khandor’s sports blog

Close your eyes … think quickly … and without looking at the current NBA standings … say out loud the name of the team which you believe is now the 2nd best in the Western Conference, trailing only the LA Lakers, and leading its division with an overall 31-14/.689 W-L record?

Last year’s Cinderella team, the New Orleans Hornets, led by their superstar PG, Chris Paul?

Guess again.

The Houston Rockets, with their three-headed monster of Yao Ming, T-Mac & Ron Artest?

Nope.

The re-surgent Denver Nuggets, with the return of Mr. Big Shot?

Not quite.

The New Kids On The Block, in the Pacific Northwest, who will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come, led by Brandon Roy and Greg Oden?

0-4, so far.

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After starting the season with a dismal 2-5 mark …

* With their 2nd best player on the shelf, still recuperating from off-season ankle surgery, and

* With their 3rd best player on the sidelines, as well, with a severely twisted ankle injury of his own, and

* With the grey showing in the beards of their head coach, their best player overall, and his long-time [trusted] side-kick,

the San Antonio Spurs seemed to be wobbling noticably, on their last legs, as the class of the WC for the better part of the last decade.

Yet, lo and behold … three months later … there they are, again, positioned towards the very top of the NBA standings with the 5th best W-L record in the entire league.

Talent? Toughness? Guile? A combination of all three? Or, perhaps, some Vodoo?

It doesn’t really matter what the specific reason is.

The simple fact is … when all is said and done … there is no other team in the League today which this corner of the net R.E.S.P.E.C.T.S. more than the Men in Black from San Antone …

led by RC Buford [GM], Gregg Popovich, and stalwarts Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

With a very interesting player roster that now looks like THIS … it says here & now that the Spurs will NOT be going away this season without a Fight to the Finish, and in fact stand as good a chance of returning to the Conference Finals, as do any of the other TOP NOTCH outfits across the league today.

Kudos to all concerned!

… for the first-class way in which they choose to operate their GOLD STAR franchise, in the NBA, year after year after year.

vs

Brian Schmitz has formally asked the question …

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LeBron James vs. Dwight Howard: Who’s the better franchise building block?
If you had to start a franchise, would you take Magic all-star center Dwight Howard, 23, or the Cavs all-star small forward LeBron James, 24?

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Dennis Scott has provided his answer …

Scott concedes that, as a shooter, he’s partial to taking the side of the big men. Even as good as LeBron is, “finding a seven-footer with skills is so rare.

“Traditionally, I’d have to go with the big guy — Dwight. At the end of the day, you need that inside presence … for defense, rebounding. He opens everything up and makes the game easier. Not to discredit LeBron, but as good as he is, I think it’s easier finding another LeBron than a Shaq or a Dwight.“

“You can find another Kobe or another D-Wade or another Paul Pierce to put with the big man.”

With so few franchise centers around, Scott says the talent gap favors Howard, especially in the Eastern Conference. Only Yao Ming and the aging Shaq from the West seemingly can stand up to him. Scott also notes that centers also seem to have longer careers.

“Longevity,” Scott said. “Shaq’s still playing and Dwight looks like he’ll be around a long time with the shape he’s in.”

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as has Bill Walton …

“I have a bias for great players — no matter the position. Today … I’d have to take LeBron,” Walton said. “He’s a little older than Dwight and right now he’s the better player. But that’s like asking me to chose one of my sons or Jerry Garcia over Neil Young.”

Walton says it all comes down to skill level. He said the Chicago Bulls, who dominated the ’90s with six titles, didn’t have an “elite center.” But “they had enough good, big men. MJ and Scottie (Pippen) and (Dennis) Rodman all could combine to control the paint.

“It’s like Coach [John] Wooden says: ‘It’s not how big you are; it’s how big you play.’”

Walton marvels at LeBron’s freakish size (6-8, 260 pounds), but he says it’s things such as his preparation and deft passing that makes teammates better.

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… in a way ↑↑↑ that makes complete sense to this corner.

Specifically, THE CORRECT ANSWER is that Lebron James is the superior basketball player, in every sense imaginable …

Including, at least:

* Shooting off the catch [2's & 3's]
* Shooting off the dribble [left & right]
* Dribbling [left & right]
* Passing
* Finishing at the rim
* Shooting/Scoring in the Low Post
* Movement without the ball [cuts & slides]
* Screening
* Picking
* Rebounding [defensive & offensive]
* On-ball Defending on the Perimeter
* On-ball Defending in the Interior
* Off-ball Defending on the Perimeter
* Off-ball Defending in the Interior
* Basketball IQ [in general], Offensively, Defensively & Rebounding
* Various Physical attributes [e.g. explosive quickness, agility, strength & size]
* Various Mental attributes [e.g. focus, attention, agility & perception]
* Various Emotional attributes [ e.g. stability, intensity, selfishness/unselfishness, energy & "competitive greatness"]

plus a whole lot more.

and it simply isn’t even a close contest.

