Basketball Notes by Alex

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Can The Hawks Have a Better Year?
2008-10-06 14:19:00
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off of their best year in a while. They made the playoffs and surprised everyone with a seven game series against the eventual champs.Say what you want to say about their year (the East is weak, Boston was lallygagging in the first round, etc.), but Atlanta doesn't want to take a step back. In listening to Joe Johnson talk on media day (scroll down a bit for the video), I can sense the importance of an increase in wins and getting a higher seed.So can they do it?Maybe, but it's going to take some great individual performances. Joe Johnson has to do better than he's ever been. Mike Bibby has to be healthy and play at 100% all season. Josh Smith has to get higher for those alley oops, make those (or some more) outside shots. Al Horford has to get more than 10 points a game, maybe by taking some of LaMarcus Aldridge's outside moves. They've got the pieces on paper, they just need to get better individually and as a unit.I'm also looking for Marvin Wil...
More About: Year

It's Almost Time!
2008-09-29 22:09:00
I know I've been on an extended vacation (sorry for that, wasn't planning on it), but now the season is less than a month upon us. This season is gonna to be tremendous, can't wait.I really want to see the Blazers pan out (did you know they're running a live blog today?). I love Fernandez, Frye, Oden, Roy, the whole crew. They can definitely make the playoffs, but I'm not sure yet on how far they can really go. I want to see a lot out of Travis Outlaw this season. This is a guy who has the skill set to be a great player, he just needs to put in some work. I have faith that he did and will come into this season ready to improve.With everyone starting training camp this week, the preseason is upon us. As far as I know the Knicks have already fallen on their faces and Kobe has accepted the MVP trophy already. On a serious note, I might be going to a preseason game! More on that as the date approaches.
More About: Time

Take a Break from the Iron LeBron!
2008-09-15 00:57:00
The Cavs want LeBron to stay away from the gym for a couple of weeks before training camp opens. LeBron is so fit he can take two or three weeks to relax? Course it's true but do the Cavs have to rub it in?I'm fine with LeBron taking a week off, maybe. But if you're out of routine for a couple weeks, won't that kind of throw off his rhythm? I know LeBron is no amateur ball player, but I like to try to be in rhythm. Training camp would definitely get his legs going for the season, but, going into training camp you should be 100% in a fitness routine and ready to go.This is not me saying that Bron Bron won't be able to play while taking a break (trust me it would take a lot more than that for his game to be off). It's just me as a concerned LeBron fan (not really a big Cavs fan, sorry), wanting Cavs training camp to go smoothly.
More About: Break , Iron

How's Your Shot Now Mamba?
2008-09-10 03:10:00
Kobe Bryant has decided to skip his right pinkie surgery; something that really puzzles me. Sure, it is important to get a winning mentality (not to mention all of your key players) in training camp, but they made it to the finals last year and this year they'll be even better.While this is brave of Kobe, I think his shot will suffer. During the 07-08 season, KB24 shot about 46% from the field. While he did shoo't even better from the field in the playoffs, his free throw shooting suffered. He shot 84% in the regular season, and 81% in the playoffs. I know what you're thinking, it's only three percent, big deal? But what if he were to drop another three percent. That puts him in the upper percentile of what power forwards and centers shot.Did I mention the slump he went through in the Olympics? Think Ray Allen circa last season's playoffs. He did pull himself out of it, but he'll have to be a lot better.I'm sure you can still slash, crash and dash the crowd Kobe. I just don'...
More About: Shot

Another Basketball Movie We CAN'T See?
2008-09-09 02:53:00
I'm glad that the documentary on LeBron was a hit (here are the reviews). But why can't the great Canadians (the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival) get it out on DVD? This is coming from someone who loves basketball and movies. I mean I understand that they wanted to make this film a little exclusive and play up their film festival, but come on. Think of how popular LeBron is, release it and make a little money.LeBron should advise the producer, he is a huge brand on his own. Maybe he can band together with his billionaire friends Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Here's another thought: how about a basketball film festival? Maybe there aren't enough basketball related films, but I'm sure we could find a couple we don't hear about on the national level.Finally, let everyone see basketball films! Before summers end, I had to deal with not being able to see Gunnin For That #1 Spot; now this. Hollywood, respect the basketball fans of the world!
More About: Movie , Basketball

