khandor’s sports blog

If you take a closer look at two plays from last night’s game between Milwaukee and Washington:

i. At the 0:13 mark of the video clip … when a clear travel violation by JaVale McGee is not called by the Center Official, who is looking directly at the play;

ii. At the 1:07 mark of the video clip … when a highly questionable travel violation by Roger Mason is called by the Trail Official, despite the Lead Official, who is looking directly at the play, as well, making no call whatsoever:

you should be able to see that what was said earlier this season by Mark Cuban was an accurate description of the current state of officiating in the NBA, despite the League Office stating otherwise.

What today’s TrueHoop article REALLY means …

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The moment the talks fell apart

“System changes”

There’s another thing that could be happening, too.

Remember The Decision? That night in July 2010, something happened that angered basketball fans like nothing else. It can be framed as LeBron James being egotistical, or cowardly, or whatever else. But it can also be framed as a young black man just being sick of doing what old white guys tell him to do.

There was a playbook for free agency, a procedure, some decorum. And James tossed it. No, after earning Dan Gilbert the sun, the moon and the stars, he does not also owe him a phone call. No, he doesn’t have to let some other, whiter, older entity control the production of his announcement. No, he doesn’t have to stick to the storyline of local hero, or even player. He really does have the power to play GM, to assemble a super team, and that’s what he would do.

The message to a lot of fans was that James just got it all wrong. But the message to a lot of players was that James did what 1,000 players have been dreaming of doing for years — he acted fully empowered — and it’s hard to say he failed at it. He made his millions, and the Finals. His team is intact. His business life is sound. He’ll be contending for championships for years.

It’s a business revolution with young black men, basketball players, in the corner offices. A new way of doing things, long overdue, and happening now.

And maybe that’s what Stern encountered in that hotel room in New York: a new generation of fully empowered players who no longer believe they have to conform to much of anything.

Just three days earlier, with James in attendance, James’ teammate Dwyane Wade had yelled at David Stern. “You’re not pointing your finger at me,” Wade said, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher. “I’m not your child.”

On Friday, a role player for a middling team got a surprise phone call, from just about the biggest name in the sport — somebody who had never called him before. The message: Hold firm at 53. We’re not caving. Hang in there. It wasn’t the only call of its kind, and when you talk to players now there is religious fervor, around the number 53, and around not giving owners any freebies on the other issues.

Owners are indignant that they have endured dreadful losses that must be righted. Players, meanwhile, are indignant that compared to the old CBA every concession to date has come from them. The issues are sounding more religious than ever, and it’s doubtful that, at the moment, anyway, either Hunter or Stern is capable of rallying his followers to build a bridge to the other side.

And if it’s driven by players’ blossoming and deep-rooted self-determination, then they can’t be expected to budge. I just hope, for the NBA’s sake, that they chose the correct line to draw in the sand.

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is that there will probably be no 2011-2012 NBA season with each side involved in the current lockout unprepared to meet the other at the halfway point between 47.0% [i.e. the NBA owners' best offer] and 53.0% [i.e. the NBAPA's minimum requirement], in terms of Basketball Related Income [BRI].

Toronto Raptors 124
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 131
Mon Nov 09 2009, Game Scoreboard

Yes, indeed … the Spurs played without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

Yes, indeed … the Raptors shot 59.2% from the field.

But … if your team cannot DEFEND and REBOUND the ball effectively, or score efficiently, with the game on the line, in the 4th quarter …

Box Score

Crucial Play-By-Play Sequence [from 9:17 to 1:27]

Substitution Chart

Critical Factors

Critical Plays

… it really doesn’t matter very much, when it comes to winning and losing games against high calibre opponents in the NBA.

Instead of blaming the coaching staff, or individual players …

Matt Bonner drives in for the two-handed slam

Courtside – Without D, Raps are doomed

Raptors take one on the chin

as this season progresses, slowly but surely, important questions will need to be asked instead of the architect[s] responsible for [re-]constructing this year’s Raptors team hoping thinking that the current roster was going to be capable of Defending and Rebounding like a high end team in the NBA. 

Yesterday’s action finished with the following results:

W-L: 2-2/.500
Units: -1.08

which are slightly better than Day 1 but not where they need to be … just yet. 

Overall, after Day 2:

W-L: 3-4/.429
Units: -3.37

Hopefully, the news will continue to get better today.  