That said, there are any number of others in the blogosphere who might well CHOOSE to disagree with the perspective which is shared by Mr. Walton and yours truly.

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Either way … please feel free to share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section.

Here it is …

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Use the comments section to explain your views.

FINAL SCORE: Raptors 107, Nets 106
Game Info

As was indicated in this space yesterday …

* This game had the makings of a hum-dinger
* If the Raptors were going to win, Jermaine O’Neal would need to substantially out-perform Josh Boone

… both of which happened last night.

Specific aspects of this game which produced a much needed victory for the Raptors, included:

* The production at the Point Guard position from the tandem of Jose Calderon + Anthony Parker, in comparison with Devin Harris & Keyon Dooling [see the Box Score], which allowed the Raptors to keep pace with the Nets throughout the game

* Jay Triano’s sound decision to remove Bargnani from the game, in favour of Jermaine O’Neal, at the 7:38 mark of the 3rd quarter … AND, then, to not re-insert Bargnani back into the game until the 2:49 mark of the 4th Quarter … which improved the Raptors’ Pick & Roll/Pop Defense immeasurably for that stretch of 16:49 … AND, then, to remove Bargnani from the game, permanently, in favour of Jamario Moon, at the 2:19 mark of the 4th Quarter … which effectively eliminated the Nets ability to easily off-set Bargnani’s skill set with another serviceable BIG, like Ryan Anderson [i.e. an under-sized PF], for the bulk of the 2nd half 

* Devin Harris’ WIDE OPEN, flat out, miss from just 15 feet away, on the final possession of the game

* Harris’ inability to SEE the mis-match which was presented to him on the Nets’ final possession with Wince Carter isolated at the TOTK vs Chris Bosh

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In the NBA, when a game is decided on the outcome of the final possession, it is most often the case that:

* One team’s good fortune combines with the other’s bad … as these respective teams more-or-less played each other to an effective stand-off, in that specific contest

* Both teams do a solid job of responding effectively to the other’s mis-match opportunities which are created by the circumstances in this specific game and the use of each team’s personnel by their coaching staff

* The actual margin of victory hinges on just one good or bad decision by the player with the ball in his hands, at the time, and/or his ability to make the shot which is presented to him by the defense … using whichever scheme it sees fit … with the game on the line.

The Raptors and the Nets, as constructed, are two Middle-of-the-Pack teams, in the Eastern Conference, each of which is capable of playing .500 basketball this season and with very little separation between them.

Now that the Raptors [18-28] have finally discovered what their best available line-up is, tonight’s match-up vs New Jersey [20-25] fits into the category of a benchmark game for the Dinos.

If the Raptors are going to make a belated run for the 8th playoff spot in the EC, they will need to get games like this one, on the road versus one of the five teams ahead of them in the standings, i.e. Milwaukee, New Jersey, New York, Charlotte and Chicago.

Q1. Where do they have an individual match-up advantage vs New Jersey?
A1. Only in the section with the bolded letters listed above. 

If O’Neal dramatically out-performs Josh Boone, the Raptors can win this game going away.

If not … it will be the Nets that prevail in what should be a hum-dinger of a contest.

Wagering Line: NETS +2/-105

How good are the Miami Heat at the moment?

According to this corner, good enough to say, “No Deal,” to all potential suitors for Shawn Marion [PF/SF] … even those prepared to take Marcus Banks‘ bad contract off the Heat’s ledger. 

Why is that?

At the moment, Miami has a 24-29/.558 W-L Record, is in 3rd place in the Southeast Division, and in 6th place in the Eastern Conference, with a 7-6 mark since Jan 1, having picked up two Quality W’s in their most recent games vs Orlando [1st Southest] and Atlanta [2nd Southeast].

However, when you examine these respective Box Scores more closely:

GAME 1

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GAME 2

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… what you’ll see is that an interesting transformation is taking place with this team right now, in the absence of Shawn Marion.

* After playing “0″ minutes in the month of December …

Mark Blount [C, 7-0, 250] averaged 19 MPG against Orlando & Miami.

