Ball or Nuthin' » Hornets

CP3 Proves New CBA Doesn’t Matter

T Lamont — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:26:48 +0000

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, it began to seem unlikely that NBA basketball would occur in 2011, or perhaps even 2012.

Thankfully, our summer of discontent is over.

Now that the league is about to officially resume business as usual, the media has initiated its continuous buzz of trade rumors.

And the new season, under a new collective bargaining agreement, is looking a lot like last season.

For those that need a refresher, the 2010-2011 NBA campaign afforded fans the luxury of seeing the formation of two ‘mega-teams:’ the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Of course, tension erupted even before the season commenced with the departure of a certain two-time MVP from his native area. It appeared that LeBron James’ declaration to do whatever it takes to win a championship – meaning surround himself with comparable All-Star talent – struck a chord with other superstars across the league. So, after Chris Bosh announced his decision to join forces with Dwyane Wade in South Beach, it was clear that James was trying to do just that.

And while some may say that neither James nor Bosh forced their way out of town, others can argue that their play exemplified their eagerness to skip out of town.

But that was hardly the end of the trend.

From day one of the season, drama in Denver captivated the attention of even the most casual fan – as the Nuggets went through the gut-wrenching process of figuring out what to do with its franchise star, Carmelo Anthony. It was Anthony’s refusal to agree to a contract extension that clearly stated his intentions to entertain other potential destinations. And the end result: ‘Melo is now playing hoops alongside his former teammate Chauncey Billups and power forward stud Amare Stoudemire in his hometown of the Big Apple.

As the year wore on, there were sudden reports coming out of Utah of a rift between Jerry Sloan and perennial All-Star Deron Williams. The bottom line was that Williams wasn’t happy, and the Jazz management knew it. Rather than let him drag out his trade negotiations in a public fashion, Utah hastily shipped him to New Jersey for some fresh, young talent.

Paul has his sights set on bigger NBA markets.

With the scenario of players demanding their way out of organization lingering in mind, Chris Paul is at it once again.

It was about a year ago that the rumor mill began churning regarding Paul’s desire to play elsewhere, preferably New York. Almost predictably, his desire was to team with Anthony and Stoudemire to form another ‘big three’ with about as much star power as the one in Miami. Paul, attempting to massage his image a bit, backed off of his pressing and recoiled his request, stating that he was content in the Big Easy.

But, it was easy to see that a line had been drawn in the sand. CP3 was merely giving the front office time to get to work, and come up with a way to get him out of town.

What’s startling to me is the list of teams who have been mentioned as suitors for Paul – the Knicks, the Celtics and the Lakers. The fact that these three teams are first in line illustrates that last year’s trend is still alive and well. It also illustrates that a major factor in NBA labor negotiations – big-market versus small-market competitiveness – will remain an issue for the indefinite future.

In labor meetings, the owners reported that 22 of the league’s team were losing money, signifying a gap in the NBA’s teams based on their market and location. And with teams such as New York, Boston and Los Angeles being noted for their success and/or superstars on the hardwood, the prospect of adding another player that caliber of Chris Paul only figures to widen the gap that already exists.

Can New Orleans, Denver and Cleveland really compete with the likes of New York and Miami?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Phil Jackson to His Team: “You Just Got Punk’d”

T Lamont — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:08:10 +0000

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New Orleans won again. So what, right?

Although the Hornets have played a tough four games – with the series split two games apiece – you might be inclined to instinctively think that the reigning NBA champs are in full control of their destiny.

But you’d be very wrong.

Kobe Bryant is playing on not one, but two sprained ankles after getting beat by Willie Green off the dribble last night. Technically, Derek Fisher may not have sprained ankles, but he looks like he has been while attempting to slow down Chris Paul. And quite frankly, so do the rest of the Lakers. To top it all off, Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom continues to call out the team’s apparent lack of urgency. Of course, that comes after he stuffed the stat sheet with 6 points (on 1-7 shooting), 4 rebounds and no assists.

So, to recap all of that, Los Angeles has unhealthy, unskilled and unmotivated players trying to avoid a first-round upset against a team with inferior collective talent.

With that being said, raise your hand if you think that the Hornets are going to win this series.

"Hey Phil, please keep single-covering me with Derek Fisher..."

