More anticipation! The NBA season starts Tuesday! This post brings us into the top ten NBA players coming into the 09-10 season. I've alluded to it before, but this grouping really illuminates the matter clearly. We are firmly in the age of point guards. The first guy in this post isn't strictly a point guard, but he handles the ball for his team enough to be considered in the same breath. The other two guys have fallen on my count down a bit since last off season, but it's most because their respective teams don't seem to be putting them in scenarios where they can surpass previous expectations. Not yet anyway.
Number 10: Brandon Roy has arrived. Coming in to last season, I had him ranked as 22nd. This after he made the all-star team and sophomore team in 07-08. He made the all-star team again this year and looked just as solid as ever, even hitting a bunch of uber-clutch shots. The Blazers are a bit of a question mark moving forward. Will they fulfill all the potential they've been packing for the past few seasons? We'll see. They made a strong showing during the season, but hit the wrong match up in the playoffs. Lamarcus Aldridge is solid, but the rest of this team is a bit of a question mark. Is Nicholas Batum really their starting three? Is Oden finally ready to come into his own? It's unclear how soon this team could be a championship contender, but there should be no questions as to whether this team will make the playoffs for the second season in a row. Brandon Roy is the big, steadying reason.
Number 9: Deron Williams finds himself in much the same situation as Roy. There are strong pieces around him, but it's unclear how or if they'll come together in the end. The Jazz actually came out on the bottom of the Western pecking order and were quickly ousted by the Lakers in this year's playoffs, but most of that was due to injury. This is a formidable team and has been for awhile. Can we say that pushes Deron over B-Roy? Not quite. But we can say that Deron is just more potent and has been for a little longer than Roy. He hits for the watershed mark of 10 assists per, which trumps Roy's 5 even accounting for Roy's shooting guard label and his higher scoring average. I'll say it again though, all these young men are leading their teams resolutely toward years of success. Deron doesn't come out higher because we can't accurately project his success this year. The Ineffables are a delicate matter, and he just seems likely to be pulled down by all the turmoil that the Jazz bring into this season.
Number 8: Chris Paul makes a bit of a drop from where I had him ranked last year (numero three-o). It’s not because he had a worse year. He most certainly did not. It’s just because his team didn’t do so hot-ly. It's not that I subscribe solely to that school of thought (otherwise he'd be lower than Roy and Williams as I'd project his team to do worse this year. More, it was just he wasn’t setting the league on fire like he did in 07-08. This team needs more help. CP3's field goal percentage keeps going up, and we love that. Paul also boasts probably the best court awareness in the league. I've seen him multiple times close off lanes for other players, defenders, just by placing his foot a bit to one side. You can see him calculating all this in his head as he dribbles up court. It's actually quite reminiscent of Kidd in his prime. It should be noted that his stats are ungodly, simply because stats like these need to be noted. He went for 22.8 points, 11 assists, 5.5 rebounds (keep in mind, he's not a big 6-4 point guard like Kidd, which makes this stat all the more impressive), and 2.8 steals per game! That's insane.
Kind of like devoting only one paragraph to each of these guys. Oh well, someone has to do the insane, whether it's the impressive kind or the other, monotonous kind. Here comes Monday, folks! And a work week you can look forward to filling in with NBA basketball!
OtB is counting down the days 'til the NBA 2009-10 season tips off by ranking the top 50 players in the league. On Friday there are 39 days left.
I was going to write you a nice, semi-lengthy post about LaMarcus Aldridge, but I spent an hour and a half on an IV after work today, so I'm a bit worn out. Don't worry, just a minor infection, and certainly not contractable over the kind you can get from your wireless connection. I guess it's not that short, it just doesn't feel as fully fleshed out as some others. Maybe there's a reason. Anyway, here's the...
Skinny: LaMarcus came in with the infamously not famous 2006 draft class, along with fellow Blazer and only real A-lister from that year Brandon Roy. He's been making up for or replacing underachievers his whole career. It started on draft night, when he was traded for Tyrus Thomas. His sophomore leap to reliable second option made the acquisition of Channing Frye a non-memory, and Frye even seems younger now than the fairly well established Aldridge at the point (though he's actually two years older and was drafted a year before). Lastly, though he doesn't play the same position as Oden, LaMarcus' play has been solid enough that this Portland team is still included in the "contenders of tomorrow" discussion despite Oden's lackluster showing.
