khandor’s sports blog

For the benefit of Raptors fans …

who can’t seem to get enough of Jonas Valanciunas [i.e. Selection No. 5, 2011 NBA Draft].

BTW … The quality of these 2 youtube videos is absolutely terrific!

Could it possibly be the case that a new “fundamental” requirement for winning home games, in the NBA … at least, against a high calibre opponent … is to have one of your team’s best players needlessly ejected, sometime in the first half …

Exhibit A

[watch at approximately the 50 sec mark]

because an official simply looses “his cool” and decides to banish someone for no good reason whatsoever?

Hmmm …

Exhibit B

Marc Gasol reacts with emotion, points at the jumbotron, and is then ejected

Given some of the nonsense that transpired, in two separate situations, on Tuesday night:

New York Knicks 110
ORLANDO MAGIC 116
Complete Game Summary

San Antonio Spurs 93
Memphis Grizzlies 109
Complete Game Summary

it sure looks THAT way.

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PS. It might be very interesting, indeed, to see if any of the “stats gurus” in attendance at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference have done any reseach on the topic of, “What percentage of NBA games are actually won by the home team after one of their ‘key starters’ has been ejected in the 1st half, on a terribly blown 2nd technical foul, assigned by a subsequently remorseful official.”

While it might be true that Darko Milicic is properly described as being a great many different things … including, possibly, the biggest bust in the last 10 years of the NBA Draft … it should also be duly noted that he is clearly not one of these, as well:

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For lack of a few crucial stops, Wolves lose 13th straight

Though the Wolves have won only one game since the 7-foot Serbian arrived in mid-February, Rambis said he has seen flashes of a player so promising seven years ago, when he was drafted ahead of [Chris] Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.

“And I think he can be a lot better,” Rambis said. “As he gets in better shape and gets more comfortable and more confident, you’ll see him stretch his game.”

In fact, he’s already done that offensively. Milicic scored a season-high 16 points against the Lakers last Friday, and appeared to be more confident about taking good shots.

“The guys are learning how to use him,” Rambis said. “I’ve told him, whenever he’s comfortable, I’m OK with him shooting inside, outside, [from the] elbow, long distance. But he has to have the confidence to do that.”

For Milicic, who is still only 24 years old despite being a seven-year NBA veteran, it’s a matter of playing the way he was taught back in Serbia.

“I’m just trying to relax. I got used to playing this American way of running crazy, playing too fast. I’ve got to slow it down,” Milicic said. “When I came [to the U.S.], I stopped playing basketball the way I know how to play. Playing too fast, running like chickens without heads.”

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If he can successfully return to the roots of his “multi-headed” individual game … by learning how to slow down and play within the confines of the Triangle Offense, let’s say, with Ricky Rubio/PG, at the helm, beside Al Jefferson/PF, Kevin Love/PF, Corey Brewer/OG-SF and the T-wolves upcoming 2010 Lottery Selection …

Is there really any good reason to believe that Darko Milicic, at the still relatively tender age of 24, 

is somehow incapable of putting up “15 and 8″, on a game-to-game basis …

against the other “25 and under” starting calibre Centers, in the NBA today

EASTERN CONFERENCE		WESTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC		NORTHWEST
Boston	Perkins, K [25]	Denver	Petro, J [24]
Toronto	Bargnani, A [24]	Utah	Fesenko, K [23]
New York	–	Oklahoma City	Ibaka, S [20]
Philadelphia	Speights, M [22]	Portland	Oden, G [21]
New Jersey	Lopez, B [21]	Minnesota	Milicic, D [24]
CENTRAL		PACIFIC
Cleveland	–	LA Lakers	Bynum, A [22]
Milwaukee	Bogut, A [25]	Phoenix	Lopez, R [21]
Chicago	Noah, J [25]	LA Clippers	Jordan, D [21]
Indiana	Hibbert, R [23]	Sacramento	Hawes, S [21]
Detroit	–	Golden State	Biedrins, A [23]
SOUTHEAST		SOUTHWEST
Orlando	Howard, D [24]	Dallas	–
Atlanta	Horford, A [24]	San Antonio	–
Miami	–	Memphis	Gasol, M [25]
Charlotte	–	Houston	–
Washington	Blatche, A [25]	New Orleans	–

… over the course of the next several seasons?

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In what group would you place Darko Milicic amongst the other "25 and under" starting calibre Centers in the NBA today?

