khandor’s sports blog

An ode to the memory of the SuperSonics and their loyal fans everwhere …

[courtesy of TrueHoop]

Internet Gold!

Although it may have taken them 43 years, too many heart-aches to count properly, and one absolutely devastating semi-”the-man”-made natural disaster …

Who Dat? Dat’s the Super Bowl Champs!

As Leigh, a friend and blogger from New Orleans, said to me,

“The energy in this entire town is incredible.  People here have been ready for this for decades…but the way the media is treating the Saints as underdogs isn’t a surprise to any of us.  The people of New Orleans have been subjected to those attitudes for a long time ourselves, and we still are in too, too many ways, but we’re still here.  And those who are still unable to return here due to the displacement caused by the storm, or the recession, or other circumstances - they’ll return in one way or another, because this is a town that can teach the rest of this country how to live.  It always has, and it always will, despite it all.”

Leigh’s pride runs across NOLA tonight. The same week that Education Secretary Arne Duncan outrageously called Hurricane Katrina “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans”, the city has delivered a counterpunch to Duncan as well as any and all doubters. Their ascendancy means that the arduous post Hurricane recovery work has gotten more publicity in the last two weeks than it’s received in the last two years. This is maddening but many New Orleans residents wouldn’t have it any other way. As Saints linebacker Scott Fujita’s wife Jaclyn said, “The people of New Orleans love the Saints not because they provide a distraction from their fall but because they are a reflection of their rise.”

Whether you believe that or not, the proof is in the very vibe of the city. The French Quarter is hopping tonight. The Ninth Ward is hopping tonight. Algiers is hopping tonight. People in New Orleans are feeling damn good right now, and to scoff at that is to scoff at the very resiliency that makes us human. Community activist and former Black Panther Malik Rahim who has lived in the city for three decades and still works in Algiers, told me, “I haven’t seen people this happy since Katrina. No question about it.” That doesn’t mean all – or even some – questions about the future of New Orleans are solved by a Saints Super Bowl win. Jobs, housing, and the right of return for displaced residents still need to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

But it does mean that folks of the Big Easy are feeling fearless tonight. Every last person – from Bush to Brownie - that wrote this city off has to now bend down and kiss the ring. President Barack Obama, who often seems allergic to saying the words “New Orleans” must now greet the team at the White House and acknowledge both the Saints and the city that bears their name. Even if tomorrow is unbearably hard, we have today. And today feels mighty fine.

In case you might not know of him, just yet, Dave Zirin [Edge of Sports] is one of the finest sports writers in America today.

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Full [and much better quality] version of this post-game interview

… and, Jim Caldwell is one of the finest sportsmen these eyes have yet to see.

“Our head is bloodied, but unbowed.”
- Invictus

Mickey Dees and The Legend strike, once more …

Who Dat?

Despite winning the 2007-2008 NBA Championship, there are certain many? individuals, who are highly active in the on-line hoops community, that consistently attempt to put down the effectiveness of Doc Rivers’ coaching.

In reality, however …

What Doc keeps doing, repeatedly, is simply knocking ‘em outside the yard … with coaching expertise like this:

Example 1, via specific play design

Example 2, via specific verbal communication with his players

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Rivers won’t go with flow

They were words spoken when a team loses a game it should have won, and after blowing an 11-point halftime lead to the Magic yesterday at home, someone in the Celtics’ locker room said them.

“We’re better than Orlando.’’

For the benefit of those who are regular readers of this space …

What you need to know is:

On an annual basis, the Super Bowl is the single most wagered upon event in North America. 

Successfully prognosticating upon the outcome of weekly NFL games is what first developed an interest in the field of “sports handicapping”, in general, on the part of yours truly, some 33 years ago.

Since that time, one thing which has gradually become crystal clear … across an array of sports … is that successfully handicapping BIG GAME [single day] events is an Art & Science, unto itself, and a “calling card”/specialty for yours truly.