* After receiving “0″ minutes during the Heat’s first 15 games this season, and then only sporadic minutes through the month of December [during their next 13 games], since Jan 1, 2009 …

Jamaal Magloire [C, 6-11, 265] has averaged 15.4 MPG and got his first start of the season against the Hawks.

* After working as the Heat’s Starting Center for the month of December and averaging almost 18 MPG, on the season as a whole …

Joel Anthony [C, 6-9, 260] did not start at Center for the Heat vs Atlanta and averaged only 7.5 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

* After playing sporadically in Nov-Dec-Jan …

Yakhouba Diawara [SF, 6-7, 225] averaged 21 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

* After playing “0″ minutes at all prior to Jan 9, 2009 …

James Jones [SF, 6-8, 200], an UFA acquisition from Portland this past summer, averaged 8.5 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

Using a revamped 12-Man line-up:

STARTERS

PG – Mario Chalmers [6-1, 190] 
OG – Dwyane Wade [6-4, 212]
SF – Yakhouba Diawara [Shawn Marion, when healthy?]
PF – Udonis Haslem [6-8, 235]
C – Jamaal Magloire

KEY BENCH SUBS

PG – Chris Quinn [6-2, 185]
OG – Daequan Cook [6-5, 210] [or James Jones]
SF – James Jones [or Yakhouba Diawara]
PF – Michael Beasley [6-8, 235]
C – Mark Blount

RESERVES

PF/SF – Shawn Marion [or Daquan Cook or James Jones]
PF/C – Joel Anthony

the Heat, under the direction of Eric Spoelstra [1st-yr], is plenty big and tough and good enough to challenge for a berth in the EC Finals or, at least, the Semi-finals, this season … carried by a healthy D-Wade.

Then, once the off season arrives, Pat Riley [GM] will be sitting in the catbird’s seat, in position to:

1A. Re-sign Shawn Marion, if both parties are so inclined;

1B. Execute a Sign & Trade with Shawn Marion, if a suitable deal is on the table for Miami;

1C. Allow Shawn Marion to walk away … and use the available capitol instead to sign a player or two or three who might be a better fit upfront with the Heat than an injured former All-Star like Jermaine O’Neal [C/PF, Toronto] or a serviceable but strictly ordinary Big like Brad Miller [C, Sacramento];

2. While adding another Key Rotation Player to the mix for the Heat from the 2009 NBA Draft.

Come on Pat … Show this corner what you’ve got! … When it comes to being an authentic TOP NOTCH Executive in the NBA.

Have some patience, ride it out, and the Heat will be rewarded BIG TIME, down-the-road.

Afterall, that’s exactly what building an upper echelon team is all about, in the NBA, when you’ve got the right type of Basketball Acumen, in the first place.

Chris Douglas-Roberts may, at last, have turned a corner in the eyes of Lawrence Frank.

After playing very little during the Nets [20-25/.444, 3rd Atlantic, 9th EC] first 43 games this season, Coach Frank has seen fit to use CDR in each of their last 2 games:

GAME 2 – Box Score; Full Play-By-Play [Loss at OKC, Jan 26]
GAME 1 – Box Score; Full Play-By-Play [Win at MEM, Jan 24]

… in most interesting ways, and with specific results.

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GAME 1

During his 8:06 of action, when CDR was used as a Wing player by Coach Frank:

… and these specific 5-Man Units for the Nets effectively held their ground versus the Grizzlies in the 2nd Quarter.

This is CDR’s individual stat line from this game:

GAME 2

During the final 7:57 of last night’s game vs the Thunder, when CDR [6-7, 215] was used as the Nets’ Point Guard:

… and these respective 5-Man Units, led by CDR [+21], reduced a 30-pt deficit for the Nets [58-88] to a 7-pt margin [82-89], with 1:03 left to play, at which point Scott Brooks was forced to re-insert Kevin Durant, in order to close out the game for the Thunder at the FT Line. 

This is CDR’s individual stat line from this game:

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One of the things which this corner of the blogosphere specializes in is Being Ahead-of-the-Pack when it comes to such things as assessing accurately the authentic abilities of various NBA players who are still largely under-the-radar, to this point in their careers.

As was mentioned in this space during the pre-season, astute NBA observers should expect CDR to have a long and highly productive career in this league, given his size, overall athleticism, skill set, versatility, competitiveness, Basketball IQ, etc..

