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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
OFFICIAL 2010-2011 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD : VOL. MOST. ANTICIPATED. PLAYOFFS. EVER?
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by bigmike23,
- Start date
wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
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they're not calling set plays off of defensive stops (not exactly way outside the box). They want to push the ball every chance now. (pretty much what everyone thought they should be doing)
That writer took it in a exaggerated direction. Which is status quo for anything positive or negative regarding that team.
That writer took it in a exaggerated direction. Which is status quo for anything positive or negative regarding that team.
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they're not calling set plays off of defensive stops (not exactly way outside the box). They want to push the ball every chance now. (pretty much what everyone thought they should be doing)
That writer took it in a exaggerated direction. Which is status quo for anything positive or negative regarding that team.
That writer took it in a exaggerated direction. Which is status quo for anything positive or negative regarding that team.
T0INE
formerly toine2983
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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
Oh boy....
T0INE
formerly toine2983
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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
Oh boy....
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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
Wasn't this the same #$*@ that Mike Brown let them do but Bron decide to run what he wanted.
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wqel;nxvl;jsdfklsdnlsdfjsda
Wasn't this the same #$*@ that Mike Brown let them do but Bron decide to run what he wanted.
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mavs will go on another streak startin wednesday.....haywood make ya dam freethrows
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mavs will go on another streak startin wednesday.....haywood make ya dam freethrows
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And it's EXACTLY what they should be doing.
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And it's EXACTLY what they should be doing.
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Lebrons behind the backboard shot
I do think the Heat are finally figuring it out though.. They did beat some quality teams on this win streak.. Overall, they just look a lot better now than they did in the beginning of the season.
I do think the Heat are finally figuring it out though.. They did beat some quality teams on this win streak.. Overall, they just look a lot better now than they did in the beginning of the season.
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Lebrons behind the backboard shot
I do think the Heat are finally figuring it out though.. They did beat some quality teams on this win streak.. Overall, they just look a lot better now than they did in the beginning of the season.
I do think the Heat are finally figuring it out though.. They did beat some quality teams on this win streak.. Overall, they just look a lot better now than they did in the beginning of the season.
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The only win in this streak I'd consider quality was the road win against the Jazz. The Hornets are a sinking ship, and the Hawks are wildly inconsistent (and both of those were home games). The Heat have TWO quality wins this season, as far as I'm concerned: Orlando the opening week, and the recent Jazz win on the road. Even then, they really don't have a signature win this season.Originally Posted by LBJ23navo
Lebrons behind the backboard shot
I do think the Heat are finally figuring it out though.. They did beat some quality teams on this win streak.. Overall, they just look a lot better now than they did in the beginning of the season.
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The only win in this streak I'd consider quality was the road win against the Jazz. The Hornets are a sinking ship, and the Hawks are wildly inconsistent (and both of those were home games). The Heat have TWO quality wins this season, as far as I'm concerned: Orlando the opening week, and the recent Jazz win on the road. Even then, they really don't have a signature win this season.Originally Posted by LBJ23navo
Lebrons behind the backboard shot
I do think the Heat are finally figuring it out though.. They did beat some quality teams on this win streak.. Overall, they just look a lot better now than they did in the beginning of the season.
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Who cares about a 'signature win' in the regular season, though. What's going on right now is beyond the competition of teams. Miami is playing just a far better brand of basketball. If you can't recognize that, you haven't been watching closely. The first couple weeks of the season, Miami was walking the ball up the court, and execution of offensive sets in the half court was non exisistant.
That's not the case right now. A identity is forming.
That's not the case right now. A identity is forming.
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Who cares about a 'signature win' in the regular season, though. What's going on right now is beyond the competition of teams. Miami is playing just a far better brand of basketball. If you can't recognize that, you haven't been watching closely. The first couple weeks of the season, Miami was walking the ball up the court, and execution of offensive sets in the half court was non exisistant.
That's not the case right now. A identity is forming.
That's not the case right now. A identity is forming.
Slow down.
Yeah, an identity is forming, they are murking garbage teams, and will struggle with elite teams in a series where everything slows down again.
This is how I thought they would play all year, crush the "regular" teams that can't match their firepower, and now they are doing that. Props on that. They do look much better, and seem to have settled in nicely. That shot by Bron was outstanding last night.
Slow down.
Yeah, an identity is forming, they are murking garbage teams, and will struggle with elite teams in a series where everything slows down again.
This is how I thought they would play all year, crush the "regular" teams that can't match their firepower, and now they are doing that. Props on that. They do look much better, and seem to have settled in nicely. That shot by Bron was outstanding last night.
chester the cheetah
Banned
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Wrong.
chester the cheetah
Banned
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Wrong.
