khandor’s sports blog

Is it fair to say that only in the ‘good ole USA’ would Anthony Tolliver feel the need to explain what “Part Deux” actually means.

Hilarity, thy name frequently is ‘youtube’ … or, perhaps, David - no relation! - KAHHHHN, as the T-wolves continue to corner the market on PGs and PFs.

In the vast landscape that encompasses Raptorville, today, there are voices aplenty. Not all of them, however, are Really, Truly, Madly, Deeply worth your time … if you are interested in learning more about the NBA game and reading the thoughts and ideas of someone who takes a sound approach to expressing their impressions of Toronto’s pro hoops “franchise”.

Ironically enough, one of the singular voices which yours truly would actually recommend for you to consider would be Raptors HQ’s own “Franchise”:

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To Boldly Go Where No Raptors’ GM Has Gone Before - Revisited

We’ve seen time after time in NBA history that teams without identities struggle in the league.  Last year the Raptors didn’t have much of one, and this year, because of the lack of differentiation among the roster, that could be even more true.  It will be up to Triano and his staff to forge that identity early on in the season, and hopefully some of Toronto’s young gunz pick up the torch and show that they’re ready to be starters in this league.

Otherwise forget Kirk, Spock and McCoy next year.

We could very well be watching a USS Enterprise run entirely by “red shirts.”

And I think we all know how that will end.

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… who frequently offers a well-balanced [realistic?] perspective on the day-to-day goings-on with his favourite NBA team.

Whether, or not, you actually agree with his specific take is not important.

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PS. In this case, it’s relatively easy … because he has smacked this one, clear outta da yard.

PPS. Anyone who makes proper reference to the weekly shenanigans of “Tiberius and his ‘trusted side-kick’” … aka, the inter-galactic equivalent of MJ and Pip … definitely picks up bonus points from this corner. 

If, before, there was but one …

today, there are now two such men … of tremendous, character, accomplishment and reknown.

A salute to the Poet Gladiator, from Barcelona …

for playing as ‘hard’ as he did in this series, with both his head and his heart, and without whom these LA Lakers would not have won back-to-back NBA Championships. 

In the wonderful world of athletics there is only one event of true significance today …

The world’s largest single activity sporting event has finally come to

A … F … R … I … C … A.

Amandla!

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PS. Dankie, Nelson.

… and, this small corner of the world mourns today.

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John Wooden, the ‘Wizard of Westwood’ dies at 99

Wooden’s legacy that of an innovator

Legendary John Wooden dead at 99

Wizard’s influence went beyond basketball

John Wooden timeline

Teacher, Coach, Legend

Former UCLA coach John Wooden dies

Lakers coach remembers John Wooden

Reaction to John Wooden’s death

“It’s kind of hard to talk about Coach Wooden simply, because he was a complex man. But he taught in a very simple way. He just used sports as a means to teach us how to apply ourselves to any situation.

“He set quite an example. He was more like a parent than a coach. He really was a very selfless and giving human being, but he was a disciplinarian. We learned all about those aspects of life that most kids want to skip over. He wouldn’t let us do that.”
– Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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We shall not see his kind again.

Kudos, John.

It was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to speak with you in-person.

Your life’s work has taught each of us, “How to become ‘the best’ we are capable of becoming.”

Pyramid of Success

Life Lessons From Coach Wooden

In all the world, there is no greater, or more meaningful, gift than THIS.

If you can read only 1 story on-line today, this corner highly recommends that you make it this one.

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That’s Bill Russell

True story. In 1995, I studied for more than a month on an island off the coast of Chile in a farming community with no electricity or running water.

One day I overheard two young men talking and one said, “Esta cosa es Bill Russell!” I did a double take: “This thing is Bill Russell???” I asked what they were talking about and learned that to say something was “Bill Russell” in their community was an expression for something truthful and not to be doubted. It was a way to end an argument without further discussion if you were utterly confident that you were factually correct. Apparently years earlier there had been a huge dust-up between two young men on the island about whether Bill Russell had gone to the University of San Francisco or UCLA. It lasted hours. When they finally were able to take a boat into town and look up the fact that yes he went to San Fran, the community vowed to never again waste time on such pointless debates. From then on, a person who was deeply confident in a factual position could just say, “It’s Bill Russell” and the discussion would cease. “Bill Russell” was the truth.

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Enjoy!

PS. Whatever specific pursuits you might have on tap for this weekend, “Play well, work hard together, and have loads of fun doing it. Life is actually very short and you’ve got to truly appreciate what you have before it’s gone.” 

… “The Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports.”

The Run For The Roses

Post Time today is slated for 6:24 PM.

Enjoy the annual rite of spring!