But never mind all that. What makes LaMarcus awesome? He's the silky smooth exterior design that makes Roy's deliberate clockwork ministrations on the court so deadly. He's the answer to a question: what will the future of the power forward position look like? He shoots from outside, but not necessarily the three. He puts it on the floor and takes it to the hole without trying to be a point guard. He is the silky smooth incarnation of all that we've been talking about for years (since KG and Dirk started the talk of revolution on the wind). And he does it all with a quiet perseverance that belies his years more than any wrinkled old faces of team mate Greg Oden or Cav Lebron James.
Why's he's #39: He's great for the above reasons. Okay. Why isn't he ranked higher, then? The general criticism on him is a lack of true lowpost game. Sure, the pairing with Roy makes this less important, but it'd still be nice to have in that arsenal. He could be better on defense. Blah, blah, blah. All that will come. Okay, so 39 isn't too low. Is it too high? Why does Aldridge get the go ahead dunk ahead of Bynum or Jefferson (well, not if we're playing an actual game, but in metaphoricalistic land...)? I liked Aldridge here because he has proved he has the goods, even if the goods he has aren't ultimately quite as "good" as the other two young bigs mentioned. LA is like the Dustin Hoffman of this biz. He's not as explosive or glitzy as guys like Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, or Al Pacino, but perhaps that's what makes his gold all the more valuable.
Though he's had some injury problems, he's still been a secondary force on a team that pushed the Lakers last season and should've gone further in the post season if they hadn't gotten stuck with exactly the wrong match up. In the nexus of talent, maximization, and skill, Aldridge has proven himself in the latter two. Sure he was picked second in that draft, ahead of his all-star-already team mate, but people figured he was a size pick that wouldn't translate into the kind of success he has. He's worked hard to prove that perception wrong. In the process, he's built up a nice repetoire of moves such that many young post players wouldn't even know what to do with such a bounty.
It was an exciting off season, and almost the entire league made significant moves. These last ten teams just missed par for the course. Some, like the Nets and Suns, look to improve on last season despite losing a big name, and Portland should be better even if they didn't make the best of moves. And then there's our number 30 team, who have continually been abysmal. There was talk of some good moves, but instead they opted for the questionable and, I guess, cost cutting. Was there really ever any doubt?
21. New Jersey Nets: They lost Half-Man-Half-Amazing and gained a prospect in Courtney Lee. I don’t see Rafer Alston or Tony Battie staying with the team for long. Carter was playing a nice second fiddle to Devin Harris, and Brook Lopez looked solid. Let’s hope this team can continue to grow, and perhaps move to Brooklyn.
22. Phoenix Suns: Yes, the Suns got rid of the Big Contract, but they didn’t do much else. Matt Barnes gone. Grant Hill re-signed, and Steve Nash extended. Channing Frye is a nice pick up. But the hope here is really that a restoring of fleet footed, D’Antoni-like (dis)order will bring good things. And a healthy Ama’re.
23. Utah Jazz: The Jazz lost no players this off season, the only team to hold that distinction. However, it’s not the positive it would initially seem. Utah successfully retained Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Kyle Korver, and Paul Millsap, which is basically their core after Deron Williams. The problem is how much salary that translates to for a smaller market team. There are consequences for desperate acts like that, and they come in eight or nine digits. Furthermore, it leaves the roster bloated at PF. Boozer should be gone by the trade deadline or sooner, but what damage will he cause on his way out? And what room for growth does this pay load offer as the Jazz go forth?
24. Portland Trailblazers: The Blazers acquired a whole slew of draft picks, and then they went out and got Andre Miller. It doesn’t seem like the best of fits, but I guess the idea is for him to handle the ball when Brandon Roy needs a rest. The Blazers were set on getting a point guard, and they did. It’s just that the whole philosophy was questionable to begin with. This team looks as if it won’t get better except through internal growth.
25. Philadelphia 76ers: I firmly believe Andre Miller was making this work. He’s gone now, and Reggie Evans is too. Perhaps it’ll be an instance of letting the young guys play. Can they make something out of the Elton Brand debacle? With newbie Jrue Holiday running the show instead of Miller, I can’t confidently say the Sixers will make the playoffs again, although they had a good showing this past post-season.
26. Golden State Warriors: Just a weird, bad off season. The Warriors went into the draft looking like they were going to be major players. Then they got Stephen Curry and that was that. I mean, they picked up a lot of players, but inexplicably. I mean, Mikki Moore, Acie Law, Speedy Claxton, and Devean George? At least the young Anthonys had strong summer league showings.
27. Chicago Bulls: The acquisition of Jannero Pargo is the only thing keeping the Bulls off the bottom of this list. I guess losing Tim Thomas is addition by subtraction, but losing Ben Gordon without compensation is pitiful. Looks like Derrick Rose is captain of a mostly condemned ship once again.
