SB Nation - Sean Williams

RECAP: Warriors 105, Nets 89 - Mikki Moore's tenacious dunks and post-dunk celebration rallies the youngins'

dj fuzzylogic — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:22:38 -0000

Originally posted Dec 9, 2009 9:22 PM PST

(Floyd Mayweather looks excited about the opportunity to sit courtside. He probably didn't get the memo who he was watching, though)

Professional sports, particularly Warriors basketball, have a huge toll on my emotional well-being. Watching the Warriors self-destruct night-in-night-out against the NBA's worst ruins my evenings a majority of the time. I curse at the television. Make groaning sounds, in the most unerotic possible way. I usually have to have a beer by halftime just to calm down the nerves of watching turnover after turnover.

Well, lucky for me the Warriors played, arguably, the worst team in the league tonight. Meaning? Maybe I can fall asleep easily without replaying all the blunders that I was witness to.

Anyway, tonight's recap retells the story that was the clash of the anti-titans of the NBA. However, it will be told through the emotional highs and lows that the Warriors put me through. Instead of focusing on the game, we're going to analyze the game through my feelings...

Preview/ Game Thread: Please don't be Nets win #3

Warriors Web Links: Should have won, and we did

Warriors vs Nets boxscore

Warriors vs Nets coverage

Pregame: Apathy.

It's 58 degrees in my apartment and I refuse to turn on the heater. Why is the bay so cold?

Watching the pre-game show, the Izod arena looks as empty as school on a Sunday. I think I've seen WNBA games more packed than this (barely). You would think that all the business deals going on in the Nets' background could spice things up a bit. Heck, you got Jay-z bankrollin'? How can a team with so much extra-basketball influence have so little to offer? Hey Jay, how about pulling some of your star power and getting Memphis Bleek to rap the national album? Or why not perform "Empire state of Mind" at half-time...y'all will be in Brooklyn in no-time right?

I wonder if there are more Warrior fans watching this game on TV then there are fans in the Izod arena.

First quarter: GROAN.

Less than a minute in, Monta's first turnover. 92 down, 264 to go to break Artis Gilmore's record. C'mon Monta, give us Warrior fans something to believe in!

One minute later - heavier and louder GROAN. Monta dribbles into a crowded paint and attempts to pass through Boone and Brooke Lopez. Unless Monta is Superman, he's not going be able to push this ball though 500 lbs of flesh.

One of the great things of watching two bad really bad teams is how quick they get up and down the court. You would think it was the ABA with all the run outs each team is doing with each missed shot. The worst thing(s) about watching two really bad teams is how many missed shots, ill-advised passes, and guys flopping around on the floor there is. How many more passes are we going to see bounce off someone's back tonight?

Brook Lopez is deceptively skilled, but also full of contradictions. He got picked 3 times in the first 6 minutes. But he recovers and has the grace to move around the Warriors bigs, EASILY. I'm thinking he might be the end of the Stanford big man "bust" that includes a long line of gentle giants, Tim Young, the Collins twins, and Curtis Borchardt. Brook Lopez has game.

The non-existent ball movement makes me think the Warriors are playing hot potato. They are chucking the ball wrecklessly and Monta and Stephen Curry are both missing wide open jumpers as if they're shooting jumpers with blindfolds. Hmm, I wonder if I can catch the end of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals right now... Man, Warriors are this bad that I'm considering watching the super annoying Rachel Ray.

Third GROAN of the quarter. Great heads up move by Anthony Randolph to save CJ Watson's blocked shot. Here we go.... WHAT!? CHARGE?? Oh Monta, why are you reverting back to your old ways of trying to run everyone over? I can't believe I'm watching this game right now.

(Harris: "C'mon coach, I know the 'pull-my-finger' trick...)

2^nd quarter: Elated...

Hmm, the Warriors end the quarter on a short run. Maybe the Warriors won't lose after all?

Is it me or did Trenton Hassell gain some weight since his Timberwolves days? Looks like Trenton Hassell's been hitting up the Shawn Kemp School of weight "training" in the off-season.

Anthony Randolph is looking good on defense. Good to see him active but not falling on people to get a block. Maybe Keith Smart slipped a sedative into his Gatorade before the game?

Alright, here we go. The Warriors are starting to run and CJ Watson is getting into the passing lanes easy.

Andris Biedrins is sitting with Fitz and Barnett for some color commentary. Biedrins looks good in his suit but that weird hoop earring doesn't quite fit. May it's a European thing.

The Warriors are racking up steals like they're Ricky Henderson. The boom and bust of the Warriors offense depends on these steals.

Wow, what's up with Randolph playing so even -keeled? Usually after a few excellent plays, Randolph is jumping around making dumb fouls. Hmm, I wonder what's going on in his head when he gets the ball.

OOOH!! Randolph is hustling! Great to see him giving the Warriors the energy they need on both sides of the floor. He and Radmanovic are doing the intangible things that the Warriors need: grabbing boards, running the floor, some nice weakside defense and, most importantly, covering the mistakes of Monta Ellis. Wow, still no yelps or facial expressions. What's happened to him? I'm beginning to think Keith Smart is better at getting to his players than Nellie.

(The only way the Warriors could stop Brook Lopez)

Biedrins is still talking to Fitz and Barnett on the sidelines. He is discussing his friendship with Ronny Turiaf (France) and Radmanovic. The "European Union club" as he calls it. Can we expect to see this on a t-shirt? Maybe the next Tony.psd? Wink wink? Just playin' Tony.

