20 Second Timeout

Friday, March 21, 2008

In The Arena: Ruminations About Competition

• In The Arena: Ruminations About Competition

Explorations

• Explorations

Julius Erving

• The Best of Rivals: Julius Erving Versus Larry Bird (June 2004)
• The Last Night of the ABA
• Rod Thorn Offers his Take on Dr. J, Air Jordan, Kobe and LeBron
• Dr. J and Pistol Pete on the Same Team
• Julius Erving: The Greatest--and Classiest--Net of All-Time
• Julius Erving on the Art of Knowing When to Dunk--And When Not to Dunk
• Examining Dr. J's All-Time Best
• Great Julius Erving Stories
• Kevin Loughery Talks About Coaching Dr. J
• Game to Remember: Game Six, 1976 ABA Finals
• Alexandra Stevenson's "Rebirth" as Julius Erving's Daughter
• Bing, Erving Honored During Pregame Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Ceremonies
• Julius Erving Holds Court after Hall of Fame Press Conference
• Al Bianchi: Dr. J's First Pro Coach
• "Let it Flow (for Dr. J)": Classic Song for an All-Time Great
• Real NBA: Last Night at the Spectrum
• Rewriting History: Julius Erving's Dunk Over Michael Cooper, According to Inside Stuff Magazine
• USA TODAY Gives Proper Recognition to the ABA
• Julius Erving's 40 Point Games
• Happy 60th Birthday, Dr. J!
• Everything Good Takes Time
• Erving-Bird Photo Brings Back Memories
• Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the "No Way Even for Dr. J Reverse Layup"
• Quotes from Legends Roundtable Featuring Julius Erving, Bob Lanier, Bill Russell and Bill Walton
• Vintage Erving Jersey Fetches $190,000 in Auction
• SCP Auctions Set to Sell Huge Collection of Julius Erving's Awards and Memorabilia
• Auction of Erving Memorabilia Includes 144 Items
• Julius Erving Denies that Financial Problems Forced him to Sell Memorabilia
• Erving Auction Nets Record $3.5 Million
• Vintage Photo of Julius Erving as a Virginia Squire
• Greatest Sports Legends: Julius Erving
• Happy 62nd Birthday, Julius Erving!
• Julius Erving Rejoins 76ers as "Strategic Advisor"
• Dr. J is 63 Years Old
• Julius Erving Visits the Inside the NBA Set
• "The Doctor": Julius Erving's Life Story in his Own Words
• Julius Erving's Poetic Perspective on Basketball Greatness
• Julius Erving as Viewed by his Contemporaries
• Highlights from First Virginia Squires Reunion
• Julius Erving on Being a Role Model
• Has Anyone Been a Basketball Hall of Fame Presenter More Times Than Julius Erving?
• Julius Erving's Best Scoring Streaks/Most Productive Scoring Months
• Julius Erving's Legend Resonates Nearly 30 Years After He Retired
• Imagining the Young Julius Erving Playing in Today's NBA
• House Call With Dr. J Podcast Featuring Isiah Thomas
• George Mumford and Julius Erving Discuss Mindfulness
• Happy 70th Birthday, Julius Erving!
• Narratives Versus Reality
• Happy 71st Birthday, Julius Erving!
• ESPN.com Rewrites Julius Erving Out of NBA Slam Dunk Contest History
• Rick Barry and Julius Erving Top the Nets' 40 Point Game List
• NBA TV Film Room: Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Dominique "Human Highlight Film" Wilkins
• NBA TV Celebrates Julius Erving's 72nd Birthday by Airing "Sir Charles and The Doctor"
• Julius Erving Still Holds the Nets' Franchise Single Game Scoring Record
• Robert Parish Declares that Larry Bird "Earned" What He Received From Julius Erving in the Infamous Bird-Erving Fight
• The Forgotten History of the "Foul Game" Between the Virginia Squires and Denver Rockets
• Mac McClung Wows Crowd, Wins Julius "Dr. J" Erving Slam Dunk Contest Trophy
• Celebrating Julius Erving's 73rd Birthday by Remembering an Era When Pro Basketball Teams Used to Try Hard Even in the Preseason
• Erving-Bird Photo from 2024 All-Star Weekend Sparks Memories of a Great Rivalry

Julius Erving's Playoff Career

• Julius Erving's Playoff Career, Part I: Yes, Virginia, There is a Man Who Can Fly
• Julius Erving's Playoff Career, Part II: Two Championships in Three Years with the Nets
• Julius Erving's Playoff Career, Part III: Consistency, Frustration and then a Glorious Championship Run
• Julius Erving's Playoff Career, Part IV: A Graceful Descent

