Games watched: Cavs v. Mavs, Celtics v. Sonics (Dec. 27)
While the Boozy is technically on a holiday break right now, I couldn't help but write a few tidbits about the league, as well as this week's Thursday TNT games.
Just in case you didn't know, the TNT has the best crew on television, save for the accidentally hilarious FSN South sportscasters (Thanks, League Pass!). On second thought, ESPN's Mike Breen/Jeff Van Gundy combo is great too, as long as Jeff jokes around and keeps away from sounding professional. Hey ESPN, can we hook Mike Breen up with both Van Gundy brothers? That's a comedic time bomb waiting to happen.
Since we've been away from LA, there have been a few feel-good stories in the league, none more exciting than the Portland Trailblazer's amazing eleven-game win streak. I know this has been said a million times by other writers, but you can't help but be amazed at how well the team's doing after people wrote them off after the Greg Oden injury. Remember the last do-nothing first-rounder who was part of a championship team? Darko Milicic on the 2004 Pistons. Can Portland make a finals run without their first overall pick on the active roster? Hey, stranger things have happened. Just sayin'.
What a weird game that was with the Mavs and Cavs! By all rights and reasons it should've been an easy win for Dallas but the horrid shooting by Josh Howard and Jason Terry and Dirk and... well, everybody wearing green, as well as Daniel Gibson's unlikely rise to awesomeness led to an 88-81 win for Cleveland. It's a shame that they paid so much for Larry Hughes. With Booby doing so well they don't really need him, but there's no way anybody wants Hughes with that ridiculous contract. And Charles Barkley's right--The Mavericks are one trade away from being good again. (I also love the fact that their 2006-2007 season is always referred to as simply "the 67-win season." It's one thing to be good, but it's another to have a record that says you were DAMN good. They'll never beat that record or that expectation, but everybody loves to rub it in. no wonder Dirk has emotional problems.) Imagine if they got rid of Desagana Diop and picked up somebody who plays defense. On second thought, trade anybody--if not everybody--but Dirk. Something has to got to give. Even as we speak Marc Cuban's toiling with the notion. You know he is.
Speaking of trades, my father and I were doing our own toiling as to what to do with Jason Kidd. How could we get him to the Lakers without screwing over New Jersey? I showed him the Bill Simmons four-team trade, which he immediately rejected for the mere fact that it kills the current Nets season. He doesn't fill the hole that Kidd leaves and assumes that the Nets are willing to tank the season. Do you really think Vince is going to stick around after a season in the .200s? Instead, we came up with a three-team trade with NJ, the Lakers and Seattle. I can't recall exactly how it went, but basically Lamar Odom goes to NJ, Chris Wilcox fills the gap in LA, Kwame moves to Seattle, The Radman moves to Seattle to fill the perimeter spot and the point guard gap in NJ is filled by Jordan Farmar. Something like that. But as long as Jersey gets a point guard for a point guard, the trade will work out. Do your own fun trade at realgm.com and let me know what you come up with! But please, don't screw over the Nets...
Speaking of Seattle, tonight's nightcap game against the C's was way too close a game given the circumstances. I realize this winter period before the All-star Game is going to create odd, unpredictable performances, like the Mavs no-show and the Blazer's inspired win-streak, but I guess I didn't realize it until now. It's sort of like the winter movie season. The movies you think you'll like end up sucking (Sweeney Todd) and the movies you like are the ones nobody's watching (Walk Hard). Go figure.
One cool tidbit about the Celtic's Eddie House--his nickname in Phoenix was Casa. We got to bring that nickname back. It's too good! Here are Casa's stats off the bench: 13 points, 5-for-8 on field goals (most of them on long 2's where his foot was on the 3-point line) and four rebounds in 18 minutes. Only The Truth and The Big Ticket had more points than Casa.
Believe me, I'd be calling Ryan Scalabrine Casablanca at this point if it weren't for the fact he already has a nickname--Veal. Think about it.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Boozy Vs. The City of Charlotte
Games Watched: Magic v. Bobcats
If you're like me, which means about (approx.) 99.9% of you reading this, you could care less about the city of Charlotte. Then you, too, are wondering why ESPN had to devote an entire afternoon (PST) segment about the Bobcats, the city of Charlotte and everything about it. First, you never see similar segments about other sports cities (New Orleans exempted, of course) on ESPN, especially right before the game. Sometimes it happens in its documentaries and stuff, but never before the games. Second--and mainly due to the first--this is a transparent and deliberate PR attempt by the city of Charlotte to promote the city and pushing it as a tourist spot. And ESPN was along for the ride. I mean, they got to Bill Walton, for God's sake! Did you hear what he was saying about the Bobcats' stadium? He said it was one of the wildest, rowdiest places he's ever been to! Mike Wilbon was forced to remind him about his '86 Celtics in the Garden! He had no choice! Bill Walton was being brainwashed! DAMN YOU CHARLOTTE!!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!
On another note, I loved it when Walton said the Bobcats sold out nine of their first twelve games. Flash to this Friday night--It's the perfect night for basketball, and I see a ton of empty seats. Just seemed a little ironic. That's not the word...
How about poetic justice?
If you're like me, which means about (approx.) 99.9% of you reading this, you could care less about the city of Charlotte. Then you, too, are wondering why ESPN had to devote an entire afternoon (PST) segment about the Bobcats, the city of Charlotte and everything about it. First, you never see similar segments about other sports cities (New Orleans exempted, of course) on ESPN, especially right before the game. Sometimes it happens in its documentaries and stuff, but never before the games. Second--and mainly due to the first--this is a transparent and deliberate PR attempt by the city of Charlotte to promote the city and pushing it as a tourist spot. And ESPN was along for the ride. I mean, they got to Bill Walton, for God's sake! Did you hear what he was saying about the Bobcats' stadium? He said it was one of the wildest, rowdiest places he's ever been to! Mike Wilbon was forced to remind him about his '86 Celtics in the Garden! He had no choice! Bill Walton was being brainwashed! DAMN YOU CHARLOTTE!!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!
On another note, I loved it when Walton said the Bobcats sold out nine of their first twelve games. Flash to this Friday night--It's the perfect night for basketball, and I see a ton of empty seats. Just seemed a little ironic. That's not the word...
How about poetic justice?
