The New York Knicks have made two big moves this year. They added star power forward, and coach Mike D'Antoni favorite, Amare Stoudemire, who is having a breakout year as a leader. Then they traded for Carmelo Anthony, another high-scoring All Star. But, even with two centerpieces like they have, they still can not win. But why?
All great teams need certain things. They need a bench, something that New York really does not have. Though they gave up mostly starters, the New York Knicks has a depleted bench. They have certain key guys like energy big man Ronny Turiaf and sharpshooting Toney Douglas, but they don't have good rotations. They also need more help up front. They gave up a usable big man in Timofey Mozgov, and they now have no real starting center. They also need more defense, but this goes into coaching philosophy. D'Antoni has been known as a fast team that has loads of offense, but not much defense. They try to score more rather than try to get the other team to score less. They also need a better point guard. Though Chauncey Billups is one of the mentally stronger and experienced point guards, his skills are on the decline, though he puts in valuable minutes as a veteran.
The Knicks need to wait for the free agency class of 2012. This is when big names like Deron Williams and Dwight Howard start to show up. Adding either of these spectacular players will definitely boost the Knicks because it helps solve problems in the rotation, and in doing so, allows for starting-caliber players to be available on the bench. But until then, unless they find some miracle player on their bench that can plug in the hole at center or play unparalleled defense, the Knicks will be nothing more than an afterthought.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Questioning the Answer: How Doug Collins Helped the Philadelphia 76ers Forget About Allen Iverson
The 76ers at one point had the most feared scorer in basketball: Allen Iverson. He was supposed to be a surefire Hall of Famer, but his career was derailed after leaving Philly. The 76ers were thrown for a loop, culminating in the number 2 pick last year. They went from lottery to potential playoff shocker. How did they do that? Well the first thing to look at is their coach Doug Collins.
I am no basketball expert, but looking at their roster, Doug Collins must've done something to this team to make them improve this much. In the first half of the season, it looked like the 76ers were headed for another lottery finish. Then, they hit it. They have been one of the stronger teams in the NBA after the All-Star break. But they are doing it with an oft-injured starting power forward in Elton Brand, a seemingly overhyped shooting guard in Evan Turner, and a dialed down Andre Iguodala.
Doug Collins has changed this team. They are more defensive despite giving up a strong defensive center in Samuel Dalembert away for a more offensively minded center in Spencer Hawes. He diminished the scoring role of Andre Iguodala and made him more of a distributor. He found talent in late picks like Jodie Meeks and Louis Williams. He is letting his talented big men work the post, and moved former starter Thaddeus Young to a key bench role. He has transformed this team, and though they are far from winning, they won't be for long.
I am no basketball expert, but looking at their roster, Doug Collins must've done something to this team to make them improve this much. In the first half of the season, it looked like the 76ers were headed for another lottery finish. Then, they hit it. They have been one of the stronger teams in the NBA after the All-Star break. But they are doing it with an oft-injured starting power forward in Elton Brand, a seemingly overhyped shooting guard in Evan Turner, and a dialed down Andre Iguodala.
Doug Collins has changed this team. They are more defensive despite giving up a strong defensive center in Samuel Dalembert away for a more offensively minded center in Spencer Hawes. He diminished the scoring role of Andre Iguodala and made him more of a distributor. He found talent in late picks like Jodie Meeks and Louis Williams. He is letting his talented big men work the post, and moved former starter Thaddeus Young to a key bench role. He has transformed this team, and though they are far from winning, they won't be for long.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Singin' the Blues: Moving On Without a Hall of Fame Coach and a Franchise Point Guard
The Utah Jazz are a great franchise. The last 2 or so decades have been characterized by outstanding point guard play, primarily by Deron Williams and John Stockton, and a strong post presence like Carlos Boozer, Al Jefferson, and Karl Malone. But the biggest part of this team for the last couple of decades has been their undoubtedly deserving Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan. But, in two deft moves, the Jazz have cut ties with both their coach and their franchise player Williams.
The Jazz also sustained the loss of many good players like Boozer, but with Paul Millsap in the ranks, they felt that Boozer was unnecessary and that role players like Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver could be replaced. They were partially right as they played very well for about half of the season. Then, everything went downhill. The Jazz knew that Williams was not exactly fond of Sloan, which began when he was benched as a rookie. But it reached a breaking point when Sloan was fired after a supposed argument between both the coach and the star player. Ty Corbin, an apt replacement, stepped in and looked to take over Sloan's former team. But then the next big bombshell dropped. They traded Deron Williams.
