With the draft lottery around the corner, it's probably worth breaking down what all but 26 teams will be salivating over this week. Below is my round one "big board". This is not a mock draft, as I have not assigned players to teams yet, but... Yadda, yadda, you know the drill.

Some notes about my priorities:

Big men are more expensive than little men. All things being equal, talent-wise, they are going to be higher on the board.

I do not care whether players are smooth or have high basketball IQs.

Size mostly matters as it pertains to the ability to defend a certain position and to get off perimeter shots. Otherwise, I believe results over size.

I do not like shooting guards who cannot shoot. I don't care if a player's name is Lengthy McUpsides, and he played for the North Dukucky Jayhuskies and made three consecutive final fours.

I have no idea what to do with Euro players. They have like 13,086 leagues over there, and most of the players are either NBA rejects, 14 years old, or have one of those pituitary syndromes where they grow to ridiculous heights and its all so tragic because they all need new bone marrow, which is in short supply in the Ukraine.

That is all. Now is the time for rankings.

1. Anthony Davis

No need to elaborate. Davis’ numbers are ridiculous because his talent is ridiculous. Playing on such a loaded team probably limited his scoring and rebounding numbers a bit. Yikes.

2. Thomas Robinson

Not sure why he would drop below third. Robinson seems like a very good bet to be a star in the league, at least on the offensive end. Foul trouble could be the biggest problem, especially if he lands with a doghouse coach, but by my lights the only question is whether Kidd-Gilchrist’s upside is more alluring.

3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

His rebounding numbers were crazy for a wing, especially considering he played alongside other solid rebounders. His lack of outside shooting (which seems unlikely to improve) will mean he has to get to the line and blow by defenders, but he has demonstrated he can do that. If he can’t, or if he can’t guard the three, he could be a bust. But there is Dwyane Wade level upside here in terms of his athleticism and his performance.

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Sportswriters are stupid. I know that. It's a hiring prerequisite. But, my goodness, this? I gotta come out of hibernation.

Can Durant overtake James?

Thesis: Kevin Durant is inferior to LeBron James at basketball, but still might be the better player, pending playoff outcomes.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant were in a tug-of-war for the MVP award all season long, at least on my ballot.

Your ballot was filled out by a stupid person. Shame on you for tricking that stupid person into filling out preliminary ballots for you, Jerk Broussard.

James grabbed the early lead with his phenomenal all-around play, but Durant moved ahead when the Miami Heat began struggling against elite teams.

Oh, so my whole "Chris Broussard outsourced his MVP ballot throughout the season" theory is debunked. He is the stupid person we've been waiting for. By this logic, Ben Gordon should be MVP.

And James' was better, so he won.

Brilliant reasoning. So this article is done, right? Oh...

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The season is upon us. Only, today, instead of the usual Tinkertoys and Confederate memorabilia, we're opening a brand new season with the Knicks and Celtics.

Carmelo Anthony is out-rebounding Tyson Chandler 5-0. I do not understand the principle of small sample size, so I will simply assume 'Melo will win DPOY. That said, the Chandler-Fields-Douglas core looks really good, and they haven't even brought in Novak. This team could be for real.

The Celtics, on the other hand, oof. We're seeing now what happens when one of the big four is out, and it isn't pretty.

Anyone catch Rivers' comment on Wilcox? Seems he's exhausted by all the hard practicing the Celtics do. I don't know about you, but that makes me very happy Joe D. re-upped everybody.

Charles Barkley is shilling Weight Watchers. So much for the "asking team x to play defense is like asking Charles Barkley to join Weight Watchers" analogy. Expect shorter articles from sportswriters next year.

I think Doc Rivers has been drinking. Sounds like a good idea. Let's get drunk and surly together.

Hey, there's more. Let's rock.

h/t Peachtree Hoops for the hard data.

Kris Humphries - Nets - 1 yr. $8M

Grade: A-

This might explain why K-Hump has gone so long without resigning. Based on last year's production, $8M per year is a solid value. but is this the kind of guy you trust to replicate a contract year season? If he was looking for, say 4y/$40M, do you give that to arguably the league's most unpopular player? For the Nets, one year is a risk worth taking, that it took this long makes more sense now.

Steve Novak - Knicks - 1 yr. Vet. Minimum

Grade: A

What's irritating about this signing is they wanted James Posey. So the Knicks get measurably better pretty much by accident. Hard not to like a 40% 3P shooter in D'Antoni's offense.

