SB Nation User Blog: Peter W

Diary of a Madman - Part III

Peter W — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:27:11 -0000

Kevin's Journal - Wednesday August 20th

New uni's, a great draft with Kevin Love, dumped some players with HUGE contracts (gotta find out who signed Jaric in the first place!), resigned my own prodigies, acquired better veteran talent, and I raised the bar for Wittman BEFORE I did any of the above. Am I cool or what? This means only one thing: I'M BACK, BABY!!!! It's up to everyone else now, like it always has been. Once again, I've made it incredibly simple for the rest of the org to do their jobs and succeed. Why do I have to always do the heavy lifting around here?

I mean, just about the only things that have gone wrong this off-season are KG getting the gold in the VERY FIRST YEAR (damn that Ainge!), not finding the blasted combo guard, and Mittster not getting the GOP Veep nod. Didn't anyone else in the Republican Party see the irony of advancing a Massachusetts conservative? Way better than McCreaky promoting his wife as Ms. Buffalo Chip in Sturgis. Am I the only smart one around here? I wrote it here first...if Barack gets elected it'll be an Obamanation!

Still, I guess we DO have to actually win some more games. I can't count on Souhan to do the "bad cop" Tribune articles/"good cop" FSN Wolves Live appearances to confuse the rubes. Come to think of it though, we could do something like the Love Covenant with PA this year after the games, with Kevin on the team and all. Note to self....

But, if we lose like we did last year, it means Wittman's out as my morning tee partner...and I'll have to put up--again--with Petersen's lobbying for a slot on the bench. I'd have to go beyond club walls to find someone; and, keeping a shorter leash on these outsiders--especially a head coach--is hard work! I can only use the inconsistency argument only so much, especially with this roster.

Well, gotta go. I'm going to watch USA Basketball trample it's opposition later this morning. Gotta love the way these goofs like Kaman got stuffed playing for other countries. And, what about Dirk? I'm SO happy I never traded for that guy. Cuban has to be double pissed--his main guy risking injury for someone else, AND choking in the clutch...against China no less. Kinda makes you wanna try to buy a baseball team, doesn't it?

Spain Runs out of Gasol

Peter W — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:03:51 -0000

I'd be yelling too if my team got beat this bad...

Photo credit: Kristian Dowling/Getty Images

So much for better competition.

This time, it wasn't just the defense, but the superior three point shooting that brought USA Basketball another blow out Olympic victory, this time over Spain, 119-82. The lifeless Spaniards committed 28 turnovers; Pau Gasol led the way with five. USA had a 26 to 7 edge in points from turnovers and an incredible 32-0 edge in fast break points, but the game was truly decided in the first half when Spain's zone failed to stifle the USA'ers who, for the first time in this Olympic competition, were able to shoot the three effectively. USA shot 48 percent from downtown, going 12 of 25. Spain, by comparison, went 6 for 28.

Although the game would have gone in Team Disruption's favor solely via their defensive effort, the fact the Redeemers showed superior ball movement and shooting in the half court has to be distressing to their international opponents. Other than praying for an off night in the knockout rounds, if this squad can shoot like this, there's not many weaknesses left to exploit.

Overall, the Spanish guards had little impact, but a majority of turnovers came from Spain's front court. The USA defenders simply waited for Gasol and his boys to put the ball on the floor, brought help from the weakside, stripped the ball, and created numerous transition opportunities. They also defended Spain's pick and roll attempts with ease. Even Jason Kidd had a layup! Credit NBC commentator Doug Collins with the observation that the help coming from the weakside was creating havoc with Spain's offense.

While Lebron James is clearly the core of this team, D-Wade has been the alpha stud, coming off the bench with defensive intensity and scoring acumen. Wade shot 67 percent overall from the floor, going 8 of 12. Carmelo Anthony had his best game to date, shooting 75 percent on 6 of 8 shooting, 4 of them coming from the three point arc. About the only bad thing you can say about this team was the early foul trouble they got into. Even that in the end made absolutely no difference.

Spain clearly left emotionally by mid third quarter to fight another day (or to smoke); if everything goes well for them, they could meet USA in the gold medal finals. ESPN's Chris Sheridan, who seems to want USA to lose, frets about the Redeem Team peaking too soon. Given the one and done nature of the medal rounds, anything could happen, but if a statement was made today, it was the Redeemers who made it.

I was hoping for a better game today, but it could well be that this club is just that good.

USA's Grecian Formula

Peter W — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:34:33 -0000

(Photo credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

As in any other type of basketball, if you turn the ball over 25 times, your chance of losing increases. Exponentially. USA's blowout of Greece--thought to be the first true indicator of how good the Redeem Team is--should give the other Olympic hoops participants cause for pause. Like in the NBA championships, defense rules.

