Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[big j 33]

Reggie better watch his girl.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by CP1708

I honestly don't see why a player wouldn't go to the Clips if the money is offered. They got loads of talent around and if it came down between them and another team, and the money is the same, and the talent is actually better with the Clips, why pass that up? Bad history?

Come on.

Now I don't know if the Clippers will spend, but if they do, I can see them getting someone.

other than baron davis who is a big name star that the clips have signed?...seriously now

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by westcoastsfinest

Originally Posted by CP1708

I honestly don't see why a player wouldn't go to the Clips if the money is offered. They got loads of talent around and if it came down between them and another team, and the money is the same, and the talent is actually better with the Clips, why pass that up? Bad history?

Come on.

Now I don't know if the Clippers will spend, but if they do, I can see them getting someone.

other than baron davis who is a big name star that the clips have signed?...seriously now

That doesn't matter. They now have Jordan, Thorton, Griffin, and Gordon as top young talent. Mix in a couple vets with Kaman, and Diddy, and Camby, andthey are a top level scorer away from being a damn problem. (oh, and a coach, they need to fire Dunleavy like yesterday).

If i'm a player, I don't give a crap about 20 years ago, or 10 years ago, this team is loaded with young talent now. If they offer me money, and ateam like the Wolves offer me the same money, I'm going to the Clips in a heartbeat. Talent is equal if not better, but the city is better and the chanceto be a part of a turnaround is much much more appealing then -20 degrees for 6 months.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Can someone (Proshares?) post the insider article by Hollinger about the Grizzlies please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[proshares]

I saw DLo said post #19 I checked it out, read that first line and left. Didn't even see that part

In Cleveland, I could party like Jay-Z too. Have strippers fighting over them Susan B. Anthony half dollar coins

Nas,

[h2]Health, luck put Griz in playoff hunt[/h2] [h3]PER Diem: Jan. 20, 2010[/h3]
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By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
Archive

Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty ImagesA talented young starting five has Memphis thinking playoffs. ... As long as it can avoid injuries.

It's no surprise that the team with the best record in the West since Nov. 14 is the Lakers, at 25-7.

What is surprising, however, is that the next-best record belongs to Memphis, at 21-10. The Grizzlies began the season 1-8 after an ill-fated dalliance with Allen Iverson. But they have since launched themselves headlong into the Western Conference playoff chase with a series of surprising victories, most recently Monday's nationally televised win over Phoenix. Heading into Wednesday's game with the Hornets, the Grizzlies stand just a half-game out of the eighth seed in the West and just three games out of a top-four playoff seed.

To call this development shocking is something of an understatement. Before the season, none of our prognosticators had Memphis finishing anywhere near the playoffs, with Chris Sheridan being the wild-eyed optimist in the bunch by ranking the Griz 11th out of 15 West teams. At the time, youngsters O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay seemed to resent each other's presence, a preseason trade for Zach Randolph generated mostly smirks around the league, the Iverson signing looked flat-out ridiculous and everyone wondered how Memphis would share the ball.

[h4]Western Conference records since Nov. 14[/h4] [table][tr][th=""]Team[/th] [th=""]Wins[/th] [th=""]Losses[/th] [th=""]Games Back[/th] [/tr][tr][td]L.A. Lakers[/td] [td]25[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]--[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Memphis[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]3.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dallas[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]San Antonio[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]12[/td] [td]4.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Denver[/td] [td]19[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]New Orleans[/td] [td]18[/td] [td]12[/td] [td]6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Oklahoma City[/td] [td]19[/td] [td]14[/td] [td]6.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Utah[/td] [td]19[/td] [td]14[/td] [td]6.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Houston[/td] [td]18[/td] [td]14[/td] [td]7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Portland[/td] [td]18[/td] [td]14[/td] [td]7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]L.A. Clippers[/td] [td]15[/td] [td]15[/td] [td]9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Phoenix[/td] [td]16[/td] [td]16[/td] [td]9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Sacramento[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]14.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Golden State[/td] [td]9[/td] [td]22[/td] [td]15.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Minnesota[/td] [td]8[/td] [td]24[/td] [td]17[/td] [/tr][/table]

The latter two points proved correct -- Iverson flopped and the Grizzlies are dead last in assists per field goal at .484 -- but the others were well off the mark. As a result of an unusual serendipity of luck and talent, the Grizzlies are blowing away their preseason forecast.