[h3]Trending player: Raymond Felton, PG, New York Knicks[/h3]
The Knicks' winning streak, which reached eight games on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, has focused positive attention on newcomers Felton and Amare Stoudemire. In Felton's case, the storyline goes like this: After struggling initially in Mike D'Antoni's offense, he has gotten comfortable just in time to lead New York's surge. The numbers bear that out, but only to a point. While Felton is playing some of the best basketball of his career over the past 14 games, during which the Knicks have gone 13-1, his numbers were already sound during the first 11 games of the season.
[h4]Comparison: Raymond Felton's start, streak and last season in Charlotte[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Split[/th][th=""]2P%[/th][th=""]3P%[/th][th=""]TS%[/th][th=""]Usg[/th][th=""]Ast%[/th][th=""]TO%[/th][/tr][tr][td]2009-10[/td][td].475[/td][td].385[/td][td].525[/td][td].193[/td][td].079[/td][td].154[/td][/tr][tr][td]First 11[/td][td].471[/td][td].383[/td][td].569[/td][td].165[/td][td].093[/td][td].186[/td][/tr][tr][td]Next 13[/td][td].533[/td][td].366[/td][td].583[/td][td].208[/td][td].105[/td][td].186[/td][/tr][tr][td]* Does not include Sunday's game[/td][/tr][/table]
The impact of playing under point guard-friendly D'Antoni can be seen throughout Felton's stat line, including one category not shown here: 3-point attempts. Felton is shooting beyond the arc nearly twice as frequently, which explains why his true shooting percentage was so strong early in the season when his shooting percentages were basically the same as they were during his final season with the Charlotte Bobcats. Felton also has the ball in his hands far more often, which has led to increased turnovers but also to the best assist rate of his career.
The big differences in Felton's recent performance might be attributable to improved execution on the pick-and-roll. First, Felton has become a greater scoring threat after being more of a pass-first point guard early in his tenure in New York. But that's nothing new for Felton, who used at least 21 percent of Charlotte's plays during his first four NBA seasons. At the same time, Felton has been more efficient as a scorer than ever because of his fine 2-point shooting. He has extended last season's improvement beyond the arc to become dangerous on long 2s, hitting 49.0 percent of his attempts from 16 to 23 feet, according to Hoopdata.com. That gives Felton the ability to pull up when teams go under screens and make them pay.
[h3]Trending team: New Orleans Hornets[/h3]
In the midst of the uncertainty over their future in the Big Easy, the Hornets have a bigger problem in the near term: their recent play. Since starting the season as the league's biggest surprise at 11-1, New Orleans has lost eight of its past 11 games to slip back in the Western Conference pack.
The most suspect aspect of the Hornets' start was their dominant defense, as they were leading the league in defensive rating much of the first month. Since then, the Hornets have slid on defense; they now rank sixth in the league, but they still have been better than average on defense during the past 11 games.
Instead, the issue for New Orleans has been putting the ball in the basket. In nine of the Hornets' past 11 games, they've failed to match the per-possession efficiency allowed by their opponents over the course of the season. That culminated in Sunday's disaster at Philadelphia, when New Orleans shot just 30.4 percent from the field.
The Hornets stand 21st in the league in offensive rating, a mark that is going to make it difficult for them to compete. No above-.500 team has been weaker on offense this season. What's changed for the New Orleans offense has primarily been the team's ability to hang on to the basketball. During the 11-1 start, the Hornets turned the ball over on just 12.6 percent of their plays, a mark that would be tied for best in the league over the course of the season. Since then, New Orleans has been coughing the ball up 14.8 percent of the time, which would rank 26th.
Of the Hornets' regulars, only Marco Belinelli and David West have been immune to the trend:
[h4]New Orleans Hornets turnover percentages[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]First 12 Games[/th][th=""]Past 11 Games[/th][/tr][tr][td]Trevor Ariza[/td][td].115[/td][td].140[/td][/tr][tr][td]Marco Belinelli[/td][td].101[/td][td].094[/td][/tr][tr][td]Willie Green[/td][td].091[/td][td].138[/td][/tr][tr][td]Emeka Okafor[/td][td].118[/td][td].166[/td][/tr][tr][td]Chris Paul[/td][td].139[/td][td].197[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jason Smith[/td][td].108[/td][td].179[/td][/tr][tr][td]David West[/td][td].103[/td][td].096[/td][/tr][/table]
Chris Paul's problems with turnovers might be the most surprising. Over the course of his career, he's typically turned the ball over on around 13.5 percent of his plays -- similar to his rate during the team's fast start. Since then, Paul has committed turnovers on nearly a fifth of his plays, a poor mark for a point guard. Paul should be able to bounce back, but for now the miscues are costly.