No other Olympic team has yet used the international type of game--outside shooting, crisp ball movement and passing--to their advantage. The type of disruptor defense the USA is playing--full court pressure and traps, for example--precludes many teams from exploiting those advantages because only a few teams have the quality backcourt to withstand such an assault. As we move into the medal rounds, USA's talent has overwhelmed any "team" aspect their opponents used circa 2004 to defeat them. This club so far is better prepared, more focused, and has the athleticism to carry out their mission.

It's just getting good, however. The Greece win felt especially wonderful because we were humiliated by them in 2006 at the World Championships; anyone remember the nickname Lebronze James? Competition in the knockout rounds will be better, and I'm still very interested to see how Spain's guards will handle the sort of pressure the USA is handing out. Calderon, Fernandez and Navarro have been decent to very good in their Olympic match ups to date, with Calderon maybe having a slight edge on the other two.

On the USA side, it's nice to see Chris Bosh get a majority of front court minutes over Dwight Howard. While not as physically intimidating as Howard, his presence in the middle has been felt, and he hits his free throws. As we move further along, USA's outside shooting is still a concern, but it seems like this club has thrown down the gauntlet on the defensive end, and in fact are challenging the whole international "team" premise. Will USA's formula of superior athleticism, talent and focused defense defeat the sum of well coordinated, unified play?

We're about to find out.

Good, But Not Great

Peter W — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:56:41 -0000

(Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Question: When is a win by 31 points NOT impressive? One answer can be found in today's USA Men's Basketball victory over China. USA's defensive pressure won the day for the Redeem Team, but as with the exhibition against Australia, there are trouble signs afoot for this club. USA shot an overall 54 percent for the game, but only 29 percent from beyond the closer 3 point arc, starting out 1 for 12. They also had trouble defending the three, giving the feisty Chinese hope early in the game, before reality, superior talent and fatigue set in.

The USA ballers were able to exploit China's weakness in the backcourt, creating numerous transition and fast break opportunities. The men scored 24 points off the fast break to China's four, and had 12 points off of turnovers, as opposed to China's two. Whether they will be able to do the same, for example, with the talented Spanish guards (Jose Calderon, Juan Carlos Navarro, Rudy Fernandez) will be fascinating indeed.

Given the poor outside shooting, especially in the first half, it's interesting that Coach K couldn't find a way to get Michael Redd off the bench until the second half. Given that starting point guard Jason Kidd doesn't even shoot anymore, if Team USA is not scoring in transition, I'm not sure a half court, 4 on 5 offensive strategy is going to work against better international competition, unless he can get the ball moving around to someone who can hit an open look. Teams will zone USA to death, daring them to hit an outside shot.

The USA'ers are also fought urges to showboat and entertain the crowd, which resulted in a number of unnecessary turnovers. The athleticism of this squad is undeniable, and to watch LeBron James in the open court is a thing of beauty, but against good TEAMS, making the right play instead of the spectacular one is going to be crucial.

Finally, how is Dwight Howard going to be able to play in the second half if he can't make free throws? Already undersized and undermanned in the front court, all another team will do in a tight contest is foul Superman, knowing there's kryptonite waiting for him at the charity stripe. Someone call Rick Barry or a hypnotist quick, because Germany, for example, has four seven footers (one with Olympic rings carved into his noggin) just waiting to exploit that weakness.

With Argentina's loss to Lithuania today, this competition is shaping up to be unpredictable. There's simply too much international talent around to take anything for granted.

Olympic Kudos and Controversies

Peter W — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:25:32 -0000

Check out the Aussie Uni's!!!

USA Basketball started out with a bang this morning (or evening, if you're in Beijing), with the women handing out a 40 point drubbing to the Czech Republic, 97-57. Comparatively, the ladies have probably have an equal or greater chance to win hoops gold than the men, given that only Australia and Russia seem to have any chance at being competitive. Russia struggled mightily against Latvia today, but the Aussies with Lauren Jackson--and fascinating, skin tight uniforms--should give USA a run for their money. They gave a whupping to Belarus in their first game as well, 83-64.

Kudos to NBC and in my case DirecTV for the way the Olympics are being broadcast. Dedicating a multitude of channels to the different competitions, and providing an interactive menu for me to select a contest of my choosing has truly enhanced my user experience. This morning I was able to watch raw feeds of both USA and Russia in their respective games, with no commercials. During the timeouts, they merely put together replay packages of the last few minutes, while music was being played at the venue. An occasional stat or graphic would appear to explain what had transpired to date, but for the most part it's a very clean, organized and gorgeous way to watch the games.

