Friday, January 30, 2009

Why Rashard Lewis Should be an All-Star

There's been some murmuring, as there always is with the snubs and the undeserved picks of who gets to be an All-Star.  Not a lot of people pay a whole lot of attention to the game, but the fact that players get to put the words "All-Star" in front of their name seems to hold a lot of clout and looks good on their resumes.  In short, someone is ill-deserving of a spot usually because someone else thinks another player is more deserving, in other words, someone else was snubbed.  Usually that's the case.  I think this year's All-Star picks were actually rather straight-forward, I know I didn't get it all right, but I think in general, the coaches did a pretty good job giving spots to deserving players.  

Some people question why the Magic have 3 players in the ASG, whereas the other "elite" teams, with better records, Boston and Cleveland, only have 2 and 1 respectively.  Then a lot of people go off on how you can't really look that much into the team's winning record, stating several excellent players that didn't make it because their team isn't good, but Jerry Sloan makes a good point, someone has to score the points on those losing teams, which is not to say that these players aren't necessarily any worse than the All-Stars on a winning team, but that there definitely is something to be had to for being able to create wins for your team.  Granted, it becomes kind of fuzzy with the whole, "Is it the star player or his supporting cast?" question, which is legitimate, it's not the be all-end all, but still, it counts for something.  My personal criteria would be to look first at individual performance, then if it's kind of a tossup, go to the record.

The biggest player of contention I think of the Eastern Conference, I think would be Rashard Lewis, with Jameer Nelson being a distant second.  I however, want to make a case for Rashard Lewis, how he is deserving of his ASG slot.  As a note, Stan Van Gundy was also pushing for Rashard Lewis to be in the All-Star Game, more so then perhaps even Jameer Nelson.

So what makes Lewis deserving of this All-Star slot?  Well, first place to look is at his numbers:

19.3 points, 6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.9 threes on 2.1 turnovers, 45.1% FG shooting, 42.2% 3pt shooting, and 83.2% free throw shooting.  

Most people probably understand this, but just to clear the air, yes, 45.1% shooting is pretty not good for a "big man".  However, I think Rashard Lewis's place on the Magic is not necessarily a true power forward position (his starting position), but rather, a small forward (his natural position) who has to guard opposing power forwards.  If you think about it in that context, also given that he's averaging like 7 three point attempts per game and leading the league in 3pts made and attempted it 45.1% actually is pretty good, also given the context that almost half of his shots are 3pt attempts.  I agree with some commentors that say that perhaps people have a hard time looking past Lewis's contract, which I agree is quite hefty at $17 million this year and increasing to almost $23.8 million in 2013.  It's a lot, but, Orlando threw this money at a player averaging 22.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks on 46.1% shooting.  Sure, his numbers are "down", but two points I bring up: first, that Rashard Lewis was for the most part playing with a Ray Allen that eventually shut down 3/4 of the ways through the season due to bone spurs in his ankle, making him, typically the primary option on a hurting Sonics.  Secondly, he now moves to being a second option behind of all people Dwight Howard, I don't really think you can expect to play with Dwight Howard without taking a slight hit to your scoring and reboudning.  If we want to continue with this mini-history-of-Rashard Lewis moment of nostalgia, it's also important to note that while his overall shooting % is down, part of it probably has to do with the fact he doesn't have to play in the lane as much (Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox aren't exactly the most domineering paint prescences, especially compared to Dwight Howard), he's doing what he's been asked to do on the Magic better than before, that is take 3's.  Rashard Lewis was brought in to be the "outside" to Dwight Howard's "inside" game, making them a deadly and potent inside-outside combo, and Lewis has lived up to expectations, taking and making more threes (6.5 attempts to 7.0 attempts, 39% 3pt to 42.2% 3pt).  

Secondly, Lewis, I think, is a typical example of a guy that does All-Star things that don't show up in the stat books.  He definitely contributes a lot on the defensive end, even (or perhaps I should say especially) guarding players that he didn't normally have to before.  Rashard Lewis isn't the biggest guy in the NBA, let's get that clear, he's 6-10, 230 lbs.  To give you an idea of the guys he has to man up on (especially in the post), I'll list some of the more noteable ones:

Amar'e Stoudemire: 6-10, 249 lbs
Kevin Garnett: 6-11, 253 lbs
Pau Gasol: 7-0, 260 lbs
David West: 6-9, 240 lbs
Carlos Boozer: 6-9, 266 lbs

Even if you got Dwight Howard to guard Boozer, that would mean Lewis would have to guard Mehmet Okur, who stands at 6-11, 263 lbs (he probably would guard Matt Bonner on the Spurs and put Dwight Howard on Duncan).   You see where I'm going with this.  Like Chris Bosh, he's a tall, skinny guy.  However, he's a smart player that can use his length to really bother a lot of players that normally would out-muscle him.  He's doing a lot for the Magic on the defensive end that just doesn't show up in the box scores.

Now, if I'm going to make a case for Lewis, I think I need show why he deserves it a little more than those that didn't make it, but also why I think he's more deserving than some of the other ASG Eastern players and why if anyone were to be replaced, it wouldn't be him.

