The secret to Nash's success

steve nash “the spokesman” – training from Bill Connely on Vimeo.

MVP night

These guys were MVP for a reason! Both showed up even stronger than normal tonight. Nash may actually put up more points under his new coach then ever before, highlighting his role as the league's best shooter. Both in Dallas under Nellie and in Phoenix under D'antoni, Nash was the prototypical pass-first point guard, creating for everyone else.

In the new system under Porter, Nash is a traditional PG, which means he is expected to be part of the offense, often a finisher of plays that started elsewhere. Look for his shot attempts and scoring to go way up this year, although his assists will probably go down (although his 13 on opening night goes against this speculation).

Tonight: Nash --> team-high 24 p (16 shots) - 9 a - 4 reb - in 36 min.

As for our other MVP, Dirk, what can be said. He is a team leader, a no-shame shooter, and one of the most unstoppable scorers in the world. Definitely, still the best white ball player on the planet.

Tonight: Dirk --> 36 p (22 shots & 14-14 FTs) - 7 reb - 2 blks - in 38 min.

Strong Season Openers

Some great performances to start out the year for the white athletes of the NBA! As you can see from the very efficient numbers below, the main thing holding many whites back from all-star status is their lack of shot volume. Team-first basketball is a beautiful thing, but it only takes one "black-hole" to ruin team execution. I would love to see a few all-white teams, so they could lift each others numbers up with selfless white team play, or for all the poor NBA guys who are usually stuck as the only white guy on the floor, more selfish play to lift their own numbers.

White of the Night --> David Lee: Fantastic! 16 p (9 shots) - 11 r - 5 a - in 35 min as starter.

Home Grown:
Murphy: 13 p - 15 reb - 3 blk, playing 35 minutes as starter,
Hawes: 12 p (8 shots) - 14 rebounds - 6 blocks! in 33 min as starter
K-Love: 12 p (8 shots) - 9 r (4 off) - 2 blk - in 18 min off bench in his first NBA game!
Hinrich: 15 p (10 shots) - 7 a - in 26 min off bench
M Miller: 11 p (7 shots) - 6 a - in 31 starting min.
Kapono: 15 points (8 shots) - 25 min.
Korver: 11 p (6 shots) in 24 min off bench
Pryzbilla: team high 11 reb in 25 min off bench
B. Lopez: team leading 8 boards off the bench in 25 minutes.

Imported:
Rudy: 16 p (10 shots) - 4 a - 2 stl - 29 min off bench in 1st NBA game!
M Gasol: 12 p - 12 reb - 2 blk in his first NBA start, 36 min
Nash: 13 p - 13 a - 2 r - 34 min
Scola: 12 p - 13 reb - 25 min
Ilgauskas: 15 p (on 5 shots!) - 8 reb - in 30 min.
Varejao: team-high 9 reb - in 26 min off bench
Calderon: 13 p (9 shots) - 7 a - 32 min.
Pachulia: 8 boards, 6 offensive, in less than 12 minutes.
Bogut: 9 points on 4 shots, and 14 points on 8 shots, in first two games
AK-47: 16 p (9 shots) - 2 blks - in 35 min off bench
Hermann: 10 points (6 shots) - in 15 min. Surprise surprise, I thought he was buried in Detroit.
Biedrins: 14 p (8 shots) - 12 reb (5 off) in 29 min as starter
Stojakovic: 16 p (11 shots) in 35 min as starter
P Gasol: 15 p (10 shots) - 7 reb - 33 min as starter
Okur: 13 p - 10 reb - 3 a - 39 min

The "Hoped for More" List:
Redick: 0-4 FGA for 2 p - 19 min
Ridnour: 0-6 for 2 p - 6 r - 5 a - 24 min
Bargnani 0-4 for 0 p - 20 min
Kaman: 3-9 for 8 p - 5 reb - 4 TO - 30 min
R Anderson: only 3 shots in 15 min
Foster: zero shots in 20 min
Barry: 2 shots in 20 min
CAndersen: 3 shots in 21 min
Milicic: 1-4 for 2 p - 2 reb - 17 min
Kleiza: 1-8 for 4 p - 21 min
Belinelli - DNP
Quinn - DNP

2008 NBA racial analysis

The white bloodbath of preseason waivers is finally over, the season is starting tonight, so we can do our 2008 racial analysis.

