In Game Post: Longhorns vs. Hawkeyes [1st Half]

Rick Barnes started surprised us right out of the gate with Freshman Guard Avery Bradley starting in place of J’Covan Brown who had started all games this season. The Longhorns started better, dominating the boards and with Jordan Hamilton on fire (he shot 4-6 from 3FG at the half) and as the game progressed, they dominated the game until about 5 minutes for the end for the half when Texas turned the ball over 4 consecutive times and stopped the scoreboard at 29 what allowed Iowa’s comeback.

The Hawkeyes have, hands down, played their best game of this season. Iowa showed phenomenal ball movement that allowed them either penetration or outside jump shots. They are one of the few teams that use the 35 seconds shot clock to move the ball and create wide open shots. Wonder if the high percentage shooting will continue on the second half, now that Texas will definitely play better defense.

In Game Post: Longhorns vs. Hawkeyes [Pre-Game]

Feast week gets underway this Monday, November the 24^th, with the CBE Classic when the 3^rd ranked team in the nation, Texas Longhorns, faces the Iowa Hawkeyes in which we’ll be able to see this Longhorn team gets tested for the first time this season, maybe not because of the opponent but the stage.

On the first two games, Texas beat Western Carolina and UC Irvine, has averaged only 41.5 points allowed and on both games won by an average of 39.5 points. All that information means that they haven’t been tested yet.

For Iowa it’s huge that the team at least competes on this Monday night. The Hawkeyes are 1-2 with losses to Duquesne (understandable) and Texas-San Antonio. They are currently not ranked and need to start winning if they want anything on the Big Ten because Ohio State started red hot.

The Longhorns are the heavily favorites however in college hoops, nothing is that easy. They are bigger and better defensively but faced such easy competition so far that maybe we should expect a slow start. Texas does face USC next week but they don’t battle a ranked team until December the 19^th when they play UNC in Cowboys Stadium and that means it’ll be hard for Rick Barnes to keep this team focused until there.

Check More At: MVN

Top 5 II: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/top-5-ii/

Power Rankings IV

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

The best team of the NBA so far. Josh Smith has been superb in the first 14 games. He has been the horse they have been riding. The Hawks had a weird loss to the Hornets Friday but that’s Ok on the road and on a second of back-to-backs.

#2 – Cleveland Cavaliers

Without Shaq, the team plays better. He just doesn’t fit there and with him out for a while now, they were able to give minutes to JJ Hickson who could be the solution for their problems, certainly not offensively but maybe defensively.

#3 – Phoenix Suns

The Suns remain red hot. 2^nd best record of the league so far, even with the loss to the Hornets on Thursday which shouldn’t be a shock because every time that the Suns are dominated on the boards, they lose, and it’s a lock just like that.

#4 – Los Angeles Lakers

Gasol is back and that means the Lakers should make their push to the league’s best record now. With the Spanish Center there, they are just so tough to beat, they are big and physical.

#5 – Orlando Magic

With Rashard Lewis back, they become a matchup nightmare again. The win against the Celtics highlighted that. Vince Carter is coming alive, against Boston he scored 26, turned the ball over a lot but took the game over in the end and that what you expect from your superstar and the reason why Orlando traded for him.

#6 – Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony has been terrific so far and put himself in the MVP race however they are still not on the same level as last season. Their defense has been OK but when Billups doesn’t play well, all of a sudden nobody else but Carmelo produces.

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

Nowitzki has been carrying them because the bunch of injuries already started, Marion and Howard haven’t played together for a decent amount of time, and it’s not close to end.

#8 – Boston Celtics

On back-to-backs they look old. The loss against the Magic can be faced as a problem but when healthy, they are still the best team in the NBA. The question is: for how long will they remain healthy?

#9 – Milwaukee Bucks

The Jenningsmania is all over the NBA, even in this Power Rankings.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

Travis Outlaw is out with the same injury that held Webster for the entire season last year and that’s a hit on their second unit. The 3 men backcourt has survived so far but maybe is time to trade Miller.

#11 – Miami Heat

As Wade goes, they go which means that so far, they are a playoff team.

#12 – Houston Rockets

Even I’m convinced that this team needs somebody who can create his own shots on clutch moments. That guy is neither Ariza nor Brooks. Hopefully McGrady won’t screw the good vibe around the team.

#13 – Oklahoma City Thunder

When those four guys score, they are tough to hold. Lately even when they lose, they are on the game until the end. As the season progresses, they progress and the Western Conference should watch out.