The Jazz can certainly recover from this. They got Devin Harris, who is good, but not great, and lottery pick Derrick Favors, a young player with loads of potential. But Ty Corbin is no Jerry Sloan. Devin Harris is no Deron Williams, who is definitely no John Stockton. The Jazz must move on, but they don't have the pieces in place to return to the Finals, to return to the glory days. That is why the Jazz are fittingly singing the blues.
The Jazz also sustained the loss of many good players like Boozer, but with Paul Millsap in the ranks, they felt that Boozer was unnecessary and that role players like Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver could be replaced. They were partially right as they played very well for about half of the season. Then, everything went downhill. The Jazz knew that Williams was not exactly fond of Sloan, which began when he was benched as a rookie. But it reached a breaking point when Sloan was fired after a supposed argument between both the coach and the star player. Ty Corbin, an apt replacement, stepped in and looked to take over Sloan's former team. But then the next big bombshell dropped. They traded Deron Williams.
The Jazz can certainly recover from this. They got Devin Harris, who is good, but not great, and lottery pick Derrick Favors, a young player with loads of potential. But Ty Corbin is no Jerry Sloan. Devin Harris is no Deron Williams, who is definitely no John Stockton. The Jazz must move on, but they don't have the pieces in place to return to the Finals, to return to the glory days. That is why the Jazz are fittingly singing the blues.
Monday, March 28, 2011
End of the Ming Dynasty: Where Talent Meets Injury
The Houston Rockets were experiencing the aftermath of losing a dominant big man. But in the draft, they made up for it by taking 7'6'' Yao Ming, and he was supposed to change their fortunes. They had a dynamic scorer in Steve Francis, but then they traded him for an even more talented scorer named Tracy McGrady. They were on their way up, but now, they have been waning. One of the biggest reasons for this decline is Yao Ming.
Yao Ming was supposed to be a talented player. Though he did have a massive voting push from the Asian population, Yao was still arguably a deserving a starter for the All-Star when he is healthy. But, health is something that has eluded Yao. Yao has a good range for a center, and his height allowed him to dominate in the post. But injuries kept him sidelined, and as the Rockets continued to get more talent around their centerpiece, their centerpiece was kept out of the game. Yao Ming could have been one of the best centers in the league now, but his injuries kept him from reaching his potential.
After back-to-back sidelined years, the Rockets have to determine whether Yao can come back and return to his All-Star form. You can't teach height, so the Rockets may be tentative to release such a versatile and tall player. But you also can't avoid injury when dealing with as injured a player as Yao. The Rockets seem to be moving past Yao after making moves to get #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet. He is still a great center and can fill in a void for any team looking for reserve big man. It is a sad story because this is what happens when talent meets injury.
Yao Ming was supposed to be a talented player. Though he did have a massive voting push from the Asian population, Yao was still arguably a deserving a starter for the All-Star when he is healthy. But, health is something that has eluded Yao. Yao has a good range for a center, and his height allowed him to dominate in the post. But injuries kept him sidelined, and as the Rockets continued to get more talent around their centerpiece, their centerpiece was kept out of the game. Yao Ming could have been one of the best centers in the league now, but his injuries kept him from reaching his potential.
After back-to-back sidelined years, the Rockets have to determine whether Yao can come back and return to his All-Star form. You can't teach height, so the Rockets may be tentative to release such a versatile and tall player. But you also can't avoid injury when dealing with as injured a player as Yao. The Rockets seem to be moving past Yao after making moves to get #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet. He is still a great center and can fill in a void for any team looking for reserve big man. It is a sad story because this is what happens when talent meets injury.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Reading the Obie-tuary: The Indiana Pacers' Best Move of the Season
The Indiana Pacers have been seeking their big break since losing Reggie Miller. They have not made the playoffs in the last couple of seasons, and this season looked like another losing one. But then, they made their big move. They dumped their coach Jim O'Brien.