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Fresh off a lockout precipitated by the propensity of GMs to offer outlandish contracts to mediocre players, GMs got down to the business of, um, doing it some more.

Below, find part one of my draft grades. Early observations:

We can probably hold off on the Lakers obituaries. They've made a couple of nice moves to offset the loss of Lamar Odom.

The Pistons aren't going to be very good.

The Nuggets are going to be very good.

In addition to overvaluing the wrong kind of talent, some teams simply don't have a game plan. That's a deadly combination, as the Timberwolves and Trailblazers fans will soon attest.

Enough. To the grades!

Tayshaun Prince - Pistons - 4 yrs. $25M

Grade: D

Ironic grade, since Prince no longer plays any. This signing makes absolutely no sense for the Pistons, who should be rebuilding coming off a 30-win season. Joe Dumars defended the re-signing on the grounds Prince deserves to retire as a Piston. Any notion of Prince deserving anything went out the window when he openly boycotted a team practice. In Prince, Detroit will have a still-competent offensive player whose defense will increasingly be a liability as he enters his mid-30s.

Rodney Stuckey - Pistons - 3 yrs. $25M

Grade: C+

Paired with the decision to amnesty Rip, this signing is palatable. It's short, easily tradeable, and gives the Pistons the chance to see if Stuckey can finally develop a reliable jump shot. Even better, it comes off the books at the same time as Gordon and Charlie V. Stuckey has improved every year, but players tend to stop improving once they reach their mid-20s.

Jonas Jerebko - Pistons - 4 yrs. $16M

Grade: B+

An essentially fair deal. It is likely last year's injury saved the Pistons the obligation for a major payday, but they also inherit a certain amount of risk. All in all, the dashing Swede is looking like one of the lone bright spots for Pistons this year.

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Great news everyone. According to Yahoo! Sports, Tayshaun Prince will resign with the Pistons for 4 years and $27 million.

This move demonstrated Joe Dumars' commitment to keeping intact a roster that won 30 games last year. If the Pistons can win 30 games this year, they'll be 30-32, which should be good for ninth in the Eastern Conference. Do not examine the logic of what I just wrote.

Let's all just take a deep breath and be glad Tayshaun Prince can retire as a Piston. That, moreso than, say, wins, is what really matters. Some players have a hard time locking down a big payday when they are 34 years old. This signing is a strong stand against the agism that too often plagues championship teams.

And I think we're all looking forward to Prince-to-Singler for the next four years. I know I am.

Fortunately, Prince doesn't have back problems. Everything is unicorns.

Self explanatory. Some winners, some losers, one Biyombo.

Atlanta Hawks
Picks:
Keith Benson (48)
Grade: C+

I don’t mind the Benson pick. It makes sense to take a chance on blocks and rebounding at the 48. The dude did a lot of things well, from shooting to getting to the line, albeit against mediocre competition. Not sure the Hinrich for first-rounder swap was a great plan. This team needs some pieces if it’s going to move on from Josh Smith.

Boston Celtics
Picks: JaJuan Johnson (27), E’Twaun Moore (55)
Grade: A-

Johnson projects as a spot up shooter, someone who can probably spell Kevin Garnett without hemorrhaging in any one particular area. If he falls in love with the three-point shot, though, he’ll be pretty useless. Similarly, E’Twaun Moore should have a shot to make the roster with his perimeter scoring. I’m not sure if I buy into the intangible benefit of bringing two players on from the same team, but it almost certainly can’t hurt, and both picks are old enough to contribute right away for a team making a last run at glory.

Charlotte Bobcats
Picks: Bismack Biyombo (7), Kemba Walker (9)
Grade B+

Ah, the difference a competent GM makes. Exploiting Milwaukee’s desperation to get rid of (a still useful) Corey Maggette, the Bobcats moved up in the draft to get a Biyombo AND unloaded a (not really useful) Stephen Jackson. The Walker pick takes it down a notch for me, although he makes more sense for that roster.

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By my lights, Kyrie Irving is pretty close to a sure thing in this draft.

Granted, his college performance constitutes a small sample size, but it’s exceedingly rare for a freshman to burst out of the gates the way Irving did. While some of his skills will certainly need developing if he is to play the point in the NBA, his shooting ability will make him an instant impact player.