For evidence of their talent, look no further than the starting lineup, which ranks among the league's best. Randolph has been the centerpiece. He has put together an All-Star caliber season and given one of last season's least-effective offenses a go-to option in the half court.

[h4]Grizzlies' Stat Geek On Turnaround[/h4]
Henry Abbott asks the Grizzlies' quantitative analyst how Memphis has risen into playoff contention. TrueHoop

Beyond Randolph, however, three young players have emerged as minor stars in their own right. Marc Gasol has become one of the league's most efficient big men, demonstrating that the trade that sent him from the Lakers to Memphis for his older brother Pau wasn't quite the giveaway we thought it was almost two years ago. The younger Gasol is shooting 61.1 percent from the floor, consistently finding the open man out of the high post and rebounding with force. The low-post combination of Gasol and Randolph has helped the Griz earn the league's best mark in rebound rate; the team corrals 53.0 percent of missed shots.

On the perimeter, Gay always amazed with his talent, but this season he has rounded out his game and refrained from just jacking up 20-footers off the dribble. Statistically, he's having a similar season to his past two. But this season, he has beefed up his defense and cut his turnover rate from 11.6 last season to 9.2.

Meanwhile, Mayo has evolved into one of the league's top two-way performers on the wing in his second season. As with Gay, for Mayo it was more a question of eliminating errors than adding new tricks this season, because he already has plenty of the latter. He can handle the ball like a point guard and owns a deadly outside shot, but equally important has been his ability to check opposing scorers. Serving as the team's defensive stopper, he's helped Memphis post respectable defensive numbers since mid-November to help erase its horrible start.

That's the talent part. But, as I said before, the Grizzlies' turnaround is also a result of luck. And the luck comes from the fact that the Griz have enjoyed shockingly good health.

The Grizzlies' five starters -- Gay, Mayo, Randolph, Gasol and Mike Conley -- have missed a combined four games. Four -- that's it. Only Atlanta (one game missed), Oklahoma City (two) and Houston (two) have had more stability in their starting lineups. (Side note: I don't think it's an accident that the top teams in this category have been among the season's biggest surprises. Health is a hugely underrated factor.)

But to really appreciate how much the Grizzlies lean on their starters, let me dredge up a deeper stat: the percentage of minutes played by a team's top five players. For most clubs, this number is in the low 60s; for teams like Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Chicago and Atlanta that have had particularly stable starting fives, it's in the high 60s.

[h4]Percent of minutes from top five players[/h4] [table][tr][th=""]Team[/th] [th=""]Pct.[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Memphis[/td] [td]72.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Chicago[/td] [td]69.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Charlotte[/td] [td]68.2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Atlanta[/td] [td]68.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]New York[/td] [td]68.1[/td] [/tr][/table]

For Memphis, it's 72.8 percent (see chart). Nearly three-quarters of the Grizzlies' minutes have been played by their top five players, a figure that easily leads the league. As a unit, the starters have played 798 minutes together, or nearly 20 a game. That's 118 more than the next closest five-man unit (Phoenix), according to basketvalue.com

And for the Grizzlies, it's tremendously important that those five players take the court together … because they're the only ones who are any good.

Not to disparage the efforts of Memphis' three rookies (Sam Young, DeMarre Carroll and Hasheem Thabeet) -- who may combine to make for a decent bench in another year or two -- but no team has a greater drop-off between its first five and its second unit than the Grizzlies. It's no accident that they lost by 27 to Utah on Nov. 30, when they missed two starters (Gay and Conley).

