Wednesday, November 28, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/28/12

NC State vs. Michigan: I needed another look at this Michigan squad, and I was not disappointed.  It turns out Michigan may have 5 pros on this team, and I didn't even catch the most intriguing one on my first look.  First, I already touched on Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III.  Hardaway is an undersized 2-guard and a volume shooter.  He will get his chance in the league, but the odds are against him, because he's not a consistent shooter, he is undersized, and he's not freakishly athletic.  For now, Robinson III just looks like an NBA player.  He plays like a freshman by deferring to others and fading for long stretches.  He will need a year or two to get his game ready for the league.  I got to see more of Trey Burke.  He will be a fringe NBA player.  If put in the right situation he could stick around for a few years.  He's got a three-ball, quick with the ball, changes pace well and can get in the lane and dish.  I was actually most impressed with two freshman who came off the bench.  First, Nik Stauskas is a 6'6" shooting guard who can light it up from outside, put it on the floor and get to the rim, and get out and run.  He's Canadian, but plays like an inner city youth.  I won't violate race comparison laws, so I'll compare him to Brent Barry.  He will make his money from the three point line, but he is more than capable of doing some other things.  I was also impressed with Mitch McGary.  McGary has every bit of the motor scouts said he had, but he is also a massive human being.  When you combine his motor with his size, there is no way he doesn't find a niche in the league.  As for NC State, as I've stated before, I'm most impressed with TJ "Pro Game" Warren.  He showed how efficient he was last night again by scoring around 20 off of 10 or so shots. 

Maryland vs Northwestern: I'm following Maryland because I'm a fan, but they deserve plenty of mentions because of Alex Len.  He is the best big man in college.  He affects every shot in the paint.  He can score in the post.  He can shoot the set shot out to 17 feet.  With all these skills he is a legit 7'2".  He's already shot up draft boards through the early season, but I don't think he's finished.  By the end of the season, he will be a lock for a top 5 pick.  He along with Otto Porter and Cody Zeller are the best players I've seen in college this year. 

UNC vs Indiana: Zeller is just a basketball player.  He's not dominant like Len.  He will never be Shaq, but he just knows how to play ball and does everything out there on the court.  I would compare him to a 7'0" Nick Collison.  He will take nothing off the table.  He can guard most 4s and 5s.  He can step out and help guards on picks.  Offensively, he does everything good, but not great.  James McAdoo is overrated.  Look out for him to fall down draft boards.  He should have stole money last year and left when nobody knew what he could do.  He's got NBA small forward size, but a power forward skill set.  He's not doing anything particularly well.  He's a solid player, and could end up cracking an NBA rotation one day, but I wouldn't say he is a lock for top 5 pick. 

Indiana vs LA Lakers: The Lakers scored 77 points and Kobe had 40.  That sentence speaks for itself.  Knowing me and the Lakers, you should know what I have to say about this.  Dwight Howard is a designated screen setter.  Pau is clearly not a D'Antoni player and isn't even playing over Jamison when it matters (really sad, because Jamison still is the worst player in the league).  It was tough to watch the 4th quarter and see all those other all stars just defer to Kobe without question.  And all Kobe was getting was contested threes or very long twos.  We're still suppose to reserve judgement until Nash is healthy, but this is a real bad sign. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/27/12

New York vs Brooklyn: Brooklyn is looking better and better each day and they're still not playing well individually.  Right now they're an above average defensive team with plenty of options on offense.  Carmelo was able to go off in this game, but that will rarely ever not happen in the course of a night, because the Knick offense is built 100% around him.  Even if he's cold for a quarter, he can come back the next quarter and get hot.  Brooklyn was able to weather those moments when he got hot, while they consistently put up points through a balanced attack.  Kidd sat out today, and instead of staying small, New York started Kurt Thomas.  This may have been the reason the Knicks didn't get off to their usual hot shooting start.  Things were a little more crowded in the lane, there weren't as many shooters, and the ball movement was not crisp. 
 
OKC vs Charlotte: I only tuned into this game because I saw the score was 85 to 35 in the early 3rd.  This was atroicious.  I turned it on and saw Bismack Biyombo shoot a 17 footer.  I turned it off, because that was all I needed to see. I been slacking since the holidays started, but I should get back to lots of games soon. 

Saturday, November 24, 2012

League Pass Diaries 11/24/12

LIU vs. Kentucky: I only checked in on this game, however I did see Archie Goodwin is running the point now for UK.  This should do wonders for his draft stock, because he is a tad undersized for an NBA 2-guard.  He is still pretty dynamic as far as getting to the cup at this level.  Nerlens Noel looks a little bit better.  I keep missing Poythress going off.  I watch UK and I never see him score, but than I check the box score and I see 20 points and a rack of rebounds.  What I see is a player who lets the game come to him.  He is not going to be a star, but he can play the small forward at 6'8" and very strong. 

Kansas State vs. Michigan: Michigan has two obvious pros that I will need to look more at.  Glenn Robinson III is a freshman but has the NBA profile.  He's a 6'6" hyper athletic wing with basic guard skills.  Tim Hardaway Jr. is about 6'5" with above average athleticism.  He looks like he can be a combo in the NBA if his jumper became consistent.  Trey Burke may have an outside shot, but we'll see later. 

New York vs. Houston: New York struggled to defend.  They scored the way they been scoring all season.  They established Melo early, and than other guys went off, but they could not stop Harden from getting in the paint.  Also, Chandler Parsons was on fire.  New York really isn't starting a 2-guard, because you have 2 point guards and 2 small forwards.  Harden-like players could pose a problem in the future.  Perhaps, New York was too consumed with shutting down Jeremy Lin?

LA Clippers vs. Brooklyn:  Brooklyn could be a problem.  Right now Deron Williams isn't playing well and they're still putting together wins.  Brook Lopez looked real good today.  He was a good help side defender and proved capable of having an offense run through him.  Despite being ridiculously slow, he has a real good pump fake and good moves in the post.  Joe Johnson has been quiet all season, but maybe this is what he needs.  When he does decide to score, he catches the defense off guard.  He's been doing a great job of using his size advantage over just about every 2-guard in the league to get buckets.  The Clippers front court is getting better every day.  Despite Brook having a good day, you can tell that Deandre and Blake are improving on the defensive end.  Blake is setting up his isolation game further from the basket.  He is very comfortable handling the ball like a guard and he's getting a lot of plays where he gets a whole side of the floor isolated and he takes his man off the dribble from the 3point arc.  Blake is also shooting the open 17 footer, which he hesitated at in previous years. 