#14 – Utah Jazz

With Williams back and Boozer stepping up, the Jazz won all three games this week including one against the Spurs which was their first in San Antonio in 20 games.

#15 – Toronto Raptors

They won 42% of their games. With all the money spent in this team and with playoff expectations around them, they have to perform better.

#16 – San Antonio Spurs

Ginobili and Parker out this week, injuries caught with them like expected. They always start slow, so no worry there.

#17 – Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose has struggled a lot and that’s a real problem. This is a team that has a lot of variations and formations but it’s only 8 deep.

#18 – Indiana Pacers

They are who we thought they were: a .500 team.

#19 – Detroit Pistons

With Hamilton and Prince out, they have been able to hang in there but the problems are the same, lack of size inside and no rebounders, and when they face decent competition, that’s a problem.

#20 – Sacramento Kings

They are 5-7. Can you believe that?! The Kings won 41.7% of their games and that’s crazy. Tyreke Evans and Omir Caspi have been big so far.

#21 – Los Angeles Clippers

Yes, they have been a disappointment but when Gordon and Griffin return, they should be better. The push to the playoffs is yet to come but Kaman has played the best basketball of his career and Baron Davis is finally finding himself on that offense. Their second unit is amazing.

#22 – New Orleans Hornets

Without Chris Paul and with the new coach, they played well this week. Rookies getting more playing time and when Stojakovic shows up to play, they are not that bad. It’s tough to see them over .500 though.

#23 – Philadelphia 76ers

They are the ones to open a playoff spot on the East. They face problems on offense and defense. With Brand there, they haven’t been as committed to Iguodala on offense which they should if they want to save the season.

#24 – Golden State Warriors

Jackson is gone and the Warriors got cap relief instead. They’ll play shorthanded for the rest of the season but Don Nelson likes it this way. Nelson who, by the way, is 23 wins away from his record which means he’s 23 wins away from retirement what could mean that next season, maybe the Warriors will be OK.

#25 – Charlotte Bobcats

Probably the dumbest team in the NBA. The franchise is for sale but yet they took on Jackson’s awful contract in a move that won’t make them better than those teams they are fighting.

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

Iverson is now gone for good. It’s time for them to translate talent into wins.

#27 – Washington Wizards

They have been the most disappointing team so far.

#28 – New York Knicks

Apparently they refused going after Allen Iverson, which would at least entertain us, because of Eddie Curry and Toney Douglas. I have no words for that.

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

They miss Kevin Love but as expected they would be bad anyway.

#30 – New Jersey Nets

They have been banged up but nothing justifies that awful start. Douglas Roberts is back, so is Harris, which means the offense should be better but the 0-17 start looks real.

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings III: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/power-rankings-iii/

Top 5 II

#1 – Kansas Jayhawks

On a rematch of the NCAA championship game of two years ago, the result was the same. Huge win for the Jayhawks on neutral court in which they showed why they are the best team in the nation so far and which Aldrich showed why he’ll be a lottery pick in the NBA draft.

#2 – Michigan State Spartans

Tom Izzo and the Spartans remain undefeated after a week when they were tested by a very good Gonzaga team. Kalin Lucas has stepped up like we expected and lead the team in score.

#3 – Syracuse Orange

The Orange got the first title of the season. Jim Boeheim and Syracuse overcame all the questions that were raised about them, both coach, team and program, because of the loss against Les Moyne by winning the 2k9 Classic in which they beat California and North Carolina at MSG.

#4 – Kentucky Wildcats

The killer combination of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins can be the key for the Wildcats moving on however so far they haven’t been tested. Calipari is 4-0 but the first test is a couple of weeks from now against the Tar Heels.

#5 – Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns defense has just been superb. Yes, they haven’t been tested yet but the expectations around this team are high.

Check More At: MVN

Top 5 I: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/top-5-i/

On the Market

February 18^th, 2010. That’s the deadline for trades in the National Basketball Association and it has been a while since we had that many big names with the possibility to move before that date. For various reasons, we have a lot of teams trying to get free of who used to be their franchise players.

The first name that comes to mind and fit all those qualifications is Tracy McGrady. It’s not crazy to say that the Houston Rockets are ready to quit on T-Mac. His injuries throughout the years and his inability to play well during the playoffs series probably made them realize that McGrady won’t be the one to lead them to a championship and add that to the fact that the team always react well when he’s not there like they were better off without him. McGrady just underwent micro fracture surgery and a feud between him and the franchise about his comeback has been reported. The Rockets do need somebody who can create his own shots on clutch moments and T-Mac can be a nice trading asset for them to get that guy.

