Basketball Notes by Alex

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Celtics-Bulls Top 10
2009-05-03 17:01:00
The Celtics ended the Bulls season last night as they won game 7 in Boston. It ended a tremendous first round series; one that has everyone talking. I agree with the talk that it's probably the best first round series ever.It was so good that NBA.com gave it its own top 10 plays:Embedded video from NBA VideoGreat series, hope the rest live up to it!

The Hornets Didn't Have it All Year
2009-04-30 15:09:00
Last night the Hornets season finally ended. It was an injury ridden year where an expanded payroll disappointed everyone as they finished with the seventh seed in the West. Overall, the Hornets lacked the right amount of effort and luck to be successful in the post season.I saw a major on and off switch with this team from the begging of the season. Some nights they'd come out and you think they looked great. Other nights you wondered why the off-season moves made this team worse than last years team.I don't really have an answer to why they looked so good and so bad at times. Maybe they thought that because of last years successful season, this season would be given to them. They couldn't have been more wrong.Basically I'm saying what Hornets247 was saying:"I have a hard time blaming any one person in particular for this mess. Sure, it would help if George Shinn had deeper pockets. It would also be nice if Jeff Bower could undo some of the moves he did/didn't make so we'd h...
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Hawks-Heat Series Simply a Roller Coaster
2009-04-28 15:51:00
Last night the Atlanta Hawks were able to ward off the Heat to tie their series at 2-2. It was a game of runs, their was never really a few solid minutes of back to back baskets.Some of that was because of lots of fouls that ruined the flow of the game. But, I've noticed that these teams either play real well or real bad. There's not usually an alright with these teams. That's because of a combination of youth and lack of consistent talent.That makes the key to this series execution. The team that is able to execute on both ends and be hot from the field will win this series. Usually it's the team that starts off hot first that looks the strongest for four quarters.Sure, what I said here was kind of obvious. But I noticed how inconsistent these teams are. That's how a non-title contender will play. Fans of these teams should expect real solid play, or the turning of an on and off switch. It's the sad truth, but it's how the Heat and Hawks play.
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Talk About Epic: Net Reaction to Bulls-Celtics Game 4
2009-04-27 15:11:00
I saw this great game yesterday. It was game four of the Bulls -Celtics series in Chicago. When all was said and done, it ended up going to two overtimes, with the Bulls winning and nodding up the series at 2-2 with Boston.Sometimes games are so great, it's hard to say tons about it except find the game tape. So, let's link to some other people who talked about this great game!By The Horns: I’m telling you, there are three things I will probably never fully understand: How the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid, why people get suckered into buying the Snuggie, and how Ben Gordon hits those crazy shots. I mean, they’re terrible, low-percentage attempts, the kind that take entire decades off the lives of coaches everywhere. AND HE HITS THEM.Blog a Bull: With the help of some lucky shots on their end (John Salmons especially) and some lucky misses from the Celtics (Davis missing a couple gimmees, and going 4-16 overall.)Chicago Bulls Blog: If you missed this one, pre...
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Shoe of the Week: Nike Hypermax
2009-04-26 23:18:00
Disclaimer: I'm no full on sneaker head, but every week we're gettin our shoe on here! Each week I'll pick a shoe that I like, basketball, or normal. Get your new leather smell ready!My favorite kicks are usually basketball-inspired. It's no different with the Hypermax. I really like that Nike went out and made an awesome looking shoe for four players who don't usually get their names on shoes (Pau Gasol, Jermaine O'Neal, David West and Carlos Boozer).While it's hard to pick my favorite colorway, I'd say the Boozer inspired colors are the most versatile. Only people with some Laker clothes can match that Gasol colorway. They're nice, but I don't have tons of gold and purple to go with it.If anyone's gotten a chance to rock these, let me know how they feel. Also, if you think I'm a dumbass for saying the Boozer colorway's the best, let's hear about which one you prefer. Thanks to Freshness for some info and picutres.What shoes should I feature next week? Send suggestion...
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Site To Check Out: ProJoe Leagues
2009-04-26 23:01:00
If you play basketball and like fantasy sports, look at ProJoe Leagues . It's a very different, intriguing approach to fantasy sports.Here's what it's all about:ProJoe Leagues is a way for athletes to track their team's stats online and then invite their teammates and friends to all create fantasy teams based on your team. It lets you see what it's like to be a Pro Athlete traded in Fantasy Teams on sites like ESPN.Fantasy teams then pick a new team each week and however you and your teammates play determines which fantasy team wins that week. It's really fun and it makes playing on a team even more exciting and competitive!ProJoe Leagues hosts all the major sports and stats. And in the upcoming months we'll allow teams to create custom sports and stats. We'll also be releasing an iPhone app at the end of the summer that'll help teams track their stats at the game and then immediately upload them.In addition, we have a release coming out this month where rec teams can enter ...
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You Have to Feel Bad For Rip
2009-04-25 17:31:00
It's been a tough year and a tough first round so far for the Pistons. Everyone knew that based on the effort the put out in the regular season, their chances of competing with the Cavs was slim.They tried with some success in game three; they had their biggest lead of the series and actually lead for a large part of the 1st quarter. But some effort is not enough. They needed effort for 48 minutes.Then I heard Richard Hamilton talking about it postgame. You can hear how badly he wants to just win a game. It makes me feel bad for the guy; he's a great competitor, but he needs the rest of his guys to go out there and play well also. I hope that sometime in the near future that competitors like Rip can do well and advance in the playoffs.Here's his postgame comments:Embedded video from NBA Video
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-04-24 20:25:00
Friday link time!Intentional Foul. Rajon Rondo showing love for Red Bull.Ridiculous Upside. You may not care about it, but we should all pay attention to the D-League Finals.Basketball-Statistics. Predicting how good Stephen Curry will be in the NBA.3 Dot Blog. Talk ing about an NBA without six of the current squads.Sporting News. The NBA's best clutch shooters, defenders and more.Syracuse.com. Good links, etc. for some talk about the NBA's age requirement.JSOnline. ABC's NBA broadcasts are doing better than last year? Come one, loyal NBA fans! Let's riot and take ABC games off the air! No, they are just annoying at times. I prefer hearing homers on league pass!The Hoop Doctors. Some sick headphones designed by Iggy (Andre Iguodala) and Deron Williams.Tonight there are three more games for your viewing pleasure. I will be tweeting some thoughts.