Randolph is everywhere!!! Plus the Nets look like the Warriors on their bad nights. The lazy passes getting picked off and wide open driving lanes are making me realize why they were 0-18. They're not getting back on defense in typical Warriors fashion. Too bad the Warriors are picking up ticky tack fouls, which is keeping the Nets in the game.

Question: Are the Warriors better when Monta ISN'T shooting all the time? At this point in the game, Monta has been a non-factor, scoring-wise. The ball is moving a lot more and the other Warriors are getting involved ... and hey! They're actually winning, right now? I'm not suggesting the Warriors are better without Monta. That would be completely ridiculous. But its nice to see the other Warriors trusting in each other when Monta isn't trying to mimic Stephen Jackson in his shot selection and his complaining to the refs.

OK, I've had enough of watching Randolph fouling Lopez. It's clearly not Randolph's fault that there is a bad matchup. Where's Chris Hunter?

The Nets are blocking out as "well" as the Warriors as Randolph gets a follow-up dunk to a missed jumper. I am feeling at ease now...

CJ Watson is definitely the front runner for Warrior Wonder by the way he is getting steals and converting layups at the other end. His anticipation in the passing lanes is beautiful.

Wow, that last play of the half was beautiful. Heck, it was SEXY. I'm surprised that Monta gave up the ball to Curry and let him thread that pass to Watson for the open reverse under the hoop. Now THAT was the best closing of a quarter/half I have ever seen from the Warriors. Can we see the ball NOT in Monta's hands at the end of the half?

(Curry and Moore are both impressed by the dunk. What kind of shoes are those?)

3^rd Quarter: Hungry

Early on , we see a power move by Mikki Moore dunking over Brook Lopez! I love the post-dunk intensity ala Kevin Garnett, but is it really necessary or kosher for Moore to throw signs when they're playing, arguably, the worst team in the league? That would be equivalent to bragging that you got Susan Boyle's digits.

Looks like the Warriors are finally hitting the offensive boards. Why are the Warriors so afraid to grab rebounds? I miss Biedrins.

My girlfriend: "That guy (Radmanovic) looks like Wolverine. But uglier."

Wow, an Ill-advised shot by Monta, again. Nice move slashing to the middle and trying to lay it up over Lopez, except way off target. Sigh. I ask again, do the Warriors score better when Monta has the ball in his hands LESS? There's seems to be a lot more scoring this game when he isn't trying to score on every single possession.

I am still waiting for dinner to finish cooking... hungry. I wonder what NBA players eat before games?

Towards the end of this quarter, the Warriors frustrating play is finally getting to Fitz. He sounds like he's about to yell at Morrow post-game after seeing him commit his bazillionth turnover of the game. That's what I love about the Warriors color commentary; they never gloss over the Warrior blunders.

Damnit. The Warriors are starting to look complacent out there and there are still 6 minutes left in the quarter. It's like Cinderella and the clock struck twelve. The Warriors' chariot of marvelous game play has transformed back into the pumpkin of bad shots, dribbling into crowds, and porous defense. Are the Warriors trying to lose? Are they trying to throw games like Tim Donaghy?

Whew thank goodness for players like Josh Boone. Boone shoots freethrows like he doesn't want to be there. It's almost like he can't wait to get over with by how rushed his shots are.

(Mayweather: "Damn, I thought the Nets gave me the gift of a superstar..." Mayweather's friend: "Dude, I though we got tickets for Madison Square Garden...")

4^th Quarter: Satisfied

Great feed by Cj Watson to Maggette (no look) to start this quarter. Watson is definitely the Warrior Wonder for tonight...either Watson or the Net's terrible defense. Whereas Ellis and Morrow are looking like the Warrior ‘blunders' with the turnovers they are accumulating together. Can't complain though that Keith Smart lets his players work through these problems in the flow of the game.

Commercial break: "Give the gift...of a super... star... this holiday.. season" ...whew, I never get tired of that commercial. How many takes do you think that took for Monta to say that? Also, does anyone else think its weird that Monta is basically trying to sell tickets to see Kobe and Lebron? Do you think opposing teams run the same commercials and say that about Monta when the Warriors are about to come to town?

Ball movement! Thank goodness, the Net were within 7 but the crisis has been averted. Monta is finally scoring, but not forcing the issue. I'm more pleased that he's using his speed to benefit his teammates by hitting them with open shots.

Thank goodness the Nets cannot shoot threes. Can the Nets poor three-point shooting be the Warrior Wonder for tonight?

Question of the night, why is Sean Williams getting more playing time than Terrence Williams? Every shot of Sean Williams face as he checks in, gets fouled, or fouled someone is look of "........." or "What am I doing here?"

Mikki Moore TRULY has the best dunks. AND best post-game dunk celebrations. After two great passes from Monta, he's cheering like the game was on the line as opposed to being up 13 against the worst team in the league.Gotta love that intensity though.

I have to give it up to CJ Watson. Watson's 15 points in the second quarter, half of those off great anticipation on defense, really jumpstarted a sluggish Warriors team.

Spoiler Alert: New Jersey Nets Preview

djturtleface — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:36:24 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Yi Jianlin and Sean Williams might be silly looking, but they also tandem to create the most unimpressive position for any team in the Association. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

I think I'd like to get this over with quick. Sorry Nets fans, but as much as you might dislike Vince Carter, trading him isn't going to make the Nets any better this year. The Nets were basically only acceptable last year because they had two players who could really create, which overcame most of the problems young teams have, namely moving the ball effectively. Life won't be so simple this year.