[h3]League trend: A rise in free throw attempts[/h3]
The difference might not be large enough to detect with the naked eye, but NBA teams are taking more free throws in 2010-11 than they did a season ago. Teams are combining to average 50.8 attempts per game, up from 49.1. What makes this difference notable is that this would be the first time that free throw attempts have increased from one season to the next since 2005-06. Take a look at how free throw attempts have trended as a percentage of all plays dating back to 2003-04:
Why the sudden increase starting in 2004-05? It can be explained by the league's rules re-interpretation limiting contact on the perimeter and cutting down on handchecking. It took two years for players and teams to figure out how to exploit the way referees were instructed to call the game. Since then, the change has worked exactly as the NBA's rules committee hoped: While the other benefits of a more open game (faster pace, higher scoring) have lingered, whistles had essentially returned to their previous levels -- prior to this year's uptick.
This time around, there is no obvious explanation for why free throws are up. A cynic might point to a rise in technical fouls, but the actual impact of the NBA's crackdown on complaining has been limited. Technicals account for an additional 0.2 free throws per game -- barely 10 percent of the increase we've seen. Changes of a similar magnitude were not uncommon during the 1990s, when free throws were not trending in any particular direction. Still, this trend is worth keeping an eye on the rest of the season.
http://[h3][/h3][h3]Union considers decertification[/h3]
10:03AM ET
[h5]League Issues [/h5]
[img]http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0720/nba_logo_65.jpg[/img]
The NBA and it's players are in the midst of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. The Sports Business Journal reported on Monday that players have started the process to decertify the union, if the owners decide to lockout the players.
"If the owners are going to lock the players out, the players want to have the option of decertifying the union and asserting their antitrust rights to stop the lockout," a source close to the NBPA said. "This would keep the game going, not just for the fans but for the players and everyone else."
According to the report, two teams have voted for decertification after discussing the issue with NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter.
The players will have to also consider the negative affects a decertification could have for them.
From The New York Times: "Decertifying the union would prevent a lockout, but at great risk. The league would be able to impose work rules, and the players would be surrendering all their union protections, as well as the benefits they have won in the past, such as minimum contracts, guaranteed salaries and their pension."
Agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Entertainment, is telling his clients to vote for decertification.
"It's not something anybody really wants to do," Bartelstein said., "But you've got to keep the option available to you."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]King expects to make a trade[/h3]
9:35AM ET
[h5]New Jersey Nets [/h5]
UPDATE: King told The Star-Ledger on Monday that he expects to make a trade this season, although it will probably come closer to the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
"We'll probably do some deals before the deadline, I'm pretty sure," King said. "When you have your record like we are, you've got to do some things to get better."
King will seek a long-term deal, rather than one with short-term gains.
-- Nick Borges
----
On Dec. 15, over 100 players who signed contracts in the offseason will be eligible to be traded.
Nets general manager Billy King is talking to his counterparts around the league, but doesn't think the trade talk will heat up until January.
"The deals tend to happen in January, close to deadline, because in this league you need a deadline to do something," King told the New York Daily News. "Dec. 15 is not a deadline, it's just that more guys are available. Generally, those guys that people sign, they tend to like. If a team signs a guy and tries to trade him, you wonder why do they won't get rid of them.
"You can (trade or acquire free-agent signings), but it's not as easy. I don't think Miami is going to want to move Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade. But if they were, I'd be interested."
Jordan Farmar, Travis Outlaw, Johan Petro, and Anthony Morrow can be traded starting next Wednesday.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Stoudemire won't be punished[/h3]
9:14AM ET
[h5]Amare Stoudemire | Knicks [/h5]
Amar'e Stoudemire and Nene Hilario had a few altercations on Sunday, but they weren't bad enough for the league to fine or suspend the Knicks center/power forward.
According to Newsday, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson personally had requested video of the plays.
Stoudemire has scored 30 or more points in eight consecutive games and that is a franchise record.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Rose sprains right wrist[/h3]
9:03AM ET
[h5]Derrick Rose | Bulls [/h5]
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose took a scary fall on Monday against Indiana and sprained his right wrist. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com reports Rose had x-rays after the game and they came back negative.
"I saw my whole future flash before my eyes, coming down," Rose said. "I thought it was going to be worse than that. But right now it just feels sore."
"All the bones are in the right place," Bulls athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi said. "So from that point, we know that it's not too severe from the sprain standpoint, so we'll just kind of keep our fingers crossed and hope it stays that way."
The trainer will look at Rose Tuesday morning to see how the point guard is feeling and if he needs to miss any games.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Governor asks fans to step up[/h3]
8:51AM ET
[h5]New Orleans Hornets [/h5]
The New Orleans Hornets can opt out of their lease with the state of Louisiana, if certain benchmarks, including home attendance, aren't met in January.
According to The Times-Picayune, Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu held a news conference on Monday and implored fans to keep buying tickets to watch the team.
"Really, their future is in our hands," Jindal said. "One of the things we can do in the short term is for our people to show up. We are asking the people in south Louisiana and the region to buy those tickets."
The Governor and Mayor believe local owners can be found to keep the Hornets in New Orleans.
