khandor’s sports blog

After losing their last 2 games against the Boston Celtics and the New York Kincks, it will be very interesting to see how the Detroit Pistons respond this evening, when they journey to Cleveland to take on the team with the top W-L record in the NBA.

While many Pistons fans are lamenting the atrocious state of their squad which was sitting at the top end of the Eastern Conference just 2 seasons ago … this corner of the blogosphere does not share a similar level of doom and gloom concerning the goings-on in the Motor City over the last 12 months.

If the Pistons’ everyday rotation/line-up was to look like this:

STARTERS
1. PG, Stuckey [32 MPG, best multi-dimensional PG with good size]
2. OG, Hamilton [32 MPG, best offensive Wing scorer with good size]
3. SF, Prince [30 MPG, best defensive/rebounding Wing player]
4. PF, Maxiell [26 MPG, best rebounding front-court player]
5. C, Brown [22 MPG, best interior defensive/rebounding player]

KEY SUBS
6. PG-OG, Gordon [32 MPG, best combination Guard with solid perimeter J]
7. SF, Jerebko [18 MPG, best defensive/rebounding back-up Wing]
8. PF, Villanueva [22 MPG, best perimeter-oriented scoring Big]
9. C, Wallace [28 MPG, best interior defensive/rebounding Big]

RESERVES
10. OG-SF, Daye [injury replacement minutes which would be a lot this yr]
11. SF-PF, Summers [injury replacement minutes which would be a lot this yr]

EXTRAS
12. PG, Atkins [DNP-CD]

OUTS [who should be package with another asset in exchange for an inside scoring Big]
13. PG, Bynum [amongst the very best back-up PG's in the NBA]
14. PF-C, Wilcox

what Detroit would find is that:

- the rhythm for their 3 principal Guards [i.e. Hamilton, Stuckey and Gordon] would be much improved
- the quality of their PG play overall would be more consistent [i.e. with Stuckey and Gordon, exclusively, running this team]
- their overall level of “Team Cohesion” would improve significantly
- their interior defense would be improved
- their Guard oriented Team Scoring output would be much improved

Contrary to popular belief, this year’s Pistons team actually has a good deal of solid NBA talent that is simply not being used properly by their head coach.

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PS. Just because Daye [i.e. talented OG-SF scorer] and Summers [i.e. talented PF-SF defender/rebounder] haven’t been given the opportunity to play a whole lot of minutes yet this season, Pistons fans should not make the mistake of thinking that either player has a lower long term ceiling than Jonas Jerebko, who has shown great promise thus far in the limited [but increasing] minutes he has received. Pistons fans were told in the summer that the player they were getting in Jerebko has REAL ability to become a solid contributor to a high end team in the NBA, as his career continues to develop. Few chose to believe what they were told at the time. Time has proven, once again, that they were wrong, and that what was said by yours truly was highly accurate. Well, the exact same thing also applies to Daye and Summers. As the next 2 years continue to unfold, what astute Pistons fans should begin to see more and more is that both of these young men have the capacity to develop into frontline contributors for Detroit, down-the-road a piece … provided that each one is eventually used properly by the team’s head coach who, unfortunately, should be someone other than John Kuester. Until Joe Dumars fixes his problem, in this regard, and identifies a proven high end NBA head coach [e.g. Jeff Van Gundy] who can lead his team properly, the abundant talent on this team is merely going to waste.

Following last night’s deflating home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the conference standings in the East look like this:

Prior to the 2009 NBA Draft, however, these were some of the players who were recommended in this space for the Toronto Raptors:

Terrence Williams [OG-SF, New Jersey, 1st Rd]
Earl Clark [SF-PF, Phoenix, 1st Rd]
Derrick Brown [SF-PF, Charlotte, 2nd Rd]
Taj Gibson [PF, Chicago, 1st Rd]
Dante Cunningham [PF, Portland, 2nd Rd]
Marcus Thornton [OG, New Orleans, via Miami, 2nd Rd]
Nando De Colo [OG-SF, San Antonio, 2nd Rd]

Prior to the 4-team trade that involved the Raptors, Magic, Mavericks and Grizzlies, it was also suggested here that Toronto should:

If the Raptors would have followed those recommendations, instead of:

culminating with a roster that looks like the middle column in the following chart:

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Yours truly thinks they would.

It’s by developing and then implementing a sound Basketball Philosophy … which emphasizes the importance of [I] Team Defense, [II] Rebounding, and [III] Shared Team Offense, in this order … maintaining general roster stability, from one season to the next, while acquiring Quality Depth, and obtaining the services of an experienced and successful NBA head coach, that the Raptors would be able to fundamentally alter the direction of their franchise and construct the type of championship-calibre organization which UFA’s like Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, etc., would willingly CHOOSE to play for, if they have their druthers, either, this coming off season or further down-the-road.