The knock against him seems to be that he doesn’t have the measurements of some more recent standout point guard prospects, but his college numbers look like those of Chris Paul during his freshman year.

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Derrick Williams looks great on paper. A guy who gets to the line that much and shoots lights out from beyond the arc? Is this the second coming of Dirk?

Call it a hunch, but I’m leery of his college numbers. The fact is that he went from a player with no long range to one who shot 57% (!) from three his sophomore year, but in a relatively limited number of attempts. I’d be more comfortable if he had shot well his freshman year as well. 

He’s also pretty much guaranteed to be a liability on defense, as he’ll struggle to matchup physically with fours or keep up with threes. I wouldn’t pass him up at the two, but I can’t blame the Wolves for shopping the pick. 

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Of course, nothing I wrote above has anything to do with why the Wolves are shopping the pick. A stopped Kahn is right twice a day and all that. 

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As David Stern gently weeps, the world rejoices.

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From the (on) crack crew at ABC after last night's game "nobody can say Dirk is soft now. He's a top twenty player of all time."

Correct, but that was true last month.

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When life gives you lemons, draw comparisons between yourself and the guy who has a delicious papaya.

In 2008, two teams seemed to be in the same boat. A successful regular season, disappointing playoff outcome, aging veterans, the wrong coach. Both teams were written off by the media as lacking the will to win. Time to take out the dynamite and rebuild, said the media.

One GM took the media's advice to heart, and traded his best player for pennies on the dollar and cap room. The other doubled-down, got rid of bad apples, brought in some number-crunchers to wring every last bit out of a core that won 51 games in 2007-2008. 

Lesson learned, when you have a 50 win team (much less a 60 win team), you keep the dynamite at home. Mark Cuban recognized that he had a once-in-a-franchise in Dirk Nowitzki, and realized its easier to win a ring with 51-31 as your starting point.

Most sportswriters seem scarcely capable of bathing themselves. You don't let them dictate personnel decisions. You don't buy into narratives about "softness" or "lack of star power", or whatever the hell the agreement monkeys decide to agree upon.That's why YOU are a GM, and THEY are sportswriters.

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1.  Is any objective observer not rooting for the Mavs tonight? Considering the way the Mavs got utterly (and demonstrably) jobbed in 2006, they'd be sympathetic against any team. That they are playing Team Satan only makes them much more sympathetic. 

2. I keep reading headlines about how Jason Terry might remove his tattoo after the finals. To which, the Mavericks are not the most exciting team in the world off the court. I wonder if ESPN will even cover it? 

3. On paper, the Heat are clearly favored to win... Depending on the paper.  The Mavericks have posted a better margin of victory (by more than two points) against substantially better competition in the playoffs. The only players who have suspiciously improved upon their regular season performance are Kidd and Terry. Terry's shooting is going to cool off, but it seems plausible that Kidd was taking it easy in the regular season for a playoff lock.

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This piqued my interest:

The question is, who will draft him at No. 2? As I reported Tuesday, the Wolves are very open to trading the pick if they can get some veteran help. They won't be giving the pick away, but given the youth on the team and the log jam at both forward positions, this pick is a great asset to trade for veteran help. Look for the Cavs, Jazz, Wizards, Kings, Pistons, Bobcats, Bucks, Rockets, Pacers, Sixers to all get in the mix for him in the coming weeks.

To which, this is the usual ESPN speculation-as-news, but we'll take what we can get. The T-Wolves need help at the precisely the positions where the Pistons have a glut of players, and we have a lottery pick to trade. There are some lame contracts we'd have to swap for, but they are for younger players.  And, yeah, I'm pretty high on Williams.

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The Details

Detroit Pistons: Depressing

Philadelphia 76ers: Spunky optimism!

The Lowdown

The 76ers are celebrating their status as the team nobody want to face in the playoffs. Actually, the Knicks are the team every team thinks they do not want to play.

In reality, the teams nobody wants to play are the Heat, Lakers, Celtics, Bulls and Spurs, in that order. Plenty of teams would be happy to play either the Knicks or the 76ers. The whole regular season is centered around the opportunity to play teams like that.

Really, the Pistons aren't even fighting for ping-pong balls, so they might as well win, so long as Greg Monroe doesn't go down with a career-ending injury.

The Question

Will Charlie V. punch someone in the face? That was the most interesting this season has been in a while. I mean, he won't be playing, but why should that stop him?