"From my work that I've done getting the Hornets to come here, to renegotiate the Saints' deal, you know there's certain people in town who have money and there's certain people who don't," said Landrieu. "So I've reached out to a number of different folks that have the means to invest in the team and asked them to consider making an investment because I want to do everything I can to make sure that I facilitate a local group buying the team."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Henderson may go to Maine[/h3]
8:20AM ET
[h5]Gerald Henderson | Bobcats [/h5]
Gerald Henderson was just cleared to practice and the Bobcats are considering sending him to their D-League affiliate in Maine to help with his condition.
The Maine Red Claws play three games in four days this week.
"The thing we want him to understand is it's not a demotion," head coach Larry Brown told The Charlotte Observer after practice on Monday.
Henderson missed almost a month with tendonitis in his left knee.
The team recently sent Sherron Collins to Maine.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Roy takes another jab at Miller[/h3]
7:55AM ET
[h5]Brandon Roy | Trail Blazers [/h5]
The Blazers suffered another fourth-quarter collapse on Monday. Brandon Roy, who only had seven points, bemoaned the team's lack of a gameplan and the fact the he needs more players that compliment his game. The biggest jab was at starting point guard Andre Miller. Roy pretty much had the same rant last season.
"I don't know how people want us to play, because this is the personnel we have," Roy told The Oregonian. "I wasn't that slow until you put a guy who is kind of slow next to me. I've always been kind of slow ... not to be controversial at all, but I was slow my rookie year."
Roy continued while he shook his head.
"A lot has changed. That's why it's just delicate. With how I was able to play early in my career, I always said I was happy because of the situation I came into. I had this, this, this, and I didn't have to change. Now that we have to adjust ... some of it is we are running into rhythm problems, consistently."
Miller, by the way, had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds against Memphis on Monday night.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Bynum will play Tuesday[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Andrew Bynum | Lakers [/h5]
UPDATE: No. 2: Bynum emphatically announced Monday that he will make his season debut against the Wizards on Tuesday.
"I'm definitely playing [Tuesday]," Bynum told ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Bynum isn't sure what role he'll have in the rotation.
"I'm just not sure if I'm going to start or come off the bench," Bynum said. "It doesn't really matter to me but it will definitely be in quick bursts ... five minutes here, five minutes there."
-- Nick Borges
----
UPDATE: According to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, Bynum is still expected to return Tuesday against the Wizards.
----
Due to ongoing recovery from knee surgery, Andrew Bynum still has yet to debut this season.
But it's finally looking like Bynum is feeling good in practice and is just about ready to go.
And after his return date has gotten pushed back on a few occasions, there's now another target date in play.
According to ESPN's J.A. Adande, Bynum is aiming for a return on Dec. 14 against the Wizards.
As we've written on several occasions, Bynum's return will be welcomed in L.A.'s frontcourt. With Theo Ratliff also out, Phil Jackson has had to turn to rookie Derrick Caracter in a reserve role.
Once Bynum is back in the starting lineup at center, Pau Gasol will slide back over to power forward with Lamar Odom likely heading to the bench as the frontcourt's first reserve.
Bynum's presence should give the team a boost on defense as well.
-- Ryan Corazza
http://[h3]Sterling mocks Kaman, too[/h3]
7:21AM ET
[h5]Chris Kaman | Clippers [/h5]
Monday it was reported that Clippers owner Donald Sterling frequently taunts Baron Davis during games. Chris Kaman says he has been mocked, too, by Sterling.
"All kinds of stuff," Kaman told the Los Angeles Times. "Some stuff like, 'Oh, dunk the ball.' He owns the team. What do you want me to say? He's my boss. He signs the check. He owns me. Not really, but you know what I'm saying. My rights to my basketball skills for five years."
Kaman, who is signed through the 2011-12 season, tries to understand what motivates Sterling to jab his own players.
"The only thing I can say is that if it is negative at all, it's out of frustration," Kaman said. "We're not trying to lose games. We're not trying to play bad. It's part of life. It's part of basketball."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Yao waiting for green light[/h3]
6:57AM ET
[h5]Yao Ming | Rockets [/h5]
Center Yao Ming is hoping to rejoin the team in the near future. The Rockets are holding him out so he can strengthen the muscles in his left ankle.
"I'm waiting for the green light," Yao told the Houston Chronicle on Monday. "When? I don't know. I feel better. It still has some weakness. I'm just not ready to sit out for almost 20 games, particularly when I feel I'm OK. I know when I was in the walking boot, on the crutches, OK, I understand. I won't push the trainer or the doctor."
According to the newspaper, head coach Rick Adelman doesn't know when Yao will be cleared to practice.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Elson's visa issue[/h3]
6:07AM ET
[h5]Francisco Elson | Jazz [/h5]
Francisco Elson was forced to miss Monday's game because he had to renew his visa in Canada. The Netherlands native has to stay in Canada for 48 hours.
According to the Deseret News, Elson is expected to join the Jazz in New Orleans on Friday.
Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was okay with Elson being in Canada.