These aren't really in any order, just really how I decided to come up with them.

What about Vince Carter?

There's no doubt, Vince Carter has definitely established one of his best seasons thusfar in his career.  The stats don't necessarily show it all, but he's hustling, he's working hard to help his team, it's unfortunate that this comes in the brunt of the Nets' rebuilding phase.  If we look first at the stats, Carter is averaging some respectable numbers; 21.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1 steal, 0.4 blocks, 1.9 threes on 44.3% shooting and 2.1 turnovers.  A side note is that he's also shooting a nice 40.1% from downtown.  The numbers definitely look much more impressive than Lewis's, but it also hurts that he's on the Nets who are only 20-26 so far this season, ahead of only Toronto in their standings.  Which then begs the question(s), what about Devin Harris (and/or Chris Bosh)?  Firstly, I think the Bosh thing is kind of moot, he's the best qualified center eligible player out there, so what about Devin Harris?  I mentioned before winning isn't everything, but it's something.  Devin Harris has made a tremendous stride forward and definitely stepped it up, by far establishing himself as the best PG in the East, and has stepped up to the onus of carrying a team, it's a little unfair to Carter, but the off-guard position is definitely more competitive, and he definitely isn't more deserving than Joe Johnson.  While I think Carter was definitely snubbed, I wouldn't replace Lewis with him, actually, if I were to replace anyone, it'd likely have been Jameer Nelson or Paul Pierce, it would likely have ended up Nelson though, if I had to come down to the wire.

Why replace Jameer Nelson first?

Don't get me wrong Jameer Nelson is having an excellent year, however I feel that PGs inherently get an "advantage" when being considered, by both fans and experts alike, simply because they're PGs.  Therefore, so long as they're pretty successful, they get the nod.  Jameer Nelson has ratcheted up to another level this season, after his disappointing previous few.  He's averaging 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 2 threes on 50.5% FG shooting and 2.0 turnovers.  Impressive numbers to say the least, but not the best out there.  However, tack on the fact that he's a PG, one of the hardest positions to play, and he gets in.  It's perhaps legitimate to tack on positional preferences when selecting the wildcards, and Nelson has been a big part in the Magic's success, I just don't necessarily think it's entirely All-Star worthy.  They were winning already last season when Nelson was kind of playing in a funk, and while his improvement has been a huge factor in Orlando's 35-10 record, I don't think it's the be all-end all.  Part of it has to do with him being the team captain I think, and the rest is in two things, first improved play, the big disparity between the previous season and this season (see Devin Harris), as well as him being PG (see again, Devin Harris), definitely edges him in.  There are only three teams that don't necessarily have the ball in the PG's hands a lot, those three being the Lakers, Blazers, and Cavs.  So it's only natural that the PG contributes a lot to a team, so when they do well, they look even better.  Again, I'm not saying Nelson is a bad player, and definitely should be considered for the ASG, I'm not going to say he's not deserving, but of those that made the roster, I think he's the least deserving.

What about Ray Allen?

I think Allen suffers the ill fate of also being a wing player, which, I think because there are so many of them that are kind of superstars, and centerpieces of the team it's easier to discount him.  Another part of it is noteriety, Ray Allen is the smallest of the Big 3, he's obviously been nominally called the 3rd option on offense, though I'm sure Doc Rivers adjusts his offense according to who's hot.  His numbers are impressive to say the least; 18 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1 steal, 2.4 threes on 50.3% shooting and 1.7 turnovers.  Throw in the fact that his 3pt% is also sitting at 41.5%, that makes him a solid contributor.  I completely agree with Tas Melas on today's episode of the Basketball Jones, in that, if there are only two Celtics on the ASG roster, Ray Allen should be there instead of Paul Pierce.  Tas has actually been saying that Ray Allen has been the best Celtic thusfar this year for a while, and I'm inclined to agree.  Ray Allen has been lighting it up for the Celtics and has come through a lot of times in big games when Pierce and Garnett have kind of struggled.  It's a tough call, because it's so close, so this was kind of a tossup, again though, not with Rashard Lewis, but rather with Paul Pierce or Jameer Nelson.  While his numbers aren't necessarily as "impressive" as Pierce's or even Nelson's perhaps, he's definitely been more clutch (than at least Pierce) and I think that should definitely play into a factor.  

Why the Paul Pierce bashing?

Ok, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Paul Pierce is bad, he's a great player, I just don't think he's necessarily worthy of an All-Star selection this year.  It definitely helps him that he's now considered more of a forward than a guard, and the selection of Chris Bosh at center enables coaches to pick one more forward.  Pierce has been solid; 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.5 threes, on 44% shooting and 2.7 turnovers.   Those stats are nothing to be ashamed about, but Pierce hasn't really been bringing it, you kind of get the feeling he's saving himself for playoffs.  He's not taking over games like you would expect from a number 1 option on the returning champs.  I agree with Tas (see link above) that I think this is much more of a reputation vote for Pierce than his actual performance.  Now that Celtics are good, it's kind of like making up for previous years, and the fact that he's more or less the face of the Celtics franchise.  The most well-known/arguably best player on one of the best teams in the league, that's what gets him in.  I'm not trying to bad-mouth Pierce in anyway, I think he's a phenomenal player, he just isn't really bringing an All-Star deserving game this season, and maybe he doesn't need to until Playoffs, I don't know, but if that's the case, then other people should get in.

