Kobe Takes Over in Second Half, Lakers Topple Blazers
Kobe Bryant had 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists as the L.A. Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the second game of TNT's season opening double header. Bryant led both teams in scoring and rebounding and was just one assist shy of tying for game-high honors in that category as well. He shot 9-17 from the field. Pau Gasol added 15 points--all in the first half--and seven rebounds. Gasol shot 7-10 from the field and it is no coincidence that his field goal percentage has soared since he joined the Lakers; he has taken full advantage of the extra defensive attention that Bryant draws and has done a good job--except in the NBA Finals--of catching and finishing around the hoop when Bryant feeds him the ball. Trevor Ariza (11 points) was the only other Laker to score in double figures; Andrew Bynum had eight points, three rebounds, three blocked shots and five fouls in his much ballyhooed return to action, while Lamar Odom added nine points, seven rebounds and one assist as the Lakers' new sixth man. Jordan Farmar made a significant contribution off of the bench with nine points, six rebounds and six assists. The Lakers held the Blazers to 34.5% field goal shooting, sending a message that their commitment to improving their defense and being more physical is not just lip service. Coach Phil Jackson has emphasized that the Lakers must improve in those areas in order to avenge their loss to the Celtics in the Finals and his players seem to have eagerly embraced this task.
Travis Outlaw topped Portland with 18 points and Rudy Fernandez had a very solid NBA debut with 16 points, four assists and no turnovers. Brandon Roy finished with 14 points on 5-15 shooting and it took a hot streak with Bryant out of the game just for Roy to put up those numbers. LaMarcus Aldridge had just eight points on 4-12 shooting. Greg Oden contributed five rebounds but did not score in 13 minutes before leaving the game with what was later described as a midfoot sprain. X-rays of the injury were inconclusive and he is reportedly going to have an MRI on Wednesday. Oden missed all of last season after having microfracture surgery, so basketball fans everywhere can only hope for the best possible outcome for the number one overall pick from the 2007 draft; the fact that the X-rays were considered inconclusive is a worrisome development and I really hope that Oden does not have something serious like the dreaded
Lisfranc fracture that often does not show up on X-rays but has ended the careers of some NFL players.
The Lakers jumped out to a 13-4 lead as Gasol scored nine points on 4-5 shooting, with Bryant assisting on two of the baskets. The battle between young seven footers Bynum and Oden mainly generated missed shots and rebounds before Oden's early departure; regardless of when Oden is healthy enough to return to action, it will be a long time before either player is the centerpiece (no pun intended) of his team's offense. While some people inexplicably exaggerate Bynum's importance and skill set, before the game Coach Jackson correctly defined Bynum's role: "He's still a young player on our team. We're not asking him to do anything but rebound and defend. That's basically his job out there." Bynum is not a franchise center at this stage of his career but his size and physicality can certainly be valuable assets for the Lakers.
It is worth noting that the Lakers started Bryant, Derek Fisher, Bynum, Gasol and Vladimir Radmanovic. People who don't understand basketball spent a lot of time talking about how the Lakers are supposedly going to trot out a frontline featuring Gasol, Bynum and Odom but--as I have said repeatedly for months now--that is a mismatched trio of players who should not be on the court at the same time because their skill sets overlap. Of course, Hall of Fame Coach Phil Jackson hardly needs me to explain that to him; he never put those three players in the game at the same time--constantly rotating them so that Bynum always played center and Odom always played power forward--and I would be willing to bet that barring injuries, foul trouble or some very strange circumstance (player suspensions or something else that is unforeseen) those three players will rarely be in the game at the same time this season. Bynum has to play center and it is natural to pair him with either Gasol or Odom at power forward. Gasol can play either position, so he can be paired with either player. Odom has a speed/quickness advantage when he plays power forward--and that advantage is only heightened when he is matched up with second unit players--so it makes no sense to play him at small forward where he enjoys no such advantage. If Odom accepts the sixth man role then he can still be a very productive player for the Lakers. He played 29 minutes--third on the team behind Bryant and Gasol--so the playing time and shot opportunities will still be there for him in this new role. It is a good sign for Lakers' fans that after initially balking at coming off of the bench Odom seems to have finally grasped the reality of the situation and decided to do what is best for the team.
Bryant did his best vintage Jason Kidd imitation in the first half, as he was on pace for a triple double with six points, eight rebounds and five assists. He was quite content to let Gasol and others carry the scoring load as the Lakers were up by as many as 22 before settling for a 49-34 halftime lead. However, Portland closed the half with a 7-0 run and then opened the third quarter with another 7-0 run to pull within eight points. Then, Blazer center Joel Przybilla delivered a hard (but clean) foul to Bryant and that seemed to ignite the 2008 MVP (asked after the game if the foul got him going, Bryant merely smiled and said, "Maybe a little bit"). Whatever the reason, Bryant proceeded to take over at just the moment that the Blazers were rallying and the Lakers were floundering; he scored all 11 of the Lakers' points in the next 3:39 to help build the lead to 60-43. "Clutch" is hard to define or quantify and most people tend to focus their attention on last second shots or plays made in the final minutes of a game but many NBA games are not decided in such an obvious fashion but rather by key runs that take place earlier in the contest, runs that shift the momentum decisively.