The Boozy Misses Tim Duncan
Games Watched: Spurs v. Lakers
There are a couple of self-evident truths in NBA basketball that cannot be ignored, be it by coaches, players, self-indulgent columnists, or fans. They are;
-You will always pay too much for that hot dog and beer.
-There will never be another Michael Jordan. Stop looking.
And, most importantly...
-Basketball was, is, and always will be a game of match-ups.
No team has ever had to deal with such a harsh truth like the San Antonio Spurs did last night. Yes, they didn't have reigning Finals MVP Tony Parker so the Lakers defense didn't have to stuff the lane, but that wasn't the mismatch. The problem was Tim Duncan. This goes without saying, of course. It's more of an understatement, like saying "Michael Vick doesn't like Dogs" or "Tim Donaughy's been to Vegas." But Duncan's absence wasn't about the points or the rebounding. It was this...
The mismatch.
Duncan never has to have a great game in terms of stats to be significant. In fact, if all he does is simply be there, he's doing his job. Let's say that Duncan was ready to play during last night's game against the Lakers. And let's assume that means Vladi Radmanovic starts instead of Luke Walton because of size matters. (And for the hell of it, let's say I'm clean shaven and not wearing the same clothes I had on from yesterday.) Kobe's on Manu, and Derek Fisher is on Jacque "My Name Is Frenchier Than The French Guy" Vaughn. That's easy. The hard part is figuring out who, between Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and The Radman, takes on Duncan. Bynum has to take Duncan--he's the only one who's big enough to rough the big guy up on the defensive end. That would mean The Radman takes Bowen and Odom takes Fabricio "Oh Boy" Oberto. Since The Radman would have to help double-team Duncan, that means Bowen will always be open for the easy three-pointer pass that he loves so much. I call the pass easy because neither player can match Duncan's height. Plus, if Odom is forced to double team Duncan, then Oberto gets the easy layup. And if Bynum goes one-on-one with Duncan... SEE YA! Bynum doesn't have the chops yet (or the height) to defend Duncan one-on-one. Of course , the Lakers share the same problem with every other team in the NBA--not enough big guys to shut the BIG big guy down.
Hmmm... What's my point again...?
The point is, with Duncan on the field the Spurs are the finals favorites. They win the mismatch every time with every team. Go ahead and try to make an argument for the Mavs or the Suns--the Spurs will always have the advantage with a healthy Duncan. That's why columnists nationwide predict back-to-back championships for the Spurs--even though they've only won during years ending in an odd number (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007).
And here's the scary part--The Spurs only lost by five points. And that's without Parker AND Duncan. I would've thought that the team would drop to the Memphis Grizzlies level (at best like the Nuggets or Jazz) but they managed to go toe-to-toe with the Lakers, even leading at the beginning of the fourth quarter! That is just insane. But then again, nobody expected Bruce Bruce to drop 22, but that's beside the point. Without Duncan, the Spurs are still great, and are still playoff contenders. But once you put him back to the lineup, you have the undisputed number one team in the West. They're like the NBA Patriots.
That is, they WOULD be, if the Celts weren't already the NBA Patriots. That. Just. Happened.
There are a couple of self-evident truths in NBA basketball that cannot be ignored, be it by coaches, players, self-indulgent columnists, or fans. They are;
-You will always pay too much for that hot dog and beer.
-There will never be another Michael Jordan. Stop looking.
And, most importantly...
-Basketball was, is, and always will be a game of match-ups.
No team has ever had to deal with such a harsh truth like the San Antonio Spurs did last night. Yes, they didn't have reigning Finals MVP Tony Parker so the Lakers defense didn't have to stuff the lane, but that wasn't the mismatch. The problem was Tim Duncan. This goes without saying, of course. It's more of an understatement, like saying "Michael Vick doesn't like Dogs" or "Tim Donaughy's been to Vegas." But Duncan's absence wasn't about the points or the rebounding. It was this...
The mismatch.
Duncan never has to have a great game in terms of stats to be significant. In fact, if all he does is simply be there, he's doing his job. Let's say that Duncan was ready to play during last night's game against the Lakers. And let's assume that means Vladi Radmanovic starts instead of Luke Walton because of size matters. (And for the hell of it, let's say I'm clean shaven and not wearing the same clothes I had on from yesterday.) Kobe's on Manu, and Derek Fisher is on Jacque "My Name Is Frenchier Than The French Guy" Vaughn. That's easy. The hard part is figuring out who, between Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and The Radman, takes on Duncan. Bynum has to take Duncan--he's the only one who's big enough to rough the big guy up on the defensive end. That would mean The Radman takes Bowen and Odom takes Fabricio "Oh Boy" Oberto. Since The Radman would have to help double-team Duncan, that means Bowen will always be open for the easy three-pointer pass that he loves so much. I call the pass easy because neither player can match Duncan's height. Plus, if Odom is forced to double team Duncan, then Oberto gets the easy layup. And if Bynum goes one-on-one with Duncan... SEE YA! Bynum doesn't have the chops yet (or the height) to defend Duncan one-on-one. Of course , the Lakers share the same problem with every other team in the NBA--not enough big guys to shut the BIG big guy down.
Hmmm... What's my point again...?
The point is, with Duncan on the field the Spurs are the finals favorites. They win the mismatch every time with every team. Go ahead and try to make an argument for the Mavs or the Suns--the Spurs will always have the advantage with a healthy Duncan. That's why columnists nationwide predict back-to-back championships for the Spurs--even though they've only won during years ending in an odd number (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007).
And here's the scary part--The Spurs only lost by five points. And that's without Parker AND Duncan. I would've thought that the team would drop to the Memphis Grizzlies level (at best like the Nuggets or Jazz) but they managed to go toe-to-toe with the Lakers, even leading at the beginning of the fourth quarter! That is just insane. But then again, nobody expected Bruce Bruce to drop 22, but that's beside the point. Without Duncan, the Spurs are still great, and are still playoff contenders. But once you put him back to the lineup, you have the undisputed number one team in the West. They're like the NBA Patriots.