Memphis vs. LA Lakers:  Dwight Howard looks terrible and he's looked bad for a minute.  He's not getting the ball much, but even when he does he quickly just passes it out.  Defensively the Lakers don't know what is going on.  They're not really playing D'Antoni ball yet, and they're not defending.  This is a bad combination  The Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA anyway.  Marc and Zach have tremendous chemistry.  Zach is now starting to pass the ball like Marc and it's making Memphis very dangerous.  They're the best interior passing team in a long time.  Rudy Gay is turning into a very good defensive player. 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/21/12

North Carolina vs. Butler: Not as impressed with McAdoo as I expected to be.  He's like Blake Griffin without the explosion.  I have a hard time seeing him as anything more than an NBA role player.  He also resembles Thomas Robinson, for better and worse.  UNC has a ton of fringe NBA talent.  Any one of their wings might stick for a few years in the NBA, if the situation is right.  It's going to be a very weak draft. 

Georgetown vs. Indiana: Zeller wasn't as dominant as I assumed he would be based off his draft projection.  However, he is a very solid and fundamental 7 footer.  He doesn't really have a hole in his game, however there just isn't a skill set there that would lend him to be anything more than a fluid version of Marcin Gortat.  Victor Oladipo somewhat impressed me.  He's really quick with a nice bounce.  He's be an undersized wing, but plays bigger than his height.  He's like a cross between Avery Bradley and Leandro Barbosa.  He's very quick and athletic at 6'4".  Once his 3 point shot is consistent, he will find his way into an NBA rotation.  Georgetown has two prototypical NBA small forwards.  Otto Porter is perhaps the best player I've seen in college so far.  He's 6'8", but plays everywhere.  He can handle and shoot, but also rebound and block.  Greg Whittington is also about 6'8" and he's got lockdown defender written all over him.  His feet are ridiculously quick for his size and he's got a sick wingspan.  His offense is pretty much limited to catch and shoot 3's and one-dribble drives to the hoop.

New York vs. New Orleans: I wonder if this Anthony Davis hurt thing is going to be a pattern? Carmelo was sensational.  The Knicks have a very simple strategy to win ball games.  The early part of the game is about getting Carmelo going.  After Carmelo is hot, they keep going to him, until you are forced to double.  By the way Carmelo is setting up shop much closer to the basket than he ever has in his career.  For a good portion of the first half he was putting on a post up clinic.  After you are forced to double, New York starts to rain three pointers on you from Kidd, Novak, Felton, Smith, etc.  The only team that beat them this year, made the Carmelo play defense against a real big man (Memphis).  Rasheed Wallace is at least 80% of his 2008 self.  He's seriously the Knicks second best option for isolation.  Sheed is more willing to post than he has his whole career.  You're also getting great defense with Wallace.  In all, Sheed may be the cheapest most underrated free agent pick up of the season.  He will be really valuable come playoff time. 

Brooklyn vs Los Angeles: Kobe looks younger this year.  I think I said the same last year at the start of the season.  He is shooting the ball really well.  The Lakers struggled to defend in this game.  As you might have guessed the problem was largely,  Deron Williams vs. Darius Morris (or any Laker pg).  The Lakers are still not running any plays.  They're definitely making a point to set ball screens, but after that I don't see any structure.  HOwever, they still look better than they did under Brown.  I would assume it takes a month or two to get D'antoni's system humming.  Nash won't hurt either.

Monday, November 19, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/19/12

Indiana vs. New York: Two teams going in opposite directions.  Indiana may have peaked last year.  With each game Indiana looks more and more lost.  You would think that Indiana would be able to take advantage of the David West/Carmelo match up as much as New York would be able to, but no dice.  I didn't even see Indiana make a concerted effort to get it down low.  The guard play for Indiana is really suspect.  I'm questioning Indiana's decision to ride with George Hill long term over Darren Collison.  One bright spot for Indiana is it looks like Lance Stephenson is going to be a player.  He's been getting more and more minutes as this season has progressed.  It has a lot to do with his improved jumpshot.  He wasn't hitting today, but it's something I noticed over the last week and his percentages are real good.  I've spoken on how well the starting unit for NY has been playing together, but over ther last week New York has had another surprise revelation.  Rasheed Wallace is still Rasheed Wallace.  He's still an above average defender down low.  He still has a lethal arsenal in the post, that he seems more inclined to use at this age.  Two nights ago I watched Sheed carry New York offensively during a stretch that Carmelo and Tyson we're in foul trouble.   
 
Philadelphia vs. Cleveland: The Sixers have been struggling, but they have a favorable matchup against Cleveland.  Jrue Holiday made it his personal job to keep Kyrie in check the entire game, and that is pretty much the only thing necessary to beat Cleveland.  This forced the intrepid Alonzo Gee and Tristan Thompson to step up in have big games, and that is not a formula to win in the NBA.  Evan Turner was aggresive today and was hitting his jumper.  This isn't a bad idea, because Bynum reaggrivated his knee injury by bowling.
 
Golden State vs. Oklahoma City: The Thunder didn't really play well.  They haven't all season.  However, at times Durant and Westbrook have played well, and those two guys will win you 45-50 games by themself.  This was one of those 45-50 games.  OKC was unimpressive, but they were just more talented than a really crappy Warriors team.  All the Warriors got going for them is Steph Curry gunning and David Lee picking and popping.  They're not a hard team to plan for.  Bogut has made his cameo already for the season.....he should be back sometime next year for a spell. 
 
NC State vs. Oklahoma State: Sneaky good game full of future pros.  At the top of the list is TJ Warren.  TJ is legit 6'7" and is all perimeter.  He's got a sweet jumper (although the form is rough), and a decent handle.  He reminds me a lot of Joe Johnson.  Marcus Smart starts at the PG for OSU, but he's just a basketball player.  He makes shots, plays defense, blocks shots, and rebounds.  He seems to be a vocal leader already as a freshman.  He's also already built like an NFL running back at 6'3".  Lebryan Nash is still a pretty raw wing at 6'6".  He needs to work on shooting, and might have to find a niche in the NBA as a defensive stopper.  He is also build like a football player.  Rodney Purvis was highly touted coming out of high school, but even watching him in AAU, I wondered whether his skills would translate over to the next level.  His game is a lot like Dwayne Wade, but that's tough to do as you step up our competition level.  He looks like he is going to have to change his game some, before he steps to the next level. 
 
