SB Nation User Blog: jae

GAME THREAD: Game 4 - Warriors vs. Clippers - The battle for the back of the pack rages on!

jae — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:31:31 -0000

In reality, in the young season, it's probably too early to cut anyone out of the playoff picture, and after netting our first win on Wednesday, things seem much more upbeat than they just two days ago. Still, history suggests that this isn't a clash of titans, and the Clippers' rapid accumulation of 4 losses against a lone close win over the visiting T-wolves on Monday won't shave away too many doubts about where they'll wind up come season's end. But they play 'em for a reason, and expect plenty of drama to be had.

Warriors: 1-2

Clippers: 1-4

Game Time: 7:30pm

Radio: KNBR 680

TV: CSN Bay Area

Blog Buddy: Clips Nation : Preview : SoCal Viewing Party

Around the Association: Warriors South No More

Rumor has it that the Clippers won the 2009 draft lottery. Rumor has it that they selected the draft's closest thing to an instant help big in Blake Griffin, though you would not know it from watching any of their games so far. At present, Griffin has scored no more points, grabbed no more rebounds, and logged no more minutes in NBA regular season games than I have. And while it's the general spiteful bad luck that has a an opponent's top gun get healthy just in time to face the Warriors, Griffin is still sidelined with a stress fracture of the patella (or "knee cap" for those of you who aren't up on your anatomy and osteology).

Broken knee caps just make me wonder if he spent too much time trying to act like this guy:

And while Griffin, who appeared ready to help in the pre-season, would certainly be a welcome addition for the Clippers, it hasn't been the front-court where the Clippers have been hurting. Center Chris Kaman has been putting up more than 20 points a night while shooting 60% from the floor to go with his 10 rebounds (albeit in 40 minutes on the court) while Marcus Camby is averaging his usual double double while connecting on more than half his shots as well.

In fact, as a team, the Clippers have shot reasonably well from the floor, slightly better than their opponents despite a terrible start to the season by Baron and the unholy duo of Rasual Butler and Al Thornton doing their best to do make the SF position a major negative for the other team from LA. The factor that stands out above all others has been turnovers, where the Clippers have averaged five more give-aways a night than their opponents the afore-praised Kaman being the chief culprit. It is hard to win when you hand the ball over so readily before even getting a chance to shoot.

Meanwhile coming off a win where finally more went right than went wrong, our Warriors will be confident and poised to make it back to .500. And doesn't that sound much better than "look for their second win"? Here's to hoping that the tide *has* changed and we can shave out another victory!

That task will be made somewhat more difficult without centers Andris Biedrins, whose availability is presently unknown after straining his back in the tailing minutes of Wednesday's victory, and Ronny Turiaf who remains sidelined with injury as well. Mikki Moore and Anthony Randolph will man the middle for the Warriors who will, undoubtedly turn to "small ball" for most if not all of the game as a result. Randolph performed his best last year after Biedrins went down and he had to spend most of his time in the paint, so there's hope that this could get the talented young rebound machine back on track. (And if that doesn't work, perhaps Nellie will make good on his promise to put Acie Law IV in his front line.)

Predictions:

Monta does it all, trying for a 2nd consecutive double-double, challenged only by the fact that there's only so many assists to go around, and Curry's steady passing and continued emergence as a bona-fide NBA lead guard.

Anthony Randolph gets his season on track, spending more time in the post and hits double figures, at least in minutes played. Serious, this is a big opportunity for Anthony. We need him to step up big tonight.

Jax gets a technical. He's due!

Baron misses 10 shots and looks in the stands for an old lady to lend him her walker before the game ends.

Warriors wonder to be: Stephen Curry, just because.

Warriors by 9 when it's all said and done.

Recap Game #2: Suns 123 - Warriors 101- The less said the better

jae — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:49:16 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Browse more photos »

The Bay Bridge is still closed and that's made it a pain to get to and from work. BART is jammed packed in the commute hours and it just seemed like a good idea to wait a bit longer for the crowds to thin out. But that left me with a dilemma: find a place in SOMA to catch the game, or try to rush back and run the risk of missing the first bit. I chose option number two, and while crowded trains meant I missed the first quarter, I did not have to face the double indignity of a large bar tab -- in the futile attempt to suffocate the horrors of that horrendous performance -- and getting home about 4 hours after I'd originally intended to be home. As such, I didn't find myself properly seated in front of the TV until sometime in the 2nd quarter. This meant that I caught about 4 minutes of an actual competitive basketball game, followed by the interpretive dance routine summarizing the history of futility that has been the Golden State Warriors for most of my conscious lifetime.

Preview/Game Thread, 1096 comments indicating that others suffered through this as well

Final box score

Blog Buddy: Bright Side of the Sun (at least someone should be happy)

Final - 10.30.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden State Warriors	24	27	22	28	101
Phoenix Suns	28	34	30	31	123

Complete Coverage >

Ugh!

It started reasonably well. The set warmed up just in time to see Azubuike bury a three, then charge up to the other end to catch Amar'e Stoudemire napping and block his shot from behind. Azubuike wins the Warrior Wonder.