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Mon Apr 20 2009

Game 1 – 2/Celtics vs 7/Bulls

As was said here two days ago … the strength of Derrick Rose’s individual game is a giant neutralizer of one Rajon Rondo for the defending champs. How Doc Rivers copes with this reality will be a key in this evening’s Game 2 of this series. It’s one thing knowing that your emotional center-piece is not going to be you your line-up in the playoffs and another thing altogether, lacing them up and taking the court without him, at the front of the line, wearing #5. The Celtics should be much better prepared for this evening’s tilt, from this standpoint alone. There is no Superman coming in from the Wings to save them. If they’re going to get to Round 2, they will a far better performance from both Jesus Shuttlesworth and Da Truth. Keep your eyes peeled, as well, for Bill Walker, as he presents one of the few options on the Celtics’ bench that can increase their size and athleticism at the Wings when Pierce and/or Allen-R need to rest. Can the Baby Bulls [i.e. Rose, Noah & Thomas-Ty] possibly perform as they did on Saturday afternoon, for a second consecutive game in the playoffs? 41-41/.500 suggests that it’s a stretch to think it likely. Expect the C’s to start much better this evening; then, ride the emotion of their home crowd through the balance of the 2nd half. The Bulls are young at key positions, and it will be difficult for them to maintain their concentration for 96 consecutive minutes, in enemy territory, with the champs at the ready and staring at 0-2.

Chicago +8.5/-102
BOSTON -8.5/-106
Call: BOSTON [1 unit]

Game 2 – 3/SPURS vs 6/Mavericks

Everything about the San Antonio organization says that they will find a way to square this series, somehow, this evening. But, 6.5 points is a lot to give up … without Manu Ginobili, completely, and Tim Duncan being far from 100%. Can Coach Popovich pull another rabbit from his hat? You bet, he can … especially if he goes retro with the deployment of his troops in this series, i.e. MAIN PLAYERS: Parker + Finley + Bowen + Oberto + Duncan; KEY SUBS: Mason, Hill, Udoka, Gooden & Thomas. Matt Bonner has had a good season, and has provided the Spurs with solid points production from the #4/PF spot beside the Big Fundamental … but, that will do them no good in this series when what they NEED is to DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THEIR REBOUNDING, at positions #2/OG, #3/SF, and most importantly #4/PF. The Mavericks are a veteran outfit that many have a tendency to forget were good enough to put up 67 wins just two seasons ago and lost in the NBA Finals, to D-Wade & Co., the year before that. Dallas matches up exceptionally well with their opponent in this series [especially, given the absence of Ginobili, and Pops' questionable decisions to start Mason and give only reduced minutes to the Karate Kid]. Even if they go down to defeat this evening, Dallas should have the know-how to keep it close until the final minute of the 4th period.

Dallas +6/-105
SAN ANTONIO -6/-105
Call: Dallas [2 unit]

Amongst the NBA’s boxscores from last night, astute observers should understand the significance of this score …

Wizards 95 @ Hornets 92 (Feb 25) 

When Washington (27-29, 2nd Southeast, 6th Eastern Conference) wins a road game, at New Orleans (37-18, 2nd Southwest, 5th Western Conference), it means more than just a W for the visitors.

Kelly Dwyer, Ball Don’t Lie: Behind the boxscore, where the Washington Wizards Care 

But, to simply view this collection of players as a ‘hard-working bunch’ is to actually de-value the job that’s beendone, to this point, by esteemed Wizards’ GM, Ernie Grunfeld, in constructing a high fine team that, despite some serious setbacks that might have put a lesser man, down and out for the count.

Grunfeld has put together a group of good sized, very athletic players with terrific complimentary skill sets, comprised of eight (8) 1st Round NBA Draft Picks & five (5) 2nd Round Selections, that can Rebound, Defend & Score the ball with as much proficiency & balance as any team in the NBA … when completely healthy.

The fact that this group is continuing to perform at a level which will earn them a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, should they maintain their current pace for the balance of the season … in spite of serious injuries to Gilbert Arenas, Etan Thomas and Caron Butler – 2 starters and, overall, 3 of the top 8 players – is a testament to their outstanding character, the daily work of their coaching staff (Eddie Jordan & Co.) , and the basketball acumen of their GM.

Should the Wizards make it to the post-season, this year, with their full comportment of players … they will be another very dangerous ‘bottom-end’ team for one of the top dogs in the East to contend with.