Tips For Holding A Contest
2008-09-09 02:33:00
Another guest post from the Sports Dollar's Contest of Sports SexinessIf you're keen on jumping on the bandwagon of hosting your own blog contest, here are some tips how to do so. There are many contests where the host leaves you guessing or makes you really work for the details on how to enter it. The deadline to enter the contest is sometimes missing so you are not sure as to the date that the winner will be drawn. Consider this as well when you are writing your contest post: How will the winner be announced or contacted? Will you require that the winner check back to see if he or she has won or will you be contacting him or her? Having clear cut directions on how to enter as well as having a set and clear date as to when you will accept the last entry or the date you will draw a winner is vital for your readers and visitors too. The success of your contest depends on getting the word out there. You can contact bloggers who are considered contest bloggers and ask them to post yo...
More About: Tips , Holding

What Makes A Good Blog Contest?
2008-09-09 02:31:00
Guest post won from the Sports Dollar's Contest of Sports SexinessWith so many blog contests out there, have you wondered what a good blog contest is like? Basically, a good blog contest doesn't necessarily have to possess all the attributes below, but the more of them it fulfils, the merrier. Of course, this is just a general guide and some deviations may be expected in certain circumstances. Easy to enter ? This is pure common sense, I would say. If you came up with a contest with so many conditions that it would put off visitors, wouldn't it defeat your purpose in having a contest in the first place?Easy to win ? Now this is a debatable attribute owing to the fact that a good contest usually attracts so many people to enter that the actual chances of winning and very slim. One way would be to move away from random drawings to quality drawings ? meaning the best entries win. Of course, this should also entail that judging should be done by a qualified person.Fairness ? This rel...
More About: Blog , Good

Short Rant On Recent NBA Happenings!
2008-09-08 00:03:00
I know I haven't been able to update recently (I'll try to as much as possible), but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching the news and staying up to date. So here's what I think about the latest stories!The Mario Chalmbers and Darrell Arthur "incident": of course this was a mistake, but don't most NBA players get involved in these kinds of things? The real mistake was that they did it during the Rookie Transition Program. You've got to get your timing right, guys! Look, as long as these guys come out and perform come playing time, I'm don't care about this. It doesn't mean they can't be a favorite player of mine, it just means they have to redeem their cool player titles.Now, on to the proposed trade between New York and Memphis. If you didn't know this trade would feature Zach Randolph going West for Marko Jaric and Darko Milicic. This trade doesn't make a lot of sense for New York. There trades should setup cap flexibility and this one doesn't. Randolph will mak...
More About: Rant , Recent , Short , Happenings

And The Team Name Is... Leaking!
2008-08-30 03:40:00
The Oklahoma City NBA franchise, formerly known as the Sonics are set to unveil the name, logo and colors next Wednesday. Well, the name Oklahoma City Thunder has been tossed around a lot. I don't love it, don't hate it (hey, it'll still be a bad team).I would now like to see the management team surprise everyone (like a Republican did today). How about the Oklahoma City Dogs of the Western Conference? I know that the people came to see the Hornets play, but they were a great squad. Will the support be there for a young, developing team? Not to drift away from basketball, but will people have enough money to come out? If so, will they lose volume in extras (drinks, etc.).This is a chance for me to put on the hat of a basketball economist. I think the buzz will be good, but not great. When you saw the crowd for the Hornets, you could feel the energy they gave to them. I don't think there will be a lot of buzz for a guy in Kevin Durant that only scores because he gets a lot of sho...
More About: The Team , Team

Team USA Wins Gold!
2008-08-24 10:43:00
Team USA has finally redeemed their title as the best basketball nation in the world, beating Spain 118-107. It was a close game through 40 minutes, truly the best international game I've seen so far. Kobe Bryant was kind of the MVP of this game, he had big plays on both ends down the stretch. It seemed like each team really really wanted it, runs and amazing shots were plentiful in this game. Juan Carlos Navarro had a tremendous game, he was great in Jose Calderon's absence.In the first, Spain had a five point lead at one point. But team USA stayed resilient and would go on and off of a double digit lead. Rudy Fernandez also was vital for Spain. He looks like a fantastic player, great shooter and showed that if Kobe wants to gamble, he'll throw it down on his head.The real reason they won was the pace of the game. Fastbreak, fastbreak, fastbreak; that's an easy way to describe this game. Chris Paul scored a layup after only two seconds came off the shot clock. If Spain wanted t...
More About: Gold , Team , Wins