Congratulations Kelenna.

After that though, honestly, I'd like to forget this. The block didn't seem to make NBA.com's game recap either and other than that, the highlights were few and far between.

Perhaps the less said out this game, the better.

Observations:

If Monta Ellis ever passed the ball to Stephen Curry, it must have been in the first 16 minutes of the game. After that, there appeared to be three teams on the floor. Two of them were wearing blue jerseys, but playing with each other no more than they were cooperating with the Suns squad.

Monta wants this to be his team. Unfortunately, he seems to believe that this means he has to take every shot in order to score as much as possible. It isn't too late to turn this around, but it's the sort of problem that, if left unchecked, will spell disaster. Did anyone tell him that our quota for tunnel vision shooters ready to go 1 on 5 has already been met? It appears he's fooling some of the people some of the time, as SF Chron writer Rusty Simmons described his performance as "a standout game only from Monta Ellis, who went for 19 points, five rebounds and three assists, and was effective and active on the defensive end." 19 shots to get 19 points coupled with 5 turnovers? It might stand out, but perhaps not in the way that Rusty meant.

Anthony Randolph still has a knack for grabbing rebounds, but he appears no closer to being a SF than he was at the beginning of last year. The discipline and shot selection that seemed to be improving at the end of last season looks like it's still on summer vacation.

The Suns killed us on the boards. The same Suns that were relying on a front line of Stoudemire and Channing Frye, neither of whom should make Phoenix a rebounding power. Of course, much of that has little to do with our rebounding. Much of it is that Phoenix wasn't missing shots. Without misses, it's tough to grab rebounds.

I'd also like to offer an apology:

While I still firmly expect Channing Frye tor return to being a largely useless player who will shoot more often than his skills warrant, last night he was on fire. Did someone show him my posts about him? I'm pretty sure that his performance was meant as a personal affront to me. It is unfortunate that the rest of you had to suffer for this.

It's just ~~one~~ two games, right?

OPEN THREAD: Game #2 – Warriors at Suns: Start the season right, take two

jae — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:47:48 -0000

More photos » by Francis Specker - AP

Out.of.my.way!

Browse more photos »

Warriors: 0-1

Suns: 1-0

Game Time: 7:00pm

Radio: KNBR 680

TV: CSN Bay Area

Blog Buddy: Bright Side Of The Sun

(Suns vs Golden State Dysfunctionals)

Disaster is not upon us. Losing the first game of the season does not end all chances for a successful season. It is a long season and one game against the Rockets did not answer all the questions surrounding the team. But we do know a bit more about our squad than we did Wednesday at 7:29pm. We know that Monta can still score and looks to have the mid-range shot and the quick move to the rim. We have seen Curry against real NBA competition when a game mattered, and the kid looked pretty good. The offense ran well with him driving the show and final seconds aside, there's more promise than doom while he's playing. Beyond that, Jackson is still Jackson, Maggette is still Maggette and neither seem overly concerned about those often unfortunate facts.

Look for some changes tonight. Look for the team to try to find Morrow on the wing where he can do damage like few others. Chocolate Rain will not be frozen out by the defensive "force" of Barbosa and Nash. Curry and Ellis should also look for big games accordingly. And look for more PT for Randolph. Give him a chance to shine against a Suns' front line that shouldn't scare anyone defensively.

As for the Suns? This isn't the D'antoni's speedsters, nor is it last year's model with Shaq pushing everyone else out of the lane. We're also not going to see Jason Richardson, who is serving the second game of a 2 game suspension tonight. It's a different Suns team.

But they still have Nash, who isn't suddenly going to forget how to pass or shoot overnight. Barbosa will see plenty of time and can explode past defenders. Amar'e will likely try to thrive in a contract year, now not having to stand in the immense shadow of the departed O'neal. Unless the Warriors can turn up the defensive intensity from Wednesday's uh, "mediocre" first effort, we'll see point on the board. When you cannot deny Scola, stopping Stoudemire does not appear likely.

Let's see a psychological turnaround from the abysmal 3^rd quarter some more ball movement to free up the shooters, which in turn will open up lanes to the hoop. There's not time to turn it around like right now, when the season is still young and the psychotic visions of Nellieball working wonders with this odd collection of talent are still tangible.

Predictions:

Monta gets to the line 10 times
Morrow doubles his shot total
Andris gets a double-double, reminding us why we didn't give him away for Amar'e
Turiaf fouls out in 20 minutes trying to stop Amar'e, who is trying to remind us why so many of us wanted him so very, very much

Warriors by 6.

Poll

The Warriors Wonder will be:

Anthony Randolph- Hope Beyond the Hype :: 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Recaps and Previews

jae — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:01:58 -0000

Early on, there were fewer more critical of Anthony Randolph than myself. Ready to give up on him? Not exactly, but certainly not one to let him get in the way of just about any respectable trade offer that came along. There just did not seem to be enough to warrant so much hype surrounding a rail-thin bigman who was more likely to miss a shot or turn the ball over than to do anything positive.