How about Rajon Rondo?

A lot of people are saying that Rondo got snubbed.  Sure I think he's a great PG, possibly the third best in the conference (behind Nelson and Harris maybe) but I really don't buy the All-Star snub thing.  Someone is going to argue to me that Rondo's contributions are another one of those, off-box score type of deals and therefore we can't base it solely on numbers.  Granted, Rondo is a phenomenal defensive point guard.  11.2 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2.2 steals on 51% shooting and 2.6 turnovers per is a great line to have.  However, Rondo hasn't consistently brought it this season, honestly he's been kind of streaky.  A lot of people have mentioned that Rondo's performances might have something to do with what some might call "Big 3 euphoria", and perhaps Rondo wouldn't be this good if the Big 3 weren't there.  My main knock on Rondo this season has been the fact that he's been up and down.  Sure he had major tears in November and December, however, he came back down to earth, and honestly, game-by-game he's kind of hit or miss.  I honestly don't think he's All-Star worthy yet, not to say he won't get there.  Additionally, I don't think you can really say Rondo got snubbed and not say anything about Rodney Stuckey.

Why is LeBron the only Cav?

Cavs are 35-9, why is there only one guy from that team on there?  Surely LeBron can't be the only reason that the Cavs are doing so well, and he's not.  Ultimately this question boils down to, why no Mo (Williams)?  Mo Williams has been a solid second piece next to LeBron, and contributed a lot to the Cavs' success, however, much of that success can also be attributed to two other players playing well, those being Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West.  Had Big Z been healthy, some might have made the case that Big Z is somewhat deserving to be a backup center, however, I would imagine that there are more forwards deserving of an ASG roster slot than Big Z, and the same selection of Chris Bosh at "center" would occur so that the coaches could select another forward (in this case Danny Granger and Paul Pierce).  Mo Williams honestly is doing the same thing he did in Milwaukee, just now, his team is winning.  That doesn't translate from "no All-Star consideration whatsoever" to "should have been in the All-Star game and got snubbed".

How about David Lee?

Lee is actually a name I've been seeing quite a bit in consideration for All-Star snubbage.  Lee has been putting up very impressive numbers, I'll be the first to admit it, but one note to take into account is that 7SoL (7 seconds or less) aka Mike D'Antoni's offensive scheme has a tendency to pad stats, don't believe me?  Look at Steve Nash's numbers from before and after D'Antoni left.  Certainly Lee has some impressive credentials, commentors to Roderick Boone's reaction to the ASG roster announcement are of a mixed crowd, but definitely people out there think Lee was jilted of a roster slot.  One fan goes as far to compare Lee's performance thusfar to KG's:

Lee: 15.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 56.9% FG, 2.2 TOs
Garnett: 16.2 points, 9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, 52.4% FG, 1.7 TOs

Which are pretty comparable, but a good reminder is that the fans decided, not coaches, that Garnett should be in the game, so it doesn't really matter if Lee is playing better than KG.  Skeets goes out of his way to mention Lee as snub in this morning's Basketball Jones as well.  Boone suggests that Lee was snubbed because of the Knicks' sub .500 record, which is possible, and Skeets also points out that he has 34 double-doubles in the season already, while impressive I don't think that means a lot, otherwise Troy Murphy would be in the talks too.  That's great in all, but again, there's the whole 7SoL stat padding thing.  Lee's always been known as a hustler and kind of a blue collar worker.  Boone mentions that Lee might've been able to make it as a backup center, but again, Lee's not making it over Bosh, and Bosh was going to be the backup center.  He's doing well, but he's not an All-Star, he's a solid blue-collar contributor that anyone and everyone would love to have on his team, but I think he's not really at that All-Star level.  If someone were to ask me if I had to choose (ASG aside) Rashard Lewis or David Lee for my team, I'd go with Rashard Lewis in a heartbeat, even if I had to base it entirely on this season's performance alone.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

NBA Jam: 2009

I have so much fun coming up with these things, especially after someone asked me this on Yahoo! Answers last year, that I decided I'd do it again.  I think there's a newer NBA Jam out somewhere that's 3-on-3 play, like NBA Street, but I'm going to go back to the old school 2-on-2 Super NES NBA Jam and Midway equivalent of NBA Hangtime (which later turned into Showtime for PS).  So 2-on-2 pairings it is, and here we go with the teams!  

Atlanta Hawks:
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith
Where one has been lacking, the other has been there.  Really, both players are playing exceptional, Joe Johnson is a solid ball handler and shooter while Josh Smith is just freakishly athletic.  I could imagine a Josh Smith crash board outlet (or swat) to Johnson racing up the court chucking up a three that looks way off only for everyone to realize that it's really a lob for an alley-oop from a trailing Josh Smith who just took off from the free throw line.