That is, they WOULD be, if the Celts weren't already the NBA Patriots. That. Just. Happened.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
The Boozy on TMNT II, Greatest Beatdown, and the Golden State
*Editors Note: This blog was written prior to the events of Dec. 4th*
Thursday, November 29, 2007, was a day for the history books. The Celtics decapitated their division rivals in the widest margin of victory ever for the two teams. The impact of all this goes beyond the 45 point differential, beyond NY’s measly 59 points and goes light years beyond Nate Robinson’s last shot, which in the end meant nothing (but gave him the only double digits for a player on the entire squad). This was a total statement game, with the Celticsmaking the Knicks look like JV. No, even worse… Like some intramural college club that was just happy they got the opportunity to play.Usually in high school football games where we were blown out by halftime our coach would say, “don’t worry about the points! It’s about pride now!” What could Isaiah talk about after that half when they were already down by 23? Pride? I highly doubt it.
“Losers! LOSERS! All of you are terrible losers! Why are you even here?”
“That’s actually your fault, coach.”
“Shut up, ‘Fartbury!’ You’re the worst! And don’t you ever blame me for this again. Never. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!”
[a la Tyrese in“Annapolis”].
In many ways, this was the crowning achievement for the Celtics franchise. Yes, they have 16 titles and they’ve had all those hall-of-famers, but have they ever beaten down their rivals like that before? Have any divisional rivalry games been that lopsided? And what about the Knicks? The next time they have to play the C’sthey’ll be thinking about that last game and shivering in fear like when the Ninja Turtles see Super Shredder for the first time in TMNT II. If only the Knicks could get their hands on that ooze.
And if you were a Celtics fan watching that game, you didn’t stopwatching after halftime. You just kept watching just to see how bad the beating would be. If it were any other blowout, you’d stop watching and pick up a book or talk to your girlfriend or something. But when it’s against the Knicks… You don’t stop watching until you’re positive you’ve seen the greatest beatdown of your lifetime. And it was, at least for me.
Now that that’s out of my system, let’s talk about the other feel-good story in the league… the Golden State Warriors. Yes, they lost last night, but look at them. The Warriors went from 0-6 and last in the division to a respectable 9-8 record. Until last night they had a six-game winning streak. Crazy, right? I mean, these are the freaking Warriors, the eternal second-worst team in the division and probably the whole league (The Clippers, obviously, are the eternal worst). But they stand now with the same record as the second-place Lakers, and have the same record in the past ten games (8-2) as the first-place Phoenix Suns. And although the top players—Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson—are finally playing like they’ve found the true meaning of Christmas, the real surprise for me is Andris Bierdins. I think he’s underrated as a center in this league and does a great jobof dishing it out to the stars and getting the quick points they need from him off the bench. If he keeps getting those double-doubles like he did last night, then there’s no telling what this team can do…
…Unless Baron Davis gets injured again.
Thursday, November 29, 2007, was a day for the history books. The Celtics decapitated their division rivals in the widest margin of victory ever for the two teams. The impact of all this goes beyond the 45 point differential, beyond NY’s measly 59 points and goes light years beyond Nate Robinson’s last shot, which in the end meant nothing (but gave him the only double digits for a player on the entire squad). This was a total statement game, with the Celticsmaking the Knicks look like JV. No, even worse… Like some intramural college club that was just happy they got the opportunity to play.Usually in high school football games where we were blown out by halftime our coach would say, “don’t worry about the points! It’s about pride now!” What could Isaiah talk about after that half when they were already down by 23? Pride? I highly doubt it.
“Losers! LOSERS! All of you are terrible losers! Why are you even here?”
“That’s actually your fault, coach.”
“Shut up, ‘Fartbury!’ You’re the worst! And don’t you ever blame me for this again. Never. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!”
[a la Tyrese in“Annapolis”].
In many ways, this was the crowning achievement for the Celtics franchise. Yes, they have 16 titles and they’ve had all those hall-of-famers, but have they ever beaten down their rivals like that before? Have any divisional rivalry games been that lopsided? And what about the Knicks? The next time they have to play the C’sthey’ll be thinking about that last game and shivering in fear like when the Ninja Turtles see Super Shredder for the first time in TMNT II. If only the Knicks could get their hands on that ooze.
And if you were a Celtics fan watching that game, you didn’t stopwatching after halftime. You just kept watching just to see how bad the beating would be. If it were any other blowout, you’d stop watching and pick up a book or talk to your girlfriend or something. But when it’s against the Knicks… You don’t stop watching until you’re positive you’ve seen the greatest beatdown of your lifetime. And it was, at least for me.
Now that that’s out of my system, let’s talk about the other feel-good story in the league… the Golden State Warriors. Yes, they lost last night, but look at them. The Warriors went from 0-6 and last in the division to a respectable 9-8 record. Until last night they had a six-game winning streak. Crazy, right? I mean, these are the freaking Warriors, the eternal second-worst team in the division and probably the whole league (The Clippers, obviously, are the eternal worst). But they stand now with the same record as the second-place Lakers, and have the same record in the past ten games (8-2) as the first-place Phoenix Suns. And although the top players—Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson—are finally playing like they’ve found the true meaning of Christmas, the real surprise for me is Andris Bierdins. I think he’s underrated as a center in this league and does a great jobof dishing it out to the stars and getting the quick points they need from him off the bench. If he keeps getting those double-doubles like he did last night, then there’s no telling what this team can do…
…Unless Baron Davis gets injured again.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
The Boozy on EZ, 41 cents, and Terrence Howard
Games watched: Celtics at Knicks, Nuggets vs. Lakers (Live!)
Thanks to free tickets from our boy EZ, The Boozy got to go the Lakers/Nuggs at the last second last. Equipped with his Syracuse shirt (For 'Melo), they headed out.
I had an excuse to show this....
The Nuggets took an early 2nd quarter 17-point lead. From then on, it was all Lakers. Kobe scored 24 and sat out the fourth quarter. Everybody on the Lakers' active roster played and all but Chris Mihm scored. Carmelo got thrown out for an elbow, Terrence Howard kissed his girlfriend on the jumbotron, and Sasha Vujacic had a career night. Overall, it was a pretty good night for Lakers’ fans.
Some random points:
EZ and I came up with a great nickname for Kobe: 41 cents. Because that's the cost of the stamp he has to buy when he mails in games and that's how much the Lakers will get for him (41 cents on the dollar) when they finally trade him in March.