Another big name that can be on the move is Michael Redd. Redd, who was part of the Redeem Team, underwent another knee surgery last season and when he returned this year, couldn’t last two weeks before he needed to rest again. With the emergence of Brandon Jennings, questions about the coexistence of those two have been raised. It’s hard to imagine that Jennings can be this good if from now on he has to share touches with Redd and I believe won’t he have to, if somebody will have to take the backseat, it’ll be Redd and although he doesn’t seem to be the guy who makes a big deal out of it and with that backcourt they have a shot to make the playoffs, maybe the Bucks could be more comfortable without the controversy and trade him. Maybe Milwaukee is ready to move on.

Underrated players to move before the deadline are Stephen Jackson and Andre Miller. Jackson was just traded this week from the Warriors to the Bobcats but we shouldn’t rule out him switching addresses again still in the ongoing season because this is a trade that never made any sense anyway. Golden State gave Jackson a terrible contract, 3 year $28 million dollar extension, and nobody should be stupid enough to take it, even more Charlotte whose franchise is for sale and didn’t want to take on long term deals. Miller is on a similar situation. Portland had cap space free on the offseason and tried to sign a couple of big men, Paul Millsap and David Lee, however it didn’t work out and they had to go for the next best thing which was Andre Miller but the fact is that Miller doesn’t fit well in the Blazers backcourt, he’s a Guard that needs the ball and so does Roy who is better completed by a shooter, Steve Blake. Insiders believed that the Trail Blazers did the right thing by using the cap space to sign him because now they have an asset to trade and since Outlaw can be gone for the remainder of the season, they might need to get a Forward for their second unit.

The most likely player to move is Elton Brand. The Brand experiment hasn’t work so far in Philadelphia. The team only made the push to the playoffs last season after he went out and they were able to get back to the Iguodala Isotope. This season hasn’t been different. He’s a non factor there and a very expensive overpaid one.

This season’s trade deadline will be an exciting, promising one. Not all of these guys will be moved, although all of their teams would be better off without them. Trades in the NBA are all about dumping salary which makes tough to believe those guys will be gone however there’s always that team willing to make a move to try to get to the next level (or in the Bobcats’ case, somebody really stupid) and those players are the missing pieces of a lot of teams out there.

Check More At: MVN

Not the Right Answer

The Associated Press first reported early today, November the 20^th, the New York Knicks won’t pursuit free agent PG Allen Iverson. Iverson, who cleared waivers on Wednesday night and became an unrestricted free agent, was expected to be targeted and maybe even sign with the Knicks as soon as Saturday according to TNT’s David Aldridge.

Maybe this is a bad decision on an entertaining stand point but probably a good decision locker room wise. It’s clear that Donnie Walsh is treating this season as a throwaway, so he might as well do it bringing some excitement. It’s also clear that those guys quit anyway because they know that only few of them will be there next season, so AI would have no problem getting his shots and his minutes however apparently the decision was made because management was concerned exactly about the minutes and the shots that Iverson would take away from Toney Douglas whom for some reason they believe is the future.

With the Knicks officially out of the hunt, yet another door just closed for “the Answer”. On the offseason besides the Grizzlies, only the Clippers showed public interest in Iverson but he can consider that door closed as well because the idea was to bring him off the bench for Eric Gordon and now that AI emphasized once again his feelings about that, they are no longer an option. Off course all this rejection can change on the exact moment that Iverson understands that the sixth man role is the only one he is able to get these days and if that’s the case, contenders should pursuit this guy because even at this stage of his career, he can score however if that’s not the case, Iverson should start packing his bags and move to Europe because on the NBA he would be done by default.

Check More At: MVN

Done by Default II?: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/done-by-default-ii/

Leave of Absence: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/leave-of-absence/

Power Rankings III

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

#2 – Phoenix Suns

#3 – Denver Nuggets

#4 – Houston Rockets

#5 – Boston Celtics

#6 – Cleveland Cavaliers

#7 – Los Angeles Lakers

#8 – Portland Trail Blazers

#9 – Orlando Magic

#10 – Dallas Mavericks

#11 – Miami Heat

#12 – Milwaukee Bucks

#13 – Chicago Bulls

#14 – Oklahoma City Thunder

#15 – San Antonio Spurs

#16 – Toronto Raptors

#17 – Detroit Pistons

#18 – Utah Jazz

#19 – Indiana Pacers

#20 – Sacramento Kings

#21 – Philadelphia 76ers

#22 – Los Angeles Clippers

#23 – Charlotte Bobcats

#24 – Washington Wizards

#25 – Golden State Warriors

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

#27 – New Orleans Hornets

#28 – New Jersey Nets

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

#30 – New York Knicks

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings II: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/power-rankings-ii/

Done by Default II?