While indeed his play at the time was terrible, this is the most simple statement I can make about that early evaluation of his potential.

I.was.wrong.

Rewind 2008-2009:

Anthony Randolph caught the attention and fancy of fans in the summer league where the superathletic forward showed skills rare for a man his height. Glowing reports of his handles and the form on his shot had many believing that Randolph would soon be a silky smooth SF able to run an offense and giving the Warriors a weapon that few could contend with. Reality set in sometime in the preseason when it was clear that his "handles" were just good enough to allow him to dribble right into traffic for ever mounting turnovers. His jumper was just good enough to make him think he should take it, but unfortunately, not good enough to find the bottom of the rim. Reality indicated that there was a reason that, despite all the 'potential' in the world, Randolph was selected at the tail end of the draft lottery.

When the regular season started, Randolph rarely played, seeing mostly garbage time minutes where he shot poorly, turned the ball over often and showed no signs that his passing warranted putting him in charge of the ball. Nellie apparently did not like his work ethic and even as the Warriors season went down the tubes, Randolph sat on the bench most of the time. Even when Nellie seemed forced to play Maggette for major minutes as his "4", Anthony sat, and in truth, given what he showed when he had played, it was a wise decision.

None of this should be surprising. Early on, he was the same player he had been in his lone season at LSU: sometimes awe-inspiring, but more generally out of control missing too many shots, turning the ball over too often and not helping his team nearly as much as his all-world athleticism suggests he should. Oh, but he could rebound.

But those early days in Oakland passed, and with them went many of Randolph's bad habits. Eventually, injuries took Andris Biedrins and Brandan Wright out of the action and out of complete need, Randolph started playing. And he started playing much much better. As much of a disaster as he was as a "3" early in the season, he showed tremendous potential as a real big man. His rebounding, the lone bright spot early on, remained stellar. As important, as a 4/5 limiting most of his shots to those in the paint, his FG% approached 50%, and his 2nd half TS% remained right about at the league average. While he has yet to show any sort of passing fancy to warrant further SF consideration, when confined to the paint, the turnovers dropped considerably. Randolph went from a major on court liability to the asset that everyone wanted him to become. Night and day. Rich and Poor. Good and Al Davis. The contrast was that extreme.

Outlook 2009-2010:

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

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

Believe the reports of him having grown to 7 feet tall and adding 20lbs of muscle if you want. Pictures still show him to be a bit shorter than Andris and he still isn't going to intimidate anyone as a hulking giant. Regardless of all of that, Randolph should inherit the mantle of our most untouchable asset and shows real (yes, here comes that word) potential to take us far. Despite bad contracts to Maggette and Jackson, questions about the ability and/or attitude of the team's two highest paid players Ellis and Biedrins, the busted wing of fellow forward Brandan Wright, if Randolph develops into a star, it will hide the multitude of sins. It provides the best hope for something better.

Please live up to it, Anthony.

Anthony Randolph

#4 / Forward / Golden State Warriors

Height: 6-10

Weight: 205

Born: Jul 15, 1989

College: L-S-U

			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 - Anthony Randolph	63	17.9	3.2	6.8	46.2	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.6	2.2	71.6	2.0	3.7	5.8	0.8	1.3	0.7	1.2	2.2	7.9

2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview

Anthony Morrow: Ammo + Chocolate Rain
Stephen Jackson: O Captain, My Captain
Speedy Claxton/ Devean George, Acie Law: Wouldn't Count on It
Brandan Wright: Injury Prone
Stephen Curry: Let There Be Hope
Monta Ellis: Back in the Saddle
Corey Maggette: The 6th Wonder of the Oracle
Andris Biedrins
Anthony Randolph
Ronny Turiaf
C.J. Watson
Mikki Moore
Kelenna Azubuike

Coming 10.26.09 to a web browser near you...

Golden State Warriors 2k9-2k10 Super Preview Blowout Special!

Poll

Is Anthony Randolph our best hope for the future?

Yes!

440 votes

440 votes | Poll has closed

Acie Law, Speedy Claxton, and Devean George- Wouldn't Count on It :: 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Player Recaps and Previews

jae — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:08:50 -0000

via acielaw.yardbarker.com

Law. Claxton. George.

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

But I wouldn't count on it.

Law, Claxton and George are all about the numbers. And in this case, those numbers are, $2,216,160, $5,209,454 and $1,600,000, or a combined $9,025,614 in contracts that potentially come off the books at the end of the season. Potentially in that the Warriors still have until the end of the month to exercise their right to pay Law $2.9 million to return for a 4^th year in 2010-2011, but unless Acie suddenly discovers how to shoot or pass like an NBA point guard should, odds of this happening would appear low.

Another number: $11,382,017.50. That's how much salary the Warriors can bring back by parting with this trio in an even trade. It is not the sort of figure that can open up space for Bosh or Stoudemire nor should anyone expect their respective teams to simply hand over either of the talented big men without some real assets coming back; were it merely about clearing cap room for PHO or TOR, they could just as easily wait and let their guys walk. But its a move in the right direction and the sort of pieces that might allow the Warriors to upgrade Ellis or Biedrins for a more expensive (and presumably better) player.

