Basketball Notes by Alex

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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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When Losses Are Good
2009-04-03 17:07:00
Last night the Cavs lost a game they should have won against the Wizards. The Cavs really didn't play well all game and they deserved to lose. This is a great teaching opportunity for the coaches. That's why some losses are good and some wins are bad.Examples of good losses: Cavs lost to Wizards; Lakers fall to the Bobcats.Why they're good: While any loss isn't good, coaches get to tell you what went wrong. In the Cavs case, they just didn't get up for the game. This will help the coaches figure out when they need to pick up their intensity and keep the Cavs focused on winning games they're supposed to win. It's all a build up to being a title contender.In the Lakers case, they were out worked for a large part of the game. Then they can work on defense rebounding and getting into the triangle more in practice. It also allows the coaching staff to see what match ups fluster their team and plan on how to combat those difficulties.Also something that occasionally happens are bad...
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-04-02 21:43:00
Sorry for the inconsistency of the talk this week, but I've got it today!Timberwolves. You have to love this campaign to get Kevin Love the ROY.YouTube. Having fun with Charles and the Big Cactus.Rufus on Fire. On last nights tough, double OT loss, "Raymond Felton cannot take 20 shots. I'm sorry, but you're the SEVENTH BEST SCORING OPTION on this team, and that's if we count Cartier Martin behind you, and if we assume you should be ahead of Dontell Jefferson. You are not a hero for taking tough shots, Raymond. You're hurting the team when you do that."Liberty Ballers. "Thad's injury hurts; there's no question about that. But don't proclaim the season over just yet. If the Sixers can somehow manage to get the fifth seed and weather the storm until Thad is able to return, watch out. This team has shown that they can go into any building, and beat any team, on any given night -- playoffs included.Bleacher Report. The five biggest injuries that will affect the playoffs the most....
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My All Twitter Team
2009-04-02 15:59:00
So with this NBA Twitter craze continuing to hit the players, I thought I'd pick a squad of all Twitter users!PG: the_real_nash. I'm trying to build a team to win today. Nash can get us there now.SG: jrich23. I know what you're thinking, TWO Suns! Well, this team is not going to have many more, at best one more.SF: paulpierce34. He will be our go to scorer in the clutch, plus he'll give out tickets to all the Twitter All Star fans.PF: chrisbosh. He'd be perfect in a run and gun with the other players, plus we can thrown down to him in the post, half court style.C: THE_REAL_SHAQ. I considered, dwight_howard, but Shaq's a better Twitterer. Plus, he's found the fountain of youth this year.If I had a couple bench guys, I'd go with t_time24 for energy and dgranger33 for more scoring.If you could pick 7 NBA twitterer's for a team, who would you pick?
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A New Way to Defend the Spurs?
2009-04-01 16:56:00
The Thunder have upset the Spurs twice this season, I think there might be a key to what they do defensively. In the two games the Thunder have won, the Spurs shot about 24% from the three point line. The Spurs take jumpers 72% of the time, teams should clog the perimeter. Then, the Spurs can't get their role players involved and must penetrate or throw down to Tim Duncan.Besides Tim Duncan, do the Spurs have a legitimate back to the basket scorer? I guess Drew Gooden can get you solid post offense, but other than that, they mostly have jump shooters. You also have guys who penetrate in like Parker and Ginobili. You need long, quick guys to defend them, but you know they're going to get their points eventually.So, I'd approach it this way: never help off of the shooters, never double in the post (unless you have limited size) and make the Spurs big three score. If you can stop the Roger Mason's, the Bonner's, the Finley's for 3/4 of the game, they won't have much rhythm and c...

My Bad
2009-03-31 21:02:00
For the lack of posting today. 2k9 will not be played tomorrow, I'm gonna write some good stuff! But check Twitter tonight for my thoughts on tonight's big games and get in on the conversation!