After “whiffing” yesterday … Dave Feschuk returns to form and goes yard with his column today, featuring the rambled musings of none other than “The Oakster”, himself:

Feschuk: The Oakley show rolls back into town
“You ain’t going nowhere with 7-footers shooting three-pointers. You can’t put four or five scorers on the floor at one time. You can, but you ain’t going nowhere. You got four or five scorers on the floor, ain’t enough shots in a game, in a quarter, for everybody to be consistent. You need your two scorers, outside threat and a post-up threat. You need your sixth man who can score. You need another guy that can just be an all-around energy guy, and you need another guy who can just, you know, play basketball.”

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Do yourself a favour and read the whole thing.

In each and every instance, what Charles has to say is 100% accurate.

The next time yours truly gets asked the following question:

“Who do you think would succeed as the next GM for the Toronto Raptors?”

The first name they will now receive has been clearly identified.

If former NBA players like Mitch Kupchak, Danny Ainge, Otis Smith, Kevin Pritchard, Geoff Petrie, Ernie Grunfeld, Jim Paxson, Danny Ferry, etc., can succeed as executives in this league … then, why, oh, why, can’t someone like Mr. Charles Oakley.

Hadn’t seen this [from May 12, 2009] … from the B.S. Report with Bill Simmons … until today.

Enjoy!

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PS.  Jeff, when it comes to making predictions … with the advent of modern technology, the words we say can live on for a long, long time. Best be ultra careful, my brother!

Courtesy of TrueHoop …

Stan Van Gundy, two feet on the ground: “I was at the Division III level and I got out coached a lot of times. I was at the Division II level and I got out coached a lot of times, and there’s some coaches at some of those schools right now who have got it in the back of their minds and looking at me and saying, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ There was a guy, I don’t know if he’s there anymore, in fact I know he’s not, but there was a guy at Bridgeport, Connecticut, Bruce Webster, he beat me nine out of ten times when I was at Lowell. You’ve got to be good in this business but you’ve also got to get a lot of breaks. If you don’t realize that, if you really think you’re sitting here because of your genius or anything, I don’t know, maybe your background is different, but I got my butt kicked a lot at every level, including this one, so I sort of know where I stand in this profession.”

Just one more reason yours truly has such a high level of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. for Stan [and his brother, Jeff ... aka, The Undertaker ... aka, My Morose But Brilliant Illegitimate Half-brother].

Bill & Cindy did a great job raising their two sons.

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Related:

From the archives: The Van Gundys love this game

Alex Trebek: Stan, where to next?

Stan Van Gundy: Thanks, I’ll take, ‘Great Last Second Plays, Courtney Lee’ … for the Win.

Alex Trebek: [The Answer] So Close … but, Oh, So Far.

Stan Van Gundy: [The Question] What’s an open lay-up that might NEVER come again?

Alex Trebek: I’m afraid that’s not THE exact question we’re looking for. The correct question is, “What’s the Difference Between Winning & Losing Game Two?”

Let’s see how much you wagered.

Stan Van Gundy: The whole shh-bang, Alex. Everything I have!

Alex Tribek: Oh, Stan, I’m awfully sorry; but, hopefully, the parting gifts will bring you some consolation.

Stan Van Gundy: Thanks, but no thanks, Alex. When you think like we do. My brother, Jeff, and me. The ONLY thing that counts … at this level of competition … is actually WINNING!

Can we possibly make ‘Best 4-out-of-7?

Alex Trebek: Sorry, Stan. That’s not how it works around here.

Stan Van Gundy: Thanks, Alex. YOU CAN’T BLAME a guy for TRYING [his very best]. Sometimes, things just don’t work out the you’ve planned.

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Related: A Career-Defining Moment, Missed

FINAL SCORE: LAKERS 100, Magic 75 [Game One]
Complete Game Info

The Maestro Doin’ Work last night on The Boys from Disneyland.

Lakers lead the series, 1-0.

Los Angeles dominated the boards, 55-41.

Andrew Bynum & Pau Gasol were terrific, in addition to Black Mamba.

“Sometimes it gets late pretty early.” [in a series like this one]
- Jeff Van Gundy quoting from Yogi Berra

“He’s got THAT Look.”
- Mike Breen

“He’s got that GAME.”
- JVG

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Nothing more need be said. 