When Memphis' starting unit is on the court, the Griz have outscored opponents by 123 points this season (just over three a game); on a per-48 minutes basis, the starters win by 7.4 points a contest. With any other combination, however, Memphis loses by 7.3.

So iffy is the Memphis bench that Thabeet and Young are the only two Memphis reserves with a PER in double figures. After that, it's a no-go zone consisting of the likes of Carroll, Jamaal Tinsley, Marcus Williams, Steven Hunter and Hamed Haddadi.

And this matters going forward. Basically, the Grizzlies have been lucky to get through half the season unscathed on the injury front. And if that luck changes, they're hosed.

Can they continue to make a playoff charge with basically a five-man roster? They've made it this far, and three of their four best players have strong track records of health: Gasol and Mayo have yet to miss an NBA game, while Gay has missed just 10 in 3½ seasons.

As for Randolph, his prognosis is more iffy. He hasn't played more than 74 games since 2003-04 with Portland. Last season, he played 50, and the two before that, he logged 68 and 69. The Grizzlies definitely need to cross their fingers here, as Randolph also happens to be their most important player. He's played every game thus far, but conditioning has never been his strong suit and he's suffered knee problems in the past.

But until or unless something happens to him or one of the other four starters, the Grizzlies are very much for real. Memphis is ranked 13th in Wednesday's Power Rankings, just a fraction of a point from a spot in the top 10, and the Playoff Odds give the Griz a 57.1 percent chance of waltzing into the postseason.

That latter figure may be a bit high -- the Playoff Odds don't know about Memphis' starter vs. bench disparity or how fortunate the Griz have been healthwise. But regardless of whether the real figure is 57 percent or 47 percent, the team's turnaround has been shocking -- before the season most observers put their odds at 0 percent. If their good fortune with health continues for 42 more games, they have a great shot at recording one of the most unlikely playoff appearances in league annals.

[h2]Rookie Watch: Sinking or swimming?[/h2]
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By David Thorpe
Scouts Inc.
Archive

Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty ImagesFormer college teammates DeJuan Blair and Sam Young are now enjoying success together as rooks.

As we see every year, the NBA season is a roller coaster that makes the ones you ride at amusement parks seem tame. For rookies, the ride is even more intense and suspenseful with many unexpected twists and turns.

Sporadic playing time, ever-changing roles, midseason adjustments by their team and opponents and the length of the season all pound rookies like waves on a rocky shoreline. Some rookies are finding their way atop those waves, while others have fallen below the surface. Let's take a look.

[h4]NBA Rookie 50[/h4]
Check out David Thorpe's 2009-10 rookie rankings. NBA Rookie 50

• Hollinger's stats: Rookie leaders

[h3]Moving or staying up[/h3]

DeJuan Blair, Spurs | Rookie card
Many rookies have been solid contributors on good teams. But how many can say they dominated a game for a playoff-bound team against a likely playoff team? Blair had 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting with 21 rebounds (10 offensive) against Oklahoma City. The last rookie to pull off a 20-20? It wasn't Dwight Howard. Or Chris Bosh. Or Amare Stoudemire. Or Yao Ming. It was Blair's Hall of Fame-bound teammate, Tim Duncan, who did it in March of 1998.

All season long, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been saying he's amazed by what the undersized Blair can accomplish in the paint. You know what I call the ability to produce in spite of circumstances? Talent. And Blair is loaded with it.

Curry​

Stephen Curry, Warriors | Rookie card
Most draft experts considered Curry to be the best shooter in the class, and he's certainly lived up to the hype recently. His 5-for-8 from 3 to help beat the Bulls on Martin Luther King Day pushed his monthly 3-point percentage to 58 percent (18 of 31).

Almost as impressive is Curry's assist rate (the percentage of a player's possessions that ends in an assist), which hovers around 24 even though he isn't the Warriors' primary ball handler. A month ago, it seemed unlikely that he would make the Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend. But now, if he fails to make it, the game will not be as good. He is a very deserving candidate.