Later in the quarter, Bryant posted up on the left block, made a gorgeous spin toward the baseline and completed an up and under move, demonstrating footwork that is superior to that of most post players in the league. TNT's Doug Collins said, "He's the most fundamentally sound player in the game today." Bryant left the game shortly after that, with the Lakers leading 70-51 late in the third quarter.
For a while it seemed like the Laker reserves would not need Bryant's help to maintain that substantial bulge but then they began playing sloppily and Portland steadily whittled the margin down. Roy, who only made two field goals in the first three quarters when Bryant had the primary assignment of guarding him, began to heat up and the Blazers closed to within 83-69 midway through the period. Bryant usually returns to the game earlier than that, so the fact that he was still on the bench makes me think that Coach Jackson really hoped that he could rest Bryant for the whole fourth quarter, particularly with the Lakers playing again on Wednesday night--but with Portland threatening to come back Jackson had no choice but to call on Bryant to restore order. Bryant stemmed the tide by hitting a fadeaway jumper and then he scored his final points of the night on a two hand slam dunk; if all you see is the highlight of the end of that play then you miss what really made it special: Bryant caught the ball on the wing with Outlaw guarding him and proceeded to make four fakes--two jab steps and two pump fakes--to manipulate Outlaw and get him off balance. Only after Bryant gained an advantage with his footwork did he drive past Outlaw and get into the lane. The finish was spectacular and belies any speculation that Bryant has lost much explosiveness in his legs but that play would be great even if Bryant "merely" laid the ball in off the glass: what makes that play great is not the athletic explosiveness that Bryant displayed at the end but rather the footwork and basketball IQ that he employed to get the step on his defender in the first place. If you can comprehend that distinction--and then proceed through
Bloom's Taxonomy to the point that you can synthesize that understanding with an awareness of how this differs from how LeBron James plays--then you will be able to see exactly why--even though James is a fantastic player who may one day reign for many years as the best player in the league--right now Bryant is still the best player in the game, the player who
63% of the NBA's GMs say forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments. Collins said, "This is what Kobe does. When the game (can go) either way for your team he's going to take over and tonight he's been brilliant."
Before the game, Collins listed four keys:
1) Tempo
2) Frontline matchups
3) Bench play
4) Who closes...Roy or Bryant?
The Lakers enjoyed advantages in the first three areas: They controlled the pace of the game by outscoring Portland 15-4 in fast break points, they outrebounded Portland 49-44 while outscoring Portland 42-22 in the paint and their bench outscored Portland's bench 36-27. However, the decisive factor in the game was Collins' fourth key: during the key third quarter stretch and again during his fourth quarter cameo appearance, Bryant made sure that the Lakers maintained control of the game. The Blazers are a talented team that will win a lot of games this year and they might very well have rallied to win this game if not for Bryant's efforts, which Collins rightly compared to how Bryant saved the day for Team USA
down the stretch in the Olympic gold medal game this summer; obviously, this game was not nearly as significant as Team USA's victory over Spain but both contests are vivid examples of Bryant's ability to take over in key stretches.
Labels: Andrew Bynum, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Pau Gasol, Portland Trail Blazers, Travis Outlaw
posted by David Friedman @ 5:03 AM
Strong Second Half Effort Lifts Cavs Over Blazers
LeBron James posted his seventh triple double of the season (24 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 13 point first half deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 88-80 at Quicken Loans Arena. With starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas sidelined by a back injury, the Cavaliers needed their other bigs to pick up the slack offensively, defensively and on the glass. Joe Smith finished with 18 points, five rebounds and a game-high plus/minus rating of +13. Anderson Varejao scored a season-high 16 points while also grabbing nine rebounds. Ben Wallace started at center but had five rebounds and no points in less than 16 first half minutes; at halftime, the team announced that he had back spasms and would not return to the game, which opened up some more minutes for Smith. Wallace missed a two handed dunk and a couple layups, causing many members of press row to openly ask (amongst themselves) if Wallace has lost a step. Assuming that the injury is not a chronic condition, such speculation may still turn out to be premature.
LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Brandon Roy had a quiet night (15 points on 5-13 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists) and no other Blazer scored in double figures. In the first half, Aldridge was the dominant player on the court, scoring 17 points on 8-12 shooting; he displayed the versatile repertoire that will likely earn him an All-Star selection soon, showing that he could score in the post as well as consistently knock down faceup jumpers. James had nine points on 4-9 shooting in the first half, adding five assists and four rebounds, but his Cavs trailed, 43-39. The Blazers started the game with a 12-2 run during which Aldridge made a layup and drained two jumpers.
While diagramming one of the Cavs' numerous defensive breakdowns early in the game, Cleveland TV analyst
Austin Carr said, "It's a thought process (for new Cavs like Ben Wallace) instead of a reaction." When you are thinking instead of reacting on a basketball court you will often arrive a split second late. Carr also later noted that this unfamiliarity is taking a toll on the Cavs offensively: "The Cavs are searching, rather than knowing what they want to do."
The Cavs slowed Aldridge down in the second half by treating him as if he already is an All-Star; they fronted him in the post to deny easy entry passes and they sent double-teams when he put the ball on the floor. James forced some turnovers as the double-teamer, showing that he is willing and able to accept more responsibility on defense than he did in previous seasons. Meanwhile, Smith, playing in place of the injured Wallace, provided an offensive spark for the Cavaliers, who took their first lead of the game when Varejao received a pass from James, made a layup, got fouled and converted the free throw to put Cleveland up 62-61. Roy closed the quarter by splitting a pair of free throws.