28. New York Knicks: The Big Apple scored Darko Milicic. They stand to lose Nate “Krypto-nate” Robinson and possibly even David Lee. Not a good summer, but with 50 days perhaps they can still make it a passable effort.
29. Miami Heat: The big story out of Miami this summer was it could be the stopping point for Mr. Quentin Richardson’s wild ride. And the regrettable stuff about Beasley, though taking care of his problems now is much better than something bad happening down the line. Y’know, something like Dwayne Wade leaving town.
30. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet looks like he could be good, if people could just get over the rhythmic properties of that surname. Oh wait, they got Zach Randolph? Never mind.
If I could, I'd throw a whole slew of upside down exclamation points throughout this post. Looking for video of semnial Spanish b-baller Fernando Martin has felt kind of like scouting overseas for a draft. Not that I know what that's like. See, watching the Lakers-Jazz game and Pau Gasol's top five international players (courtesy of abc's t-mobilese), I was struck by the absence of footage on Martin. You'd think a major media player could scrounge up something. So I dug up what I could find. Everything, understandably, is in Spanish, so it's hard to tell what's what. (Me llamo el Harry sucio is the extent of my Spanish)
The first segment of the footage above is the significant part. The entire thing compares Martin to Mississippi born Audie Norris. Apparently they had multiple battles in Spain after both were done trying the NBA thing. But if you watch the first segment, you'll see Martin going up against the vaunted 1980s Celtic frontcourt, and it's evident that #10 for Real Madrid had some serious moves. He reminds of Luis Scola (and no, I'm not conflating Spanish with Latin American, it's just a similar kind of up and under move you see in the two) with a better jumper and a little more tenacity. Some of the stuff he was pulling even reminded of the Dream Shake. Martin went 6'9" and played "pivot".
He's been brought into relevance because of the surge of Spanish players in the league right now. You saw the homage by Rudy Fernandez during the Slam Dunk competition, and it's a shame the commentators were caught off guard by the reference. It seems Pau and Rudy are trying to get Martin a little recognition. (sidenotes: 1. Van Gundy and Mark Jackson totally ripped on the Spaniards sense of fraternity, guessing Pau would go all current Spanish national team members. He didn't fall for it though, going with Sabonis, Petrovic, Kukoc, Dirk, and finally Martin. 2. Another homage being paid this playoffs is that of the entire coaching fraternity to Chuck Daly, who's fighting severe pancreatic cancer. Hat's off to the coaches, who'll wear the CD pin on their lapels throughout, and sincerest wishes of health and peace to a true luminary.) Fernando played only one season in the NBA, and didn't get off the bench much, but he was a Trail Blazer in doing so. And yes, he played for Portland. I'm clever like that. Martin spent the '86-'86 season with the Blazers before making his way back to play for Real Madrid. What's funny about the clip above is that it pits Martin against Audie Norris, who played for the Blazers for the three seasons directly preceding Martin's brief tenure.
Martin was indeed a special player. Proof that he was one of the most important players in international ball? Spain didn't win the Euroleague championship the two years Martin spent trying out the NBA game. They won it in '84, went to the finals in '85, and won it twice again when Martin came back. He died tragically in a car accident in 1989. He was inducted to the FIBA hall of fame on its inaugural ballot in 2007.
Remembering Martin got me thinking about international ball. See, it's not such a new thing. Real Madrid has been around since the '30s. And those exhibition games Stern has been pushing in pre-season? That's been around at least 20 years, as you see footage of one of the Comish's first attempts at it above.
We in America like to think the sports world revolves around us. Of course we're wrong, and we're woefully incompetent in some of the biggest international sports: soccer and cricket. I like to think of 2008 as Spain's year for international competition. They won the (real) football Eurocup; Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France; Nadal had a great year, won Olympic gold, and helped Spain capture the Davis Cup; and they took silver in Olypmic basketball, a feat Martin helped them achieve in 1984 as well.
Oh, and brega pura? That means "sheer hard work." I gotta think something's lost in the translation though, since Martin's game? It roared with commitment to hard work and persistence, but it lacked nothing in flare.
With all the time I’ve been spending on YouTube, I thought it would be cool to do a bracket pitting the best videos of each NBA playoff team against each other. I would use the play-off seedings as determined Wednesday night, and see who came out the champion of NBA team viral (or perhaps just bacterial) videos. When I went to go find fitting first round videos, it turned out it was much more ambitious than I initially anticipated. I would either have to know off the top of my head which videos I’d want to use for each team, or I’d have to do a whole Reptar Bar’s worth of picking and perusing. Anyway, it wasn’t going to happen. It’s a good thing too, since I would’ve been hard pressed to get past a questionable Lakers bias in any selection process (although, c’mon, what team can boast a series of videos as strong as the one featuring both Mamba and Machine?).
