Wednesday Bat-Eared Foxes
by Seth on Sep 1, 2010 10:01 AM EDT
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Ba-de-ya, friends. As we turn one page closer to Basketballtober, I've got some bat-eared links to share with all of you. Keep commenting and posting, by the way. Charlie, Gian, and I have some ideas and posts planned in the near future, but it's just the funnest when everybody's contributing. Anyway, on to the links.
- Bat-eared foxes are in the genus Otocyon, which pretty much means "Eardog" in Greek, which I think would be a much better name for this animal.
- I feel differently about the Carmelo Anthony rumors every day, and Andrew Sharp's splendid piece on the fellow adds to the conversation:
He's not getting bodied out to the three point line like Kevin Durant, he's got a faster first step than Paul Pierce, he's got more range than any of the superstar big men and he's proven he can take and make big shots. Carmelo is probably the fourth-best option in the NBA for a game-winning possession. Even if we concede that he's a gunner during the other 47 minutes and incapable of changing, he's a worthy addition to any franchise that plans on playing in big games anytime soon.
I tend to side with the stat-heads when it comes to Melo, but those last two sentences resonate. We bitched all the time last year about how the Knicks didn't have a closer (though David Lee did his darnedest). Will that change this season? Is Amar'e Stoudemire a late game warrior? Can Raymond Felton lead a final possession? Is Danilo Gallinari ready to bury game-winners? These are all real possibilities, but a team with Carmelo Anthony knows exactly where it stands in the clutch. I just don't know.
- 4 of Hoopsworld's "Top 5 Smartest NBA Players" were once Knicks. It's sort of a silly, unscientific exercise, though. Plus, they forgot Howard Eisley, inventor of the iron lung.
- As Alan Hahn predicted he might, Andy Rautins is shutting it down for the rest of the world championships. Gotsta get that knee healthy for training camp.
- I just sneezed so much.
- With the Knicks headed to Europe this fall, I'm curious whether or not the guys have been overseas at all. Wilson Chandler confirms that he hasn't been any farther than Toronto.
- Matt Moore, who's been on a bit of a Knicks tear lately, takes a logical look at whether or not New York can make the playoffs. It's all speculation, of course, but it does give you a sense for just how many wild cards there are in the East this year.
That's it for now, eardogs. Hope everybody's starting September off in style.
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The Europe Trip
is the very bestest thing for this club.
Considering none of them know each other, spending some time in Italy together is an awesome bonding experience. We talk about chemistry, this is the way to build it.
I would kill to be at the family dinner with the entire Knicks team at Gallo’s Nonna’s house.
Taking them away from the NY media, friends, leaches, old HS friends who are now their VP of internet marketing, and other distractors will allow them to focus on the team.
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
agreed
i hope the majority of these players are together for a while
"Game Knows Game"
by Ray Smuckles on Sep 1, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Eddy Curry would BURN through that dinner.
"He's the straw that makes the drink go."
by Thelonious Dunk on Sep 1, 2010 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
that Moore article had some gaping holes
Bobcats a near playoff lock because they only lost Tyson Chandler? C’mon son, where’d we get the dirt baller pg? Plus, he says that the Knicks main contributors of last season were Duhon, Harrington, and Chandler… how about all-star david lee?
In the end though, he comes out with saying the Knicks could make the 7th seed. That’s probably about right, and it would most likely mean Chicago or Orlando. Could be tough
"Game Knows Game"
I was just going to say the same stuff, but less poetically. People shouldn’t write about basketball teams when they have no idea what’s going on. This guy didn’t think about how the Bobcats starting PG went to the Knicks. I was just reading another article about the Bobcats, and it said that Larry Brown has turned over the whole roster he inherited since 2008, except for Nazr Mohammed. I guess the writer never heard of Gerald Wallace, their star.