Price​

A.J. Price, Pacers | Rookie card
DeJuan Blair, Omri Casspi, Jonas Jerebko, Taj Gibson, Chase Budinger, Marcus Thornton and Brandon Jennings have all been labeled draft night steals this season. Add Price to the list.

The second-rounder is one of just six rookies with a player efficiency rating of 15 or better. I watched Price play in person recently and was impressed by how he is balancing his instincts as a scorer with his job of running the team. To wit, he ranks eighth in assist rate among rookies, ahead of similar score-first guards such as Jonny Flynn and Tyreke Evans. Better yet, Price has the lowest turnover rate of any rookie point guard. That combination, plus some solid scoring games, has earned him huge rotations minutes; he's averaging 20-plus minutes per game and 10 points per game in January. This after appearing in just 12 games and averaging just eight minutes per game in 2009.

Young​

Sam Young, Grizzlies | Rookie card
Young, ironically, was one of the oldest players in the draft at 24 years old, which was seen as a strike against him. But "old" age has its advantages, too. Young's emotional maturity and better perspective have enabled him to make progress despite pedestrian minutes and production in November.

And he's still at it, providing increased production and efficiency in fewer minutes. Young is scoring 9.8 ppg in January, up from 8.8 points last month, despite playing three fewer minutes per game. Three minutes might seem like a small number, but players keep track of their minutes the way a mother watches her children in a crowded mall -- very carefully. Many rooks who experience a loss in minutes get frustrated, which tends to lead to poor play. But Young's increased efficiency -- and his vital role in Memphis' surge -- has made him one of the best sleeper picks of the 2009 draft.

Thornton​

Marcus Thornton, Hornets | Rookie card
Few rookies have had to surf rougher waters than Thornton. Consider that he started the season playing just nine minutes total in the Hornets' first seven games. Then he went on a scoring tear, averaging 12 ppg in November. Then he scored just 6 ppg on 38 percent shooting in December. Now he's back on top with six straight double-figure-scoring games and is shooting an impressive 13-for-30 (43 percent) from 3 in January.

Thornton is proving to be irrepressible. No matter how tough things get for him, I think he'll find a way into the Hornets' rotation and have a positive impact.

DeRozan​

DeMar DeRozan, Raptors | Rookie card
Only 20 years old, DeRozan is expected to have a large learning curve. But being patient with his mistakes is easier said than done, especially because the Raptors must win enough games to persuade Chris Bosh to stay in Toronto. However, he has not made the team suffer much lately.

In the Raptors' past five wins (in an eight-game stretch), DeRozan has made 23 of 39 shots and scored 11 or more points in four of those five games. He's been efficient and smart with his shot selection, allowing Toronto's better players to run the offense. Oh, and he's had just three turnovers in those eight games. Sounds like a veteran's numbers, doesn't it?

Ellington​

Wayne Ellington, Timberwolves | Rookie card
Ellington is having a successful month as Minnesota's backup 2-guard. He's shooting the ball much better, having made 11 of his past 20 3-point attempts after hitting just 14 of 53 in November and December. He's looking for his shot, only taking smart ones and averaging more than 10 ppg in January.

I also like how Ellington is alert and aggressive when chasing rebounds. If he can work his way into Minnesota's starting lineup, it would allow Corey Brewer to move back to his more natural small forward position and the Wolves to become a more athletic team.

Gaines​

Sundiata Gaines, Jazz | Rookie card
Just getting the call-up from the D-League was a story enough for Gaines. But then he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to knock off Cleveland. It was the first 3 of his career.

Gaines has provided some energy off the bench beyond that fairy-tale moment, but as we have written throughout the years in this report, the NBA is not all puppy dogs and ice cream. Gaines is getting some love now but could be back in the D-League at any time.