Scottie Pippen

• Overlooked and Underrated: Four Fabulous Forwards (February 2004)
• Scottie Pippen Interview
• Scottie Pippen's Place in Basketball History
• Scottie Pippen is No Diplomat, but He Knows Basketball (December 31, 2007)
• Basketball Hall of Fame Welcomes 10 New Members, Including Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen and Two U.S. Olympic Teams (April 5, 2010)
• It is Wrong to Call LeBron James "LePippen" (August 3, 2010)
• Scottie Pippen Completes His Journey from Hamburg, Arkansas to the Basketball Hall of Fame (August 14, 2010)
• Scottie Pippen is not Bankrupt--and he is Suing the Morally Bankrupt Writers Who Libeled Him (December 24, 2011)
• Can the 2012 Bulls Emulate the 1994 Bulls? (May 1, 2012)
• Scottie Pippen: All-Around Performer (July 22, 2015)
• Remember 25-8-6 About Scottie Pippen, Not 1.8 (May 11, 2020)
• Scottie Pippen Was One of Just Three Essential Members of the Chicago Bulls' Six Championship Teams (June 26, 2021)
• Scottie Pippen's Life Story Should Be Read, Admired, and Emulated (November 12, 2021)

The Pantheon

• The Pantheon: An Examination of Basketball Greatness, Part I
• The Pantheon: An Examination of Basketball Greatness, Part II
• The Pantheon: An Examination of Basketball Greatness, Part III
• The Pantheon: An Examination of Basketball Greatness, Part IV
• The Pantheon: An Examination of Basketball Greatness, Part V
• Why Julius Erving Belongs in the Greatest Player of All-Time Conversation--and Other Pantheon-Related Issues
• LeBron James Proclaims Himself "The Greatest Player of All-Time"

Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List

• Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part I
• Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part II
• Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part III
• Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part IV
• Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part V
• Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part VI

The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team

• The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team

Roger Brown

• Roger Brown: Ankle Breaker and Shot Maker (December 27, 2004)
• Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story (October 24, 2012)
• Interview with Ted Green, Producer of "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story" (October 30, 2012)
• Roger Brown is Finally Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame! (February 16, 2013)
• The Neon Presents Special Screening of "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story" on Thursday August 15 (August 13, 2013)
• "Undefeated" Shows that Roger Brown's Story is "A Celebration, not a Tragedy" (August 16, 2013)
• The Basketball Hall of Fame Belatedly Welcomes Roger Brown (September 9, 2013)
• "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story" Makes its ESPN Classic Debut Tonight! (December 12, 2014)

20,000 Point Club/25,000 Point Club/30,000 Point Club/40,000 Point Club

• Julius Erving Ignored as Kobe Bryant Joins Exclusive 25,000/5000/5000 Club (February 4, 2011)
• Bryant Joins Erving and Jordan in Elite 30,000 Point Club (December 6, 2012)
• ABA Numbers Ignored as Lebron James Becomes Youngest Member of 20,000 Point Club (January 17, 2013)
• Kevin Garnett is the 20th Member of the 25,000 Point Club (February 8, 2013)
• Dirk Nowitzki Becomes Just the Third Active Member of the Exclusive 25,000 Point Club (April 15, 2013)
• LeBron James Becomes 24th--and Youngest--Member of the 25,000 Point Club (November 3, 2015)
• Underrated Dirk Nowitzki Joins Elite 30,000 Point Club (March 8, 2017)
• LeBron James Becomes Eighth--and Youngest--Member of the Elite 30,000 Point Club (January 24, 2018)
• Carmelo Anthony is the 25th Member of the 25,000 Point Club (January 29, 2018)
• Vince Carter Joins the 25,000 Point Club (November 26, 2018)
• Examining Pro Basketball's 30,000 Point Club (March 24, 2022)
• Russell Westbrook Joins the Elite 25,000 Point Club, and is the Second Player With 25,000 Points/9000 Assists/8000 Rebounds (February 5, 2024)
• LeBron James Establishes the 40,000 Point Club, but Nuggets Rally Late to Beat Lakers, 124-114 (March 5, 2024)

Basketball Themed Fiction/Poetry

• Doc on the Break: Early 1970s (poem written on May 14, 1987)
• The Dunk (poem written on May 14, 1987)
• One on One (poem written on May 14, 1987)
• Basketball and Ballet (short story written on March 17, 1988)
• The Floppy Socked Mopped Top (poem written on April 3, 1988)
• Geometry, Art--and Doc (poem written on November 8, 1988)
• Wilt and Bobby: Not a Random Encounter (short story published at Chess Life Online on November 10, 2006)

Laugh a Little

• Top 10 Reasons You Know That Your NBA Comeback is Over Before it Began
• What if ESPN's Main Basketball Blogger Wrote About the Miami Heat the Way that He Writes About the L.A. Lakers?
• What if ESPN's Main Basketball Blogger Wrote About the Chicago Bulls the Way that He Writes About the L.A. Lakers?