Just how bad are things going to get? Probably kind of bad. I count three proven NBA starters, not counting Courtney Lee's timeshare for the Magic. That's not a good sign, especially when two of them are both small scoring guards. Just how bad can you possibly be in the East? Follow me over the jump for the answer.

Preview

At this point the Nets roster is a bit funky. It's brimming with both high-risk, high-potential players and players who have, essentially, already proven that they will never live up to their promise. Most of these high-potential guys will probably never amount to much, but each has to be terrified seeing their dark future next to them on the bench. Chris Douglas-Roberts, meet your new mentor, his name is Bobby Simmons. Early reports say that Terrence Williams can play like a superstar, but, to paraphrase a past conversation with Shoals, it remains to be seen if he'll blossom into a smaller Lamar Odom or never develop a niche and be squandered as a smaller Lamar Odom.

Of course Devin Harris and Brook Lopez are trapped in the insanity. They're the protons and neutrons of this squad, desperately trying to rein in the eclectic cast that surrounds them. These two players are definitely a solid core, one which Courtney Lee will nicely complement--though it remains to be seen how useful Lee will be in a larger role, especially since he often looked overwhelmed in the playoffs. Devin will likely shoulder an even greater offensive load, which I fear might break him forever, and Brook if going to need to be a viable isolation option on offense.

By the way Yi Jianlin and Sean Williams will account for the biggest hole at any single position in the entire league.

Fantasy Preview

Breakout- Terrence Williams: I love Terrence Williams as a last pick in a fantasy draft. The Nets will keep him on the floor for his defense, and he should contribute a nice number of steals, rebounds, and even blocks from the shooting guard position. While his shooting and scoring might hurt you compared to other options left on the board, there is a good chance that he'll contribute enough in the all-around game to give you a boost.

"If Blake Griffin didn't exist, this would be Terrence"

Bust- Brook Lopez: Here I'd be very wary of falling into the Al Horford trap, that is drafting him too high expecting significant statistical growth in the sophomore year. I know that Lopez plays at a very thin position. There are never enough centers in fantasy basketball. But ESPN ranks Lopez as the fifth most valuable center, and 36th most valuable player overall. I'd be very concerned drafting him this high, not because he doesn't have a shot at it, but because you could probably get a guy like Horford, Bynum, or Bogut at least four rounds later--I'd argue that all three have just as much upside.

Useful- Devin Harris: Sorry Skip, Lee, and Yi, but this isn't going to be your year. Besides the two guys above, Devin Harris is going to be the only other Nets player worth targeting in your draft. ESPN has him ranked at 31, though I predict he'll drop into the late third in most drafts. That's good value, because Harris might be putting up Gilbert Arenas-like numbers this season. I'd also like to note that I loved Harris last year because he got off to a very hot start, and I'm a notorious sell-high trader.

Predictions

My Predictions: 26-56 (ESPN: 29-53)

Another case where I'm relatively close to ESPN. This team did win 34 games last season, and I'd say Vince is worth quite a bit more than Courtney Lee. Even keeping in mind the improvements their youth should make, this team has the potential to be abhorrent. Their bench is better than most non-playoff teams, but they only have two impact starters. I love Terrence Williams, but I think he takes a couple years before he actually helps his team, as opposed to being an impressive oddity, a la Russel Westbrook.

But you get LeBron and Boozer to fill all those gaps next season. Buy your season tickets now, right?

Poll

How many games will the Nets win this season?

Over 26 games.

17 votes

Under 26 games.

15 votes

32 votes | Poll has closed

Around the Association: 2009-2010 New Jersey Nets- The Year of the Yi

Atma Brother ONE — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:15:10 -0000

Movement? What is this movement you speak of?

Coming straight to YouTube or Hulu soon!

We cut down the Nets like it's the NCAA spring tourney after the JUMP!

I won't pull any punches. The 2009-2010 New Jersey Nets season depends on one man and one man alone.

I'm of course referring to none other than Yi Jianlian aka The Movement.

Linking ain't Yi-zy:

I feel like a lot of otherwise smart hoops folks are quick to write off Yi as a bust. People are entitled to their own prerogative, but I'd like to take a second to highlight this comparison between Yi and KG.

Yi Jianlian (per 36)

Rookie: 28.6% 3pt, 84.1% FT, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 tov
Sophomore: 34.3% 3pt, 77.2% FT, 8.3 rpg, 1.8 tov

Kevin Garnett (per 36)

Rookie: 3pt, 70.5% FT, 7.9 rpg, 1.7 tov
Sophomore: 28.6% 3pt, 75.4% FT, 7.4 rpg, 2.1 tov

In case you're having trouble seeing it for yourself let me spell it out for you:

FACT: While KG's 3pt % flat-lined across his first two seasons, Yi's showed dramatic improvement from year 1 to year 2, jumping nearly 6 percentage points.
FACT: Yi was a superior free throw shooter compared to KG.
FACT: Yi showed nice showed improvement in his rebounding rate, while KG's rate declined.
FACT: Turnovers are incredibly costly in the game of basketball and Yi was able to cut his turnovers in year 2. On the other hand KG turned the ball over more in year 2, even surpassing Yi's year 1 rate.

These are the facts. I'm just here to illuminate them. Nothing but the facts.

One billion and one people know Yi is about to have a breakout season this year. Do you?

(Okay, I'll readily admit I've barely been able to hold in a big burst of laughter while while everything above this point in this article.)

Yi Jianlian

#9 / Forward / New Jersey Nets

Height: 7-0

Weight: 238

Born: Oct 27, 1987

College: None

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Yi Jianlian	61	23.3	3.1	8.2	38.2	0.8	2.3	34.3	1.6	2.0	77.2	1.1	4.2	5.3	1.0	1.1	0.5	0.6	2.6	8.6

(Thankfully) Moving on...