Everyone knocks their supporting cast (none more so then Kobe), but they have some really high basketball IQ guys. Luke can shoot and always makes good decision. Derrick Fisher has always been known as a great chemistry guy. I love Turiaf's game. He goes hard to the hole each time and does a lot of the dirty work. While Bynum will probably never be the next Shaq, he already has a decent offensive game and at least moves his feet on defense. He’s averaging a double-double this season and he's only 20. I think most would agree that he's going to get better, and he is already a solid rotation center. Odom is probably not a 2nd banana on a good team, but he's for sure a solid starter and would be at least a 4th scorer on every team in the league. The problem with the Lakers is that all these guys are rotation players. They are good, but not good enough. Kobe has further made this problem evident with his constant complaining and lack of trust in them. No matter how good Kobe is, he can not win a championship in the West with this team. Get them a 2nd and 3rd scorer, they are competing with the Spurs and Mavs. What the Lakers should have done was package a few of these half-decent young guys (maybe Bynum, Farmer, and the 1st round pick that turned out to be Critteon) and gotten a 2nd scorer for Kobe. That kind of deal could have gotten them Gasol, Jefferson, or O'Neal.
Lets for a second say they completed a deal for Gasol....Here's the Lakers' starting lineup
PG D-Fish
SG Kobe
C Gasol
PF Radmanovic
SF Odom
And on the bench:
Walton
Azria
Turiaf
Vujaic
That's a really good team. If they had traded for O'Neal instead of Gasol, it would have been more a defensive team, but still a contending team. As for Jefferson, that would have required them to move to a more up tempo 3 guard line up. But it still would have produced a winning, competing team, in the same vain as the Suns.
As for the Celtics-Knicks, I let the other side of Boozy discuss that, but the 45 point loss was more of an indictment of how much the Knicks don't care, rather then the dominance of the Celtics. Everyone knows the Celtics are good, but it’s not a matter of that. The concern is how healthy will they be when the playoffs come around. This was a make or break regular season for the Knicks. If they make the playoffs, it will be considered a success for the Knicks. Even if they compete for a spot, I think Thomas will keep his job. After a shelling like last night, it seems pretty evident that Thomas has lost his team. I don't think Thomas lasts past the All-Star break.
Thanks to free tickets from our boy EZ, The Boozy got to go the Lakers/Nuggs at the last second last. Equipped with his Syracuse shirt (For 'Melo), they headed out.
I had an excuse to show this....
The Nuggets took an early 2nd quarter 17-point lead. From then on, it was all Lakers. Kobe scored 24 and sat out the fourth quarter. Everybody on the Lakers' active roster played and all but Chris Mihm scored. Carmelo got thrown out for an elbow, Terrence Howard kissed his girlfriend on the jumbotron, and Sasha Vujacic had a career night. Overall, it was a pretty good night for Lakers’ fans.
Some random points:
EZ and I came up with a great nickname for Kobe: 41 cents. Because that's the cost of the stamp he has to buy when he mails in games and that's how much the Lakers will get for him (41 cents on the dollar) when they finally trade him in March.
Everyone knocks their supporting cast (none more so then Kobe), but they have some really high basketball IQ guys. Luke can shoot and always makes good decision. Derrick Fisher has always been known as a great chemistry guy. I love Turiaf's game. He goes hard to the hole each time and does a lot of the dirty work. While Bynum will probably never be the next Shaq, he already has a decent offensive game and at least moves his feet on defense. He’s averaging a double-double this season and he's only 20. I think most would agree that he's going to get better, and he is already a solid rotation center. Odom is probably not a 2nd banana on a good team, but he's for sure a solid starter and would be at least a 4th scorer on every team in the league. The problem with the Lakers is that all these guys are rotation players. They are good, but not good enough. Kobe has further made this problem evident with his constant complaining and lack of trust in them. No matter how good Kobe is, he can not win a championship in the West with this team. Get them a 2nd and 3rd scorer, they are competing with the Spurs and Mavs. What the Lakers should have done was package a few of these half-decent young guys (maybe Bynum, Farmer, and the 1st round pick that turned out to be Critteon) and gotten a 2nd scorer for Kobe. That kind of deal could have gotten them Gasol, Jefferson, or O'Neal.
Lets for a second say they completed a deal for Gasol....Here's the Lakers' starting lineup
PG D-Fish
SG Kobe
C Gasol
PF Radmanovic
SF Odom
And on the bench:
Walton
Azria
Turiaf
Vujaic
That's a really good team. If they had traded for O'Neal instead of Gasol, it would have been more a defensive team, but still a contending team. As for Jefferson, that would have required them to move to a more up tempo 3 guard line up. But it still would have produced a winning, competing team, in the same vain as the Suns.
As for the Celtics-Knicks, I let the other side of Boozy discuss that, but the 45 point loss was more of an indictment of how much the Knicks don't care, rather then the dominance of the Celtics. Everyone knows the Celtics are good, but it’s not a matter of that. The concern is how healthy will they be when the playoffs come around. This was a make or break regular season for the Knicks. If they make the playoffs, it will be considered a success for the Knicks. Even if they compete for a spot, I think Thomas will keep his job. After a shelling like last night, it seems pretty evident that Thomas has lost his team. I don't think Thomas lasts past the All-Star break.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Boozy on Zero's injury, Starbury, and Second Chances
Games Watched: NY Knicks vs. Utah Jazz; Wiz vs. Mavs; Spurs vs. Sonics
Sorry to all The Boozy's loyal readers (Mostly just my parents). We took a brief hiatus due to the holiday and all. But The Boozy is back.
Now some delayed reactions to already forgotten NBA news:
Upon first hearing that Gil Arenas will be out three months due to a knee injury that never healed in the first place, The Boozy was distraught. Upon further review and objective thinking, this does not mean the end of the Wizards season. But it may mean the end of the Agent Zero era in Washington. For three seasons, he was one of the best scorers in the NBA. But he did little else. He never cared to play defense or cared to really get his teammates involved. He wanted success for the Wizards only if that included him scoring 30 a game and taking every important shot.
As I watch the Wizards now without Arenas, they score more and play better as a team. Since Arenas injury, they have been 4-2, including road wins over the Mavs and the half-decent Bobcats. The Wiz has not scored under 100 points in a game since November 9th. It may seem counter intuitive, but without Arenas the Wizard score more points. With Antonio Daniels running the point, the offense opens up. He gets more players involved more often. Before Arenas injury, Jamison was averaging less than 20 points a game. With Zero out, Jamison has gone for 29 a game. Andray Blatche never got more then 22 minutes a game before Gil went down. After, four out of the last six games he has played 23 or more minutes and has responded with 12 points, over seven boards, and two blocks a game during that stretch. I know that’s a lot of stats to throw at you. But just watch a Wizard game now. They look more fluid, more quick, and more in tune. They enjoy playing with each other because they know that each of them will get involved with the offense. Nonetheless, their defense is still atrocious.