What wasn't particularly nice in my view was Craig Sager's interview of Becky Hammon, the WBNA All-Star point guard who happens to be playing for the Russian squad. She and the Clippers Chris Kaman are the two Americans who are playing under different flags--Russia and Germany respectively--but only Kaman has any particular ancestory with Germany. That has ruffled a few feathers, and Sager--on loan from Turner Sports, and dressed down from his usual loud and garish attire--decided to go Jim Gray on Hammon, questioning her patriotism with questions like how she felt watching the USA team walk into the Olympic stadium during the opening ceremonies. During a short interview with Diane Taurasi after the USA blow out, apparently Sager hadn't had enough of trying to stir the pot, asking Taurasi how she felt about Hammon's decision to play with the nation formerly known as the Red Menace. I can only imagine when the men's hoops start up, Sager will be looking for an interview with Kaman to question his loyalty as well. During the raw feed, one could hear both Mike Breen and Ann Meyers-Drysdale compliment Sager on his line of questioning, especially the opening ceremonies question.

While one question regarding the "controversy" is legitimate, to repeatedly ask the same question over and over again borders on jingoism. The Olympics--and sports in general--have morphed into something much different than what I certainly grew up with. With the whole effort to globalize basketball, it would be silly to think that some athletes wouldn't want to find a way to compete on a Olympic stage, especially when their home countries have no interest in their services. Mercenary? Maybe, but ever since the decision to let professionals compete in the Olympics was made, Pandora's box was opened. FIBA rules prevent a wholesale shift of players changing allegences at will; Hammon and Kaman took advantage of the fact they hadn't played in international competition before. In the end however, isn't the Olympics still about the best athletes on the planet competing? If Kaman and Hammon want to try and find a spot on that stage, is it really any of our business if they make it? Don't we have bigger issues to worry about than who's playing on who's team?

Kevin Hench via Fox Sports provides more background on the subject, including USA Women's hoops coach Anne Donovan's reaction to the issue. Of course, being Fox, the conclusions Hench comes to are predictable, but it's worth a read, especially if you think folks like Hammon and Kaman are in the wrong. I don't, but I'd be interested to hear what others think about all of this.

Repeat after me..."It's only an exhibition"...

Peter W — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:20:47 -0000

AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko via ESPN.com

I DVR'd USA Basketball's game against Australia today, after dumping all my Battlestar Galactica and John Adams recordings. Damn...what a mistake! ESPN's Chris Sheridan sounds the five alarm bell with his take on today's game won by USA 87-76, without the Aussie's best player in Andrew Bogut, but I'm not getting my undies in a bundle...yet. Still, we've seen this before, despite all the hype from Coach K about the USA team checking their egos at the door. Flashback to 2004, where Larry Brown wanted to send Starbury home (a foreboding vision of his Knicks experience), and dreams of gold were shattered by individual, selfish play in a bronze medal effort.

What are the tell tale signs of trouble, you ask?

1) No ball movement. According to Jason Kidd, the rock in today's game was "sticky", even with three great point guards available in Kidd, Chris Paul and Deron Williams. The biggest offender was Carmelo Anthony, who continues to be one of the more overrated players in basketball today. The international game is more team and pass oriented; while the USA team is by far the most talented and athletic, a unified, well coached team has proven to give them headaches throughout this decade.

2) Poor three point shooting. Michael Redd and Kobe Bryant were supposed to fix this, but Redd only played a little over eight minutes. For the game, USA shot only 16.7 percent from the three point arc. If no one can hit from outside, teams will pack it down low; given the fact that the Redeem Team is a tad undersized in the front court, that could spell trouble for the club.

3) Trapezodially challenged. We've heard this for years, but USA ballers still can't get over the expanding low block, somewhat like the late Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking ruminating over our expanding universe. I can only imagine what Al Jefferson would have to do to adjust to one of his jump hooks turning into a mid-range hoist from the baseline.

I did say I wasn't a bundle of concern yet...correct? One break the US gets is they may not even have to play Argentina unless they also advance to the medal rounds. Spain--with the Gasols and some other talented NBA ballers--looks to be the major obstacle in Group B play. Another advantage is the USA have a bunch of guys who clearly can play defense when they want...IF they want. Since talent isn't the only consideration anymore, it will come down the cohesiveness the team can display, especially in the "one and done" medal rounds (in terms of competing for gold). I expect once they actually get to Beijing, not even the particulate matter in the smog will dampen their enthusiasm for playing in the Olympic rarified air .