Not everyone who is a successful “sports handicapper” can do this consistently.

In fact, few “sports handicappers” can authentically lay claim to the following statement:

“______________ is a service which nails the outcome of BIG GAMES,”

as an accurate description of what it is they provide for their clients.

If you have only 1 sporting proposition to make this year, today is the opportunity to make it …

based on the selection provided by yours truly, in the post above this one, titled: “Khandor’s Sports Service, Games Of The Day.”

It is listed under the category of, “KSS GOTD Selections, NFL - GOTW [Super Bowl XLIV], Game 1,” and comes at a cost of $100.00.

As always, the choice of whether to act, or not, is yours to make.

Either way …

Enjoy today’s BIG GAME and the remainder of your Sunday, hopefully, with friends and family.

khandor

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“Life is short; and, things happen quickly.”
- Derek Fisher

Despite what you may have been told to believe by certain segments of the on-line hoops community …

Not all coaches are, in fact, created equal, and some really do make a tangible difference to the quality of performance they elicit from the individual players on their team, on a game-to-game basis and over the course of a season and/or a career.

When it comes to working successfully with the very best of the best … men like Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Bill Sharman, Red Holtzman, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Chuck Daly, Larry Brown and Gregg Popovich have set the standard:

#1. By the way in which they communicate their priorities to their players each and every time they speak … 

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Spurs fizzle late against Blazers

“That’s what this journey is about,” Popovich said before tipoff Thursday. “It’s an exercise in commitment to each other, and having the character to continue to believe, and not try and moan and blame, but to try and be the best group you can be, no matter what.”

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and,

#2. By the exacting quality of their personal handywork, in the areas of the game over which they have complete control, for example:

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Crunch-time X’s and O’s by a master

What does the ideal crunch time play look like?

The play that got the Spurs’ preferred shooter (Manu Ginobili) the best possible shot for his team (a wide-open 3 from the corner, where 3s are shorter distance and easier) in the highlights above is about as pretty as crunch time execution gets.

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Fans of the NBA game should learn to appreciate each one of them for what they truly are … i.e. a very special type of human being that does not come along every day.

Related:

Teachable Moments, NBA Style

Toronto is currently in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division, and in 5th place [overall] in the Eastern Conference standings, with a 26-23/.531 W-L record.

After starting out 7-13/.350, with a difficult road-heavy schedule, the Raptors have since played 19-10/.655 basketball, with an easier predominently home-based schedule, that has effectively balanced out their season to-date.

If the Raptors can now manage to play .531 basketball for the remainder of the campaign they will finish with an overall mark of 43-39, or 44-38, which should then be good enough to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs and earn a mid-level seed [i.e. #5 or #6].

In a 1st Round playoff series of this type the Raptors would then be most likely to face one of:

1. The Atlanta Hawks/#4, who were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers [i.e. 2006-2007 NBA Finalists] last season [in the 2nd Round] and the Boston Celtics 2 seasons ago [in Game 7 of the 1st Round];

2. The Boston Celtics/#3, who were 2007-2008 NBA Champions; or,

3. The Orlando Magic/#2, who were 2008-2009 NBA Finalists;

each of which is a team with more experience than Toronto, having qualified for the post-season elimination tournament for the last two seasons.

If the Raptors are indeed able to compete successfully in this type of series … by winning at least 2 [or, possibly, 3] games … the challenge they would then face, in the off season, is trying to re-sign their best player, Chris Bosh, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer [July 1, 2010].

The NBA’s in-season trade deadline is now two weeks away [Feb 19], and the most important question on the minds of Raptors fans is:

QUESTION

Should Toronto make a trade, in advance of the deadline, in an effort to further improve their team right now, in hopes of being able to win their 1st Round playoff series this spring and, in the process, demonstrate to Chris Bosh that he will have a legitimate chance to compete for a league championship, in the immediate future, if he decides to renew his contract with the Raptors this off season, as a maximum salaried player? 

