SB Nation - Jason Kapono

Thoughts on Rockets 96 - 76ers 91 (Aka Game Recap)

Xiane — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 05:02:07 -0000

Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady is proud to represent the nation of China in the 2009-2010 NBA All-Star Game. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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This game was viewed through the prism of an ill child (nothing serious), so my thoughts are more fragmented that usual. I'll rely more on that last resort of scoundrels, statistics.

When one looks at the 76er starting lineup, it is pretty impressive:

Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Allen Iverson, Samuel Dalembert, Thaddeus Young.

That's a lot of talent, a ton of athletic ability. Elton Brand has in the past, been one of the finest players in the NBA at his position. Iguodala has one of the more well-rounded, athletic and interesting games in the NBA. Iverson, well, he's raging at the dying of the light, at any rate, and he looks to have something left. Yet the Sixers have now lost 12 straight games. Why? I (imagine I) hear you asking. Two words: The Bench.

Players seeing minutes from the Philly bench tonight include: Willie Green (25), Jason Kapono (17), Jrue Holliday (8), Jason Smith (3), Primoz Breszec (5).

Total points in 58 out of 240 possible player minutes? Six. I repeat. S-I-X.

Let's compare that to the Rocket's bench, total points: 46 in 84 player minutes. So Philly's bench scored roughly one point every 9.40 minutes. The Rockets bench scored a point every 1.5 minutes.

This is an object lesson in bench construction (and another reason why "WE © or Ω or √ MOREY" Guess what? No little "heart" thingy.). Houston, with 40% of an NBA payroll, has a bench that, frankly, buried Philly's in this contest.

That is not how the game started. Phily jumped on Houston early, prompting fears of the 76ers once again being a team that's pure poison for the Rockets, no matter how bad they look against the rest of the league. Then the benches matched up, and the Rockets closed a Philly lead that stood at 10 after the first quarter to 3 points at the half.

When outside observers look at the Rockets, I think they often make the mistake of looking at the starting lineup and saying "That's not a high caliber NBA lineup." Well, maybe not (though I disagree). But to understand the Rockets, you have to go 9-10 deep. You could start the Rocket's second unit and give up very little, overall.

The players aren't exactly comparable, with some offering more offense, some defense, so let's look at Win Shares so far in 2009-2010. The typical Rocket starting lineup boasts a 7WS total at this point. The second unit (of 4 players) is contributing 5WS - add an average rating of one starter from the first team and you get a total of 6.4WS for the second unit (as we've yet to see much of Taylor thus far). Point being, the Rockets give up little, or nothing, switching out almost their entire lineup. This, I submit, is a powerful, and under-appreciated, advantage.

Every Philly starter played 34 minutes or more, with the exception of Dalembert, who played 29. Brand logged 43, sitting down 5 minutes of the contest, and Iguodala saw 40. Only Ariza came close to that, going 42.

Notes:

I'm very happy we didn't once again drop a game to the 76ers as we have done so frequently in the past. We need to win every single game against floundering opponents. We're going to struggle to hit .500 against the top teams, so we need to clean up on games against below .500 teams.

Iverson gave young Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks a lesson in drawing fouls and shooting FTs. Lowry is good at it, but AI is the past master, and he put on a "weak contact FT shooting" clinic in the 4th.

Carl Landry is one of the most valuable players in the NBA on a salary/production basis. I'm now surprised when a Landry shot doesn't go in, and the reasons why not usually break down to: uncalled foul on Carl, the shot was a bit out of his range. That's it.

Commenting on the Tracy McGrady All-Star Game "controversy": what would happen if TMac's first 2009-2010 game appearance was in the NBA ASG? Could the Rocket's keep him out of it, if he hadn't played for them to that point, but wanted to play in the ASG?

The Lakers are going for their 11^th straight win tonight. Some Laker apologists have made an interesting argument that LA having 17 of 21 appearances at home to start the year isn't much of an advantage. After their recent run, can this assertion be supported? We'll have to see the record they compile when they actually do leave LA for more than 48 hours at a time to know more.

You know, every time I see those weird Charlie Sheen/Michael Jordan "Haynes Undergarments" ads I think a couple of things:

1. These are terrible ads. Are there two more unlikable pitch men than Pathetic Sheen, and Arrogant Michael Jordan, blowing him off? Who would those pitchmen be?

2. I always imagine Charlie Sheen is the head scout, or cap guru, for the Bobcats. He's trying to get Jordan to pay attention to some mundane franchise detail, like player signings, or budget, and MJ just drives away, late to a tee time.

Surprisingly, the Rockets are not playing a back-to-back on the road Saturday night. Next game vs Toronto in that mysterious and far-away land known as Canada.

Sixers lose to Celtics 105-74

jsams — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:25:34 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

No Rondos were harmed during the taking of this photo.

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Box Score

The biggest difference between this year's Sixers/Celtics game and the games of year's past was the way it started. The Sixers came out cool, calm, and confident. In previous years the Sixers were about to pee their pants halfway through the first quarter before they eventually pulling it together, but this time the Sixers came out, played good defense, didn't force anything, and limited the turnovers. This can be attributed to a couple things. One, the team is a year older and more experienced against superior opponents. Two, their ball movement, spacing and passing actually resembles an NBA offense. And three, Lou Williams is running the offense better than expected. Now, they didn't maintain their lights out defense, nor did they refrain from turning the ball over, but it all fell apart when Eddie Jordan went to the bench.
Lou Williams has really impressed me so far. He's running the offense much better than I expected. He has the ability to score every time he brings it up, and sets up his teammates at a pretty high rate. The best way to describe his game "controlled". The offense went from smooth to stale when Lou rested.
I liked what I saw from Andre Iguodala tonight. He played good team defense, good man defense, and played the passing lanes brilliantly. He was aggressive on the offensive end, and did what a star player is supposed to do -- "take over". "Taking over" doesn't mean you force stupid shots. It means you play good defense, take good shots, and set your teammates up for easy buckets. Andre did all of that.
Thaddeus Young was awful on both ends of the floor, plain and simple.
Samuel Dalembert played really well tonight. He showed some skills in the post, including two sexy jump hooks -- one over KG and one over Perkins. And the interior defense was 10 times better when Sammy was in the game, as was the rebounding.
This was the first I've seen of Jrue Holiday this season, and nothing he did tonight warrants giving him big minutes yet. However; he still should take the majority of Bill Green's minutes. They both did about the same to help the team, but Jrue needs experience since he actually has a future.
Any combination of Kapono, Holiday, Green, Thad, Speights or Smith played little to no defense tonight.
I'm not sure what the Princeton Offense looks like, but I think I witnessed the beginning stages of it tonight -- at least when the starters were in. The ball movement and spacing is much better than it was last year -- again, when the starters were in the game.
Almost everything Eddie Jordan has done this season concerns me. The Sixers biggest downfall -- every game -- is when the bench comes in during the second quarter. You would think that Eddie would leave at least 2 or 3 starters in to prevent this from happening. No. Instead he brings 5 bench guys in at a time and they either blow the lead, or dig a deeper hole. Fail.
There are some positive things to take from tonight's 31 point loss like, Andre Iguodala's defense and aggressiveness, Lou Williams' control, Jason Kapono's shot, the Sixers' calmness to start the game, and Elton Brand who made a bigger difference than his numbers project. Let's not forget, the Celtics are a really, really, really good team, and they showed why tonight. I still have hope that the Sixers can score the fourth or fifth seed, and maybe even the third the way the Cavs are playing.

Player of the game: Sam Dalembert

Runner-Up: Jaime Maggio

Fun fact: Jrue Holiday is ambidextrous.

Micro-Warriornomics :: GSoM's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview (Part 1 of 2)

Atma Brother ONE — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:30:46 -0000

It's the moment you've all been waiting for...

Actually that's probably a little too dramatic. As far as I know Chris Cohan (aka the worst owner in all of sports) is not selling the Golden State Warriors today.)