Team USA Beat Argentina, Now On The Way To The Gold!
2008-08-22 22:09:00
I've been disappointed by some of Team USA's earlier performances, but it sounds like they are good enough to win. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to watch the first two medal-round games (Australia, Agrentina last night Beijing time) due to the early morning starts. I am eagerly awaiting waking up at 2:30 am Eastern to watch the gold medal game (USA vs. Spain). I have to honestly say that I don't think it will be much of a game.I could be wrong though. Team USA's 37 point win over Spain doesn't really mean anything now. Sure, it helped their confidence in pool play, but, like Team USA was reminded, everyone was 0-0 again and both of these squads are now 2-0. Spain knew that they were going to get past pool play and now maybe they'll pull out new tricks from the bag. Better defense and a shorter rotation should help Spain keep the margin respectable in the first half (I would consider Argentina 's 101-81 loss respectable).Either way, it will be nice to see both of these cl...
More About: Gold , Beat

Team USA Says Goodbye to Germany!
2008-08-18 16:18:00
Team USA finished up pool play with a big win over Germany , 106-57. This wasn't really a game worth watching, but I saw a lot of great highlights. This was really no contest, it was 31-12 after the first. The USA had too much fire power for Germany to handle. Germany really is weak offensively, something that doesn't get you past pool play.Again shooting was a positive for the US. Although not as solid as they were against Spain, Team USA shot 11-26 from beyond the arc. If I'm Coach K, I'm pretty happy with the 5-0 record in pool play. Although they still have a lot to do, they are better record wise than they were in Athens (where they lost their first game to Puerto Rico).Dirk Nowitzki played what was likely his last game for Germany today. He deserves a lot of credit for all he did for his country. I really respect all of his effort. This is a guy who cried when Germany qualified. He's such a competitor and he deserves a lot for putting it on the line for his country.Now it...
More About: Team , Goodbye

USA Blows Out Spain!
2008-08-16 18:25:00
Team USA delivered a big time win against Spain 119-82. They really seemed to be in control the whole game; no wavering in who was in control of the game. If Team USA has an MVP, it is Dwayne Wade. He came into these Olympics with more to prove individually than anyone on this team and he has responded. He had shown quickness that I remember from a couple of years ago in Miami's run to a title.As a team, this should help with their confidence. I know that Coach K will say this in the locker room though, "Okay, we just beat one of the best teams in this tournament. While we should be confident, we have to make sure we don't become overconfident. Stay poised, keep your composure, remember we haven't won a gold medal yet."Outside shooting, something that was a concern in the first couple of games, was not one in this game. Team USA made 12 of 25 threes. Tayshaun Prince was solid; as Doug Collins said he's an underrated shooter (especially from the shorter three point line). Prince ...

Play of the game: Wade to Kobe
2008-08-14 16:58:00
Here's the best play from today's USA vs. Greece game:Wade to Kobe , can you imagine that combo? Wade is definitely in full force and I expect more highlights from him and others.Can you think of a crazy alley oop combination? Let's hear it in the comments!
More About: Play , Game , The Game

Team USA beats Greece!
2008-08-14 16:03:00
Team USA beat up on Greece 92-69, finally taking full control of a big game. In the opening minutes of this game Team USA looked terrible. JKidd picked up three very quick fouls (I think at the 8:35 mark in the first quarter) and the game was slow and it was Greece's game. That's why the game really took a turn in the second quarter. Team USA stopped playing Greece's game and started playing their game. Steals and creating offense from their defense is what makes them unstoppable.Greece never really had it going, they only had a strong start. The front line wasn't able to intimidate the US and the outside shots weren't falling (4-18 from beyond the arc). If they are able to squeeze out of Group B, they'll have to dramatically slow the game down and stop turning the ball over.Kobe Bryant really made inroads in this game, he shot a little better and was great inside and out. Of course, the player of the game was Dwayne Wade, he was spectacular in this one. Turnover, outlet pass,...
More About: Team , Beats