Stephon Marbury can score; there is little argument about that. But besides that, he provides nothing else for his team. A buddy of mine made the argument to me the other day about how Marbury is underrated. He is 11th all time in assists per game. Marbury and the Big O himself are the only two players to have career averages of 20 points and 8 assists a game. All those stats are well and good, but when was the last time Marbury played on a winner. Was there ever a time you thought ‘Wow, Marbury plays a complete game and makes everyone around him better’? No because he never defense and is a distraction at best in the locker room. At this point in his career, he should go the Wolves where him and A-Train Walker can take every shot for them and balloon their stats.
Every team will have some games where they shot well. It is simply the law of averages. What separates the good teams from the bad is that good teams don’t have to shot well to win. In the Spurs-Sonic game on Sunday, the Spurs shot 51 %, but the Sonics shot nearly 53%. The Spurs won by 15. The Spurs won because they got to the free throw line more and were nearly automatic (23 of 24). They also grabbed 7 more offensive rebounds then the Sonics, resulting in more second chance opportunities.
Sorry to all The Boozy's loyal readers (Mostly just my parents). We took a brief hiatus due to the holiday and all. But The Boozy is back.
Now some delayed reactions to already forgotten NBA news:
Upon first hearing that Gil Arenas will be out three months due to a knee injury that never healed in the first place, The Boozy was distraught. Upon further review and objective thinking, this does not mean the end of the Wizards season. But it may mean the end of the Agent Zero era in Washington. For three seasons, he was one of the best scorers in the NBA. But he did little else. He never cared to play defense or cared to really get his teammates involved. He wanted success for the Wizards only if that included him scoring 30 a game and taking every important shot.
As I watch the Wizards now without Arenas, they score more and play better as a team. Since Arenas injury, they have been 4-2, including road wins over the Mavs and the half-decent Bobcats. The Wiz has not scored under 100 points in a game since November 9th. It may seem counter intuitive, but without Arenas the Wizard score more points. With Antonio Daniels running the point, the offense opens up. He gets more players involved more often. Before Arenas injury, Jamison was averaging less than 20 points a game. With Zero out, Jamison has gone for 29 a game. Andray Blatche never got more then 22 minutes a game before Gil went down. After, four out of the last six games he has played 23 or more minutes and has responded with 12 points, over seven boards, and two blocks a game during that stretch. I know that’s a lot of stats to throw at you. But just watch a Wizard game now. They look more fluid, more quick, and more in tune. They enjoy playing with each other because they know that each of them will get involved with the offense. Nonetheless, their defense is still atrocious.
Stephon Marbury can score; there is little argument about that. But besides that, he provides nothing else for his team. A buddy of mine made the argument to me the other day about how Marbury is underrated. He is 11th all time in assists per game. Marbury and the Big O himself are the only two players to have career averages of 20 points and 8 assists a game. All those stats are well and good, but when was the last time Marbury played on a winner. Was there ever a time you thought ‘Wow, Marbury plays a complete game and makes everyone around him better’? No because he never defense and is a distraction at best in the locker room. At this point in his career, he should go the Wolves where him and A-Train Walker can take every shot for them and balloon their stats.
Every team will have some games where they shot well. It is simply the law of averages. What separates the good teams from the bad is that good teams don’t have to shot well to win. In the Spurs-Sonic game on Sunday, the Spurs shot 51 %, but the Sonics shot nearly 53%. The Spurs won by 15. The Spurs won because they got to the free throw line more and were nearly automatic (23 of 24). They also grabbed 7 more offensive rebounds then the Sonics, resulting in more second chance opportunities.
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Boozy on Nacho, Scoring Averages, Reggie, and John Tesh
Games Watched: 11/16— Washington vs. Minnesota; Boston vs. Miami; Sacramento vs. New York
11/17—Washington vs. Portland; New York vs. Denver; New Jersey vs. Miami; Milwaukee vs. Atlanta
It was quite a basketball weekend in the Boozy household. It all began Friday night with the Wiz and Wolves. Agent Zero is not the same player before his injury. His explosion and endurance are simply not there. But that is not necessarily a bad thing for the Wizards. It forces Gil to utilize his teammates more and that doesn't mean just Jamison and Butler. It makes the offense go through the middle, with Haywood and Blatche, rather then Gil dominating the ball. Brendan Haywood is averaging a double-double and two blocks a game for the season, while Blatche is going for a block and half a game.
Saturday’s game against Portland, Arenas was on the bench and in his street clothes due soreness in his knee. With him on the bench, the Wiz supporting cast looked even better. Haywood went for 17 points and 10 boards. Blatche saw 26 minutes of action and took advantage putting up 10 points, 4 boards, and three blocks. The Wizards have won 4 in a row after opening the season with 5 straight loses. This season is a make or break for the Wizards, with Arenas and Jamison entering free agency this summer. Maybe Arenas will finally figure out that he needs his big men more then they need him.
One more note about Gil. He has given himself a new nickname, Nacho. Apparently, it has something to do with him serving chips and dip. I have no clue what that means.
I know I used a bunch of stats to make my point about the Wizards big men, but statistics in the NBA are overrated. Lets take the Minnesota Timberwolves for example. They are a bad team, standing at 1 and 7 at the weekends’ end. They, most likely, will continue to be a bad team for the rest of the season. But they doesn’t mean they won’t score points and those points have to come from somewhere. Rashad McCants is currently averaging 17 points a game for this bad team. That doesn’t make him a good player or even a good scorer. He just happens to play for a bad team, so he will get minutes and therefore chances to score. In baseball, a bad player on bad team will get at-bats, but if he isn’t a good hitter, the statistics will show that. He is still facing the same pitching as everyone else. His stats won’t be completely inflated like they are in basketball. In a basketball game, someone has to shoot and even bad teams average 90 points a game (the T-wolves are getting 94 points a game, but they are letting up 102.8 a game). Players like McCants (and Boozy favorite Antoine Walker) will have inflated scoring averages, but wouldn’t get the minutes they do if they played for the Suns or Spurs.