Okay it's the next best thing. Ladies and gentlemen get ready for Golden State of Mind's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview!

(Well at least the first part.)

We about to BUMRUSH the Roaracle on opening night for GSoM Night 7!

You've read the rest. Now it's time for the best.

After the jump we drop science at the university level!

At most universities if you're interested in taking Economics you usually first take Micro-Economics and then Macro-Economics. We'll follow that course sequence here and start with the Micro (individual players) before we tackle the Macro (the assemblage).

Micro-Warriornomics: It takes 15!

To do what exactly nightly at the Roaracle I'm not so sure, but we'll continue...

Golden State Warriors Roster

	#	Pos.	DOB	W	H	College
Kelenna Azubuike	7	F	12.16.83	220	6-5	Kentucky
Andris Biedrins	15	C	4.2.86	240	6-11	None
Speedy Claxton	10	G	5.8.78	170	5-11	Hofstra
Stephen Curry	30	G	3.14.88	185	6-3	Davidson
Monta Ellis	8	G	10.26.85	180	6-3	None
Devean George	19	F	8.29.77	235	6-8	Augsburg
Stephen Jackson	1	G	4.5.78	215	6-8	None
Acie Law	2	G	1.25.85	202	6-3	Texas A&M
Corey Maggette	50	F	11.12.79	225	6-6	Duke
Mikki Moore	33	F	11.4.75	225	7-0	Nebraska
Anthony Morrow	22	G	9.27.85	210	6-5	Georgia Tech
Don Nelson	-	H	5.15.40	0	0	Iowa
Anthony Randolph	4	F	7.15.89	205	6-10	L-S-U
Scott Roth	-	A	6.3.63			Wisconsin
Stephen Silas	-	A	1.1.00	0	0	Brown
Keith Smart	-	A	9.21.64	0	0	Indiana
Ronny Turiaf	21	C	1.13.83	250	6-10	Gonzaga
Russell Turner	-	A	10.24.70			Hampden-Sydney
C.J. Watson	23	G	4.17.84	175	6-2	Tennessee
Brandan Wright	32	F	10.5.87	210	6-10	North Carolina

Anthony Morrow

#22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height:6-5

Weight:210

Born:Sep 27, 1985

College:Georgia Tech

Ammo + Chocolate Rain

Before we look at toMorrow I wanted to take a look back at yesterday. Here's a interesting per 36 minute comparison for these two sharp shooters at age 23 in the NBA. (significant highs in bold)

Sharp Shooter A: 16.1 ppg (47.8% FG, 46.7% 3pt, 87.0% FT), 4.7 rpg, 1.9 apg

Sharp Shooter B: 16.0 ppg (47.9% FG, 40.2% 3pt, 84.4% FT), 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg

Who are these sharpshooters you ask?

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

A is Anthony Morrow.

Lights out.

B is none other than... Reggie Miller.

Reggie must've been Steve Kerr's man to guard here.

Reggie Miller Part II? Okay that's obviously going a little overboard (a little?), but I like what I see. I do like what I see.

-- Atma Brother #1

Read the rest of Anthony Morrow's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Anthony Morrow Scouting Report

Strengths

Elite shooter with fantastic muscle memory

More than adequate rebounding rate that sets him apart from those one-trick pony sharpshooters (Jason Kapono, J.J. Reddick, etc.)

Willingness to get scrappy on defense

Weaknesses

Limited handles and ability to create for himself or others
Slow feet especially on D
Not an elite NBA level athlete

Golden Number: 46.7%

Ammo is the reigning NBA 3pt Champ and 96% of folks here at GSoM think he's got a great shot to repeat. As you can see, there aren't many haters around this neighborhood.

St ephen Jackson

#1 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-8

Weight: 215

Born: Apr 05, 1978

College: None

O Captain, My Captain No More

O Captain, my Captain!

Say it ain't so

O Captain, my Captain!

You don't wanna be captain no mo

O Captain, my Captain!

This is getting out of hand

O Captain, my Captain!

Get outta here with your trade demands

O Captain, my Captain!

I can't support this

O Captain, my Captain!

TWO Techs? Just for kicks?

O Captain, my Captain!

You are DEAD WRONG

O Captain, my Captain!

You no longer belong

O Captain, my Captain!

I can't believe it's all happenin'

O Captain, my Captain!

You are a huge distraction

O Captain, my Captain!

It's time for you to depart

O Captain, my Captain!

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR YOU IN MY HEART.

-- R Dizzle

Read the rest of Stephen Jackson's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Stephen Jackson Scouting Report

Strengths

Bamboozling Warriors President Robert Rowell in contract negotiations that don't need to be happening in the first place
For the most part doing all that's asked of him on the court by Nellie and to his credit that's a lot because of the many holes on this roster
Wanting to win... as long as he gets paid (e.g. leaving the San Antonio Spurs after winning a ring with Tim Duncan and company to pursue lottery dreams with the Atlanta Hawks and inking an absurd long term extension with the Warriors AFTER the fabulous WE BELIEVE show was destroyed)

Weaknesses

Saying the "right" things to the media to help boost his trade value
Turnovers, shot selection, rebounding
Being a captain

Golden Number: 2

As in 2 technical fouls in 3 PRESEASON games?! We don't call him "Captain Technical" for nothing.

Acie Law IV

#2 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-3

Weight: 202

Born: Jan 25, 1985

College: Texas A&M

(Not the 1st, 2nd, or the 3rd, but the 4th!)

Speedy Claxton

#10 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Born: May 08, 1978

College: Hofstra

Devean George

#19 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-8

Weight: 235

Born: Aug 29, 1977

College: Augsburg p>

Wouldn't Count on It

Law. Claxton. George.

There is always a chance that one of these players will step up and contribute.

But I wouldn't count on it.

-- JAE

Read the rest of the Acie Law/ Speedy Claxton/ Devean George 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Acie Law/ Speedy Claxton/ Devean George Scouting Report

Whatever Nellie can get out of these 3 would be an unexpected, but welcome bonus. Nellie has talked about using Law in a point forward role. This is a 6'3 guard we're talking about.

Don Nelson also once hyped up Chris Mullin favs Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy before promptly demanding that they be shipped out. Point being, Nellie says a lot of entertaining things before the season starts.

Golden Number: 9,025,614

As in dollars. That's a nice chunk of expiring contracts that Nellie and GM Larry Riley might be able to cash in on closer to the annual NBA trading deadline come February.

Brandan Wright

#32 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 210

Born: Oct 05, 1987

College: North Carolina

Injury Prone

INJURED.

Sorry, too easy.

But in all seriousness, a shoulder dislocation is one of those injuries that you can call being "injury prone." It does weaken the joint and lead to further injury if it is stressed by a big force - say, a big guy trying to block you. Now, I don't know how the "slap" happened in practice on Friday, but I'm assuming it was by someone bigger than him. (I think someone mentioned it being Anthony Randolph, but I don't know for sure.) Either way, it happened, and it shows that he does have recurring shoulder problems.

Now there's one obvious question that comes up - how did he get reinjured after bulking up? I'm no doctor, but two things pop in my head as a bioengineer.

Yes, he bulked up, but it might have been in a case of too much too fast. If you add a bunch of muscle quickly, you basically didn't do it naturally. It's pretty physically hard to toss on 10 pounds of muscle (or more) in a month without the use of steriods or a bunch of protein. He had a small frame prior to the extensive working out and it might not be able to support it all initially.

The injury at his shoulder joint never fully healed. If this is the case (which is pretty possible) little things (like a slap) would set it off. When you're doing muscle training and just trying to bulk up, if you're doing it properly (which he probably was because he had a trainer present), the shoulder muscles were isolated. This means abnormal movements or things that would aggravate the joint would not have occured in the muscle training, thus, it would be possible for him to add on pounds.