As you sit there with your hand still firmly gripping your mouse or on your touch pad, the fact is that there is a sense of uneasiness in Lakerland. To say that L.A. is being bullied would be an understatement. But to understand that the bully is a 6-foot tall point guard (albeit one of the best in the Association) is certainly a head-scratcher. Everyone – including the Lakers – realized that Paul has the ability to keep the Hornets in contention, but I don’t think either team even believed that he could scare them. Right now, Los Angeles is scared and confused. They know that the ball remains in their court. They know that they have undeniable advantages in four of the five starting positions on the court. But the fact is that the series is tied because of the exploits of Paul, who is manning the only position on the court where New Orleans has a clear advantage.

In the midst of a series that was supposed to be a breeze, Phil Jackson has now been forced to coach.

The former defensive wizard and coaching icon, who makes use of non-traditional philosophies to get the best out of his teams, took a different approach after last night’s loss:

“We got punked out there tonight…”

Nothing to think about. Nothing left to decipher.

Sometimes there’s nothing like some good, old fashioned name-calling to get a team focused.

But with his championship pedigree on the line, we can rest assured that P.J. will come with a few wrinkles to his game plan. Don’t be surprised to see one of – if not all of – the following come Game 5:

Loose cannons like Matt Barnes are valuable commodities in the postseason.

- Less Derek Fisher. We all know why. But we’ll say it one last time – Paul is going to get arrested for assault and battery when x-rays reveal the damage to Fisher’s ankles after the series. Fisher can resurface during those key offensive possessions during which floor spacing is critical, but otherwise…

- Don’t switch on pick and rolls. The Hornets live and die by CP3′s ability to create opportunities for his lesser skilled teammates. Switching on pick and rolls provides Paul with an even greater mismatch than the one he already has – imagine that – on Fisher. The Lakers need to fight through and recognize the offensive set, or trap and rotate. Basically, they need to play real defense and not just rely on their size around the basket.

- Put Matt Barnes on Paul. Barnes may not be the ideal player to use on Paul, but the defensive specialist is only getting 12 minutes of burn per game in the series. In a postseason setting, he is the type of player that can make a difference. He’s a throw-away player – meaning you don’t need anything from him offensively, and you can use him as a bruiser. Let Barnes put his body on Paul, and pair his length with his quickness to give the All-Star a different look. He’s got six fouls. Let him use them.

Lakers, Spurs Among Favorites to Lose Game 1′s

T Lamont — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:38:34 +0000

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Opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs just passed, and the games certainly lived up to their billing.

However, some teams were left scratching their heads and being thankful that the Association hasn’t adopted a March Madness style, one-and-done format. Among those startling losers were (in order of most surprising to least):

The Los Angeles Lakers

Now, of course, no one is worried that L.A. will lose this series. On the way to the championship last season, the Lakers dropped a pair of games in two different conference series (not to mention going the distance in the Finals). It definitely hasn’t been an uncommon occurrence to witness the Lakers needing to be humbled before getting their act together.

However, for them to drop Game 1 at home, is rather surprising – even by their complacent standards. It’s perhaps the most unpredictable of this weekend’s upsets – given the relatively unskilled nature of New Orleans frontcourt players.

CP3 was the latest point guard to put in work against the Lakers.

But what wasn’t surprising was witnessing the title favorites get dominated by an elite point guard. Chris Paul absolutely had his way in the Staples Center, owning Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and anyone in a gold jersey that he crossed paths with on Sunday. CP3 made his bigs look as if they belonged in the NBA, much like he has done throughout his NBA career. On the flip side, the Lakers’ inability to control top flight floor generals has been a well documented problem. It’s one that they will overcome against the Hornets, however, due to their lack of supporting depth and size. Nevertheless, a more complete opponent with a treacherous trigger man (think Oklahoma City) could spell serious trouble for Phil Jackson’s bunch.

Orlando Magic

The Atlanta Hawks were straight up-and-down embarrassed by the Magic in the conference semifinals last season. They lost four straight games by a total of 101 points. Dayum.

What have they done since that infamous butt-whoopin’?

Let Woodson walk, and hire a cheap inexperienced head coach in Larry Drew. They traded Mike Bibby for Kirk Hinrich. And that’s basically it.