Will this happen? That is an unknown, but Trader-Don has never been afraid of pushing for a big deal and reshaping his team. Once Al Harrington's contract was exchanged for Jamal Crawford's, adding another year of big dollar payments for far less productive, after a fit of insanity extended Stephen Jackson, making him infinitely more difficult to deal, it seemed unlikely that the Warriors could do more than dream about that kind of deal. But now, so long as they do not actually wander onto the court during a regulation game, Acie, Speedy and Devean have the potential to help this club, simply by continuing to cash their absurdly large (by anything but professional basketball standards) paychecks.

Of course, where the Warriors are concerned, worst case scenario being not altogether improbable, there is a possibility that any or all of these players could wind up playing. There are rumors that Law was once one of Nellie's favorites, so much so that he was willing to offer up a younger, less proven Monta Ellis for Law's draft rights. This should be discounted for the most part. Two years in the NBA provides more data indicating that Law was not so valuable. He has not shown that he is able to get a shot off, though he does appear to take good care of the ball. Still his passing does not seem to be sufficient to overcome the anemic individual offense. Indeed the Hawks were point-guard poor when they took Law, a "need" pick at #11 in the 2007 draft. While it is still possible that a new environment will ignite his play, at 24, his upside would seem to be somewhat limited. Nonetheless, Nellie may still be interested in Law-the-player instead of merely Law-the-millionaire-who-can-make-a-deal-work-with-the-convoluted-rules-of-the-NBA-salary-cap. We can only hope that the pre-season provides enough enough time for Warriors' brass to make this decision.

Speedy Claxton similarly has never been much of a shooter, but as his name indicates, when healthy he can move in a transition offense. On those rare days, he was once a blur. If history is any indication, he won't be healthy, and when healthy, he too is a woefully inefficient scorer with adequate but none too amazing passing numbers. Claxton's size makes him a defensive liability if he cannot pester the ball-handler.

In contrast, George once had a reputation as a solid defender. One fears that he may be the "beef" GM Larry Riley so desired, but an inadequate rebounder and a poor shooter whose offense consists of a three point shot that should not inspire fear in opposing defenses, one hopes that George was merely a free $1.6million dollar trade matching coupon, as his salary is being paid by the Raptors. Maybe he can instill a bit of defensive pride in practice that will carry over into games. Maybe.

Devean George, a complimentary player!

Unless your fantasy league has a split pot for going low, this trio is not going to help with the numbers. The only numbers that matter: $2,216,160, $5,209,454 and $1,600,000.

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Sacramento Kings: It's all up from here

jae — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:13:15 -0000

A quick confession: Though Sactown Royalty blogheads probably would not believe it, after my beloved Warriors, I am a Kings fan. More than a half-decade living in the Central Valley, a period that coincided with the exciting Webber/Divac/Bibby/Peja Kings a period that coincided with the Kings being the greatest threat to knock off the Lakers, instilled in me a fondness for our NorCal neighbors. And though I do not own a cowbell, I have stepped foot inside Arco to cheer for the home team. There was no joy in watching them lose to anyone other than our Warriors. And I really do wish them and their fans success.

But this fandom (if only fandom-lite) is not at the expense of objectivity. Objectively, the Kings were not any good. Good teams do not lose 65 games a season. Good teams do not find themselves 29^th in the league in rebounding percentage and 30^th in the league in in defensive efficiency and 25^th in offensive efficiency. Such are the sort of numbers associated with a team struggling to even remain competitive. There's not much silver lining there. Last season, the Kings just plain stunk.

That's yesterday's news though, isn't it?

New faces:

Tyreke Evans (Draft #4 overall)

Omri Casspi (Draft #23 overall)

Jon Brockman (second round selection, rights acquired from Portland)

Sergio Rodriguez (G, Trade from Portland)

Sean May (PF, FA signee)

Desmond Mason (G/F, FA signee)

Gone:

(With luck) The stench associated with being the worst team in the Association.

Despite the league's worst record, the Kings lottery numbers were not called and they slipped to 4^th in the draft, denying them a shot at Blake Griffin. When the #4 pick arrived, SAC selected Tyreke Evans, a 6'5" guard fresh off his lone season with the U of Memphis Tigers. Evans has demonstrated athletic skills that should allow the Kings to try him at either guard position and the strength to match up defensively against forwards. Evans is an intriguing selection; his game had not yet caught up with his talent. His assists indicate a willingness to share the ball, though he was turnover-prone, perhaps as a result. He is a strong rebounder for a guard as well. While Evans did not shoot particularly well from the field and showed some questionable judgement in firing up far more shots from behind the arc than his present abilities would seem to justify, he found a way to score, often finding himself at the FT line. Evans has the potential to be a do-everything sort of player, a perfect fit for a team coming off a 17 win campaign, needs everything.