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-30 19:20:00
Forget my stupid into, let's link!Hooped Up. If you haven't found all of you NBA Tweeters, here's a list.Fox Sports. Predicting Black Griffin's ability to make it big in the L.YouTube. Interesting piece on Kobe for Real NBA.Forum Blue and Gold. Talk ing about the Lakers tough loss in Atlanta and the playoffs, "I am not that worried about going into the playoffs with a ton of momentum. I said this in the comments but I think it bears repeating — the playoffs are another season all together. They have their own ebb and flow, and teams will improve during them. Remember last year — the Celitics looked like crap in the first round. And much of the second. Nobody thought they looked like a champion, getting taken seven games twice. How did that end? The playoffs are another animal, all together."Hornets 24/7. Lots of good thoughts on the Hornets big W last night.Pickaxe and Roll. A petition to make sure Birdman stays in Denver.Fear the Sword. A little break down on the race for th...

Big Baby Doing BIg Things
2009-03-30 16:04:00
The Celtics haven't been in top form without All-Star forward Kevin Garnett. But, this injury has brought the skills of Glen Davis to light. He's getting starters minutes and he's shown he's got more than a big body. He's shown the ability to hit the jump shot, a couple post moves and solid hustle on both ends. His play makes his re-signing a no brainier if I was Danny Ainge.It's not because Davis is a star player; it's because he fits the Celtics mold. He's a tough, defensive minded big man who's finding his way offensively. At 23, he's got more to learn too. His conditioning has to improve, it'd be sweet if he could shoot threes and defending without fouling is something he has to improve on.Even though he can improve, he's better than I thought. I didn't think he had the mental toughness needed to contribute as much as he has (that idea came from his crying last year). But, he's surprised me, Boston and himself a little bit. A couple times when he got the ball again...
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Another Slow Day For Me
2009-03-27 20:50:00
It's been a long week, I haven't been able to catch a lot of ball to talk about. All that said, I'm looking to get my NBA fillings tonight. Also, I just got some new kicks I'm going to talk about soon.Check back for more and don't forget to follow me on Twitter and subscribe!
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Some Things That Shouldn't be Headlines
2009-03-27 14:27:00
There are some things the media does that make no sense to me. Sure, Shaq's comments about Greg Oden could be considered news. But, the fact that he called Oden a low level ninja needs to be removed from the headlines.We all know Shaq is going to call people out and say some funny things while doing it. But, I'm tired of it taking center stage. What matters is his team lost a big game last night and probably won't make the playoffs this year.People, let's take less note of quotes like these and try to take about the thing that matters. BASKETBALL, not trashing other players in the media!
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The Scoop With SLC Dunk!
2009-03-26 14:19:00
This week we got a chance to talk to the guy behind SLC Dunk . If you need a top notch Jazz blog, this is where you have to go.1. The Jazz are playing well of late, 13 straight home wins, how would you assess their recent play?With the exception of that three-game slide earlier this month, I couldn't be happier with the Jazz's play. Even then they could have should have won the games against Miami and Atlanta. They played great on the road and just squandered things late. With everyone healthy, everyone is finally seeing how the deep Utah bench will beat most teams. 2. While they've done well at home (only six home losses), they are a below average road team. What is the big difference on the road and how can they fix that problem? If I had an answer for this, I'd probably have a job sitting next to Sloan on the bench. It's really hard to explain why we can't even break .500 on the road. I think a lot of it though is losing games like the ones mentioned above that you shou...
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Sorry For the Lack of Posting Today
2009-03-26 00:06:00
I had kind of an odd day, I'll be back tomorrow. But, be sure to hit up my Twitter tonight for updates on tonight's games and subscribe to the feed!I'll give you a cliffhanger for tomorrow: the Scoop is back!
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If This Game Were Food
2009-03-24 20:55:00
Disclaimer: Everyone loves food. All normal humans eat and I happen to be a big fan of food. Aren't you? Well, I think it would be cool to combine two things I love. Basketball and food. So, we're going to look at certain match ups and consult with our stomach about how it would characterize this game as food. Every stomach thinks differently, so you and your stomach can voice you opinions in the comments.This is a really hot game. Houston is coming into this game with a four game winning streak and the Jazz have won their last 12 at home (where they will be tonight). So, we need to find a food that's hot, none of that cold stuff.The Subject: Some twists to this Fennel-Pepper Spaghetti: you have to use some of the hotter peppers (chili, etc.) and pour a little hot sauce to give it extra sizzle.Why: Because it looks pretty good and it's hot. We know the Rockets have made another mini-run here, taking second in the West; the Jazz have turned it up at home. Their match up tonight w...