So, how can we explain the confidence with which they dispatched the Magic in Game 1?

They single-covered Dwight Howard. Orlando has always been as its best when it runs its offense through the 2010-11 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He towers over the defense, and can make kick-out passes to knock-down three-point shooters out on the perimeter. That’s precisley how the Magic smoked the Hawks a year ago.

But what if a team single-covers Superman, forcing him to be Orlando’s offense? Well, the outcome is a 46-point, 19-rebound effort for the NBA’s most dominant interior force – and a loss for his team. Jameer Nelson was a good sidekick, contributing 27 points of his own. But no one else on the team scored more than six points. Contrast that to Atlanta, which had a pair of twenty-point scorers and a total of five players in double figures, and it’s easy to see that Drew should stick to this defensive philosophy for as long as he has bodies that can absorb the contact that Howard will deliver. And if Howard continues to shoot like he did in the series opener, that will serve as icing on the cake for the Hawks.

San Antonio Spurs

Watching the Grizzlies battle the Clippers on the last day of the regular season should have incensed Gregg Popovich.

With or without Ginobili, the Spurs will have a tough series with the Grizzlies.

In perhaps the most clear-cut display of throwing a game in the history of the league, Memphis allowed itself to get manhandled by Blake Griffin and company. Trailing by 20+ points for three and a half quarters, the Grizzlies put on a faux-run to close the game and make it appear as if they were giving effort. I’d seriously doubt if anyone bought it, though.

That loss locked them into the eighth slot and secured a first-round date with the Spurs – a team with which they split the regular season series at two games apiece.

The other alternative? Win the game, get the seventh seed and square off against L.A. Ahem.

But when the Spurs got taken down by the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, pundits were quick to point out the fact that the Spurs did not play Manu Ginobili.

So what? The Grizzlies didn’t play Rudy Gay. O.K., yes, Gay is out for the remainder of this campaign, but the point is that Memphis was unable to trot out its best lineup at the Alamodome, too. The truth about San Antonio’s loss should dishearten its fans. The Spurs withstood what the Grizzlies were giving them right down to the end. They made the run to seize control of the contest, which everyone knew they would. They established a manageable four-point advantage late in the fourth quarter. And yet, Memphis still found a way to win Game 1.

It’s the kind of thing that happens to teams that play against the Spurs, but not to the Spurs themselves. Mike Conley proved his worth (although his contract remains to be out of this world), Shane Battier illustrated his status as a professional, and the new twin towers (Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol) totally overmatched an aging Tim Duncan and whoever else played alongside him. The Spurs have lots of fight in them, but they are fighting against a team that knows they can win this series.

And as G.I. Joe would say, “…knowing is half the battle…”

NBA Western Conference Playoff Analysis

T Lamont — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:56:09 +0000

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We’ve already taken a tour through the Eastern Conference, and its potential showdowns.

Now, it’s time to do the same with the west side. And admittedly, this will be a much easier process.

As the NBA prepares to embark upon another postseason, there’s a good chance that Laker haters will be disappointed yet again. That’s because – just like the previous three seasons – the Western Conference crown is basically the Lakers’ to lose. Here’s why:

Continuity – With the exception of Ron Artest swapping places with Trevor Ariza, the meaningful pieces within the Lakers’ lineup have remained unchanged. Their time together has undoubtedly produced a certain level of comfort with each other which other teams lack.

Experience – Bryant, Gasol, Bynum, Odom and Fisher provide the Lakers with a boatload of big game experience. Their ability to execute under the pressures of the postseason has already been tested.

Healthy – Los Angeles is coasting into the playoffs, with a relatively clean bill of health. The champs are about as close to full strength as an organization could hope to be at this point in the year.

Momentum – L.A. has won seven straight, and 16 of their last 17. In a nutshell, they are playing great ball at the best possible time.

While the Lakers have the inside track on their fourth consecutive Western Conference title, Phil Jackson will have to make sure that they recall the ABC’s of their team’s success:

“A” is for Artest – After being an enigma for the vast majority of the campaign, Ron-Ron has played inspired hoops on both sides of the floor of late. Jackson will have the unenviable challenge of keeping Artest interested and focused throughout their run.