If he can adapt to the challenges of being an NBA point guard, Evans will give the Kings a solid young duo, teaming with swingman Kevin Martin. Few rival Martin's ability to score efficiently. A lethal threat from beyond the arc, Martin also shows an uncanny ability to draw fouls and convert from the stripe, unexpected from a player so adept with the jumper. With Martin around, the Kings have potential to stay in any game given his potential to match points with anyone. If Evans does not rise to the occasion directing the show, point guard duties would seem to fall on Beno Udrih or the newly acquired Sergio Rodriguez. Udrih was something of a disappointment after looking reasonable in his first season in Sacratomato. Rodriguez is very solid distributor who takes good care of the ball, but is an exceptionally poor shooter.

The front-court is young and seems to excite the Arco-Bell-Ringers. Jason Thompson, considered by many to be something of a "reach" pick when selected 12^th in the 2008 draft, proved the draft "experts" rather wrong rather quickly. Athletic and skilled, Thompson gives the Kings hope as talented big men do not come around often. The 6-11 power-forward distinguished himself as a scorer and was a respectable rebounder, something the Kings desperately need. A healthy Sean May could help. It is unlikely that Sean May will be healthy.

This desperate, almost Warrior-style need for rebounds is in part the fault of the young center, Spencer Hawes, who, contrary to the opinion of many a Kings blogger, has sucked. No matter how subjectively "good" Hawes has looked, no matter how much fans may fall in love with his shooting range, Hawes's poor FG% (an unacceptably low for a center 46.6%) and substandard rebound rate make him a significant liability. Whatever advantages his outside shooting (Hawes connected on an almost NBA average 34.8% from beyond the arc) his inability to pair this with the sort of interior game necessary to make him an even average hurt the team. The penchant for the outside shot also meant that the young Republican was pathetic at getting to the line and rarely able to compete on the offensive glass. The Kings finished dead last in offensive rebounding percentage and second chance scoring opportunities as a result. It is possible that Hawes will find ways to score efficiently, though it is less likely that his rebounding will improve to acceptable standards. Scoring points though is the single skill most associated with big paychecks and fan approval in the NBA, so even if he thwarts efforts to win games, he may well still be errantly considered a 'good player'.

Outlook:

If only because there is very little room to fall, the Kings promise to be a more competitive and more successful team this year. The continued excellence from Martin, further development of Thompson, promise from Evans, despite ill-founded hope for Hawes, should inspire faith for the Kings faithful that the darkest days are behind them. While it would take minor miracles for them to seriously compete for an appearance in the post-season, they now have several solid pieces upon which to build.

For more on the Sacramento Kings check out Sactown Royalty:

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: Saving a few buck$
Minnesota Timberwolves: Donde esta Senor Rubio?
New Jersey Nets: The Year of the Yi
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks: Is it summatime yet?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic: Are they Vinsane? You be the judge
Philadelphia 76ers: Are they (Elton) Brand New?
Phoenix Suns: Who knows?
Portland TrailBlazers: The Fire Keeps Burning
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Phoenix Suns- Who knows?

jae — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:42:15 -0000

It's far from clear what the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns will be. It's far from clear *who* they will be. In the mean time, there's intrigue, and still quite a bit of firepower.

Tough to predict, it won't be boring.

New Faces:

Earl Clark (F drafted #14 overall)

Channing Frye (PF/C signed as a FA)

~~Sasha Pavlović (G/F)~~ Contract Bought Out

~~Ben Wallace (C)~~ Contract Bought Out

Departed:

Shaquille O'Neal (C, traded for two guys who aren't on the roster)

A Clear Plan (lost to time, trades and the ravishing axe of the bottom line, fighting desperately to avoid huge luxury tax penalties.)

Prognosis:

This is no longer the up-up tempo team from a few years ago that could honestly contend for a title. It isn't even the team from a year ago that stayed in playoff contention up until the bitter end of the season. Shaq is gone, in a move largely designed to avoid the luxury tax. Everyone else is older. The present state-of-the-Suns is best described as "in flux", which is a euphemism for "this can't possibly be a plan for a winner; we don't really expect this to last; anyone and everyone could be traded".

Indeed Doc Brown's marvelous time travel engine might be welcome in the Valley of the Sun, to go back to a time when the Suns were a serious threat to win it all, a time when Steve Nash directed the most effective offense in the game, when the Matrix defied opposing forwards to figure out his game, when Stoudemire was fiece on the boards and D'antoni outdid Nellie with fast paced, uptempo play that wore most opponents into the dirt.

But while this is not a contender, and conventional wisdom suggests that anytime between when this article finds life with the "submit" button and the trading deadline more or less everyone on the roster is fair game for trade, the Suns still remain a reasonable potent team. Trade candidate #1, Amar'e Stoudemire should be recovered from a pair of unlikely eye injuries. When healthy, he is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league. He is equally effective finishing off the ever-common Nash assists and bull-rushing the basket, frequently getting to the line where he's an uncharacteristically good shooter for a man his size. Stoudemire is already the subject of trade rumors, including a draft day doozy that had him ever so close towards sporting a Bay Area local address. As a potential free agent should he opt out of the last year of his present contract, Stoudemire is an intriguing commodity, though any team interested will almost certainly want to work out a contract extension first.