Jim O'Brien, or Obie to some, was a decent coach. He was never one of the best offensive or defensive minds in the game, but he was able to turn around the Boston Celtics after Pitino left. He had the ability to turn around struggling franchises. That is something that the Pacers hoped O'Brien would work. But O'Brien also had a couple of problems. He needed certain players, and he kept other players in the dog pound. In Indiana, that included Tyler Hansbrough, a talented college power forward whose game didn't seem to translate in the NBA. But that was partially because Jim O'Brien kept these developing players in his dog pound. So the Pacers fired him, and the Pacers are back in the race.
Maybe Jim O'Brien did have reason to keep Hansbrough in the dog pound. But other issues included his inability to determine talent in the game. He kept hot players on the bench and substitutes them with his personal favorites. He kept players with high potential on the bench, while working out his personal favorites. He was needed to be dumped in order to get the Pacers into the race. And now they've locked up the 8th seed, so far...
Jim O'Brien, or Obie to some, was a decent coach. He was never one of the best offensive or defensive minds in the game, but he was able to turn around the Boston Celtics after Pitino left. He had the ability to turn around struggling franchises. That is something that the Pacers hoped O'Brien would work. But O'Brien also had a couple of problems. He needed certain players, and he kept other players in the dog pound. In Indiana, that included Tyler Hansbrough, a talented college power forward whose game didn't seem to translate in the NBA. But that was partially because Jim O'Brien kept these developing players in his dog pound. So the Pacers fired him, and the Pacers are back in the race.
Maybe Jim O'Brien did have reason to keep Hansbrough in the dog pound. But other issues included his inability to determine talent in the game. He kept hot players on the bench and substitutes them with his personal favorites. He kept players with high potential on the bench, while working out his personal favorites. He was needed to be dumped in order to get the Pacers into the race. And now they've locked up the 8th seed, so far...
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Curious Case of Monta Ellis: The Woulda Coulda Shoulda All-Star
The Golden State Warriors have been a relatively bad team for the last couple of years. Though they were able to make some noise in the playoffs from time to time (taking down #1 seed Dallas Mavericks, fresh off a Finals appearance in 2005, in 2006 in the first round), they have had more side stories than anything else. There was the "hot shooting" point guard Baron Davis. There was high-flying shooting guard Jason Richardson. There was the off-season acquistion of David Lee. Of course there was Don Nelson, looking to break the record for most wins by an NBA coach. But the biggest story for the Warriors is the development of Monta Ellis from 3-point shooter to potent star scorer.
The big story with Ellis is that he should be the first Golden State All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in the 1996-97 season. Monta Ellis was a second round draft pick straight from high school. Ellis was largely known as a quick 3-point shooter with poor shot selection, before sneaking into the conversation as one of the top scorers in the league. He was a silent threat because of the supposed star power of Baron Davis overshadowing the young Ellis. Ellis eventually burst onto the scene after his rookie season, taking home the Most Improved Player. He continued improving the next season, but his development was cut off after an injury. His immaturity showed when his injury was caused by a moped accident, something he hid from the Warriors. This led to a 30 game suspensions, which didn't matter due to his injury. He recuperated and picked up right where he left off.
This season, he is in the top 10 of scoring in the league, but he was snubbed from the All-Star team. Despite being a young, talented (if trigger-happy) shooter and scorer, he was passed over. There are great players in the West, but this is a great player and a star on the Warriors. He has somehow managed to maintain his scoring despite having a similar caliber player (Stephen Curry) on the roster. Ellis deserved an All-Star position. But he has nothing to worry about because he will be on the All-Star roster soon enough.
The big story with Ellis is that he should be the first Golden State All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in the 1996-97 season. Monta Ellis was a second round draft pick straight from high school. Ellis was largely known as a quick 3-point shooter with poor shot selection, before sneaking into the conversation as one of the top scorers in the league. He was a silent threat because of the supposed star power of Baron Davis overshadowing the young Ellis. Ellis eventually burst onto the scene after his rookie season, taking home the Most Improved Player. He continued improving the next season, but his development was cut off after an injury. His immaturity showed when his injury was caused by a moped accident, something he hid from the Warriors. This led to a 30 game suspensions, which didn't matter due to his injury. He recuperated and picked up right where he left off.
