van Gundy Comments on a Variety of Topics, Including Jason Williams' Defense; Dwight Howard Chats About Depth

erivera7 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:33:15 -0000

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The Orlando Magic are 14-4 with the best record in the Eastern Conference, at this point, but head coach Stan Van Gundy (and the players) are not content because they understand the season is lengthy. Things change. As such, it's no surprise that Van Gundy was bemoaning the pick and roll defense after practice was over earlier this afternoon because he's looking for improvement in that area - not only against the New York Knicks tomorrow, but for the remainder of the year. Stan wasn't shy to praise Jason Williams' effort on the defensive side of the ball, though (validating what the numbers have said, so far).

I was able to speak with Stan amongst the media, as well as Dwight Howard.

Here's what they had to say:

Stan Van Gundy:

How's the pick and roll defense looking?

*laughs*

It didn't look much better today than it did on Sunday so we'll keep going, we'll keep working on it.

What's the biggest thing you're working on to improve with that?

Well, I mean, we just got to ... it really requires five guys and we'll get three or four, maybe, making the right rotations and stuff on a play. One guy is a little bit late and you're in trouble. We just got to keep working and getting better on it and we will continue to. We still got tomorrow to work on it, really the whole year. I mean, we got to get better.

Do you think you're getting better balance lately on offense, with Dwight Howard and the inside-out game?

Well, I thought we did a good job on the road trip of getting him the basketball and playing from the inside-out a little bit more so some nights it's harder than others, to get him shots, based on how people play but we should be able to get him the ball more. We worked on some things today to try to improve that and we will continue to but I thought we did a much, much better job on the road trip.

How much is it a luxury to have not just one stretch four, but two, on your roster?

I think it helps us in that we can play more minutes at the same style. What we had the first two years here is basically when Rashard [Lewis] came out of the game, we did a little bit of it with Brian Cook, but he wasn't playing a lot so we weren't really able to stay with that style of play so you really had to learn two different styles, play two different styles. It makes it a little easier, I think with our guys, with Ryan [Anderson].

You've talked about J-Will's assist-to-turnover ratio, what's impressed you the most about him so far this season?

Well, that's been good, the fact that he's turning the ball over once every 30 minutes, which is really impressive for a point guard, but I think more than that, just his energy and I think the surprising thing a little bit has been how hard he's been competing defensively. I think he's a guy that's never been known for his defense, and I'm not ready to nominate him for the All-Defensive team, but he's competed hard defensively. I think he's out there working his butt off on every possession.

More after the jump (including a J.J. Redick teaser).

Dwight Howard:

Could you talk a little bit about the team's depth? I know you guys have been dealing with injuries, illnesses, and some other stuff.

Well, we understand that during the season, there's going to be guys out with injuries and sicknesses or whatever but as a team, we got to remains strong when those guys do go out. It's tough when you have some good players, our key players miss games because of injury or illness, but coach [Stan Van Gundy] does a great job of just firing up our team when others are down.

Stan talks about the importance of playing inside-out. Do you think you guys have been playing with better balance lately?

Well, we understand as a team what we got to do to win. We have to play inside-out to be successful. We can't really rely just on our three-point shooting because there's going to be nights where we don't shoot the ball well so one thing that we can do, besides defense, is get the ball in the paint. Whether that's driving in the paint and kicking out for open shots or post-ups.

Do you expect a different gameplan from the New York Knicks tomorrow, in terms of looks and what they're going to throw at you?

Both teams are going to have different game-plans, I know we are. We didn't do a great job on the pick and roll and we're going to come back with a better plan than that so we're going to have a different gameplan. I'm pretty sure they are too but we can't make any excuses but we didn't have a lot of time to get ready for New York the way we wanted to because of the back-to-back so we got a day off, we got another day just to get ourselves ready and focused on what we're going to do so you'll probably see much better defensive effort out of us.

Odds and Ends:

Unfortunately, this will be my last practice report and tomorrow will be my last game I cover for a while. I'm going to be flying back up to Chicago this weekend to start preparing for grad school at Northwestern University so I won't be able to continue to post practice reports, post-game media availabilities, or recaps for the foreseeable future. Duty calls - namely, my journalism education (don't worry, I'll still be posting for the site). Luckily, Ben will start picking things up where I left off relatively soon.

The good news is that I will be able to cover the Magic when the team plays the Bulls and maybe the Bucks (I don't know about the latter). After that, who knows. I'll make sure to keep my options open, nevertheless.

So, as a special treat, I was also able to speak with J.J. Redick one-on-one earlier today. Normally, I'd my post my quotes with whatever else I gather at practice, but I'll reserve the transcript for tomorrow morning since I was able to speak with him for about 5-10 minutes on a number of subjects. Be on the lookout for that.

Replacing Estimates of Magic 08-09 Stats With Real Ones

jonnichols — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:15:09 -0000

Some of the best stats out there, ones that most fans familiar with advanced stats know about, are actually based on estimates using box score data. For example, when we calculate Marcin Gortat's Offensive Rebound Rate, we're trying to determine what percentage of available offensive rebounds he collected while he was on the court. However, we don't really know how many rebounds were available. We have to estimate based on how things usually go for the Magic and their opponents, and assign a portion of that to Gortat.

Using box score data, that's the best we can do. But we also have play-by-play data, and we don't have to estimate. We (actually, a programming script) can go through the hundreds of thousands of recorded plays from the NBA 08-09 season, and find how many of those resulted in offensive rebound opportunities for Gortat. From there we just total how many offensive boards he had, and divide that by the number of available ones.

This method removes some of the guessing game, and the results of this method on various stats for the Magic will be discussed today. For a full explanation of how everything works, I will refer you to the article I wrote over at Basketball-Statistics.com last Thursday, which is here. Let's start by comparing the estimated rebound rates to the actual ones, as calculated from the play-by-play data, after the jump...

We can see that the estimates are pretty darn close. Amazingly, though, Dwight Howard is an even better rebounder than we thought (by 0.3%). Gortat's offensive rebounding may have been slightly overestimated, but his defensive rebounding was underestimated. The biggest differences were for Keith Bogans and Rafer Alston, who were actually not rebounding as well as we thought.

Now let's move on to some stuff for the little guys. Here are the comparisons for assists and steals:

Jameer Nelson's Assist Rate may have been inflated, while Anthony Johnson didn't receive enough credit. When we use the play-by-play data instead of the estimates, the difference between the two shrinks from 10.9% to 7%. My play-by-play steal rates are slightly lower for every player, and that may have something to do with differences in the way I calculated possessions.

Finally, let's look at blocks and usage rate:

Again, we see that each player's PBP data is less than his estimated data. This is not a Magic-only thing. The reason for this difference is again due to different calculations. Block percentage is normally calculated as the percentage of opponents' two-point attempts that were blocked by the player in question. My calculations counted three-point attempts as well. I feel that this way is more appropriate because, even though it's rare, three-pointers do get blocked. With usage rates, we again see that the estimates were actually pretty close to the real thing.

Because the differences between the estimates and the play-by-play data are usually small, this information may seem trivial. In many ways, it is. However, it's nice to get that warm fuzzy feeling when you know the numbers you're looking at are thoroughly calculated instead of just estimations.

What, does nobody else get that feeling?