“B” is for Bench Play – The Western Conference favorites are just that despite some very spotty bench play. Lamar Odom, who would be a starter on any other club, is obviously an ace off the bench. Shannon Brown, who began the season on a tear (including 17 double-figure scoring games prior to Christmas), has fallen on hard times of late. The 6’4″ guard, who scored above his season average six times in February, has only done so twice in March. The rest of the Lakers’ reserves have been space fillers. Players like Steve Blake and Matt Barnes have to do more than start trouble (as they did recently against Dallas).

“C” is for Counteract – While the Lakers sometimes settle for slowing things down, they must take full advantage of opportunities to push the ball. L.A. plays best when its offense is free-flowing, and the ball is moving quickly. The champs must avoid complacency because Kobe Bryant’s instincts to try and single-handedly win games will kick in. And they’ll become vulnerable.

Although Phil Jackson’s crew hold the clear edge, there are other teams in the Western Conference. Let’s take a look at the remaining playoff teams in the conference from most threatening to least (from L.A.’s perspective):

Ibaka (pictured) and Perkins provide the Thunder with great interior defense and rebounding.

Oklahoma City Thunder- This may be a bit surprising, but, yes, they do edge out the San Antonio Spurs. Why? Besides experience, the Thunder have all of the key components of a future title contender. They have a top notch scorer and MVP candidate in ‘the Durantula’. They have a game-breaking point guard who creates mismatches on a nightly basis in Russell Westbrook. They have bench support in James Harden (12.0 ppg), Daequan Cook (three-point specialist) and Eric Maynor (capable, skilled backup point guard).

But perhaps most importantly, Oklahoma City has the big bodies that can physically match up with the Lakers. Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka and Nazr Mohammed formed a serviceable trio in the Thunder frontcourt, but the addition of Kendrick Perkins really gives them quality depth.

So, Scott Brooks’ team is only some quality experience away from catching the Lake Show.

San Antonio Spurs- Rightfully, the Spurs have moved past the ‘Tim Duncan era’, and into the ‘Tony Parker-George Hill-Manu Ginobili era’. San Antonio has upped its tempo, and has reaped the benefits of making the adjustment. What remains questionable is exactly how this will translate into postseason basketball. Duncan has traditionally been the playoff workhorse, and how Gregg Popovich elects to use him this time around will be quite interesting.

The Spurs got manhandled by the Lakers in their latest Sunday ABC showdown (March 6), by a score that actually belittled the degree to which Los Angeles dominated the contest. They’ll tussle on April 12 in L.A. in a matchup that both teams will either use as a statement, or render meaningless and rest their big minute players. Regardless, the Spurs chances of dethroning the Lakers revolve around their ability to control the game’s tempo. And as we saw with Phoenix in last year’s conference finals, that’s a game plan that will only work for so long.

Dallas Mavericks- The Mavericks and Lakers engaged in a heated battle last Thursday night. Dallas was nip and tuck with Los Angeles in the Staples center for more than two and a half quarters of the game. In the third quarter, the contest took a turn and became more physical. On a drive to the bucket, Steve Blake was fouled by Jason Terry. In an act of frustration, Blake was effortlessly shoved to the ground by the Mavs second leading scorer. Blake returned to his feet, and got nose to nose with Terry – and the fireworks began to spark. Matt Barnes, who seems to be useless otherwise, came to life and found a way to get tossed from the game.

From that point forward, the Lakers ran away with the game. They got physical and Dallas had no answer. It was almost as if the Mavs were punked. In fact, that’s exactly what it was. When Chris Webber calls a team ”soft”…well, they’re pretty much soft.

Everyone knows that the Mavs aren’t a serious contender for the Western title. The Lakers know it. The Mavs know it. You know it. I know it. And C-Webb knows it.

By virtue of their combined experience, size and/or talent, the remaining playoff teams in the West just can’t compete. Here’s the rest of the participants:

Denver Nuggets – While the Thunder might be the team that matches up best with the champs, their seeding (probably in the fourth spot) will subject them to a tough first-round battle. In what could be the most playoff series that we’ve seen in some time, the Thunder and Nuggets are more than likely going to square off in an opening round Western Conference series.

