khandor’s sports blog

Some NBA observers in the on-line hoops community consider Detroit and Toronto to be heading in opposite directions this summer, with their additions/subtractions:

I. The Pistons are viewed as a team IN DECLINE; while,

II. The Raptors are viewed as a team ON THE RISE.

When comparing the PTL of their respective rosters, however:

the follow-up question is:

At which spots in Toronto’s line-up do these people see the Raptors’ personnel with a distinct match-up advantage compared with the Pistons?

STARTERS? BENCH? EXTRAS? RESERVES? OTHERS?

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According to these eyes …

Toronto Raptors
Have an advantage with Chris Bosh vs Charlie Villanueva.

Detroit Pistons
Have an advantage with Richard Hamilton vs DeMar DeRozan.

Have an advantage with Ben Gordon vs Jarret Jack.

Have a minor advantage with the upside of:

Summers [#35/2008] & Jerebko [#39/2008] 
vs 
Banks [#13/2003], Weems [#39/2008] & O’Bryant [#9/2006].

Have an advantage with Joe Dumars vs Bryan Colangelo.

Have an advantage with a better Win% from last season [.476 vs .402].

Have an advantage having qualified for the playoffs 8 consecutive seasons.

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FYI … The Raptors average player age is 25.4 years; while, the Pistons average player age is 25.7 years.

* Tyler Hansbrough makes his summer league debut. Those who think that Larry Bird made a mistake with the No. 13 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft are going to be in for a surprise this season.

* Colangelo works fast and hard to get Turkoglu. Hedo is many things but a player who “creates” shots working off the dribble he is not. Expect THAT from him, without the benefit of a pick and you’ll be in for disappointment Raptors fans.

* What’s next? As the old adage goes: “Some of the best deals a team ever makes are the ones it doesn’t make, in the first place.” Solace for Blazers fans in the aftermath of winning losing the Hedo Turkoglu Sweepstakes.

* Buyer Beware! Things are not always as they first appear to be, when it comes to advantageous signings during the NBA’s free agency period.  

* Nick Collison says Thunder is ready for the next step. Sleep on Oklahoma City this coming season at your own peril.

Current Odds To Win this Series
Orlando Magic +565
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS -615

Although Cleveland has played very well to this point in the Playoffs, they do not enjoy a host of different match-up advantages vs Orlando, like they did vs Atlanta and Detroit.

In particular, the specific spots where the Cavaliers have possessed major advantages … i.e. at the PF/C positions, plus in terms of Quality Depth, overall … will not be the case in this series:

Power Forward/Center

* Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith, Ben Wallace & JJ Hickson is a versatile and highly effective set of Bigs. So, too, however, is the combination of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Tony Battie, Marcin Gortat & Adonal Foyle.  

Quality Depth

* The Cavs’ remaining group of Guards & Forwards: Lebron James, Mo Williams, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Wally Szerczbiak, Sasha Pavlovic & Tarence Kinsey is stout and highly serviceable. However, they are not a superior force, in comparison with the Magic’s corresponding group at those same positions: Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Anthony Johnson, JJ Redick, Mikael Pietrus & Tyron Lue.

With a Series Price like THAT … Orlando [+565] is a VERY GOOD proposition.

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Please Note:
At the moment, the Cavaliers are +116 to NOT Win the 2008-2009 NBA Title. For those so inclined, this is a VERY GOOD proposition.

The player who the Detroit Pistons have acquired from the Denver Nuggets is a far different person today than the subject of this infamous clip …

Practice?

older, wiser … and, more mature in his thinking; about life, in general, and particularly his specific approach to the game he loves.

Iverson’s Pistons Press Conference

Allen Iverson Press Conference Transcript 

When your pro sports franchise is run by men with the ‘cred’ of Bill Davidson, Joe D. and MC [Hammer] you are going to be able to ‘integrate’ a great talent like A.I. seamlessly.

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Q1. Are the Pistons a better team on the court today than they were two days ago?
A1. Maybe; maybe not. Only time will tell.

Q2. With this acquisition, are the Pistons now going to win the NBA title this season?
A2. Probably not; not with the LA Lakers being as strong as they are this year.

Q3. Are the Pistons worse off today than they were two days ago?
A3. Not a chance. They have added a terrificly talented player to their team; created roster space for their burgeoning younger players to grow into; and, freed up ’Cap Space’ after this current season, depending on what specific direction their GM [Joe D.] wants to go with this team. Which makes this a Win-Win-Win situation for the Pistons, now and going forward.

