On a fairly slow evening in P-town. MNF turns out to be a blowout (Maybe Eli has the other NFC yeams right where he wants them?), various family members out grabbing some gifts on a surprisingly pleasant winter solstice evening. Last glance a few hours back and I saw the Bulls absolutely shellacking the Kings in Chicago, mid way through the third, by a count of 77-44. Low and behold, as I catch one last glance at scores before turning in, I see the Kings roared back to win (overcoming a 35 pt deficit and tying the largest comeback in NBA history). Now I know the Bulls fans at Blogabull have been calling for Vinnie's scalp for awhile now, as the Bulls appear to be incapable of replacing the explosiveness of Ben Gordon. Conversely, the patrons at Sac Town Royalty are energized by their young, energetic team, and are SO pleased to be on the rise after many were ready to start shoveling dirt on the coffin of that team last year. So with the table being set, i just had to take a run to the respective teams' SB Nation sites to read along how a fan reacts when erasing or blowing a 35 pt lead. It's really quite humorous, if you've nothing else to do tonight. Caution: Neither site exercises, shall we say, any type of a "filter" to the language used by the goodly patrons of their respective sites. There-you've been warned! Shout out to Ime-sounds like he was 'da man that started bringin 'em back in the 3rd Q

Blazer fan here. I was suprised that your #1 pick did not see any PT the other night against the Blazers. Upon researching, it is apparent that he has not seen much playing time at all! This surprises me, as he is a fairly high pick with a solid, if not flashy, college resume. Couple that with the Cats struggles to score points this year, I would have thought he'd be getting more run. What am  missing?

Are 5-4 after beating Houston at Home. A trip to the Sac Town Royalty page reminded me tonight of us 2 and 3 years ago. Unbridled, precocious exuberance! Clawing their way back up from Hell. Warning: The 2nd half thread page tonight is definitely, shall we say, PG-13. Sounds like Tyreke is their Brandon, and would replace Arnold for Governor if there were a vote held today! Alas, Spanish Chocolate hasn't been getting much run..

Looking back at the the last 20 years or so, it would seem that the vast majority of NBA champions did not base their offense to any large degree upon the ability of their pg to hit a 3 ball.

91-92 Bulls- only starter to even attempt 100 3pt was Jordan- at 27%

92-93 Armstrong did shoot 45%, on 140 att. or 1.7 att per game

93-94 Rockets-"Mad Dog" Vernon Maxwell shot under 30% on over 400 att. Does this explain the demeanor?

94-95 Rockets- Sam Cassell shoots 33% on over 400 att.

95-96 Bulls-Steve Kerr shot 51.5% on 2.9 att per game. That Bulls team shot the lights out from 3pt range that year, with Jordan at 43% on 260 att, Kukoc at 40% on 216 att, and Pippen at .374 on 401 att.

96-97 Bulls Kerr and Harper split time at PG-Kerr at 46%, Harper at 36%.

97-98 Bulls Harper at 19% with under 100 att. Jordan fell to 24%,Pippen to 32%. Hugely different than 2 years prior.

98-99 Spurs Avery Johnson-made 1 of 12 attempts. All year.....

99-00- Lakers-Weird stat-Shaq had more assists than starting PG Harper! Both Harper and Fisher shoot 31% behind arc.

00-01-Lakers-Both Kobe and Shaw shoot 31%

01-02-Lakers-Fisher shoots 41% on 5att pg.

02-03 Spurs-Parker shoots .337 on 3 att pg

03-04-Pistons-Billups shoots .389 on 4.4 att pg

04-05 Spurs-The whole team sizzles the net from behind the arc EXCEPT PARKER, who hits at .276 on 2 att pg.

05-06-Heat-Jason Williams at 37% on 4.9 att pg

06-07 Spurs-Parker hits 40% but attempts only 38 shots all year. No need with Bowen,Barry,Finley and Ginobli taking care of business in that category.

07-08-Celtics-Rondo-26% on 19 attempts

08-09-Lakers-Fisher 40% on 3.7 att pg

Conclusion- Only a few teams seemed to rely on the PG to be an integral part of the offense with the assignment to knock down the 3 ball. Derek Fisher a couple of teams, Billups with the Pistons, Steve Kerr with the 95-96 Bulls. Most of these teams relied on either a SG or SF to carry this load. With the Parker Spurs, it was almost everyone but Parker!  Portland in my opinion will be OK without relying on a 3pt threat at PG, as long as spacing is good and Rudy,Martell,Batum,even Roy can stick their shots when needed. The evolving of Gregs inside game will be huge, with this ability to A) make shots, and B) kick out to open 3 pt shooter when doubled. I am excited to see a PG who can run the pick and roll!

Comments?

Knicks sign Lee to 8.5M and Robinson to a 5.5 M,then trade to Blazers for Travis and Bayless. Portland stays just under cap, NY gets two players to replace the outgoing Lee and Robinson,plus keeping cap number low for LBJ in 2010. Would LOVE the energy both Lee and Nate would bring!  Lee will get 25-30 minutes , Nate gets 20-25 minutes. Nate may be better coming off bench,Am I hired?

Seems like TH may bring a game similar to David Lee. So-so defense, but a non stop motor, a high rate of rebounds, including offensive, and a game predicated on scoring inside 10 ft., via putbacks, baby hooks, etc. Does this seem like a fair assessment? I have the #13 pick in my draft next week, and am tempted to grab TH, as I'm sure he'll be there, and if he indeed can live up to the David Lee standard, me thinks it is a worthy pick!