But, swimming through these thoughts, I came up with what might be a better one. Everyone loves a comparison, right? What I’ll do is compare the 16 playoff teams to 16 “iconic” internet videos, especially since those are always fun to trot out and spend a half hour with (give or take an hour or two). Following are the comparisons with a bit of rationale. Bracket-style, just because we’ve got playoffs on the brain.
The Cavs can be a little wacky, and a bit of a one man show at times, but in the end you can't help but feel good watching these kids grow laughingly into juggernaut shoes. You may even laugh and feel a little condescending towards them for their antics, but that's your problem. You gotta love a motivational speaker who's actually got moves. 8. Detroit - grape lady falls
This is just ghastly. A wreck you can't look away from. It's hard to say whether the poor woman is Iverson in this comparison or if it's the whole Pistons team that's sputtering. And yet, as with the team and this season, you can't help trying to look beyond the video to see if the woman might actually be okay.
This one's got layers. I mean, Tay Zonday writes a song about racial inequality but catches internet fire for: "I move away from the mic to breathe in." When KG didn't want to come to Boston, it was partially because he felt "chocolate" players weren't well received in Bean-town. Lately though, all we can say is we hope this latest announcement re: KG's knee is merely a chance to catch the Celtic's breath. 7. Chicago - Star Wars Kid
Like the innocent wunderkind of this video, the Bulls have stumbled into the playoffs, flailing through moves that seem ostentatious but perhaps lack some fundamental meaning. For a time, this team was the darling of the interweb, but a splintering loss has revealed private, inner demons like those forever haunting Ghyslain Raza. Can the Bulls expunge their demons like Obi Wan did Darth Maul? Only time and Tyrus Thomas will tell.
Because Orlando's been a great road team for a few years now. Because the video is one of ebullient dancing, and that's what the Magic do. From the paint where D-Ho patrols to the long bombs the rest of the team rains relentlessly down, this is a precipitous team. Injuries, of course, have left us wondering, where the hell is Jameer? where the hell is Hedo? 6. Philadelphia - Afro Ninja
Mark Hicks is a stuntman, which reminds a bit of this uber-athletic Philly crew. The Sixers enjoy a rich history in the city of brotherly love, which makes the afro essential. Coming in to the season, they looked like deadly assassins bred in the depths of night. They kinda fell on their faces. Still, 6th ain't nothing to sneeze at. Also, the most fulfilling 18 seconds of your day.
The work of Matt McAllister and Noah Kalina gets the nod here because the Hawks have been a quietly efficient team this season. Their first-round opponent the Heat have been much more heralded. However, Atlanta has not been unimpressive. Not Guinness World Record setting "impressive", but still. They're kinda like that really incredible thing that happens gradually and when all's said and done, you gotta nod your head just a little bit. 5. Miami – Lonely Island
D-Wade and the Heat have been a bit of an other man's story this season. Dwayne was the other MVP candidate, kinda like a boss. Beasley has been the forgotten stand-out rookie. A young feel due to the rookie coach and starter(s). Thus, the entire oeuvre of Lonely Island seems appropriate. Slightly ludicrous, with guest appearances by the likes of T-Pain (that's you Jermaine), but most importantly something you need to tell a friend about.
It doesn't get much more classic than this. The Lakers' have been taking names and giving numbers all season. Someone set us up the bomb? Would that be Memphis? And would that be the good kind a la trading Pau for Kwame? Or the bad kind a la injuring Andrew Bynum two years running? It doesn't take a quick kick to the crotch to let the world know the Lakers were this season's cream de la crop. 8. Utah - peanut butter jelly time!
This was just not a good season for Utah. In other words, it's time they got fishing and got their oh-so permissive Russian wives to pack them a sandwich or three. The Jazz might as well have been dancing bananas out there, with all the injuries taking the wind out of their sails. Still, with Deron Williams, Boozer, Millsap, etc. on the roster, you can't say this team doesn't pack some around-the-water-cooler-talk punch.
Even with the trade of Iverson mid-season, this team remains the tat-team-to-beat. Especially with the resurgence of Chris "Birdman" Anderson. Thus, the Daft Punk themed videos had to get the call for their excellent use of body ink and team movement. The juxtaposition of Mr. Big Shot with the once disparate pieces on this team provided a pleasantly crunchy season for the Nugs. Plus, no one's giving them the credit of a 2-seed going in to the post-season. When the boxes come off the heads, this team will be seen for the truly sexy pick that they are. 7. New Orleans - One Man Band/Guitar ('Canon')
Okay, so David West can ball. But that championship push named Posey? Seems like just a push. And, more and more, this is seeming like the team that CP3 builds. Can we get the Jazz name back for the NOLA team? A better reason to go with these music videos in the non-tv sense is Paul's complete control over the court. He knows exactly where to place his body to throw all the other instruments swirling around just as he wants them.