It is good they're playing indoors, though. Leave the burning lungs to the outdoor track and field folks.

Clueless

Peter W — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:32:24 -0000

Call me clueless. Honestly, I won't be offended. When it comes to some of the recent NBA free agent signings and rumors, I am scratching my head, furiously.

Here's what I'm talking about:

1) Ryan Gomes...a 5 year contract? I saw this small ticker blurb while watching Twins Live last night, and from a NBA.com headline, but not much more. I like the signing, and Gomes, but 5 years for a tweener who is the down the pecking order a bit seems a little long to me. I imagined with the disastrous Jaric--and frankly Mark Madsen--long term deals, the club had learned it's lesson about role player contract rewards. I hope there's some team options in the deal, in the 4th or 5th year, if this information is at all accurate.

2) Ricky Davis....to the Clippers? They had done pretty well in surviving the Elton Brand defection with the Marcus Canby steal, but now have ruined any chance of making an impact by adding the boneheaded, braided Davis to their roster. Tim Thomas and Davis on the same club...can that team--if not the league--survive? How does Mike Dunleavy get along with that front office group?

3) Kwame Brown...to the Pistons? Okay, after dumping Flip somewhere on a Lake Minnetonka shore, Joe Dumars tells anyone who is listening that everyone on his team is available, there are no sacred cows. A lot of noise about Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady ensues, but after bringing Michael Curry on to lead this bunch, the best he can do to date is add this stiff? At least find someone Rasheed Wallace can respect to keep the Tar Heel in line, especially around playoff time. Otherwise, it's another Eastern Conference playoff exit.

4) Finally, there's been a lot of bulletin board/Real GM scuttlebutt about a three way trade, with the Wolves getting Brandan Wright, and us giving up McCants and potentially a number one pick. I'm not a big McCants fan, but even though we have a stockpile--incredibly--of number one's, why would we need another skinny, developing big man? Finding a deal to get rid of Calvin Booth and acquiring a decent combo guard seem to be better uses for excess first round picks. I think Wright has some talent, but how and where would he fit in, especially with Love, Smith, Richard and Gomes in the fold? I truly hope that's board fodder. Then again, maybe we'll hear more at the Gomes/Wolves press conference today.

But like I said, if someone's got an explanation, or real information, I'm all ears.

Lynx Show No Sparks

Peter W — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:19:16 -0000

Perhaps a better venue for the Minnesota Lynx would be Valleyfair, given the roller coaster season they've had to date. Much like their Wolves counterparts, the Taylor organization seems content to build a team from the offensive end first, with little thought of how to play defense past opportunistic steals and blocked shots on undersized point guards. Don't get me wrong, as opposed to the last two dreadful years, this team is fun to watch, but yesterday's game against LA gave me no sense the club is ready to be a true contender, especially in the clutch. When it comes down to it, it's still Seimone Augustus or bust; if she scores, they're in it, when she's cold--like yesterday's overtime stint--the team can't manufacture a heartbeat.

I blame this on Hillary Clinton. Since she dropped out of the presidential race, the Lynx's marketing whizzes must have believed they had to also retire their original campaign, which included a reference to "a women in the White House", as well as Seimone split screen with an actual Lynx, the fiercest yawn ever photographed. Instead, they've once again employed the 70's time machine first used in creating the Wolves God-awful Sweetwater Jones concept and produced the horrible "Lynk up" ads. Would someone please tell the Taylor marketing department to turn off the Starsky and Hutch/What's Happening reruns and put down the bong(s)? I'd be put in a funk too if that's the best a professional organization could do to promote me. What's for next year, an 80's motif with Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money'? Kevin McHale sporting a Mike Score/Flock of Seagulls haircut? Imagine the Iron Ranger looking like this:

Ah, but I digress. The basic problem with the Lynx is that they're second best offensively and third worst defensively in the league. With those extremes, is it any wonder they're on a team roller coaster? The top acquisition of last year--point guard Lindsey Harding--shows no ability to finish around the basket even when healthy. I hate to break it to Jim Pete and Tom Hanneman, but her numbers in coming back from injury this year resemble the numbers she had before she was hurt last year--low to mid 30's FG shooting and mid to high 60's FT percentage respectively. Nicky Anosike has been feisty but undersized around the basket, giving the ladies no real low post option to compliment Augustus. Houston and Wiggins give the club a great lift off the bench, but Wiggins--when healthy--should be starting at the point. Despite her not being a true PG, she gives the team the only other threat for the opposition. Until they can get someone to score consistently in the post, this is what they have to work with.