The Memphis Grizzlies have announced late in the afternoon, November the 16^th, through a statement signed by General Manager Chris Wallace that the team will waive 10 time All Star Guard Allen Iverson. According to the statement, the one year contract will be terminated in a mutual agreement in which Iverson will receive only a fraction of the $3 million dollars he was scheduled to earn. AI will be put on waivers tomorrow and if he clears it, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday night.

The ironic thing about it is that Iverson was brought in to boost attendance for the Grizzlies who recorded a league worst last season and leaves the team before playing a single home game. Now that he’s officially gone, the Grizzlies should be happy for it, happy that he decided to walk away this early on the season and didn’t have enough time to cause that many problems to mess up the minds of their youngster. Besides the economic dimension of the deal and the attempt to boost attendance, the Iverson deal never made sense to begin with. Besides the Oklahoma City Thunder, no other team in the NBA has as many prospects as the Memphis Grizzlies and to bring a guy like Iverson that would take away minutes and shots wasn’t a very good strategy and then when they tried to correct that they forget whom they were dealing with.

This whole situation is more Iverson’s fault than anybody else’s. His inability to accept a role coming off the bench put him in this position at this stage of his career. Imagine this guy leading the Lakers’ second unit or the Cavaliers’, teams that are fighting for championships but lack scoring out of the bullpen. Maybe his main problem is with the minutes because he would be the main option on every team’s second unit shooting a lot and probably be an option at clutch situations but what he could do is look on a different way: fewer minutes now means minutes for a longer period of time however his inability to realize that he’s not the big shot anymore took him out of a 2-7 team that clearly can’t translate talent in wins.

Iverson claims that the team never informed him he would come off the bench and if that’s the case and was the plan all the time, then they have a piece of fault too. Everybody who is an NBA fan saw what happened last season when AI couldn’t come off the bench for a playoff team. Who on Earth would believe he would be OK being Mike Conley’s back-up? Although it was always the right thing to do, allow those guys to grow and develop together, if that was the plan all the way, they might as well have talked to Iverson to realize what they were getting into.

The end for Iverson in Memphis could easily mean the end for him overall. The only team that showed interest in him on the offseason was the Clippers and the idea was the bring him off the bench too, so now that Iverson emphasized once again his feeling about it, he closed yet another door in the NBA. Now that he’s officially out of Memphis, a lot of rumors about the Knicks and the Bobcats have been talked about. Except for the fact that Larry Brown is there and that they are such a terrible offensive team, I can’t see it happening. They just traded for Stephen Jackson and getting a guy like Iverson now will definitely killed even more their playoffs chances, while the Knicks are a very believable scenario. Donnie Walsh is dealing the season as throwaway one anyway, so you might as well do it selling people some excitement and entertainment however all the Marbury soap opera could have scared him off a little bit.

And just like Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson could also be done by default. Not because of craziness but because of his inability to accept the fact he’s not the big shot anymore. Iverson is the face of an Era that thankfully if gone, an Era when individual talent was more important than the actual team and his inability to adapt to the new times and his new conditions might finish his career before he actually reaches a point when he should and that’s incredibly sad. Iverson will probably be a Hall of Famer because of all the numbers and the classic moments but it sucks to see him leaving for the back door.

Check More At: MVN

Leave of Absence: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/leave-of-absence/

Sixth Man in Memphis: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/sixth-man-in-memphis/

Mess of the Minutes in Memphis: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/mess-of-the-minutes-in-memphis/

Done by Default

One particularly story has pulled a lot of attention in the NBA throughout this offseason and it isn’t about free agency, new coaches or draft picks. It’s about Stephon Marbury.

With the phenomenon of Twitter, a lot of NBA players found out the internet and just realized that through it, they could express themselves on a way that they are in full and total control of. By Twitter, Facebook or Ustream, players understood that they could communicate all they want, as much as they want and the way they want. Then we realized that we could get a more honest reaction from Baron Davis, for example, on 140 characters than on press conferences or an edited highlight on SportsCenter. This whole new connection brought good things but also brought some really bad things; point in case: Starbury TV.