With Shaq gone, Stoudemire will shoulder most of the interior scoring load while Coach Gentry waits for his "youth movement" of Channing Frye, Earl Clark, or perhaps 2nd year C Robin Lopez to provide any sort of complement. Perhaps being closer to his alma mater will push some new life into Frye, but at present, he's a jump-shooting big forward who more often than not sees his jumper miss the mark. He's a substandard rebounder. While more regular playing time -- and this is all too probable the case -- his performance will likely rise, he will not help build a winner. Clark is a versatile, athletic forward, long on "potential" though his college performance does not suggest that he will be an immediate answer as an NBA forward.

Trade candidate #2, top assist-man Nash is not the same player who won back-to-back MVPs, but he's still one of the elite shooting guards in the league and among the top passers in the game. Phoenix recently signed Nash to a 2 year extension. While this may mean they intend to keep him around as a bridge of stability, a team on the verge of a championship may still be willing to part with some value to gamble on Nash's last legs.

Having been dealt twice in as many years, shooting guard Jason Richardson (trade candidate #3) would also seem to be potential trade bait. Golden State fans know that he's a more than capable scorer, though with a shrinking cap and 2 more high dollar years left on his contract, the potential suitors are once again limited to those willing to pay big for immediate rewards.

Stoudemire, Nash and Richardson are joined by speedster guard Leandro Barbosa and forward Grant Hill (back for another season at age 36), all able scorers, all efficient in this effort. Together, the Suns should still be able to shoot their way into games. The problem will come when they try to stop the opposition. Hill is the only Sun who was ever known as a superior defender, though at 36, he is no longer the stopper he once was. Nash, Richardson, Barbosa and Stoudemire have never been known for their defense. If Amar'e can regain his rebounding form, he could be an asset in that regard, but someone else will have to force the opposition into missing some shots, something that the current cast hasn't shown themselves able to do. This is not a club build for defense.

Prediction: Who knows? If no one is traded, this team could still challenge for a playoff slot. But if anyone (or everyone) is sent elsewhere for picks and "potential" all bets are off. Rumors will certainly fly. Will the Suns?

For more on the Suns, check out our SBNation colleagues at: Bright Side Of The Sun

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: Saving a few buck$
Minnesota Timberwolves: Donde esta Senor Rubio?
New Jersey Nets: The Year of the Yi
New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard
New York Knicks: Is it summatime yet?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic: Are they Vinsane? You be the judge
Philadelphia 76ers: Are they (Elton) Brand New?
Phoenix Suns
Portland TrailBlazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Milwaukee Bucks: Saving a few buck$

jae — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:20:12 -0000

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

Brandon Jennings desperately tries to hide his excitement after being selected by Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

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This is a story of a team dead set on avoiding the NBA's salary tax. This is a story of a team with a lofty payroll but without similarly lofty win totals. This is the story of the Bucks offseason, and the team it has produced.

It was a busy off-season for Bucks GM John Hammond. High profile and highly paid SF Richard Jefferson was traded to the Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. Bowen was waived as his salary was only partially guaranteed. Oberto was promptly sent to the Pistons for Amir Johnson, who himself was later traded to Toronto along with Sonny Weems for Ukic and Delfino. Weems had not been under the Bucks' control long himself, having been acquired earlier in the offseason from Denver along with Walter Sharpe in exchange for Malik Allen. In the end, it much ado about nothing, or as close to nothing as the Bucks could manage as all moves seemed to point to getting the team safely under the luxury tax rather than upgrading or even rearranging talent.

Arriving:

Brandon Jennings (Drafted #10 overall after year overseas)

Jodie Meeks (Drafted #41 overall out of Kentucky)

Hakim Warrick (FA, MEM)

Kurt Thomas (Trade from Spurs)

Ersan İlyasova (FA, Turkey)

Carlos Delfino (Trade from TOR)

Roko Ukic (Trade from TOR)

Departing:

Ramon Sessions (FA to MIN)

Charlie Villanueva (FA to DET)

Richard Jefferson (Trade with SAN)

Synopsis:

Salary reduction seemed to be the name of the game. Ramon Sessions, a gifted young point guard with a knack for getting the ball in his hands and then getting it to the hot hand, leaves the team for Minnesota. The Bucks opted not to match a modest by NBA standards offer from the T-Wolves [Oh if only the Warriors had made such an offer, he'd have at worst solidified the backup PG position behind still untested Monta Ellis or provided a means to keep Monta as a combo guard along side Sessions, who plays bigger than his combine measurements would suggest.] Charlie Villanueva was similarly allowed to depart to Detroit rather than incur the wrath of the luxury tax that keeping him well could have resulted in.