Only 47 American whites remain on opening day rosters, along with 41 foreign whites. Out of the 450 players (assuming 15 players per team over the 30 teams), that means the league is 19.5% white.

The whitest position is C, with 28 whites. PF has 23, SF has 14, PG has 12, and SG has 11.

Three teams lead the league with six white players each.

For us American whites, the clear team to root for is Indiana, with 5 white Americans, and 1 foreign white.
Portland has 4 American and 2 foreign whites.
Utah has 2 American and 4 foreign whites.

Minnesota is also a good one to root for, as all four of Minnesota's whites are American.
The Lakers have 2 American and 3 foreign whites.

Number of whites on roster, by team:
Indiana 6
Portland 6
Utah 6
LA Lakers 5
Milwaukee 4
Memphis 4
Cleveland 4
Phoenix 4
Toronto 4
Minnesota 4
Chicago 3
LA Clippers 3
New Jersey 3
Orlando 3
Sacramento 3
San Antonio 3
Charlotte 2
Dallas 2
Denver 2
Golden State 2
Houston 2
New Orleans 2
New York 2
Oklahoma City 2
Washington 2
Atlanta 1
Boston 1
Detroit 1
Miami 1
Philadelphia 1

American white players:

Aaron Gray	CHI	C
Adam Morrison	CHA	SF
Austin Croshere	MIL	PF
Brad Miller	SAC	C
Brent Barry	HOU	SG
Brian Cardinal	MIN	PF
Brian Scalabrine	BOS	PF
Brook Lopez	NJN	C
Chris Andersen	DEN	PF
Chris Humphreys	TOR	PF
Chris Kaman	LAC	C
Chris Mihm	LAL	C
Chris Quinn	MIA	PG
David Lee	NYK	PF
Jason Kapono	TOR	SF
Jason Smith	PHI	C
Jeff Foster	IND	C
JJ Redick	ORL	SG
Joe Alexander	MIL	SF
Joel Przybilla	POR	C
Josh McRoberts	IND	PF
Kevin Love	MIN	PF
Kirk Hinrich	CHI	PG
Kyle Korver	UTA	SG
Louis Amundson	PHX	PF
Luke Ridnour	MIL	PG
Luke Walton	LAL	SF
Mark Madsen	MIN	PF
Matt Bonner	SAS	PF
Matt Carroll	CHA	SG
Matt Harpring	UTA	SF
Mike Dunleavy	IND	SF
Mike Miller	MIN	SG
Nick Collison	OKT	PF
Paul Davis	LAC	C
Raef LaFrentz	POR	C
Robert Swift	OKT	C
Robin Lopez	PHX	C
Ryan Anderson	NJN	PF
Ryan Bowen	NOH	SF
Shavlik Randolph	POR	PF
Spencer Hawes	SAC	C
Steve Blake	POR	PG
Steve Novak	LAC	PF
Travis Diener	IND	PG
Troy Murphy	IND	PF
Wally Szczerbiak	CLE	SF

Foreign white players:

Ahmed Haddadi	MEM	C
Aleksandar Pavlovic	CLE	SG
Anderson Varejao	CLE	PF
Andrea Bargnani	TOR	PF
Andrei Kirilenko	UTA	SF
Andres Nocioni	CHI	PF
Andrew Bogut	MIL	C
Andris Biedrins	GSW	C
Beno Udrih	SAC	PG
Danilo Gallinari	NYK	SG
Darius Songaila	WAS	PF
Darko Milicic	MEM	C
Dirk Nowitzki	DAL	PF
Eduardo Najera	NJN	PF
Fabricio Oberto	SAS	C
Goran Dragic	PHX	PG
Hedo Turkoglu	ORL	SF
Jose Barea	DAL	PG
Kosta Koufos	UTA	C
Kyrylo Fesenko	UTA	C
Linas Kleiza	DEN	SF
Luis Scola	HOU	PF
Manu Ginobili	SAS	SG
Marc Gasol	MEM	C
Marcin Gortat	ORL	C
Marco Belinelli	GSW	SG
Marko Jaric	MEM	SG
Mehmet Okur	UTA	C
Oleksiy Pecherov	WAS	C
Pau Gasol	LAL	C
Peja Stojakovic	NOH	SF
Rasho Nesterovich	IND	C
Roko Ukic	TOR	PG
Rudy Fernandez	POR	SG
Sasha Vujacic	LAL	PG
Sergio Rodriguez	POR	PG
Steve Nash	PHX	PG
Vladimir Radmanovic	LAL	SF
Walter Hermann	DET	SF
Zaza Pachulia	ATL	C
Zydrunas Ilgauskas	CLE	C

