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Authored by Brett Callahan - 18th November, 2008 - 7:38 pm
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Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans
The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
A Melo Behind The Superstars
Carmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
A Melo Behind The Superstars
Carmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
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Each month RealGM.com will issue its Baker’s Dozen, covering topics throughout the NBA, and ending with a special salute to Vin Baker by finding a player, coach, or entire organization, who have found Baker’s uncanny ability to abuse talent and endanger careers. Here is November’s listing:
1. Injuries: What separates the great from the good and the good from the bad.
Each season, nearly every team deals with a major injury. While some let it ruin them, others find resilience and carry forward seemingly as if not even missing their star. Maybe the best gauge of a team’s moral and guts, the injury plague has already informed us of so much around the league in 2008-09.
The Great – Utah Jazz , San Antonio Spurs
Both teams are dealing with major injuries to their rotations and have remained in contention despite this. Utah (7-4) has played several games without Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur, 3 of their top 4 players, and have managed to survive on average talent like CJ Miles, Ronnie Brewer, Kosta Koufos. San Antonio (5-5) has survived injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili by utilizing tough defense and outside shooting, and surprise fill-in play by Roger Mason and rookie George Hill. Both Tim Duncan (23.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 56% fg) and Carlos Boozer (20.5 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 56% fg) have proven they are worthy of early All-Star consideration with their play.
The Good – Chicago Bulls
Despite being without Kirk Hinrich, the Bulls, under first year coach, Vinny Del Negro, have scraped to a 5-5 record behind the play of rookie Derrick Rose and veteran Ben Gordon (25.5 ppg since being placed in a starting role). They should challenge for the 7th-8th seed in the East.
The Bad – Washington Wizards , Sacramento Kings
Washington has been just plain terrible without Agent Zero being outscored by nearly 10 ppg while going 1-6 in its opener. Sacramento has not necessarily been bad at 4-7, but their inability to win close games (they’ve lost 3 games on last second shots) are what prevent them from being a good team. They have been without Brad Miller (suspension), Kevin Martin, and Francisco Garcia for a combined 20 games, and starting power forward Mikki Moore is set to miss at least the next 2. John Salmons (17.9 ppg, 1.3 spg) has played exceptionally for the squad, but it has not been enough.
2. Hot New York Start Not Enough – Despite starting 6-4 (includes wins against bottom feeders, OKC, Washington, Charlotte, and Memphis) and finding a successful rotation that includes Wilson Chandler and Chris Duhon in place of time bombs Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry, New York fans should expect to see either the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls provide just enough distance to eek out a playoff berth and send their Knicks packing despite their best effort in the last 5 years.
3. Start Packing: Leandro Barbosa and Chris Kaman (both seeing decreased minutes and points) seem to have fallen out of favor with their clubs and appear to be some of the next in line to follow Iverson and Billups out the door. Barbosa now splits time with rookie Goran Dragic, and has not been his explosive self. The Clippers are 1-9 and someone needs to have the blame put on them. Instead of Coach Mike Dunleavy taking a trip to the unemployment line, it looks like Kaman will leave this overpaid and trouble squad at some point midseason.
4. Hardly Worth-Yi: Yi Jianlian, starting in the All-Star Game? Headlines abound that China’s 1.3 billion citizens have the power to vote in Yi Jianlian as a starter in the All-Star Game. Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand? No let’s go with the 38% shooting Yi. While we’re at it, lets bench Chris Paul and start Sun Yue. At some point the NBA needs to regulate how much effect fan voting really should have. Otherwise look for Amare Stoudemire to enjoy dunking on Yi all game long in a stomping by the West.
5. Crystal Ball: Dwight Howard, soon to turn 23 and averaging 21.3 points, 14 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks through 10 games looks dominate enough to say that he will win both a league and Finals MVP by the time he turns 28, especially if the free throw shooting and surrounding cast improve season by season as they should.
6. In Need of a Change: each game, veterans catch rookies with head pumps, only to barrel their way into their chest, flail up a terrible shot, and earn two from the line. While some call this a savvy play, it has become ridiculous. Basketball players are starting to look like soccer players, and unless your Sasha Vujacic, they shouldn’t take that as a good thing.
7. Recipe for Disaster: The Maloof brothers are thinking of developing a series for television entitled “Rebuilding the Kings” as they cover the Sacramento Kings throughout the season. Since the Kings have no nationally televised games this season, it is an understandable move to bring some attention to the team. However, what reality series has ever ended on a positive note for its participants? Most families suffer a miserable divorce, and since a team is nearly a family, what’s to think that the constant spotlight won’t do the same to the Kings?
8. The 43-year-old Punter Award: Given to players in the league who do little to nothing to earn their millions:
PG – Stephon Marbury
SG – Steve Francis
SF – Brian Cardinal
PF – Kenny Thomas
C – Jerome James
Collectively these 5 are making nearly $62.2 million this season and have a combined 3 games played totaling 2 rebounds and 1 steal. Better than finding a sugar mama, hats off gentleman.
9. Fantasy Steals: Roger Mason (13.7 ppg, 2.5 3pg as a starter), Udonis Haslem (63% shooting, 8.5 rpg), Rudy Fernandez (24 3s, 94% ft), Nene (64% shooting, 14.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg), Mickael Pietrus (14.5 ppg, 2 3pg)
10. Fantasy Headscratchers: Rodney Stuckey (only 3 games in double figures, not starting), Tracy McGrady (hurt again, will recover, and be hurt again), Leandro Barbosa (only 1 game over 20 pts), Louis Williams (35% shooting, more turnovers than assists), Andray Blatche (34% shooting, 2 blocks all year)
11. Fantasy Radar: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (15 and 11 as a starter), Al Harrington (when he’s traded to New Jersey should provide numbers again), Ramon Sessions (should be starting, but still averaging 16 ppg and 5.3 apg), Jason Thompson (11 ppg, 6.5 rpg, could be a full time starter by end of the year) JaVale McGee (has double doubles each time he’s played more than 25 minutes)
12. Early Awards:
Most Improved: Nene – having the best year of his career after coming back from double microfracture surgery and testicular cancer. If he stays healthy it will be hard to vote for anyone else.
6th Man of the Year: Nate Robinson – averaging nearly 14 ppg, 4.4 apg, and 2.3 spg all while hitting 20 3s, makes him a big reason why New York has a winning record…..for now.
Rookie of the Year: OJ Mayo – unbelievable start, averaging 21 ppg on 45% fg and 2.1 3pg.
Defensive Player of the Year: Dwyane Wade – 20th in blocks per game and 3rd in steals, Wade looks every bit the Olympic beast fans expected to see this year.
Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan – going 7-4 on a squad full of injuries and unprovens shows that 2009 may finally be the year Sloan wins the award.
MVP: MVP: LeBron James - James leads the 8-2 Cavs with 29.8 ppg, 8 rpg, and 7.3 apg. He has a better supporting cast than in years past, and it looks as though this may the year James holds the Larry O'Brien trophy over his head. On his heels are Howard, Wade, Chris Paul, and Joe Johnson.
13. Vin Baker’s Dozen Award: the Dallas Mavericks – At 3-7, they look pathetically dismal. Josh Howard has done enough in the offseason to make PacMan Jones look like a saint, Jerry Stackhouse wants to be traded, and Dirk has been inconsistent all season going from 33 point performances to 8 and 12 point outings that leave the team in limbo. As Mark Cuban faces insider trading allegations from the SEC, the organization faces a top to bottom depression that will see them missing the playoffs for the first time since 2000. |