Houston vs. Los Angeles: The Lakers aren't running any offense, they're just keeping things simple.  Pick and roll with Kobe and Dwight.  Post up Dwight.  Post up Pau.  Pick and Pop with Kobe and Pau.  This isn't rocket science here.  It's simple and it's great players executing it.  It's scary to think what the Lakers offense will look like once Nash and D'antoni get rolling. 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/15/12

Pistons vs. Sixers: 7 o'clock games usually suck, and you don't have much choice for games.  I'm not going to front, after 10 minutes I turned on Wisconsin vs. Florida, because this game is ridiculously bad.  I noticed a few games ago that the Sixers are digressing.  They're truly bad at this point.  I gave Greg Monroe a second chance.  I wasn't a big fan of his coming out of college, and I haven't tried to watch Piston games much recently, but all accounts said he was a piece to build around, and that he was one of the most underrated big men in the league.  Well after watching 4 or 5 too many Piston games, I can still strongly disagree with the notion that Greg Monroe is a good player.  My biggest issue is he can't finish.  He looks strong and coordinated, but when he is trying to score in traffic, he might as well be 6'2. 
 
Jazz vs. Celtics: I've gone on long enough about the crowded Jazz front court.   I came to an epiphany last night when it comes to the best PG in the league debate.  I've always copped out on this question, by saying - it depends on the other 4 guys on the floor, but the question posed to me was - who would you start a team with.  Well, my answer is Rondo.  Rondo impacts the game every single possible way, and the missing piece to his game - shooting, looks like it's not so much a weakness this year. 

New Orleans vs. Houston: The beard looked like he had his swagger back today.  James was definitely in a funk for a few games, maybe getting used to the new system, but he was great again last night.  However, they were playing the Hornets, and most of those points came on Austin Rivers, who still doesn't have a strength to his game yet.  Austin is struggling to shoot, defend, create, you name it.  He's having a rough year, and I haven't even seen a flash of brilliance, unlike Brad Beal or Dion Waiters.  He's been given every bit of the opportunity, but the man who has seized upon it is Grievas Vasquez, perhaps better known as the best player on the New Orleans Hornets. 
 
Memphis vs. OKC: There are a few teams in this league who are beginning to separate themselves from the pack.  We all assumed OKC would be this team, but nope....it's Memphis.  Along with the Clippers, Heat, and Knicks, those four teams are a head above the rest of the league right now.  I really think OKC has taken a step back this year, because of the trade.  Kevin Martin has been decent, although not in this game, but what OKC really misses is another creator.  Westbrook can create, but more for himself and he's a little wacky.  Durant is mostly creating for himself, if he can even get himself open (to me his biggest weakness).  Memphis on the other hand just kills teams with Gasol and Randolph.  Those two make the game easier for everyone else, because they command so much attention close to the basket.  This team just needs some better floor spacers. 
 
Miami vs LA Clippers: I only stayed up for the first half, which is pathetic, because these two teams have shown the most through the early part of the season.  Because, I didn't see the 2nd half I can only comment on how good Eric Bledsoe looks when he gets minutes, and I will introduce the thought that perhaps Miami needs to not be married to small ball.  They still do have Joel Anthony, fat boy, and Haslem.  They could match up to bigger teams if they wanted to, but maybe that's not their concern this early in the season. 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/14/12

New York vs. Orlando: Orlando is finally starting to play to the current level of talent, which is not good enough.  They play admirable basketball, and I can tell Jacque Vaughn knows what he is doing, but there is just not enough talent on this roster to compete with the big boys night in and night out.  The offense from Orlando mostly comes from Arron Afflalo and JJ Redick coming off screens, or Big Baby Davis posting up on someone with a longer wingspan.  New York has yet to be really tested, so I'm not going to go overboard with their start (like saying they're a top 3 NBA team).  They did play Miami, but Miami dedicated that game to Sandy.  Carmelo looked sharp early on and Orlando had no way of stopping him.  You knew early on that no matter how the game progressed towards the end, that NY could score when they want, and they could stop Orlando from scoring when they wanted. 
 
Cleveland vs. Brooklyn: This was a fun matchup because of the game within the game (deron vs. kyrie).  Deron won, but than again, he has more help.  Cleveland made this game about Andy Varajeo.  I've never seen him used so much on the offensive end.  He essentially played point-center.  He was involved in every play from setting screens and rolling, to getting the ball in the high post while other guys ran off him.  What ensued, was Brooklyn ignoring Andy when he had the ball, so screw it Andy scored 35 points.  He got his usual 15-20 off of hustle, but a lot of times he found himself with the ball at the top of the key and nobody guarding him because his man was helping out on all the guards running around.  Cleveland lost this game on defense.  The Nets had a mismatch at just about every position on the floor.  Deron can score on Kyrie.  Joe is too big for Waiters or Alonzo Gee.  Brook Lopez, Humphries, and Blatche had their way in the paint.  Andy can only do so much down there, but you're not getting any help from Tristan Thompson, or (gulp) Jon Leuer down low.  
 
Kentucky vs. Duke: The only pro I see on Duke is Mason Plumlee, and you know what you're getting out of him.  He can rebound and defend, and his offense is improving, although I don't ever think he will make his money with his offense.  For Kentucky, I'm still only completely sold on Poythress.  Alex showed more flashes today, and I expect that to increase as the season goes on.  He's a tweener forward in a good way.  He's got legit size of a 4, but he has the ball skills and athleticism of a 3.  He'll be gold once he develops a consistent jumper.  He does not shy from shooting 3's, so it will come.  Noel played decent, but he's another year away from dominating at this level, because he's kind of weak.   Archie is also too weak for the NBA right now.  He's got game, but his drives are often thwarted by his lack of strength.  He ends up taking a few crazy shots a game. 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/13/12

Utah vs. Toronto: I actually thought this game was over in regulation, so I missed all three overtimes, but nevertheless, I saw enough to know Derozan was playing just about as good as he was capable of.  It wasn't all dunks and threes either.  For a few possessions, Toronto thought high enough of him to isolate him on the wing.  Demar showed a little bit of shake and got some decent shots off, but a lot of times he would drive right into the help and he would have to give it up or force something.  Without a doubt, missing Kyle Lowry aided this maturation.  Derrick Favors is getting the nod over Kanter for prime backup minutes right now.  Favors looks a lot more assertive, although he still struggled to finish, but now I'm even more adament that Utah needs upgrade some other positions.  They're legit 4 deep at the power forward position.  All four guys could start on a lot of teams. 
 
Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia: I don't know how much longer the Sixers will be without Bynum, but he needs to get back ASAP.  Things are starting to look worse and worse in Philadelphia.  For now, they're the same team they were the last two years but without Igoudala and Brand and it shows on both ends of the floor.  Right now the focus of the team is Holiday and Turner when the starters are out there.  Obviously, this is far from enough, and the rest of the team knows this.  The other wings usually assume primary scorer duties when they're on the floor.  That would be Jason Richardson, Dorrell Wright, and Nick Young.  Milwaukee go as Jennings and Ellis go.  When those two are hot, than Milwaukee looks good, but when those two are not hot, Milwaukee has no offense. 
 
Oklahoma City vs. Detroit: This had to be disappointing to Piston fans.  OKC played about as bad as they can play for most of the game, but in the end it didn't matter, because Durant scored when it mattered, and the Pistons can't score when it matters.  I don't blame Westbrook for being aggresive as he is.  Half the time he takes a bad shot, it seems the play was run for Durant, but he struggles to get open.  Tayshaun did a decent job on KD for most of the night. 
 
Miami vs. Houston: This game started like the mismatch it looked like on paper.  Everything good Houston does comes through Lin and Harden, but Miami guards those positions and the pick and roll better than any other team.  After Miami opened up a huge lead, they relaxed.  When the subs came in the defensive intensity died and Houston, led by Harden was able to get back in the game.  Houston was also hot from three point land (namely Marcus Morris, Carlos Delfino and Chandler Parsons).  When Lebron took his rest in the 4th, Houston had gotten out to a 8-10 point lead.  Then, Lebron came back in. 

Monday, November 12, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/12/12

Miami vs. Memphis: Smallball had a real test in this game and smallball failed.  As you know, Miami has abandoned traditional basketball, and they're playing exclusively smallball.  Memphis on the other hand might be the most biggest skilled team in the league.  Something had to give.  Miami tried to keep the ball out of the post by fronting the block and pressuring the perimeter.  Memphis countered this by running side pick and rolls and high-low action between Marc and Zach.  There was nothing Miami could do to stop this.. Obviously once Zach or Marc got the ball in the sweet spot, Miami was cooked. 

Cleveland vs. Oklahoma City:  95% of the plays Cleveland runs are picks set for Kyrie and Dion.  The biggest problem with this is who is setting the screen.  Whether is be Tristan Thompson or Andy Varajeo, this person is usually not a threat to score.  This is what killed Cleveland today.  Teams are now aware who is going to hurt them on this team, and they are doubling the ballhandler on the screen.  When the ball is given back to Andy or Tristan they either shoot a shot they're not good at or move the ball to the other side, where Alonzo Gee and Boobie Gibson await their turn to hoist up a bad shot.  As Harden has begun to struggle, Martin has begun to thrive.  He may not be a better player, but he looks to be a better compliment to Russ and Kevin.  With Harden, Russ and him would take turns making plays along with Durant.  Martin doesn't need the ball to score,  he  much more effectively off of the creativity of Durant and Russ. 

LA Lakers vs. Sacramento:  The Lakers stopped running the Princeton.  With no real head coach, they take turns isolating Kobe and Dwight.  This proved to be too much for the last two bum teams they played.  I'm really excited about what D'antoni can do for this team.  People may complain about his defense, but I think he's got the defensive minded players to make up for that, but at the same time he has all the important parts to run his 7 seconds or less offense, including the real mccoy: Steve Nash to run it all through.  Kobe will do his best Joe Johnson impression (ha!) and Dwight is a better all-around Amare.  We shall see, regardless its an upgrade over Mike Brown. 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/10/12

Maryland vs. Kentucky: I'll cover the college games, but only as it pertains to the NBA.  I got high hopes for my Terps and I wanted to see how we looked against a team allegedly filled with lottery talent.  I was not disappointed.  I largely ignored the NBA for this game yesterday.  Kentucky has four bona fide pros.  Nerlens Noel is raw.  He's the rawest UK big man in a while.  He struggled to catch the ball and finish.  He made some good moves, but lacked the strength to finish them off.  With that said he's probably a better shot blocker than Anthony Davis.....but he'll need to stay on the floor.  Alex Poythress struggled to get into the flow.  I would imagine this is his first time getting to play exclusively on the wing.  He's probably got the most NBA ready body right now, but we won't see all he can do at least until later this season.  Kyle Wiltjer saw little time as a freshman, but he's got an NBA skill: shooting. He was the difference in this game.  The UMD big men struggled to play that far from the basket.  UK did go to him in the post a bit, but he wasn't as effective down there.  Finally, Archie Goodwin can go.  He's like a 6'6 Joe Johnson.  He's unquestionably a 2-guard, but he's got a nice shake to his game that helps him get to the rim and draw fouls.  Once he gains some muscle, he's going to be a problem.  UMD had their share of prospects as well.  Alex Len was the best player on the floor last night.  He's 7'3, with good hands, a jumper that extends to the college three point line, and of course, the length to block shots.  Dezmaine Wells struggled in this game, as did every other UMD player, but he showed confidence in his jumpshot, and the strength and ball skills to get to the rim.  Nick Faust added maybe 20 to 30 lbs of muscle this summer.  He looks like a totally different guy.  Nick struggled as well, but I know from high school that he can get hot from outside and he's got ball-handling skills to play the combo guard in the NBA.  I was also intrigued by Jake Layman.  He's got great size for a small forward and is kind of a jack of all trades.  He mixed it up down low, but also showed the ability to shoot from deep and put it on the floor.  He will be a good one down the road.

Houston vs. Memphis: James Harden is not who he was in week 1.  He's not aggressive with the ball, and he's not aggressive about getting the ball.  He seems more and more left-hand dominant the more I watch him.  Houston is going to struggle a lot when Harden is playing passive like this.  It's almost as if the extra practice and coaching has taken something away from Houston. 

Golden State vs. LA Lakers: As you may have heard, Mike Brown was let go.  Good riddance.  I didn't sere one ounce of Princeton offense today.  The Lakers kept is simple....dump it down to Dwight....the opposition will double.....and now everybody plays easy basketball.  Simple as that.  30 point win.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/8/12

Suns vs Bobcats: This was atroicious. The Bobcats seriously zone press.  I thought Calipari tried that in Boston more than a decade ago and it failed miserably.  The best player by a mile for Charlotte is Ben Gordon, and he comes off the bench.  Byron Mullens is huge (maybe 7'1), yet he does nothing but shoot jumpshots.  Charlotte has enough size, that you would think they could be a real good defensive team, but unfortunately their bigs are not intelligent to make use of their physical tools.  You forget MKG is out there......I'm not sure why Charlotte chose to build around a role player. 
 