Links to happier bloggers

Liberty Ballers

The Details

Pacers: 32-41 (13-25 Away)

Pistons: 25-47 (18-18 Home)

The Situation

Am I the only one who follows the Pistons for the sole purpose of tracking Greg Monroe's progress? I mean, Detroit just lost to Cleveland. Aside from counting ping pong balls, what else is there.

The Pacers, meanwhile are looking to solidify the opportunity to win two games and scare the Chicago Bulls.This doubleheader is crucial to their chance to do so.

I feel like Mike Dunleavy has been injured since 2007, but apparently he's played 52 games this year. His averageness has been extremely important to the Pacers image as the most average franchise in professional sports.

I have an admission. I might, just might, take a peek at the UConn-Arizona game tonight, if only briefly. 

Question of the Game

You have to like steals from Monroe, but are they coming at the expense of blocks, and generally altering shots?

Linky-linky

Indy Cornrows

What happened

So yeah, on the eve of their discontent, when the world was atempest, the Pistons ended a five year long losing streak to the Jazz.

I have no observation other than this proves, unequivocally, that intangibles do not matter. At all. Ever.

This is the NBA. Leadership does not matter.  Team chemistry does not matter. Veteran savvy does not matter.

If a team spends the plane ride the night before threatening to kill each other's dogs, followed by beating each other with foam bats, it will have not one iota of impact on the outcome of the game the following day. 

Like palming, intangibles exist only on paper. 

That is why Ron Artest has a championship ring.  It is why Antonio McDyess does not.  It is why Keon Clark made $15 million playing in the NBA. 

Intangibles. Do. Not. Matter.

Hitting a whole bunch of three pointers? That matters.

In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that, if the Pistons shoot 65% on three pointers from here on out, they will win the championship. 

That's what makes the game so special.  Every team has a chance, as long as they do something impossible.

Intangibles? Very possible.  Easy, even.  The Indiana Pacers aren't tangible at all.

Doesn't matter.

Go Pistons!

Hey guys.  Our good friend Keith Langlois stepped in to pop in with a game thread this evening... Enjoy.

The Situation

Utah Jazz: 32-27 (15-14 Away)

Detroit Pistons: 37-20 (21-9 Home)

The Details

After a couple of understandable communication snafus, the Pistons' veterans enter tonight's game against the Utah Jazz well rested. They'll need that veteran savvy, since Utah has beaten the Pistons the last three or so times these teams have met.

Any way you slice it, this is a classic match-up between two of the most successful franchises of the last ten years.  Both teams, of course are in transition. Utah recently saw the retirement of the longest-tenured coach in the NBA, Jerry Sloan, and the departure of their best play, Deron Williams, via trade.

The Pistons are looking to Greg Monroe and the vets to turn things around as they keep in the hunt for the eight seed in the East.  Fortunately, the Jazz defeated the Indiana Pacers, so the Pistons are still in good shape if they can put a couple crucial home wins together.

Keys to Winning

Veteran Savvy: The Utah Jazz has made the choice to go young, but with Tay, Big Ben and the gang ready to do battle, I have the feeling experience is going to win out on this one.

Crash the boards and play defense: Defense and rebounding win championships.  The Pistons will have to do both if they want to take down conference leaders Miami and Boston.

Stop Mehmet Okur: The former Piston knows all the team's secrets, and he's the Jazz's secret weapon. 

Question of the Game?

Why do people keep asking me questions about some guy named Richard Hamilton? I have made it clear that he does not exist?

Now if you don't mind, I'll just be back in my garage, tooling around in my Mazda Miata with the engine on and the door closed.

Truth be told, analyzing the all-star game is kind of a silly endeavor.  It's a safe bet that the first quarter will be spent chasing poorly thrown alley-oop passes and watching three pointers clank off the iron.

The second quarter will see the least deserving all-stars pop up some mid-range jump shots in an effort to justify their existence.  One team will compile a double digit lead before the fourth quarter, at which point both teams will start to play semi-serious ball.

David Stern will appear to say something esoteric about contraction and lockouts.

The end will see Kobe Bryant miss a lot of shots, but make two or three, which he will celebrate by making his rectal exam face.  The waning minutes will see the announcers quibbling over which 10-26 shooting performance deserves the MVP award.