-- R Dizzle

Read the rest of Brandan Wright's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Brandan Wright Scouting Report

Strengths

Extremely efficient scorer
Inspector Gadget-like blocks
Low turnovers

Weaknesses

Soft rebounder and defender
Still looks fairly clueless more often than not on the court
Sadly... injury prone

Golden Number: 68.7%

The percentage of games Wright has racked up a DNP for whatever reason in his first 3 seasons in the league. (169 games missed/ 246 possible games)

Stephen Curry

#30 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-3

Weight: 185

Born: Mar 14, 1988

College: Davidson

Years in the making!

Let There Be Hope

Wrong Curry. But equally as exciting!

I would be remiss to not mention that if you have any percentage of South Asian blood in you, or if you just happen to like Indian food, go out and buy a Curry jersey. Long after this kid starts to average 25 ppg and goes to another team for $20 more because Rowell refuses to match the offer, a jersey that says "Curry" on the back will bring you endless joy. Also, discounts among Indian restaurants across the greater Bay Area. It's really the gift that keeps on giving.

-- Hash

Read the rest of Stephen Curry's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Stephen Curry Scouting Report

Strengths

Court vision and distributing the rock
Hoops IQ
Great attitude and willingness to learn and work hard from the best

Weaknesses

Shooting- believe it or not, but Curry has struggled mightily both from the field and long distance in the summer league, preseason, and practice. This doesn't mean he won't/ can't be a great NBA shooter someday, but don't expect much his rookie season in this department. Don't forget it took Steve Nash quite some time to post elite FG and 3pt percentages.
Guarding bigger and stronger players.
Questionable support from the vets on this team (not his fault of course)

Golden Number: 28.6

The number of points Curry averaged at the age of 20 while facing constant double and triple teams in college (admittedly against b-rate competition). Will he score like that in the pro's? Probably not, but that's undoubtedly intriguing.

Here's some bonus numbers for you-- Allen Iverson Age 20 vs. Stephen Curry Age 20

Monta Ellis

#8 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-3

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 26, 1985

College: None

Back in the Saddle

First the 2008/09 recap. One fine August day in Mississippi, 2008, Monta mounted his moped ...

OK, fast forward. One chilly January day in Oakland 2009, Monta returned from hoops purgatory. The season was already in the tank, spirits of Warrior Nation were low, and Monta's game didn't do much to raise them, initially. His first five games back from the DL, he looked nothing like the irresistible force we had last seen at the end of '07/08 doing a passable impersonation of Dwyane Wade. January '09 per game numbers: 29.8 min / 12.4 pts (.369 fg%) / 2.8 reb / 2.4 ast / 2.4 to.

In February things picked up -- a bit. 35.3 min / 14.0 pts (.414 fg%) / 4.1 reb / 3.0 ast / 2.5 to.

Then the ankle got cranky again, and the kid was shut down for a couple of weeks. Upon his second coming in mid-March ... lo and behold, he started to look a bit more like the Monta we knew and ... loved? 37.4 min / 23.5 pts (.493 fg%) / 4.5 reb / 4.4 ast / 2.8 to. And finally, to close out his season, a cherry of a game on top off the distinctly un-sundae-ish pile of suck that was the season as a whole: 42 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists.

Fast forward to the present. What to expect in 2009/10? Well, even if you attribute some of his '07/08 success to the elite distributive skills of Baron Davis, I don't see why we can't look at his last healthy stretch of play as a baseline. We have a tendency to forget just how good Monta was the second half of that season, pre- fat contract, pre-moped, pre-awkward dissembling, pre- breaking the hearts of Warrior Nation, pre- Stephen Golden Curry. To jog people's collective memory:

Feb '08 -- 40.2 min / 26.0 pts (.602 fg%) / 4.7 reb / 4.8 ast / 1.7 to

Mar '08 -- 41.4 min / 22.6 pts (.529 fg%) / 6.3 reb / 4.6 ast / 2.6 to

Apr '08 -- 38.3 min / 22.3 pts (.538 fg%) / 6.3 reb / 4.3 ast / 3.2 to

Unless you think the ankle injury has permanently sapped some of his explosiveness, I don't think it's unreasonable to imagine that Monta, at age 23/24, can be that guy again. Efficient scorer, sweet mid-range shooter, spectacular finisher, solid rebounder for his size ... Monta Monti Monté Montay Monteigh will always be those things. Still ... a few nagging questions persist:

-- Sleepy Freud

Read the rest of Monta Ellis' 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Monta Ellis Scouting Report

Strengths

Attacking the rim
Rebounding well for a smallish 2-guard
Running the one man fast break

Weaknesses

There's a reason Monta Ellis garnered so many votes for the 2008-2009 2008-2009 WDWY (Worst Defensive Warrior of the Year)
Court vision and too many turnovers
Sounding the least bit intelligent in interviews
Riding mopeds at "low speeds"

Golden Number: 57

The number of games Ellis missed last season thanks to Moped Gate after this franchise ran out the greatest backcourt show on the hardwood (Baron Davis and Jason Richardson) to foolishly build the team around a non-defending, undersized 2-guard with questionable maturity.

Corey Maggette

#50 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-6

Weight: 225

Born: Nov 12, 1979

College: Duke

The 6th Wonder of the Oracle

Like his heavy contract or not, it's tough to deny that Maggette isn't a offensive force. Last year Mags averaged 18.6 ppg, and 5.6 boards per game, a considerable contribution for our leading non-starter.

The issue with Mags is, is he capable of making a bid for more? Before the dabaucle that was media day, Nellie had already come out and said that Maggette will be starting the season in the role of 6th man again.

Corey Maggette will be the sixth man. If Curry starts, Ellis plays the 2; if Azubuike starts, Ellis plays point and Jackson plays the 2; if Morrow starts, Ellis plays point and Jackson plays 3; and if Wright starts, Randolph moves to the 3 and Jackson plays the 2.

That's a lot of options. All of which put Maggette at the six.

It's clear that Nellie is going to bring in his scoring capabilities when needed, but the priority this season will be building up the young guns to run this team. Poor Maggette. But then again, just because he's paid $9 million doesn't mean we're going to get $9 million worth of talent, right?

-- Hash

Read the rest of Corey Maggette's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Corey Maggette Scouting Report

Strengths

Miraculously getting "Michael Jordan" treatment from the refs nightly
Not only getting to the free throw line an astounding 8 times a game, but sinking over 80% of his free throws
Dope verses on the Snoop Dogg track produced by Dr. Dre "B*tch Please"

Weaknesses

Sharing the ball (1.8 apg : 2.4 to)
Staying healthy
Playing all that much defense which is pretty disappointing given his stunning physique

Golden Number: 3

The number of times Maggette has played over 70 games in a single season over the course of his 10 year NBA career.

Anthony Randolph

#4 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 205

Born: Jul 15, 1989

College: L-S-U

Hope Beyond the Hype

Randolph has certainly grown into the hype and hopes surrounding him. His name appears as the only real "untouchable" on the Warriors roster. His summer league performance indicates mostly that he significantly outclassed the competition, and he looks to build on the the success enjoyed at the end of last season in a bigger role this year. While he must continue to refine his shot and shot selection to be able to carry a greater portion of the offensive load and give the Warriors a real threat in the paint. He will need to reduce his fouls and show more defensive discipline as well. But there is every reason to believe this is possible. Nelson now says that Randolph turned his work ethic around and is now perhaps the team's hardest worker. With Wright now sidelined for somewhere between a few months and eternity, Randolph will have every chance to shine full time at PF, though in Nellie's offense that is predicated on versatility, he will have much opportunity to flash those skills that excited many early last year as well. As a 4 able to put the ball on the floor at times who is also a beast on the glass who can swat shots with authority. HOF potential like Lakers' versatile big man Lamar Odom suggests?

