khandor’s sports blog

Here’s what Kelly Dwyer had to say yesterday, regarding an article by Dan Shaughnessy and:

1. How a proper determination of the GOAT should be made;

2. Whether Tim Duncan might actually fit the bill, or not; and,

3. What qualifies as sound basketball analysis in today’s landscape.

==========

Where does Tim Duncan rank? Highly

Never mind defense is half the game, that an all-world defender will always be as important and as destructive as a 25-point scorer. Never mind Tim Duncan, in his prime, was both of those things.

Never mind, in the history of the NBA, there have been, perhaps, four of those guys. Wilt, Jordan, Kareem and Duncan (late add-on: Hakeem, too. What was I thinking forgetting him?). Maybe Shaq in 2000-01, definitely not Russell (didn’t score enough), probably not Malone (a fine defender, but not a game-changer).

Never mind pace or changes in landscape or role or minutes allotment or function or form or context …

==========

Here’s the comment which was submitted by yours truly:

==========

KD,

3 simple points:

ITEM I

Basketball has 3 distinct phases [i.e. Defense, Rebounding, and Offense], not just 2 [i.e. Offense and Defense.

This means that Defense, properly understood:

A. Does not, in fact, comprise 50% of the game; but,

B. In fact, comprises 33.3% of the game.

ITEM II

Defense [33.3%] and Rebounding [33.3%], in combination [33.3 + 33.3 = 66.7%], comprise a far greater portion of the whole than Offense [33.3%].

ITEM III

When comparing:

i. A Great Player [e.g. Michael Jordan] to other Great Players [e.g. Oscar Robertson], on an individual basis,

rather than,

ii. A Great Player [e.g. Hakeem Olajuwon] to other Non-Great Players [e.g. Robert Horry], on an individual basis,

Team Wins, Team Playoff Games Won, Team Playoff Series Won, and Team League Championships Won [i.e. categorized as, "Wins"]

must be factored into the evaluation equation, as well … because the game of basketball is, fundamentally, a Team Sport, where winning and losing are important and determined by the final Team scores.

The fact that Bill Russell did not happen to “score points” in prodigous numbers, himself, is simply not a valid reason to exclude him from discussion when considering, “Who is the Greatest Player Basketball of All-Time?”

When the proper categories for evaluation are considered for the small collection of great players in the history of the game, along the following lines:

1. Defense [33.3% of 50%]

2. Rebounding [33.3% of 50%]

3. Offense [33.3% of 50%]

——————————-

4. Wins [50%]

then, there should be no doubt, whatsoever, who THE SINGLE GREATEST PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF BASKETBALL actually is … according to the facts.

==========

published, initially, and then subsequently removed from the applicable thread at Ball Don’t Lie.

Gilbert Arenas needs a new nickname. Let’s help!

Changing numbers is the new big thing in the NBA, especially if you choose to wear 6. Gilbert Arenas(notes) is the latest to file a petition to switch numbers, and he’ll be joining LeBron James(notes) in his tribute to Eddie Jones(notes).

While LeBron is just going to need a new logo, Gilbert is going to need a whole new identity.

———————————

If you know the history of the NBA, then, you know who ”owns” the original number No. 6.

If you’ve seen the film “Unforgiven,” then, you know exactly who the character of “Little Bill” is.

Now, if you also know the details of the specific charge which Gilbert Arenas has agreed to plea bargnain to, and is due to be sentenced on Mar 25, then, you should already know how the name “Little Bill” just might fit, as his new moniker.

“I don’t deserve this. I was building a house.”
- Little Bill

Merci beaucoup, KD …

and, the Least Most Ridiculous Man in the World.

These are the highlights for last night’s RAPTORS vs 76ers game …

the Recap, Boxscore and Full Play-By-Play.

This is what was written about it earlier this morning by Kelly Dwyer, in his summary of last night’s action across the Association:

Behind the Box Score, where the Clippers don’t care

The Raptors allowed Philly’s D to turn this into a somewhat competitive affair late, but Chris Bosh’s 23 and 12 led Toronto to the win.

only proving, yet again, that …

“To err [really] is human; and, to forgive [really] is divine.”
- Alexander Pope

Please take a closer look at the following exerpts from the actual play-by-play:

PART ONE – Where the 76ers began the 4^th down by only 13 points, after once trailing by 23

PART TWO – Where the 76ers had cut the deficit to just 7 points with 6 minutes left to play

PART THREE – Where the 76ers tied the game on consecutive driving layups with 2 min remaining

PART FOUR – Where Jose Calderon made an exceptionally rare 4 POINT PLAY and Bargnani
then made a 3, to put TOR ahead by 3 possessions with only 41.9 ticks left; and, then, PHI miss-fired

on their 3 next possessions to seal their fate

PART FIVE – Where Bargnani converted 2 FTA’s to seal the deal for TOR

and, then, try to suggest … at least, with a straight face … that last night’s game SHOULD actually have been described as being just “a somewhat competitive affair late.”