Stephon Marbury has broadcast during this offseason a monologue about how to end a career. Through his web show on Ustream and Justin TV, Marbury proved to be unstable, a bit sick and in need of professional help. He ate Vaseline, cried on camera for absolute no reason and said he has ADD when asked about being bipolar.

Marbury sadly became this guy that people like to see falling down.

No team would take such liability. No team would like to have this crazy person inside their locker room. No matter where he goes from now, he’s the most wanted player of the team, not for his skills or the game controversies he would generate but for his behavior. Yes, we are on tough economic times and every single franchise need all the help they can get to fill in arenas but nothing worth such a headache.

It sucks that the last impression as player that we will probably get from Marbury is his failed experiment with the Boston Celtics where it became clear that all the "you have to behave, just be good, don’t disrupt" atmosphere made him unable to produce.

If Stephon Marbury is in fact a sick person, is unfortunate that the whole world knows about it by the embarrassment he caused himself, family and friends and if that’s actually the case, that should be a private matter. What is public thought is how unfortunate is the fact that nobody were able to save him before he ended his professional career the way he ended: by default, because nobody wants him and that’s incredible sad. It’s sad that such a good talent, a gifted player is the definition of an underachiever because of his character, his self being.

Check More At: MVN

Packing the Bags

ESPN.com’s Mark Stein first reported this morning, November the 16^th, that the Golden State Warriors and the Charlotte Bobcats reached an agreement on a trade that will send veteran Stephen Jackson and Guard Acie Law to Carolina and bring Swingman Raja Bell and Wingman Vladimir Radmanovic to Oakland. According to the report, Jackson, who made it clear he wanted to be dealt with a contender, seems to be OK with the deal and expects to be on uniform tonight against the Magic.

Stephen Jackson wanted out and now he’s out but not for a contender. In Charlotte, Jackson comes to help a much needed offense that failed to score more than 80 points in five of its nine games played in the season however a price will be paid. Throughout the summer and the past season, the Bobcats have done what they could to not take future contracts because everyone knows that the team is for sale. Even with Jackson there and even if Gerard Wallace starts playing like he did last season, this team is still a couple of steps away from finally reaching the playoffs. Jackson absolutely robbed the Warriors on the offseason when he took a 3 year $28 million dollar contract and he knows that no other team was willing to pay him that kind of money but Michael Jordan did and that’s odd because it goes on the opposite direction of everything they have done so far. It’s good to see that maybe Jordan and Larry Brown still a winning vein in them and that they are still willing to make aggressive moves in order to compete for that wide opened playoff spot on the East however it’s tough to believe that this contract won’t be restructured. Call me crazy but I can easily see Jackson getting traded again this season (probably for Cleveland) or reach a buyout agreement on the summer.

The Warriors finally are free of one of their cancers but Jackson was only one of the many unhappy veterans, as we found out last week the feud between Manta Ellis and Don Nelson, and the concern of management is that the discontentment of those guys continues to hang over their young talent. On the deal for Jackson, Golden State got payroll relief for the near future and short term depth. Raja Bell’s contract expire in the end of the season but for now he’ll be much needed in order to replace Kelenna Azubuike who is done for the season, while Radmanovic has another year left in his deal and will be a nice trading asset next season because of his expiring contract which the Warriors could get a first round pick on the draft, that is expected to be one of the best classes of all time, and keep building around their youngster talent.

Like many other in this league, this was a strange trade. The Bobcats just went the reverse way of what we all expected for a 31 year old veteran that will make them better on the offense but not on the locker and won’t put them ahead of the teams they are fighting for playoffs spots (Pistons, Pacers, Raptors) which makes us wonder how long until he breaks out a fight with Larry Brown and gets traded for Cleveland. It’s weird to say but the Warriors actually did a good job and got the best out of the deal. The Capitan is now out of the books and in exchange they got a Guard they need right away because of injury but not for the future and two guys that won’t mess up even more their chemistry issues and will also be out of the books soon. Nelson is 23 wins away from his record and retirement which could mean that next season, hopefully, we can actually see a Warriors team on the right direction. Sounds utopian but it could happen and the seeds are already planted.

Check More At: MVN

Feud between Ellis and Nelson: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/warriors/detail?blogid=39&entry_id=51532