Let's not get so far ahead of ourselves. Odom also said that Randolph could shoot the three, of which there's yet no evidence. And while he did seem to find some success with a shot off the right elbow, outside of the paint, AR has a ways to go. His opening performance against the Clippers shows that his willingness to shoot -- 13 shots in 10 minutes -- may precede his ability to knock 'em down. The part of his offensive game that has worked has not been effectively all that different from that of front-court mates Andris Biedrins or the once again injured Wright. Wright, despite appearing to have fewer weapons upon which to draw, managed to both take and make more shots per minute on the floor. Randolph must show that his skills warrant getting him the ball in designed sets. There's still quite a bit of polishing that needs to be done before booking reservations to Springfield. But as long as he can clean the glass with the best of them, he should get opportunities to improve.

-- JAE

Read the rest of Anthony Randolph's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Anthony Randolph Scouting Report

Strengths

Serious hyperactivity on the glass and with the swatage
Work ethic (something you couldn't really say about rookie AR)
Some serious, serious, serious potential to get even a writer who despises endless and mythically bright Warriors youth movements (that would be me)... dream

Weaknesses

Out of control way too often leading to turnovers and poor decisions
Still very raw on offense
In-progress man-to-man defense

Golden Number: 4

How many months older Randolph is than rookie and budding superstar Blake Griffin. Interesting indeed.

C.J. Watson

#23 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-2

Weight: 175

Born: Apr 17, 1984

College: Tennessee

Storm-a-brewin'?

But jokes aside, Watson clearly didn't want to be here. As some reports note, with the glut of point guards, minutes might be hard to come by. Instead of going for the longer term stability that the Warriors offered (3 years at $5million), Watson took the one year qualifying offer of $1.05 million. He even rejected the Philly 1 year offer of $2.3 million.

All this is to say that with Watson's 2010 unrestricted status, next year's free-agent class - Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitski - just got more amazing (hehe...).

The other subtext is how bad are the Warriors that when guaranteed money is as hard to come by as it is in this economy, that people are more willing to opt for the "freedom of choice."

Anyway, back to CJ Watson. I'm impressed the Warriors showed some restraint and resigned him for some minimum dollars. For most of the season, he was a one trick pony. Score in bunches, do little else. And maybe that's just what was asked of him.

But in the last month of the season, when the Warriors starters were either resting up or out with injuries, Watson ended up, surprisingly averaged 17ppg, 5.5 asts, and 4 rbs a game. Stats-aside, Watson was probably one of the few ball-handlers on the team that could dribble proficiently with both hands. Although he often dribbled too much, you won't expect him to make a telegraphed pass Monta Ellis--style or to dribble into a triple team expecting-a-foul-only-to-get-stripped (see Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggete). And unlike all the rest of the Warriors, Watson actually makes his free throws!

-- DJ Fuzzy Logic

Read the rest of C.J. Watson's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

C.J. Watson Scouting Report

Strengths

Nice old school mid-range jumper
Sweet shot from downtown (40.0% 3pt last season)
Continuing Orlando Magic streak of Warriors fetishes (Andrew DeClerq, Adonal Foyle, Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes, and even Skip to My Lou)

Weaknesses

Being a point guard (2.7 apg : 1.2 to)
Not a physical force or strong rebounder
Provides ZERO resistance to penetrating guards

Golden Number: 15

The day in December when the Warriors can try to use Watson's $1 million expiring contract as part of a trade deal.

Mikki Moore

#33 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 7-0

Weight: 225

Born: Nov 04, 1975

College: Nebraska

Uh-oh.

Mikki Moore - Ronny Turiaf Sr.

In all fairness, and I'll be honest, I don't know much about Mikki Moore so he may be more than poster fodder for this upcoming season...

I also know that ESPN's player page has the pronunciation of his name in all caps: "MIKEY", not "Mickey". I think that explains why he's always screaming and yelling. He needs to be heard! From here on out, I will refer to him as MIKEY! and you can pretend I'm screaming it every time I write it.

I know MIKEY! signed for the veteran minimum, $825,497. Yup, half of what I make, sucka.

I know that MIKEY! is not going to contribute much to the Warriors championship run. He might help pour the champagne though.

-- Fantasy Junkie

Read the rest of Mikki Moore's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Mikki Moore Scouting Report

Strengths

Uncanny ability to drive Warriors fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Uncanny ability to drive opposing fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Stylin' hairdo

Weaknesses

Unimpressive rebound rate for a player billed as a "banger"
Unimpressive shot block rate for a player billed as a "banger"
ZERO upside

Golden Number: 11

The Golden State Warriors are the 11th stop for this NBA journeyman.

Ronny Turiaf

#21 / Center / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 250

Born: Jan 13, 1983

College: Gonzaga

Still Gettin' Hyphy

So Goofy.

What can I say? Ronny's just Ronny - and you gotta love him for that. He's not about to be an All Star any time soon, but who cares? He brings the fire every night and he does it with a huge smile. Coach Nelson and the rest of the teammates only speak great words about him and what he contributes.

Stephen Jackson used to be my favorite player, but as the drama continues, it's getting harder and harder to support him. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that Tender-Ronny is exactly what I enjoy about basketball players - hard-working, fun loving, and just happy to be there. Through the Youth Movement, he's never complained, never made trade demands, hell, I rarely hear his name in the Warriors Tabloids (trade rumors or other types of drama). He's exactly what we need for the Young Gunz and that makes me happy.

There aren't too many bright spots this year, but I'd put my money on Ronny Turiaf making this enjoyable.

-- R Dizzle

Read the rest of Ronny Turiaf's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Ronny Turiaf Scouting Report

Strengths

Uncanny ability to drive Warriors fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Uncanny ability to drive opposing fans, coaches, and players absolutely nuts with his on-court theatrics
Stylin' hairdo

Weaknesses

Unimpressive rebound rate for a player billed as a "banger"
Despite having a fantastic shot block rate, he's not as good of a man-to-man defender as you'd like
Shaky jumpshot

Golden Number: 3.6

Blocks per 36 minutes for Turiaf last season. It's like having Adonal in his prime-- with dreds!

Andris Biedrins

#15 / Center / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-11

Weight: 240

Born: Apr 02, 1986

College: None

The Forgotten Warrior

Whether you call it Nellie ball, small ball, or gimmick ball, Don Nelson uses his centers in a unique way. He simultaneously wants them crashing the boards and blocking shots, but doesn't want them plodding along or clogging up the middle. They need to be mobile and agile, with soft hands and good instincts. It's nice if they have a 10 foot jump shot or can pass from the high post, but their primary job is to stop penetration, secure the defensive rebound, start the break, and get down to the other end of the court to be in offensive rebounding position before the shot goes up (not always an easy task when the Warriors are going full throttle). No one has been better at this since Nelson first coached the Warriors than Andris Biedrins.

But Andris' outstanding play often gets overlooked because he's so foundational. He's not the focus of the offense, he just provides the stops and rebounds that allow the rest of the team to get out on the break. He's usually not the man streaking to the basket for a dunk, but it's often his screen that created the glimpse of daylight making the play possible. And Andris might not be getting many shots per game, but it's his offensive rebounds that give the other Warriors even more looks at the basket. When Andris goes down -- as he did with appendicitis two years ago and a variety of ailments last year -- opposing guards get closer to the rim, opposing big men get more second chance points, the Warriors take longer to start their breaks, the lanes to the basket collapse, and the second chance points dry up. The emergence of Anthony Randolph has helped take some of the pressure off Biedrins, but on far too many nights the Latvian and longest-tenured Warrior (along with Monta) still looks like Custer, making his last stand in the paint.

-- Adam

Read the rest of Andris Biedrins' 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Andris Biedrins Scouting Report

Strengths

Elite rebounder who brings it on the glass every night
Efficient scorer
Very crafty at sneaking close to the bucket for easy shots

Weaknesses

Soft defender who fouls too much
Hideous looking free throw stroke and jumpshot with hideous results (hide the children)
Probably maxed out his game at a young age with his limited game and athletic ability

Golden Number: 20

The number of games Biedrins missed last season. Was it a fluke or is Biedrins an injury concern this year?