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-24 20:12:00
Anyone having March Maddness withdrawal? I'm not, I've got the NBA to focus on. On that note, let's link!YouTube. If you haven't seen this yet, it's a shot from DWade from about 3/4 court, didn't count though.Fanhouse. Good talk about Stephen Curry vs. Patrick Mills in the NIT. Just as Ziller said, I like both player too (I remember Mills from the Olympics).Bullets Forever. Wizards fans may or may not like Gilbert Arenas coming back, but at least things got interesting.The Two Man Game. Rick Carlisle looking, different?Pro Basketball News. The Knicks haven't been a lot better record wise under D'Antoni. Even though that's true, I like them more with Mike!NY Times. Sounds like Danilo Gallinari is done for the season (too bad).View From My Seats. Tough look at whether TMac and Yao don't work together.
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Stan Van Gundy A Hater?
2009-03-24 19:30:00
Stan Van Gundy was in the news today, saying the Knicks don't appreciate Patrick Ewing (here's what he said). It seems like he's put his head into a couple of situations I certainly wouldn't put myself in (the little war of words with Shaq). So, that got me thinking, is Stan Van Gundy a hater (or just very complacent)?Stan is kind of a hater. He's stuck himself into things he shouldn't be worrying about. Those recent comments about Ewing had absolutely nothing to do with him. What he said mostly had to do with the Knicks and, if there's any relation to the Magic, all it would involve is them losing Ewing as an assistant which could really hurt Dwight Howard's progression. If I was Otis Smith (or another high ranking Magic executive), I'd talk to Stan about keeping some things to himself.In looking at his comments closer, I see that Stan knows the way he is ("I'm a cynical person," he says). Even if he knows what he's doing, I don't like what he's done. He should keep hi...
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-23 18:45:00
Monday's, ahhh Monday. Let's get into some links!Lakers. I'm wondering just how good the LA Lakers chemistry is. "I know we can do a much better job of communicating." Lamar Odom was talking about the road trip there on right now. Sounds like the chemistry is there, but it's not Cavs chemistry.DC Pro Sports Report. Gilbert Arenas back this weekend? All I have to say is: Why?The Sporting Truth. Top Five NBA Teams In The Last 20 Years To Never Win a Title.NY Times. If you didn't see this, it's a real good read from the New York Times.Sorry, but that's it! I will have more talk tomorrow! Come back for that and more. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to the feed!
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Playoff Power Rankings!
2009-03-23 15:52:00
It was another jam packed week around the L. Time to see who's impressing me!1.Cleveland Cavaliers: I'll said it before and I'll say it again: I'm impressed. Now it looks like they should have East all locked up and now they have put some separation between themselves and the Lakers. If the season were to end today, Mike Brown would be coach of the year.2. Los Angeles Lakers: Sure they've been solid, but I'm looking for more from them. I want them to crush teams by more than they have been. They have the talent to crush the big teams and they need to show that. Detroit and Atlanta should be wins by 15+. But, we have to expect less out of the regular-season Lakers. That has to change.3. Boston Celtics: Sorry Rockets fans, I was thinking about putting you here. But then I thought about the playoffs and who will do more. Anyway, the C's started bouncing back last week. In their three wins, they won by an average of about eight points. Once they get back into full form, I expect ...
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5 Reasons I'm Starting to Hate the Mavs
2009-03-20 14:25:00
Look, I'm sorry in advance to Mavericks fans. Your team is solid, but I just can't stand it much anymore.1. This team won't win ANYTHING! Sure, the team that Mark Cuban and the rest of the organization put together was a great regular season team, but they couldn't do anything in the playoffs, especially now. I don't want anyone to expect anything better than one or two wins in the first round for this team, at least until it gets blown up.2. Dirk's talent is being wasted. Dirk is easily one of the best big men in the league right now (by that I mean he's got the skill level to match anyone). He has all kinds of skill, the jump shot, post moves, better defense than in the past; pretty much the whole package. Now, he's 31. In a couple years, people are going to be talking about a slight decline in Dirk. I want to see him win sometime, he's earned it.3. They're too old. I have nothing against vets, but this team is loaded with vets. This team doesn't have many prospects for...
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