And please, find a coach who can teach defense. I can't sugarcoat this...they're awful. The one thing they were able to do in the second half was limit leading rookie and current WNBA take down champ Candice Parker. However, that was at the expense of allowing Lisa Leslie--offering her best petulant Kobe Bryant "get a technical, get calls for the rest of the game" imitation--and DeLisha Milton-Jones, who helped put the dagger in the Lynx yesterday.

It was nice to see a decent crowd at the TC yesterday, but they're going to have to make the playoffs consistently to keep the team in Minnesota. With a young group like this, a few more pieces would give them a fighting chance. Hopefully the Olympic break will allow the ladies to regroup, heal, and make a final push in the games remaining.

Off-Seasonal Delights

Peter W — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:15:50 -0000

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images via ESPN

How cool has this summer been for the sport of basketball? There has been something for just about everyone, whether it be global, national or local. About the only places that haven't been touched by events this off-season have been Belarus and the city of Houston.

Globally, we have the upcoming Olympics, Olympiakos' signing of Atlanta's Josh Childress, and high schooler Brandon Jennings rejecting college ball to play for the Italian League's Lottomatica Roma, for at least one year. Those events threaten to change the game of basketball as we know it, both on and off the court.

Nationally, we have had significant NBA player movement--Baron Davis, Elton Brand, Marcus Camby, Richard Jefferson, Jermaine O'Neal, and James Posey among others--the draft, which has helped renew enthusiasm if not the fantasies of fans outside of Boston, and major coaching changes, with Mike D'Antoni, Scott Skiles, My Cousin Vinny DelNegro and Michael Curry joining new clubs. And, of course, we've had a major WNBA brawl, as well as outdoor basketball.

Locally, we have our Timberwolves performing like an actual, competent front office, with draft day acquisitions and player re-signings that offer hope to the long suffering fans here in the tundra. I'm not sold on Kevin Love yet, but compared to a Mike James signing, or a Ricky Davis/Mark Blount trade, even the most cynical of fans have to admit the movement afoot over the last few months is promising, if only on paper. The re-signing of Telfair and Gomes is particularly welcome, especially when one considers the type of contracts being signed--no six year committments to questionable talent (the Jaric conundrum). While the logic of preparing for a potential 2010 free agent sweepstakes is dubious--no major free agent previously has had ANY interest in coming here--the effect of trying to manage the cap in preparation for that extravaganza will have a positive impact on developing a real future for the Wolves.

A storm cloud on the horizon is the whole Donaghy/NBA referee mess. As much as Commissioner Stern wants this to go away, this issue has serious legs to it, and doesn't seem to be forgotten any time soon.

Any way one slices it, these 2008 off-season events will continue to impact this sport, probably for years to come. If the upcoming NBA regular season is half as interesting, it's going to be quite a time for basketball fans around the world.

Malice in the Palace - WNBA style

Peter W — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:59:12 -0000

So much for the WNBA being "a place for lesbians to make out when they score." I was going to write something about the Lynx's fade back into the Western Conference pack, but wouldn't you know it--80's basketball icons turned coaches Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, and Michael Cooper got the ladies from the Shock and Sparks all worked up and playing like it was Detroit-LA circa 1989. The embedded video from ESPN may suffer from undue buffering, but it gives you a pretty comprehensive idea of what went on.

I watched most of the game, and to me the blame lies squarely on the WNBA referees, who are terrible to begin with. Obviously, the physicality isn't the same as the men's, but given that 95 percent of the WNBA players could flatten ordinary guys like a pancake, there's still plenty of dangerous force involved to make calls and warn folks to keep events from getting out of hand. To me, it's another black eye for professional basketball referees. Adding injury to insult , the Shock's Cheryl Ford--Karl Malone's daughter--gets hurt trying to be a peacemaker.

Another supposed peacemaker--Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn--ends up either shoving or at least putting both hands on Lisa Leslie, who fell to the court. For that move, he got ejected along with Candace Parker, Plenette Pierson--the two primaries in the fracus--and DeLisha Milton-Jones, who shoved and punched Mahorn in the back after he took Leslie down.

From all that was said post game, it doesn't seem like Mahorn was intentionally trying to harm or cheap shot Leslie, but given his past as a brawler/player, and his involvement with the original Malice drama featuring one Ron Artest, maybe sitting one out might be a wise decision next time. Here's a guy who ought to know better by now.

My only other complaint was that Chris Baker wasn't there to get a shot from one of the ladies. I have a feeling that would shut him up.

Seriously, here's hoping everyone learns from this and keeps this an isolated incident. There's no need to act like a bunch of testosterone laden guys at a church league. And, to Laimbeer, Mahon, and Cooper: boys, it's time to let the old rivalries go.