• 1-5
• 6-10
• 11-15
• 16-21

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Continuing the series which was started here yesterday on … 

How an astute NBA observer might expect the first part of the schedule to unfold for the Raptors this year:

Game 2 – at Memphis [Fri Oct 30]

This is a key early game for the Raptors indicating where the team’s talent level actually stands in relation to the mid-lower tier teams in the Western Conference expected to miss the playoffs this season. If the Raptors can win this game on the road against an opponent of this calibre it will be a good sign. If not …  

After opening their schedule at home vs Detroit [Wed Oct 28], Memphis should be highly motivated to play well in this match-up.

Raptors expected W-L Record: L, 0-2

Prior to the recent transaction between the Raptors [Bryan Colangelo], Mavericks [Donnie Nelson], Magic [Otis Smith & Dave Twardzik] and Grizzlies [Chris Wallace], this is what each of those team’s rosters looked like:

Coming out the other side, today, this is what they look like now, respectively:

Legend:
UFA – Unrestricted Free Agent; RFA – Restricted Free Agent; R – Rookie Player; TPE – Traded Player Exception; DP – Draft Pick; CC - Cash Considerations

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The Perspective From This Corner

The fact is, however, that the Cleveland Cavaliers [Danny Ferry] MAY have benefitted most of all from this specific transaction, as they subsequently gained unfettered access to Anthony Parker, the exact sort of complementary wing player they were searching for … to augment LeBron James & Co., in an effort to win their 1st NBA Championship. 

Your feedback is welcome in the “Comments” section.

FYI and reading pleasure …

An Open Letter to the Memphis Grizzlies
Hilarious Excerpt #1. I even tolerated the insane teasings toward the OJ-Mayo-As-A-Point-Guard fiasco, or as I like to call it, “The Turnover Manifesto.”

Hlarious Excerpt #2. I begged you,  pleaded with you. I used podcasts, blogposts, emails to people who know you, to try and steer you from this course of action. But you wouldn’t listen. And look what you have to show for it.

A seven foot pogo stick with a Twitter account [i.e. Hasheem Thabeet].

Hilarious Line #3. Lots of people question the 6′5” player [i.e. Tyreke Evans] with killer explosiveness with insane ability to get to the rim who also happened to come out of the same program as this year’s Rookie of the Year who was also a point guard and which happens to be located in the same city as your damn franchise ensuring that you would have at least had a player on the squad that someone would know.

Hilarious Line #4. I’d love to tell you that it’s not you, it’s me. But that’s a lie. It’s you.

Hilarious Excerpt #5. I’ll call you when I reach my mother’s.

Bye, Memphis.

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Matt Moore is one of the most prodigous writing talents in the literary basketball business today. Would only he be able to drop his penchant for excessively curse-laiden “flavourful” language, on occasion, when his blood pressure is on the rise, he should be a daily read for anyone who follows the NBA game.

Laugh, cry, or vilify, but … at all times … it’s done while bringing a smile to your face. Get to know his name, folks. It says here, he is someone who is going far, in this here game.

Related:

NBA Draft – Live Blogging

Coming out of the annual All-Star Break and heading toward this week’s Trade Deadline  [Feb 19, 3:00 PM] … as different trade rumours swirl about the NBA [on-line & elsewhere] … it can be instructive to assess where certain marquee players rank amongst their brethren, at the specific position[s] they play the best.

When considering Big Men [i.e. Centers/C and Power Forwards/PF], it is also imperative to understand what their fundamental role is within the NBA game and what qualities are the most important for them to exhibit on a consistent basis, if their respective team’s are going to have a legitimate chance to win a League Championship, now or in the not-too-distant future.

Big Man Ranking Criteria

* Leadership
* Rebounding [which includes: i. Defensive; ii. Offense]
* Team Defense [which includes: i. Interior Rotations; ii. Perimeter Rotations; iii. Execution of Pick & Roll Techniques; iv. Transition Effectiveness; v. Shot blocking off the ball; Switching off the ball]
* Low-Mid Post Scoring
* Passing Effectiveness
* Individual Low-Mid Post Defense [which includes Shot blocking on the ball]
* Individual Perimeter Defense
* Screening Effectiveness
* Picking Effectiveness
* Perimeter Scoring
* Offensive Transition
* Physical Traits: i. Quickness; ii. Agility; iii. Explosive Power; iv. Size & Strength
* Psycho-Emotional Traits: i. Stability; ii. Intelligence; iii. Intensity; iv. Toughness 

These are the current rankings, according to this corner:

Use the “comments” section to provide your feedback.