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By far, the best observation/quote these eyes have read, to this point, about the tenure of Joe D. with the Pistons is this:

“The Pistons, under Dumars, never stop, they just idle with the engine running. It’s what makes them interesting.”
- Mitch Albom/Detroit Free Press

[read more here ... on the fine work of Joe D.]

There are many participants in the hoops blogosphere who could not fathom a comparison between the talents & abilities of two seemingly dis-similar NBA players like Ben Wallace [power & no finesse] and Amir Johnson [finesse & no power].

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Curry: Johnson is Pistons’ starting forward
[Michael] Curry was careful not to make any direct comparisons to former Piston Ben Wallace but he believes Johnson can bring some of the same intangibles to the starting unit Wallace did.

“Ben could make a tremendous impact on a game without having any plays run for him. Amir is like Ben in that sense,” Curry said. “Amir can impact a game by how he rebounds, he can impact on the speed in which we play, offensively and defensively. His presence will be a welcome addition to that group.”

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Unlike the resident of this place, they do not see what’s really there … hidden in plain sight.

Thus far, MC [Hammer] just keeps churning out the hits, as the Pistons’ new/old maestro, in Motown.

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There’s a[n old] soul in the city, watching over us tonight …

UPDATE: Pre-quel … MC [Hammer] is a ‘Boy Scout’ at heart.

If ‘Da Bulls’ decide to play ‘up-tempo’ basketball, ‘4 out/1 in’ style … Run, Run, Run … Is there (now) another team in the league with more depth, athleticism, ’scoring’, and rebounding - at each of the 5 spots on the floor - than this ‘Group of 15′ for Chicago?

2007-08 Roster 
NUM PLAYER POS HT WT DOB   FROM YRS
6 Shannon Brown  G  6-4 211 11/29/1985   Michigan State 1
20 JamesOn Curry  G  6-3 190 01/07/1986   Oklahoma State R
9 Luol Deng - C  F  6-9 220 04/16/1985   Duke 3
21 Chris Duhon  G  6-1 185 08/31/1982   Duke 3
90 Drew Gooden  F  6-10 250 09/24/1981   Kansas 5
7 Ben Gordon  G  6-3 200 04/04/1983   Connecticut 3
34 Aaron Gray  C  7-0 270 12/07/1984   Pittsburgh R
12 Kirk Hinrich - C  G  6-3 190 01/02/1981   Kansas 4
32 Larry Hughes  G  6-5 185 01/23/1979   St. Louis 9
35 Demetris Nichols  F  6-8 216 09/04/1984   Syracuse R
13 Joakim Noah  F  6-11 232 02/25/1985   Florida R
5 Andres Nocioni  F  6-7 225 11/30/1979   Argentina 3
2 Thabo Sefolosha  G  6-7 215 05/02/1984   Switzerland 1
15 Cedric Simmons  F  6-9 235 01/03/1986   North Carolina State 1
24 Tyrus Thomas  F  6-8 215 08/17/1986   Louisiana State 1

Maybe … only 1.

The problem with Da Bulls … is no more!

Despite their disasterous start this season - and keyed by the trades from yesterday - the Chicago Bulls are now poised to (once again) make the Playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Kudos to their GM, John MacBeth Paxson.

A team that won …

49 games during the ‘06-07 season, swept the Heat in the 1st Round of the Playoffs and was eliminated by the Pistons (2-4) in the 2nd Round;

41 games during the ‘05-06 season and was eliminated in the 1st Round of the Playoffs (2-4) by the eventually NBA champions (Miami Heat);

47 games during the ‘04-05 season and was eliminated in the 1st Round of the Playoffs (2-4) by the Wizards; and,

23 games during the ‘03-04 season, missing the Playoffs completely;

need look no further than the following incident when it attempts, in earnest, to retrace the steps which have led to this year’s debacle (14-22) … where they’ve now fired their head coach (Scott Skiles) and are mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference … i.e.

Big Ben allowed to wear headband

When an authoritarian taskmaster, like Scott Skiles, allows himself to be undermined by his own players, in this way, while working for a cohesive organization, like the Chicago Bulls … it becomes a no-win situation for all concerned … and eventually, inevitably, leads to untenable circumstances like these … e.g.

Bulls vote to bench Noah 
Struggles - and apparently strife - continue for Bulls

The Chicago Bulls will not turn around the fortunes of their franchise until Ben Wallace is no longer a part of their team, and order has been restored in their decision-making process.

Despite how it might look to team outsiders, the worst mistake Coach Skiles could have possibly made was to relent on his initial stance pertaining to the “headband issue” which first surfaced with this team last season.

Until this “type of cancer” is cut out, completely, Da Bulls are going nowhere.