Examining the Orlando Magic's Offense With and Without Floor-Stretching Power Forwards

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:00:33 -0000

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Tomorrow night, Rashard Lewis will take the court in a meaningful game for the Orlando Magic for the first time since June 14th, 2009. A 10-game suspension to start the regular season due to testing positive for a banned substance has kept Lewis out of action. This 10 games he's missed to start the season exceeds the total number of game he missed in his first two seasons with Orlando combined: he missed one game in 2007/08 with a strained neck, and the final three games last season with knee tendinitis. That's it.

I believe Lewis' durability, and his soft-spoken nature--his official website listed "The Quiet Man" as one of his nicknames prior to its recent overhaul--have conspired to make Magic fans take him for granted. If there's anything the first 10 games of this season have highlighted, though, it's that this team needs him, or a player like him, in order to succeed on the offensive end.

Stan Van Gundy's game-plan since joining the Magic involves surrounding All-Star center Dwight Howard with four reliable three-point shooters. Lewis, with a career three-point percentage of 39.1%, certainly fits this description. The wrinkle is that he, a career-long small forward with the Seattle SuperSonics, has played heavily at power forward in Van Gundy's offense. Naturally, many pundits consider this decision gimmicky. If the Magic had a "true" power forward, one who could "get dirty" and "bang around inside," Orlando would enjoy more success. Thus, when the Magic signed big, burly Brandon Bass this summer, these critics assumed Bass would start at power forward and Lewis would move back to small forward. Nevermind the fact that Orlando had just reached the NBA Finals with Lewis starting 79 games at big forward, and led the NBA in three-pointers made and attempted that season.

With Lewis' suspension, the Magic turned to recently acquired, second-year man Ryan Anderson to start at power forward. Trainer/scout extraordinaire David Thorpe, of Scouts, Inc. and ESPN, told our own Eddy Rivera this summer that he regards Anderson as "Lewis-lite" due to their similar skill-sets. And through the first six games of this season, the Magic posted an offensive rating of 116.7 and an effective field goal percentage of 53.0% with Anderson contributing 15 points, and 2.8 three-pointers, per game. The Magic's offense was coasting until he sprained his ankle, which left Orlando with only Bass to play power forward.

And this is, as I'll show after the fold, where the Magic's offense went off the rails. The three games Bass started in Lewis' and Anderson's absences--before he came down with the flu, comically leaving the Magic with 0 available power forwards on a 13-man roster against the New Jersey Nets--highlighted for me just how important a floor-stretching power forward is to the Magic's offense. So I compiled data from those three games, and from the three games Lewis missed last season, to illustrate the extent to which Orlando's offense suffers when playing "traditionally," or the way most pundits prescribed in the wake of their Finals ouster.

Before showing the results, I want to first define the terms as they appear in the charts below. "Stretch" refers to a starting lineup which included a non-traditional power forward. These lineups include the 160 games Lewis started at that position, 6 from Ryan Anderson, 1 from Hedo Turkoglu, and 1 from Matt Barnes. Classifying Barnes as a "stretch" power forward is a bit dubious, as he's a career 32.6% shooter from long-range. Nonetheless, he's certainly not a "traditional" power forward, which leads me to my explanation of that term: any power forward who doesn't have three-point range. Specifically, that's Tony Battie in his three starts last season, and Bass in three starts this year.

There are obvious caveats which I'd also like to address: first, that sample size skews heavily toward "stretch": 168 data points for it compared to 6 for "traditional." Second, the three games Battie started were the final ones of last season, in which the Magic had nothing at stake. Third, neither Bass nor Battie has Lewis' level of talent, and any offense will suffer when it subtracts an All-Star and adds two career role-players. Had the Magic replaced Lewis with a "traditional" power forward who also happened to be an All-Star--Carlos Boozer springs immediately to mind--then the results may have been different. Let's bear all these facts in mind when we consider the data.

Here are the Magic's offensive statistics over the last three seasons, split by games with a "stretch" power forward and games with a "traditional" power forward in the starting lineup:

Season	Starting PF Type	GP	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
2007/08	Stretch	82	111.2	53.7%	25.6	23.4	15.0
2008/09	Stretch	79	112.0	52.3%	25.3	24.3	15.5
"	Traditional	3	103.4	44.5%	21.1	28.1	12.2
2009/10	Stretch	7	116.7	53.7%	25.0	25.2	15.3
"	Traditional	3	97.7	46.8%	19.0	18.9	14.7

Now here are the same numbers presented by split, and not by year:

Season	Starting PF Type	GP	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
2007/08- 2009/10	Stretch	168	111.8	53.0%	25.4	23.7	15.2
"	Traditional	6	100.6	45.6%	20.1	23.7	13.4
Difference			-11.2	-7.4%	-5.3	0.0	-1.8

As is readily apparent, the Magic suffer mightily on offense when forced to start a traditional" power forward. Their efficiency drops a shade over 10%; shooting and foul-drawing dips; and only turnovers improve. Oddly, even with "traditional" power forwards--with whom we'd expect to be more successful on the glass--the Magic do not improve on their offensive rebounding, although that fact might be more of a reflection of Van Gundy's strategy of sending four men back after a shot attempt in order to shore-up transition defense.

I also measured the effect starting a stretch power forward had on the team's shot selection. Note that FGA% refers to the percentage of overall shots, while FG% refers to conversion rate.

Season	Starting PF Type	GP	Shot Composition			Conversion
Season	Starting PF Type	GP	2FGA%	3FGA%	FTA%	2FG%	3FG%	FT%
2007/08- 2009/10	Stretch	168	49.5	24.5	26.1	51.4%	39.4%	72.1%
"	Traditional	6	56.9	18.7	24.4	46.0%	29.7%	62.3%
Difference			+7.4	-5.8	-2.1	-5.4%	-9.7%	-9.8%

The Magic shoot much fewer three-pointers when they field a traditional starting five; that much is obvious, because if it weren't I wouldn't have written this post. What's also significant is that they don't shoot nearly as many free throws. As New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank recently explained to the New York Times, the most efficient shots in basketball are, in order: the free throw, the layup, and the three-pointer. In other words, the Magic get fewer attempts at two of the best shots an offense can possibly get when they start a traditional lineup. Worse still, they don't make nearly as many of their two-point attempts. Their offense, in short, becomes a shell of itself. And while they have the pieces to be a top-five defensive team--they led the league in defensive efficiency last year, after all--they'd have to play stifling D every single night to compensate for such an anemic, inefficient offense.

All these data lead me to several conclusions: first, Rashard Lewis is vitally important to Orlando's success on offense. Second, the 21-year-old Ryan Anderson--whose starts comprise 6 of the 7 data points for stretch power forwards this season--figures to be a key player for Orlando this season and in the long-term. In fact, Anderson's impressed Magic fans so much that a plurality of 3QC poll respondents believe he should continue to start even when Lewis returns, which would shift Lewis to small forward.

And that's where I disagree.

Keeping Anderson in the starting lineup leaves the bench fairly bereft of firepower. Guards Jason Williams and J.J. Redick have three-point range, but are inconsistent shooters; ditto for forwards Mickael Pietrus and Barnes. Bass has missed all 11 treys he's attempted in 3773 career minutes, while center Marcin Gortat is 1-for-1 in 1026 career minutes. Conversely, moving Anderson to the bench enables the Magic to play with a floor-spacing power forward for all 48 minutes each game, if they so choose. Nothing but good can come of such an arrangement; Dwight Howard gets room to work inside, while Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, and Pietrus have lanes through which to drive at their heart's content. The offense would never lag, at least in theory, because it would always have range at four positions. This luxury is one the Magic have never enjoyed. While it's true that they employed three-point specialist power forward Brian Cook for parts of the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons, his poor rebounding, defense, and conditioning kept him out of the rotation and prevented him from making a consistent impact. Anderson figures see regular playing time, despite his needing work defensively, and is a superior rebounder to Cook.