———————————–

A quick review of the facts would seem to indicate otherwise, as …

* For the most part, this was a game of runs, which saw:

- the 1st quarter played almost evenly … until a late surge by the Raptors opened up a 6 point working margin [fuelled by the insertion of Jose Calderon/PG and Amir Johnson/PF, at the 2:27 mark; which produced 5 consecutive possessions where El Matador registered 4 straight assists plus 1 version of his now prototypical "stretch layup"], i.e. TOR 30, Phi 24 

- the 2nd quarter played almost evenly, i.e. TOR 20, Phi 17

- the first 9 minutes of the 3rd quarter dominated by the Raptors, i.e. TOR 26, Phi 12

- the last 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter dominated by the 76ers, i.e. TOR 2, Phi 10

- the first 10 minutes of the 4th quarter dominated by the 76ers, i.e. TOR 15, Phi 30

and, finally,

- the final 2 minutes of the 4th quarter dominated by the Raptors, again, i.e. TOR 11, Phi 0.

———————————————

In general, a NBA game tied with only 2 minutes left to play is not what yours truly would describe as being just a “somewhat competitive affair late.”

Sincere kudos to both …

I. The 76ers [in this game]:

* For battling back from a 23 point deficit, in the 3rd quarter, in a valiant effort to sustain their relatively modest 5-game winning streak, achieved while playing without Allen Iverson … rather than simply giving up, which is, unfortunately, exactly what happens far too frequently - usually on the road - in the NBA [i.e. Exhibit A, see the Clippers];

and,

II. The Raptors [in this game]:

* For opening up a 23 point lead during the 3rd quarter, in the first place, despite playing without the services of Hedo Turkoglu/SF;

* Weathering the subsequent Philly storm-back … i.e. in the latter stages of the 3rd quarter, when the 76ers finally righted their badly listing ship, and through the first 3/4’s of the final frame when they firmly “took it” to Toronto; and,

* Closing the deal, at crunch time.

What exactly do you see …

when Tyreke Evans shoots the ball from the left wing position?

Yours truly sees J.R. Smith:

1. Getting into position to block out his individual check [i.e. Jon Brockman/PF];

2. As the shot is released, glancing over his left shoulder to observe any late change of direction by Brockman, on the weak side of the floor;

3. Stepping into Brockman’s path, in order to block him out;

4. Evans’ shot tickling the twine, as it passes just in front of the leading edge of the rim, on its downward arc towards the basket.

5. Smith glancing upwards, towards the basket, as the ball descends on its downward arc below the level of the rim, as if it had actually gone through the hoop.

———————————————

Instead of lampooning J.R. Smith for alleged inattentiveness and the mis-guided play he made, inbounding the ball after a non-made field goal attempt, like what some others have decided to do here … when he was fooled by an optical illusion, easily associated with the regular playing of the game … recognize what he actually did which was perfectly in accordance with being a good basketball player, whose assigned task involved blocking out an individual check, located on the weak side of the floor.

Kudos to Mr. Smith for doing his job properly, in this specific instance.

BDL Interview: Tim Donaghy

[excerpt #1]

BDL: The results of that system and methodology have come into question of late. A few claims made in the book have met with skepticism from reporters, statisticians and, in some cases, the principal people involved in certain conversations you cite in the book. How do you respond to the charges that some of these things are either remembered incorrectly or even fabricated?

TD: They’re not fabricated, and, in fact, I think the people that came up with these stats have a hidden agenda for trying to discredit me.

BDL: What agenda would you say that is?

TD: Well, you look at ESPN. I mean, obviously they have a broadcast partnership with the NBA and they’re trying to discredit what’s in the book, and they’ve come up with stats that have nothing to do with the way I picked the games. But I have my own stats that I’m compiling right now that are going to be released in the next few weeks that are going to show that there’s very much some consistency with what is written in the book.

BDL: Can you tell me a little bit more about the information that you’re compiling?

TD: Not right now — it’s still in the process of being compiled. But it’s something that we’re going to have out there in the next few weeks.