One of the bigs will have like 19 points and 14 rebounds on 7-8 shooting.  Nobody will talk about how they should maybe be considered for MVP.

Half a dozen jokes will be made about how hungover the players are from all the partying.  Did you know the game is being played in Los Angeles? It's being played in Los Angeles.  There are lots of opportunities to party in Los Angeles.  Did you know that? You will know that.

Shaquille O'Neal will get more screen time than all but five players playing in the game.

The half-time show will suck.

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Cat Jello Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmel Agony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Angry Carmody Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony

...trade rumors

The game will end at like 12:20 am, which is just ridiculous.

ENJOY!

Last year, the Rookies upset the Sophomores in what actually turned out to be a pretty fun game to watch (and won me a fair amount of money in the process... Thank you to everyone who overrated Derrick Rose).  This year, the Sophs try to make it two for two, but without Jonas Jerebko.

This should be a pretty interesting game as well.  Tonight's matchup features the arguably the best rookie since David Robinson leading a very impressive front line that includes DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors, and Greg Monroe. 

Meanwhile, Tyreke Evans is injured, and will not play, so the Sophomores will be without one of the main weapons that aided their upset effort last year.  Also, Jonas Jerebko is obviously unavailable.  On the other hand, as one of the rare Rookie teams to win, they will have something to play for (namely an undefeated record).

I like the Rooks chances here.  On paper, they are arguably more talented than the sophomores.  In reality, these games tend to boil down to which stars can get on a scoring run, which usually favors guards (like Jennings and Evans).  That said, does anyone really think Blake Griffin's not going to get the ball.  Does anyone think he couldn't get 60 points in this one if he wanted to? 

And, really, don't we kinda want him to? I mean, wouldn't that be fun to watch.

I'm betting Rooks again this year.  What do you think?

What happened

The Pistons were able to match the Pacers' new found high-octane offense step for step.  Tayshaun Prince broke out of a nominal slump to lead the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds. The result, the Pistons score an overtime win, and head into the all-star break with a W over the team they need to catch for the eight seed.

Looking forward

Is it likely that the Pistons can overcome a 4.5 game deficit in just 1/3rd of a season? Well, the Pacers are breaking at the wrong time.  They have been on fire under their new coach, but once that effect wears off, they'll be back to being slightly below average as usual.  

But other teams are going to be chasing that spot as well.  Milwaukee is only 3.5 games back, and has three more home games than away games remaining on the schedule.  Charlotte also has a new coach, and is only one game back.

And it's not like the Pistons are going to suddenly turn into the Miami Heat.  Their best case scenario is to gut lucky in coin-flip games (like Wednesday's) and .500 basketball.  If they do, they might go 16-9, which would make them competitive for a slot. 

But is it worth it? Maybe.  Yes, the Pistons will lose lottery balls.  Last year, that would have meant settling for Cole Aldrich instead of Greg Monroe, but those results aren't typical.  In reality, the difference between number eight and number twelve is likely to be nominal.

The Pistons will have some free agent money to play with, and a strong finish might entice good players to join a core of Monroe, Stuckey, and Daye.  Plus, it would be nice to see what those guys can do in some competitive games.

And, really, isn't it more fun to have something to root for other than lottery balls?

Elsewhere in the NBA

This weekend represents some sort of inexplicable hiatus for the league.  I'll assume this is the fault of the NBA schedulers. 

Oh, right... All-star weekend.  Matt Watson will be out there for the festivities, so let's all collectively put some pressure on him to get some coverage, eh?

Tune in tonight to watch Moose single-handedly destroy the Tyreke Evans and the Sophomores.

The Details

Indiana Pacers: 24-29 (9-17 Road)
Detroit Pistons: 20-36 (13-15 Home)

The Situation

Team Average arrives at the Palace to defend it's eight seed against its nominal competitor for same. The Pacers seem to have realized one year too late that Danny Granger is not the sort of player who leads teams to playoff wins.

Still, there are some nice pieces on that team.  Roy HIbbert is emerging as a productive center.  Darren Collison has been a modest disappointment, but point guards tend to be late bloomers, and it's not like he has a lot of people to pass to.

Really, though, the story with the Pacers is their honeymoon period with Frank Vogel.  They have lost just twice since he took over for Jim O'Brien, and are averaging 107 ppg over their last nine.