The fourth quarter was the "Lebron James Show," as it has been in many games this season. James led both teams in scoring (nine points), rebounds (four) and assists (three) despite shooting just 1-3 from the field, all of the attempts coming from three point range (he did his damage by making six of eight free throws); in fact James led both teams in all three categories for the entire second half (15 points, six rebounds, six assists), though he tied for the honors in rebounds. The score was tied at 67 at the 8:30 mark and James produced all of his fourth quarter points after that time. His three pointer with 4:18 left put Cleveland up 78-74 but the backbreaking play was a screen/roll that he ran to perfection with Varejao, who cut to the hoop, received a pass from James and dunked to put Cleveland up 83-77 with 1:16 left.
Portland Coach Nate McMillan was understandably disappointed with his team's second half perfromance: "We've got to come out scrapping in the third and fourth quarter...Offensively, you've got to run your sets hard, you've got to set screens and you've got to get to your spots. You've got to work a little harder to get to your spots. I thought their defense took us out of what we wanted to run. We didn't get the ball in the spots we needed to. We need to work harder to get to those spots...Their double teams (against Aldridge) are going to give you open looks against the traps. You just need to spread and be ready to shoot the ball and you've got to knock down those shots when you get them."
Cleveland Coach Mike Brown had to juggle his lineup, particularly in the second half when he was without the services of three players who figure to be starters when the team is at full strength--Ilgauskas, Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic--and three point specialist Daniel Gibson: "In the first half, they (the Blazers) came out and played really well. We thought we had some good looks early in the game but the ball didn't go down. We felt we were OK, especially at halftime because of the good looks we had and we felt defensively we were playing OK. A couple things we did in the second half were step it up defensively and take care of the basketball." The Cavs had just one second half turnover--a shot clock violation--after committing nine first half turnovers, four of them by James, who termed those mistakes "unforced."
Although literally half of Cleveland's roster is different now than it was when the
Cavs beat the Blazers 84-83 on January 30, the two big factors in that game prevailed once again: (1) James outdueled fellow All-Star Roy and (2) the Cavs took control of the game in the fourth quarter, using their experience and toughness to wear down a team that is younger and less battle-hardened.
****************************
Notes From Courtside:
During Coach Brown's pregame standup, I asked him about his thought process regarding how to rotate his bigs in light of the trade and Ilgauskas' injury: "There is a lot of talk about the disadvantages of playing Wallace and Varejao at the same time in terms of some of their offensive limitations. From your standpoint, what are the advantages of playing them together? Or is that something that you really hope to avoid doing for extended stretches once Z comes back?"
He replied, "If I thought that it was bad, then I'd start Joe (Smith) and I'd sit one of those two guys down. I think that combination can be a good combination. Defensively, in terms of getting us extra possessions, both of those guys are that type of player. Extra possessions in this league are really big. The thing that we have to get consistently (on offense) from either one of those guys--or both of those guys--is finishing around the basket. LeBron is going to draw a lot of attention and both of those guys are going to get some opportunities around the basket and they have to make sure that they finish those or get fouled in those situations in order for that floor to continue to open up not only for themselves but also for LeBron and the rest of their teammates. So, offensively, that has to happen. The thing that they have done and will continue to do is set solid screens. You have two guys who are going to set solid screens and then roll to the basket and finish and that is a big positive. Obviously, Z is a pretty good player and I think that he complements both of those guys extremely well but I think those guys can be effective together."
I followed up by asking, "Do you think that the value of setting screens is underrated because it does not appear in the boxscore and is not quantifiable like points are?"
Brown answered, "Yeah. You really can see that not only Ben (Wallace) but also Joe Smith--both of those guys are very, very good screen setters and not just in pick and roll situations but also in pin down situations or flare situations, they both set some tremendous screens that we see on tape. That has been very effective not only in getting their teammates open but also they have been the recipients of passes after setting some big screens (away from the ball)--especially Ben--and then stepping into the lane and dunking the basketball. That has to continue."
Even though Varejao and Wallace have limited shooting range they can still be effective offensive players by getting offensive rebounds, setting screens, cutting to the hoop and finishing with authority whether they get the ball via a pass or a rebound. Granted, the first quarter of the Portland game did not provide a shining example of that but Wallace's back injury may have had a lot to do with how tentatively and ineffectively he played--and Varejao's ability to play good screen/roll basketball with James led to some timely baskets, much like what happened in last year's Eastern Conference playoffs.
***
After James' big game in New York, he spoke of being 6-9, 260, which is taller and heavier than his listed size (6-8, 250). Asked about that before the game, James replied with a smile that he is 6-7, 240. A reporter joked that James was already that big in high school but James refused to budge, albeit with a huge smile on his face. I suppose that, like Bill Walton and others who did not want to be listed as 7-footers, James prefers to retain whatever mystique there may be about his listed dimensions as opposed to acknowledging what anyone who has seen him close up realizes: James is bigger than his listed size.
***
James has not only consistently said that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA but James will even remind questioners that he has consistently said that. Of course, many people take that statement with a grain of salt considering how competitive James is and how good he already is as a player. Does he really believe, in his heart of hearts, that Kobe--or anyone else--is better than he is? Obviously, we will probably never get a truthful answer to that question, so I took a different approach. Taking James' professed opinion at face value--that Kobe is better than he is--I asked James, "You've been very consistent about saying that you still think that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league. Everyone is talking about the MVP race pretty much being between the two of you. If you don't think that you are the best player right now, what do you think that you would need to do to have that title?"