The Bulls Must Make Big Offensive Adjustments
2009-04-24 14:09:00
The Bulls suffered a blowout loss to the Celtics at home in game three. This happened mainly because they were never able to get comfortable on offense and score consistently. While it may be a sign of solid Celtic defense, it's more a sign of poorly designed and executed Bulls offense.Sit, stand and brick. That's what could sum up how the Bulls offense usually works. When I watch their half court offense, I see either a one-on-one play, or a simple high pick and roll. There really isn't lots of movement off the ball. It makes for a very ugly half court team at times.Chicago is a young team and they have a rookie coach, but that doesn't mean they have no basketball IQ to their names. There should be some more advanced plays in their playbook.There are a few simple plays that could make their offense less of an ugly duckling. I would run Reggie Miller and Richard Hamilton style off the ball pick and rolls for Ben Gordon early. He can curl off of those picks for open jump shots. A...
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Live Blog
2009-04-24 01:03:00
This is where the live blog will be held, come back at 8 tonight!Celtics at Bulls
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Talk Around the Hardwood
2009-04-23 20:31:00
Link time!Of course, if you haven't heard, a kid by the name of Jeremy Tyler isn't going to play his senior year of high school basketball because he's going to Europe.YouTube. Anderson Varejo imitating LeBron.YouTube. Sorry for all the videos, but in honor of Derrick Rose winning the ROY, here are his top 10 plays of the 09 season.CBS 4. FIU's contract with Isiah Thomas is worth 1.29 million in base compensation. Someone over at that school is smoking something.SI. No Memo for game three of Lakers-Jazz tonight. Maybe they're nailing it in.Ball in Europe. They also talk about the news I mentioned in the first link.Roundball Mining Company. Denver is ballin, "What they are doing now in the first two games against the New Orleans Hornets series is almost too good to be true. Tonight the Nuggets actually implemented four different schemes, at least that I recognized, to slow down Chris Paul."Celtics Hub. Talk ing about Paul Pierce and game three tonight, "There are all kinds of ex...