It's tough to know when the Pacers are going to come back to Earth, or what the Pistons chances are tonight.  My feeling is that the Pacers are going to be a bit more motivated to go into the break on a high note, while Detroit just wants to get it over with and go to Cancun.

Question of the Game

Are the Pacers acquiring overrated white guys from the ACC on purpose? Why is nobody calling them out on the fact that they seem to have been trying to recreate the cast of Hoosiers for the past ten years?

Not a hairstyling blog

Indy Cornrows

What Happened

The Pistons somehow managed to shoot 33% from two point range.  The Hawks shot 57% for the game. 

The Pistons managed 26 rebounds, while the Hawks managed 39.  I suppose I could do some math to determine whether that margin is as bad as it looks, but let's just assume it isn't, but that it also isn't good.

Otherwise, it was a house of horrors for Detroit.  The bad McGrady showed up (typical on the second game of a back to back), Monroe was ineffectual against the Hawk big men.  Nobody scored more than 14 points, which stands to reason, since nobody averages more than 14 ppg. 

Marvin Williams continued his resurgence, which began never. 

So yeah, you're never glad to lose by 15, but sometimes you have to look at the bright side.  Why do I feel like Matthew Broderick's character in Election, just before he is presented with evidence of tampering with the election results?

Elsewhere in the NBA

Carlos Delfino randomly destroyed the Clippers.  He had 26 points and nine rebounds on 9-15 shooting on the heels of a 21 point effort. 

ESPN.com has needlessly reinvented it's player pages.  As such, you can't access some content right now.  On the bright side, the navigation is less intuitive.

Okay, every game tonight was decided by 14 points or more.  And the 14 point victory came from a team featuring Dante Cunningham.  Think players have checked out prior to the all-star break? Yeah

The Details

Atlanta Hawks: 33-20 (16-11 Away)

Detroit Pistons: 20-35 (13-14 Home)

The situation

The Pistons seem to have regressed of late.  They have lost their last three at home, and only a win against lowly Cleveland (which recently provided the Washington Wizards with their only road win this season).  Meanwhile, the Hawks are glad to get out of the house, as they have lost two in a row at home, including a 34 point blowout at the hands of Philadelphia.

Other than that, the Hawks are becoming team predictable.  Joe Johnson is a mortal lock for 20 ppg on semi-efficient shooting.  Horford is a top five center in the league.  Josh Smith continues to be unreliable, but highly-skilled.  Look for yet another 50 win season and early playoff exit.  Wash, rinse repeat.

At this point, though, one has to wonder whether the Pistons have any motivation to win.  They are presently 5.5 games behind the Indiana Pacers for the opportunity to play four times in the postseason.  Maybe they should just let the young guys play, and see where the lottery balls land.

Question of the game

What happened to Monroe? It seems like teams are catching on to the rookie's presence in the lineup.  After a string of nice games, he has been essentially quiet over the last two Piston losses. 

Feeling Peachy?

Peachtree Hoops

This is the time of year when people who have opinions about basketball have opinions about who should play in the all-star game.  Because I'm Drunk and Surly, and you can to, I thought it would be fun to turn it around and make the case against those who should NOT appear in the all-star game. Take it to the snubs!

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Who's in: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol (Injury Replacement), Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Manu Ginobili, Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki.

Last one in: Westbrook

C - Tim Duncan

His case: Tim Duncan is, by any objective measure, one of the two best Centers in the Western Conference.

Drunk and Surly response:

Fair enough, but Tim Duncan, who has been selected to countless imaginary all-star starting lineups by more cheating sportswriters than anyone, ought to understand why we have to slide Blake Griffin in here.  Griffin is having the better year, and Duncan is playing far fewer minutes.  Also, does anyone really think Duncan wants to be there? At a certain point, doesn't fun factor in somewhere?

C - Nene Hilario

His case: Objectively, he might be THE best Center in the Western Conference.

Drunk and Surly response:

The more interesting question here is whether Nene might deserving than Duncan.  On the offensive end, he has been nothing short of spectacular in his efficiency (contrast this with teammate Carmelo Anthony, who is nothing short of spectacular at having the name Carmelo Anthony).  But isn't Tyson Chandler just doing what Nene is doing, but more efficiently, and with better defense?

C - Tyson Chandler

His case: Isn't he just doing what Nene is doing, but more efficiently, and with better defense?  