James answered, "I don't know. I'm going to just continue to do what I do on the court every night and one day that title will come to me. Right now, with the MVP thing, I think that we are two players who just try to help our teams win ballgames and we do it at a high level every night. So we'll see what happens." In response to a follow-up question from another writer, James praised the fine season that Chris Paul is having, mentioning that the New Orleans guard could become the first player to average 20 ppg, 10 apg and 3 apg and saying that without Paul the Hornets might not be a playoff team even in the depleted East, let alone in the stacked West.
***
James also said that it is impossible to evaluate the results of the trade until all of the key players are active: "We can't find out how good a team we can be until we are injury-free...We are playing good basketball but we won't know how good we can be until we get everyone back. We are missing right now three of our top seven guys, two starters in Sasha (Pavlovic) and Z and then the sixth man in Boobie (Daniel Gibson). We'll see what happens but we'll be really good once we get healthy."
Outside observers have consistently doubted the Cavaliers and cast them in the role of underdogs, which is a big change for James, who noted that until he came to the NBA he had never been an underdog, that he was always used to stepping on the court and winning. He certainly is not fazed by the low expectations that many people have for the Cavaliers. "I'm looking forward to the postseason," James said with much conviction.
***
In the Cavs' locker room there are three bulletin boards displaying statistics. One of them shows the Eastern Conference standings and another one shows the league leaders in defensive field goal percentage, the key statistic monitored by Spurs' Coach Gregg Popovich, his former college coach (and later his assistant with the Spurs before becoming an assistant to Mike Brown in Cleveland)
Hank Egan and Mike Brown, who played for Egan in college. The third bulletin board lists "hockey assists," a term that refers to a pass that leads to the pass that is credited in the boxscore as an assist (in hockey, two assists can be awarded on one play); the concept works well in basketball, as I suggested in my article last year about
Mark Aguirre. James leads the Cavs in "hockey assists" with 135, while Gibson ranks second with 80.
Labels: Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, Brandon Roy, Cleveland Cavaliers, Joe Smith, LaMarcus Aldridge, LeBron James, Portland Trail Blazers
posted by David Friedman @ 9:52 AM
Gibson Shoots Down Rookies
Cleveland's Daniel Gibson shot 11-20 from three point range and scored 33 points as the Sophomores defeated the Rookies, 136-109. Read all about that, the Hall of Fame press conference, Brandon Roy's reaction to getting his first All-Star ring and more in the second report that I filed from New Orleans for HoopsHype.com (10/7/15 edit: the link to HoopsHype.com no longer works, so I have
posted the original article below). In case you missed it, here is the link to my first report:
Learning About the French Quarter
The NBA rookies saw too much "boobie" in New Orleans on Friday--Daniel "Boobie" Gibson shot an amazing 11-20 from three point range as the Sophomores once again routed the Rookies, 136-109. This has become a nearly annual rite of passage for the first year players: they show up "star struck," as their coach Darrell Walker put it after the game, and basically look like they are moving in cement shoes on defense as the Sophomores make up for their defeat from the previous year. No doubt this year's rookies will exact a measure of revenge in next year's contest.
Gibson did not attempt a single two point shot. One time when he was being closely guarded he did the old Larry Bird move: step back and shoot an even deeper three pointer. Of course, Gibson made that shot, too. Rudy Gay added 22 points for the Sophomores, LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Jordan Farmar contributed 17 points and 12 assists and Brandon Roy--the only participant from either team who will play in the big game on Sunday--had 17 points and seven assists. Kevin Durant, who likely would have been the best player in college basketball this year had he not turned pro early, is understandably more comfortable playing against players who are closer to his own age. He led the rookies with 23 points on 10-19 shooting--a much better than normal percentage for him--and he also had eight rebounds and four assists.
On the other hand, Durant played little defense and tied for the team-high with five turnovers. On several occasions, Durant completely stalled the team's ball movement by trying in vain to break down his defender with one on one dribbling moves that led nowhere. He can be a decent ballhandler at times but I am still much less impressed with this aspect of his game than other commentators appear to be. The Rookies turned the ball over 24 times, a number that would give a coach a heart attack if it happened in a regular season or playoff game.
After the game, I asked Durant why the Rookies annually take such a pounding in this game. He replied quite sensibly (if a bit unimaginatively), "I wish I could tell you; then we would have won the game...It's tough to win when a guy makes 11 three pointers." Gay countered, "If he would have only hit five (three pointers) we still would have won. We were in a similar situation last year and the Sophomores just took it to us." Even though this is just an exhibition game, I think it really provides a dramatic demonstration of the difference between being fresh out of college versus having a year and a half of NBA experience under your belt.
Earlier in the day, the Sheraton hotel hosted the annual press conference to announce the 15 finalists for Hall of Fame induction, a group headlined by NBA coaches Pat Riley and Don Nelson and NBA players Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Adrian Dantley, Richie Guerin, Dennis Johnson and Chris Mullin. Guerin, Dantley and Mullin were also finalists last year. The Basketball Hall of Fame encompasses all levels of the game, so it is fair to wonder if NBA players are overlooked in the selection process--and that goes double for ABA stars like Artis Gilmore, Mel Daniels and Roger Brown. In 2005 and 2007, no NBA players were inducted, something that Jerry Colangelo, a Hall of Famer in his own right, described to me as an "anomaly" that he sincerely hopes does not happen again.