MVP Selection Criteria

• Making a Point About MVPs (April 18, 2008)
• The Best Player is Finally Recognized as the "Most Valuable" (May 6, 2008)
• An Objective Analysis of this Season's MVP Race (April 17, 2009)
• Selecting NBA Award Winners: The Battle of Stats Versus Storylines Versus Logical Analysis (April 14, 2011)
• LeBron James Versus Kevin Durant: One More Chapter in the Eternal Debate About MVP Criteria (April 15, 2014)
• Handicapping the MVP Race Just Past the Quarter Pole of the 2016-17 NBA Season (December 20, 2016)
• MVP Selection Criteria (April 20, 2021)
• MVP Selection Criteria II (November 22, 2021)

All-NBA Team and All-Defensive Team Selection Criteria

• Inside the NBA Crew Hands Out Some Hardware (April 13, 2007)
• Choosing This Season's NBA Awards Winners (April 15, 2008)
• Howard, Bryant Lead All-Defensive Team Voting (May 7, 2009)
• James, Bryant Top All-NBA Voting (May 14, 2009)
• Analyzing the Votes for the All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA Team (May 7, 2010)
• Selecting NBA Award Winners: The Battle of Stats Versus Storylines Versus Logical Analysis (April 14, 2011)
• Bryant and Garnett Each Earn All-Defensive First Team Honors for the Ninth Time (May 10, 2011)
• Analysis of the All-NBA Team Voting (May 13, 2011)
• Selecting the 2012 Award Winners (April 27, 2012)
• Interesting Contrasts Between All-Defensive Team Voting and Defensive Player of the Year Voting (May 23, 2012)
• All-NBA Selections Mostly Make Sense Despite not Quite Adding Up (May 24, 2012)
• Who Should Win the 2013 NBA Awards? (April 18, 2013)
• Tony Allen Leads All-Defensive Team Voting, Larry Sanders Snubbed for Center Spot Despite Receiving More Votes than Marc Gasol (May 13, 2013)
• All-Defensive Team Questions Answered...Partially (May 13, 2013)
• LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan Earn Milestone All-NBA Selections (May 24, 2013)
• The 2021 All-NBA Teams Give Full Honors for Part-Time Work (June 16, 2021)

100/100 Club, 5x5 Club

• Pro Basketball's Greatest Ball Hawks (September 22, 2007)
• Pro Basketball's 100-100 Club (August 17, 2009)
• The 100-100 Club Revisited (December 31, 2015)
• Updating the 100/100 Club From 2016-2023 (April 09, 2023)
• Victor Wembanyama Joins 5x5 Club (February 24, 2024)

"Advanced Basketball Statistics"