I'll admit, I wasn't quite sure to do with this pairing. I wanted the Chris Crocker vid on this bracket, but who else could it go with? Basically, I'm calling this team a bunch of whiners (It's not the most apt description, but I wouldn't rescind it unless under Duncan's stare duress). At least they know what they want. The Spurs want the Larry O'Brien, and they just want the other teams to leave it alone. Not everyone loves the way this is done, but you gotta appreciate the commitment. 6. Dallas - Numa Numa
Similar to the Orlando pick, we expect ebullient play from the likes of Dirk, JET, and what-da-Kidd-did. A few weeks ago, they looked to be fighting for that last playoff spot and a Lakers ushering out of the playoffs. Instead, they crested just right, and now find themselves in an enviable position. Like Gary Brolsma, the Mavs come from a place of seeming innocuousness and look to blow it up like no other. This is like the Star Wars Kid coming from a place where inner demons have already been wrestled with and expelled.
Portland is a well oiled machine, moving from one offensive set to the next. We love their precision and their direction. Thus, the ingenious work of Fitz Grobe and Steve Voltz perfectly parallels Portland's thrumming season. They might not be the most flashy, but with Roy at the helm, they take the truly mundane and turn it into something amazing and jaw dropping. More so, this vid is a recreation of the casino Bellagio's fountains, pointing towards Portland's question mark of a future. Can it really get much better than this? 5. Houston - ok go treadmill video
This 4/5 is gonna be a great series. Hopefully. Houston's in-season dominance of Portland is a bit troubling. But that's besides the video. Why is this going to be a great series? Because both teams are models of perfection. The Rockets, fueld by Daryl Morey's trail-blazing work (heh), fire on all cylinders, with all cogs clicking simultaneously and in unison. Hopefully OK Go's "Here It Goes Again" will be what will be on play-by-play lips in describing Yao's repeated dominance in the post. Hopefully it's not a description of another first round exit. Or, if you're a Blazers fan...well, you know how that goes.
Now, instead of trying to pick from any of those insanely entertaining videos (I did the next best thing...well, probably the fourth or fifth relevant best thing and hit you up with a mash-up of a handfull of these vids and others above), here is your just uploaded, crispy new video of the eve’s eve:
Now, obviously, that's not a brand new video. What I try to do with this "Two-fer" is give you videos recently uploaded to the internet. This video is striking for its tending towards the goofy, and for its gaffes in choosing which players to include. Listen for the odd voices and perspectives on the playoffs put forth by LBJ (okay), KG (uhh...), Shaq (nope), Bosh (nope), D-Wade's band-aid (removed by the comish), and D-Ho (okay). I especially got a kick out of Shaq's warbled line of the Star Spangled.
He's been brought into relevance because of the surge of Spanish players in the league right now. You saw the homage by Rudy Fernandez during the Slam Dunk competition, and it's a shame the commentators were caught off guard by the reference. It seems Pau and Rudy are trying to get Martin a little recognition. (sidenotes: 1. Van Gundy and Mark Jackson totally ripped on the Spaniards sense of fraternity, guessing Pau would go all current Spanish national team members. He didn't fall for it though, going with Sabonis, Petrovic, Kukoc, Dirk, and finally Martin. 2. Another homage being paid this playoffs is that of the entire coaching fraternity to Chuck Daly, who's fighting severe pancreatic cancer. Hat's off to the coaches, who'll wear the CD pin on their lapels throughout, and sincerest wishes of health and peace to a true luminary.) Fernando played only one season in the NBA, and didn't get off the bench much, but he was a Trail Blazer in doing so. And yes, he played for Portland. I'm clever like that. Martin spent the '86-'86 season with the Blazers before making his way back to play for Real Madrid. What's funny about the clip above is that it pits Martin against Audie Norris, who played for the Blazers for the three seasons directly preceding Martin's brief tenure.
We in America like to think the sports world revolves around us. Of course we're wrong, and we're woefully incompetent in some of the biggest international sports: soccer and cricket. I like to think of 2008 as Spain's year for international competition. They won the (real) football Eurocup; Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France; Nadal had a great year, won Olympic gold, and helped Spain capture the Davis Cup; and they took silver in Olypmic basketball, a feat Martin helped them achieve in 1984 as well.