Boston Celtics:
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett
While I would love to put either Ray Allen or Rajon Rondo in here, I can't, because Pierce and Garnett are the cornerstones of the franchise.  Pierce is the game closer on the offensive end and Garnett is the defensive anchor.

Charlotte Bobcats:
Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor
While Raja Bell and Boris Diaw have certainly been adding a lot to the team, these are the two players I think of first when I think Bobcats.  Of course, there's Raymond Felton and Adam Morrison, but we're not going to include them, becuase honestly, they're not that good.  Fortunately for Wallace, you can't really get hurt in Jam, so he's in there.  While both guys are more defensive-minded, they're solid.  Double-alley-oop!

Chicago Bulls:
Derrick Rose and Luol Deng
The two more solid players on the roster, and by more, I mean only.  Gordon's been doing well, but he's an obvious ill-fit with the team.  Then again, I've never been too sure with the Bulls.  I want to see fire coming out of Rose's feet if this game ever gets made.

Cleveland Cavaliers:
LeBron James and Mo Williams
When I thought of this last year, I had trouble thinking of who to pair with LBJ, this year, there is no question.  Mo Williams has definitely been an answer to the lack of talent around LeBron.  My call on how you would play this, drive with LeBron, dish out to Mo Williams sitting at the arc then toss up for an alley-oop to LeBron.

Dallas Mavericks
Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki
Yes, I know, I know, what about Jason Terry and Josh Howard?  The prospect of being able to watch Kidd dunk and Nowitzki do an isolation dribble is too much for me to not include them though.  You know they'd do it in a game like this.

Denver Nuggets
Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony
I'd love to put Nene in there just so I can here the commentator say "Brazilian Hammer" for some reason or another, but undisputedly Billups and Anthony are the best players on the team.  Which reminds me, color commentary definitely makes the game, they better get someone good.  No offense to Kenny Smith, but I like Steve Kerr's color commentary from NBA Live much more than Kenny Smith's (NBA 2k8) recycled Bill Walton (NBA 2k5) one-liners.

Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton
I had a really hard time with this, it's not that I intentionally wanted to leave off Tayshaun Prince and Allen Iverson, it's just that, Sheed and Rip scream Pistons at me much more.  Really, they do, Rodney Stuckey was considered as well.  Though you couldn't go wrong with a pairing of Walter Hermann and Kwame Brown, could you?

Golden State Warriors
Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins
While this would be a game in which it is justifiable for Stephen Jackson to pull up at 29 feet with 20 seconds left in the shot clock for a three, because if you time it right, he'll make 75% of them, I think the face of the Warriors would ultimately be Ellis and Biedrins.  I wonder how many times you can make them clutch in the air, 2? 3? 4?  

Houston Rockets
Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming
I was tempted to put in Ron Artest, just because it's Ron Artest.  However, the team still belongs to Yao, and honestly, all injuries aside, T-Mac is actually pretty good.  Perhaps if they incorporate free throws we'd have to include Chuck Hayes.

Indiana Pacers
TJ Ford and Danny Granger
The younger Michael Dunleavy hasn't really impressed me, though I suppose to spite Warriors fans you could do a Troy Murphy/Mike Dunleavy pairing.  Granger has been lighting it up, and TJ Ford was lighting it up, until he got hurt again, but again, this is NBA Jam, every player is invincible, even when elbows are thrown.  

Los Angeles Clippers
Baron Davis and Zach Randolph
While I would love to see Marcus Camby swat anything and everything that comes within 3 feet of the basket, Davis and Randolph have been the two more solid contributors on the Clippers.  Besides, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to do this myself.  Though, given the current Clippers rosters, what with the injury bug and all, it'd probably be something like an Al Thornton/Eric Gordon pairing, though they might get desperate enough to do Fred Jones and Paul Davis.

Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol
Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum also get a shout-out, but Kobe and Pau are the centerpieces of this franchise.  Besides, who doesn't want to see a shaggy Spaniard throw down a 1080 dunk after getting 12 feet in the air?  Ah... good ol' NBA Hangtime.

Memphis Grizzlies
OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay
One shaggy haired Spaniard is enough.  Sorry Marc.  Unless you think Darko fits better in here some how, this one is pretty straight forward.  

Miami Heat
Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion
This was supposed to be Pat Riley's Jordan/Pippen pairing.  Well, I guess you could make it still happen in a video game.  Honestly, it's hard to pick anyone else on the Heat... Especially since Zo retired.  It was a tossup otherwise between Michael Beasley and Udonis Haslem.

Milwaukee Bucks
Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson
Sure Andrew Bogut is a pretty big part of the team, but Jefferson was supposed to be the difference maker.  Besides, you can't really leave out anybody whose game has been likened to Vince Carter's.  Though Joe Alexander and Luc Mbah-a-Moute would be fun, just to hear the commentator try to say "Mbah-a-Moute".