Live Blog Tonight!
2009-04-23 16:30:00
Celtics at BullsI will be live blogging the Bulls-Celtics game tonight! Make sure you come back during the game!
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Resilient Hornets Team Looks to Bounce Back in Game 2
2009-04-22 23:22:00
By Ben YorkBen York is a freelance basketball columnist who also writes for Fanster.com, TalkHoops.net, The Hoop Doctors and is a contributor to NBATipoff.comDenver beat the Hornets in almost every aspect of game 1 in their series. They out-rebounded, out-hustled, out-coached, and flat outplayed New Orleans. So why am I not hopping on their bandwagon? The Hornets are the most resilient team in the league.New Orleans has rarely played with their entire starting unit together on the court this season; yet, they still managed to win 49 games. Though Chris Paul has a lot to do with this, another reason they have been successful despite injuries is because of how hard Byron Scott has the entire team playing. The Hornets don't necessarily go very deep; Sean Marks is getting rotation minutes for crying out loud. However, the players that do get consistent minutes play their butts off every single night, including their motor and leader Chris Paul.The Nuggets haven't exactly been kno...
More About: Team , Game , Back , Bounce , Game 2

I'm Sorry If You're a Pistons Fan
2009-04-22 15:23:00
The Pistons lost again to the Cavs last night. They are now down 2-0 in the series and on their way to getting swept by the Cavs.It has been one hell of a bad season for them. They finished under .500 and never really had any momentum this season. Honestly, if I was a Pistons fan, I would want this season to end as quick as possible.For one thing, we know they aren't going to win a thing this year. If they got one win over the Cavs, I'd call that a tremendous accomplishment for this team. That's how bad they've gotten.Also, we know that tons of cap is coming off of the books this summer. Next year they can clear space, develop some of those young guys they and get a lottery pick. Prepare for a team that can't make the playoffs, Detroit.Don't cry Detroit, but your team sucks. Next year they won't make the playoffs (unless they spend money this off season) and they are basically waiting to be great again until 2010. Deal with it, better times will come soon enough.