I asked Colangelo what he thinks of the idea of the NBA establishing a pro basketball hall of fame to honor NBA and ABA players, much like college basketball and other entities have their own halls of fame. He replied, "Personally, I would be against something like that. There are plenty of other Halls of Fame and we don't need another one to compete with what exists. I think that for the most part it has been a fair process and players get their due. Hopefully, as I said, what happens going forward will be the proof in the pudding. I think that it will balance out."
I specifically asked him about the plights of ABA legends Artis Gilmore, Roger Brown and Slick Leonard, who have yet to be inducted in the Hall of Fame despite their tremendous accomplishments. I mentioned that ABA fans think that the fierce rivalry between the leagues may still be affecting the voting process decades later. Colangelo did not say anything directly about Gilmore, Brown and Leonard but offered this general response, "I don't think that anyone should be given the short end of the stick. Some of these (ABA) players played in both leagues and went back and forth. Again, I am hopeful that over a period of time these people will be recognized for their contributions."
Nets General Manager Rod Thorn was a New York Nets assistant coach in the ABA, so he witnessed firsthand how great that league was. ABA fans may be a bit disappointed in his take on the subject of the ABA and the Hall of Fame. When I asked him whether he thought that the ABA has been slighted--citing Gilmore and Brown by name--he answered, "Those players were great players, as you intimated. They certainly have been considered for the Hall of Fame. To me, I think that the really great players from both leagues are in the Hall of Fame. I don't think that there is a need for another Hall of Fame, to tell you the truth. I think that this one takes care of all aspects of basketball. There are great players and really great players and I think that the really great players end up getting into the Hall of Fame."
Dominique Wilkins was one of 11 Hall of Famers who sat on the stage as TNT's David Aldridge read the names of this year's Hall of Fame finalists. After the ceremony, Wilkins candidly spoke with me about the experience of waiting to hear his name called prior to his nomination: "It's a lot less stress; I've been through it and I've done it, it's over and I can just welcome the new guys coming in. It's stressful, man, not knowing if you are going to be selected or not. You go through months of stress. This is the honor of honors, individually, to be appreciated and respected by your peers and others. It's nerve wracking."
The fact that Wilkins did not make it on the first ballot--he was voted in the second time around--reinforces the belief that there is something wrong with the system but Wilkins does not fault the process even though it slighted him initially: "You're honoring people across the world. It's hard, because you're looking at more than just basketball talent--character and respect. It's a very tedious and hard process. I think that our Hall of Fame is unique because it is the only one that covers the whole world. I don't think that we should change that."
After the Hall of Fame press conference, the media availability sessions for the All-Star Saturday night participants and the All-Stars themselves were held in succession. Not surprisingly, Kobe Bryant attracted the largest crowd. I fought my way through to get close enough to hear him talk about his injured pinkie finger and even managed to get in a few questions. Someone asked Bryant if he considered competing in the Three Point Shootout lefthanded. I remember when Bryant attempted to play in an actual game with a separated shoulder before Coach Phil Jackson yanked him out of the contest when it became apparent that he could not raise his arm over his head and therefore had to shoot lefthanded, so I would not put anything past Bryant. He instantly shot this idea down, though, noting the pedigrees of the Shootout competitors and saying, "I'm confident, but I'm not that confident."
I asked Bryant if his doctors have discussed with him the possibility that he may permanently damage the finger if he elects to forgo surgery and play out the rest of the season. He replied, "No, I'll just be the cool grandfather who can stretch his pinkie all the way out to here (gestures to the side). There is no ligament there holding it in. I got lucky. This knuckle right here (points to the base of the finger) was down here (points midway down his hand) but I didn't hurt this one (points to the middle of his pinkie finger). So I'm not going to have any damage or any fingers that look like Larry Bird's." He added that the most painful part of the injury happened when trainer Gary Vitti pulled it back into place, a moment of agony that was captured on national television. "After that, it felt like the finger just wasn't there. It felt like a spaghetti noodle," Bryant concluded.
While a veritable horde gathered around Bryant, Brandon Roy played the role of the lonely Maytag repairman. When I walked over to his table, I pulled up a chair and basically had a one on one conversation with him for a few moments. I asked him if he liked having things this way or if he would prefer to get as much attention as Bryant does. He answered, "I like it this way. I'm a low key, under the radar type of guy. I don't need attention and I am more comfortable this way." I pointed out that the flip side of that is that this could lead to Roy being underappreciated, because the guys who get the most attention are usually the ones who are considered to be the best players. "I think that those guys have done tremendous things in their careers," Roy said. "I'm not at their level yet. Hopefully, one day--even though I don't need attention--I will be mentioned as an MVP candidate."
I said to Roy that the truly great players always work on something new each off season and I asked him what his project will be this summer. He answered that he plans to improve his midrange jumper and his three point shot. I noticed that Roy was perhaps the only player who brought his All-Star ring to the media availability session. I asked him if he would open the box and show it to me and he happily complied. It occurred to me that I never learned how the rings are distributed, so I asked Roy how he got his. He told me that the players went into a room and the individually labeled boxes were on a table and the coach handed them out one at a time. The veteran All-Stars played it off, Roy said, but he was quite thrilled: "I was like, 'Wow.' I was in awe. I keep looking at it. I'll probably put it on my finger once I go back to my room and then wear it around all day. It's truly an honor."