For the record, I remember watching him play one afternoon when he was at Georgia and thinking he was a very underrated player. Whatever happens going forward, how many rookies can say they made their first 3-pointer to beat King James?

---

[h3]Dropping[/h3]

Casspi​

Omri Casspi, Kings | Rookie card
It's hard for a player to deal with failure and low expectations from his coach, teammates and fans. But it's even harder to deal with success and high expectations from everyone. Casspi has struggled with the latter. He's hit just 5 of his past 25 3s (but is still 15-of-41 for the month, which tells you how hot this guy was until recently).

Also, some tough matchups on defense along with complaining to the coach about playing time the previous game earned him less than 23 minutes in a loss to Charlotte after getting 24 in Washington, his lowest minutes since before Christmas. The Kings are still developing Donte Greene, can play Tyreke Evans as a small forward and expect Francisco Garcia back soon, so Casspi's minutes may continue to take a hit.

Hansbrough​

Tyler Hansbrough, Pacers | Rookie card
The Pacers currently aren't getting anything from their prized rookie who gave them some life in December. In January, he is averaging just nine minutes a game and has not scored more than four points in any game.

Finishing is still a problem for Hansbrough, whose shooting accuracy is worse than 30 percent this month. Meanwhile, his teammates are playing better, which is the biggest reason he's lost playing time. So staying hungry and working to refine his shot will pay dividends when he gets another chance to play more minutes.

Williams​

Terrence Williams, Nets | Rookie card
There is little good going on here. Williams is a lottery pick riding the bench for the league's worst team. And bad teams normally develop their young players.

Williams' lack of focus before, during and after games is as much a cause for his current situation as anything else. A more professional demeanor and a stronger work ethic could help turn things around.

 

[JD617]

Edit: Never mind, Proshares beat me to it.

 

[henz0]

Meanwhile, Mayo has evolved into one of the league's top two-way performers on the wing in his second season.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Ovinton J'Anthony .

Owww.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Mayo leads all sophmores in scoring and has increased his production through each month of the season, yet he's 5th on the sophmore guard list.

No homer comment, just saying.

Memphis starters did a good job making sure they were in shape this year, especially their bigs. Randolph was in some of the best shape of his life along withGasol. Arthur was also in good shape until he got hurt in practice. I can't wait to get him back because he was looking really good in summer league thispast summer.

Its amazing how alot of ppl still don't have them in their final playoff predictions when they are the 2nd best team in the West since their 1-8 start.Maybe because people are thinking injuries will factor in, but if they don't you can probably count this team in getting probably as high as the 5th seedif they remain healthy and add a player off the bench with Arthur coming back.

Once again, no homer comment.

Just being real.

EDIT:

Some Memphis fans went in on the ESPN chat today.

Josh (Memphis)
Lots of people are talking about how surprising the Grizzlies have been playing of late, but no one really mentions that this is the youngest team in the league. How much more impressive does that make their play?


David Thorpe
(12:01 PM)
Amazingly so.

...

Josh (Memphis)
OJ Mayo's pts rbs and assts are identical to his averages last year, but he seems to be playing much better. Thoughts on his development and future?


David Thorpe
(12:08 PM)
I'm very impressed with his demeanor and focus. He's playing t
he game the right way and is a rock for them. I never thought he'd be an all-star, but he's good enough to have a huge playoff series and carry them to another round. Maybe in another year.

...

Tim (Katy, TX )
What separates Mayo from being a star?


David Thorpe
(12:23 PM)
Inability to make things happen off the dribble. But he can still get there, just a bit tougher.

...

Eric (New York, NY)
Thorpezilla! More impressive this season - Grizz or Bobcats? And when does Zach Randolph get his official "we were wrong (but can you blame us?)" apology from the ESPN NBA staff?


David Thorpe
(12:26 PM)
Grizz, but Cats are surely in the running. It's a coaches league, pure and simple.

...