Nets vs Heat: Brooklyn had Miami's attention, which was bad news for Brooklyn.  Everything was sharp about Miami yesterday.  Miami is better this year for 3 reasons.  First, they no longer have lulls in the offense.  They're running a play every time that involves all 5 guys and they look crisp.  Second, they're deeper.  Adding Lewis (nice weapon in the pick and pop) and Allen has provided some much needed quality depth.  Finally, what a difference a playoff run has made for Chalmers.  He's been playing great.  As always, he's a top defender and decent spot up shooter, but he's making great decisions and passes when he has the ball this season. 
 
Nuggets vs Rockets: This was Harden's first truly bad game.  He got frustrated early because the referees would not give him the call when he brings his arms up under the defender on his drives. So instead of getting free throws early in the game he had 4 bad turnovers.  The other problem was Andre Igoudala, who was a better defensive player than Harden was an offensive player (at least for today).  Ty Lawson had his way with Jeremy Lin.  Asik is a great rebounder, but he might be the only one with that mindset on the roster.  When Asik went to the bench, Denver was all over the boards.  Kenneth Faried looked great again matched up against Patterson and Morris. 
 
Lakers vs. Jazz: Utah came out hot, and LA came out sluggish.  For most of the game LA was trying to dig its way out of that hole and they got it to 6 points, before they ran out of gas.  Utah is tough at home, so it's not the worst loss.  Lakers had a hard time getting the ball to Dwight, and in the 2nd half Kobe just decided to take over.  Pau took the game off, but still ran up and down the court.  Steve Blake is a serious problem.  Lakers need to upgrade that immediately.  Steve just does nothing well.  He's an average passer, a below average shooter, a below average defender.  Even when Nash gets back, the Lakers are in trouble if Blake is playing over 15 minutes a game. 
 
Cleveland vs Golden State: A healthy Bogut does wonders for the Warriors.  He makes them a decent defensive teams.  Every day I'm more impressed with Klay Thompson.  He got into foul trouble early and was taken out the game, but I like his potential.  However, the Cleveland backcourt puts crazy pressure on opposing defenses.  Kyrie and Dion pretty much do everything for the Cavs.  Kyrie will often go several possessions in a row where he plays the off guard.  They're interchangable.  Kyrie is far more efficient right now, but Waiters has no fear.  He changes speeds well and he's going to grow into a really tough pick and roll/pop player.  Had Cleveland had Varajeo, they might have won this game.  Kyrie is tough.  Golden State was trying to run away with the game, but Kyrie started hitting tough shot after tough shot.  He still has room to grow in his floor game, but Cleveland will need to get him some more weapons. 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/7/12

Orlando vs. Chicago: Just like in Kendrick Lamar's days, Aaron Afflalo is reaching for a brighter tomorrow.  Afflalo is not the player who was drafted out of UCLA, and he's not even the player that played for the Nuggets his first few years.  Afflalo is still a really good defender and spot up shooter, but he's actually a creator of offense now.  Obviously, the Magic are devoid of top shelf NBA talent.  Options A and B are Afflalo and Big Baby.  That's about as underwhelming as you can get, but against crappy teams, the Magic have been able to work it out a little bit (kudos to Jacque Vaughn?).  Unfortunately Chicago isn't a crappy team.  Afflalo was able to have his way with Rip Hamilton, but Big Baby unsurprisignly struggled with the length of Joakim Noah.  I continue to be impressed with the floor game of Kirk Hinrich.  He does nothing spectacular except make winning plays.  I still wouldn't mind if the Bulls cashed in Boozer for some picks and some depth for their 2014 title run.  They may win a lot of games this year, but they will struggle with elite defensive teams who can shut down their bevy of mediocre offensive players. 
 
Toronto vs. OKC: Tough matchup for Toronto.  Either Lowry was hurt, or Westbrook is the Lowry stopper.  Anyone following Toronto the first few games knows that there is no way they can survive getting 2 points and 4 assists out of Lowry.  OKC jumped these dudes from the start and the game got uglier as it wore on.  I stopped watching in the 2nd quarter.  I can't get over how unimpressive Derozan is.  He really got 40 million!  Toronto's biggest problem is their wing play.  Valanciunas is a solid dude....he rebounds, defends, and runs the floor.  Bargnani is finally playing the right position.  Lowry and Calderon are solid PGs, but the wing play is terrible.  Alan Anderson and Terrance Ross should play more than Fields and Derozan. 
 
Detroit vs. Denver: Detroit sucks.  I really don't like anybody on this team.  Even Greg Monroe is an average player, but someone has to get the rebounds and points.  Your other options are Stuckey (shooting 15% from the field this season), and Brandon Knight (still not ready, but getting better).  I might like Prince and Jerebko if they played for better teams, but it's hard to gauge role players when they've been on crappy teams for more than half a decade.  The Nuggets were blessed to play these bums at home, because I still think the Nuggets are lacking.  I get the feeling Ty Lawson is comfortable.  I like Faried.  He's like a more athletic Reggie Evans, but he's not a starter. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/6/12

New York vs. Philadelphia: This was my first look at New York.  There's a tremendous advantage to everyone knowing their role on a team and I was reminded of this by watching this game.  New York, or shall I say Melo started off the game cold, however that didn't stop his teammates from wanting to get him the ball.  Melo continued to shoot until he hit a few shots and his teammates made sure he touched the ball every time down the floor.  This is possible when the other 4 guys on the floor know their role.  Between Kidd, Felton, Brewer, and Chandler, you have 4 guys who don't need the ball to be happy and make a contribution to the team.  If Amare comes back in starts, this could change the whole dynamic they've got right now.  I was impressed with New York's defense as well.  Philadelphia's small ball tactics didn't work with New York also playing small.  New York was impressive helping on drives and rotating on shooters.  Despite getting down early, New York slowly beat the brakes off the Sixers.  There was no crazy run, it was just a slow beating, due to bad Philadelphia offense, and good New York defense.  I'll save judgement of Philadelphia for when Bynum has a few games under his belt.  Evan Turner might not ever turn the corner on his development.  He's a great rebounder and ball handler, but he's nothing special at creating shots for himself and others.  Thaddeus Young looks pretty decent at the 4, but I'm not sure his game will jive with Bynum when Bynum is healthy......you're going to want floor spacers and Thaddeus is a slasher who prefers to work close to the basket. 
 
Minnesota vs. Brooklyn: This game was close in the end and that was the part I watched a lot.  Brooklyn's offense as anyone could have guessed consisted of Joe Johnson isolations, and Deron/Brook pick and pops.  Adelman is no dummy so both of these plans were foiled, and ultimately the Barea/Pekovic pick and roll was more effective down the stretch.  It's only a matter of time before Shved takes all of Brandon Roy's minutes.  That guy just isn't who he used to be.  Derrick Williams is moving towards bust-land.  He has no above average NBA skill except jumping. 
 