Kelenna Azubuike

#7 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-5

Weight: 220

Born: Dec 16, 1983

College: Kentucky

The Price is Right

More importantly, Azubuike's efficiency was also up last season. See the graph below comparing 2008-09 to 2007-08: he knocked down a higher percentage of his field goals, 3-point shots (good for 4th-best in the league), and free throws, plus also drew more fouls--all leading to a higher True Shooting %.

Basketball-Reference.com has a statistic called Win Shares, which attempts to translate a player's total boxscore contributions over the course of a season into team wins. Azubuike recorded 4.1 win shares on the year--not a great absolute number, but good enough for 2nd place on a 29-win team (after Andris Biedrins). When you map win shares to salary, Azubuike and some of his low-priced teammates look even better:

Bottom line: the team performed better last year when Azubuike was playing. Opponents scored 3.3 points per 100 possessions fewer when he was on the floor, which is more than you can say for Stephen Jackson (as Tom Zillerpointed out last week). And Azubuike's raw +/- numbers landed him on Tim Kawakami's season honor roll.

-- Jason G

Read the rest of Kelenna Azubuike's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Preview and Recap

Kelenna Azubuike Scouting Report

Strengths

Vastly underrated 3pt shooter (44.8% 3pt last season)
Excellent rebounding for a swingman
Steady presence off the bench and fairly reliable spot starter

Weaknesses

Extremely poor court vision and overall assist rate
Not the fastest or quickest NBA player
Can disappear for long stretches once in awhile

Golden Number: 0

The number of games the Warriors won last season without Kaz.

**********

Shout out to my golden peoples (Fantasy Junkie, Hash, DJ Fuzzy Logic, R Dizzle, JAE, Tony.psd, Sleepy Freud, Adam, and Jason G) for making this meta-Micro-Warriornomics piece possible.

Wait did I just write "meta-Micro-Warriornomics"? Okay, that's probably not a word, but you get the point.

Stay tuned for Part II of the GSoM 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview-- Macro-Warriornomics!

Poll

Who will take home our annual 2009-2010 WDWY (Worst Defensive Warrior of the Year) "honors"?

Anthony Morrow

100 votes

Stephen Jackson

68 votes

Acie Law IV

30 votes

Speedy Claxton

53 votes

Devean George

66 votes

Brandan Wright

12 votes

Stephen Curry

116 votes

Monta Ellis

422 votes

Corey Maggette

209 votes

Anthony Randolph

10 votes

C.J. Watson

134 votes

Mikki Moore

93 votes

Ronny Turiaf

8 votes

Andris Biedrins

7 votes

Kelenna Azubuike

4 votes

1332 votes | Poll has closed

Practice Report: Stan Van Gundy Chimes in on the Philadelphia 76ers; Ryan Anderson Chats Perception Versus Reality Concerning the Orlando Magic

erivera7 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:22:48 -0000

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With the regular season inching closer, the starting lineup for the Orlando Magic on opening night still hasn't been decided by head coach Stan Van Gundy, though he has stated that he's coming closer to a decision. Who will the starters be? Who knows, but that's something to keep an eye on before Wednesday's home opener.

I was able to speak with Stan amonst the media and Ryan Anderson one-on-one after practice was over this afternoon.

Here's what they had to say:

Stan Van Gundy:

I know that Eddie Jordan likes to run the Princeton offense and Elton Brand is coming back for the 76ers, how do you think that's going to change their focus offensively?

Well, I think that Eddie ... the one thing about that system and Eddie is probably, of all the guys who run it in the league, he's probably the most committed to that style of play and to that offense. He's probably developed it more fully than anyone else. It's got everything in it, it has great post-up options, and Elton has always had quick feet anyway so I think it'll be a really good offense for him to get good position down low, it'll be tough to guard him in that offense.

Do you expect them to be as up-tempo as they were last year?

I would think. I would think that they would really try to push the ball, they were really in the pre-season trying to pressure the ball, trying to create turnovers, getting out in transition. Taking care of the ball, we thought in the regular season and in the playoffs last year, was probably as big a factor as any because if we don't take care of the ball, they're going to convert and so that's going to be a huge factor going into Wednesday night - it's how well we're able to take care of the ball and avoid turnovers.

With these last couple of practices before the start of the regular season, will this be a time to determine your starting lineup or have you already decided?

Well, not totally. I'm getting closer but not totally. We worked with different groups today, we changed it around half-way through [practice] so I know that Jameer, and Vince, and Dwight, and so we worked all four of those other guys with those [three] guys today.

How important is it to key in on Jason Kapono?

Well, again, it's like everything else, I mean, we don't want to give him a lot of open looks but their quickness makes you keep your defense pretty compact to not the ball into the basket and so you won't be able to stay at home on him all the time. You're just going to have to do a great job closing out but it'll certainly be a point of emphasis, we don't want to be giving him any open shots.

From the start of the pre-season to now, what aspect of the team has improved the most in that timeframe?

Well, I think we progressed the most defensively but we still have a long, long way to go. I don't think we're there and there still times in practices, in games, where I look out there and wonder how much we've had progressed but we have made some improvements and hopefully we'll continue to the next couple of days and just continue to get better and hopefully we will, over the course of the year, continue to get better.

I mean, that and taking care of the ball are really our issues. I think if we can do those two things - defend and take care of the ball - we'll be okay because if we don't turn it over, I think we'll get good enough shots and we got enough guys that can make shots that we'll be okay. But we haven't handled the ball well.

Is that [turnovers] going to be a major point of emphasis against Philadelphia?

Oh, it will be against Philly but I just think with our team it's a major point of emphasis. I mean, some encouraging signs I thought that [Mickael] Pietrus didn't have a turnover in the last two games. I think that's huge. I think when you're around those guys are going to have the ball a lot and have to make plays, Jameer, Vince, Dwight, those other guys in the lineup need to be low-turnover guys and so M.P. was a low-turnover guy last year. He had turned the ball over quite a bit early in the pre-season but I thought he really made a conscious effort the last two games, cut his mistakes down, that's a huge, huge help for us so hopefully that'll continue. I thought obviously Dwight, in the last game, handled the ball a lot better. His turnovers have been up significantly so that was good to see, too.

More after the jump.

Ryan Anderson:

I know that you said before that you wanted to improve defensively. How did you feel you progressed in that area during the pre-season?

In this last game, I felt really comfortable on defense. We had a gameplan and we really stuck to it. Of course, there's going to be mistakes but for the most part, I think I'm improving a ton. I think our team is improving a lot on defense. Yeah, I mean, that's basically the key to us being a championship team is building our defense up.

The chemistry, how has that been developing?

Yeah, I mean, we have a ton of chemistry early but now, we're real tight. We know what everybody can do. Everybody is accepting their roles. I know that we haven't really sought out who's going to be playing as much or whatever. We all have respect for other, we all know we can play, we have a great team, we have so many weapons, so I think we're a real strong team.

Away from basketball, how often do you guys hang out to build that camaraderie?

For the most part, everybody hangs out with each other. Especially after the games, we might go out and get a bite to eat or we might see this guy at a certain place so I mean it's different from last year because, of course being in New York, it's a bigger city but nobody really went out as a team. Basically, it was practice, then you go home, and you're on your own. Here, it's really ... people want to hang out, grab a bite to eat, or go to the movies and that's great, I really think that helps our unity because we all know each other real well.

Does it feel more like a family vibe, in that sense? Getting to the point where you feel so comfortable that you don't mind it?

Yeah, it's a lot more of a family vibe here. Like I said, everybody seeks each other out, we want to hang out with each other, rather than being sick of each other and seeing each other every day but talk to me at the end of the season, we'll see how much we like each other. *laughs* I'm just kidding.