Rewing 2k8-2k9 Season: 34-48, tied for 11th in the Least

Wow they sure did miss that future Hall of Fame point guard who resurrected their franchise. No Kidding. (Normally I'd duck for cover from angry Nets fans pointing out the emergence of Devin Harris, but I have no fear here- there are no Nets fans. QUICK: Name the SB Nation Nets blog!) The Nets have just posted back-to-back seasons of 34 wins.

Projecting 2k9-2k10 Season: 34-48, Lottery bound

The Nets will be going for the trifecta this year. Back-to-back-to-back seasons of 34-48. How will they accomplish this mean feat minus the Vinsanity? I do like the TWill aka Gatorade Protector pick in the 2k9 draft and I'm looking for the Stanford big man to continue his rise. That should be more than enough to protect their very Warrior-like 34 win pace. The Nets aren't bad enough to win the lottery (odds are not in their favor) or land a valuable top 5 pick, but they're not good enough to make the playoffs. It's a frustrating situation to be stuck in, as we all know all too well here in Dubs land. Hey at least both teams are consistent.

Golden Predictions

Brook Lopez continues on his path towards being the Diet Coke of Tim Duncans by dropping 15 ppg, 9 rpg, and 2 blks.
Terrence Williams shows some flashes and looks to be a steady rotation swingman for the next 8+ seasons in the NBA.
The Nets rank in the bottom 5 in fan attendance in the entire association.
Devin Harris and Monta Ellis have eerily similar stats.
Skip to My Lou and his expiring $5.25 million contract get traded before the deadline.
Sean Williams makes a nice comeback.
Yi Jianlian's got next!

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies: Going Back to Vancouver
Miami Heat: Need to get the point
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Super Sonics
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia Sixers
Phoenix Suns
Portland TrailBlazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Poll

How would you characterize The Yi Movement in 2k9-2k10?

It's all well and alive like 2Pac and Biggie baby!

72 votes

Sadly it's dead like De La Soul.

184 votes

What's The Yi Movement?

211 votes

467 votes | Poll has closed

Bob MacKinnon Hired as New Stampede Coach

Jon L — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:21 -0000

New Idaho Stampede coach Bob MacKinnon, who won the D-League championship last season with Colorado (via www.nba.com)

View full size photo »

The Idaho Stampede hired Bob MacKinnon as their new coach yesterday, replacing Bryan Gates who is now an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings. We briefly looked at MacKinnon's credentials on Saturday, but now that he's been hired a closer look at the work he did last year is probably in order.

If there's one thing the Colorado 14ers did last season, it was run. As the local CBS affiliate's news story notes, the team averaged 120 points a game last year, which is still on the high side even for the uptempo D-League. They relied on a bevy of athletic players including John Lucas, Trey Gilder, Sonny Weems, Dominique Coleman and James Mays as well as dependable veterans like Josh Davis, Eddie Gill and Joe Dabbert, and finished the season first in both pace and offensive rating. Small lineups were not uncommon to see, with Davis at center and Gilder playing power forward alongside three guards. In part this was due to the foul trouble that all three of the centers on Colorado's roster towards the end of the season were foul-prone, but it also made smart use of the team's personnel. The team also had several players leave at various points due either to injury or being called up by the NBA, such as Mays, Cheikh Samb and Sean Williams. As MacKinnon himself noted in this "A Day in the Life" piece, flexibility is a trait he prizes, so he is likely confident in his ability to adapt his style if need be.

Will MacKinnon be able to implement the same style in Idaho? At the risk of asking a question then immediately copping out, I'm not sure. Idaho finished 14th (out of 16 teams) in pace last season, but a few of the players on that roster who may have preferred that pace, such as Nate Jawai or Lance Allred, are no longer around. However, there are some players who may thrive in MacKinnon's offense, such as Coby Karl and Luke Jackson, who won't be back either. Should Mohammed Abukar return, however, I think he'd do well, and he has experience playing at a faster pace from his time in Austin. MacKinnon also will be without the services of lockdown defender Brent Petway, and while Colorado's defense was about average last year (8th in the league), Petway's absence, perhaps in conjunction with MacKinnon's running style, makes it unlikely that the Stampede will repeat as the D-League's best defense.

A few closing comments: one fun aspect of this hire is that the "feud" between MacKinnon and Utah Flash owner Brandt Andersen (which as far as I know may be completely one-sided, which is the best/most hilarious kind of feud) may be kept alive. This also means that Rio Grande Valley is the only D-League team without a head coach in place. Congratulations to MacKinnon on being hired, and to the Idaho Stampede for finding a solid coach for their team.

The Challenge Of Trading Big Baby

Jeff Clark — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:15:33 -0000

Yesterday the NY Post opined that the Celtics might be trying to mash up the Daniels and Big Baby rumors with a 3 team deal with Indy and New Jersey.

Maybe an inventive deal could be devised involving three teams. The Nets have a couple of trade exceptions from the Vince Carter deal that could come into play. The Celtics likely want a big man in return, the Pacers want a wing.

Trade exceptions, 3 way trades, this is all enough to make my brain cramp. However, the most complicated thing is how to work out the Big Baby sign and trade because he's a BYC player.

For review, lets look again at Roy Hobbs' Salary Cap FAQ:

14) If it looks like we're going to lose BBD as a free agent, could we sign and trade him to another team?