My favorite retired athlete right now (well besides Cal Ripken) is Reggie Miller. He’s outspoken, bright, full of basketball knowledge, charming, funny, and not overexposed like some (Sorry Sir Charles). During his playing days, he was a great shooter with a knack for the dramatic. During his post-playing years, he’s pretty much the same. He gives great insight about all things basketball and does it while being excitable and entertaining. He is never afraid to give out criticism where it belongs, like he did after the infamous brawl at the Palace criticizing his own team.
In addition, he is the only NBA star whose sister is probably a better basketball player then him. Cheryl Miller won two women's NCAA basketball championships and three Naismith player of the year awards during her four years at USC. In a time before the WNBA, she was drafted by the USBL, a men’s professional league. Reggie always speaks about his older sister with such pride and reverence. I just think that’s pretty cool.
I think they are related.....
I like watching Nets games just to listen to Marv Albert. He makes every play of every game sound important and electrifying. With Albert commentating, it is as if I am watching one of those old mid-90s NBA on NBC broadcasts. I can almost hear the John Tesh written theme song now. Albert needs to start doing national televised games again. I think most of the country has completely forgotten the biting incident by now.
11/17—Washington vs. Portland; New York vs. Denver; New Jersey vs. Miami; Milwaukee vs. Atlanta
It was quite a basketball weekend in the Boozy household. It all began Friday night with the Wiz and Wolves. Agent Zero is not the same player before his injury. His explosion and endurance are simply not there. But that is not necessarily a bad thing for the Wizards. It forces Gil to utilize his teammates more and that doesn't mean just Jamison and Butler. It makes the offense go through the middle, with Haywood and Blatche, rather then Gil dominating the ball. Brendan Haywood is averaging a double-double and two blocks a game for the season, while Blatche is going for a block and half a game.
Saturday’s game against Portland, Arenas was on the bench and in his street clothes due soreness in his knee. With him on the bench, the Wiz supporting cast looked even better. Haywood went for 17 points and 10 boards. Blatche saw 26 minutes of action and took advantage putting up 10 points, 4 boards, and three blocks. The Wizards have won 4 in a row after opening the season with 5 straight loses. This season is a make or break for the Wizards, with Arenas and Jamison entering free agency this summer. Maybe Arenas will finally figure out that he needs his big men more then they need him.
One more note about Gil. He has given himself a new nickname, Nacho. Apparently, it has something to do with him serving chips and dip. I have no clue what that means.
I know I used a bunch of stats to make my point about the Wizards big men, but statistics in the NBA are overrated. Lets take the Minnesota Timberwolves for example. They are a bad team, standing at 1 and 7 at the weekends’ end. They, most likely, will continue to be a bad team for the rest of the season. But they doesn’t mean they won’t score points and those points have to come from somewhere. Rashad McCants is currently averaging 17 points a game for this bad team. That doesn’t make him a good player or even a good scorer. He just happens to play for a bad team, so he will get minutes and therefore chances to score. In baseball, a bad player on bad team will get at-bats, but if he isn’t a good hitter, the statistics will show that. He is still facing the same pitching as everyone else. His stats won’t be completely inflated like they are in basketball. In a basketball game, someone has to shoot and even bad teams average 90 points a game (the T-wolves are getting 94 points a game, but they are letting up 102.8 a game). Players like McCants (and Boozy favorite Antoine Walker) will have inflated scoring averages, but wouldn’t get the minutes they do if they played for the Suns or Spurs.
My favorite retired athlete right now (well besides Cal Ripken) is Reggie Miller. He’s outspoken, bright, full of basketball knowledge, charming, funny, and not overexposed like some (Sorry Sir Charles). During his playing days, he was a great shooter with a knack for the dramatic. During his post-playing years, he’s pretty much the same. He gives great insight about all things basketball and does it while being excitable and entertaining. He is never afraid to give out criticism where it belongs, like he did after the infamous brawl at the Palace criticizing his own team.
In addition, he is the only NBA star whose sister is probably a better basketball player then him. Cheryl Miller won two women's NCAA basketball championships and three Naismith player of the year awards during her four years at USC. In a time before the WNBA, she was drafted by the USBL, a men’s professional league. Reggie always speaks about his older sister with such pride and reverence. I just think that’s pretty cool.
I think they are related.....
I like watching Nets games just to listen to Marv Albert. He makes every play of every game sound important and electrifying. With Albert commentating, it is as if I am watching one of those old mid-90s NBA on NBC broadcasts. I can almost hear the John Tesh written theme song now. Albert needs to start doing national televised games again. I think most of the country has completely forgotten the biting incident by now.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Boozy on Blaze Blazer, Rip, and the Hartford Whalers
Game Watched: Blazers/Pistons 11/13
First of all… We have TOTALLY underestimated the Blazers. Who would’ve known that with Oden out, the Blaze can beat a team like thePistons? LaMarcus Aldridge is looking like a superstar, Brandon Roy is playing like he deserves that rookie of the year trophy, and Raef LaFrentz… Raef LaFrentz? How the hell is he still playing? Nobody wanted to cut him from the team? Really? I can still remember his time on the Celtics like it was yesterday. Oh, the nightmares…
Second, the Blazers mascot is named… get this… Blaze. I know, it’s super original, but surely the owners should have known what they were getting into with that name. It figures, seeing as Portland is full of nothing but hippies anyway.
(By the way, The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun’s mascot is also called Blaze. Don’t worry, kids, in twelve years you’ll get the joke.)
Poor Rip had a great game, but everyone else seemed to be falling apart after the first half. It was obvious that Chauncey Billup’s thigh pains were holding him back from driving through the Portland defense. Rasheed was completely off his game, a problem that has been happening more often than not when I see him play. Antonio McDyess, who usually is twice as nice, was playing at half speed. I still like them, though. And it was still a close game, even though Rip was carrying a beaten up team. We’ll see how they fare against the Warriors tomorrow.