• The Counterfeit Currency of David Berri's Wages of Wins (October 20, 2007)
• David West Dominates as Hornets Throttle Spurs, 101-82 (May 4, 2008; first game of charting Chris Paul's assists)
• Manu is the Man as Spurs Eliminate Hornets (May 20, 2008; second game of charting Chris Paul's assists)
• Economics is Not a Science, Nor is Basketball Statistical Analysis (October 2, 2008)
• Smooth All-Around Performance by Paul Lifts Hornets Over Heat (November 9, 2008; third game of charting Chris Paul's assists)
• A Computer Model Reproduces Data, It Does Not Provide It (November 13, 2008)
• Charting Assists for Chris Paul and Tony Parker in New Orleans' 90-83 Victory Over San Antonio (December 18, 2008; fourth game of charting Chris Paul's assists)
• The Proper Application of Basketball Statistical Analysis (February 23, 2009)
• "The Formula That Killed Wall Street": A Cautionary Tale for Anyone Who Places Too Much Value on Basketball Statistical Analysis (March 5, 2009)
• If the Some of the Numbers are Bogus Then How "Advanced" are "Advanced Stats"? (March 31, 2009; fifth game of charting Chris Paul's assists)
• Charting Assists for Chris Paul and Jason Kidd (April 12, 2009; sixth game of charting Chris Paul's assists)
• The Difference Between Measuring Defense in Basketball and Baseball (April 30, 2009)
• Economics is Not a Science, Nor is Basketball Statistical Analysis, Part II (March 1, 2010)
• Economics is Not a Science, Nor is Basketball Statistical Analysis, Part III (September 12, 2010)
• Flawed Box Score Numbers Can Lead to Faulty Conclusions (December 9, 2010)
• Ken Pomeroy Describes the Limitations of Plus/Minus (February 11, 2011)
• The Strengths and Limitations of "Advanced Basketball Statistics" (March 8, 2012)
• What the "Stat Gurus" Say Does not Correspond with Reality (April 12, 2012)
• Charley Rosen Explains Why Statistics Can be Very Misleading (November 21, 2013)
• "Advanced Basketball Statistics" Do not Tell the Complete Andrew Bynum Story (February 13, 2014)
• "Stat Gurus" Forced to Consider Possibility That the "Hot Hand" Exists (April 14, 2014)
• "Stat Gurus" Learn Value of the Eye Test (July 30, 2015)
• The 76ers Are the Waterloo for "Stat Gurus" (December 9, 2015)
• Real Basketball Analytics (November 9, 2018)
• Daryl Morey Ranks James Harden Ahead of Michael Jordan as a Scorer (August 17, 2019)
• Fun With NBA Finals Field Goal Percentages (October 18, 2019)
• Efficiency Versus High Variance (August 24, 2020)
• Nuggets Fail Math and Common Sense (February 26, 2021)
• What Happened to Dave Berri? (April 1, 2021)
• "Sports Economists: Always Wrong About Everything" (April 1, 2021)
• The NBA's Shot-Specific Shooting Percentage Data is Misleading and Meaningless (June 16, 2021)

Evolution of the Usage of the Three Point Shot

• The Evolution of the Usage of the Three Point Shot
• The Evolution of the Usage of the Three Point Shot, Part II (December 10, 2016; includes a link to Part I)
• The Evolution of the Usage of the Three Point Shot, Part III (March 19, 2020; includes links to Parts I and II)
• The Evolution of the Usage of the Three Point Shot, Part IV (January 25, 2021; includes links to Parts I, II and III)

2023 NBA Finals

• Jokic's Versatility Cools off Heat as Nuggets Win Game One of the NBA Finals
• Miami Dissects Denver's Defective Defense
• Jokic Leads the Way as Nuggets Dominate Heat, Reclaim Homecourt Advantage
• Nuggets Never Trail in Second Half, Beat Heat 108-95 to Take 3-1 Lead
• Nuggets Grind Out Game Five Win, Clinch Franchise's First Title

2022 NBA Finals

• Celtics Prove to be Road Warriors, Rally from 15 Point Deficit to Beat Golden State
• Warriors Ride Late Third Quarter Run to Blowout Victory
• Bigger, Stronger, Faster Celtics Overwhelm and Outlast Warriors
• Curry Shines as Warriors Tie Series, Regain Homecourt Advantage
• Andrew Wiggins Leads the Way as Warriors Beat Celtics to Take 3-2 NBA Finals Lead
• Warriors Overwhelm Celtics, Win Fourth NBA Title in Eight Seasons

2021 NBA Finals

• Paul, Booker, and Ayton Shine as Suns Beat Bucks 118-105
• Suns Overcome Antetokounmpo's 42 Points, Take 2-0 Lead
• Antetokounmpo Dominates as Bucks Rout Suns in Game Three, 120-100
• Antetokounmpo and Middleton Lead the Way as Bucks Defeat the Suns 109-103 to Tie the Finals at 2-2
• Bucks Mount Big Comeback, Win Game Five in Phoenix
• Antekounmpo Dominates as Bucks Capture Their First NBA Title Since 1971

2020 NBA Finals

• Lakers Overcome Slow Start, Rout Heat in Game One
• Davis and James Dominate as Lakers Take 2-0 Lead
• Butler Did It: Heat Cool Off Lakers, 115-104
• LeBron Dominates in Second Half as Lakers Take 3-1 Lead
• Butler and James Play Masterfully as Heat Outlast Lakers, 111-108
• Lakers Dominate Paint, Rout Heat to Capture NBA Championship

2019 NBA Finals

• Raptors Control Game One, Defeat Warriors 118-109
• Gritty Golden State Beats Toronto 109-104 in Game Two of the NBA Finals
• Leonard Leads Balanced Attack As Raptors Subdue Warriors to Take 2-1 Lead
• Kawhi Not? Leonard Leads Way as Raptors are One Win Away From Dethroning Warriors
• Durant Provides Spark Before Getting Injured Again, Warriors Hang on to Beat Raptors, 106-105
• Raptors Overcome Valiant Warriors, Win First NBA Title