After watching video of Pandergraph and Cunningham, I like the depth they bring to the Blazers backup 4 position, and don't feel we need to address this via Free Agency. Thus, my wish list for PG looks as follows:

1) Ramon Sessions- guy is a stud. Good offense and defense, super passer (holds Bucks team records for assists in 1 game), has good character, and would probably be most affordable.

2) Devin Harris- Would I trade Trex and Trout for him? You betcha!

3) Andre Miller- Polished, has 2-3 productive years left.

4) Kirk Hinrich- nice floor general, passable offense, upgraded defense, slightly over priced, but still a good value if healthy.

Don't like idea of Kidd or Nash.Love Bayless intensity, but I don't see him as being a bonafide PG. Just don't. If he proves me wrong, I hope it's in a Blazer uniform!

Watching Orlando play this post season, I can see where a lot of their success could possibly be emulated by our Blazers. Now granted, turning Greg Oden into Dwight Howard ain't really fair to Greg, but Orlando has certainly done well by having multiple players who can hit the 3. Which keeps bringing me back to Martell. IF Webs can take it up to the next level, I really sorta like a lineup that would feature:

Roy, Fernandez,Webster,LMA and GO. Speed up the game, use the 3 ball to create good looks inside for LMA and GO.  I believe that Broy and Rudy are sufficient to bring the ball up the court.The two big "ifs" are Martell and Greg, but if they continue to evolve..well, that's a heckuva team! Would like to see us add a banger at the 4, and a quick, defensive Point (Collison?) to the mix. Will be an interesting off season..

Is it just me, or does it appear that Nellie is trying really hard to get fired? This, of course, after signing a nice lucrative deal not so long ago? Let's see, right now he is pushing to alienate Monta Ellis, and he has no patience whatsoever for Anthony Randolph, who, at 19, is about the only inside player that has offensive proficiency in the paint. A raw talent to be sure. Oh, and of course, he has decided to arbitrarily rotate sitting veterans out although they are not injured nor even neccesarily battle fatigued. Says he wants to check out the younger players. Umm, isn't this what practice is for? Or 20 point 4th quarter deficits (of which the Warriors experience a fair amount)? And lets not forget that just recently he has decided to put Jamal Crawford in the doghouse, though no one is quite sure why? I look at Nellies track record through the years and I don't understand at all why he is revered in some circles. It seems his M.O. is to try to get teams to bond together through their mutual hate of the head coach. Well, as a fan of a fellow west coast franchise, here's to GSW keepin Nellie around for a good long time!

So it appears that the Suns owner and GM are content to let Terry dangle in the breeze like a pinata hours before a large birthday party. This is probably at the leagues behest, as it would take some of the shine off of the weekends festivities. It is indeed rare that a first year head coach is let go unless there has been some major transgression, which, frankly, I'm just not seeing here. It seems apparent that Kerr is indeed intent on blowing the whole thing up. So why are the Suns so underachieving? Is it really Terry's fault? Did Kerr really feel that the Suns would emulate the the teams of recent Suns lore with the addition of Shaq to the team. It seems to me that the Sum here is definitely less than the parts.

The Roster:

Steve Nash- 35 years old, crafty, good passer and shooter, no perimeter D. Though trying to stay a pro, he has publically lamented the loss of friends Bell and Diaw. 

JRich- A scorer who needs to get 18-20 shots a game. This has been his M.O. throughout his career. What does history tell us about scorers who are asked to radically alter their game?

Amare- Thrives in a system where he, and he alone, is the inside offensive threat. His offensive game thrives on being able to take over the paint and get to the line. (This also makes me question why PTB think he would fit well with Greg)This uncertainty has led to decreased intensity on Defensive end.

Shaq- Playing remarkaably well this year. His presence actually makes it confusing for the others, whom have NEVER PLAYED with a dominant big man.

Barbosa- PG in the wings. Lightning quick, and likes to run. But do the Suns?

Barnes- signed to a longer term bloated contract. Would they do this again with todays hindsight? Probably not.

Grant Hill- Consumate pro who has gained enough perspective through the years that he appears to genuinely be happy just being able to play. His team first approach hasn't worn off though.

So, you have a number of disparate parts here which are being thrown together with the hopes of working well. Kinda like a Whitsett Frankenstein Monster. I have no doubt a few major trades will help the Suns in both the short run, and the long run, assuming they get get young quickly. Nash, Shaq and Hill are all in the sunset of their careers. Terry is the proverbial scape goat, because he tried to implement that one thing that a coach knows will help foster teamwork, identity building, and a committment to one shared purpose, and that is playing inspired TEAM DEFENSE. To be a successful defensive team, everyone has to buy in, not just 2 or 3. The Suns are to focused on trying to tinker with a successful offensive formula, rather than focusing on D and letting the offense-and the stats- take care of themselves. Why Steve Kerr is not being held accountable for this is beyond me. To blame Porter seems like a cop out. I say this is on the GM and the players themselves. As a sidenote- when the Blazers finally buy into ultimately committing to aggressive hard nose team defense is when they will go the pinnacle. Defense is hard work, and its not real glamorous either, but for talented teams with depth, it is the ultimate key to winning it all.

Good Luck, Terry. You deserved better. Glad to see #30 hanging in the rafters.