I also wanted to respond to reader Eric’s comment from the last post. Of course we all know Arena Football isn’t really a sport, just like how Rhode Island isn’t really an island. But they get better attendance records than ice hockey? There’s a shocker. It’s even crazier to remember that at one point hockey was on par with, if not more popular than basketball in those early Gretzky years. Now look at it. It’s amazing how the NHL sort of screwed itself over by 1) over expanding the league in too many places that don’t have natural ice all year; and 2) taking the Hartford Whalers away from me ten years ago. The NHL was pretty much asking for it. Karma, baby. I feel like the MLS is going to eclipse ice hockey as one of the big four American sports and the NHL is going to be airing its all-star games on ESPN 8 “The Ocho.” Isn’t it pretty much like that already? OLN. Spare me.
Hey, rest of the NBA, who’s going to take down the Celtics? Nobody? Thought so.
First of all… We have TOTALLY underestimated the Blazers. Who would’ve known that with Oden out, the Blaze can beat a team like thePistons? LaMarcus Aldridge is looking like a superstar, Brandon Roy is playing like he deserves that rookie of the year trophy, and Raef LaFrentz… Raef LaFrentz? How the hell is he still playing? Nobody wanted to cut him from the team? Really? I can still remember his time on the Celtics like it was yesterday. Oh, the nightmares…
Second, the Blazers mascot is named… get this… Blaze. I know, it’s super original, but surely the owners should have known what they were getting into with that name. It figures, seeing as Portland is full of nothing but hippies anyway.
(By the way, The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun’s mascot is also called Blaze. Don’t worry, kids, in twelve years you’ll get the joke.)
Poor Rip had a great game, but everyone else seemed to be falling apart after the first half. It was obvious that Chauncey Billup’s thigh pains were holding him back from driving through the Portland defense. Rasheed was completely off his game, a problem that has been happening more often than not when I see him play. Antonio McDyess, who usually is twice as nice, was playing at half speed. I still like them, though. And it was still a close game, even though Rip was carrying a beaten up team. We’ll see how they fare against the Warriors tomorrow.
I also wanted to respond to reader Eric’s comment from the last post. Of course we all know Arena Football isn’t really a sport, just like how Rhode Island isn’t really an island. But they get better attendance records than ice hockey? There’s a shocker. It’s even crazier to remember that at one point hockey was on par with, if not more popular than basketball in those early Gretzky years. Now look at it. It’s amazing how the NHL sort of screwed itself over by 1) over expanding the league in too many places that don’t have natural ice all year; and 2) taking the Hartford Whalers away from me ten years ago. The NHL was pretty much asking for it. Karma, baby. I feel like the MLS is going to eclipse ice hockey as one of the big four American sports and the NHL is going to be airing its all-star games on ESPN 8 “The Ocho.” Isn’t it pretty much like that already? OLN. Spare me.
Hey, rest of the NBA, who’s going to take down the Celtics? Nobody? Thought so.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
The Boozy on Stan Van Gundy's 'stache, Dwight Howard's dunks, and Pau Gasol is on ABC
Game of the Week: Phoenix vs. Orlando
Other Games Watched:Memphis vs. Utah
The Boozy choose Phoenix vs. Orlando as their first official game of the week. The Boozy wanted to watch the hyped-breakout star Dwight Howard. And the Suns are always fun to watch. Plus Grant Hill's return to Magic Kingdom since he left for Phoenix over the off season.
Dwight Howard is sick. He finished the game with 33 points and 18 board. Yes, he missed a bunch of foul shots. But those foul shots were created because of Howard's aggressiveness and strength. Every dunk he had was rim-rattling. In fact, the Boozy screamed at a Howard dunk at 9:04 in the first quarter.
An artist rendition of Stan Van Gundy?
Leandro Barbosa absolutely destroyed the Magic. Barbosa poured in a new career high 39 points. His speed going to the hoop can only be compared to Iverson in his early years with Philly. Early in the 2nd quarter, Barbosa had the ball at the top of the key. He drove into the lane, beating his defender and zoomed by Howard so quick that Howard swipes at the ball only after Barbosa was by him and going up for the layup.
Patrick Ewing, an assistant coach for the Magic, has gained a considerable amount of weight since his playing days.
The Boozy brings up a good question: Does Orlando have any other sports teams besides the Magic? The Florida Panthers are located in Fort Lauderdale, which is nearby Orlando. But other then that, the answer is no. Last year, the Magic were 18th in the league in average home attendance, ahead of traditional basketball cities such as Boston (Yes, the Celtics had a terrible team), Houston, and New Jersey. Just an interesting tidbit.
Probably the most fascinating aspect of the game: Tiger Woods was there. Who know he was a Orlando Magic fan? Even more crazy was that he was sitting in section 231! Why would Tiger Woods ever sit in section 231....he could probably buy the team if he wanted. Even the broadcast announcers were blown away. One of the announcers even said, "I guess when you are Tiger Woods, you can sit wherever you want. Even section 231."
A graphic on the broadcast came up about midway through the 4th quarter stating that Dwight Howard had five dunks in the game. I didn't even know that dunks was a official stat now. Who holds the record for most dunks in one game? After some brief research, The Boozy can't figure it out. Stayed tuned...
One of those Magic announcers made an incredibly stupid comment: (Of course paraphrased) " Some people ask why did the Pistons draft Darko? Well they had a championship calibar team and would win the title the next year and play in another finals the year after. Maybe they felt if they drafted 'Melo, Wade, or Bosh they would have upset the great chemistry of this team. They felt Darko wouldn't have done that. You can't fault them. They have been the class of the league over the past 5 years. Who knows what would have happened if they drafted one of those three? We probably wouldn't have this Pistons team." I can tell you what would have happened. The Pistons would have been unstoppable and probably would have created a dynasty. Just think a starting line-up of Billups, Wallace, Prince, Rip, and 'Melo.
Briefly watched the Memphis/Utah game...Pau Gasol looks like he belongs on the terrible ABC sitcom Cavemen. Utah has some really creepy local commercials, like one about a religious retirement home. At one point, the Utah Jazz mascot, a giant bear named Bear, took a women out of the front row and tossed her over his shoulder. He walked off with the women over his shoulder. Just a bit weird...
Oh and AK-47 is still very ugly. I think the once year exemption his wife gives him is a complete joke to her.
Other Games Watched:Memphis vs. Utah
The Boozy choose Phoenix vs. Orlando as their first official game of the week. The Boozy wanted to watch the hyped-breakout star Dwight Howard. And the Suns are always fun to watch. Plus Grant Hill's return to Magic Kingdom since he left for Phoenix over the off season.