This season, he is in the top 10 of scoring in the league, but he was snubbed from the All-Star team. Despite being a young, talented (if trigger-happy) shooter and scorer, he was passed over. There are great players in the West, but this is a great player and a star on the Warriors. He has somehow managed to maintain his scoring despite having a similar caliber player (Stephen Curry) on the roster. Ellis deserved an All-Star position. But he has nothing to worry about because he will be on the All-Star roster soon enough.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The NBA's Tower of Babel: Where Every Year Is A Rebuilding Year
The Tower of Babel. It may have been the greatest tower never built. It is always unfinished, essentially being rebuilt every single time it is referenced. That is exactly what the Charlotte Bobcats are. Ever since their birth in 2004, the Bobcats have been in rebuilding mode, only making the playoffs once in this span. Whether it was getting a dominant big man like Emeka Okafor, or adding a point guard like Raymond Felton or D.J. Augustin, it always seemed like the Bobcats did not have a plan for their future.
The Charlotte Bobcats are the NBA's youngest team, so there really should not be anything expected from them. They had seasoned NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff as coach and general manager, a first in the NBA. They started out with a good addition in do-it-all small forward Gerald Wallace, though their expansion draft was unsurprisingly poor otherwise. The 2004-05 draft gave them the #2 pick Emeka Okafor from UConn. They struggled their first year, but it gave them good positioning for the next draft. The 2005-06 draft gave them two North Carolina players in Sean May and Raymond Felton. But they staggered into another poor record. Fortunately, they got a boost from another Carolina icon: Michael Jordan. Jordan pushed Bickerstaff out of the way, but then came 2007. In 2007, they drafted a long Brandan Wright, but traded him for Jason Richardson, a high-scoring, high-flying swingman. But they struggled again, leading to the firing of another coach and the entrance of legendary coach Larry Brown. Brown missed the playoffs in his first season, but added a young point guard D.J. Augustin, despite having Raymond Felton. But he brought them into the playoffs and made Gerald Wallace an All-Star. They ended the season early, but they were looking up. With an All-Star and a playoff berth, no one was going to be surprised by the Bobcats anymore.
Fast forward to now. Guess who is gone? Their first All-Star and only remaining player from the expansion draft Gerald Wallace. The only coach capable of bringing the Bobcats to the playoffs Larry Brown. And Gonzaga superstar Adam Morrison (known by many as one of the biggest busts ever). But this is no surprise. The Bobcats are always rebuilding. Despite finding good players, like Felton, they don't complement them with different players; they draft yet another point guard. They don't find another post player to complement Emeka Okafor; they find Sean May, an out-of-shape, undersized "power" forward. They will always find a way to break down their tower and try to rebuild again, much like a Tower of Babel.
The Charlotte Bobcats are the NBA's youngest team, so there really should not be anything expected from them. They had seasoned NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff as coach and general manager, a first in the NBA. They started out with a good addition in do-it-all small forward Gerald Wallace, though their expansion draft was unsurprisingly poor otherwise. The 2004-05 draft gave them the #2 pick Emeka Okafor from UConn. They struggled their first year, but it gave them good positioning for the next draft. The 2005-06 draft gave them two North Carolina players in Sean May and Raymond Felton. But they staggered into another poor record. Fortunately, they got a boost from another Carolina icon: Michael Jordan. Jordan pushed Bickerstaff out of the way, but then came 2007. In 2007, they drafted a long Brandan Wright, but traded him for Jason Richardson, a high-scoring, high-flying swingman. But they struggled again, leading to the firing of another coach and the entrance of legendary coach Larry Brown. Brown missed the playoffs in his first season, but added a young point guard D.J. Augustin, despite having Raymond Felton. But he brought them into the playoffs and made Gerald Wallace an All-Star. They ended the season early, but they were looking up. With an All-Star and a playoff berth, no one was going to be surprised by the Bobcats anymore.
Fast forward to now. Guess who is gone? Their first All-Star and only remaining player from the expansion draft Gerald Wallace. The only coach capable of bringing the Bobcats to the playoffs Larry Brown. And Gonzaga superstar Adam Morrison (known by many as one of the biggest busts ever). But this is no surprise. The Bobcats are always rebuilding. Despite finding good players, like Felton, they don't complement them with different players; they draft yet another point guard. They don't find another post player to complement Emeka Okafor; they find Sean May, an out-of-shape, undersized "power" forward. They will always find a way to break down their tower and try to rebuild again, much like a Tower of Babel.
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