So if it were up to me, Nelson, Carter, Barnes, Lewis, and Howard would comprise the Magic's starting five against Charlotte tomorrow night; Anderson would play a key role off the bench. And if it were up to me, we'd all take a moment to appreciate Lewis' sizable role in Orlando's success, and that NBA teams can indeed win big without a traditional power forward.

Hey, Utah - your team just got beat by a bunch of midgets. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!

grungedave — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:47:34 -0000

Damn that felt good.

The Rockets overcome Joey Crawford and his band of misfits to beat the s--t out of the evil Utah Jazz. It would have been a 20 point plus victory, but Brian Cook entered the game and ruined that... final score is 113-96. Suck it, Utah!

Seriously, Utah had a massive height advantage at most every position. They had home court. They had Deron freakin' Williams (who is really, really good and sadly misplaced among the rogues he has to call "teammates"). And, as noted, they had Joey Crawford and the other two refs that couldn't possibly be any worse than the replacement refs from pre-season. All of that........ the Rockets overcame. They could not - and would not - be stopped. Not even in Utah, where Rocket dreams went to die in the past.

Dear Daryl Morey,

I was wrong. About everything. I should never have doubted you.

This box score is just awesome though. Its beauty is in the simplicity and all-around consistency. I want to frame it.

Chase Budinger, ftw. My new favorite albino rookie went for 17 points, 5 rebounds and all sorts of clutch in the 2nd half. Then there's Chuck Hayes - who at this rate may lead the NBA in steals for the regular season. Chuck went for 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. On 6-8 shooting. Seriously, Utah, you let Chuck Hayes nearly get a double double on you. There's only one way to properly respond to that:

Look at the box score again. The Rockets put 8 players in double figures. EIGHT. That never really happens with our team, and yet that might be a regular occurrence with this unselfish roster. 50% shooting as a team (and a robust 52% from beyond the arc. Nice!). Even better? The undersized Rockets out-rebounded the Jazz 46-38. It's true. I couldn't believe my eyes either. Utah only got 8 offensive rebounds. EIGHT. So much for a size advantage. The Rockets have a heart advantage (not to mention a karma advantage).

The only way this could have been better would have been if Joey Dorsey got to play... got a gorilla dunk... and then impregnated all of Salt Lake City. To mark our newfound territory.

pwn3d, bitches.

Tom Goes to a Place Near the Mayor

Tom Martin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:56:08 -0000

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Yup, I've got a court date in Houston. No, not for trafficking drugs or attempted assault on Brian Cook, but instead... for speeding tickets. Two of them. And one was in a school zone, in which I was going 39 mph. One more mile per hour and I would have been a felon. Would you take me seriously if I were a convicted felon? I certainly would: haven't we built up some sort of trust in the past year?

Anyway, as you may have noticed, I've been on hiatus for a while, and will be for the remainder of the preseason. October is a busy time of the year for me in Columbia, and the fact that I can't view preseason games isn't helping anything. However, come October 28th, when you're looking for a recap of the win over Portland on opening night (knock on wood), you won't be disappointed. Unless you think my writing sucks. Then you're out of luck.

Does Joey Dorsey make the Rockets' roster?

grungedave — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:24:55 -0000

I'm starting to get a little bit concerned.

Pops Mensah-Bonsu played a hell of a good game last night against the Raptors. David Andersen has showed he's at least competent in the rebounding and shot-blocking department. Chuck Hayes certainly isn't going anywhere. The Rockets can't just cut Brian Cook because they'd be eating too much $$$ (though this is an option if Les Alexander can afford the $3.5M hit). We all know that Luis Scola and Carl Landry are secure in their roles in the Rockets' frontcourt. And more and more it looks like Chase Budinger is going to stick with the team and continue the great tradition of tall token white guy shooters for the Rockets.

That leaves seven players that would compete for playing time in at the C and PF positions.

That also means a certain Joey Dorsey might be on the outside looking in. It's already been a topic of discussion among the beat reporters. Dorsey hasn't been getting regular minutes in the rotation. Not even in the pre-season. He certainly didn't get much run last year (his faulty foot injury did not help matters). Is it really possible that Dorsey gets cut in the next two weeks?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

This may truly put me at a loss for words. Whose alternate personality could I possibly take over if there are no antics involving the Dorsey Fin to write about? Pops just doesn't strike me as inherently funny and it would almost seem cruel to have a parody version of Chase Budinger for me to mock incessantly.

I'm crushed. Maybe I should start a "Please don't cut Joey Dorsey" petition? Who is with me?

The Dream Shake's 2009-2010 Houston Rockets Preview

Tom Martin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:00:25 -0000

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Last year's record: 53-29
Playoffs: Beat Portland 4-2. Lost to Los Angeles Lakers (epically, at that) 4-3.
Key losses: Yao Ming (injury), Ron Artest, Von Wafer, Brent Barry, James White
Key additions: Trevor Ariza, David Andersen, Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger, Pops Mensah-Bonsu

From Lee Grammier:

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Yao Ming's injury status in the offseason was not a "move" made by the Rockets but it clearly qualifies as season altering information. The original prognosis was that he'd be out until training camp, with the revised prognosis being that he will be out for the entire season. In the long run this could turn out to be best for Yao's health. He has a signed NBA contract for his services that the Chinese National government agreed to and based on some of their decision making he has rarely been able to fulfill that contract. In no way do I begrudge Yao for wanting to play in the Olympics for his country, but the other games simply have to stop.

The Trevor Ariza signing was the most significant roster move of the off-season. While I've been on record saying that Trevor Ariza wasn't someone I was interested in, that was prior to the Rockets gaining a second mid level exception. Daryl Morey has not been wrong a single time as general manager of the Houston Rockets, so while this may not be signing Joe Johnson, it was a heck of a pickup. Swapping Artest for Ariza made much more sense given the season the Rockets are going to have to endure, the generally low price tag and Ariza's age.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

From a position perspective the team's biggest strength is the power forward slot. Few, if any teams in the NBA can boast a 3 deep rotation of starter quality players at any position. The Rockets have Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes. Each brings something different to the table with Scola being the most complete player. He is likely to be the Rockets biggest star this season. My prediction is that he will earn a spot on the All Star team this year, but won't actually get in. I also predict that he will be listed as the number one snub by every respectable writer around. If Carl Landry can continue to add some shooting touch from beyond 12 feet he will take a huge step forward in his career. At 26 years old, this is the season where he will define who he is as a player.