Phoenix vs. Miami: As I've mentioned before, Miami has completely embraced the small ball concept.  There is no more Joel Anthony and Dexter Pittman getting major minutes.  Two things stood out from this game and then I'll move on because this game isn't worth convering.  First, Miami clearly came out with the mindset that they wanted to rest starters in the 4th quarter.  They looked sharp.  Second, Miami is thinking big picture in these games.  You don't see them running any of the stuff that they ran last playoffs (e.g. Lebron posting up).  They're working on different things that might not yield amazing results now, but will pay off towards the playoffs. Also, Phoenix played.
 
Golden State vs. Sacramento: This was a bad team playing against a really bad team and the really bad team won.  Sacramento is a terrible team to watch.  I think the coach just shows up or maybe he tries, but they're not listening to him.  Cousins is the most talented player, but it's hard to tell.  Even when the guards do get him the ball he is usually 20 feet from the basket and a poor shot attempt is inevitable.  Tyreke loves the contested fade away long two pointer.  Thornton is a guy that comes in and maintains the culture of selfishness of the bench.  I've got nothing against Isaiah Thomas, other than he's just Isaiah Thomas, and with all due respect he's probably the worst starting PG in the league.  Bogut is playing (for now).  When he's on the floor the Warriors are not the worst defensive team in the NBA.  Steph can't guard anybody.  When his shot isn't falling he becomes worse than Isaiah Thomas.
 
Cleveland vs. LA Clippers: This was the nights most anticipated game.  It was good to compare Kyrie and CP3.  Right now the only difference between the two is CP3 sees the game in slow motion, while for Kyrie it's just starting to slow down.  Kyrie takes a lot of tough shots right now, but thats understandable because Cleveland is a two-man team.  The other ball player is Waiters.  I'm still feeling the potential of this backcourt.  Waiters is supremely confident in his abilities, and he's been the most fearless rookie along with Lillard this year.  He really feels like he's the best player on the floor, regardless of who he's playing with and against.  Cleveland won this game because they wanted it more.  Alonzo Gee, the starting small forward has taken the responsiblity of guarding opposing PGs, which is interesting.  Waiters has been matching up against small forwards, but Gee has been great harassing PGs for 90 feet, and making it difficult for oppositions to set up their offense.  The Clippers kind of ho hum'd the whole game and when they tried to get serious, it was too late.  Waiters and Kyrie's confidence were sky high by the 4th quarter.  CP3 will always wait until the 4th to take over, and he did that.  It was the other guys that have no excuse to not play as hard as they did against the Lakers.  Bledsoe finally got to see crunch time minutes.  He was the one guy who had a handle on Kyrie yesterday.  The Clippers always look better when he is on the floor (even with CP3). 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/3/12

Boston vs. Washington: I started with this game, and saw the end.  Boston got off to a blazing start, mostly due to Washington's defective starting lineup (Price/Beal/Ariza/Booker/Okafor).  The Wizards started the game with 3 isolation plays for Okafor.  I'm sure you can guess how that went.  Price is the only real pg currently on the roster.  Beal's development is being rushed.  Ariza and Okafor have the reputation and contracts.  Booker is just Booker.  The Wiz made this a game largely with Pargo/Crawford/Webster/Vessely/Seraphin.  While none of these names may be recognized by lay-NBA people, they are a far more effective group than the starters.  With the current roster, Kevin Seraphin is the Wizards best player.  Beal looks over his head right now.  Beal just make no impact on the game right now......you hardly notice he exists out there.  As for Boston, they gave Sullinger the starting nod, but it doesn't really matter, because he's a Bass doppelganger. 

Denver vs. Miami: I'm convinced the Heat are not trying to go through this season in 5th gear.  Bosh is a great player, but anytime he leads a Wade and Lebron team in scoring, it's safe to assume Wade and Lebron allowed that to happen.  Lebron is lacking aggression. He's in cruise control for now.  Yes, he got a triple double, but he also did that in the playoffs in Boston a few years ago, and we remember how passive that looked.  I'm not even mad about it.  Regular season, after the playoffs and Olympics must seem trivial.  Denver is not a good team.  They are a scrappy team, but they're not a good team.  Gallo leads the offensive charge with step backs and catch and shoots.  A little too much is expected out of Igoudala, he's carrying as much of the offensive load as he did in Philadelphia, when he should really just be a defender/finisher.  I like Faried, but he needs a more skilled compliment in the front court. 

Portland vs. Houston: Main man Harden, started off with another strong half, but faded late in the second quarter until the end of the game.  He was clearly tired.  I think this is 3rd game in 4 nights, so it's forgivable.  Especially since Jeremy Lin is the 2nd option, and I couldn't really tell you the third.  Harden missed 5-6 layups that he normally finishes.  I was wondering what happened to Patrick Patterson.  He finished strong last year.  Well he got the start and he looked good.  I think it made more since for Marcus Morris to come off the bench too.  He looked a lot more comfortable going against 2nd string guys.  Portland looked extremely potent on defense.  Lillard, Matthews, and Batum are lock down guys, and the rotations on drives were great today.  Aldridge was a well down the stretch and Portland kept going to it.  I like it when a post player (especially an efficient one), is the unquestioned go-to guy.  It takes unselfish and focused perimeter players for that to happen and Portland has that.  Lillard knocked down a lot of clutch shots today playing off of Aldridge and he didn't force anything.  Dude is definitely going to waltz to this ROY award. 

Cleveland vs. Milwaukee: I caught bits of this game and the end.  I need more Kyrie.  He took over down the 4th, but I want to see him with the ball more throughout the game.  Milwaukee's offense looks just like what you would expect an offense led by Jennings and Ellis to look like.  Luckily for Milwaukee they have a great intangibles guy in Mike Dunleavy, who did a little bit of everything including make me wonder how he's not a starter.   Waiters is a starter for now, but his destiny is irrational confidence 6th man off the bench.  He's the prototype.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/2/12

Yesterday I drove down to Richmond to watch my brothers last collegiate soccer game so I wasn't able to watch the plethora of games yesterday, but around 10:30 my phone started to blow up over something.  It turns out that something was the game I decided to watch the replay of.