Minnesota Timberwolves
Randy Foye and Al Jefferson
Jefferson is a stud, Randy Foye, looking less like a bust and more like a serviceable pick, certainly better than Mike Miller's been doing.  Of course, the 6-7 power-forward tandem of Ryan Gomes and Craig Smith might be pretty interesting too...  Kevin Love would be an interesting person on there as well, then again, some people might just want to see Brian Cardinal on there for kicks.

New Jersey Nets
Devin Harris and Vince Carter
As much as I would like to see the prospect of another big Chinese guy doing reverse-360 dunks during an in game situation, you can't really leave off Harris and Vinsanity.  Maybe they'll make special dunks just for Vinsanity.  Everyone jumps over everyone else in the original game already, so they'd have to come up with something new.  Secret slam dunk codes for Vinsanity!

New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul and David West
Though having the prospect of seeing Peja dunk on like Yao would be pretty entertaining.  David West I think is probably the second most productive player on the Hornets.  I wonder if they can do like a "Matrix mode" where everything slows down to bullet time with Chris Paul.  Dude, super moves for each character would be awesome.

New York Knicks
Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler
I was about to incorporate Al Harrington or David Lee or Chris Duhon somehow, but somehow, the Knicks just scream Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler to me.  Besides, who wouldn't want to play as a high flying, former 5-9 Slam Dunk champion?  Who wouldn't want to play with a 5-9 guy and block the tallest NBA player all day?

Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green
They need less ugly jerseys, they really do.  Aside from that, Green and Durant definitely look like the real deal.  They'll probably shoot a lot better from 3 pt range in the game too, well, depending who's playing with them.

Orlando Magic
Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard
If you could map a putback slam somehow into the controls, this team would be unstoppable.  That being said, maybe they should do alternate uniforms.  You could play as Dwight Howard in a Superman costume, and Rashard Lewis could be... Green Latern.

Philadelphia 76ers
Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala
I don't know that I'm convicned Brand really fits as a Sixer, so I'm gonna stick with Miller and Iggy.  I know, that shouldn't matter, but still, this works.  I wonder if this is a legal inbounds play...

Phoenix Suns
Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire
Still getting used to typing that apostrophe...  Anyways, with the way the Suns are going, the team might be better represented by Jason Richardson and Shaquille O'Neal, still, a call back to the good ol' 7SoL days.  Maybe they'll have a function where Nash passes it with his head, it'd be like a long rebound, so he'd both a rebound and an assist.

Portland Trailblazers
Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge
No question about this one, these two are the revival of Portland basketball.  Roy is the real deal, and Aldridge has developed quite nicely as well (though we'd like him to rebound more).  Heck, you can chuck 30 footers with Roy all day in this game and he'll make them, you don't even have to wait for the buzzer.

Sacramento Kings
Kevin Martin and John Salmons
I really don't know who other than Kevin Martin I should put on, I know Brad Miller and John Salmons aren't really in the Kings' future, but I can't really bring myself to put Beno Udrih, Fracisco Garcia, or Mikki Moore in.  Really, I can't.

San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker and Tim Duncan
As boring as Tim Duncan is to watch, there's no excuse that can be made for him to not be in this video game.  We get to play TD the way sometimes we want him to play.  Though, if they don't make like a facial expression script, we could have the joy of watching the same ol' Tim Duncan face even after he pulls one of those Midway signature somersault slams.

Toronto Raptors
Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh
I wanna say something about YouTube but I'm at a loss... 

Utah Jazz
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer
Only until Boozer leaves, but even then, the centerpiece is Williams.  As you can tell, I'm running out of things to say.

Washington Wizards
Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison
Maybe we can get a clip of DeShawn Stevenson yelling "DAGGER!" everytime they make a shot.

Rookies vs Sophomores: 2009 Edition

So today the NBA announced the players of the Rookie/Sophomore game, including guest assistant coaches in Dwayne Wade (Rookies) and Dwight Howard (Sophomores), interesting twist.  The head coaches haven't been announced yet, but the players are in.  I suppose I should make this a little more than just telling you that it's there because most of you probably found it yourselves, so a little analysis is in store.  I'm not gonna go with who I would've had instead, because that would bore you, so just straight analysis.  As if you haven't heard this enough already, this is just my take, by no means take this as the official starting rosters.

Rookie Squad:
Starters:
PG- Derrick Rose
SG- OJ Mayo
SF- Michael Beasley
PF- Brook Lopez
C- Greg Oden

Reserves:
Guards: Russell Westbrook, Rudy Fernandez, Eric Gordon
Center: Marc Gasol

Keys for the Rookies:
Transition Offense-
Another starting lineup I could see for this is starting Rudy or Mayo at the 3 slot and sliding Beasley to the 4.  Regardless, while the Rookies are able to put upwards of 3 7-footers on the floor, I think Beasley will likely start at the 4 and if they play small, this will turn into a running game.  While it might be fun to see Mayo iso in the corner, the team (especially with the likes of Westbrook, Rudy, and Rose) really needs to run.  It'll be a lot of Oden/Lopez/Gasol rebound outlet passing up to Westbrook or Rose to initiate a break.  While you do have 3 7 foot centers at your disposal, none of Oden, Lopez, or Gasol are dominant enough to focus the offense around.  They'll be in trouble if the game turns into a half-court battle, however, running the ball could potentially be an issue too.  It's hard to say, their bigs are kind of slow.  Another option is to have Mayo, Gordon, and Fernandez start spotting up and try an inside outside, utilizing their 7-footers' size to their advantage.  It's a pretty versatile team.  