Haha if they're done with Gerald Wallace
I’d take ’em.
not a gaping hole
but more of a stupid opinion. he’s banking on Demon Coach taking the Bobcats to another playoff series based solely on his coaching merit (and, I presume, powers of the netherworld). i’m more inclined to think that losing Felton is a huge drop-off for them, and trading Tyson Chandler for nothing is just the icing on the cake. there’s no way that’s a playoff team in my opinion, but to each his own.
in case you’re wondering, I think Washington is actually the best candidate to fill that 8th playoff slot; Arenas is supposedly healthy, they have pieces in McGee, Blatche, and Hinrich, and I hear that John Wall kid is pretty good. plus Flip Saunders isn’t exactly dead weight as a coach.
by latrell chokewell on Sep 1, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I think the Wizards are at least a year away. Derrick Rose and Jay Williams didn’t help their teams win rookie year. Hinrich has been horrible lately. Arenas wasn’t that great last year before he was suspended. Now they’re also without Caron Butler, Jamison, Mike Miller, and Haywood. Haywood was arguably their best player last year, if you value Win Shares. Miller and Jamison were #2 and #3.
very true
i just have a hard time betting on stagnant or declining teams, so in the bottom of the playoff picture i’m more inclined to look at teams that could improve. to me, the Bobcats’ best scenario is a 7 seed, which is really hard to trust – what if anything goes wrong? on the other hand, if everything broke right for the Wiz (Arenas/Hinrich return to form, bigs get better, Wall is really good), then maybe that’s a team like the Bucks last year that suddenly grabs a 4 or 5 seed. obviously that’s a lot of what ifs, and it’s more likely that you’re right.
but then who gets the 8? Detroit and Toronto are obviously not gonna make it, and I can’t trust Cleveland without Lebron (my opinion is that the value of all of their role players is derived from the value of Lebron; even if advanced stats say otherwise, I’m not sure that anyone on that team is good anymore). and as much as I like improving teams, the Nets were just so bad last year and it’s not even fair to pencil them in when their best addition is Troy Murphy. and now that we’re writing off the Bobs, we’re left with…
…Philly and Indy. my concerns there are that Doug Collins ruins a decent Sixer team, and that Collison is not actually as legit as he seemed for the Hornets. i’m dreaming big with the Wizards, but I can totally buy the argument for either of these two as well.
by latrell chokewell on Sep 1, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
The Wizards are going nowhere until they manage to dump Arenas
Not only is he probably never going to return to form, but he doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy willing to accept a complementary role. Wall, Blatche, McGee, these are all good young players who are going to be doing a lot of watching Gilbert try and fail to pull off the moves he used to be able to do before his knees and his head got fucked up. He’s getting paid like he’s the man, and he thinks he’s the man, but he’s not anymore and that’s a lot of counterproductive weight for a team to carry around.
Arenas has to be
one of my least favorite players in the league.
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
Prediction: by 2012 he'll be competing for league MVP
… against Steph, in China.
It's too bad, really
So much talent… such a douchebag.
I'm starting to like the Pacers roster.
Sure, Collison has only had 2 really good months so far in his career, but I don’t think he’ll completely fall off a cliff in Indy. They have a scoring machine in Granger. If I had to put my money on either the Bobcats, the Wizards, the Sixers, or the Pacers to grab that last playoff spot, I’ll put my 10 internet bucks on the Pacers.
"He's the straw that makes the drink go."
by Thelonious Dunk on Sep 1, 2010 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions
The Nets biggest additions were their subtractions. By losing their horrible role players like Yi, they’re much better. Terrence Williams played much better the second half of the season too.
I know it was the summer of Le Gay but
is Travis Outlaw really that bad that everybody completely forgets he was signed there?
He isn’t Lebron, Bosh or Amare but I thought it was a good pick up for them. Given Gay…Rudy not Lebron….went back to Memphis I think he was the best available at the position after Bron went to party in MIA with the gays not named Rudy, who put on quite a party I can tell you from experience….not too much experience…okay, okay, there was that one time at band camp. Don’t judge me!!!! Who the hell doesn’t like yogurt!?!