BDL: You say you used a variety of factors to make your betting determinations, rather than just saying, “Well, Steve Javie doesn’t get along with Allen Iverson(notes), so we’ve got to bang that game.” But you do reference frequently in the book that determining which officials to go after was really the key. Did you ever reach a point where you felt you’d bet too heavily on those particular officials and that you needed to diversify your approach? Or did you feel that, since you said you were winning, you should just stick with what works?

TD: Absolutely just stick with what works. And I was very consistent and successful in putting these lines on these games and betting these games on a consistent basis and winning.

BDL: You’ve been doing quite a bit of press surrounding the release of the book. Do you feel that you’ve been treated unfairly in any of the pieces? How have you perceived the reaction to the book at this point?

TD: I think the reaction to the book is that the fans are certainly well aware that there are some unusual things that have taken place in the NBA over the last 10 or 15 years, and we’ve received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails stating that they know what’s in that book is true.

BDL: In the afterword of “Personal Foul,” you reference some things you think could be done to restore fan trust in NBA officiating and some of what you see as the league’s failures in that regard. You write: “If I were an NBA fan, I wouldn’t know whether to laugh of cry.” Do you still consider yourself an NBA fan? And at this point, do you feel like fans, on balance, can trust what they see night in and night out?

TD: I think I’ll always be a basketball fan at heart, but as far as an NBA fan, I’m certainly not an NBA fan at this time. I haven’t watched a game in two years. You said you’re from Boston, right?

BDL: I’m from New York, but I live in Boston.

TD: OK, New York and Boston. Two meccas for sports. You can’t sit there and tell me that the fans in Boston and the fans in New York, who are very knowledgeable fans, do not sit back and say that over the last 10 years a lot of unusual stuff has gone on in the NBA, to the point where they feel comfortable with watching an NBA game and thinking that things are on the up and up.

———————————————

[excerpt #2]

BDL: Your father was a referee, and you say you respected his commitment to the idea that players should decide games; that it shouldn’t be about guys with whistles or anything else. You say that’s not the way it is in today’s NBA. What opportunities do you see for the NBA to get closer to letting the players decide things?

TD: Obviously, when you talk about the NBA, they have to decide whether it’s an athletic competition or whether it’s entertainment and a show. And if they’re going to say that it’s an athletic competition, then they have to have these referees referee the rules, have the hammer and basically not referee the games with an eye on the bottom line of what’s good for the league.

BDL: You mention that you don’t expect anyone in the league offices will take your advice on how to make things better. But from a fan perspective, the idea seems to have some merit — people don’t really want to see games decided by things like Brent Barry getting clocked and not getting a call.

TD: Right. Absolutely. NBA fans are very knowledgeable fans, when you talk about a lot of these major cities, and I truly believe that they’re not going to allow David Stern to keep his head in the sand and not comment on this. I think there’s going to be an outcry for some answers over some of these situations, and there’s going to be an outcry for drastic change to have these games officiated properly, and I think eventually it’s going to make the league much bigger, better and stronger than it’s ever been before.

———————————————

FWIW, this small corner of the blogosphere has little doubt that Tim Donaghy is, in fact, telling the absolute truth:

A. With his claims to have been able to predict a high percentage of winning games, for specific NBA match-ups, based on a combination of factors including his ‘inside knowledge’ of different referees and their biases/tendencies toward favouring/punishing particular players, coaches, owners, etc.

B. With the different accusations he has levied towards David Stern, the NBA League Office, and other referees/officials/employees who work for the Association. 

khandor giveth … and, sometimes, khandor taketh away.

No one’s perfect. That’s a fact of life; Kelly Dwyer, included.

———-

Anthony Morrow hits for 47 summer league points
And the name I kept hearing was “Marco Belinelli,” who played exceedingly well in Golden State’s 2007 summer league outfit.

Here’s the problem with that. Marco’s international stats translated horribly to the NBA. He was not, nor should have ever been, on any team’s radar. The Warriors, smitten with the idea of an international big guard named “Marco,” went ahead anyway. And a month after drafting the guy, seemed pretty happy when he went off in the NBA-sponsored offseason tournaments.

But Marco went right back to being Marco once the NBA season started. And it’s not a case of the guy not getting the minutes he deserved. I’m sure Belinelli is a lovely chap, but he’s not NBA material.

Morrow is. Morrow proved that in 2008-09, not in the summer leagues, and Thursday’s 47 should be a reminder of such.

The Warriors, who I must remind you are “a joke of an organization,” probably don’t want to know. Not while Nelson is running things, especially. He gets bored, and he plays to the ignorance of fair weather fans.