Sophomores:
Starters:
PG- Rodney Stuckey
SG- Wilson Chandler
SF- Kevin Durant
PF- Thaddeus Young
C- Al Horford

Reserves:
Guard- Aaron Brooks
Forwards- Al Thornton, Jeff green
Center- Luis Scola

Key for the Sophomores:
Play like their size-
Aside from not having a true center, this is a big team, or rather, maybe long is a better word.  Kind of reminds me of the Atlanta Hawks, playing like 4 long athletic forwards with a point guard, though Stuckey is also 6-5 so he's a big point too.  The nice thing about this kind of a team, is that all of the players are athletic enough to run with a faster team like the rookies, so that might take a run and gun game out of the picture.  This team reminds a lot of the Atlanta Hawks for some reason, though Wilson Chandler is by no means the same kind of perimeter threat that Joe Johnson is.  However, this is a long team and they need to remember that, they can make a lot of trouble for the opposing team on defense.  I think if Chandler focuses on containing Mayo, and they run an isolation play for Kevin Durant, who will have one of Beasley, Mayo, or Rudy guarding him, then it's an obvious mismatch right there.  Rebounding over the likes of Oden, Lopez, and Gasol might be an issue, and they don't really have a 3pt threat outside of Brooks, but they have the advantage so long as the perimeter game doesn't get out of hand.


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Eh....? Shawn Marion can't shoot. Stop saying he can.

So I was browsing my Google Reader when I came across this.  Now, I have no problems with Ziller trying to make the Kings as good as possible with ridiculous one sided trades, but please, call a player what he is, and don't try to advertise it falsely.  The only reason Portland might want Marion would be for his defense, because honestly, Marion can't shoot for beans.  Marion is an undersized PF that can defend smaller positions or an SF that can defends bigs and rebounds well.  Don't tell me he's a shooter.  Portland needs a spot up shooter in the SF slot, especially from downtown, Marion's been doing more of that since he's gone to Miami.  Let's see the results: 19.4% from beyond the arc this season.  I don't count his 30+% stints in Phoenix because 7SoL offense probably has something to do with that.  

Monday, January 26, 2009

All-Star Picks: East

As is with the way they have you vote, lets move from the West to the East.  Actually, for the past few years, the East has always consistently outplayed the West in the ASG, which leads to some contention, but usually the game is good.  The balance of stars has always been there, just not the balance of teams, so in this case (the ASG) then it doesn't really matter.  On with the show...

Starters:
Again, remember you voted (well, fans that voted, including you if you did) for these players, so I really can't do anything about who starts or not, so the main picks by me in this case would have to be the reserves and wildcards. 

Dwayne Wade (SG, Miami Heat)
D-Wade's revival has been sort of the marquee of the year since the Beijing Olympics over the summer.  Last season was a major disappointment with him trying to recover from a devestating shoulder dislocation from a collision with Shane Battier, and then knee problems, eventually forcing him to miss the majority of the season, causing the Heat to stumble to an embarassing league worst of 15-67, which ultimately turned into a lottery pick landing them Michael Beasley.  Now the Heat stand at a respectable 23-19 and that's largely thanks to Wade's return and revitalized play.  Wade is averaging an insane 28.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks on 47.5% shooting.  Ridiculous.  This is a guy who fantasy owners were disappointed in because he fell below 2 blocks per game in his averages.  As a guard.  Yeah.  Scary.  His averages thusfar for points, assists, steals, and blocks are all career highs.  Also good to note that he's the league's leading scorer at the moment scoring 0.7 more points per game than LeBron, and a whole 2.4 points more than Kobe.  

Allen Iverson (SG, Detroit Pistons)
This is a point in time where a player's reputation is a little greater than his actual on-court value.  At least from what we've seen so far.  Detroit has managed to hold to a 24-19 record while trying to fit The Answer into a more team oriented system.  Iverson still has a lot of game, definitely one of the best if not the best undersized players in the game.  I'm more prone to blame adjustment to the system than his age for the dropoff in production, but I could be wrong.  Since the swap for Billups, McDyess, and Samb, Iverson has been averaging 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 41.9% shooting.  While it is his career low scoring average at the moment, I think that was to be expected with the team oriented offense system as opposed to Iverson-oriented offense that AI is used to.  Instead of playing around players like Aaron McKie, Dikembe Mutumbo, and the like, who were all supporting cast for Iverson, AI now has to play with players that produce with the ball more, taking away his shots, like Rip Hamliton, Rasheed Wallace, and the emerging offenses of Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey.  Definitely disagree with this pick, but hey, the fans like him, so to me, this is a fan pick more than anything.  Iverson makes enough sense to keep David Sterns tinkering ways out of this vote.  So, he's in more because of career achievements and the fact that he can still kind of play, more so than that he's actually playing well.