Iggy gets a lot of Milli's!
2008-08-13 18:49:00
A million here, a million there, that's the song Andre Iguodala put on repeat; getting a six year, $80 million dollar deal with the Sixers. Of course, this is too much money for Iggy , but what were the Sixers to do, break up their young core because they want to be thrifty? Look, they have Brand, Louis Williams, and Iguodala, that's a great core.Anyone who says well Josh Smith didn't even get $60 million needs to be quiet. The Sixers are doing business the way you have to do business. When you have a top notch employee that wants a certain amount of money, you just might have to pay top dollar. The Hawks need to learn for the Sixers; then maybe they could have kept Josh Childress and not pissed off Josh Smith. Philly understands that if you pay guys what they'd like to be paid, maybe they'll go into the season happy and ready to win. Ed Stefanski knows that to win, you might have to spend money (did you know that, Grizzlies?).If I were to estimate what he's worth, it's defini...

Team USA Getting Ready For the Big Games!
2008-08-12 19:16:00
Now that Team USA beat Angola (97-76), it's time for them to prepare for some big games. Next up is Greece, a team with no players I am familiar with. They aren't favorites to medal, but International "Guru" Fran Fraschilla thinks that they are the best "team" in this tournament. Looking at their roster (scroll down from the link to see it), I see that six of the guys on this team will be teammates of Josh Childress with the Greek Club Olympiacos (just a cool way to get off topic).The talk of the town (otherwise known as ESPN's analysts) has been that team USA can't shoot from the outside. Granted, Kobe may be in a shooting slump, but hey, he's a competitor and he'll find ways to be effective. I don't take much of anything from these first two games; this just showed us that the USA can beat the bad teams.Team USA has to make a statement now (Thursday's game is their first real taste of a great squad). The perfect game for the USA would be a 30 point convincing victory. You ...
More About: Games , Ready

Team USA Gongs China!
2008-08-10 18:21:00
Team USA beat China 101-70 in the opening of their Olympic tour. China stayed tough for most of the first half, I was surprised by how well they played. Yao looked okay, especially for only being 60-70%. The key was really China just wearing down, the three point shot didn't fall near as much in the second half.Team USA really has to work on: defending and making the three point shot. China shot 10-27 from three and while that is only 37%, it's something that helped China stay close in the first half. Team USA shot about 29% from three, Kobe the only starter that made a three. They can't just rely on Michael Redd, everyone has to take advantage of the short three point line. Dwight Howard's free throw shooting. I've noticed this in his play with Orlando, he's not a great shooter at all (3-5 in this game). I can see teams employing a "Hack-a-Howard" strategy in the medal round, something that should really concern Coach K. If teams force Howard off the floor, then depth at the ...
More About: Team

Russia easily beats Iran 71-49!
2008-08-10 04:58:00
In the first game of Men's Olympic basketball, Russia beat Iran 71-49. Granted, this was not the most star studded game in the world (Andrey Kirilenko was the biggest star), it still had its moments.Russia was dominant in the first half (they lead 38-22), but they seemed to lose their edge in the third. Each team was limited offensively, but the Russian offense was very weak in the third. Iran may have only had five in the first, but I expect more out of Russia. The best part about Russia's play today was their defense (in the first half). They made Iran take tough shots deep in the shot clock, forced shot clock violations and did their best to convert 22 Iranian turnovers into points.A new addition to the Russian offensive attack is the alley oop. AK7 (Andrey Kilrilenko, using his Olympics number) will run off a couple of back screens and look for a ball to throw down. It wasn't terribly successful, but it's a good addition to their attack.Also, NBA player Viktor Khryapa played...
More About: Beats

Grizzlies Spendin Money?
2008-08-08 18:46:00
According to RealGM, the Grizzlies have signed Josh Smith to a $58 million dollar offer sheet. Are you kidding me? They have money to spend and they wait and wait and now try to get Josh Smith? I would have tried Brand, or someone that isn't a restricted free agent.The Hawks have seven days to match and I don't know how many years the deal would last, but they probably will match. If they don't, I guess the Grizz actually improve this summer. A core nucleus of OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay and Josh Smith doesn't sound bad right? We'll see what happens in next week!
More About: Money