From a team perspective defense will keep the Rockets in games that their scoring will say they have no business being in. The carryover from the JVG years that has been the Rockets calling card could be as good as it's ever been this year. While there is no Yao Ming holding down the middle, the rest of the defense should be even better making it a wash. Every player on the team can play defense (contrary to popular belief, Scola is a solid defender) and just about everyone has speed, strength and athleticism. The key question on defense is how with David Andersen plays his part.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

The Rockets weakest position going into the season is clearly center. Losing the second best center in the league (and the best if health isn't factored in) will do that to a team. Given the Rockets inability to sign a viable back-up in the last two seasons not named Dikembe Mutombo, this was inevitable. Not, mind you, that I blame Daryl Morey, there simply are not many centers out there, and when you have the best, you just have to hope he can stay on the court. The Rockets have not been very lucky in that department. David Andersen and Chuck Hayes will likely vie for the starting position with Landry and Scola getting spot minutes and Joey Dorsey getting left-overs. Regardless, Hayes will play, but not always at center. If Andersen can put something together the Rockets can make the playoffs. Luckily for the Rockets and us as fans, the NBA simply does not have a lot of viable, true centers, so if you are going to have either a weakness or a strength, center is a great place for it.

As a team, Houston is going to struggle scoring. Morey drafted two players explicitly because of their ability to score in Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor. They believe Trevor Ariza can step it up, though I am more than a little skeptical about that scenario. The sooner Tracy McGrady comes back from injury, the better. Simply put, the Rockets are desperate for scoring.

In the meantime, Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks will most likely lead the team in scoring. Scola will average 18-20 points a game this season - it's a stone cold lock. He's extremely capable on the offensive end and needs to make sure he doesn't gamble as much on the defensive end. Brooks, like so many other Rockets, has to step his game up as he did at times in the playoffs last year. His size makes him somewhat of a liability on the defensive end, so he needs to use his speed to play the passing lane and create fast break points. The Rockets biggest hope for scoring is the same that will allow them to continue to be great on the defensive end; speed and athleticism. This team will run the fast break like they are the early 90s UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Defense will have to lead to offense - it's as simple as that.

4. What are the goals for this team? What will make this a successful season?

The goals for this team are very straightforward: Develop the young players, play hard every single night, and to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs. The team is not bad en ough to do any worse than the back of the lottery, so with the added revenue of a playoff team, it is a no brainer to take a shot at the playoffs. Night in and night out they will play hard, focused defense. If at any point in the season they are not hustling they will get run off the court. There is not enough scoring on this team to play anything but all out, all the time.

There are two ways to look at the Rockets series versus the Lakers in last year's playoffs:

1. The Rockets are a very good team and are capable of beating anyone on a given night, even without Yao.

2. The Rockets got lucky playing against a lackadaisical Lakers team.

Neither of them is right in full. It was really a combination of the two.

The Rockets are a very well put together team, thanks to Daryl Morey. Not one player, on down to the last guy on the bench, is a quitter. They all work hard during the game, in practice and in the weight room. Every player has at least one extreme strength and, with the exception of Chuck Hayes' offensive game, is capable of every facet of NBA level basketball. And that's not a knock on Hayes, as his defensive skills more than make up for his lack of offense. For anyone thinking this team is a 50 game winner as it stands today, I just don't have that leap of faith ability in me. They will be a good team and no one will want a game against them at any point in time this season. However, they will struggle to score and it will be very ugly at times when they do win. Typically going into a season like this most would think there wasn't a lot to look forward to, but with the Rockets that's not the case. Every game should have someone new step up - that's the great thing about having a true 12 man team.

Three underrated players/stories on this team

1. Luis Scola. He's a one improved season away from becoming one of the top power forwards in this league. It's not just about the box score with Luis - he hustles more than any player I've ever seen.

2. Rick Adelman. It's no accident that our offense often looks smoother without our stars. While it may not work as well in the late game situations, the Rockets always keep themselves in games when undermanned. This is in large part due to Adelman's ability to adapt.

3. Trevor Ariza is an upgrade over Ron Artest...for this team. Yes, we lose a terrific defender in Ron-Ron, but as far as that category goes, Ariza is not too much of a downgrade, and most importantly, his usage rates are far lower. I don't know about you, but I got tired of seeing Artest chunk up horrible shots in the playoffs and waste possessions. The Rockets should be much more efficient with Ariza in the lineup.

Predicted Record: 41-41. It could be lower, but in all honesty, could be higher as well. A good chunk of it depends on Mr. McGrady.

Tom's individual player previews after the jump...

Individual Player Links from 2008-09

From Tom Martin:

Tracy McGrady - SG #3

Strengths: It's obvious: Tracy McGrady is one hell of a basketball player when healthy. While he has lost speed and somewhat regressed athletically over the last few years, he can still drive to the rim effectively, can hit the open jumper (as difficult as he makes it look), and has a knack for hitting clutch shots, assuming he's marginally open. Tracy's most undervalued quality is his ability to pass; when he decides to play unselfishly, he can make looks that few others can. It's always been unclear as to what kind of leader Tracy is. His teammates insist that they like him, and yet, you can sense a lack of team chemistry whenever McGrady struggles. But make no mistake: a healthy McGrady is absolutely an asset.

Weaknesses: He's a nutcase and of little worth when he tries to play through nagging injuries. We saw how it affected the Rockets last year in embarrassing losses to Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto, among others. Tracy would skip the second game of each back to back, which completely threw everyone out of sync. McGrady finally elected to have surgery, and whaddayaknow - we went on a second half tear to make the playoffs quite easily. The sad part is that it's not Tracy's fault that he's constantly injured. He's been in the league for a long time now, and his body has taken a beating. His athleticism has decreased over time, and his presence on the court, at least whenever he's fighting through another injury, has proved to be a handicap.

What to expect in 2009-10: A possible return to form, or something close to it. Reports out of McGrady's rehab camp have been startlingly good. Not to say that we all thought T-Mac was finished, but apparently, his progress has been revolutionary. Nick Freidell of ESPN caught up with Tim Grover and David Reavy, who have been working with Tracy in Chicago. Needless to say, this is some excellent news:

"His whole body was imbalanced from basically his shoulder blades down to his feet," Reavy says. "He was developing a lot of back problems ... He was developing strength in an imbalanced fashion. And what I see in Tracy, in general, he had no core strength, he couldn't hold a plank."

So Reavy and Grover devised a rehab plan that would help bring it all back -- the work is already paying dividends.

"[Tracy] took a hard fall seven years ago in 2002 and he said he was never able to dunk off his left leg [since]. We got him dunking off his left leg four and a half months post micro-fracture, which is basically unheard of," Reavy says. "The results that we get here are basically unprecedented because we take the force off the injured area, we make the body absorb the force equally, so that it can heal properly and faster without the loading that it's constantly getting before."

Anyone else excited? Some media folks have been whispering that McGrady could be back in game-shape by the start of the season. While that would be great, the team doesn't want him to rush it; he won't be playing until the end of November.

Luis Scola - PF #4

Strengths: The Argentinian Slayer caught the public's eye last year with his consistently solid play, earning his hilarious, yet fitting nickname from Superman himself, Dwight Howard. In just a single season, Scola transformed from a hustle/layup machine to an imposing scorer and team MVP. His defense also improved, as evidenced by his fantastic performance against LaMarcus Aldridge in the playoff series against Portland. Scola has developed a mini-arsenal of confusing post moves and bank shots that make you scratch your head for a while. Then you notice how effective they are, and in turn become awed by the Slayer's greatness. He had an extremely productive showing at the FIBA championships for Argentina this summer, leading many to suspect that 2009-10 could be a career-best year for Luis.