I know that some people have said that you were overlooked in the trade. Was that something where you wanted to come in and show the local fans you could play?

I'm always overlooked. That's just kind of the way my career has gone - in college, in high school. I'm used to it but of course, Vince [Carter] is an amazing player so I can't really have hard feelings towards how people feel. That's kind of their feeling on the trade and I can only make myself have respect for myself, just keep playing hard, and maybe change some people's minds but it is a Vince Carter trade, I'm a throw-in, but a lot of people don't think that, some people do, that's just something I have to accept.

I know in college you were #34, in New Jersey you were #20, why #33?

#33 is kind of a number I've always wanted. I didn't have it in college, that was my high school number and in AAU, that's what I wore. It was kind of a number I've always liked. Nothing too meaningful behind that, I just like the number.

I know that you've stated that you feel Orlando is the best team in the NBA. What about the team makes you feel that way?

There's so many good teams right now but it's funny because a lot of people don't think we're going to do what we did last year, even win the championship. But if you were to ask everybody in this practice facility, everybody who works for the Magic, they'd be real confident that we'll be winning a championship. We're a real, real fighting team. We're ready to win but as far as other teams, of course Boston, L.A., Cleveland, there's a lot of powerhouses but we have so many weapons, it's going to be hard for any team to beat us consistently or solidly. We're going to fight every team.

Do you guys keep track of predictions? I know that the GM's released their survey a few weeks ago and only 7.1% said you were going to win the East. Some scouts said that you're the consensus #3 team in the conference.

That's something, it's not set in stone. It's what people think. People obviously don't come in here and see us practice every day. I hope in the pre-season we proved something because a lot of people ranked us behind Atlanta in the division and we beat them by like 40 so it's all politics, it's what people think, and you got to respect opinions but we're here to prove everybody wrong.

In the pre-season, given all the rankings and such, did you feel like you guys had to make a statement against some teams or overall?

I think the big thing was for us just to improve and build as a team. I don't think we were trying to prove anything because, I mean last year, what else do we need to really prove? I think we've added so many more weapons from last year. Not that last year's team wasn't good but I mean Vince Carter is a legend in the NBA, he's an All-Star, he's a guy that can help this team a ton and Dwight is only getting better and stronger, Jameer, and when Rashard comes back, I mean, we're going to be hard to beat.

Was there anything that stood out to you about Dwight Howard or Jameer Nelson that you didn't know prior to playing with them?

They're both real unselfish. We try to get the ball to Dwight as much as we can because he's going to create a ton of mismatches but when he's getting doubled, he'll kick the ball out, he's a real smart player. Jameer is a real unselfish point guard, he'll find you every time. We're a real unselfish team, with as many scorers as we have, that's I think the biggest plus about this team. We move the ball, we have so many scorers, that's what we're going to do this season.

Washington Wizards "beat" Philadelphia 76ers in preseason: Final wrap

Mike Prada — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:47:44 -0000

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Also see: Quick game recap | Morning Briefing

Highest plus/minus: Fabricio Oberto (+7)
Lowest plus/minus: Andray Blatche (-6)

Four Factors (bold is very good, italics is very bad)

Team	Pace	Off Eff	eFG%	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
Washington	92	97.8	48.2%	12	31.8	19.6
Philadelphia		96.7	45.6%	20	16.3	13

Before we fret about the ending, let's keep a few things in mind:

We were missing our best player, our third-best player and our marquee offseason acquisition. Philadelphia was missing nobody.
We were on the road
We were in the second game of a back-to-back
The unit that closed the game (Mike James, Nick Young, Dominic McGuire, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee) is never going to close games in the regular season. In fact, it's quite possible none of those guys will be in our closing lineup if everyone is healthy. To be fair, 76ers fans will probably respond correctly that they aren't going to close any games with the lineup of Louis Williams, Willie Greene, Jason Kapono, Jason Smith and Marreese Speights, but that's a hell of a lot closer to their closing lineup that ours was.
When it was our "starters" vs. their starters, we outperformed the 76ers.

Now, the ending was really bad, no question. JaVale McGee made a boneheaded play to go for the spectacular finger roll (he wasn't fouled either), and Nick Young made a dumb defensive play on Willie Green. The unit also made several mental mistakes down the stretch that aided Philly's comeback.

But there was a lot more good than bad to come out of this game. In particular, the following stuff was good:

Rebounding: The 76ers were the second-best offensive rebounding team in the league last year, but they had just seven offensive rebounds last night, and three of those came in the fourth quarter. This is significant for two reasons. One, Philly was bricking a lot of shots, so there were a ton of offensive rebounding opportunities to be had. Two, the Wizards have been awful on the defensive glass this preseason, so this was a huge step in the right direction. What was the cause? I thought Fabricio Oberto was a huge presence here -- he did a great job of sealing off his man and being in position to grab the rebound. Seven defensive rebounds in just 25 minutes is excellent, and more importantly, he helped prevent the 76ers from grabbing offensive rebounds even if he himself couldn't get the defensive board.
Shot defense: Granted, the 76ers are a pretty pitiful perimeter shooting team (which will kill them this year if they stick with their starting lineup), but the Wizards did a great job of packing the lane and contesting outside shots. An eFG% allowed of 45.6% (Philly's mark) is very, very good for any defense.
Transition defense, combined with good offensive rebounding: Not sure how many fast-break points the 76ers had, but anecdotally, it appeared the Wizards did a great job with their floor balance tonight, which is key because the 76ers kill so many teams in transition. What makes this more impressive is that the Wizards actually did a great job on the offensive glass at the same time, mostly because of Brendan Haywood's work inside. Often times, you have to surrender offensive rebounding opportunities in order to get back, especially against a team as athletic as Philadelphia, but the Wizards were able to do both.
JaVale McGee: Yes, he went back to pogo-stick McGee in the last couple minutes, but by and large, McGee played extremely under control in his 15-minute stint. Unlike the Atlanta game, where he had seven offensive rebounds and zero defensive boards, McGee contributed on the defensive glass (5 defensive boards in 15 minutes). He also was in position most of the time on defense, save for a couple late breakdowns where he allowed Marreese Speights to get inside too easily.
Andray Blatche's jumper: I know what you're thinking. Get inside, Andray, and play like a big man! But as much as this makes sense, it's also worth noting that the lane gets very clogged when Blatche is in there with another big like Haywood, Oberto or McGee, all of whom either like to play inside or should like to play inside. If Blatche can hit jumpers as proficiently as he did last night while still grabbing six boards in 22 minutes, he will be a helpful player.
Brendan Haywood: He just obliterated Samuel Dalembert in the paint. Destroyed him. Dalembert hit a couple tough shots, but Haywood didn't allow him to sniff the glass and was able to get some offensive rebounding opportunities himself. He looks like he's back to form. Alas, I wish he got more post-up opportunities than he did. Too many mid-range contested jumpers from Randy Foye and Caron Butler

Some negatives? Foye continues to struggle running the offense. He had a stretch in the third quarter where he got hot and started to play well, but the end line (17 points on 14 shots) is less efficient that you'd like. I still think he's best suited to play off the ball running off screens, because he has great form on his jumper and just doesn't seem like he knows what to do once he gets inside. I know he missed a lot of Js tonight, but that's because he was taking difficult shots.

He also just doesn't have great PG instincts right now. There was one play where the Wizards would have had a fast break off a long rebound, but Foye just kept running upcourt with everyone instead of getting the ball from the big guy. It's little stuff like this that hurts the team and makes it feel like Foye's a misfit as a point guard. I still contend that he's best suited to play a lot with Mike Miller, with Miller running the point in the halfcourt and Foye coming off screens ready to shoot without dribbling.