"That's not my deal," he said. "I coach whoever's here."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Richardson's slump[/h3]
5:59AM ET
[h5]Jason Richardson | Suns [/h5]
The Suns, for the time in five seasons, have not scored 100 points in three straight games. Jason Richardson, who is only shooting 6-28 from the floor in the three games, is confident he'll break out of his slump soon.
"I'm getting excellent looks," he told The Arizona Republic. "We all just need to relax. I think we're pressing a little bit and get down on ourselves too much. We've always been a fun, high-energy team. We just have to get back to that place where we're not worrying so much."
The Suns next four games are against Minnesota at home and Dallas, Oklahoma City and San Antonio on the road.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Mayo and Thabeet not being shopped[/h3]
5:26AM ET
[h5]O.J. Mayo | Grizzlies [/h5]
There were reports Monday that Memphis is shopping O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet, however Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said those rumors are not true.
"We are not trying to trade O.J. or Hasheem," Heisley told The Commercial-Appeal. "We haven't had any conversations about them, and I should know because I'm the one making the decisions."
"There's really nothing to say," general manager Chris Wallace added. "I don't have anything working right now."
Head coach Lionel Hollins believes Mayo's name has been brought up because the third-year guard is coming off the bench.
"A lot of people have speculated that he's going to be traded because he's not starting," Hollins said. "That's the nature of the media beast."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Kuester may shorten rotation[/h3]
4:59AM ET
[h5]John Kuester | Pistons [/h5]
Some Pistons have been saying the team is struggling because the players don't know their roles, since they're not sure when and how much they're going to play.
To help, head coach John Kuester said he may shorten his rotation to solve that problem for the players. He also thinks players should know their roles already.
"When you are talking about roles, it is real simple," Kuester he told The Detroit News. "We have to make sure guys know their roles. We have spoken to them a lot about their roles defensively. We have offensive explosion, but we have to make sure we take care of the basketball."
Veteran Ben Wallace thinks the starters and older players should play more. He also says the team won't win if roles aren't defined.
"It affects a team," he said. "We've just got to sit down and try to help everybody figure out what their role is. We are playing a lot of guys and sometimes that interrupts the rhythm of a game. We ask our starters to sit down and we ask them to come back in and pick it back up. We are not that young a team ... We got those veterans and when we sit down it takes a while for them to get going."
[h3]Trending player: Raymond Felton, PG, New York Knicks[/h3]
The Knicks' winning streak, which reached eight games on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, has focused positive attention on newcomers Felton and Amare Stoudemire. In Felton's case, the storyline goes like this: After struggling initially in Mike D'Antoni's offense, he has gotten comfortable just in time to lead New York's surge. The numbers bear that out, but only to a point. While Felton is playing some of the best basketball of his career over the past 14 games, during which the Knicks have gone 13-1, his numbers were already sound during the first 11 games of the season.
[h4]Comparison: Raymond Felton's start, streak and last season in Charlotte[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Split[/th][th=""]2P%[/th][th=""]3P%[/th][th=""]TS%[/th][th=""]Usg[/th][th=""]Ast%[/th][th=""]TO%[/th][/tr][tr][td]2009-10[/td][td].475[/td][td].385[/td][td].525[/td][td].193[/td][td].079[/td][td].154[/td][/tr][tr][td]First 11[/td][td].471[/td][td].383[/td][td].569[/td][td].165[/td][td].093[/td][td].186[/td][/tr][tr][td]Next 13[/td][td].533[/td][td].366[/td][td].583[/td][td].208[/td][td].105[/td][td].186[/td][/tr][tr][td]* Does not include Sunday's game[/td][/tr][/table]
The impact of playing under point guard-friendly D'Antoni can be seen throughout Felton's stat line, including one category not shown here: 3-point attempts. Felton is shooting beyond the arc nearly twice as frequently, which explains why his true shooting percentage was so strong early in the season when his shooting percentages were basically the same as they were during his final season with the Charlotte Bobcats. Felton also has the ball in his hands far more often, which has led to increased turnovers but also to the best assist rate of his career.
The big differences in Felton's recent performance might be attributable to improved execution on the pick-and-roll. First, Felton has become a greater scoring threat after being more of a pass-first point guard early in his tenure in New York. But that's nothing new for Felton, who used at least 21 percent of Charlotte's plays during his first four NBA seasons. At the same time, Felton has been more efficient as a scorer than ever because of his fine 2-point shooting. He has extended last season's improvement beyond the arc to become dangerous on long 2s, hitting 49.0 percent of his attempts from 16 to 23 feet, according to Hoopdata.com. That gives Felton the ability to pull up when teams go under screens and make them pay.
[h3]Trending team: New Orleans Hornets[/h3]
In the midst of the uncertainty over their future in the Big Easy, the Hornets have a bigger problem in the near term: their recent play. Since starting the season as the league's biggest surprise at 11-1, New Orleans has lost eight of its past 11 games to slip back in the Western Conference pack.