Weaknesses: Scola is going to have to adjust to playing without Yao Ming in the lineup. He's going to see more double teams in the post, and when he gets beat on defense, he won't have The Great Wall to protect him. Yes, Scola has had a great offseason and is looking improve his statistics this year, but it may be difficult with all of the attention that he is going to receive from opposing defenses.

What to expect in 2009-10: Something near 18/10. Perhaps even 20/10. If the Rockets manage to shock everyone and remain in the playoff hunt, Scola's name will become even more respected. It would be well-deserved.

Trevor Ariza - G/F #1

Strengths: Air Ariza can fly like few others can. If he's got a path to the rim, look out, because his feet may clip you in the face. Not only can Trevor dunk, but he's got a nifty three-point shot too. He should thrive in the loose, up-tempo offense that the Rockets will run without Yao Ming. His defense is stellar as well, thus making the loss of Ron Artest much more bearable. And by the way, The Dream Shake is currently open to any suggestions for possible nicknames of the new Ariza/Battier defensive duo. It's not going to have the star-power that "White Pills" had, but it should be formidable nonetheless. As far as I know, Ariza's old nickname was "Cobra." I like it. Somebody make it work.

Weaknesses: Can he create his own scoring? Can he be a legitimate threat offensively without a star like Kobe Bryant commanding double-teams? Can he continue to improve like he has in past years? I'm...Ron...Burgundy?

What to expect in 2009: An increase in his offensive statistics, but only because of his surroundings. Ariza is a great fit in Houston, but he's not the explosive wing scorer that the Rockets have been lacking with Tracy McGrady's absence. Fortunately, with an offensive mastermind in Rick Adelman running the show, he shouldn't have to. What should excite Houstonians most about Ariza is that he turned down the chance to play third or fourth fiddle to LeBron in Cleveland in order to make a greater impact on a team. He's a proven winner, but in signing with the Rockets, Ariza challenged himself to become a team leader, as opposed to being just another swingman. That kind of motivation makes me giddy.

Shane Battier - G/F #31

Strengths: A vocal leader, smart defender, and effective three-point shooter, Shane gets it done on a nightly basis without making much of a scene. Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer summed up Shane's defense nicely when he named him the second best defender of the past decade:

If you watch this guy, on any given possession, you'll understand. Just take your eye off the ball and watch Battier work - the guy acts as if he's in his own reality show, as if the cameras were on him for the entire 24-second turn, even if his man never gets the ball, while appearing deathly allergic to letting people down. Battier just does everything right. It may not mean he'll get the rebound, block or steal - and his guy might still nail the shot - but I've never seen someone pitch as many perfect games defensively.

Battier causes the game's most talented players to falter. His talent does not lie in his physicality, quickness, or quick hands, but instead in his ability to force bad shots. And they aren't just guesses - they are statistically proven to be bad shots. Shane is also a man's man, a true professional. When the team is down, he doesn't panic, at least not to the public. Unlike our old nemesis Rafer Alston.

Unfortunately, Michael Lewis had to go and expose the Battman to the world, so he's no longer our little secret. But he's still really, really, ridiculously good at what he does.

Weaknesses: While his defense is always appreciated, Shane sometimes disappears offensively. It would be nice to see some better offensive production from someone who is on the floor for 35 minutes per game.

What to expect in 2009-10: A return to effective three point shooting. If it wasn't emphasized before, it will be now; Shane has got to make his threes. He did just that over the second half of last season, shooting 40% after opening the year around 36%. In a season in which the Rockets are expected to be shooting even more three pointers than in years past, Shane will be counted on to make his. It's a role that is really his primary purpose on offense, so there's no reason he shouldn't thrive.

Aaron Brooks - PG #0

Strengths: Brooks shocks you with his ability to drive, especially given how midget-ish he is. He's practically addicted to the paint, which in turn makes his three-point shot all the more lethal. If defenders start respecting his outside stroke, Brooks will have no problem throwing up a shot fake en route to becoming a dribble-driving Pinball Wizard.

While Aaron doesn't have a huge assist numbers, he is a reasonably good passer. This bodes well for newly acquired David Andersen, who will be working the pick-and-roll with Brooks whenever possible. Whether it gives Brooks more space to drive, or the Aussie more space to shoot, it's one hell of a pick and pop combination. Aaron's also quite the underrated defender. He shut down Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul last season, holding them well below their averages. And to top it all off, Brooks is able to run that funky in-bounds alley-oop play. It's an automatic 2 points in less than a second.

Weaknesses: Aaron often has trouble finishing against taller defenders. He'll work his magic every once in a while and make a crazy bank shot, but more often than not, he'll have his shot swatted away. This means that Brooks must work on improving his paint vision. Once on the drive, he'll need to be looking for open options either in the corner or on the opposite block.

Brooks also has yet to be a consistent scorer. Some outings will yield 20-30 points, and others will result in single digits. This was especially apparent in the playoffs. Brooks averaged 26.3 points per game in 3 wins against the Lakers, and averaged 11.8 points per game in four losses. Not only does Brooks' production help his own cause, but it plays a significant role in deciding the outcome of the game.

What to expect in 2009-10: Increased scoring production, which will likely lead to a higher turnover rate as well. The presumed other point guard to sport the number zero may have a better 2009-10 than the original Agent himself. In considering Brooks' potential outburst in 2009-10, I can't help but think back to that scene in Spiderman when Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker that, "With great power comes great responsibility." It's the same deal for our lovable Midget.

An explosive playoff campaign put Brooks into the national spotlight, and assured him the starting point guard spot entering this season. Now, with no T-Mac or Yao for presumably the first half of the season, Brooks will be our perimeter threat. Not Trevor Ariza. Not Shane Battier. Brooks is going to have to step up and prove that he can carry the bulk of the scoring. If not, he'll have to show that he can distribute the ball to everyone else instead. My money is on the first option.

Kyle Lowry - PG #7

Strengths: The Bulldog is your prototypical Daryl Morey point guard. Lowry is efficient, loves to get to the free throw line, and can draw a foul at will. He's also a tenacious defender who can body up the bigger point guards that often cause trouble for Aaron Brooks. His finishing ability around the rim, while not automatic, is solid, thus turning many of those fouls into three point plays. While he doesn't shoot the ball particularly well, Lowry still managed to put up a 47.5 FG% last year; in other words, he limits his shot attempts to layups or wide-open looks. If the Rockets intend to run more in 2009-10, like they say they do, Lowry will be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Weaknesses: Yeah, Lowry knows how to limit his shot selection, but it would be nice if he could extend his range beyond the three-point line, where he has struggled mightily. Against the Los Angeles Lakers in last year's playoffs, Rick Adelman chose to leave Lowry in with Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier. When Brooks or Battier would drive to Lowry's side of the court, the defense would instantly collapse, knowing that Kyle was not a threat to catch and shoot from deep. Our offense sputtered during these periods, since the three point shot was, quite frankly, our only hope against the healthy Lakers at times. Lowry also has a knack for overloading and getting out of control. It's nice to see him draw fouls, but sometimes it's better to work the ball around the perimeter, rather than to drive like there's no tomorrow...again and again and again.

What to expect in 2009-10: Increased assists per game. Now that Lowry has had a full off-season to work with Coach Adelman, he should become more comfortable and assertive on the offensive end. Don't be too quick to confuse "assertive" with "drive-every-single-play-and-try-to-get-fouled." That's not what Adelman wants.