My Souped-up Olympic preview!
2008-08-07 18:28:00
With the Olympic s just one day away, it's time to preview some Olympic basketball! We're getting a steroid shot with some help from Kellex, Jarrad Todd and Anthony!Me: Do you have team USA as your favorite, and which team has the best chance of knocking them off?Kellex: For sure Team USA is my favorite! If I had a team to knock them off, it would probably be Spain at this point. So much young talent there and they are the reigning Euro champs or something aren't they?Anthony: On paper, they are the favorites. I think it's pretty obvious - they have an NBA All-Star lineup. Sentimentally, they are my favorites since Kobe is playing for them. I am a huge Laker fan first and foremost. (Later on, Anthony talks about how to defeat them)Jarrad: I believe the US will ultimately take home the gold, followed by Spain and Argentina. I do find it hard to believe that the US only selected one center (Dwight Howard) for their roster. Particularly so when you consider the big men competin...
More About: Preview

Earl Boykins becomes a rich Italian!
2008-08-06 23:40:00
Earl Boykins, a 5'5" point guard is heading to Virtus Bologna for $3.5 million. Here's a statement that was translated from the club:We hope that the skills of this Earl Boykins, how you say, will help our team. We think that the lack of doping tests over here will help us dramatically increase his height (although only in meters, not inches). If we are lucky, he should become taller than Andrea Bargnani (who we no longer consider an Italian , more like a disappointment)!I don't know why this team would pay him so much. Sure, he can shoot and run the ball, but why not try picking another NBA player? This should make Boykins look a lot better though, just because the Euro-league is better than college, it's not better than the NBA. I wish the best for Boykins, and Virtus Bologna (who I'm sure has people that speak perfect English).
More About: Rich , Earl

Team USA Squeezes by the Aussies!
2008-08-05 20:07:00
Team USA beat Australia in a surprisingly close 87-76 exhibition game. Australia was really in it for all four quarters and they did it all without top NBA draft pick Andrew Bogut (ankle injury). I was impressed by young guard Patrick Mills, he's a small, speedy guy who p could make a lot of noise.The Australian offense seemed to be better than any other team they faced. With Bogut playing, this team could have had it in single digits. The first couple of quarters were the worst for the US, but in the second, LeBron James went on an onslaught and gave the USA a nice cushion. It seemed that the Aussies always had another run in them.Based on this game I would say that they have a lot to work on. Constant intensity on both ends is not there, half court execution is not there and I want to see a real conserted effort for 40 minutes. The first game for the US is on Sunday against China. I hope they come out and prove that they are better than the way they played today.
More About: Team

Team USA set to take on the Aussie's!
2008-08-05 02:20:00
Team USA will take on Andrew Bogut and the Aussie's on Tuesday at 8 a.m. Eastern time on ESPN2. If you've heard of Shawn Redhage you're either Australian, Fran Fraschilla, or really up on foreign basketball (sorry, Aussies, you're great!).Anyway, I think team USA needs to blow out the Australian's like they did the Canadian's. The one thing that is becoming a growing concern is the way team USA is getting hurt inside. This Australian team has size. Don't get me wrong, I don't know much about this team, but they have seven players that are over 6'8". They may not be that skilled (except for Bogut), but you never know without an adequate scouting report.Everyone is also talking about the lack of playing time for JKidd. I don't see a controversey brewing. These guys made three year commitiments, when you're old like JKidd is, you need to take it easy until it counts. You don't play all the cards when there are no chips on the table. In this game of poker, team USA has plent...
More About: Team

Dr. J get his Ph.D in advertising!
2008-08-02 20:53:00
Dr. J decided to give up on the medical field and is now into being in Dr. Pepper commercials.Look:I guess Dunk Medical is going to miss him. Now he's off to artificially enhance the "23 flavors" of this great soda (which in no way affects your weight, according to the esteemed doctor).Seriously, it's a cool ad and I hope we can see more like it!
More About: Advertising