It’s become a well-versed topic these days that George Karl’s crew is better without Carmelo Anthony. It’s an assessment that is easily proven from a quantitative perspective – the Nuggets are 14-4 in their last 18 games. Of those four losses, only one came against a potential non-playoff opponent (L.A. Clippers). The Nuggets held their own in their last three games – beating L.A. and Dallas, while losing to OKC. But they seem to be a team that is much more relaxed since dealing a player who everyone thinks is one of the top five in the league. All I have to say is that if you get rid of a top five player, you should in no way be a better team. But somehow, the Nuggets are.

New Orleans Hornets – Like a penny with a hole in it? That’s about how hopeless the Hornets are in this year’s postseason. David West is gone. Sure, Carl Landry can fill most of the productivity void left by West. Chris Paul runs things for the Hornets, but his lack of size brings about the need for another scorer who can always get off his shots. Landry cannot give New Orleans clutch offensive play, and he does not have the ability to carry his team for long stretches.

Oh, and the Hornets are playing either the Lakers or the Mavs to open the postseason. These are both too tough for a team missing a top scorer.

Portland Trailblazers – Nate McMillan better not have his team cruise to the finish line of the regular season. His Blazers are well equipped to make some playoff noise, particularly if they fight to the finish and get the #6 position in the conference. That would probably mean a date with Dallas, a much preferred opponent than Los Angeles. Unlike New Orleans, Portland would have a real chance at taking down the Mavericks and advancing to the semifinals. In fact, I think that the Blazers could really be the favorites in that series.

Batum is part of a lengthy frontcourt that can match up with any team.

Portland has an experienced backcourt with Andre Miller and the ‘mature-beyond-his-years’ Wesley Matthews. They also have great frontcourt length in Marcus Camby, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. The bench has been boosted with the likes of a deteriorated Brandon Roy, the versatile Rudy Fernandez, and a trade-deadline steal in Gerald Wallace. Beware Dallas – you may experience yet another first-round flame out.

Memphis Grizzlies- Finally! The talented team clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time in years, thanks to Zach Randolph. Did I really just say that? Not long ago, Randolph was labeled as borderline thug, and as a clear disruptive force to any team that he played on. But Z-Bo has proven to be the glue that has helped Memphis overcome many potential pitfalls:

a huge injury to starter and All-Star talent Rudy Gay
roster juggling – including the pick-up of Shane Battier, moving of O.J. Mayo to the bench and increased minutes for Tony Allen
a team loaded with lesser experienced players

Given what he’s done for the Grizzlies this season, Randolph should be worried. Not making the All-Star team this time around might mean that he’ll be hard pressed to ever make it. He gives Memphis a degree of toughness that will be required against San Antonio (in their anticipated first-round series). Of course, the Spurs will get the job done. Having a workhorse like Allen and the experience of Battier is nice, but not having a creative, athletic talent – and big shot maker (listen to the crowd after the swish) - on the wing will be a killer. But hey – Memphis took a leap forward this season, and they should be able to build on it.

Vince Carter’s 48-Point Effort Gives the Magic Hope

T Lamont — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:43:17 +0000

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It’s been a long time since Vince Carter has had a night like tonight.

Vinsanity made its first appearance in an Orlando Magic uniform. Carter lit up the admittedly depleted New Orleans Hornets for 48 points to carry the Mgic to a 123-117 victory.

Carter hit 19 of 27 shots from the field, including 6 of 10 three-point attempts. The highlight-reel dunker scored 34 of his 48 points in the second half.

Dwight Howard might be Superman on All-Star Weekend, but he's still not the go-to-guy on the Magic.

The showing had to be especially appreciated by the Orlando organization who put themselves out on a limb to bring the 8-time All-Star to town. The Magic gave up Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and let Hedo Turkoglu sign with the Magic – - and they were all key players in last year’s Eastern Conference playoff run by the Magic.

Carter has been struggling from the outset of the season – partly with injuries…but mostly with his game. He had not demonstrated the takeover ability that once made him one of the most explosive forces in the NBA. And with Dwight Howard’s offensive abilities seemingly not progressing at all, Carter’s creative playmaking ability is needed more than ever.

Vinsanity was rekindled tonight, and after many questionable activities in the offseason it gave the Magic the one thing that they needed most…

Hope.