ANSWER

No, the Raptors should not make a trade of this sort, in advance of the deadline, in an effort to win their 1st Round playoff series this spring.

RATIONALE

Young teams like the Raptors need to be able to grow together, gradually, over an extended period of years, which involves taking 5 DISTINCT STEPS:

STEP 1. Learning how to make the playoffs, and then losing a 1st Round series;

STEP 2. Learning how to make the playoffs and, then, after making minor player acquisitions, advancing to the 2nd Round;

STEP 3. Learning how to make the playoffs and, then, after making a key player acquisition, advancing to the Conference Finals;

STEP 4. Learning how to make the playoffs and, then, after making another key player acquisition, advancing to the NBA Finals; and,

STEP 5. Learning how to make the playoffs and, then, after making minor player acquisitions, winning the NBA Championship. 

The Raptors’ current roster looks like this:

and is ”good enough”, as is, to compete successfully in a 1st Round playoff series this spring, if their GM and head coach can [i] create the proper atmosphere around their team, and [ii] use their resources effectively.

Stability is what the Raptors need most right now … and, to be able to find out exactly what they’ve got from their current group of players, when it comes to being battle-tested in a 1st Round playoff series against a veteran team like the Hawks, or the Celtics, or the Magic. 

What the Raptors do not need right now is increased Instability … in hopes of blithely skipping over Step 1 with this specific collection of players.

If Chris Bosh is actually the Right Person to lead the Raptors team into the future, then, he will decide on his own that Toronto is the best fit for him, and his long term goals/objectives, both, as a marquee player in the NBA, and as a person.

If Chris Bosh eventually makes the decision to resign with Toronto, the Raptors will then be in a “good” position to attempt to take Step 2 next year, after making minor player acquisitions during this coming off season. 

3. If Chris Bosh is not actually the Right Person to lead the Raptors team into the future, then, he will decide on his own that Toronto is not the best fit for him, and his long term goals/objectives, both, as a marquee player in the NBA, and as a person.

If Chris Bosh eventually makes the decision to sign with another team, then, the Raptors will still be in an “okay” position … i.e. with his vacant salary slot … to once again try to accomplish Step 1, in the gradual process of building a legitimate contending team in this league, over a number of years.

The major problem with this specific scenario is that this is precisely where the team has been before, on more than one occasion, during the Raptors’ first 15 years of existence:

A. With Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady;

B. With Vince Carter and Chris Bosh;

C. With Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani;

and, subsequently,

D. With Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan; etc., etc., etc.

Each time the Raptors have gotten to this same point before …

they have somehow managed to !@#$%^&* it up, royally, by trying to ”Swing for the fences”, prematurely, and in hopes of skipping Steps along the way.

Hopefully they [i.e. MLSE, Bryan Colangelo, and Jay Triano] have finally learned their lesson and, this time, are finally able to exercise the type of sound basketball judgment it takes to eventually build a legitimate NBA championship contending team in Toronto.

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For the Raptors …

It is time to batten down the hatches.

Let the current season play out.

Allow Chris Bosh to make his own call.

And, sail the ship forward, regardless, on a straight [and well-charted] course. 

In this world, it takes time, to build something truly worthwhile.

What the Charlotte Bobcats’ Tyson Chandler is, in fact, learning from his new coach, Larry Brown, is precisely what it takes to become a True Champion …

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The Team Bus, Coach Brown, a Rough Baby and CP3

BASKETBALL 24/7
People ask what Coach Brown is like when he’s not talking basketball and he’s a great dude, but the thing is, he’s talking basketball 24/7.

There are not too many conversations that you’ll have with him that aren’t about basketball. He’s a very concerned person, but he’s 100 percent into basketball.

His impact has been huge. One thing about coach is he’s going to bring it and be the same every single day. He will never stop coaching. I don’t know if I’ve ever been around anyone who loves basketball as much as he does and has the passion for it that he does.