Team USA now 3-0!
2008-08-01 16:57:00
Team USA beat Lithuania 120-84 to improve to 3-0 in exhibition games. When you consider the level of competition, this was the best performance from this squad. What I liked the most was the way they came out defensively. Kobe really set the tone on both ends. They didn't allow Jasikevicius (their only good ball handler) to go to his right; they almost always forced him to his left. In the first half I also saw really good pick and roll defense.I wish they'd been consistent. The first quarter was the most lop sided (31-15), the second, the closest (25-24). Even not looking at the numbers, I think the defense as a whole was at ease in the second half. They had moments (especially early in the third) where it looked like the game was going to get pretty close. I felt that the flow to Lithuania's game was better in the third quarter.I also liked that everyone got a chance to score for the USA. While Jason Kidd may not be pushed that hard, it's important that he's bringing some off...
More About: Team

5 Ways Team USA can please Coach K!
2008-07-31 20:01:00
Team USA gave Turkey a beating in their second exhibition game, but I'm not too impressed. Here are five ways they can please me and Coach K:5. How about some more air time on Road to Redemption? As Coach K is probably in his last couple of years as a coach, I'd like to see him doing other things than saying come on let's go, this is great, we have to play as a team. I mean, if they don't win the gold, he's got to have something to remember.4. Get Dwight Howard to work his magic to get more minutes for ex-Blue Devil (his current title is bench warmer) J.J. Redick. Maybe then he can look half as good as he did in college. I think saying this kid hasn't lived up to his potential is an understatement. If the Magic can't deal him where he would play, they need to find a use for him.3. Give Coach K a cool Chinese nickname (like Ball Don't Lie did for Kobe and LJ). I'm thinkin something that involves ee (the number one, I know how to say it, not sure on the spelling) and however...
More About: Team

Team USA Thumps Turkey!
2008-07-31 16:14:00
In an early game (started at 8pm Eastern time) the USA beat Turkey 114-82. Turkey stayed close through most of the first half, but just like Canada, they were blown out.The thing they really have to work on is defense. I think they will do fine with getting steals and getting out into the open court, but they need solid half court defense. Just like Fran was saying, the teams they're going to be faced with in the future will be a lot better. According to the box score, there were no turnovers, but the USA can't count on that in the future.I am still very much impressed with the play of Dwayne Wade. It looks to me like he is more focused and hungry than ever. He had a solid 13 points today and I think what was great was his fast break dunks.In this game, team USA shot almost 71% from the field. Again, another stat you can't count on. If I remember correctly, they shot a little over 60% against Canada and I can assure you, it won't be the same in tomorrow's game. They will face L...
More About: Team

Artest to Rockets?
2008-07-30 03:54:00
According to RealGM, the Houston Rockets have reached an agreement with the Sacramento Kings to acquire Ron Artest.Rockets get: Ron RonKings get: Bobby Jackson, 1st round pick next year, probably Donte Greene and cash.Oh, I forgot to include a ticket to the draft lottery in what the Kings get. I think this is a steal for the Rockets and if Yao and TMac are healthy, you've got a team that's ready to win. The West just gets tougher. This deal can't go through until August 14, if the rookie Greene is included. There will probably be more players added as more is learned.

Knicks Make Deal for the Heck of it!
2008-07-28 23:19:00
The Knicks sent Renaldo Balkman and cash to Denver for a 2010 second round pick, Taurean Green and Bobby Jones. I think the Knicks were just helping the Nuggets shed some cap.I guess some of these guards have potential, but I don't think it's enough to pat Donnie Walsh on the back. Walsh has been pretty quite, in terms of wheeling and dealing (not like he's got much to work with!). Ultimately, these deals don't matter in the thick of things. The goal set by Walsh is simple: see if these guys can make anything happen for a couple of years, let their contracts expire and start chasing stars in the free agent market of 2010. There might be a couple of guys that fit well into D'Antoni's system (QRich did well with him in the Suns) and I can't believe I'm saying this, but they might keep them.Here's how I think of the Denver situation:George Karl was playing cards with all of the playoff bound Western conference teams, put down the "we're gonna suck at defense and see if offens...
More About: Deal , Make