Drunk and Surly response:

No.  First of all, he isn't as involved in the offense.  If Nene were to get the ball more, he could be the star of the Nuggets team.  Also, of the trio of slighted Centers, he plays the fewest minutes at 28 mpg. 

Also, history matters a bit, I think.  Nobody is outraged that Kevin Durant was picked by the fans, because common sense indicates his relatively benign numbers are the product of a poor start.  Tim Duncan has rather obviously established an all-star track record, and Nene has played close to this level before. 

Chandler's Offensive Rating is 14 points higher than his career high, meaning either that this is a total fluke, his new teammates are facilitating his efficient play, or something in between. If he's doing this next year, let's talk.

Continue reading this post »

The Details

Detroit Pistons (17-29, 5-19 Road)

Miami Heat (31-14, 16-5 Home)

The Situation

I'm on the record saying the Heat have the best roster in the NBA.  I'd still put money on them to win the championship.

However, tonight represents a golden opportunity for the Pistons to pick up a game they have no business winning.  Dwyane Wade was monstrous last night (to the tune of 34 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists) in a loss to the Knicks, but he is coming off migraines.  Chris Bosh is out, and the whole team is on the second stage of a back to back. 

Let's face it, the Heat are only as good as their big three.  Wade and LeBron combined for 84 minutes last night.  Joel Anthony is going to earn the most minutes of any big, and the Pistons are playing their best ball of the season.

The Pistons may be without the services of Rodney Stuckey.  In which case, Rip Hamilton's flu is likely to go away, and we may see him starting alongside Tracy McGrady. That should be an interesting dynamic. [Ed. note - Stuckey and Rip are both out. Lots of Gordon and Bynum. - Packey]

But again, it comes down to James and Wade.  They should be emboldened by the home crowd, but there is only so much they can do with no rest. 

Question of the game

How does Kuester assign guard minutes if Stuckey is out? Could have an impact on whether the Pistons remain competitive for an eight seed going forward. 

Miami Sizzle

Peninsula is Mightier

The Details

Denver Nuggets (26-18, 6-13 Away)

Detroit Pistons (17-28, 12-9 Home)

The Situation

I'm going to set aside all the trade hubbub for a moment, because this season seems to be getting modestly interesting all of a sudden.  The Pistons have an excellent opportunity to extend their win streak tonight against a team that is pretty terrible on the road.

The Denver offense has been rolling.  Chauncey Billups is shooting a career high from three point range, Carmelo and Nene are contributing at a high level.  They currently rank second in offensive efficiency, and trail the Lakers by the smallest of margins.

On the defensive end, it's another story.  In the past, the team's fast pace has made their defense look bad.  This year, though, the perceptions stems largely from the fact that it is bad. 

No small part of this fact is due to the absence of the underrated Chris Anderson, who anchored the second string, providing a shot-blocking presence and a different look from Nene.  He is out again tonight, which is a good thing if your name is Rodney Stuckey or Will Bynum. 

The Question

Is Rip Hamilton really DNP4VR? It's not as though Will Bynum has exactly been lighting it up. 

The Name of The Nuggets Blog is Denver Stiffs?

Apparently.  Denver Stiffs 

What Happened

After building a large lead, the Pistons needed overtime to win after a fourth quarter coll... Oh, wait, sorry...

After being down double digits in the third, the back court got sizzling hot, and the Pistons escaped with a... Um, no, hold on... The Pistons defend their home court, defeating a reeling Magic team, who were minus Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.  No?

You mean to say the Pistons went on the road, beat a championship caliber opponent, and basically held their lead through the entire second half.  Hmmm... That's a problem. See, I've forgotten what that feels like, so I don't know how to write about it.  

So what really happened? A lot of things: 

-Kuester decided it would be a good idea to give real minutes to productive players. 

-The awesome McGrady showed up.

-The Magic were absolute twaddle from the three point stripe.  J-Rich and Hedo (both 40%+ shooters from long distance) went 0-9 tonight.

-Austin Daye? Not so much.  He is now more accurate from beyond the arc than he is from two point range on the season.  That's weird for any player, much less a guy who's 6-11. 

-After nearly blowing the Pistons' big comeback win over the Suns, Rodney Stuckey knocked down seven straight free throws in the final minutes to ensure the Magic didn't get any breathing room.

The takeaway

The Pistons team of the last ten games or so may not be playoff material, but it is markedly, and genuinely improved.  The offense is flowing better, and key players are starting to get more confident.