Dwight Howard is sick. He finished the game with 33 points and 18 board. Yes, he missed a bunch of foul shots. But those foul shots were created because of Howard's aggressiveness and strength. Every dunk he had was rim-rattling. In fact, the Boozy screamed at a Howard dunk at 9:04 in the first quarter.
An artist rendition of Stan Van Gundy?
Leandro Barbosa absolutely destroyed the Magic. Barbosa poured in a new career high 39 points. His speed going to the hoop can only be compared to Iverson in his early years with Philly. Early in the 2nd quarter, Barbosa had the ball at the top of the key. He drove into the lane, beating his defender and zoomed by Howard so quick that Howard swipes at the ball only after Barbosa was by him and going up for the layup.
Patrick Ewing, an assistant coach for the Magic, has gained a considerable amount of weight since his playing days.
The Boozy brings up a good question: Does Orlando have any other sports teams besides the Magic? The Florida Panthers are located in Fort Lauderdale, which is nearby Orlando. But other then that, the answer is no. Last year, the Magic were 18th in the league in average home attendance, ahead of traditional basketball cities such as Boston (Yes, the Celtics had a terrible team), Houston, and New Jersey. Just an interesting tidbit.
Probably the most fascinating aspect of the game: Tiger Woods was there. Who know he was a Orlando Magic fan? Even more crazy was that he was sitting in section 231! Why would Tiger Woods ever sit in section 231....he could probably buy the team if he wanted. Even the broadcast announcers were blown away. One of the announcers even said, "I guess when you are Tiger Woods, you can sit wherever you want. Even section 231."
A graphic on the broadcast came up about midway through the 4th quarter stating that Dwight Howard had five dunks in the game. I didn't even know that dunks was a official stat now. Who holds the record for most dunks in one game? After some brief research, The Boozy can't figure it out. Stayed tuned...
One of those Magic announcers made an incredibly stupid comment: (Of course paraphrased) " Some people ask why did the Pistons draft Darko? Well they had a championship calibar team and would win the title the next year and play in another finals the year after. Maybe they felt if they drafted 'Melo, Wade, or Bosh they would have upset the great chemistry of this team. They felt Darko wouldn't have done that. You can't fault them. They have been the class of the league over the past 5 years. Who knows what would have happened if they drafted one of those three? We probably wouldn't have this Pistons team." I can tell you what would have happened. The Pistons would have been unstoppable and probably would have created a dynasty. Just think a starting line-up of Billups, Wallace, Prince, Rip, and 'Melo.
Briefly watched the Memphis/Utah game...Pau Gasol looks like he belongs on the terrible ABC sitcom Cavemen. Utah has some really creepy local commercials, like one about a religious retirement home. At one point, the Utah Jazz mascot, a giant bear named Bear, took a women out of the front row and tossed her over his shoulder. He walked off with the women over his shoulder. Just a bit weird...
Oh and AK-47 is still very ugly. I think the once year exemption his wife gives him is a complete joke to her.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Boozy's thoughts on Slamson!, Isiah Thomas, and Kids in the NBA
Games Watched: (11/6) San Antonio vs. Houston, Seattle vs. Sacramento, Cleveland vs. Golden State; (11/7) Portland vs. New Orleans, Memphis vs. Seattle
For our first official post, I thought we should jump right in with something important. During the Kings/Sonics game, the broadcast team did an interview with the Kings mascot SLAMSON!
Basically, as you can tell by the picture, he is a lion. In a world of dull mascots, SLAMSON! (he didn't go to mascot school for you to forget the !) has it all. He leads the league in hugs and was "acquired by Kings Pro Scouts while taking a catnap under a park bench in Old Sacramento" (both per the Kings website). Plus his name sounds like he belongs either selling weed or pimpin' underage girls. And all the Milwakee Bucks got was a deer named Bango, who sounds and looks like he belongs in an adult musical.
For our first official post, I thought we should jump right in with something important. During the Kings/Sonics game, the broadcast team did an interview with the Kings mascot SLAMSON!
Basically, as you can tell by the picture, he is a lion. In a world of dull mascots, SLAMSON! (he didn't go to mascot school for you to forget the !) has it all. He leads the league in hugs and was "acquired by Kings Pro Scouts while taking a catnap under a park bench in Old Sacramento" (both per the Kings website). Plus his name sounds like he belongs either selling weed or pimpin' underage girls. And all the Milwakee Bucks got was a deer named Bango, who sounds and looks like he belongs in an adult musical.
Has anyone else noticed that Isiah Thomas has really great skin? In High-Def, his skin seems really smooth and soft. I'm just throwing that out there....
I have come to the point in my life where I have to start accepting that there are people who are younger then I and more successful. I always had this idea that if someone is older then me, but more successful I still have a chance to catch up to them. Not so anymore. Kevin Durant just turned 19, but his face belongs on a 15 year old. That kid plays with heart and a silent fierceness that only a few of the legends ever had. Of course, I'm way far off from crowning this kid a legend yet. I've seen him play in two games this season, Sonics losing both in the final minutes. But the way he carried himself and the aggression he took the ball to the hoop was startling for a 19 year old kid. He is still too skinny, over plays on defense, and not consistent with his jump shot. Give him a year or two. Remember, he is only 19 and much more successful then I.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Welcome to Boozy--the first post 11/7/07
Welcome to the Boozy, your home to off-color and insightful blogging to the NBA. This is hoops, REAL hoops, from the view of two guys--a Celtics fan and a Wizards fan--living in Hollywood equipped with nothing but an HDTV, a DVR and an NBA League pass. We haven't played b-ball beyond rec league or street ball, but we love this game (and apparently old NBA catchphrases). The dunks, the steals, Agent Zero, Kevin Garnett's taste in clothing, Ben Wallace's hair, Tim Thomas's "Can't See Me" after he shoots a three... you name it, we love it. This page will not be filled with Xs and Os, but trust us... We know our NBA basketball. We are avid fans and we write what we see. This blog will hopefully provide a few bits for you to chuckle at, and--if you're lucky--a real laugh. We'll update the blog a few times a week. We hope you enjoy and do not hesitate to contact us with comments, suggestions, or hate mail.
Sincerely,
Boozy
Sincerely,
Boozy
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