LeBron James (SF, Cleveland Cavaliers)
I really shouldn't have to say anything here, I shouldn't, but I will, just because.  Maybe there's some contention as to whether or not he's the best player in the league at the moment, however, I don't think there should be any contention that should he continue to develop, he will be the best player in the league at his prime, if not the best player of all time.  His scoring, rebounding, and assists are down from last year, but that's largely because of the help that Danny Ferry got LeBron in the form of Mo Williams, as well as the revitalized play of the other supporting cast like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West.  While Big Z and West's injuries are worrisome, the Cavs are still one of the elite teams in the East (there I said it), though I personally am not convinced that they have what it takes to win, but still they have LeBron, and that's quite a bit.  He's "down" averages are: 28.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 2.0 steals on 49.4% shooting.  Ridiculous.  As a reminder to all of you, he just turned 24 this past Christmas (well, technically a little after).

Kevin Garnett (PF, Boston Celtics)
The reigning DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) I think is deserving of an ASG slot.  While I didn't vote for him, he's definitely bringing a lot to the floor.  More so than the numbers tell.  His averages are definitely down across the board; 16.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks on 52.5% shooting.  Some of it might be attributed to age (he turns 33 this year) however, I believe a large part of it is the emergence of Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins as major forces on the floor, in addition to the strong starting performance of Ray Allen.  What Garnett brings to floor beyond the numbers though, is a tenacity and intensity that invigorates his teammates.  He is the anchor of the defense, where Tim Duncan is the silent, lead by example kind of player, Kevin Garnett is the opposite, he's the guy that will get in your face and get loud and be intense.  Garnett and Duncan are like the polar opposite PFs of the time, but both are elite and show that both ways can work.  Definitely a beyond the stats pick, not my pick, but he deserves it.

Dwight Howard (C, Orlando Magic)
What's amazing about this pick isn't that it's Dwight Howard, there are no other centers in the East that really deserve to be the ASG except for Howard.  What's amazing, is that Howard got more votes than Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Yao, and Duncan, the other position vote leaders.  That aside, Dwight Howard is a beast.  He's starting to refine his game a little beyond spin and dunk, and while he has the big-man weakness of not being able to make free throws, you can't really fault him too much on that as it's something other great bigs like Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal struggled with.  Superman is averaging 20.0 points, 13.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 3.2 blocks on 56.5% shooting.  Yes, I did type that correctly, 3.2 blocks per game.  As the currently league leader in rebounds and blocks Howard is also 5th in FG%, behind Nene, Shaq, Emeka Okafor, and David Lee.  Like LeBron, Dwight is still a ways away from realizing his true potential, he's only 23.  While he's been known to take plays off on times, and Stan Van Gundy recently called him out, he's been crucial to the Magic success (33-10), and he's definitely making the difference.

Reserves:
Ah, now here we go, my picks.  Remember; 2 guards, 2 forwards, 1 center, 2 wildcards

Joe Johnson (SG, Atlanta Hawks)
Joe Johnson has his game together.  His not-too-shabby averages of 21.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.1 steal, and 2.0 threes per game on 42.6% shooting are definitely one of the reasons the Hawks stand 26-17, 4th overall in the Eastern Conference.  Ok, so I don't put a huge amount of emphasis on team performance, so let's just get back to the Armadillo Cowboy.  He's been playing amazing basketball, and honestly, I would've voted him in over AI (I did vote for him I recall) and the numbers don't lie, he's playing at a high level, I can't think of another guard on the East more deserving to be in the ASG (well, after Wade I suppose).  

Devin Harris (PG, New Jersey Nets)
He's not by far the best PG in the East, but he is the best PG.  On that alone, he should make it in.  While the numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, that grain being that Lawrence Frank is running most of the offense through Harris, 21.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.6 steals on 44.6% shooting is still rather impressive.  Most people have already locked him in as MIP (Most Improved Player) and I wouldn't disagree.  Most people also say that he's now making the Jason Kidd trade look stupid, and while in terms of player value, maybe the Nets won out, I wouldn't say that the trade didn't make sense, perhaps that's where the grain of salt comes in.

Danny Granger (SF, Indiana Pacers)
So a lot of people are probably saying, "I told you so!" to me and my earlier "Danny Granger is overrated" posts.  Well, maybe not, because that would mean that people are actually reading this.  Nonetheless, Granger has indeed proven me wrong, and it's a good thing I think.  I like being proven wrong in this case.  Granger has definitely stepped it up on a Pacers squad that really didn't look like much (still isn't looking great, but definitely some great pieces in there).  He's definitely become the floor leader for this squad and has brought it, his game has definitely stepped it up.  While some might argue that his per-48 stats are actually similar to previous production, he's just getting more minutes, the fact that he's putting up 26.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.4 blocks per game, on 44.3% shooting just means that he was that good to begin with.