Just before half-time of this evening’s Nuggets vs Lakers game …

[speaking about what it takes to win Game 6, at home, vs the No. 1 Seed in the Western Conference, while trailing in the series, 2-3]

“Going home is NOT The Answer. Being carried by The Energy of The Crowd is NOT The Answer. There is ONLY One Answer. Play Hard. Play Together. And, EXECUTE.” – Jeff Van Gundy

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Box Score: Denver 40, Los Angeles 53

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Ranking NBA Colour Commentators

1. Hubie Brown [i.e. exacting with his X's & O's]
2. JVG [i.e. solid with his X's & O's, plus highly entertaining]
3. Bill Walton [i.e. highly entertaining]
4. Everybody Else

Came across this old article earlier today … which just happens to speak to this issue while profiling an individual like Carroll Dawson who fits nicely into this category of executive in the history of this league. Thought others who may not have seen it yet might enjoy reading it for themselves.

[once you click on the link below scroll down to page 10]

Dawson winding down memorable career
“Everyone knew you trade Steve Francis for Tracy McGrady, because you’re trying to get a star,” said Van Gundy. “It’s how you surround those guys. Team building is much more difficult.”

“We’ve always been risk takers,” said Dawson. “We got criticized highly for (drafting Yao Ming). We got killed for taking Robert Horry (over USC’s Harold Miner).”

Van Gundy appreciated working with someone who had sat in his position. “Having coached, he has an idea how emotionally challenging it is,” Van Gundy said. “You may come in the office and want to blow off steam and get rid of everybody. He’s very even keeled.”

The switch from working with Rudy T. to JVG meant a major change for Dawson. He and Tomjanovich were extremely close. “During the season, I’m down here, he’s up there,” said Van Gundy, who has an office inside the Rockets locker room. “During the season he doesn’t pester you and I don’t go up there every day with a wild trade idea. I’m harder to communicate with because I get more tunnel vision.”

There was a rumor that Dawson and Van Gundy weren’t talking. Van Gundy said that wasn’t true. It was simply a matter of them being more business associates than friends. “There’s a big age difference,” said the 45-year-old Van Gundy. “I think the wives are closer. I’ve never had any communication problem with him because he’s an expert at the art.”

With Yao Ming sidelined, Van Gundy told Dawson the Rockets needed more size. Dawson traded shooting forward Scott Padgett to Memphis for 7-2 Jake Tsakalidis. “I tell him basically what I think we need,” said Van Gundy. “He and his staff do all the heavy lifting. You’re not going to agree on everything. He can disagree with you without being disagreeable. He’s got a great way of diffusing anger and situations.”

Dawson never sought the spotlight. “Everybody likes credit, but he doesn’t seek it,” said Van Gundy. “It’s not about playing guys he traded for, or he signed.”

Dawson considers himself a lucky man. “I’ve had three great jobs in my life and I didn’t have enough sense to apply for any of them,” he said. “I get 10-20 resumes a week from people trying to get a job in the league.” He collected several championship rings, two with the Rockets, four with the Comets, even one from the Dallas Cowboys 1977 Super Bowl champs. He doesn’t wear any of them.

“If I wore a ring, it would be ’94,” he said. “I said, ‘Lord, if we can win it one time, I’ll never ask for anything again.’ “That’s the biggest lie in the world. You want to win it every year.”

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Lots of important lessons there for those who would truly like to learn more about what’s involved with this type of position/individual in the NBA. 

When a young man successfully establishes a life for himself, from amongst the ruins, it makes for a compelling tale.

Such is the case of Lamar Joseph Odom.

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Another Sunny Day In Lamar’s L.a.: Kobe may be the star of the show, but the beating heart of the Lakers is the ebullient Lamar Odom, who has overcome turmoil and tragedy to salvage his reputation and find a basketball home

THE HAPPIEST Laker is the one whose father was addicted to heroin, whose mother died of colon cancer when he was 12, who attended three high schools, had his first college scholarship revoked before the fall semester of his freshman year, became a subject of three college investigations, declared for the NBA draft, tried unsuccessfully to pull out of the draft, was picked by arguably the worst franchise in sports, violated the league’s antidrug policy twice within eight months and after finally getting his life together, went home to New York City for an aunt’s funeral and wound up burying his 6½-month-old son, then getting robbed at gunpoint.

“That’s my book,” says Lamar Odom. “That’s my movie. It’s a big bowl of gumbo.”

As he ponders working titles for his life story—”This is L.A., so you never know,” he says—he is wearing a white sweat suit and driving a white Mercedes down Interstate 405 to an autograph signing in Orange County, one hand on the steering wheel and another deep inside a bag of potato chips. Every few minutes, he turns and glances at the backseat, where his 10-year-old daughter, Destiny, and 7-year-old son, Lamar Jr., are occupied with their own snacks.

“My grandmother was always upbeat, a naturally happy person,” he says, chomping on the chips. “I think I got that from her.” His grandmother was Mildred Mercer, who raised him when his parents were gone. She died on June 28, 2003, three years to the day before his baby boy.

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Thanks to Lee Jenkins for writing this story.