SB Nation User Blog: pollackj

Wages of Wins Rate Blair as one of the top players in the draft

pollackj — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:13:37 -0000

Wages of Wins Rate Blair as one of the top players in the draft

Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " The Weekly Nichols: Introducing Composite Score, Position-Adjusted Classification, and Value Rating

pollackj — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:44:09 -0000

Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " The Weekly Nichols: Introducing Composite Score, Position-Adjusted Classification, and Value Rating

If you are a stat geek you should check this out. It is a compilation of a number of different metrics for comparing NBA players. Very fascinating.

Skip Bayless and Jemele Hill discuss whether the big Diomodes comments were smart or dumb. Bayless...

pollackj — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:32:11 -0000

Skip Bayless and Jemele Hill discuss whether the big Diomodes comments were smart or dumb. Bayless further demonstrates his disconnect with reality.

Tony Parker Answers

pollackj — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:55:04 -0000

Tony Parker Answers

A rundown by Kevin Arnovitz at TrueHoop of how Parker dismantled the Dallas "defense" in game 2.

Hell Yeah! Manu Dunks in Practice.

pollackj — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:41:58 -0000

Hell Yeah! Manu Dunks in Practice.

That's all

Could Rasheed Be Bought-Out by Detroit?

pollackj — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:56:14 -0000

Could Rasheed Be Bought-Out by Detroit?

Ok, probably not, but Royce Webb says it is a faint possibility. Now is the time to ask the almighty for a favor.

Let's Trade for Chandler

pollackj — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:14:01 -0000

If this report is true, then the Hornets are looking to shed Chandler's salary early in exchange for some expiring contracts. Unfortunately, we don't have any large contracts that expire this year, and so it would require packaging a bunch of players.

I put together a trade for Chandler in exchange for Finley, Bowen, and KT. Obviously we lose depth on the wings, and we don't add depth at the center position, but it sure helps our defense and rebounding right away. A Chandler/Duncan c/pf combo would be the best in the league, defensively, and not far away from the best offensively (because Duncan is a badass m10r).

I don't know that the Hornets would be willing to do this, mostly because it would help a rival, and it is expensive, but it certainly peaks my interest.

Defending Fandom

pollackj — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:16:22 -0000

I know that I am probably preaching to the choir here, but I've spent enough time around people who don't appreciate sports to hear them talk make comments about how watching sports is a waste of time or lazy. I know we've all heard it I even get onto myself from time to time and try to cut back the hours I spend on my fantasy basketball roster(s), PtR, and justintv. However, in an effort to begin a communal rethinking of sports fandom, I present to you, my PtR brethren and sistren, the 3 ways that watching the Spurs* has made my life better.

via www.cbc.ca

1. Coaching: I spent the last spring coaching a group of palestinians high-schoolers who had never played basketball before. I was not a great basketball player in high-school. I did not have what some people call a "high basketball IQ." However, Spurs fandom has exposed me to the finer points of well-played basketball better than any coach has. I was able to instill in my guys a commitment to defense (and not just steals and blocks). I used video of Tony Parker to demonstrate the importance of getting in the lane to shoot. I showed my post players how Tim Duncan rarely leaves his feet on defense, even if that means getting shown up every once in a while, and why that makes him one of the best defensive big man of his era.

2. Playing: During the time I was coaching, I was also playing on a Palestinian team called Thaqafi Beit Sahour. It was the second level of basketball clubs in Palestine. Every single player on the team (save one) was either taller or more athletic than me. The practices and games were all in Arabic. Somehow I was able to contribute and play on that team because I could use my body to gain offensive advantage a la Ginobili and Duncan. My presence on that team was one of the key reasons that I felt at home in Palestine after my first year and it is one of the reasons I am still living there.

3. Community: There are not a lot of NBA fans in Palestine. Games usually start at 3 or 4am. Football (soccer) rules every heart and while basketball is the second most popular sport here, it is a distant second. My best friend and I started hanging out at 3am watching the 2007 playoffs. He has plugged my wife and I into a great group of friends and some great business contacts.

*all or some above comments may not be relevant for fans of teams such as the Nuggets, Suns, or Mavericks.

I haven't watched a game like that since the Oilers left Houston.

pollackj — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:51:58 -0000

via i.a.cnn.net

If that doesn't get you in the proper mood to celebrate the incredible display of sports mastery that we witnessed last night, then nothing will. I know, I'm probably acting like a spoiled brat Spurs fan, someone who can't appreciate a good thing when I have it because I always focus on the negative, but I'm ok with that.

The Spurs started off strong and took a 9-3 lead to start the game. Apparently, a 9-3 lead is all you need to win a basketball game, because we decided that we had done what we came to do, and took the rest of the game off.

Good job guys, you can relax now.

Orlando then went on a 16-4 run to end the quarter. At some point during this run, I think San Antonio attempted a lay-up, but I can't be certain. If they did, I'm sure it was an accident, as that behavior was not repeated again until sometime in the Raptors game next Saturday.

Orlando defenders continued to drop off our ballhandlers, daring them to shoot jumpers. This strategy worked to perfection as Tony Parker went 1-10 in the first half, by my unofficial count, 7 of those misses were jumpers that hit the front of the rim, a clear sign of tired legs.

The highlight of the second quarter (and possibly the game) was Plainview's take-down of Brian Cook that caused the refs to call a foul on Cook for trying to occupy the same space as God.

Lowlight of the second quarter was Tony Parker getting hit in the face by Keith Bogans and lying on the floor like a pile of dirty laundry while Orlando shot (and luckily missed) a wide open 3-pointer.

One of these is Mr. Longoria's response to getting hit in the face, one them is Plainview's response.

Spurs go into halftime down 44-29. At this point San Antonio had scored 42 points in the last three quarters combined.

The third quarter was a continuation of what happened during the first half, until about three minutes left. At that point, we went on a mini-run to get the lead down to 13. I think we all started getting sucked back in to the game until back-to-back turnovers by GInobili and Mace Windu ended the quarter. I find myself trying to justify a 13 point deficit, thinking things like, "it could be a lot worse," "we are playing a SEGABABA."

The bright point of the game occurred at the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth quarters. Some hard play by our Manu and the scrubs (especially Thomas and Udoka) and some really bad decisions by Orlando allowed us to whittle the deficit to six. Surprisingly, Tony Parker's man, one Jameer Nelson, scored two straight baskets to end all hope.

On the bright side, the second unit showed a lot of composure down the stretch, and really outplayed our starters for most of the game. I am probably one of the biggest optimists here, and therefore I don't think we have to worry to much about what we saw last night from Tony Parker. He basically did all the things poorly that he usually does, without the good things that he usually does. It won't last folks. I expect a bounce back tonight against Toronto.

3 Stars:

3: Kurt Thomas: Actually hit jumpers and grabbed offensive rebounds

2: Manu Ginobili: The only one of our big three who looked like he cared. The way he through his body around was fantastic.

1. Jameer Nelson: No Spur deserves this spot and he played outside his mind.

P.S. Sorry I didn't publish this earlier, I realized to late that I hit the "save" button instead of the "publish" button. It's a good thing they don't make you get a license for these things.

Adjusted Plus-Minus Ratings

pollackj — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:46:00 -0000

A couple of basketball fans with Ph.Ds have tried to figure out the best way to measure the plus/minus rating for an individual player independent of the impact that his teammates might have. They have used 5 years worth of data in order to adjust for teammates impact, and then specifically focused on each players contribution in the 2007-08 season. Check out where our big three are located.

http://82games.com/ilardi2.htm