Antawn Jamison (SF/PF, Washington Wizards)
Of a dismal Wizards squad, surprisingly Jamison has been the one bright spot.  I give him this slot because Jamison is one of those hard workers that always brings 110% to the floor.  While I have my doubts that Jamison would actually be put on the ASG East team, I think he deserves a spot because of his consistent contribution.  He's averaging 20.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals on 47.2% shooting.  Solid numbers.  This is the point where I note that I think ASG is more about individual achievement though arguably if a guy is All-Star material he should be contributing to the team's win category as well, but honestly I can't hold that against a guy like Jamison.

Chris Bosh (PF/C, Toronto Raptors)
Chris Bosh again wins the "center" spot on the reserve roster.  Regardless of what position it is, Bosh definitely deserves a spot in the ASG game, let me first get that straight.  However, being that he's close enough to being a center, and there are no centers I think deserving of the spot (Zydrunas Ilgauskas is injured, Jermaine O'Neal on the injured list too long, Rasheed Wallace too inconsistent, Kendrick Perkins isn't a big enough factor, and it just tails off from there) Bosh gets the spot.  People have held the Raptors' recent struggles against him, but again, I can't really blame him for the ineffectiveness of Jason Kapono, Jamario Moon, and Anthony Parker as well as the injuries to Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon.  I voted for Bosh to start instead of Kevin Garnett, because he deserves it.  He's averaging 23.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists on 49.7% shooting.  

Wildcards:
Vince Carter (SG, New Jersey Nets)
It feels weird putting two Nets into the ASG, but, still, Carter definitely has put himself in a spot that deserves it.  A lot of people (myself included) questioned Carter's motivation for playing with the Nets, as the franchise is obviously moving towards the rebuilding phase (only Carter, Harris, and Eduardo Najera have contracts longer than 2 seasons).  However, Carter came out this year playing strong, and while he's struggled a couple of games, he's definitely shown that his heart is still in the game.  He's kept his head in the game and playing the basketball that we've wanted him to play for as long as we can remember.  Late is better than never.  He's averaging: 21.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals on 44.8% shooting.

Rashard Lewis (SF/PF, Orlando Magic)
I had a really hard time picking this one, really, there are a lot of guys that could go in here, but I'm going to have to go with Lewis.  While a lot of people think throwing that $15 million contract at Lewis was a big mistake, I happen to think the opposite.  I think Rashard Lewis is a quality player, an All-Star caliber player.  He makes a huge difference on the defensive end, playing out of position, guarding PFs, making them work for their shots with his length, and he's been a solid contributor on the offensive end as well.  He's averaging 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.9 treys on 44.8% shooting.  He's leading the leagues in 3-pointers made (per game).  I think that warrants a shout-out.

Potential "snubs"
Ok, before I start this list, I know you people are going to yell at me, because of the people I left off, so I'd just kindly request you remember that these are just my picks, you can civilly disagree in the comments if you so please.

Ray Allen (SG, Boston Celtics)
As I mentioned earlier, Allen has been playing great.  He came into the season with some hot shooting and has sustained that thusfar.  He's averaging 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.4 treys on 50.4 % shooting.  50.4%!  This is a guy that's supposed to be the team's 3pt specialist.   As great as he's been playing though, I think that other players have stepped it up more. 

Paul Pierce (SF, Boston Celtics)
Let me again get this straight, 19.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 44.2% shooting is great.  It really is.  However, Pierce hasn't really brought it every game.  Sure he hasn't needed to, but some of his earlier struggles in the season definitely haven't helped his overall individual performance, and thus he gets nudged out.

Caron Butler (SG/SF, Washington Wizards)
He's about as deserving as Jamison, except, I suppose he hasn't lived up to expectations.  He really hasn't been a huge difference maker on his team, and has faded at times.  He doesn't take over the game like the Wizards (or the rest of us) really want him to.  Granted, you can't blame everything on him, but he just hasn't been there consistently.

Rajon Rondo (PG, Boston Celtics)
Rondo had a streak of craziness, but he's kind of come back down to earth.  While his game has significantly improved, it hasn't to the point where he's All-Star material.  Certainly, he deserves some consideration, but, with the Celtics, it's hard to point to any individual contributing with outstanding performances, which is something I take as the most important in an ASG candidate.

Jameer Nelson (PG, Orlando Magic)
Nelson has proven a lot of people, who didn't think he had what it took to run a club wrong.  He's been having a phenomenal season and is the floor leader that the Magic look to for offense intiation.  Consistency has been another issue here, and Nelson, while for the most part solid, has sort of tapered off.  

Other players that I don't have time to write about, but I considered were Emeka Okafor (PF/C, Charlotte Bobcats), Gerald Wallace (SF/PF, Charlotte Bobcats), Josh Smith (PF, Atlanta Hawks), Mike Bibby (PG, Atlanta Hawks), Hedo Turkoglu (Orlando Magic)