The most suspect aspect of the Hornets' start was their dominant defense, as they were leading the league in defensive rating much of the first month. Since then, the Hornets have slid on defense; they now rank sixth in the league, but they still have been better than average on defense during the past 11 games.
Instead, the issue for New Orleans has been putting the ball in the basket. In nine of the Hornets' past 11 games, they've failed to match the per-possession efficiency allowed by their opponents over the course of the season. That culminated in Sunday's disaster at Philadelphia, when New Orleans shot just 30.4 percent from the field.
The Hornets stand 21st in the league in offensive rating, a mark that is going to make it difficult for them to compete. No above-.500 team has been weaker on offense this season. What's changed for the New Orleans offense has primarily been the team's ability to hang on to the basketball. During the 11-1 start, the Hornets turned the ball over on just 12.6 percent of their plays, a mark that would be tied for best in the league over the course of the season. Since then, New Orleans has been coughing the ball up 14.8 percent of the time, which would rank 26th.
Of the Hornets' regulars, only Marco Belinelli and David West have been immune to the trend:
[h4]New Orleans Hornets turnover percentages[/h4][table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]First 12 Games[/th][th=""]Past 11 Games[/th][/tr][tr][td]Trevor Ariza[/td][td].115[/td][td].140[/td][/tr][tr][td]Marco Belinelli[/td][td].101[/td][td].094[/td][/tr][tr][td]Willie Green[/td][td].091[/td][td].138[/td][/tr][tr][td]Emeka Okafor[/td][td].118[/td][td].166[/td][/tr][tr][td]Chris Paul[/td][td].139[/td][td].197[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jason Smith[/td][td].108[/td][td].179[/td][/tr][tr][td]David West[/td][td].103[/td][td].096[/td][/tr][/table]
Chris Paul's problems with turnovers might be the most surprising. Over the course of his career, he's typically turned the ball over on around 13.5 percent of his plays -- similar to his rate during the team's fast start. Since then, Paul has committed turnovers on nearly a fifth of his plays, a poor mark for a point guard. Paul should be able to bounce back, but for now the miscues are costly.
[h3]League trend: A rise in free throw attempts[/h3]
The difference might not be large enough to detect with the naked eye, but NBA teams are taking more free throws in 2010-11 than they did a season ago. Teams are combining to average 50.8 attempts per game, up from 49.1. What makes this difference notable is that this would be the first time that free throw attempts have increased from one season to the next since 2005-06. Take a look at how free throw attempts have trended as a percentage of all plays dating back to 2003-04:
Why the sudden increase starting in 2004-05? It can be explained by the league's rules re-interpretation limiting contact on the perimeter and cutting down on handchecking. It took two years for players and teams to figure out how to exploit the way referees were instructed to call the game. Since then, the change has worked exactly as the NBA's rules committee hoped: While the other benefits of a more open game (faster pace, higher scoring) have lingered, whistles had essentially returned to their previous levels -- prior to this year's uptick.
This time around, there is no obvious explanation for why free throws are up. A cynic might point to a rise in technical fouls, but the actual impact of the NBA's crackdown on complaining has been limited. Technicals account for an additional 0.2 free throws per game -- barely 10 percent of the increase we've seen. Changes of a similar magnitude were not uncommon during the 1990s, when free throws were not trending in any particular direction. Still, this trend is worth keeping an eye on the rest of the season.
http://[h3][/h3][h3]Union considers decertification[/h3]
10:03AM ET
[h5]League Issues [/h5]
[img]http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0720/nba_logo_65.jpg[/img]
The NBA and it's players are in the midst of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. The Sports Business Journal reported on Monday that players have started the process to decertify the union, if the owners decide to lockout the players.
"If the owners are going to lock the players out, the players want to have the option of decertifying the union and asserting their antitrust rights to stop the lockout," a source close to the NBPA said. "This would keep the game going, not just for the fans but for the players and everyone else."
According to the report, two teams have voted for decertification after discussing the issue with NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter.
The players will have to also consider the negative affects a decertification could have for them.
From The New York Times: "Decertifying the union would prevent a lockout, but at great risk. The league would be able to impose work rules, and the players would be surrendering all their union protections, as well as the benefits they have won in the past, such as minimum contracts, guaranteed salaries and their pension."
Agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Entertainment, is telling his clients to vote for decertification.
"It's not something anybody really wants to do," Bartelstein said., "But you've got to keep the option available to you."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]King expects to make a trade[/h3]
9:35AM ET
[h5]New Jersey Nets [/h5]
UPDATE: King told The Star-Ledger on Monday that he expects to make a trade this season, although it will probably come closer to the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
"We'll probably do some deals before the deadline, I'm pretty sure," King said. "When you have your record like we are, you've got to do some things to get better."
King will seek a long-term deal, rather than one with short-term gains.