Nothing prevents us from signing and trading BBD using the Early Bird exception. However, Base Year Compensation rules (as explained in Question 13) make it pretty tough to pull off such a trade. For instance, if BBD signs for $4.0 million in his first year, there is *no* 1-for-1 trade that could be made for him under BYC rules. There may be some wiggle room by including a minimum salary player, but there's not much.

By example:

Let's say BBD signs for $4 million in the first year, and we want to trade him to Team X.

For BYC purposes, BBD's salary counts as a $2 million salary outgoing from Boston. To fit within trade rules, the most salary we can take back from another team (Team X) is 125% of that amount, plus $100k. That amounts to $2.6 million.

Does that mean we can acquire a player making $2.6 million, then? No. The trade has to work from Team X's end, too, and from their end, they have to count BBD's entire $4 million salary. The absolute least amount they could send out in a trade of a $4 million salary is $3.12 million. As you see, that's still more than the $2.6 million Boston can take back.

Now, one way around this would be to include a minimum salary player in the team (going from Team X to Boston), because minimum salary players don't have to be counted as incoming salary in a trade. For instance, let's say we want to trade BBD's $4 million salary for a player making $2.5 million and a minimum salary player, making around $800k. Can we do that? Yes.

As noted above, Boston can trade BBD's hypothetical $4 million salary for a player making up to $2.6 million. In this case, the $2.5 million player fits under this restriction. Because minimum salary players can be included in a trade at any time without counting against outgoing salary, from Team X's end, it is only sending out $2.5 million in salary (when, in actuality, the real number it is trading is $3.3 million). On the other hand, remember that Boston has to take back at least $3.12 million in salary. Does it meet this requirement? Yes, because Boston can elect to include the actual amount of salaries it is taking back, or in this case, $3.3 million.

The lesson to learn here is that a sign-and-trade with BBD is possible, but it's not probable, due to the small margin of error with which the Celts have to work in terms of matching salaries.

I tried for a while to figure out a way for a Daniels and Sean Williams for Davis (with trade exception to Indy) deal to work, but I don't think it adds up because Williams isn't a minimum salary player - unless a rookie contract qualifies, but I don't think so. So maybe Roy or someone smarter than me can figure this out.

Besides, I was sort of hoping that we could get Daniels for Tony Allen and then some good return pieces for Big Baby (or keep Baby). Time will tell though.

Rumormongering And Other Deep Thoughts

Jeff Clark — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:12:02 -0000

Well, it has been an interesting couple days hasn't it? Especially when you consider that nothing has actually happened yet.

I'll try to be as up front about this as I can. I'm no insider, or at least I don't strive to be. If something comes my way, I'll read it, consider it, check whatever sources I have available to me, and make a judgment call to run it on the blog or not. Some I have more faith in than others but I won't try to pass them off as "gut feelings" either. I understand that despite my best efforts to add disclaimers and qualify rumors that the credibility of the site in on the line.

Sure a temporary bump in traffic and seeing the blog's name pop up in various news outlets is a thrill. But it isn't worth risking the name of the site. It isn't worth being considered just another stereotypical blogger making up rumors for attention. I can tell you I've come across a number of rumors that I haven't passed along. I certainly can't promise that all the rumors I've passed along will come true, but they at least pass the smell test. And that's about the best I can do.

With all that lead-in, here's what I can tell you in way of updates...

First of all, as I mentioned before, the Powe rumor comes to us from Joshua Motenko of HoopsDaily (and I'm still hoping it is untrue). However, Bob Finnan (beat writer for Cavs) has denied that the Cavs have offered anything to Leon. He does mention that there's interest there though.

The Cavs have not made a contract offer to Celtics power forward Leon Powe, an NBA source said.

However, there might be a little interest in the 6-8, 240-pounder. Powe is coming off ACL and microfracture surgeries to his knee and he might not be able to play until January or February.

Next there's the update from Mark Murphy (buried at the end of the Daniels update) that both teams are in denial mode about any Glen Davis sign and trade.

Though the Celtics have attempted to include restricted free agent Glen Davis in several sign-and-trade deals with other teams, sources with the Celtics and New Jersey both shot down a rumor this morning that both teams were attempting to make such an arrangement work.

So wait, the Celtics are looking for sign and trades, the Nets are interested in Baby, but we are to believe that they aren't trying to work something out? Whatever. Meanwhile Justin is still hearing the same thing he did yesterday about it.

Meanwhile the Bowen rumor is still floating out there and other outlets reported last week that the Celtics have an offer out to Marbury (though after this weekend I have to wonder if the interest is still as high).

I'm very interested to see how this Daniels situation will be resolved. I have no new information on that, but I'm still not worried about it. Being patient and waiting for the shoes to fall into place seems like the right way to go.

Bottom line: If all the rumors came true from the last week or so we'd have a bench of Starbury, House, Bowen, Daniels, Yi, Sean Williams, and Sheed. Frankly I'd be shocked if that came together. So as usual, grain of salt and all that.

Q&A: Ridiculous Upside (Part 2 of 3)

Atma Brother ONE — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:15:10 -0000

If you thought we were ridiculous in Part 1 wait till you see what we've got here.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): In relative terms how good are the teams in the NBDL? Where would they finish in the NCAA tourney?