Labels: 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend, Brandon Roy, Daniel Gibson, Dominique Wilkins, Jerry Colangelo, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Rudy Gay
posted by David Friedman @ 10:07 AM
The Difference Between an MVP and an All-Star
Brandon Roy is an All-Star (or at least he should be as of Thursday night when the All-Star reserves are announced); LeBron James is an MVP-level player. Cleveland's 84-83 victory in Portland on Wednesday night provided a great illustration of the difference between being one of the top 24 players in the league and being one of the top five players in the league. Roy tied with LaMarcus Aldridge for the team-high in points (16), he had a game-high eight assists and he grabbed seven rebounds. Although his team lost, Roy had a plus/minus rating of +6 in nearly 39 minutes of action. Those numbers look pretty good--until you see that James scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning layup over Roy (and several other Blazers) with .3 seconds left. James shoots less than .300 from three point range but he shot 3-5 from behind the arc during the fourth quarter. He capped off his performance by stealing Portland's desperation inbounds lob to ensure the victory.
James leads the NBA in fourth quarter scoring and this was the 17th time this season that he scored at least 10 points in the fourth quarter. Not coincidentally, this was Cleveland's league-best 18th fourth quarter comeback (Portland led 81-70 with 4:26 left in the game). James sprained his right ankle just before halftime but still scored 24 second half points, finishing with 37 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots. The Cavs played without two key injured players: starting shooting guard Sasha Pavlovic and reserve forward/center Anderson Varejao (prior to this game, the Cavs were 14-7 with Varejao and 9-12 without him). No Cav other than James scored in double figures and Cleveland shot just .392 from the field--but the Cavs employed the three pronged formula that I have repeatedly said gives this team a great chance to repeat as Eastern Conference champions: defense (Portland shot just .353 from the field), rebounding (Cleveland won the battle of the boards 49-43) and the brilliance of LeBron James.
Roy assisted on Portland's final two baskets of the game but he scored just two points in the fourth quarter and, even more importantly, his team did not score in the final 2:03. It is not necessarily up to an MVP-level player to score most or all of the points--although it is obviously great if he can do that--but it is up to him to make sure that if the defense contains him then one of his teammates gets an easy, open shot. None of this is meant to denigrate Roy; he played a good game and he even stepped up and took the challenge of guarding James down the stretch (James also guarded Roy during the critical late possessions)--but despite Roy's valiant efforts, James took over the game. On Cleveland's final possession, James faced Roy at the top of the three point arc, drove right past him into the heart of the defense and made a left handed layup with several Blazers draped all over him. Roy missed both of his shots in the final two minutes, a three pointer and a drive. James also missed a drive during that time--he shot 6-13 in the fourth quarter--but when money time came he delivered.
Obviously, one cannot make a comprehensive player evaluation based on a one game snapshot--but this game provides a classic example of the difference between an MVP-level player and an All-Star. Further evidence to reinforce this point can be found by looking at the numbers that James and Roy have put up this season; it is easy to see that what happened on Wednesday was a fairly normal night for both players. James scored and rebounded a bit more than usual and had fewer assists, while Roy's scoring was slightly down but he compensated for that with an excellent floor game. Here are their season averages:
James: 30.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 7.2 apg
Roy: 19.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.6 apg
One of the things that made Michael Jordan great is that he relentlessly attacked his weaknesses. As his college teammate Kenny Smith told me, "...the things that used to be his deficiencies became his strengths as his career went on, which is incredible. In college, he wasn't a great ballhandler, he wasn't a great outside shooter; he was good. Then those things became his strengths in the NBA--his ballhandling ability and his outside jump shot and his turnaround jumpers and his shot on the baseline and pull-up jumpers. That is just a testament to how hard he worked." LeBron James is transforming his game in a very similar fashion. I covered some of the earliest games in his rookie season and I've covered many of his games since then, including almost all of his home playoff games. When James first came into the league he had no idea how to play good NBA defense and the form on his outside shot was terrible--he almost always drifted to the side, backwards or both. He has so much talent that sometimes he makes those shots anyway but then-Cavs Coach Paul Silas instructed James to try to take off and land from the same spot when he shot a jumper. Current assistant coach Chris Jent continues to work with James on this and other shooting fundamentals and when James shoots jumpers in warmups he has great form. During games there is sometimes slippage but it is obvious that James is working to correct this and that is what makes it possible for him to get hot from three point range from time to time. Once he incorporates those fundamentals into his shooting routine all the time his three point percentage (and free throw percentage) will go up.
James has also made strides defensively. There were signs of this in last year's playoffs, when he guarded Chauncey Billups on key possessions. On Sunday, James guarded Kobe Bryant down the stretch. James wants the challenge of guarding the best player on the opposing team--which is significant in its own right--and he is performing better and better at that end of the court. This is very important because it sets a good tone for the entire team and fits in perfectly with the way that Coach Mike Brown wants the Cavs to play. When the best player on a team accepts the challenge defensively, everyone else falls in line.