Elsewhere in the NBA

Kevin Martin (34 points on 18 shots) is having a monster season, but won't even get a whiff at the all-star game.  Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference roster will be peppered with Celtics retreads.  Doesn't seem fair.

Here's what's interesting about Mike D'Antoni.  Raymond Felton is obviously having a career year, but he is doing it while shooting substantially worse than last year.  If he were shooting 39% from three point range, he'd be a no-brainer all-star and possibly in the MVP discussion. 

Nobody seems to be talking about how tight the Eastern Conference is.  At present, four games separate the number one seed from the number six.  Considering that the Celtics are likely to cocoon a bit in preparation for the playoffs, and the Heat would be wise to do so, it could be a crazy race.  What Western Conference?

The Details

Detroit Pistons (16-28, 4-19 Away)

Orlando Magic (29-15, 17-5 Home)

The Situation

Two nights after needing a miraculous 4th quarter performance from Will Bynum and Austin Daye, the Pistons find themselves in need of a miraculous performance for the whole game against the Orlando Magic.  And no, Mailk Allen being out will not likely be sufficient.

The Magic are an odd team this year, having dispensed with their defensive identity somewhat.  They still have reigning defensive player of the year Dwight Howard, and they are still in the top five in defensive efficiency, but they are way off the league leading Chicago Bulls. 

Instead, the Magic bring a more balanced attack that has them in the top ten in offensive efficiency.  A slow star has them with a less than superlative record, but there is every reason to believe they can own the three seed a make another deep playoff run. 

Question of the game

WHMFWBBATT - Where Has Mister Fourth Will Bynum Been All This Time? Nice to have him back. 

Get stripey

Orlando Pinstriped Post

The Details

New Jersey Nets (11-31, 8-10 Home)

Detroit Pistons (15-27, 4-18 Road)

The Situation

Both teams would like to be sporting new look rosters by now, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. 

The players the Nets DO have are actually pretty decent at home.  The bad news is that they are giving Sasha Vujacic 30+ mpg.  The good news is that he hasn't been all that terrible.  He's averaging 16 ppg in his last five on 50% shooting.

Offensively, the Nets are led by Brook Lopez and Devin Harris, both of whom are well above average for their positions.  Derrick Favors, for all the hype, has been largely a non-factor. 

Arguably their best play, Troy Murphy, has been officially excused from the team.  To which, since Rip Hamilton seems to have been unofficially excused from the Pistons, can something still be worked out? It's not like the Nets are loaded on he wings.

Question of the Game

Can the Pistons get it together on the road? This is a very winnable game, and one that the Pistons will need if they are going to challenge for the eight seed. 

Don't blink, hit the link

NetsDaily

What happened

I'd call upon my union brethren to fill in the blanks here, but we had union officers in our office today.  I bet MLK is thrilled that his legacy is a holiday for bank and post office employees.  At any rate, I did not see or follow the game because I have a job.

But yes, let's all applaud the NBA's efforts to honor Martin Luther King Miscellaneously.  Sort of like awarding him the most improved player award.  Point is, they care... Very little. 

But yeah, the Pistons won at home, verily blowing out the Dallas Mavericks.  In so doing, they shot an astonishing 62% from two point range. 

It's hard to identify an MVP from this well-balanced attack, but I'll roll with Tayshaun Prince, who managed 20 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists off just 12 shots and 1 TO.  On the offensive end, Prince is actually having his best season as a Piston, which is strange, since he has been at his worst defensively. 

The take-away

The new look lineup is working.  Sure, the Pistons shot impossibly well from the field, but they would have won had they shot reasonably well.  Also, for all the talk of the Pistons looking to rebuild, the average age on the court was quite young. 

Elsewhere in the NBA

The Knicks don't play defense.  Despite a 41 point effort from Amare Stoudemire, they lost to the Phoenix Suns 129-121. 

The Wizards are now 12-8 at home.  It strikes me that they must be on pace for the largest home-road disparity in NBA history.  That said, this seems reason for optimism for Wizards fans.  

Need I remind you all that Blake Griffin is a rookie.  Dude dropped 47 and 14 on the Pacers tonight.  Best rookie since Duncan? The Clips have now won 10 of their last 14, and are starting to look like a threat to steal Portland's chance to be destroyed by the Spurs in round one.