It never stops and he’ll breakdown everything in footage. He’ll breakdown a mistake that a rookie made at the end of the game as if it was the first play of the game that a starter would make. That’s one thing I appreciate about him is that he coaches every single player the same.

If you make a mistake, he will correct you. He doesn’t care if you’re in your 12th year or your first. That attitude trickles down to our team and gives us our character.

Coach Brown has shown me the dedication every day that it takes to be great. It’s about understanding the passion and knowledge that you have to have to be great. The way he talks about the game is totally different from anybody I’ve ever heard talk about it.

The way he breaks things down, the way he looks at mechanics, the way he understands why guys are great scorers or great rebounders. Everything he does is from studying and that’s something I have learned from him.

For example, I’ll shoot a hook shot or a short jump shot and I’ll make it and he’ll come back and say, “Oh Tyson, come on, you have to get the ball in your fingertips.”

After he says something like that it feels uncomfortable. But then I’ll shoot it and miss it and he’ll say, “great shot.” Your first reaction is to say: “What are you talking about, great shot? I just missed that.”

But I’ve come to the realization that he understands that it doesn’t matter if you miss it that particular time. If you continue to shoot the ball the right way and you get to the point where you shoot the same way every single time, you’re going to make a higher percentage. It works out better than if you’re shooting half the time one-way and half the time another.

It’s just stuff like that that he’s a stickler on. He’s a stickler on you doing things the right way every single time.

You have to have a team that’s receptive to his coaching and his coaching style. Guys have to be willing to learn every day because he’s not going to stop teaching. If you’re the type of person that at some point wants that voice to go away, it’s not.

Every player I’ve talked to that has ever played for him says: “You’re going to understand how great he is when you don’t have him.”

It can be tough for guys being coached non-stop because a lot of players have never had that in their career. But when you’re on a different team and away from him, you look back and realize that he was just an incredible coach. Every guy I’ve talked to has said I’ll learn more than I’ve ever learned just playing for him and it’s true.

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in The Game Of Life.

Kudos gallore to both men for continuing to put in the work [i.e. Tyson for being willing to listen; and, Larry for being willing to speak, relentlessly].

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PS. Great basketball players simply do not exist without the benefit of working with great basketball coaches.

Deron Williams and the Jazz know what they’re doing

“With Chris Paul sidelined, is any point guard playing better than Deron Williams?”

There are a few things I try not to do. Among them:

• I try not to wake up my wife and kids when they’re sleeping.
• I try not to call people who have little children late at night.
• Realizing I’m a journalist, not a coach, I try not to make statements that rely strictly on my own cobbled-together basketball judgment.
• I try not to curse.

Last night I came this close to breaking all those rules …

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Given the already stated preference of this corner, when forced to choose between CP3 and D-Will …

It’s the Age of the Point Guard, in today’s NBA [Dec 18 2009]

it is now a simple fact that the age-old …

QUESTION of …

Who is the best Point Guard in the NBA today?

… needs to be asked and, then, answered, in a different way than it’s ever been asked before … 

considering THE WAY a certain member of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been conducting his on-court business since approximately Jan 11 2010.

LeBron James’ Complete Game Log

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THE CORRECT ANSWER is … LeBron James.

[... which is something this corner has been advocating for at least the last 2+ years quite some time ... i.e. Best Point Guards in the NBA: An Update, Jan 30 2008]

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PS. In sharp contrast to other NBA experts/analysts/fans/etc. … there is a good reason why many of the statements and observations which appear on this blog do, in fact, rely mostly on “cobbled-together basketball judgment” rather than elaborate prose and/or the use of unnecessarily complicated new-age statistics. For those of you who took the time to read what Henry Abbott wrote in his introduction, it’s important to always be aware of How the Principle of Opposite functions in The Game of Hoops.