Rather than merely moving the ball to Ron Artest or Von Wafer, Lowry will have a chance to drive and dish in the half court and on the break, thus creating more kick-out assist opportunities, a staple of an Adelman team when in even flow. The Bulldog may not make a name for himself just yet, but he and Brooks should be one of the more competent 1-2 backcourt punches in the entire league.

Carl Landry - PF #14

Strengths: Cuddly Carl becomes a monster of a man upon entering games. His tenacity around the rim, as well as his hunger for lose balls has helped him build up a reputation of being "a guy you want to have on your team." Landry has been able to put up excellent per-minute statistics, and his ability to dunk over, around, and through defenders is well-documented. He's developed a reliable jump shot, and for the most part, he is incredibly consistent. Most impressively, Carl has never complained about his role as a bench player. Though he has been accepting of his place on the team, he'd better not get too comfortable as a mere seventh option. Not with Yao Ming on the sidelines.

Weaknesses: Up to this point in his short career, Carl has been the under-appreciated fan favorite who loves to hustle and get scrappy points. While that's fantastic and all, it's time for Carl becomes a more polished scorer. The most encouraging sign we've seen so far is his relatively new jump shot; as long as he keeps knocking those babies down, he'll be helping himself out immensely. It should draw defenders out towards him more, thus allowing him to shot fake and drive to the rim.

But is Carl consistent on the block? We don't know yet. It remains to be seen if we can toss him the ball, give him space to work, and expect production. He, like in all other areas of his game, sweats beads of potential as a low-post scorer, potential that won't be realized until he consistently performs at a high level.

What to expect in 2009-10: Increased minutes, hopefully increased statistics. There is not a shred of fairness in raising the expectations of Landry. It's nit-picky to demand improvement from a virtually unknown second-round pick who has not only struggled to find significant minutes when he wholeheartedly deserved them, but has also had to deal with the physical and mental effects of a gunshot wound stemming from an early morning incident last season. You'd think a Jazz fan would feel bad for him (well, maybe not). Despite all this, the bar has been raised for 2009-10.

It's Landry's own fault that his leash is getting shorter. If he had not been so impressive during his first two NBA seasons, we would not be having this discussion. But whenever Carl sees action, he makes an impression. Rarely will you find such a reliable big man with youth, explosiveness, and a reasonable price tag. Unfortunately, we never get to see Landry on the floor for more than five or ten minutes at a time. That should change very, very soon.

It's a case of cause and effect. Cause? Yao Ming is out for the year. Effect? Chaos ensues at the center position. While it would be nice for David Andersen to be the de facto starter, we haven't seen him against NBA competition yet, and word on the street is that he doesn't play much defense. This should mean increased minutes for both Landry and Chuck Hayes.

On top of playing an undersized center, Landry will still be called upon to spell Luis Scola at the power forward position. While Landry won't be starting, his minutes should shoot up one way or another. And let's face it: with the Rockets looking for scorers this season, Landry should be comfortably above the Chuckwagon on the depth chart.

The only major question is whether higher usage will translate to lower efficiency. Landry's PER has been among the highest in the NBA over the last two seasons, but if he suddenly sees 25 minutes per game, will he lose that efficiency? I don't think the drop off will be drastic by any means.

Chuck Hayes - PF #44

Strengths: The Chuckwagon is a wall of a defender, and it's really the only reason that he has a contract. Because of this, Hayes puts all of his practice and dedication into his defense. It's what drives him, and it's the kind of mindset that a team welcomes with open arms.

Weaknesses: All elements of offense, aside from reverse layups. I've seen the man make ten straight threes in warmups, but for some reason, his offensive brilliance does not translate well to game speed. Yet, somehow, Chuck will always end up with the ball with three seconds left on the shot clock. It shocks him as much as it shocks you and me. And we won't mention those free throws.

What to expect in 2009-10: More of the same. I can't think of anything Chuck will do differently. Maybe he'll try out one of those three pointers. Hopefully not.

David Andersen - C #13 (Rookie)

Strengths/Weaknesses: I have yet to see Big Dave play basketball, so I'll leave it to Gersson Rosas, who interviewed with Adam Wexler of Sports Radio 610 back when Andersen's rights were acquired.

"Longtime target....one of most accomplished Aussies...impressive background...won championships in Spain and Italy...wins everywhere...special talent...skilled 7 footer, can shoot, moves well, good face up game, good fit for Adelman's offense...could have been a good compliment to Yao, but now can feature him...offenisvely, no question it will be a strong translation...defensively: size, which helps, and can play in our scheme...hasn't been involved in the NBA for a long time becausehe was well-paid in Europe and really had no reason to leave...leaving money on the table to play in the NBA...time was right for him contractually and career-wise...mirrors Pau Gasol's versatily on the high post, in terms of shooting and dribbling...skilled passer on the high post...can play pick-and-pop and space the floor as a 7 footer...a little bit like Bargnani, but not quite as athletic...similar in the type of game and style...not great defensively, but Chuck's presence will help that...smart player...good team defender...physicality is an issue...studied him for past 3-4 years...big credit to Les Alexander for providing resources for the upcoming season..."

In case you didn't feel like reading that, here's my summation. Big Dave...

Can shoot well from anywhere.
Can pass and move, something Rick Adelman values in his big men.
Is a smart player and is a winner.
Is relatively cheap.
Can play team defense and help effectively.

And his cons are that he...

Isn't very physical.
Will struggle with individual post defense.
Doesn't rebound well.
Has yet to face proven NBA competition.

What to expect in 2009-10: Smooth transition to offense, struggles on defense. Just based off of Rosas' analysis, Andersen will have a tough time adjusting to the physicality of the NBA. However, the good news for the Rockets is that Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry are available to step in for defensive purposes in case Andersen falters. Eventually, it would be nice if Andersen could stay on the floor and at least become a competent defender. And even if Big Dave doesn't have a standout year, he'll always have next year, where his expectations will be lowered upon becoming Yao Ming's backup. For now, though, he'll have to amount to much, much more. In Andersen's favor is Rick Adelman, who will find ways to emphasize the stronger elements of Andersen's game.

Jermaine Taylor - SG #5 (Rookie)

Summer League Recap Notes:

I liked what I saw from Jermaine Taylor the minute he touched the ball in his first game. He possesses the ball with strength, and he attacks the basket with the determination of a scorer. From what I've heard, Taylor can shoot it well from deep. He may not have lit the nets up this week, but you can see why the Rockets spent a couple million to get him. He's got plenty of tools to succeed on both the offensive and defensive end. Unfortunately, they didn't translate to points this week, so I'll give him a B. But don't let that discourage you about the talent that Taylor has. He's got just as good of a chance to make the team as anyone else on the summer squad.

What to expect in 2009-10: Not a whole lot...yet. Now that Rashad McCants and Will Conroy have been brought in to scare the living hell out of any over-confident rookies, Taylor will have to work to make the team. Assuming he does, he'll provide good scoring off the bench in the same way that Von Wafer did last season, though with predictably lower outputs. Defensively, he still needs work, but there's no denying that he can put points on the board. His minutes will be low, so he'll have to be money when he does see the floor, but there's a lot to like about Taylor. He's one of the most NBA-ready rookies out there.