Ridiculous Scott (Ridiculous Upside): North Carolina was pretty good this season, and I'm not sure the best D-League team could beat them. Not in terms of talent, as there were more talented teams, but it's difficult to get any sort of roster continuity in the D-League, as they only carry 10 players, and thus, if a player isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing, he's going to get cut (this includes injuries as well). If a D-League team was together for three seasons, they'd be head and shoulders above any NCAA Team. The Colorado 14ers, this season's D-League champions, started Josh Davis (52 NBA games), Eddie Gill (187 NBA games) and Billy Thomas (53 NBA games), bringing John Lucas (60 NBA games) and Nuggets Rookie Sonny Weems off the bench. In January, Sean Williams (Nets) and Cheikh Samb were also assigned to Colorado. I would have no qualms taking them all the way in my bracket, though that doesn't mean much, as my wallet would tell you after this seasons Madness that happened in March.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): In your estimation is it better to send a young player who is riding the pine in the Big Leagues (ahem, Patrick O'Bryant) down to the Minors for "development" or keep him practicing with his NBA team? What can young NBA players gain from playing in the NBDL that they can't from practicing with their respective teams?

Ridiculous Scott (Ridiculous Upside): In my opinion, I'd prefer players to play in the D-League rather than riding the pine, and not just so the millions of GSoMer's start to read RU. Getting in NBA practices is great, but toward mid-season, NBA teams aren't regularly practicing, leading to the bench warmers basically turning into donut getters. In the D-League, players can gain confidence and, more importantly, real live playing time. Guys can learn a lot in practice, but executing in game situations is a whole 'nother ball game.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State of Mind): Which D-League players in particular should NBA junkies be following closely? Who are we foolishly sleeping on right now? More specifically the biggest weaknesses on the 2008-2009 Golden State Warriors were passing and defense. Are there any hidden gems in the NBDL that can help the Dubs out in these areas?

Ridiculous Scott (Ridiculous Upside): Actually, the Warriors apparently nearly called-up Othyus Jeffers, who was, in our opinion, the best defensive player in the D-League this season (number 4 here). Other great defenders include, at the SF, Brent Petway (probably best remembered for winning the NCAA dunk contest), F/C Kurt Looby (rookie out of Iowa that averaged 2.5 blocks in 25 minutes per game), SF Renaldo Major (former GSW call-up) and PG Dontell Jefferson, if he isn't re-signed by Charlotte. As far as passing, options include Walker Russell or Jared Jordan. Both are short point guards, which I've learned you guys aren't interested in judging from the comments on my mock draft, but that's about all the D-League has to offer in terms of pure point guards.

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Can you believe we still have some more ridiculous in the pipeline? Don't forget to stop on by Ridiculous Upside for all your 2k9 NBA Draft needs.

Poll

Would Patrick O'Bryant be a much better player if the Warriors didn't send him down the D-League several times?

YES: The Notorious P.O.B. would be a much better player if he wasn't sent down

65 votes

NO: He's a bust, moving on...

365 votes

430 votes | Poll has closed

The 2008-2009 Colorado 14ers: A Look Back

Jon L — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:34:55 -0000

Drafting Trey Gilder was just one reason why the 14ers won the championship.

View full size photo »

Now that they've won the championship, I thought I'd take a look back at Colorado's season. Consider it an internet version of those Sports Illustrated videos that come out for whomever wins the Super Bowl. We'll start with the draft, then go month-to-month, highlighting key performances that helped the 14ers achieve victory.

The Draft

Colorado's draft was...top-heavy. Their first pick (second overall) was James Mays, a 6-9 forward from Clemson who had originally been drafteed by the Denver Nuggets. Mays started 12 games for the 14ers, averaging just under 19 points a game on 46 percent shooting, with eight and a half rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 33 and a half minutes. He tore his ACL in early January, though, and was out for the rest of the year. They followed that up with Trey Gilder in the second round and Dominique Coleman in the fourth, but those are really their only other draftees of note. Unless you're a big fan of Marlon Palmer, John Gilchrist or David Godbold, I suppose. Of course, almost none of the players available in, say, the ninth round of the D-League draft are good bets to be on a roster at the end of the season. Still, players they passed over at one point or another include Kurt Looby, Othyus Jeffers and David Noel.

Retrospective Draft Grade: B+; It's hard to argue with picking up two starters and a guy who probably would've been a sixth man on any other team in the first four rounds. Coleman and Gilder in particular had key roles in Colorado's championship run, which is discussed after the jump.

November/December

The 14ers got off to a good start, going 8-4 in the first month (plus three days) of the season. During that stretch they played Albuquerque in a home and home, Rio Grande Valley twice and Tulsa three times. Standout performances from this period include Mays, who had 27 points on 19 shots, 11 rebounds and six steals against Albuquerque and 37 points on 19 shots and 11 rebounds against RGV; Dominique Coleman, who in the second game had 20 points on 14 shots, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals; and Eddie Gill, who had 23 points on 12 shots, 10 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks against Sioux Falls Mays tore his ACL eight and a half minutes into the December 30 game against Fort Wayne, and wouldn't play again this season.

January

A new year, same result; the 14ers went 8-4 again in January. They spent a fair amount of time in Texas, facing the Toros three times (twice in Austin) and Rio Grande Valley three more times, all in Hidalgo. Notable performances include Cheik Samb, with 21 points on 12 shots, 10 rebounds and four blocks against Tulsa; forward/center Sean Williams, who had 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocks and six assists against Austin; and Gill again with 20 points on six shots (he had a lot of free throws), 14 assists and six rebounds against Rio Grande Valley.

February

Colorado only played seven games in February, going 4-3 while playing Austin two more times. Vernon Hamilton saw some starts here, and while he provided some solid rebounding, he's not a very efficient scorer. Notable 14ers performances included Billy Thomas, who scored 24 points on 13 shots against Bakersfield and 30 points on 18 shots with six rebounds, seven assists and seven steals against Iowa; and Trey Gilder, who had 23 points on 15 shots and nine rebounds against Los Angeles and 19 points on 12 shots against Sioux Falls, all off the bench.