Labels: Brandon Roy, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Portland Trail Blazers
posted by David Friedman @ 5:27 AM
Blazers Outlast Bulls in Double Overtime
The surprise team so far this season, the Portland Trail Blazers, earned yet another win on Thursday, outlasting the Chicago Bulls--arguably the most disappointing team this season--115-109 in double overtime. Brandon Roy had 25 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and two steals. A bruised tailbone slowed Roy down in the second overtime but Jarrett Jack (17 points, five assists, four rebounds) then took over, putting Portland ahead for good with a three point play with just :19 remaining in the second overtime. Travis Outlaw added 21 points for the Blazers, who had six players score in double figures. Ben Gordon, thriving in his new sixth man role, had a game-high 32 points, shooting 15-27 from the field, but his late turnover led directly to Jack's game-clinching play. Joe Smith had a season-high 31 points plus 11 rebounds and Ben Wallace contributed 12 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots. Kirk Hinrich had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds but he shot just 5-18 from the field and his late game efforts to defend the larger Roy
reaffirmed Scottie Pippen's assessment that Hinrich should not be guarding the league's top shooting guards because, quite simply, "he's not that talented...Little guards always put you in a vulnerable position. You've got to send help. It puts too much pressure on the defense."
The Bulls suffered a damaging blow in the first half when Luol Deng tweaked his left Achilles and was not able to return to the contest. That forced other players to play more extended minutes and also led to stretches during which the Bulls did not have many offensive options on the court. This was the fourth game in five nights for both teams and by the second overtime the game looked like the last round of a heavyweight bout between two out of shape boxers who spend more time clinching each other than throwing punches; neither team scored for the first 1:53 until Jack made a layup. The Bulls' Andres Nocioni answered more than a minute later with a jumper but most of the concluding points down the stretch came from the free throw line.
Prior to this loss, the Bulls had won three of their four games since firing Coach Scott Skiles but, as TNT's Doug Collins noted, time is running out for Chicago and the Bulls really needed to win this home game. New Coach Jim Boylan is essentially undergoing an extended job interview, while several Bulls players who think that they are worth large contracts need to step their games up. This team is too talented to have such a bad record. Since Boylan took over, the Bulls seem to be playing with greater energy and purpose, which simply reinforces the perception that the players essentially quit on Skiles. Supposedly Skiles was too tough of a disciplinarian but I think that his real downfall is that he was too soft with several of these players. It is obvious that Gordon should be the sixth man, not a starter, and that young players like Tyrus Thomas need to earn their minutes. Skiles kept giving his players opportunities to get out of their slumps when he should have simply made the correct moves without worrying about upsetting people. As soon as Boylan took over, he removed Gordon from the starting lineup and Gordon is now playing better than he has all season. Gordon is a one dimensional player, a gunner. As a starter, he tended to force things and his liabilities in other areas were very evident, but as a sixth man he gets to play a lot of minutes against either tired starters or against second unit players. Either way, if the team needs offense Gordon will be on the court at the end of the game.
Boylan is also emphasizing the importance of pushing the ball up the court and initiating early offense so that the Bulls can get some easy baskets before the defense gets set. Under Skiles, the Bulls were prone to going through long scoring droughts and were putting up some of the worst shooting and scoring numbers in the league. Thomas averaged more than 20 mpg during the first month of the season. His minutes declined in December but they have been slashed since Boylan took the reins; Thomas has not played more than six minutes in a game since Skiles was fired. Collins said that young players have to learn how hard you have to work on a daily basis to be a good pro basketball player and that you earn your minutes by how well you practice. Thomas shoots just .423 from the field, which is inexcusable for an athletic player who gets a lot of dunks and easy baskets; as Pippen rightly noted, Thomas should be a "fetcher," a guy who rebounds and hustles, not someone who takes many shots outside of the paint.
Collins and play by play announcer Kevin Harlan talked a little bit about the awkward position that Boylan is in, taking the place of someone who hired him to be an assistant coach, but I would have liked to hear Collins discuss how Skiles must feel. Collins just touched on this briefly, saying that Skiles did a good job building the team up but won't be around to see everything come to fruition, but Collins never mentioned how this mirrors his own experience; two decades ago, Collins--who was an intense, demanding coach much like Skiles is said to be--led the Bulls to a 47-35 record but was replaced by Phil Jackson, who had been an assistant on his staff. Obviously, these Bulls do not have a transcendent player like Michael Jordan but Collins knows exactly what it feels like to be fired after leading a team to the playoffs and then be replaced by a member of your own coaching staff. It would have been interesting to hear Collins' thoughts about this but maybe the issue is too raw and hits too close to home, even after all of these years. Collins' players supposedly grew weary of his demands but Jackson turned out to be no less demanding, instituting a Triangle Offense that was hardly popular with Jordan at first and placing great emphasis on defense. Much like Skiles is perceived to be tough but may not have actually insisted on the right things in the right ways (i.e., failing to make Gordon into the sixth man and not benching players who were not performing up to par), Collins developed a reputation for being difficult but he actually did not confront Jordan and others as much as perhaps he should have. In
The Jordan Rules, Sam Smith describes how Collins rued that Jordan took too many bad shots and did not pass to his teammates. Jackson, then an assistant, said that Collins should say this to Jordan directly but Collins felt that it would not make a difference and told Jackson that he was welcome to try communicating these sentiments to Jordan; Jackson did exactly that, telling Jordan about how the Knicks in the early 1970s became champions by playing as a cohesive team. Jordan respected someone who would challenge him and make him play better much more than someone who might yell at him at times but would not really confront him in a meaningful way that would guide him down a different path. I've always thought that this little story goes a long way toward explaining how Jackson has been able to win so many championships with Jordan, Pippen, O'Neal and Bryant--and why those championships were not a sure thing just because those players were on the roster: even the greatest players need to be coached and it takes a deft hand (or, more precisely, a clever, determined mind) to find the right way to help such gifted athletes to maximize their talents within the context of the team being successful.