Rob (memphis)
Thorpe, why is everyone talking about the "surprising" Kings? They lost 8 of 10 even before Martin returned, and still can't win on the road. The Grizz is the best story going!!!!!!! Agreed?


David Thorpe
(12:36 PM)
Yes.

...

Mike (Oklahoma City)
If the Grizzlies are the best story going, then where does that place the Thunder? Surely Memphis isn't a better team than OKC.


David Thorpe
(12:44 PM)
OKC is the most improved easily, but many of us thought they'd be playoff contenders.

...

Buster (CA)
higher ceiling and why? rudy gay vs. danny granger

David Thorpe
(12:52 PM)
Rudy, younger and just as talented. Maybe even more so.

 

[al3xis]

Finishing is still a problem for Hansbrough, whose shooting accuracy is worse than 30 percent this month.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Thanks Proshares

.

O.J.'s all around game has progressed very nicely.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Buster (CA)
higher ceiling and why? rudy gay vs. danny granger

David Thorpe
(12:52 PM)
Rudy, younger and just as talented. Maybe even more so.

Really? Gay is younger... But as talented as Granger? Not sure about that.

But my constant doubting of Gay after the Battier trade has only made him better... SMH.

 

[mjshoefanatic]

Originally Posted by westcoastsfinest

Originally Posted by mjshoefanatic

Clips will have big bucks this summer to spend on a big name FA and that's the truth ruth. NO homerism there kiddo.

clips can have all the big bucks to sign a big name guy but wont...kinda like how they had the money to sign kobe

well we know how that went

...ask anyone here youre a clip homer my dude just admit it

you can thank jerry west and magic for that nonsense.

 

[iminchucks5]

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Buster (CA)
higher ceiling and why? rudy gay vs. danny granger

David Thorpe
(12:52 PM)
Rudy, younger and just as talented. Maybe even more so.

Really? Gay is younger... But as talented as Granger? Not sure about that.

But my constant doubting of Gay after the Battier trade has only made him better... SMH.


yeah, im taking Granger now and the future...

Mayo
Granger
Randolph
Gasol

 

[airjordan jb23]

O.J. doing his thing...

From the rookie reports, I agree with what is said about TWill, he has been dissapointing this year. SHould he be playing & developing? Yes, but hisattitude has disallowed him from doing that.

 

[henz0]

Tyreke Evans is a monster... JJ can't even guard him

 

[uclamike]

jj can't guard anyone tho

 

[CP1708]

Marc Gasol has become one of the league's most efficient big men, demonstrating that the trade that sent him from the Lakers to Memphis for his older brother Pau wasn't quite the giveaway we thought it was almost two years ago
Been sayin.......

 

[shuges]

So hard for me to get back into the swing of things....

Haven't watched ANY team play a full game in almost a month.

 

[dlo13]

Joe and Reke is a nice little battle...

 

[JD617]

Pierce has 17 at the end of the 1st. The Pistons look like they can't wait for the offseason.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Marc Gasol has become one of the league's most efficient big men, demonstrating that the trade that sent him from the Lakers to Memphis for his older brother Pau wasn't quite the giveaway we thought it was almost two years ago

Been sayin.......
Sure, given a certain amount of time, most trades that seemed lopsided might not be.

Look at the Battier for Gay trade. Battier had his shine for his no stat impact on the Rockets, but now folks are praising Rudy Gay like he will get the maxcontract this summer.

I just hope the Artest for Greene trade works out for the Kings. Or is that Ariza for Artest trade for the Rockets?

The Kings traded away Webber for K9. If the Kings get something in return for K9's expiring contract I guess the Kings won the trade 5 years later right?

 

[dlo13]

Man, Comcast is some %$##. I'm trying to watch this League Pass free preview, but the damn picture is like one step above one of those %$## online streams.It freezes/skips about as much, too.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

But I thought Shaq got your back with Comcast?

 

[dlo13]

Charlotte up 34 on Miami...

They're about to take that 5th seed away from them, too...