March

This is where Colorado really started to heat up, going 11-2 over the month of March. Austin was the league and division leader when the month started, but not when it ended. The 14ers played almost everyone in the league this month, playing 11 different teams. Notable player performances included Dominique Coleman, who scored 24 points on 18 shots with nine rebounds and eight assists against Dakota; Josh Davis, who had 29 points on 16 shots with seven rebounds against Austin; and Eddie Gill again, who had 12 points on seven shots and 12 assists against Idaho.

April (regular season)

Colorado finished the regular season 3-3 in April, including getting blown out in each of the last two games. Trey Gilder had a fantastic month, with 32 points on 19 shots and 12 rebounds and 26 points on 14 shots and 10 rebounds in back to back games against Albuquerque, and 25 points on 20 shots and 10 rebounds against Reno. Other standout games included Eddie Gill (he seems to have one big game a month) with 23 points on 15 shots, seven assists and only one turnover against Tulsa; and John Lucas III, who had 22 points on 13 shots and eight assists in the second Albuquerque game.

Playoffs

Colorado went undefeated in the playoffs (they pretty much had to), defeating Erie, Austin and Utah twice in the finals. They ran away with the game against the BayHawks, led by Josh Davis (33 points on 15 shots, eight rebounds and two blocks) and Dominique Coleman (19 points on 13 shots, 13 rebounds, five assists and five steals). Austin gave them a tougher time, but the 14ers won out behind solid performances by Eddie Gill (23 points on 13 shots and seven assists) and Sonny Weems off the bench (27 points). Colorado began the finals thinking they would cruise to a title, racking up 78 points in the first half of the first game against Utah. The Flash came back to make a game of it, even though the 14ers ultimately won that game, and kept it close in the second game until Colorado pulled away to win the title. Game one honors go to Billy Thomas (27 points on 18 shots and seven rebounds), Josh Davis (25 points on 15 shots and eight rebounds) and Sonny Weems (28 points on 13 shots). Game two standouts were Joe Dabbert (21 points on 10-10 shooting, seven rebounds and five blocks), Davis again (21 points on 7-10 shooting and seven rebounds) and Weems again (25 points, seven assists).

That wraps up Colorado's season. They were a contender pretty much from the start, and Eddie Gill provided some steady performances as players like James Mays, Sean Williams and Cheik Samb came and went. The younger players like Gilder, Weems and Coleman started stepping up as the season went along, giving the 14ers the best bench in the league and helping them win the 2009 D-League championship.

Conduct Concerns Continuing For Local Product Williams

Steve Weinman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:00:12 -0000

A Daily Babble Production

Former Boston College talent-disaster Sean Williams is in trouble. Again.

As reported by the Star-Ledger's Dave D'Alessandro (hat tip to CB member Spoon), police arrested the Nets' forward on Monday in Denver on suspicion of disorderly conduct and felony criminal mischief. The Nets suspended him for two games later this week. I couldn't help but laugh when reading the following, simply based on the sheer stupidity of the incident:

The incident occurred at 2 p.m. Monday at the AT&T Mobility store inside the Park Meadows Mall. According to police, Williams had a verbal altercation with the clerk, and picked up a computer monitor and threw it. The monitor and other equipment was broken, causing damages estimated to be about $1,200 to $1,300.

As a fellow customer of whatever Cingular and AT&T are calling themselves these days, I can attest to having had a few unsavory experiences with customer service there. But it's never been monitor chuck-worthy bad.

On a less amusing note, it's discouraging to see a talented young player heading toward a one-way ticket out of the Association.

While Williams has not been convicted of this latest offense and remains innocent until proven guilty, his history of behavioral issues doesn't lend to a good forecast here. He got arrested on drug charges in his freshman year at BC, earned multiple suspensions during his tenure and was ultimately kicked off the team in his junior season following more drug violations. Williams escaped prosecution for violating a restraining order on campus last month when BC coach Al Skinner stated that he invited Williams to the game while unaware of the restraining order.

On the basketball side, his long-held reputation of work ethic issues caught up to him early this season. After he fell out of favor with Lawrence Frank and dropped to the back of the Nets' rotation, the team sent him down to the D-League...only to have him bounced right back to them thanks to his attitude. After two ejections, the Nets' affiliate in Colorado asked the team to take him back. Mind-numbing.

As someone who became momentarily smitten with Williams' athleticism a season ago, this is particular disappointing. He was no star in his rookie season, but he did show that he possesses the physical capabilities to bring a lot to the table. The 6-foot-10 stringbean could use a bit more bulk, but he moves with a light gait and jumps as though he has springs in his legs. That combined with his long wingspan helped him average a block and a half in less than 20 minutes per game last season. That's excellent and put him on pace for 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes. He showed a nose for the ball and offered a glimpse of a future interior stopper for the Nets. In his 73 appearances, he also demonstrated a bit of competence at the rest of the game, grabbing 9.1 boards and averaging 11.5 points per 36 minutes on 53.8 percent shooting. Not spectacular, but decent for a guy who has the potential to be an impact defensive player thanks to his ability to block, alter and discourage shots inside. There appeared to be plenty of time to work on his conditioning and limited offensive game.

But while the shot-blocking remains consistent, the rest of the progress has stalled this year. After making it through last season with minimal conduct issues, Williams seems to be regressing toward his old self, and it has reflected in his struggles on the court. He has only made it into 30 games, his points and rebounds figures are both below eight per 36 minutes, and his field-goal percentage has dropped precipitously to 43.8.