What did the 5 fingers say to the face?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7CBwX1891A
HaHaHaHa!
by Lord Smackington on Sep 2, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Any point you just tried making about LBJ, Outlaw or Gay
Got ruined by your unfunny rambling at the end.
by WSD on Sep 2, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
why on earth would you think I was trying to be funny?
What did the 5 fingers say to the face?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7CBwX1891A
HaHaHaHa!
by Lord Smackington on Sep 2, 2010 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
On that Melo article
I’m cool with getting Melo, but I’d rather not trade for him and try to sign him outright in FA if possible. I don’t really think we need a late game closer now since we have him in Stat. Put him on the low block the last 5 minutes, let him get a bucket or take the foul and make his frees.
Donnie's bout to beat the NBA game like he got a cheat code
Stop with the late game closer bullshit already
Get the ball to the player who is open and don’t force it in to someone who is double or triple teamed because he is your designated “Late Game Closer.” There are guys on this team already (Gallo Amare) with the nuts to take the last shot.
I may be stupid but I am not an idiot,
problem is
that most teams, in addition to winning, want to get the last shot of regulation. the easiest way to control the clock in the endgame is through isolation, since there’s only one variable (when your star chooses to make his move). your conversion % might be higher running a regular play, but the sacrifice made in time management could result in a net decrease to your winning %.
also, there are many psychological elements to giving the alpha dog the last shot, and what happens if he doesn’t get it (i.e. the Scottie Pippen 1.8 second fiasco). but that’s a whole ’nother can of worms.
by latrell chokewell on Sep 1, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
that little bit at the end there is the big question for miami IMO
what happens when Wade takes the last shot and misses… it will happen one day. What about Bosh taking it on himself to take the last shot… Then what happens next time.
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
Having three big ego closers on the court at the same time cannot be a good thing.
Then it becomes an alpha dog issue on who gets to take the big shot. Festering personalties in South Beach!
"He's the straw that makes the drink go."
by Thelonious Dunk on Sep 1, 2010 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions
LeBron and Wade
will be OK… but Bosh wants that last shot too, and he ain’t as good as them at getting it. So they are going to start to hate him.
Wade should overule them both
Really he has nothing to prove to the other two, they on the other hand…
Aside from that, I don’t care who says what If Wade says they don’t sign in MIA they aren’t even touching down on the runway let alone setting foot in his arena.
There shouldn’t be an argument (probably will be at some point but there shouldn’t be) Wade is the best closer and game finisher on that team he should get the ball by default unless they look over at him with the clock winding down and he’s being mauled by mountain lions. Even then I think I might still pass it to him.
What did the 5 fingers say to the face?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7CBwX1891A
HaHaHaHa!
by Lord Smackington on Sep 2, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
forget melo
He isn’t that good based on most metrics. I don’t even think he’s really much better than Gallinari. He’s an Allen Iverson-type player who doesn’t even pass well or get a ton of steals. Sure, he’s flashy, but he doesn’t make your team into a winner.
Who?
I don’t think that its a huge stretch that Gall could have in the neighborhood of 20ppg 5ast 6rb this season within the regular system. With numbers like that added to STAT’s 25ppg and say 8rpg the Knicks have a very potent inside outside 1-2 punch. You take into account that the other scorers (buke,DWTDD, AR, Felton IllWill) you have a team that will be competitive most nights as it is and (barring injury) would get even better with time.
Also if D’antoni can get something out of the Russian keeping STAT at the 4 that would be huge as he would destroy most PF’s in the league nightly and have big time help around the basket on the defensive end.
never trust benjamin linus
I guess until the last few episodes?
crazy show.
Agreed I'm cooling off on Melo
Paul should be the target. I am not even sure Melo is a net positive after reading that article. Donnie should hang tough and let any Melo deal come to him preferably next year. I want to see this team play without Melo for a while.
I may be stupid but I am not an idiot,
on the side note our boy mozgov has been killing greece
with 15 points so far in the 3rd
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