20 Second Timeout

Wednesday, November 05, 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

• Celtics Edge Rockets in an Intriguing Early Season...
• Director's Cut of ESPN NBA Destination "Twister" A...
• Pacific Division Blogger Previews
• Will Iverson Provide a Championship Answer for Det...
• Writing a Cavs "Rival Report" for Hornets.com
• Rebuilt Pacers Pound Celtics in Rousing Home Opener
• Chance Encounter After Game Shines a Different Lig...
• Cavs Cruise Over Bobcats in Home Opener
• Balanced Lakers Blast Clippers, 117-79
• New-Look Suns Defeat Short-Handed Spurs, 103-98



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.