Houston vs. Atlanta: I had to watch the encore performance from Sir Jamison Harden and he did not disappoint.  Harden, with the ball in his hand might be the best player in the league.  With the exception of some careless turnovers, Harden again, played a magnificent offensive game.  Don't read into the 2 assists, he was distributing the ball, evidenced by Harden only taking 19 shots.  Harden's ability to get to the free throw line has carried over from his 4th quarter days in OKC.  He does that Tim Duncan/Kevin Durant thing on drives where he brings his arms up under the defenders than proceeds to go through his motion. The reason I can't vault him to the top tier is he's somewhat average when he doesn't have the ball.  He's a lazy defender and he's not to active off the ball (perhaps this has to do with a new team).  Nevertheless, Harden is must see League Pass at the moment.  Asik had another strong game doing his defense and rebounds thing.  If I'm Houston I'm looking for one more offensive player to shoulder the load.  Right now Lin is the de-facto 2nd option and that's not a good thing.  Teams know Lin's game now and he's not making those tough shots in the lane he was making in NY.  Atlanta, on the other hand looked very unimpressive.  I like Josh Smith and Horford, but you're not winning games if they're your top two options.  Lou Williams came off the bench and provided energy and scoring, but he was still inefficient as usual.

Tonight should be good.




Friday, November 2, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 11/1/12

Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio - For the first three quarters it looked like OKCs first game together and SAs second game together.  Both teams looked out of sync, but the Spurs were a little bit better.  Tim Duncan is still a beast.  Since he's never been athletic, I'm not sure he's lost much from a few years ago except stamina and durability.  He's still one of the best post help and one on one defenders in the league.  He still finishes inside better than 95% of the big men in the league, and you can still throw him the ball in the post and expect him to make a play.  The game picked up in the 4th when both teams went small.  Maynor/Westbrook/Martin/Durant/Ibaka has potential.  I think the number one thing OKC will miss with Harden is his decision making.  I'm not a Westbrook hater, I think he is who he is, but Russ made a lot more sense when he was splitting ball handling duties in the 4th with Harden.  What you have now is Westbrook taking on more responsibilities when it matters, and his questionable decisions become more of an issue.  He's going to win OKC a lot of games, but he may cost them some games too.  Also, of the three studs OKC had last year, Harden was the one guy who got other guys involved.  Durant can get buckets, but he's no creator, and the same can be said for Russ, but it was Harden who got Ibaka, Collison, and Perkins easy buckets.  Those big guys combined for 12 points last night.  I thought the combination of Kevin Martin and Maynor would make up for Harden, and they do a little bit.  I liked Kevin Martin out there with Durant and Westbrook.  He didn't have to force anything and his baskets come easy.  Maynor is a pass first guard, but he doesn't present the same problems Harden did.  He's not a threat to finish at the rim and he's not getting to any spot on the floor like Harden did.  Reggie Miller usually annoys me but he brought up a good point......."Who checks Ginobili when he's back?"

Thursday, November 1, 2012

League Pass Diaries: 10/31/12

Indiana vs. Toronto: Clearly not the game I was interested in, but
because it starts at 7, I was able to take some looks.  Calderon and
Lowry are their two best back-court players, and even though they play
the same position, they were both played in crunch time.  Valenciunus (i don't care)
was a little stronger than I thought.  He looks every bit of a more
athletic Rasho Nesterovic.  He defended Roy Hibbert particularly well
from what I got to see.  Granger didn't play and I want to avoid
looking at teams that are missing top guys.  I'm very unimpressed with
any of Toronto's wing players.  Derozan and Landry are both very very
average.  This game was singlehandedly won by David West.  He battled
fouls early in the game and Toronto built up a lead for most of the
game, but Indiana went to West for most of the 4th, came back and won.
You can see the box score says 25 points in like 25 minutes.  It's
not like West was beasting, he was just making tough shots.

Denver vs. Philadelphia: I watched the first 8 minutes or so, but this
game became unwatchable once other games started.  Again, teams
without their top guys.  Philadelphia was missing Bynum and Denver was
missing Gallo.  From what I saw, Denver is some shit.  I'm not sure
where the hype is coming from, but it's a bad sign when Kosta Koufos
comes out of training camp winning the starting gig.  Pair him with
Faried and you have a pretty offensively inept front court.  By all
accounts this game was changed when Spencer Hawes came off the bench
for Philly (not sure why Lavoy Allen got the starting nod).

Houston vs. Detroit: I didn't plan on this being the feature game, but
as soon as Harden put the ball on the floor I was hooked.  SON! WHOA!
You know I love Harden, and we all knew he was underrated......but I
don't think we were doing him enough justice.  Harden looked like the
best SG in the league last night (with all due respect to Kobe and
Wade, they just don't have the complete package like this: shooting,
pick and roll game, court vision).  There is absolutely no holes in
his game.  I don't even think he's practiced yet, but it didn't
matter.  All he needs is a ball screen or honestly, he really doesn't
even need that.  He was ridiculously efficient.....shooting and
getting to the paint.  His IQ is off the charts: he read the defense
like a wizard - basically Detroit started doubling and triple teaming
him by the 3rd quarter (it was that serious).  All Harden did was pick
Detroit apart by making a well timed swing or skip pass, or he split
the double and found someone wide open.  I can go on forever gushing
about his game, but we got all season for that.  Also impressed with
Lin and Asik.  Asik has more offensive game than I thought.  Lin has a
high IQ as well.  He played a good floor game, not forcing anything.
That three-some is so impressive, I'd venture to say they are a power
forward away from making noise in the playoffs.  Harden/Lin/Asik alone
is good enough to make the playoffs.  Oddly, McHale played no rookies.
As for Detroit, they looked good when Harden and Lin were out the
game, but when that wasn't happening they were out matched.  I was
impressed with Jerebko off the bench as a hybrid forward/energy guy.
I was also impressed with Brandon Knight.  He's not a playmaker but
he's got a wet jumper.

Sacramento vs. Chicago:  I only caught a few glimpses of this game.
Sacramento still looks undisciplined and selfish.   Chicago will miss
Rose, but they're just as good a defensive team, if not better, with
Hinrich starting.  They'll be a tough team all year.

San Antonio vs. New Orleans: I predicted the Hornets would be
historically bad, and for most of this game that prediction looked
foolish.  They looked scrappy and outplayed the Spurs.  However, it's
the Spurs and they buckled down when they needed to.  Spurs are going
to need Manu this year, if they're going to get a decent playoff spot.
Parker is having to do too much.  Anthony Davis looked pretty good
for the Hornets.  He's an energy guy right now who will get you a
double double off hustle.  EG is out indefinately (surprise!).
Grievas looked like Nash in the first half, but the Spurs shut that
down after halftime.  Your main man, Austin Rivers struggled (1 for
9)......as I expected......he's not that good.