The ignorance, and this isn’t their fault (they’d rather pay attention to the 49ers) that tells you that Morrow’s hot 2008-09 start was a bit of a fluke, and it’s OK to slowly decrease his minutes until you get to 7.6 minutes per game in February.

(Well, Kelly, he shot 36 percent in February. Which came first, the low minutes, or the bad shooting? Nellie’s been at this since the 1960s, and he’s reacting to Morrow’s cold touch.)

No, he’s being Nellie. You try coming off the bench for seven minutes toward the end of a 20-point loss and firing up a 24-footer two and a half hours after warming up. It’s bound to go in, no matter how good a shooter you are, about 36 percent of the time.

Of course, Morrow averaged nearly 41 minutes per game in April, but that’s how this joke of an organization works. Poorly.

The point I’m getting at is that, overall, Morrow is a stud. The guy shot 47 percent on three-pointers last year. Couple that with a 6-6 frame, and you have a player that should be starting, or at least playing more than 22 minutes a night (his average). Or, and I know I haven’t been doing this since the 1960s, playing consistent minutes, as opposed to 41 minutes in April, and 7.6 minutes in February.

The problem here is that, as unorthodox as Nellie is, the man completely falls in line with NBA orthodoxy when it comes to sitting or starting guys he likes. He’ll twist things to his advantage, every time, just as long as it leaves him looking like a plucky upstart who was thisclose to taking down the well-heeled favorite.

Morrow’s an unheralded shooter? Then you can move him around a bit. He’s always replaceable. He’ll always be on the bench, ready to shoot.

Anthony Randolph doesn’t have much of a jump shot? He hasn’t put on weight? Well, then there’s no way he can score, consistently. Even though he’s scoring, you know, pretty damn consistently. Even though he’s giving you eight and six with a block and a steal in only 18 minutes AT AGE 19, without you running any plays for him.

So just remember this, in January. Morrow’s no fluke. Randolph is still a stud. They can both play, even if they aren’t, and while Stephen Jackson is still averaging 41 minutes a night.

———-

FYI …

Here’s a version of the comment which was left by yours truly a few minutes ago on Ball Don’t Lie:

KD,

You are right about Anthony Morrow.

You are [really!!!] right about Anthony Randolph.

You are right about G-State, in general.

You are wrong, however, about both Don Nelson and Marco B.

Don is a terrific unorthodox coach that does things in a way that others … who are not good head coaches, in their own right … simply DO NOT understand. That said … it’s THOSE other people who are WRONG if/when they try to put down what Mr. Nelson has accomplished in this League, as a terrific head coach. He may not be YOUR kind of head coach but he is still terrific, nonetheless.

[Please Note: In the NBA, you simply DO NOT amass the number of Wins and Losses that Don Nelson has to his credit WITHOUT being an outstanding head coach.]

Likewise with Marco Belinelli … you are WRONG to think that he is NOT a NBA player. This could not possibly further from the truth actually. Marco is a perfect example of a very good basketball player who has specific strengths and weaknesses and is doomed to failure IF HE DOESN’T GET THE CHANCE TO PLAY FOR A COACH WITH WHOM HE FITS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AND WHO APPRECIATES HIS INDIVIDUAL GAME FOR EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

Marco’s game simply doesn’t fit with who Don Nelson is, as a very good NBA head coach … but it is not correct to classify Marco as being something other than a legit NBA player.

e.g. If Marco B is traded to New York and gets the chance to function under a coach like Mike D’Antoni .. the offensive gifts that he has would have a chance to flourish.

Marco needs a change of scenery.

IMO, however, he is a totally different player than, say, JC Navarro … who is not a NBA player … and just needs a chance to strut his “stuff” on a consistent basis with a coach who isn’t looking for an “athletic stud” and will be in his corner as a STARTING POINT GUARD in the NBA.

For D’Antoni’s Knicks, Marco would be a “star” player … in the mold of a poor man’s Steve Nash.

———-

That said …

Kelly remains a gifted new-age sports writer who each of you should be reading on a daily basis.

He connects, with power, on a much more frequent basis than he strikes out.

KD smacks one over the fence today …

Does Portland know that Hedo Turkoglu is 30?
31, by the time the playoffs start next season.

Portland? By the time the playoffs start in 2010?

Brandon Roy, 25. LaMarcus Aldridge, 24. Rudy Fernandez, 25. Greg Oden, 22. Travis Outlaw, 25.

And when those players are in their primes? 2014 or so? Hedo’s going to be well past his, at age 35. And this was a guy who was made to already look old and slow up against Trevor Ariza in this year’s Finals.