Chase Budinger - SG #10 (Rookie)

Summer League Recap Notes:

What was the most impressive aspect of Chase Budinger's Summer League performance? He improved from each game to the next. As his role on the squad became clearer, Chase adjusted swiftly and without any problems. You could tell that Bud Light was much more comfortable with the offense in Game 5 than he was in any other contest. His catch-and-shoot plays were much smoother, and he began to attack the basket with more grit than he had shown earlier in the week (if you didn't see a couple of his dunks, they were really nice).

Chase does need to work on his defense, especially against the drive, but with his athleticism and quickness, it should only be a matter of motivation and committment. That's good news for us, as Budinger, once projected to be a lottery pick, is already playing with a chip on his shoulder. If he can prove to Daryl Morey and the Rockets that he is capable of being a reliable, but not necessarily imposing defender, Budinger should have no problem finding a spot on the active roster.

What to expect in 2009-10: Plenty of jump shots. Chase is a perfect "system" player. He's big, athletic, and can shoot the ball well. If you send him through screens and get him open, he'll knock down the jumper. But Bud Light isn't quite as good on the isolation, as he has a tendency to be a bit soft on the drive. Luckily, Budinger won't be asked to do such things. He'll be fighting to see any minutes, but he picked the right year to be a Rocket - any scoring will be welcome. If he can find a niche on the team, he'll play.

Joey Dorsey - PF #15

Summer League Recap Notes:

It was the perfect week for the Kraken. The brunt of my praise doesn't pertain to the fact that he lead the Summer League in rebounds, blocked shots at will, and showed off his passing touch. Instead, I was overly impressed by how committed Dorsey was to his role on the floor. He didn't try to score against weaker competition; only when he was clearly lined up for a post move did he utilize the spin or the power dribble. Every time Dorsey caught the ball, he would hand it back off to a guard, and immediately find position down low for a rebound or entry pass. He played very maturely and very efficiently, and did what was asked of him: to rebound and play defense. The passing skills were an added bonus. Joey's performance should guarantee him a spot on the opening day roster.

What to expect in 2009-10: It's unclear how much Dorsey will play, and this is assuming he even makes the roster, something I considered to be automatic a month ago. While we'd all love to hear more of his ruminations from the bench, this is the first time that Joey has been healthy, and it would make sense for him to see the floor whenever defense, rebounding, and ferocious gorilla dunks are in high demand. However, the signing of Pops Mensah-Bonsu complicates Dorsey's situation a bit. It's unclear at this point whether or not Pops is a better fit for the Rockets than Dorsey. The former Memphis Tiger brings a tough, physical presence that the Rockets need in the paint, but Pops' athleticism may be too much to ignore. It's going to be an interesting camp battle.

Brian Cook - PF #43

Strengths: Cook's 6'10 frame has absolutely nothing to do with his strengths. He is a shooter - you might as well consider him a guard with extremely delayed reactions. Cook is also an effective contract negotiator and clusterf**k extraordinaire. He exercised his 3.5 million dollar option in the offseason, thus, for lack of a better word, screwing us.

Weaknesses: If you're lucky enough to spot Cook inside the three point line, you won't see him doing much. He'll grab a rebound if it comes to him. He'll block a shot if the ball is hanging in front of his face. Otherwise, Cook is probably one of the more useless big men in the paint.

What to expect in 2009-10: Morey should be feverishly trying to trade Cook throughout the season (consider the following Tweet to be a head start: "Cook: in good shape & shooting well"). If Brian somehow manages to stay in Houston, he'll be sitting on the bench.

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Pops Mensah-Bonsu - PF

From Adam of RaptorsHQ, SB Nation's Toronto Raptors Blog:

Pops was one of the lone bright spots for the team last year. Similar to Jamario Moon the season before, Pops quickly became a fan favourite as a player who came out of no where and provided the team with a lift where it needed it most (on the glass in this case.)

Simply put Mensah-Bonsu is an athlete. He's extremely raw still offensively (although his shot and low-post game have come a ways since his days at George Washington) but he can make plays that many other players in the league can't because of his strength and athletic ability. He's a terrific rebounder, solid shot-blocker, and great addition defensively in help situations. Individually on defense he gets a bit over-anxious at times and tends to foul, but in limited minutes off the bench that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I really wanted the Raps to hold onto Pops. He's still very young and could turn into a nice 8th or 9th man off the bench for a club. And best of all, unlike many other players in the league, Pops just simply knew his role. When he was out there, you didn't have to worry about him trying to go one-on-one or fire up jump shots unless the clock was winding down. He stuck to his rebounding and defense role, and did an excellent job in limited minutes.

What to expect in 2009-10: A fight for playing time. From what I've read and heard about Pops thus far, he sounds like a perfect fit in Houston. We like athletic guys who "know their role." Unfortunately for Pops, there are two of them who are sitting comfortably on the current depth chart in Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry. Joey Dorsey is also in the running for playing time. While Pops comes off as a fantastic addition, he may have to act like a running back and act fast when something opens up.

Romel Beck - SG

From Wayne Vore of Pounding the Rock, SB Nation's San Antonio Spurs blog:

He's a rail-thin scorer. He has good range on his shot. But he didn't strike me as a spot up shooter so much as a scorer. Meaning I got the impression that he just knows how to get the ball in the hole in a variety of ways. His shot selection was really pretty bad. Even games when he got on fire he would end up 7-15 because he would force a few really bad shots.

I don't think he can play much defense. He's very thin and didn't strike me as extremely quick. A decent handle but definitely not a point guard.

What to expect in 2009-10: After that glowing review, I'm not sure what to think of Beck. Unless Morey is desperate (and I mean really, really desperate) for scoring, I don't see Beck fitting in on our roster. I'd much rather have a big body in Pops as opposed to a scoring guard in Beck. Unless something catastrophic happens during camp, like if Taylor or Budinger were to be cast off despite holding guaranteed contracts, Beck will be playing D-League ball in 2009.

Will Conroy - PG

Summer League Recap Notes:

Will Conroy, aside from piling up a bunch of three point plays, didn't dazzle anyone in Las Vegas. To begin with, there wasn't much hype surrounding Conroy, and for good reason. He, much like our own Kyle Lowry, is hardly noticeable in the boxscore and even on the court at times. But he doesn't do anything wrong. In total, Conroy turned the ball over only six times - Jonny Flynn had seven turnovers in his first game! Conroy ran the offense well and jumped at every chance to drive at the bucket. I don't remember anyone easily beating him off the dribble, and his toughness and dedication to hard-nosed basketball surely impressed the Rockets' front office. I thought he did just enough to earn consideration for a roster spot, and while he may not find any room initially, there is a chance he could receive a call-up or two during the regular season.

What to expect in 2009-10: A call-up later this season. Conroy is certainly worth his non-guaranteed contract, but his likely position on the depth chart (third point guard) isn't going to help his case over shooting guards such as Taylor and Budinger, both of whom received guaranteed contracts. However, at some point, depending on who falls victim to injury, Conroy could see a brief call-up and get some minutes. He's done all that he can at the D-league level.

Garrett Temple - PG (Rookie)

Summer League Recap Notes:

There wasn't a whole lot to expect from Temple in the first place, but with a 6'6 point guard on the market, the Rockets decided to stick him on the SL roster. He's very athletic, very long, and can get to the basket against smaller guards. But Temple didn't look comfortable as a point guard. He only had two assists in the 62 minutes that he played this week, to go along with nine turnovers. He won't be playing for the Rockets this season - his game, at least at the point guard position, isn't ready yet. Yet, I do think he will eventually find a way into The Association. Just not sure when that's going to be.