And now he's in trouble with the law. Again.

Sean Williams has a lot of natural basketball talent. But barring a major personal turnaround, it's hard to imagine he'll be getting too many more opportunities at this level, considering his history at Boston College and the legacy he is developing in New Jersey.

Here's hoping the young man can get his situation straightened out. For now, the head-shaking around him continues.

Orlando Magic 105, New Jersey Nets 102

Ben Q Rock — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:38:59 -0000

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic shoots over Keyon Dooling of the New Jersey Nets in Orlando's 105-102 victory

Photo by Fernando Medina, NBAE/Getty Images

The Orlando Magic earned their third straight victory with a 105-102 win over the New Jersey Nets on Friday night. Orlando outscored New Jersey in the fourth quarter, 22-16, for yet another come-from-behind win. The teams' respective cornerstones did the heavy lifting, as Orlando's Dwight Howard tallied game-highs with 26 points and 15 rebounds, while New Jersey's Devin Harris had 25 points and a game-high 9 assists. Rashard Lewis, the other All-Star in the game, scored the first 6 points of an 8-0 Magic run in the final quarter which gave them a 98-97 lead with 5:22 to play. Hedo Turkoglu took control from there, scoring Orlando's next 8 points and putting the game away on two beautiful fadeaway jumpers from the left baseline. Both times, the Magic were able to create a mismatch with the 6'03" Harris forced to guard the 6'10" Turkoglu in a post-up situation. Mister Fourth Quarter strikes again.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Nets	95	107.4	55.2%	22.1	10.3	11.6
Magic	95	110.4	48.2%	31.7	31.0	16.8

Wins like this one must feel good for the Magic, who once again needed a dominant team-wide defensive stand in the fourth period--the Nets shot 1-for-10 and committed 2 turnovers over the game's last 6:16, says Dave D'Alessandro--to defeat a team on the fringe of playoff contention . Here's how Kyle Hightower put it:

[Stan Van Gundy's postgame] message was simple - playing hard to win in the fourth quarter is good. Always being in a position to play catch-up, however, gets a little tiresome.

For the team's sake, not to mention that of their fans' blood pressure, I hope the Magic wake up soon. Even with their masterful fourth-quarter defense, the Magic had a poor game on that side of the ball by anyone's standards. Devin Harris got to wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted to, and hardly missed in the game's first three quarters. Equally frustrating was Yi Jianlian's efficient performance (12 points, 4-of-6 shooting) and the Magic's failure to communicate effectively. New Jersey runs a simple, dribble-drive offense which is designed to maximize Harris' strengths as a penetrator and finisher. I did not tally how many times Harris or Vince Carter, who played point guard for brief stretches, were able to find a big man cutting across the lane for an easy bucket. Think of it this way: for the first three quarters, the Nets were knifing through the Magic's defense with uncanny precision, like it wasn't even there. And if the New Jersey freaking Nets are carving up your defense in early-March, you might be in some trouble. Clearly, I disagree with Anthony Johnson's assessment of the team's defense tonight. From the Associated Press:

"We haven't really done that in a while," Magic guard Anthony Johnson said of the defensive effort. "It's been a couple months since we put together a full 48-minute game where we've had the defensive focus of a championship team."

However, Orlando's offense was there. Mickael Pietrus, whom I ripped in the news update today, made the most of his 27 minutes. Air France shot 4-of-9 from the field (3-of-6 on three-pointers) for 14 points and added 7 rebounds for good measure. Van Gundy was right when he said Pietrus' size is a boon for the Magic's defense, as he was able to body-up against Carter better than Courtney Lee could ever hope to (though not for lack of trying). Carter had it going on in the second half, but was unimpressive overall, with 19 points on 22 shots.

Also there for Orlando was Dwight Howard. He had a foul-plagued second half, which obscures how dominant he was in the first half. I mentioned Dwight's overall totals before in this recap, but it bears repeating: 26 points, 15 rebounds. Both totals exceed those of the Nets' entire starting frontcourt: Brook Lopez, Trenton Hassell, and Yi combined for 25 points and 13 rebounds. Dwight got whatever he wanted early, and put the Nets' bigs in foul trouble, drawing 2 fouls apiece from Lopez and Yi in the opening period, and 3 from reserve center Sean Williams. The Nets tightened their D on Howard in the second half, but it was too late.

But drawing fouls isn't the only thing; it's only good if you make the free throws, which is why the FTRate in the four-factors chart measure free throws made per field goal attempt. Again, Dwight converted at the foul line, making 12 of his 14 attempts. On a volume basis, that's his finest showing from the line this season. The 85.7% conversion rate is his fourth-highest percentage of the season, and in none of the performances preceding it did he make more than 8 freebies. Since the All-Star Break, Dwight has shot 67.8% from the foul line. That doesn't sound like much, I know, but for a guy who shot 58.8% before the break, it's a huge improvement.

Finally, it must be said that the Magic's point guards did their thang. Rafer Alston missed his fair share of ill-advised floaters, but nonetheless ha 11 points, 4 boards, 6 assists, and 0 turnovers as he made the Magic's offense hum. And because Anthony Johnson made 3 of his 4 shot attempts and scored 9 points, I can overlook his 3 turnovers. Really, all the Magic players had great offensive nights. It's the defense that we should worry about. As Hightower notes in the blog post linked above, this same come-from-behind thing isn't going to cut it against Boston and Detroit, Orlando's next two opponents.