So why, exactly, is Portland throwing its free agent booty at Hedo?

What am I missing here? The team was, statistically, the best offensive team in the NBA last year. Possession to possession, nobody scored more. Defense is this team’s weakness, so they’re spending all sorts of dough on a defensive liability?

The team, for years, has been one of the better closing squads in the NBA. They don’t make a lot of comebacks, not with Nate McMillan’s snail-slow pace, but with Travis Outlaw and Brandon Roy in the fold, they do just about lead the league in game-cinchers in the last 90 seconds. Statheads can talk about Carmelo Anthony, TV talking heads can talk up Kobe Bryant, but no team is better in the clutch than the Portland Trail Blazers.

And they’re trying to add a guy who made his hay as a late-game finisher? Read that again. His value is inflated because of his late-game heroics. The team would be overpaying for something it already has in spades.

What is wrong with this picture?

———-

Agreed, 100%.

———-

Related:

Unhappy Fernandez has Europe Suitors

NBA Double Jeopardy, for $2000: Three small ominous words Blazers fans should NOT want to hear right now 

There’s a big difference between:

A. Those who happen to write well about the game of basketball and, perhaps, have a comprehensive knowledge about different “facts” associated with the NBA,

vs.

B. Those who can tell you with a fair degree of accuracy when a comeback like the one which happened last night, at Quicken Loans Arena, is about to occur, before it actually happends … often-times, in direct opposition to the available data on-hand, pertaining to the specific game in question … based on their Basketball Acumen.

Here’s the key part of what Kelly Dwyer, a noted basketball analyst, wrote today, re: Orlando/Cleveland, Game One:

Behind the Box Score, with the universal sign for choking
The question that all the analysts get asked in this scenario is, “could you see this coming, when the Magic were down 16?”

Well, no. Of course not. The only thing you can see coming is for one team to continue to play at the pace they’re playing at, and the other team to do the same. So, a 30-point blowout.

But what you can see is why a comeback like this could happen, even when Orlando enters the second half down 15. That’s why, when things start to get normal (LeBron doesn’t shoot 80 percent from 20 feet; Orlando isn’t the worst defensive team in the NBA), the comeback is in place. And before things get normal, you can see what it would take for the comeback to take place. Little stuff. Orlando could hang onto the ball. The defense can tighten up. Cleveland’s iffy perimeter attack, currently hot, could run cold.

———-

Which is simply not a wholly accurate assessment of the situation when you’re dealing with someone who, in fact, has a high level of accumulated Basketball Acumen.

Such a person could, and would, have been able to tell you last night … while the Cavs were suffocating the Magic in the 1st quarter … that the signs were there for this to be a special game in the history of Orlando’s franchise:

* Coming back from way down,

* On the road,

* Against the current League MVP,

* With their own starting Center having been fouled out down the stretch, due primarily to highly suspect officiating, 

* To achieve a stunning victory in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Yessiree, Bob - i.e. not Tom, Dick & Harry - they most certainly could … at least, if they are someone who knows what to LOOK FOR when watching and then analyzing How The NBA Game Actually Works, in the first place.

There are no formal courses taught in school that cover this material … and, no formal exploits in journalism which can adequately prepare you to succeed in this specific arena of activity.

All there is … is what you’ve done in ’the game’ to this point, and what you alone happen to you know about it already, based on [i] trial & error, [ii] your unique formal education, and [iii] your well-developed instinct for knowing exactly what’s about to happen next … both, on and off the court.

Yes, indeed. There’s a big gulf between those who fit properly into Category A and those who fit into Category B. 

———-

[HINT: Nowhere in that specific article do you see the names of Mickael Pietrus, Anthony Johnson, Marcin Gortat, or Tony Battie mentioned, at all ... or, Stan Van Gundy ... without whose contribution last night, no VICTORY falls the way of the Orlando Magic. That's a serious omission. Those who fit properly into Category B know that implicitly. ] 

One of the great US college basketball players of all-time died yesterday, at the age of 44.

Wayman Tisdale, 1964-2009

Anna K. Clemmons Remebers Wayman Tisdale

Wayman Tisdale Made Music

Thinking of him this morning what comes to mind is this famous quote:

“Brian Piccolo died of cancer at the age of 26. He left a wife and three daughters. He also left a great many loving friends who miss and think of him often. But when they think of him, it’s not how he died that they remember - but how he lived. How he did live!” - George Halas [Brian's Song, 1971]

In a similar vein, Wayman Tisdale SHOULD be remembered for THE WAY he lived each and every day.