I also thought Nick Young's defense on Andre Iguodala was pretty poor. Yes, you want Iguodala shooting jumpers, but he was wide open coming off screens several times in the third quarter. I wonder what's really hurting Young on off-ball screens so much. He clearly is working hard, but his technique just seems poor. It seems like it's really easy for an offensive player to run him into those screens because Young isn't doing enough to force the offensive players' action. Hopefully someone can help him with this, because I don't think his defensive struggles are from a lack of effort. They're from a lack of fundamentals.

All in all, good performance from the troops, win or lose. If that phantom foul at the end doesn't happen and we lose 89-88, I'm still happy. The bottom line in preseason isn't wins or losses, it's how you look, and I thought we looked very good tonight.

Tip-In, Toronto Raptors' Post-Game Report: Making the Pieces Fit

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:01:46 -0000

More photos » by Jessica Hill - AP

In his Raptors' debut, Hedo had a tough time staying with Pierce, and unlike the Celtics, the Raptors are going to need some time to get on the same page at both ends of the court.

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The Raptors dropped a 106 to 90 decision to the Celtics last night in pre-season action. But as Franchise discusses this morning, it's going to take some time for Toronto's upgrade in talent to all get on the same page...

One of my constant rants last year concerning this Toronto Raptors' basketball club, was that for all the talk Bryan Colangelo had done in the off-season about "his best Raptors club on paper," the talent just wasn't there. I wanted to scream at times when I saw a line-up of Roko Ukic, Joey Graham, Jason Kapono and Kris Humphries out there with the likes of Bosh or Bargs, and it was obvious as early as pre-season to me that we were dealing with at best a .500 club.

What about this year then? Through five pre-season games the Raptors find themselves with a 2 and 3 record, the third loss coming last night at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Are there early signs of another disappointing regular season?

The short answer to that question is that it's too early to tell.

It's pre-season, and a team with 12 new faces is still trying to figure things out at both ends of the court. Contrast this to the Celtics, who have the exact same core as the past two seasons and it showed last night as the game went along.

And of course, Toronto is still getting some healthy bodies in and out of the line-up for the first time.

Hedo made his debut last night and looked pretty much as I expected he would; some nice dishes (he led the team in assists along with Jack), some terrible shot selection, and some "I'm still trying to get into shape" attempts at guarding his man.

But Antoine Wright, a player who prior to the start of the season was expected to play a major role on D for this team has yet to play, and various others, from Chris Bosh to Jose Calderon, still look to be finding their groove.

Bosh had his best performance of the pre-season with 21 points on eight of 13 shooting but was hampered by foul trouble. However he does look stronger and more powerful, especially on offense, yet as lithe and slippery as he's always been. His jab step and pull-up from the left block is virtually unguardable and once he gets accustomed to his new peers, fans could be in for a real treat.

And I guess that's the long answer to the question I previously posed; the signs I've seen so far this pre-season indicate that there's simply too much talent on this roster for the team not to be successful.

The real challenge is going to be for Jay Triano and his coaching staff to maximize this influx of talent, and make it work as a cohesive unit, and last night's game was a perfect example of this. While Bosh was dominant on offense, he was a bit too dominant and other starters like Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu weren't getting enough touches. It's going to take some time for these three to get acclimatized but once they do, they represent extremely tough match-ups for opponents.

And players like Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson, who were anticipated to spend time at the end of the bench, have really played well, while others like DeMar DeRozan and Marco Belinelli, who were suposed to take on a bigger role with the club, have been a bit underwhelming.

I'd even throw the point guard situation in the mix as point on Triano's "to figure out asap" list.

Calderon to me still doesn't look like he's got that bounce in his step back from two seasons ago at either end of the court and frankly, Jarrett Jack has been playing like the starter and Jose the back-up. With Jack's ability to bull-doze his way to the rim and create shots with the clock winding down, I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who found himself wondering if we'd see Jack closing out games at some point this season, or at least on the court with Jose in the game's final minutes.

The Celtics commentators last night mentioned that Toronto was probably Boston's biggest competition for the Atlantic Division crown but from what I've seen so far, the Dinos have a long way to go before that statement rings true. Hopefully tonight's game against the Rockets, which we'll be previewing later today, will be another step in the right direction.

Again, the talent is there, but I expect a good month or so of growing pains before we really start to see evidence of how good this club could be.

FRANCHISE

Sixers defeat Knicks 93-85

jsams — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:03:36 -0000

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Box Score

Game Thread

--Thaddeus Young has an uncanny ability to release after a miss and score easy buckets. It truly is an underrated skill. Besides committing six fouls, Thad had a great game. He was scoring in a ton of different ways: fast breaks, put-backs, jumpers, etc.

--Sam Dalembert's first quarter consisted of two goal-tends, a travel, a badly missed jumper, an awful outlet, a jump shot blocked by Darko, a defensive 3 seconds, and approximately 14 dumbfounded looks. I know I predicted that he'd have the best year of his career, but I'm having second thoughts. He steadily gets worse every season. It's unfortunate that no one will step up and take his job.

--New coach, new system, same poor perimeter defense. The Knicks shot 41 threes tonight and a lot were uncontested.

--Elton Brand still doesn't have his explosiveness. He missed an easy layup after a beautiful feed from Andre Iguodala, one that, if it were 2006 he would've dunked on Darko's skull. He was also swatted by Al "not known for my defense" Harrington. However; despite the lack of explosiveness, he still found ways to score. The jumper was smooth. He's adequate and will still help tremendously -- just don't expect 20-10.

--Jason Kapono can shoot the lights out. He needs to realize this and be a little less hesitant.

--Lou Williams played an excellent point guard tonight, and even though he shot 3-12 from the floor, I was thoroughly impressed. Here's why: Lou Williams played 28 minutes tonight. During that time he, himself, only turned the ball over one time, and the team turned the ball over 9 times. During the 20 minutes Lou was not playing, the team turned the ball over 19 times. When Lou was on the floor the offense looked much crisper, much cleaner, and much more efficient. Is this a testament to Lou being that good or a backcourt of Green/Ivey being that bad? Lou also rebounded well and got to the line 10 times. He's turning me into a believer.

--I'm not 100 percent sure why Andre Iguodala is turning the ball over so much this pre-season, but it could because he's throwing lobs to Primoz Brezec! I'm still not concerned. In other news, his jump shot looked solid.

--The entire bench was sloppy and painful to watch.

--Number of the night: 0, for the number of minutes Jrue Holiday played. Brandon Bowman, Dionte Christmas and Royal Ivey combined for 21 minutes. Jrue played zero! ZERO! There is no explanation for this unless he was injured. After what I've seen this pre-season, there's no reason Royal Ivey should receive more playing time than Jrue Holiday -- ever. I don't care how old he is, or how much Eddie Jordan dislikes rookies.

--Overall, the Sixers did some good things, and some bad things tonight. You'll take a win any time you can, and the great play of Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young heavily out-weigh the bad in my opinion. Sixers remain undefeated!!!

Pre-Season: Game 1

jsams — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:58:05 -0000

We're less than three hours away from catching our first glimpse of our Philadelphia 76ers in live game-action. Since pre-season wins and losses are no indication of whether either team is good or not (See: 2008 Detroit Lions), tonight's game will be more about individual performances than the outcome. Here are a couple of things to keep an eye on:

The Princeton Offense: how much has Eddie implemented? Do the players look comfortable with what they've learned thus far? How much better will our offensive sets look as opposed to last year -- if any? Will it affect the Sixers fast break-machine?
Lou Williams as the starting point guard: Has his shot improved? How much are we going to miss Andre Miller?
Who's going to run the offense the majority of the time? Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala or a mix of everyone?
How explosive is Elton Brand? Is he 100% healthy this time around?
Jrue Holiday -- everything from playing time to defense.
Does Jason Smith look fully recovered? Is he even better than he was before?
How will our team look with a legitimate three-point threat on the floor? (Jason Kapono)
Is Jason Kapono's defense really that bad?
Has Andre Iguodala's shot improved?
Is Marreese Speights going to play defense, rebound, and refrain from taking 20-footers every time he touches the ball?