-- Nick Borges
----
On Dec. 15, over 100 players who signed contracts in the offseason will be eligible to be traded.
Nets general manager Billy King is talking to his counterparts around the league, but doesn't think the trade talk will heat up until January.
"The deals tend to happen in January, close to deadline, because in this league you need a deadline to do something," King told the New York Daily News. "Dec. 15 is not a deadline, it's just that more guys are available. Generally, those guys that people sign, they tend to like. If a team signs a guy and tries to trade him, you wonder why do they won't get rid of them.
"You can (trade or acquire free-agent signings), but it's not as easy. I don't think Miami is going to want to move Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade. But if they were, I'd be interested."
Jordan Farmar, Travis Outlaw, Johan Petro, and Anthony Morrow can be traded starting next Wednesday.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Stoudemire won't be punished[/h3]
9:14AM ET
[h5]Amare Stoudemire | Knicks [/h5]
Amar'e Stoudemire and Nene Hilario had a few altercations on Sunday, but they weren't bad enough for the league to fine or suspend the Knicks center/power forward.
According to Newsday, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson personally had requested video of the plays.
Stoudemire has scored 30 or more points in eight consecutive games and that is a franchise record.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Rose sprains right wrist[/h3]
9:03AM ET
[h5]Derrick Rose | Bulls [/h5]
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose took a scary fall on Monday against Indiana and sprained his right wrist. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com reports Rose had x-rays after the game and they came back negative.
"I saw my whole future flash before my eyes, coming down," Rose said. "I thought it was going to be worse than that. But right now it just feels sore."
"All the bones are in the right place," Bulls athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi said. "So from that point, we know that it's not too severe from the sprain standpoint, so we'll just kind of keep our fingers crossed and hope it stays that way."
The trainer will look at Rose Tuesday morning to see how the point guard is feeling and if he needs to miss any games.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Governor asks fans to step up[/h3]
8:51AM ET
[h5]New Orleans Hornets [/h5]
The New Orleans Hornets can opt out of their lease with the state of Louisiana, if certain benchmarks, including home attendance, aren't met in January.
According to The Times-Picayune, Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu held a news conference on Monday and implored fans to keep buying tickets to watch the team.
"Really, their future is in our hands," Jindal said. "One of the things we can do in the short term is for our people to show up. We are asking the people in south Louisiana and the region to buy those tickets."
The Governor and Mayor believe local owners can be found to keep the Hornets in New Orleans.
"From my work that I've done getting the Hornets to come here, to renegotiate the Saints' deal, you know there's certain people in town who have money and there's certain people who don't," said Landrieu. "So I've reached out to a number of different folks that have the means to invest in the team and asked them to consider making an investment because I want to do everything I can to make sure that I facilitate a local group buying the team."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Henderson may go to Maine[/h3]
8:20AM ET
[h5]Gerald Henderson | Bobcats [/h5]
Gerald Henderson was just cleared to practice and the Bobcats are considering sending him to their D-League affiliate in Maine to help with his condition.
The Maine Red Claws play three games in four days this week.
"The thing we want him to understand is it's not a demotion," head coach Larry Brown told The Charlotte Observer after practice on Monday.
Henderson missed almost a month with tendonitis in his left knee.
The team recently sent Sherron Collins to Maine.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Roy takes another jab at Miller[/h3]
7:55AM ET
[h5]Brandon Roy | Trail Blazers [/h5]
The Blazers suffered another fourth-quarter collapse on Monday. Brandon Roy, who only had seven points, bemoaned the team's lack of a gameplan and the fact the he needs more players that compliment his game. The biggest jab was at starting point guard Andre Miller. Roy pretty much had the same rant last season.
"I don't know how people want us to play, because this is the personnel we have," Roy told The Oregonian. "I wasn't that slow until you put a guy who is kind of slow next to me. I've always been kind of slow ... not to be controversial at all, but I was slow my rookie year."
Roy continued while he shook his head.
"A lot has changed. That's why it's just delicate. With how I was able to play early in my career, I always said I was happy because of the situation I came into. I had this, this, this, and I didn't have to change. Now that we have to adjust ... some of it is we are running into rhythm problems, consistently."
Miller, by the way, had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds against Memphis on Monday night.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Bynum will play Tuesday[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Andrew Bynum | Lakers [/h5]
UPDATE: No. 2: Bynum emphatically announced Monday that he will make his season debut against the Wizards on Tuesday.
"I'm definitely playing [Tuesday]," Bynum told ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Bynum isn't sure what role he'll have in the rotation.
"I'm just not sure if I'm going to start or come off the bench," Bynum said. "It doesn't really matter to me but it will definitely be in quick bursts ... five minutes here, five minutes there."
-- Nick Borges
----
UPDATE: According to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, Bynum is still expected to return Tuesday against the Wizards.
----
Due to ongoing recovery from knee surgery, Andrew Bynum still has yet to debut this season.