3 weeks ago …

You were told in this space that the proper way for the Los Angeles Lakers to solve their problems this season would be to use Kobe Bean Bryant in a specific role:

Solving the Lakers’ problems with the Spurs, Apr 6 2010

Last week …

You were told in this space that the outcome of a playoff series can sometimes be determined by the ability of a team to make the correct game-to-game … and, THEN, in-game … adjustments, based on what its opponent’s specific strengths and weaknesses are and the best possible use of its own personnel:

Making the correct game-to-game adjustments can be THE difference between Winning and Losing in the Playoffs, Apr 23 2010

So much of what can be found on-line today concerning supposedly sound “basketball analysis” is little more than gobbledygook put forth by statistical gurus without a proper understanding of, 

“How the NBA game actually works.”

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Oklahoma City Thunder 87
LOS ANGELES LAKERS 111
Complete Series Info

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The fact is …

1. Sample sizes are rendered virtually meaningless;

2. League-wide averages are rendered virtually meaningless; and,

3. Creating and minimizing individual mis-matches against the best teams in the league - and a particular opponent of high calibre - are absolutely crucial;

 … when it comes to determining accurately which teams, coaches and, therefore, players will advance in the playoffs, or not.

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During the pre-season …

You were told in this space that the 2009-2010 NBA championship would, in all likelihood, be won by 1 of the following 5 teams:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers
Boston Celtics [i.e. depending upon the recovery of Kevin Garnett from injury]

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Los Angeles Lakers
San Antonio Spurs

Nothing which has happened since that time has fundamentally changed that perception. 

Right now …

The 4 best teams in the Eastern Conference are the Cleveland Cavaliers [4-1], Orlando Magic [4-0], Boston Celtics [4-1] and Atlanta Hawks [2-2].

The 4 best teams in the Western Conference are the Los Angeles Lakers [3-2], San Antonio Spurs [3-2], Utah Jazz [3-1] and Phoenix Suns [3-2].

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Barring any further major injuries …

This year’s NBA champions will, in all likelihood, be 1 of the following 3 teams:

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson [and Mitch Kupchak and Dr. Jerry Buss]
Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy [and Otis Smith and Richard DeVos]
San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich [and RC Buford and Peter Holt]

… none of which happens to be the Cleveland Cavaliers with Mike Brown [and Danny Ferry and Daniel Gilbert].

Basketball is the ultimate TEAM Sport … with each player on the court having to be able to function adequately on Offense, on Defense, and in terms of Rebounding, in conjunction with the sound strategic and tactical decision-making skills of an elite level head coach, general manager and owner.

Those who think that basketball can be properly understood by examining the statistical norms, averages, outliers, etc., associated with representative “sample sizes”, “numerical formulas”, and all manner of “efficiency ratings,” are simply wasting their [and your] time.

Basketball is a game of:

I. Acumen;

and,

II. Inches;

… the most important of which are the “approximately 6″ located between the ears of a team’s owner, general manager, head coach and 8-9 regular rotation players.

Related:

Kobe Bryant, Closer to the ground

Every Move Must Have A Purpose

Prior to Bryan Colangelo’s end-of-season press conference … which is scheduled for 12 noon today … it’s important to get certain mis-perceptions cleared up, in Raptorville.

To wit:

1. Based on what he’s said and done, to this point this season, it should now be CRYSTAL CLEAR to everyone that Chris Bosh, in fact, wants to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors this summer, as an unrestricted free agent who is eligible for a maximum contract.

2. Chris Bosh also wants to sign his next professional employment contract with a first class organization that HE thinks is actually committed to building a championship calibre team over an extended number of years.

3. Chris Bosh is astute enough to have looked closely at the other top organizations around the NBA, to see how they conduct their everyday business, which includes being prepared to exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold, in an effort to assemble the type of personnel [i.e. players, coaches and staff] necessary to compete for and eventually win a championship in this league.

4. Chris Bosh is astute enough to know … without a shadow of a doubt … that truly championship organizations in the NBA are:

i. Built from the top down;

ii. Not built properly in 1 year’s time;

iii. Built within the framework of a comprehensive Plan Of Attack;

iv. Built by owners and general managers who are COMMITTED to trying to win the league championship … on a regular basis … and not merely trying to put a “highly competitive and entertaining product” on the floor for the “benefit” of their fans and in order to achieve a “bottom-line” profit margin.

v. Built by owners with the know-how required to hire, and retain, the right general manager … i.e. with the know-how and experience and basketball acumen … who can envision and then construct a championship calibre team based on the principles of sound basketball [i.e. a balance between Team Defense, Team Offense and a Commitment to Rebounding]. 

5. Chris Bosh is also astute enough … as a person and an elite level basketball player … to know, however, that:

I saw “him” today at “the reception”
In “his” glass was a bleeding man
“He” was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by “his” blood-stained hands

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need …

A. GAME TIME!

… with the NBA Playoffs set to tip tomorrow afternoon.

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Enjoy the ride!