Dampier wants Tony Parker on his Back?
2009-04-21 22:05:00
Don't get confused reading that headline, it's kind of true."Every time he drives the lane, we have to put him on his back," Dampier said. "The first foul has to tell him he's in for a long night."My first foul Thursday night is going to put him on his back. I guarantee it."That's what I like to hear from a player. You have to foul guys hard and not allow them to make any easy shots. That is what the playoffs are all about.On the other hand, I wouldn't mess with Tony Parker . He can light you up for tons of points, messing with him may not be so smart. But I like his poise and his attitude towards hard, playoff fouls.
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-04-20 21:13:00
It's day three of the playoffs, let's link!Blaze of Love. Why Nate McMillan should have gotten more coach of the year love, "The guy coaching the youngest team in the NBA who just led his team to an extra 13 wins this year deserves some serious recognition. Let me say those two things again, a 13 WIN DIFFERENCE and YOUNGEST TEAM in the NBA."Cleveland Scene. Buy Larry Hughes house. I'm sure it's perfect for the recession.Quite to the Contrary. A KG ad that tries to remind you how much of a competitor the guy is.Detroit Free Press. Michael Curry may not be the brightest coach Detroit "I think we can win this series.”Ticket News. NBA fine in terms of sales, "an average of 17,520 fans per game, the year ranks third all-time".YouTube. Anthony Johnson dunk on someone! This would be a poster, too bad no kid wants Anthony hanging in his or her room.Pounding the Rock. Good idea for the Spurs, "We need at least one perimeter player that can play defense at all times. That means we must...
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Some Thoughts on the 1st Day of the Playoffs
2009-04-19 18:46:00
With four games yesterday, the playoffs started with a couple good games. Here's some thoughts from what I saw:Bulls vs. CelticsWow. What a big win. I really like the way the young guys came out for Chicago, they were great.Here's my thoughts on Ray Allen's performance.This loss will probably be good for the C's in the long run. They will look much better in game 2, I'll put my money on that.I know I haven't talked much about Derrick Rose on this site, but it's now time to start. He is a player you have to love, even if you're not a Bulls fan. The way he plays and also the way you never see his facial expression change lets you know how special he is. I am now on his bandwagon now for sure.Do I even need to say anything about Cavs-Pistons? Hell no!Blazers vs. RocketsWTF? I really thought the Blazers would come out and show the national crowd how good they were. Guess I was wrong.I was wrong about game 1, but I'm thinking they will make a come back in game 2. They did have j...
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Playoff Update
2009-04-19 01:26:00
Today is of course the first day of the playoffs. Half of today's action is done and the second half starts up in about half an hour.Just wanted to remind readers that I will be tweeting some thoughts during the games. I will back come tomorrow with some thoughts on what I saw as well.PLAYOFFS!!
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4 Things To Forget About the Regular Season
2009-04-17 15:37:00
Now that the regular season's over, let's talk about what to forget about the 08-09 season.4. Regular season awards. Everyone's making predictions on how wins this and who wins that; let's forget all of that. All that matters now is who wins a ring, all that other stuff is meaningless.3. The Raptors, Clippers, etc. I don't even want to think about these teams until a couple days after the finals end. They sucked and that's it. Hopefully the bottom of the league can improve as much as possible to make the league more and more competitive.2. The Blazers are too young. As Tas Melas said yesterday on the Basketball Jones, this team doesn't play like they're young. They execute every time the lights are on and Brandon Roy never disappoints. Don't call them young, call them experienced youth.1. Allen Iverson's year. Talk about a disappointment. This is one the best scorers to play the game and he has had one year to forget. I still think he's got something in the tank and want ...
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Debating Which 1st Round Playoff Series Will be Most Entertaining
2009-04-16 15:12:00
So, it's FINALLY playoff time!!! All the match ups are now set and the first round kicks off Saturday. So, which playoff series is worth watching?Of all the first round series, the Portland-Houston series will probably be the most fun to watch (of first round series only). These teams are going to go at it: the Rose Garden will be rocking; Brandon Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge will face off against Yao, Artest and crew.This is the match up that I feel could go six or seven games. Both teams are real solid, they play well on both ends, are well coached and make for a very fun game. I can't predict a winner here, that's why I like it the most.I would like to say Portland can win because they have home court advantage, but then I think of how hard Houston fights at times and how it doesn't matter where they are playing. When I think of how dominant Yao can be on offense for them, I like Houston. I'm torn on this series.So, the Blazers-Rockets series looks like the most entertaining fi...
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Vote for you MVNT (Most Valuable NBA Twitterer)!
2009-04-14 22:11:00
With tons of end of the season award posts going around, I thought I'd make one of my own. MVNT is the most valuable NBA twitterer. It has to be someone playing the NBA now and of course they have to be on Twitter.You don't have to have a great team to win this award; it's about who tweets the best. Who replies to the fans the most, who gives away the most cool stuff. So look to the far right of the site and cast your vote!
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-04-14 21:23:00
Sorry for the limited amount of posts this week! Let's link!BallerBlogger via the Oregonian. Brandon Roy is the Yellow Mamba.NY Daily News. Isiah Thomas is a coach again. Someone kill me please!Waiting For Next Year. Three thoughts about the Cavs.SI. Finally, not your mundane end of the season awards post.Dallas Morning News. Headline: "Mark Cuban will miss the regular-season finale". Isn't he an owner, not a player or coach?You know why I can't find many other cool stuff? Because, everyone wants to be boring and write end of the season award posts! That's boring!! Come on blogosphere!
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Thoughts on a Closing Celtic Window
2009-04-13 15:28:00
Without KG, no elite Celtic team should lose to the Cavs by 31. KG or not. So that got me thinking about how close the window is to shutting. See my fantastic bulleted thoughts:99. When you add up the age of the Big Three, that's what you get. An average age of 33. That means the window after this year is pretty slim.I don't care how a player may be different, everyone will deteriorate as they age. Same applies to these three. Hopefully they won't look like Shaq did when he was 35+ (in Miami before he found the fountain of youth).Behind the Big Three, they are truly a team that would go under .500. Rondo, Big Baby, and Perk, those are the best young players behind the vets. That's scary Boston, scary.After this season, I would really consider a move to bring in younger talent. I would want to see just how far they can get this year and if it's not a title; they must get younger.While Danny Ainge made great moves for a title one year, they are really not long term big winners. T...
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5 Reasons National NBA Games Are Annoying
2009-04-10 15:13:00
Last night TNT had their usual Thursday double header. While ESPN and TNT do solid jobs of covering games, some of what they do really annoys me.5. Pre-game shows. Why say some of the things you're going to say at halftime before the game? Sure, whoever they have will predict the winners and talk about recent NBA news. But, the only thing I really get out of the pre-game is a few laughs (from TNT only) and maybe some good info from David Aldrige. Stop stalling before the first game!4. Only using mundane stats. Guys like Doug Collins and Hubie Brown may be smart people; but they have never acknowledged any new age, advanced basketball statistics. How about points per 100 possessions, eFG percentage, or shooting details (percentage of jumpers, close shots, dunks, etc.)? I want to hear some more unique and different stats put into their brodcasts.3. Blowouts in the first game. Can you put on a close game for us East coast people please? A lot of the early games I've seen haven't bee...
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NBA TV Hates the Thunder!
2009-04-08 15:46:00
Come on NBA TV, you suck! Are the Thunder deserving of 556 losses! Kevin Durant is crying in the background! Just because they're young doesn't mean they loss hundreds of games in a season! Btw, that's not photo shopped!If you want proof, go to the end of this video:Embedded video from NBA Video

