SB Nation User Blog: swamigusto

A "Dominating" D. Jordan?

swamigusto — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:42:27 -0000

A "Dominating" D. Jordan?

Yesterday, in a live chat, Kevin Arnovitz was asked, "Which player dominates at the Clipper practices?"
Arnovitz responded with seemingly no hesitation, "DeAndre Jordan"

Plus-Minus

swamigusto — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:49:18 -0000

Maybe it's just me but is it a new thing to list player's plus minus in the boxscore? Both NBA.com and ESPN list the stat (which may or may not be from the same source), the LA Times and SBNation do not. Perhaps I haven't been paying attention, but I only noticed this phenomenon last night when the game was not televised and I couldn't get the radio broadcast, but I could scan the quarterly stats...

But I wonder at it's significance? If you look at the boxscore from last nights' game (here) you'll see some interesting details: While, judging by most reports, Al Thornton had a nice game, including eleven points in a row in the fourth quarter (8 for 11, 4 rebs, 18 points in 24 mins) his plus-minus was a sad -6. Ricky Davis on the other hand who also played 24 minutes, was 2-7 with 7 points and was a whopping +9. Craig Smith had only two points, fouled out and was +10. On the other side of the floor Theo Ratliff played 8 minutes didn't score, had 1 rebound and was also +10!

Is the plus-minus meaningful at all?

NBA League Pass?

swamigusto — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:30:25 -0000

Not sure this is FanPost material, but I've got a problem, and judging by other queries to the site, others are in the same boat: I recently moved out of the LA area and I'm stuck because I can no longer get the Clipper games on local TV, nor can I pickup the radio broadcasts. I want to sign up for NBA (broadband) League Pass but NBA.com says "check back later" or something like that. Am I missing something? Anyone with any experience in this regard? Does League Pass simply not include pre-season games?

Essential KA

swamigusto — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:58:50 -0000

Essential KA

Kevin Arnovitz makes a Clips win-loss prediction based on team's defensive potential. Club optimism won't be too happy but it's KA at his best. Highly recommended.

Von Wafer goes to Greece...

swamigusto — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:05:55 -0000

Von Wafer goes to Greece...

I guess the meeting with Coach Dunleavy didn't go well.

Marc Stein on Clips, Sessions, Iverson, Tim Grgurich

swamigusto — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:41:12 -0000

Marc Stein on Clips, Sessions, Iverson, Tim Grgurich

I copped it from KA, but it's too good to miss. Clips making offer to Sessions, Grgurich?

The Kamenetzkys Debate AI and the Clips

swamigusto — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:14:40 -0000

The Kamenetzkys Debate AI and the Clips

It's a pretty good debate from the brother Laker bloggers, then devolves into mild Clipper bashing. A worthwhile read though.

Ricky Rubio... again...

swamigusto — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:16:46 -0000

As most of you probably know, Ricky Rubio skipped the Minnesota Timberwolves' press conference on Friday where the team introduced its draftees. So, what does that mean? That Rubio doesn't want to play in Minnesota? That he doesn't think he can make enough money outside basketball in the flyover states that would help him pay off his staggering buyout from his Spanish team? Maybe a little of each? The answers are fuzzy.

Did Timberwolves' new GM David Kahn have a plan for trading down to the five spot, while he already held the sixth? Was he laying in wait for his dream point guard? Was that guard Rubio or Jonny Flynn (who they then grabbed at six)? Was he surprised to see Rubio still on the board, along with Flynn so he just grabbed both? Or was it all just fuzzy thinking?

The Knicks, of course, jumped in immediately and said, they'd like to trade Minnesota for Rubio, but what do they actually have to trade? David Lee? Number nine pick Jordan Hill? (Knicks don't have a #1 draft pick in 2010). Are those good players for Minnesota? They've already got Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. The picture is... fuzzy.

So... where does Ricky Rubio want to play? Well New York, Chicago of course, maybe Miami, Golden State I guess. Pick another city, but no small market teams and nowhere in the Midwest. But none of the teams listed above seem interested or in a position to bring him in anyway.

Then there's the Clippers. They're in a big market, Los Angeles. And they have tradable pieces, Chris Kaman, Zach Randolph, Marcus Camby come immediately to mind but are any of them a fit in Minny? The TWolves have as much as announced they're rebuilding. An established team might desire those guys but that team's not in Minnesota

But, of course, we have something I think David Kahn would want a great deal. We have one of his future first round draft picks. Would Kahn take back his pick for Ricky Rubio? The pick is lottery-protected until 2011, two years from now. The TWolves are bad and aren't likely to get better fast. That pick could easily be in the top five. If you're the Clips do you make the trade? If you're the TWolves? For David Kahn, making the trade this year might be like kissing your sister but if Ricky Rubio doesn't want to report... can you get a better deal? A top five pick?

I don't think Ricky Rubio fits next to Jonny Flynn. He's a point, not a two and Flynn's a point as well, a small one at that. And sure, the Clips have Baron Davis, but they desperately need a solid backup and we saw Baron play off the ball quite a lot last year. A three-guard rotation of Davis, Eric Gordon and Ricky Rubio sounds pretty good to me.

Lakers trade #29 to Knicks

swamigusto — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:09:52 -0000

Lakers trade #29 to Knicks

The remarkable thing is they got the full $3 million for 29!

Outside the Lines: Cuttino Mobley

swamigusto — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:42:34 -0000

Outside the Lines: Cuttino Mobley

Another one that showed up on the Arnovitz site, but too good to miss. Larry Coon too! Seems like much ado about nothing to me, but....