From a business perspective these moves may make sense. It makes little sense to pay premium matching dollars for a team that seemed unlikely to vastly improve on their 34 win season. However, these moves mean that staying at that level may be difficult and it looks like another trip back to the lottery. The ever-bizarre nature of the CBA's tax and cap rules have conspired to slice deep into the Bucks' chances for 09-10.

The cupboard isn't entirely bare. Michael Redd can shoot and score. Luke Ridnour is a competent solution at the point (though certainly not good enough to make Sessions expendable). Andrew Bogut is an above average center who hits his shots and grabs rebounds, but he does not appear to be a franchise cornerstone. These returning starters are joined by 2^nd year SF Joe Alexander. Alexander has the athletic tools to excel but showed little as a rookie. He will have to do more, much more for Milwaukee to have any realistic shot at improvement. Hakim Warrick, signed away from the Grizzlies, will likely join Bogut in the front court. Warrick is another top notch athlete, but the net effect is that of a tweener forward, lacking the rebounding ability to solidify the 4 spot and without the perimeter skills to be an effective "3". His high percentage scoring is a plus, but the rest of his game is quietly underwhelming. The most intriguing story may be Brandon Jennings. Jennings showed signs of being an electric playmaker, but whether he can quickly move up to direct an NBA club and whether he can shoot well enough to be a legitimate scoring threat remain to be seen.

Other intrigue? Dan Gadzuric and Francisco Elson give the team a pair of adequate backup centers who both hail from the Netherlands.

Anyone who can get excited about Meeks and the triple-shot of 'meh' in the form of Ukic, Delfino and İlyasova should seek help.

Prediction: 27 wins.

For more on the Milwaukee Bucks check out Brew Hoop:

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: The Year of the Yi
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

What lesser known Bucks player are you most likely to totally and completely ignore?

Carlos Delfino

33 votes

Ersan İlyasova

268 votes

Roko Ukic

146 votes

447 votes | Poll has closed

Around the Association: 2009-2010 New Orleans Hornets: Two first names, one great point guard.

jae — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:12:44 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

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In 2007-08, no team surprised the masses more than the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets. Their full-time return to the Big Easy after two years as post-Katrina refugees saw them win 54 games and narrowly miss the #1 playoff seed in the jam-packed competitive Western Conference. They were a team on the rise. 2008-09 saw a modest dip in wins (oh what the Warriors would give to 'slide' down to 49 wins), but a seemingly greater slide in future expectations. Has the lustre of hope gone? Are the Hornets still a team to fear? Or are they but another of the strong but still flawed Western Conference not-elites, hoping for a miracle to challenge the true contenders?

(more after the jump)

Offseason Additions:

Darren Collison (draft #21 pick PG from UCLA)

Marcus Thornton (draft #43 pick G from LSU; acquired in trade from Miami for future picks)

Rasual Butler (addition by subtraction, traded away to the Clippers for a future 2^nd rounder)

Emoke Okafor (C/PF, trade from Charlotte Bobcats)

Bobby Brown (G, trade from Minn)

Ike Diogu (free agent)

Offseason subtractions:

Tyson Chandler (to Charlotte)

Antonio Daniels (to Minn for Songalia and Brown)

Darius Songaila (F, trade from Minn, subtraction by addition)

Outlook:

All hope and success for the Hornets starts with all-star point guard Chris Paul. Paul is one of the very few truly elite players in the game. The do-everything guard was equally adept shooting (22.8 ppg on 0.599 TS%) and passing (11.0 apg) and his diminutive size did not accurately predict his penchant for rebounding (5.5rpg) from the back-court. Indeed the man with two first names is one of the few players who can realistically be included in discussions about the league's best along with Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and, of course Lebron James. And at 24 years of age, he may yet still see some improvement in his already stellar game. Whenever you have a player as good as Paul, you have a shot.

Paul is not a one-man team. PF David West is now a two-time All-Star. However, this probably somewhat overrates his actual contribution as his 21ppg came at only average efficiency and 8.5rpg in 39 minutes on the court is somewhat substandard for a frontcourt player. While still one of the rare "4"s who can provide that sort of scoring punch and allows for a true inside-outside game with Paul, but Karl Malone he isn't.

Unfortunately, the drop-off between Paul and West was mild compared to the drop-off between West and the rest of New Orleans' squad. At least some of the team's regression can be attributed to the loss of rebounding force and solid defensive center Tyson Chandler. Chandler was injured for large parts of the season and, in what appeared as entirely a salary move, Chandler was traded mid-season to the OKC Thunder, only to have the move rescended shortly thereafter when Chandler failed his physical. In the off-season he was again traded, this time successfully, to Charlotte for C/PF Emoke Okafor. Okafor, like Chandler is somewhat limited on offense, but a solid rebounder and defender. Okafor has also been hit by the injury bug in the past. Still, even moderate health from Okafor will be an improvement over the half season the Hornets were forced to make due with Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely and Sean Marks.