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-04-07 21:11:00
Finally NBA action for the new week starts tonight!! Let's link:The Hoop Doctors. Top Ten Signs You Might Not Be A Great NBA General Manager. Number 1 is a classic.Rotoworld. So it sounds like Roger Mason will be inserted into the starting five to replace Manu.The Racquet. The Calipari Effect-will have a big part in determining where some of the best HS prospects go.SI. Talk ing Oden vs. Durant (right now, it's obviously Durant for me).Hoops World. What went wrong with the Wizards and how to fix it.Fan House (they got it from Truehoop). Jannero Pargo does an impersonation of Kobe, probably wishes he stayed in the NBA.Blaze of Love. Kellex responds to my earlier link to SI, "Don't we all agree that Kevin Durant will play in All-Star games and be in MVP conversations for years to come? And Oden, will hopefully just be a key piece on a team striving to win multiple NBA Championships?"The Puns are Starting to Bore Me. Making the case for Dwight Howard as this years Magic leader.

Adiós, Manu!
2009-04-07 03:41:00
So, after the Spurs have stayed a float despite many injuries this season, they received a major blow today. Manu Ginobili is out for the season, including the playoffs (full details here).As much as this hurts; this team didn't have a great chance for a title run this year. With Manu; at best they are a team that gets to the Western conference finals. Even that would be a surprise to me. As much as it hurts me to say this, they're too old. Bowen is becoming more irrelevant by the day, Jacque Vaughn is still in the NBA and, ultimately, the window is closing more and more every year.Looking at it from a management stand point, it would make me want to get the scouts out there working their asses off. They need more hidden gems like Parker and Ginobili. If they don't add more talent that can have a role in their rotation, we'll be talking about a Spurs team struggling to make the playoffs in a few years.R.C. Buford is to good to let that happen. Pop is to good. As many haters at t...

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-04-06 21:26:00
No game tonight, NCAA tourney, let's link!Fox Sports. Talk ing MJ, "With those variables arrayed against their better judgment, a generation of impressionable basketball-playing hotshots misinterpreted style for style of play. They noticed the mind-blowing acrobatics without understanding the fierce nature of the acrobat."YouTube, via Bullets Forever. Nick Young, JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche make a pretty cool vid.Canis Hoopus. There's a reason tickets are $5, Wolves fans. Can you believe that Billups hasn't gotten a dunk in almost five years? He finally got one in Minnesota though.DraftExpress. Good look at the guys in the McDonald's All American game.The Dream Shake. Making the case for Rudy Tomjanovich to be in the Hall of Fame.Mobile Tech Review. NBA app out for the G1 (also iPod touch, iPhone now).

Is the Nugget Bench Formidable?
2009-04-05 16:36:00
The Denver Nuggets have finally hit their stride of late. While some would argue their schedule has been easy of late; wins are wins and they've put six into a streak. So that got me thinking: with the Nuggets recent improvement in bench play, is their bench a threat for the playoffs?The answer is kind of complicated. Yes, part of their bench can certainly pose a threat. The bad thing is, part of that threat is pretty streaky. I'm talking about JR Smith. Sure, he has the ability to get really hot and light the opponent up, but, he also can be cold and lose almost all of his value.To prove my point about JR, over the last two games, he's been shooting three's at about 56%. Looking at two random games back in January, he only shot 46% (and on less attempts, which makes for less of an offensive contribution). So, you can never count on JR to score 20+. He may do it, but don't rely on it come the second round of the playoffs.The rest of their bench is stacked with hustle guys, not ...
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Awesome Kevin Durant Interview
2009-04-04 01:09:00
Here's an interview where Durant talks Thunder ball:Embedded video from NBA VideoCheck Twitter for my thoughts on tonight's games!
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