Dallas vs. Utah: I saw enough of this game to make these rankings.  1.
Jefferson 2. Kanter 3. Millsap 4. Favors.  Favors still plays like a
teenager.  Utah is tough at home.  I'm not going to get excited over
this win.  The game looked even until a vicious run in the 3rd quarter
put it away.

Golden State vs. Phoenix: Didn't take long for me to not want to watch
this game.  For all the additions and excitement for Golden State,
they are worse than last year.  Bogut (like EG) will always be hurt,
they still cant guard, but now the whole offense is Steph Curry and
spot ups for Klay.  Phoenix will suck, but I can see how they'll win
25 or so games.  Gortat, Scola and Dragic aren't that bad and they've
got some kind of weird international connection already.

Memphis vs LA Clippers:  Didn't see too much of this because the Laker
game, but I did see Crawford going off in crunch time and I saw Eric
Bledsoe get benched despite playing out of his mind.  Bledsoe will be
the next player that gets traded and starts putting up all star
numbers......he's just caught up behind CP3 now and it's not fair.
Clippers will be tough this year.  They have a lot more weapons than
last year and they should be better defensively.

La Lakers vs Portland: Lillard is something of a  Damon Stoudemire
2.0.  He can score, and he's not afraid, but I can see Portland
growing to not like him at some point.  He's not a pure PG, where he
is creating easy shots for guys.  He's going to get ROY, because he's
going to average close to 20, but I'm not that in love with his game.
Batum is sick two-way player.  We knew he was a good defender, spot up
shooter, and finisher, but today he showed an ability to score off the
dribble.  I've noticed with Aldridge that he starts games blazing hot,
but as the game goes on he begins to disappear.  That's just an
observation that I'm going to keep an eye on.  As for the Lakers, they
were less married to the Princeton today, and instead seemed intent on
feeding Howard the ball.  Howard absolutely obliterated every Portland
defender put in front of him, but this was not translating into
winning for several reasons.  First, the Lakers can't guard anybody.
Not only are the perimeter players not keeping guys in front of them,
but their seems to be a lot of confusion on the help defense and on
the pick and roll defense.  The second reason, Nash.  After 2 games I
think Nash is uncomfortable because he's playing this offense where
he's not the focal point and he's playing off the ball most the time,
but I also think he is starting to show his age.  Dude has grey hairs!
Both Lillard today, and Collison yesterday bothered Nash bringing the
ball up the court, and Nash struggled to stay in front of both those
guys.  It's only 2 games, but it's about to be a problem in LA.  Many
people are questioning Mike Brown, and it will be a serious problem
once all those veterans stop believing in him (if that hasn't happened
already).

League Pass Diaries: 10/30/12

Washington vs. Cleveland: The Bullets are without Wall (best player)
and Nene (second best player).  Although the score didn't reflect it,
you never got the feeling the Bullets would win this game.  Top thing
I pulled away from this game is the potential of the Cavaliers
backcourt.  Kyrie was excellent like we knew he would be.  He scored
at will from 3, mid range and at the cup and he made the crucial plays
at the end that nailed the Wiz in the coffin.  I was pleasantly
surprised by how good Waiters looked out there.  He was just as
effective as Irving at getting to spots.  He missed some shots in the
lane, but I was impressed how easily he got there.  He's quicker and
shiftier with the ball than I thought him to be.  He's also every bit
of a combo guard....he played a lot of possessions at the point and
looked poised from the start.  Varajeo was unstoppable on the
offensive glass.  I think the Cavs rebounded almost half of their
misses and Andy was largely the reason for that.  Alonzo Gee was a
good compliment to Irving and Waiters.  He hounded the PG for his
entire stint making it tough for the Wiz to run a good offense.
Beal's got game, but he lacks any aggression, and there was a complete
failure by the Wiz (coaches and PGs) to keep him involved.  Even when
everyone gets healthy, the Wizards are going to struggle to score.

Boston vs Miami: Both teams came out like they hated each other.  This
game made the Wizards game look like JV.  The Heat have completely
embraced small ball......more so than they did in the playoffs.
Lebron played most if not all the game as the 4 or the 5.  The entire
game the Heat were trapping, sometimes as far out as half court.  It's
crazy how they're able to protect the rim, playing this small.  The
defense is also more disciplined this year.  They're not giving up open 3's
as much this year, because guys have a better idea on how to rotate.
Offensively, the Heat looked crisper as well.  Long gone are the
stretches where the ball is stagnant and they don't know who is taking
over.  Wade and Lebron on the floor complimented each other well, with
Lebron taking the lead, and Wade looking to score when given the
chance.  Lebron went down with cramps mid-way through the 3rd.  He
came back for a minute in the 4th, but he already did his job.  He
still finished with 25 and 10 or something, which is crazy...he was on
his way to a 35, 15, and 7 night.  All the shooters looked to be in
playoff form.  Ray, Battier, and Rashard looked dangerous behind the
line.  Chalmers looked savvier running the show.  For Boston, it's all
about Rondo.  Pierce and KG came out hot, but faded as the game wore
on.  Celtics need to get over Jeff Green......he's just not that good.

Dallas at Los Angeles: Why the hell are the Lakers running the
Princeton offense?  It was mid way through the first and I was
wondering when if I would ever see Nash in a pick and roll with
Dwight.  For most the game, he walked it up the floor, threw it to the
high-post and than ran around setting off the ball screens.  WTF?
This offense made sense last year, but not this year.  Only person
that will thrive in this offense is Pau, because he's a high post
maestro.  As of now, the Lakers are under utilizing Nash, Kobe, and
Dwight.  By the third quarter, the Lakers were already resorting to
what the Wizards used to do with Eddie Jordans offense: screw it.
Defensively, the Lakers were slow.  They were slow in keeping the ball
in front of them, they were slow to rotate and help, and most
importantly they were slow in transition.  Mike Brown said he is going
to stick to the Princeton no matter what.......his ass will be fired
by January.  As usual, you're sleeping on Dallas.  They've got 3 new
starters and they all looked good yesterday.  Mayo and Collison were
good at attacking the basket and looking to score.  I expect the
Lakers to be fine, but they are going to have to revamp that offense.

Tip Off

What up good people.  Let's keep this brief.  My name is Chris and I'm a basketball junkie.  I got a friend (Earl) living in Australia and he too is a basketball junkie.  To keep him up to date on our favorite basketball league I send him unfiltered game reflections from my previous nights League Pass Adventures.  Emails are fun and all but I feel like other people might enjoy some of my takes.  Why, you might ask?  Well I'm smarter than you and you might learn something so let's begin.........