These are the 10 things I'll be monitoring throughout the game. Besides the new jerseys (yay), what are you looking forward to seeing most?

Don't forget to check back around game-time to join the live thread.

Game-Day Preview vs. 76ers - The Pre-Season Begins

RaptorsHQ - Howland — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

Looks like things have started off on the right foot. Will this season end in smiles? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

Browse more photos »

Believe it or not you can see live Raptors basketball beginning tonight as the Dinos face the 76ers in the first pre-season game of 2009.

It's been a long time coming.

It feels like we hardly had a summer here in Toronto and the leaves are already turning. The specter of winter lingers in the background.

What’s the one positive of it being early October?

The pre-season starts tonight and we as a fan base can now officially forget all that was and wasn’t from last season. It really is out with the old and in with the new.

It also means introducing how we will be covering games here at the HQ for the upcoming season. In addition to our pre- and post-game routine we will also be opening live game threads for each game where everyone will be able to comment and discuss as things transpire on a live basis. I am sure it will take time for people to get accustomed to the open thread but hopefully over the course of the season it can become what it has become for many other SB Nation blogs....a home-base for fans watching the game from the comfort of their own home. If you are able, log-on to the site tonight and join the conversation.

To kick of the pre-season the Raps will be facing an Atlantic Division foe in the Philadelphia 76ers in a head-to-head back-to-back affair. It has not taken long for Reggie Evans and Jason Kapono to match-up against their former team-mates.

Speaking of Philadelphia the folks over at Liberty Ballers are forecasting a very successful season and predicting 48 wins. Could the 76ers end up ahead of the Raps when all is said and done this season?

In case you missed it yesterday, we are asking readers to give their prediction on how the Raps will finish in the win/loss column in the FanPost titled "Predicting the Outcome". Will the Raps really need more than 48 wins to secure a high-seed in the Atlantic Division, let alone the Eastern Conference?

It’s important not to put too much stock into pre-season games. By way of example, my St. Louis Rams looked more than competent this pre-season and yet now, when the games count, they can't even compete. They may finish much like the Lions did last year.

Whether the Raps win or lose in the pre-season is really secondary to the team’s ability to use the time to work on their offensive and defensive schemes and develop chemistry. Don’t forget that this will really be Triano’s first chance to implement his style of basketball without having to worry about a game every other night. It will also be Coach Triano’s first chance to try out all the new toys that Colangelo has provided him and work-out his rotation.

There are lots of questions to be answered this pre-season but right off the bat I will be looking at three things in particular:

1. Who starts at the SG/SF position? My thoughts on this have been clearly expressed over the course of the summer. In my opinion Antoine Wright should be the starting two-guard when the season kicks off. Unfortunately it looks like we won't get a true sense of whether Coach Triano agrees this evening as it is being reported that Wright won't be suiting up. Neither Turkoglu or Bosh look to be playing either so fans will be forced to watch a make-shift starting line-up which is disappointing. It has to be somewhat disappointing for the team as well as they try and get accustomed to one another on the court.

Over the course of the pre-season Triano may try out a few players in the starting line-up whether because of injury (Hedo/CB4) or simply to see what works and what doesn’t. Heading into the pre-season I wondered whether one of DeRozan, Wright, Belinelli or Jack would break away from the others to earn the starting nod at the two-guard, but if injuries are coming into play then it might not be such a contest after all.

Injuries playing a role early on isn't a good sign.

2. Will anyone (healthy) not play? It will be interesting to note when the game wraps up, whether any player who is suited up doesn’t get any PT. With up to four guys possibly wearing jeans and a blazer there are lots of minutes to be shared. Unless Triano needs to send a message early (hello Patrick O’Bryant and Marcus Banks) I would expect to see everyone on the court for at least a short period of time. Intra-squad games are all fine and good but in order to start determining who has really done what over the course of the summer there is no better test then having to match-up against a true "opponent". If you are a big Marcus Banks fan I would be tuning in...it may be one of just a few opportunities to see him play.

3. Big, Bigger, Biggest: As many questions as there are surrounding the shooting guard position, there are an equal number of questions relating to the big-man rotation after Bosh and Bargnani. Who out of Rasho, Evans, Johnson and O’Bryant will be the first big off the bench, or in tonight's match-up who will get the start? Many are hoping that Amir shines this pre-season and establishes a niche, but will this play out prior to the beginning of the regular season? The big man who brings the most in terms of defense, rebounding and tenacity should find himself a solid role on this team. Don’t count out the veteran, Rasho, early on.

Raptors ball is back.

High/Low Expectations: Jason Kapono

jsams — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:26:59 -0000

Jason has a chance to be my favorite number 72 of all time.

View full size photo »

Jason Kapono #72 SG/SF

Best case: Jason Kapono regains his 2006-2007 form where he shot 51, yes, 51 percent from beyond the arch. Jason's team won the NBA finals that season. The Sixers won't necessarily win the championship if Kapono shoots 51 percent from three, but odds are they will at least make it past the first round. There's no telling what his ability to stretch the floor will do for the likes of Andre, Thad and Elton. One thing is for sure; when Kapono is on the floor, the Sixers will have a legitimate technical foul shooter -- something they've been missing since Korver.

Best case stats: 10 points, 50% from the field, 50% from three, 90% from the line.

Worst case: Kapono's percentages continue to decrease as they have in the previous three seasons, he absolutely cripples the defense while he's on the floor, and takes on the "Kareem Rush role" as the player who was supposed to stretch the defense and rain in threes when called upon, but sits on the end of the bench and shows absolutely no emotion instead.

Worst case stats: 5 points, 43% from the field, 39% from three, 80% from the line.

Poll

Which is more realistic?

Best case.

64 votes

Worst case.

50 votes

114 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation - Jason Kapono

Thoughts on Rockets 96 - 76ers 91 (Aka Game Recap)

Sixers lose to Celtics 105-74

Micro-Warriornomics :: GSoM's 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview (Part 1 of 2)

Micro-Warriornomics: It takes 15!

Golden State Warriors Roster

Anthony Morrow #22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors Height:6-5 Weight:210 Born:Sep 27, 1985 College:Georgia Tech

#22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Anthony Morrow Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

#1 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Stephen Jackson Scouting Report

Strengths

#2 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

#10 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

#19 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Acie Law/ Speedy Claxton/ Devean George Scouting Report

Golden Number: 9,025,614

#32 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

INJURED.

Brandan Wright Scouting Report

Strengths

#30 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

#8 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Monta Ellis Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 57

#50 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Corey Maggette Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 3

#4 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Anthony Randolph Scouting Report

Strengths

#23 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

C.J. Watson Scouting Report

Strengths

Golden Number: 15

#33 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Mikki Moore Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 11

#21 / Center / Golden State Warriors

Ronny Turiaf Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 3.6

#15 / Center / Golden State Warriors

Andris Biedrins Scouting Report

Strengths

Weaknesses

Golden Number: 20

#7 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Kelenna Azubuike Scouting Report

Strengths

Who will take home our annual 2009-2010 WDWY (Worst Defensive Warrior of the Year) "honors"?

Anthony Morrow

Stephen Jackson

Acie Law IV

Speedy Claxton

Devean George

Brandan Wright

Stephen Curry

Monta Ellis

Corey Maggette

Anthony Randolph

C.J. Watson

Mikki Moore

Ronny Turiaf

Andris Biedrins

Kelenna Azubuike

Practice Report: Stan Van Gundy Chimes in on the Philadelphia 76ers; Ryan Anderson Chats Perception Versus Reality Concerning the Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards "beat" Philadelphia 76ers in preseason: Final wrap

Anthony Morrow

#22 / Guard / Golden State Warriors

Height:6-5

Weight:210

Born:Sep 27, 1985

College:Georgia Tech