Wing play was similarly sketchy. Gone for 2009-10 is Rasual Butler, perennial contender for worst regular rotation player. How he managed to garner 32 minutes per night with a lone skill (+39% from beyond the arc) remains a mystery. James Posey was more effective, but played less. Peja Stojakovic is rapidly becoming nothing more than a spot-up 3 point shooter, and while still effective in that regard (and still seemingly unaffected by defensive pressure, hitting close to 40% whether wide open or closely guarded), he is not the player he once was in Sacramento. While the collective 2/3 play of the Hornets could light it up from beyond the arc, they will have to get more dynamic play from someone. With Posey and Peja already in their early 30s, the lone internal candidate will be Julian Wright who is still a mostly unknown entity. Also in the mix at the 3 will be combo forward Darius Songaila, acquired from Minn for Antonio Daniels. Unfortunately, Songalia is one of the few players who might not be an upgrade over Butler.

Prognosis:

Chris Paul, continued solid play from West, and more minutes at C manned by Okafor than they got from Chandler will boost New Orleans a bit, but they should still fall short of the top of the Western Conference.

54 wins.

(Warriors connection: Ike Diogu, proclaimed by Indy to be the "key" to the deal that sent Dunleavy and Murphy away from the Warriors, will join his 5th team in as many NBA seasons.)

For more on the New Orleans Hornets check out At the Hive:

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
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

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Houston Rockets- Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt

jae — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:59:44 -0000

Houston, we have a problem. Yes, it is a cliche saying, but when your star center and face of the franchise is expected to miss the whole season, when your next big gun last played a whole season in, well, never, things do not look good. Conventional wisdom says that the Rockets will not be able to build on their impressive 53 win season, but look instead to be headed for the abyss.

For better or worse, the Rockets seem to defy conventional wisdom. In an NBA where scorers garner most of the attention, losing Yao and looking to rely on an injury plagued 30 year-old who is himself coming off season ending knee surgery seems to suggest doom. But the wisdom of Rocket's GM Daryl Morey means the Rockets have a chance to remain competitive, and if they do, it will be another dagger in the heart of conventional wisdom.

Rewind:

A year ago, the Rockets won 53 games, good for 2nd in the NBA's Southwestern Division. In the playoffs, they took the eventual champion Lakers to a game 7, this *despite* losing Yao Ming to an injury when already down 2-1 in the series.

Offseason:

The Rockets were without a draft choice. [Note: the Rockets did acquire Chase Budinger in a draft-night trade with Detroit, who had taken former Wildcat with the #44 pick in the 2009 draft.] The big acquisition was Trevor Ariza, a defense-first forward who can guard multiple positions who would appear to replace Ron Artest, an older defense-first forward who can guard multiple positions. Ariza is younger and more productive than Artest who survives more on reputation than on production at this point. Still, this likely upgrade is overshadowed by the loss of Yao.

Outlook:

Did I mention that Yao is unlikely to play? Did I mention McGrady will be playing for a new contract somewhere, and that should be motivation to give it his all, though motivation has not been the problem so much as staying healthy? His age really does not adequately describe the wear and team Mr. McGrady has suffered. His return to his former all-star form, or even regular playing time, is doubtful. The contraction situation would not seem to be as much of a factor in his production as simply being able to get out of the trainer's room. Motivation only goes so far against the reality of microfracture surgery. And if the Rockets wind up going nowhere fast, his $23+ million expiring contract could be a mighty appealing piece for a team looking to shed massive salary and/or looking for a productive piece to put together a championship run.

But the eventuality of collosal failure in Houston may be premature. Houston anchored their 20 Though not equipped with Artest's reputation as a lock-down, Ariza is a fantastic defender who exceeds Artest on the boards and is a much more disciplined shooter. Ariza's performance in LA should not surprise anyone and was unlikely a result of LA's "system". He looked similarly good in Orlando before LA stole him away for next to nothing. Ariza thus joins a team that was 4th in overall defensive efficiency and loaded with players who are simply very good at securing and keeping the ball. Shane Battier's positive effect has been chronicled elsewhere. Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes can provide bruises and rebounds in the front court and Kyle Lowry and Brent Barry (yes, he's still playing-- yes, he's still playing well) were quietly effective in the backcourt. No, they do not have the dynamite scorer (although Aaron Brooks did seem to rise to the occasion in the playoff) suggesting that the offense, such that it is, may not have a central focus should McGrady not bounce back and without the injured Mr. Yao.

And without the scoring punch, without the all-star firepower to put big points on the board, this will be a test. Can a collection of low-usage but efficient scorers with a knack for controlling possessions really remain competitive? If they can, Daryl Morey more than deserves executive of the year for putting together a solid squad without Yao. If not, then this squad might just be the least entertaining collection of players in the Association.

Oh, and Yao Ming is probably on the bench for the whole season.

Prediction: 43 wins and a whole lot of excuses for why every game they win still doesn't indicate that the conventional wisdom is wrong.

For more on the Houston Rockets check out The Dream Shake:

Poll

The Houston Rockets...

will surprise critics and show that "Moneyball" has its place in the NBA .

103 votes

will lose big. They're doomed. There just isn't a legitimate way to deal with that sort of loss of talent.

192 votes

295 votes | Poll has closed