But it's finally looking like Bynum is feeling good in practice and is just about ready to go.
And after his return date has gotten pushed back on a few occasions, there's now another target date in play.
According to ESPN's J.A. Adande, Bynum is aiming for a return on Dec. 14 against the Wizards.
As we've written on several occasions, Bynum's return will be welcomed in L.A.'s frontcourt. With Theo Ratliff also out, Phil Jackson has had to turn to rookie Derrick Caracter in a reserve role.
Once Bynum is back in the starting lineup at center, Pau Gasol will slide back over to power forward with Lamar Odom likely heading to the bench as the frontcourt's first reserve.
Bynum's presence should give the team a boost on defense as well.
-- Ryan Corazza
http://[h3]Sterling mocks Kaman, too[/h3]
7:21AM ET
[h5]Chris Kaman | Clippers [/h5]
Monday it was reported that Clippers owner Donald Sterling frequently taunts Baron Davis during games. Chris Kaman says he has been mocked, too, by Sterling.
"All kinds of stuff," Kaman told the Los Angeles Times. "Some stuff like, 'Oh, dunk the ball.' He owns the team. What do you want me to say? He's my boss. He signs the check. He owns me. Not really, but you know what I'm saying. My rights to my basketball skills for five years."
Kaman, who is signed through the 2011-12 season, tries to understand what motivates Sterling to jab his own players.
"The only thing I can say is that if it is negative at all, it's out of frustration," Kaman said. "We're not trying to lose games. We're not trying to play bad. It's part of life. It's part of basketball."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Yao waiting for green light[/h3]
6:57AM ET
[h5]Yao Ming | Rockets [/h5]
Center Yao Ming is hoping to rejoin the team in the near future. The Rockets are holding him out so he can strengthen the muscles in his left ankle.
"I'm waiting for the green light," Yao told the Houston Chronicle on Monday. "When? I don't know. I feel better. It still has some weakness. I'm just not ready to sit out for almost 20 games, particularly when I feel I'm OK. I know when I was in the walking boot, on the crutches, OK, I understand. I won't push the trainer or the doctor."
According to the newspaper, head coach Rick Adelman doesn't know when Yao will be cleared to practice.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Elson's visa issue[/h3]
6:07AM ET
[h5]Francisco Elson | Jazz [/h5]
Francisco Elson was forced to miss Monday's game because he had to renew his visa in Canada. The Netherlands native has to stay in Canada for 48 hours.
According to the Deseret News, Elson is expected to join the Jazz in New Orleans on Friday.
Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was okay with Elson being in Canada.
"That's not my deal," he said. "I coach whoever's here."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Richardson's slump[/h3]
5:59AM ET
[h5]Jason Richardson | Suns [/h5]
The Suns, for the time in five seasons, have not scored 100 points in three straight games. Jason Richardson, who is only shooting 6-28 from the floor in the three games, is confident he'll break out of his slump soon.
"I'm getting excellent looks," he told The Arizona Republic. "We all just need to relax. I think we're pressing a little bit and get down on ourselves too much. We've always been a fun, high-energy team. We just have to get back to that place where we're not worrying so much."
The Suns next four games are against Minnesota at home and Dallas, Oklahoma City and San Antonio on the road.
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Mayo and Thabeet not being shopped[/h3]
5:26AM ET
[h5]O.J. Mayo | Grizzlies [/h5]
There were reports Monday that Memphis is shopping O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet, however Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said those rumors are not true.
"We are not trying to trade O.J. or Hasheem," Heisley told The Commercial-Appeal. "We haven't had any conversations about them, and I should know because I'm the one making the decisions."
"There's really nothing to say," general manager Chris Wallace added. "I don't have anything working right now."
Head coach Lionel Hollins believes Mayo's name has been brought up because the third-year guard is coming off the bench.
"A lot of people have speculated that he's going to be traded because he's not starting," Hollins said. "That's the nature of the media beast."
-- Nick Borges
http://[h3]Kuester may shorten rotation[/h3]
4:59AM ET
[h5]John Kuester | Pistons [/h5]
Some Pistons have been saying the team is struggling because the players don't know their roles, since they're not sure when and how much they're going to play.
To help, head coach John Kuester said he may shorten his rotation to solve that problem for the players. He also thinks players should know their roles already.
"When you are talking about roles, it is real simple," Kuester he told The Detroit News. "We have to make sure guys know their roles. We have spoken to them a lot about their roles defensively. We have offensive explosion, but we have to make sure we take care of the basketball."
Veteran Ben Wallace thinks the starters and older players should play more. He also says the team won't win if roles aren't defined.
"It affects a team," he said. "We've just got to sit down and try to help everybody figure out what their role is. We are playing a lot of guys and sometimes that interrupts the rhythm of a game. We ask our starters to sit down and we ask them to come back in and pick it back up. We are not that young a team ... We got those veterans and when we sit down it takes a while for them to get going."