Labels: Ben Gordon, Brandon Roy, Chicago Bulls, Jarrett Jack, Joe Smith, Portland Trail Blazers
posted by David Friedman @ 5:24 AM
No Holds Barred Practice Sparked Blazers' Winning Streak
Many people have tried to figure out how the Portland Trail Blazers suddenly became so good. Jason Quick of
The Oregonian offers a good answer:
The history books will show that the Trail Blazers' winning streak started on Dec. 3, when Travis Outlaw made a last-second shot at Memphis.
But to the Blazers players and coaches, the roots of the streak really started two days earlier, at a community center in San Antonio, where an edgy and downtrodden Blazers team practiced.
It was where Martell Webster and Joel Przybilla fought. Where Steve Blake kicked and then threw a chair. Where Brandon Roy exchanged sharp words with teammates. And where Channing Frye spoke up and made a promise.
Quick explains that Coach Nate McMillan put in two special practice rules that day: (1) no defensive switching on pick and rolls, forcing defenders to fight aggressively through picks; (2) ballhandlers were only allowed one dribble, thereby encouraging more player and ball movement on offense. McMillan knew exactly what he was doing when he made these changes: "The practice was basically set up for a fight to happen. We were talking about pressuring. We were talking about being physical. We were talking about grabbing. And...we got into a fight, a couple tempers flared and a couple of other things happened."
After the Portland players showed such intensity battling against each other, McMillan pointedly implored them to play that way against the rest of the league--and, since that day, they have.
Labels: Brandon Roy, Nate McMillan, Portland Trail Blazers
posted by David Friedman @ 11:11 AM
Will Youth Be Served in the Pacific Northwest?
The Portland Trail Blazers wrapped up the ABC/ESPN Christmas Day tripleheader by beating the Seattle SuperSonics 89-79 and extending their league-best winning streak to 11 games. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Blazers, particularly after number one overall pick Greg Oden was sidelined by microfracture surgery, but Portland actually has one of the top eight records in the West now, ahead of more highly regarded Utah and Houston teams. Is Portland really a legitimate contender?
After watching Portland lose to San Antonio 106-97 on opening night, I wrote, "...it certainly looks like they have a promising young nucleus and if Greg Oden returns to health next year this team could become really good. The one caveat, though, is that every team is going to bring its best game against San Antonio; it remains to be seen if the Trail Blazers will play at this level on a consistent basis."
The Blazers stumbled to a 5-12 start but, in the wake of this winning streak, I must say that this team is indeed better than I had expected. Portland is not a contender in terms of winning a championship this year but this team has a realistic shot to win enough games to secure a playoff berth; I still think that Utah will definitely bounce back and that Houston will probably do so but Portland is not winning games by accident. Brandon Roy had a poor shooting night versus Seattle (7-23) but he still finished with a team-high 17 points, plus seven assists and six rebounds. The two-time Player of the Week honoree has emerged as an All-Star level player. LaMarcus Aldridge had a bad game against Seattle (two points on 1-10 shooting, five rebounds) but he is averaging 17.7 ppg and 7.6 rpg while shooting .515 from the field. He won't make the All-Star team this year in a Western Conference that is stacked with top notch forwards but he sure looks like a future All-Star. Reread this paragraph and you will realize that Portland beat Seattle despite getting subpar performances from its two best players. Granted, even Roy admitted that it was a sloppy game--and Seattle is hardly a powerhouse--but for a young team to be able to beat anybody when its stars are not at their best is unusual. Jarrett Jack chipped in 17 points--his highest scoring game in more than a month--and four assists, while Joel Przybilla had six points and a game-high 16 rebounds. A veteran, playoff tested team will probably sweep the Blazers if they make it to the postseason but this is definitely a team on the rise and if Oden can get healthy and be productive the Blazers could be very dangerous sooner than most people expected.
For Seattle's number two overall pick Kevin Durant, this game was more of the same: Durant took a lot of shots and missed most of them (shooting 8-20 from the field) to get his 23 points. He also had six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots, a better than average floor game for him this season. His ballhandling has improved a little, though he still dribbles the ball too high and he got away with a blatant carrying violation before nailing a jumper. Durant actually pursued a couple rebounds that did not fall straight into his lap and his passing is definitely better. Durant will block the shots of smaller players who don't know how to properly protect the ball but it would not be accurate to say that he is a true shotblocker or even much of a defender at all; Roy shook him and drove right past him for a two handed dunk on one possession early in the game and Durant spun around so many times I thought he might pass out. Durant is an excellent free throw shooter (6-6 versus Portland, .857 for the season), so why does he struggle to shoot .400 from the field? There are several obvious answers to this question: (1) His shot selection is poor; (2) he does not have good balance on many of his shots; (3) his lack of strength makes it easy for defenders to bump and jostle him when he ventures into the paint. Even though Durant is the top scorer on his team, he does not really face the kind of defenses that elite scorers like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have to contend with because Durant can be guarded one on one at this stage of his career; that is all the more reason that he should shoot a better percentage and if he improved his field goal percentage to the .450-.460 range then he would regularly draw double-teams that would help his less talented teammates get open shots.
Labels: Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Supersonics
posted by David Friedman @ 5:08 AM