2018 NBA Finals

• Golden State Survives LeBron James' 51 Point Outburst, Wins 124-114 in Overtime
• Stephen Curry Hits Finals Single-Game Record Nine Three Pointers as Warriors Rout Cavaliers, 122-103
• Kevin Durant Leads the Way as Golden State Takes a Commanding 3-0 Lead Over Cleveland
• Warriors Sweep Cavaliers and Earn Third Title in Four Years With 108-85 Win
• NBA Finals Notes and Comments: Warriors’ Dominance, LeBron’s Hand/Mind and How Legacies Are Defined

2017 NBA Finals

• Durant Dominates as Warriors Rout Cavaliers, 113-91
• Durant and Curry are Magnificent as Warriors Roll to 132-113 Win
• Warriors Stun Cavaliers With Late 11-0 Run to Take 3-0 Series Lead
• Put Away the Brooms: Feisty Cavaliers Defeat Warriors
• Mission Accomplished: Durant Leads Warriors to Championship-Clinching Game Five Victory

2016 NBA Finals

• How Much Blame Does LeBron James Deserve for Cleveland's 0-2 Deficit?
• Is LeBron James the Modern Wilt Chamberlain?
• James, Irving Excel as Cavs Avoid Elimination
• LeBron James Makes a Strong Case That He is the Best Player on the Planet as Cavaliers Force Game Seven
• LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers Make History by Overcoming a 3-1 Deficit to Win Game Seven on the Road

2015 NBA Finals

• LeBron James Did a Lot--but not Quite Enough--in Golden State's 108-100 Game One Win Over Cleveland
• Cavaliers Tie Series as James Posts Triple Double and Curry Struggles
• Cleveland Shows the Value of the Paint--and the True MVP
• Warriors Regain Homecourt Advantage with 103-82 Game Four Win
• Warriors Demonstrate Folly of Trying to Play Small Ball Against Them, Take 3-2 Finals Lead Over Cavaliers
• Iggy Does It: Andre Iguodala Wins Finals MVP as Golden State Claims First Title Since 1975

2014 NBA Finals

• Spurs' Teamwork Overwhelms Heat's Star-Centered Approach

2013 NBA Finals

• Death by Execution: Efficient Spurs Chill Sloppy Heat
• Sizzling Second Half Run Propels Heat to Game Two Win
• Three-mendous: Spurs' Long Range Barrage Buries Heat
• James, Wade and Bosh Lead the Way as the Heat Melt the Spurs
• Manu the Magnificent: Revived Ginobili Spurs San Antonio to 3-2 Finals Lead
• Heat Force Seventh Game after Spurs Squander Late Fourth Quarter Lead
• Bill Russell's Insights About the 2013 NBA Finals
• LeBron James Dominates as Miami Heat Win Second Straight Championship

2012 NBA Finals

• Durant Outduels James as Thunder Take 1-0 Finals Lead
• Heat Build Huge Lead, Hold off Late Thunder Rally to Even Finals at 1-1
• Exceptional Free Throw Marksmanship Lifts Heat Over Thunder
• Heat Come Back from 17 Point Deficit, Take 3-1 Finals Lead
• LeBron James Leads With a Triple Double as Heat Win First Title of the Big Three Era

The Definitive Analysis of the 2011 NBA Finals

• Dallas' Lone Star Outshines Miami's Three Stars in the Clutch

2011 NBA Lockout Coverage

• Trade Deadline Deals Show How LeBron's "Decision" is Reshaping the NBA (February 27, 2011)
• The Real Deal About the NBA Lockout (October 11, 2011)
• NBA Lockout: Three Ds (October 29, 2011)
• NBA Lockout Enters "Nuclear Winter" (November 14, 2011)
• Tentative Agreement Reached to End NBA Lockout (November 26, 2011)

Previous Posts

• Cavs Use Old Formula to Beat Pistons With New Players
• Cleveland's Trade: A "Mid-Term" Report Card
• NBA Leaderboard, Part XVIII
• "Black Magic": Must-See TV
• Dennis Johnson: "Airplane" Flew to Three NBA Titles
• Nuggets Try to Make Late Push for Playoff Berth
• Alston's Three Pointers Launch Rockets Into First ...
• Rising Suns
• Six Reasons the NBA Playoffs are Better than the N...
• Tracy McGrady Fuels the Rockets



All contents Copyright (c) 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 David Friedman. All rights reserved.