FINAL SCORE: TOR 113, Sac 97
Game Info

Since the Raptors [18-28] have adopted a variation of the 8-Man Rotation that was first advocated by this corner during the off season:

* Raptors’ line-up … tough enough [or not], September 8, 2008
* The next step for the Toronto Raptors, July 1, 2008

STARTERS

PG – Calderon; OG – Parker; SF – Moon; PF – Bargnani; C – Bosh

KEY BENCH SUBS

PG – Parker; OG – Kapono; SF – Graham; PF/C – O’Neal

which [i] utilizes a versatile veteran player like Anthony Parker in the role of principal Back-up PG, to Jose Calderon, [ii] shifts Jermaine O’Neal to the bench, as a Back-up Big, in relief of Chris Bosh [C] and Andrea Bargnani [PF]; and, [iii] keeps at least one of Jamario Moon [SF/OG] or Joey Graham [SF/OG] on the floor, at all times, in their proper positions

… the Dinos are 2-0.

What’s the reason for this?

Although victories against the imploding Bulls [Fri Jan 23] and the down-trodden Kings should never be confused with putting up a meaningful W against a High End Team in the NBA, there are instructive lessons to be learned from a game like last night’s:

When the Raptors’ PG rotation limits their TO’s to only 1 per game, and emphasizes the useful size this team can now put on the floor … at each of the five positions … the Raptors become a solid team in the Eastern Conference, fueled by the Interior scoring of Chris Bosh, the Perimeter scoring of Andrea Bargnani & Jose Calderon, and the COLLECTIVE REBOUNDING ABILITIES of Chris Bosh [B], Andrea Bargnani [B], Jermaine O’Neal [B], Jamario Moon [W], Joey Graham [W], and Anthony Parker [W & PG].

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Despite the difficult start the Raptors have had this season, thus far, what Bryan Colangelo [President/GM] needs to do right now with THIS team … which is playing THIS way, with THIS line-up … is sit tight, refrain from making any major trades and, then, pick-up 2 additional young rotation players in the 2009 NBA Draft, as a positive step towards gradually building a High End Team in the NBA. 

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PLEASE NOTE:

Those vocal members of the on-line community who could not SEE – before the fact – how it would be possible for a player like Anthony Parker to succeed as a high calibre Back-up PG, in the NBA, need to re-evaluate their level of expertise. 

A Professsional Sports Consultant [PSC] looks at a situation related to the world of athletics and can assess accurately:

* What needs to be done short and long term to improve your [i.e. someone's or something's] level of Effectiveness, Efficiency and Productivity.

* What is likely to happen next in a specific situation, given the prevailing conditions.

* What your specific strengths and weakness are.

* How your specific strengths and weaknesses can be best utilized.

* What would be a worthwhile investment of your available resources [e.g. time, capitol, personnel, skill set, etc.].

* How your goals and objectives can be achieved with an Action Plan.

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A PSC is an expert in this field and receives financial compensation from a client in return for providing specific contracted services.

Do you have a sports-related situation/problem which you need to have addressed/solved?

For yourself, as an individual? Or, for your team, collectively? Or, for your organization?

Then, working with a PSC might be what you need.

The aim is to:

1. Do the Right Thing;

2. Assist your efforts to improve your current level of performance;

3. Maximize your Capacity For Excellence.

Email: khandor at bellnet.ca

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The simple FACT IS …

The Toronto Raptors need not have gotten themselves in this mess this season …

Solving the Riddle in Raptorville, in advance

… if they’d only known what to look for since the off season/summer when their roster was first set. 

In the NBA, things are not always as straight-forward as they appear to be at-first.

During the 2006-2007 season, yours truly was thoroughly lambasted by other Raptors fans for suggesting that the Dinos were actually getting the poor end of this specific deal.

Well … almost 2 full years later … other NBA observers who this corner respects – and who are more knowledgeable concerning the League’s Salary Cap & Luxury Tax Threshold Rules – are now beginning to examine the possible pitfalls associated with having a serviceable NBA player like Kris Humphries on the books for a team, to the tune of $3.something Million per season, as a Salary Cap hit, heading toward the anticipated 2010 Free Agent bonanza.

To wit:

Here’s a piece from Dave [nabroundtable] … which you might enjoy. 

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Raptors’ 2010 Salary Situation
A couple of notes:

1. One can see quite clearly how damaging Kapono’s + Humphries’ contracts are. Getting those two contracts off the books could save $10mil and open up all types of possibilities for the Raptors.
2. The Bargnani figure is only a cap hold. That figure is only relevant until they either sign him to a contract extension or waive his bird rights (making him unrestricted in the process). Once they sign him to a contract extension that number will take it’s place there – for example, if Bargnani signs for $10mil, then the Raps have another $5.5mil to play with.

[NOTE: Be sure to read the comments section, as well.]

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Then, again … perhaps not, if you’re a die-hard fan of this team.