What to expect in 2009-10: A long season in the D-League.

And there you have it. Go Rockets!!

(photographs courtesy of Yahoo! Sports, NBA.com, and Google.com)

Brian Cook Goes to Practice, Awkward Encounters Ensue

Tom Martin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:38:23 -0000

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(The following may or may not be completely fictional. Like really, really fictional.)

It's the first day of training camp at Toyota Center. Players enter the locker room jubilantly and greet fellow teammates. Aaron Brooks and David Andersen discuss pick and rolls while tying their shoes. Kyle Lowry gives Chuck Hayes a friendly love tap. Jack Sikma shatters a mirror.

Suddenly, everything turns silent. Each player stops what he is doing and looks up as Brian Cook walks into the locker room. He is ten minutes late, and is wearing a shiny new Rolex on his wrist.

"What's up fellas? Good work day, eh guys?" says Cook with a goofy smile on his face. Nobody responds. Cook passes by Joey Dorsey and shoots him a dorky Arthur Fonzarelli smile while nodding his head. Joey flips him the bird and goes back to his Hustler.

Cook, in trying to get to his locker, accidentally knocks over Brent Barry's Scrabble board. "Sorry, bro," he says, and walks off, somehow still smiling. Barry yells, "Drat!" and scrambles to repair the game. And yes, he was playing himself.

Cook takes a seat in front of his locker next to Luis Scola. He looks at Luis with a stupid grin on his face. Scola does not look back.

"Hey Luis - how's it been? Heard you tore it up for Argentina in the FIBA championships recently." He tries to break the ice by giving Scola a polite smack on the shoulder. "That's so tight man, really. Big time stuff, bro."

Scola gets up and leaves, shaking his head and muttering something in Spanish.

"I gotcha, man. Gotta get your head in the game. Game face, bro," says Cook, chunking up a deuce in the process.

Daryl Morey enters the locker room and begins to mingle around with players, simultaneously asking how each is feeling while trying to remember each's SIPP (Successful Inbounds Pass Percentage). He then spies Cook in the corner and walks up to him.

"Hey, Brian - hope the 3.5 mil is treating you well. All ready for basketball season?" he asks. He prevents himself from adding, "Stab any backs lately?" out of general human respect.

"I'm great, Daryl!" says Cook, showing off his Rolex and matching golden slippers. "I'm in good shape and shooting well." Morey immediately whips out his Blackberry and Tweets this, hoping other GM's will take notice.

"Good to hear," says Morey. "Listen, Rick and I have been talking, and we think that, well..."

"What? What is it?" asks Cook, intrigued.

"We think you should step inside the three point line from time to time."

Cook sits silent. He then looks around him in all directions, completely petrified. "Uh...*laughs*....that's a good one, Daryl. Really, great stuff." His palms begin to sweat like giant rainforest leaves.

"I'm serious, Brian. It's time you actually played like you were 6'10 and not 5'10. We think you can be a very *gulp* effective...rebounder."

Cook grabs Morey by the collar, now sweating profusely. He shrieks, "Listen, man, that's not why I took that contract extension. I don't like it in the paint. I just can't go there. It freaking scares me, man. You can't make me go in there. You can't let me! I can't do it!"

The entire locker room goes silent. Morey is shaking in fear, having no idea what the hell could have provoked such a response. He then whispers to Cook, "Look, it's fine. I was kidding. You can ride the bench and chuck up a three pointer every month or so, if you want. It will all be okay. Now, can you let go of me?"

Cook looks Morey dead in the eye, his own eyes slowly watering up. He then loosens his grip, looks down and takes a deep breath, and then looks back up with a hearty smile. "Nothing going on here boys!" he croaks. "Just a little chit-chat."

Everyone else shakes their heads, stands up, and walks out of the locker room to practice. Morey looks at Cook. "You...you are just a sad, strange little man. I am going to trade you. I'll find some genius way, I swear on my brand spankin' new contract I will." He then turns and leaves to go watch practice.

Cook remains on the locker room bench. He then bends over, reaches into his bag, grabs his contract, and gives it a nice smooch. Slowly, he stands up, takes a few warmp-up hops, and jogs out of the locker room, humming "Eye of the Tiger" to himself as if it all actually mattered.

Otis Smith Explains the Orlando Magic's Busy Offseason to Brian Schmitz

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:42:05 -0000

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel conducted this interview with Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith regarding the myriad changes the club has made this offseason. Six players who were members of the roster that made it to the NBA Finals last season--Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, Courtney Lee, Tyronn Lue, Jeremy Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu--have moved on, while five new players--Ryan Anderson, Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass, Vince Carter, and Jason Williams, have come aboard. The whole interview is well worth reading, but these portions in particular stood out to me (brackets Schmitz's):

Q: You've been a 3-point shooting club that was hurt by the Lakers' size and length in the Finals. Have the changes made you a sounder playoff team?

A: We're more versatile in that we can play different ways. We couldn't really play big and strong, but I think Brandon [Bass] gives us a different look. Ryan [Anderson] gives us a different look. What we'll look like is a totally different team at different times.

It's not the same team , but we're always going to play similar because Dwight [Howard] is still our big guy in the middle. He still draws double teams and we'll still encourage guys to take the 3.

Bass is a traditional power forward who is nonetheless an upgrade over Tony Battie, who manned that position last year. The addition of Anderson, and his three-point range, gives the Magic the floor-spreading reserve power forward they hoped Brian Cook would have been; they wound up unloading the underachieving Cook in the three-team trade which netted them Rafer Alston at last year's trading deadline. Anderson is, however, more than a three-point specialist, with a fairly sophisticated offensive repertoire, one that might eventually rival Rashard Lewis'. He might be the Magic's most intriguing addition, given his age (21) and skill-set.

Q: Other than an all-star resume, what does Carter give you that Turk did not?

A: I thought my core guys needed to be able to walk into a gym and see Vince Carter shooting at the other end and say, 'Now we got help. Now we got a guy who can do it.' I thought that was as big for their psyches as anything else.

This sentiment echoes one Stan Van Gundy made at Carter's introductory press conference about proving to the players management's commitment to winning.

After the jump, more excerpts and commentary from Schmitz's interview.

Q: You have your core group with Dwight, Rashard and a now healthy Jameer Nelson. You also, surprisingly, decided that Gortat would be part of that group, even though he hardly plays behind Dwight. Don't you at some point trade Gortat for another piece to get out from under his contract?

A: I know maybe on paper, and in theory, it makes sense. That's the history of the league, but we're trying to build a championship team and March is part of that. You'd only trade him because you're looking to get better or you have a need; you don't trade him because you are looking to get out from under the money.

We think with Marcin it's like, 'Break glass in case of emergency.' We didn't know if we needed a Rafer Alston last year, but we had a need [after Nelson's injury] and we were able to fill a need [with a trade].

Magic fans have speculated all summer about Gortat's future with the team. He'll be a great trade chip eventually, but his base-year-compensation status will make him difficult to deal this season. However, it certainly sounds like Otis isn't opposed to moving him for the right package.

Q: Lewis will miss the first 10 games because of his suspension. How will that affect a team trying to put together new pieces?

A: I think it's a blessing. Sometimes there's a silver lining. You get to see guys play extended minutes who normally would not.

Is there any doubt he's referring to Anderson in this instance?