Contract options picked up for foreign whites

The contract options were picked up for thee foreign whites today: Sergio Rodriguez (Portland), Andrea Bargnani (Toronto), and Oleksiy Pecherov (Washington).

Sergio (1st round draft pick originally from Spain) had his fourth year picked up, keeping him under contract through '09-10.

Pecherov (1st round draft pick from Ukraine) had his third year picked up.

Bargnani (1st pick overall from Italy) had his fourth year picked up.

Austin Croshere picked up by Bucks

Milwaukee picked up Austin Croshere (6'10 235 PF, 12th year) off of waivers today.

Rob Kurz waived, picked up

Rob Kurz (6'9 232 PF) undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame, was waived today.

Kurz appeared in four of Golden State's six preseason games, averaging 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 14 minutes per game.

He gained notoriety for hitting a game winning shot with time expiring against the Bucks in China this preseason.

Update: Kurz was picked back up by the Warriors, on Nov. 3.

Coby Karl waived

Coby Karl (6'5 205 SG) waived today.

Coby Karl, who played in 17 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, was waived by the defending Western Conference champions Monday.

Karl, the son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, averaged 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 4.2 minutes as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Lakers. He also played in 17 games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals.

The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior at Boise State two years ago. He ranks third on the school’s career scoring list with 1,698 career points and left the school as its leader in games played (127) and 3-pointers (266).

Gerry McNamara waived

Gerry McNamara (6'2 182 G) was waived yesterday.

The Utah Jazz waived guard Gerry to cut the team’s roster to 15, according to multiple newspaper reports Saturday.

The 6-2 Syracuse product appeared four games for the Jazz this preseason but played sparingly, averaging 2.5 points and 0.5 assists. He was brought in for a look five weeks ago in mid-September. However, there was little room for him in Utah’s backcourt and he was the only player remaining on the roster who did not have a guaranteed contract.

Whatever happened to... Casey Jacobsen

Casey Jacobsen (6'6 215 SG/SF) played last year for the Memphis Grizzlies (averaging 10.3 mpg and 2.0 ppg), but has moved on to Germany for the 2008 season, not even attempting to sign with an NBA team this preseason.

A two-time All American and three-time All-Pac 10 selection in his three years at Stanford, with a 49 point college career high, Casey was originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns with their 1st round pick at the 22nd spot. He spent 3 1/2 years with the Suns (averaging about 18 mpg and 5.5 ppg) before being traded to the Hornets for the last half of the '05 season, where he averaged 23.4 mpg and 7.6 ppg.

He then played for two years in Europe before spending last year with the Grizzlies. He played with TAU Vitoria of the Spanish ACB League for the '05-06 season, and the Brose Baskets of Bamberg in the German League for the '06-07, where he lead his team to the German Basketball Championship, earning the Finals MVP Award.

For the 2008 season, Casey has signed with the German League club ALBA Berlin.

David Padgett waived

David Padgett (6'11 260 C, undrafted) was waived on Sunday. Padgett appeared in three preseason games, averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds.

"... He is both mobile and coordinated, while having enough overall athleticism to get by, especially at his size. Despite shooting 60% from the field last season, Padgett somehow found a way to increase his efficiency from the floor even further, shooting 67% this season on slightly more scoring output. His highly efficient post game and superb basketball IQ certainly had a lot to do with that.

"In the post, Padgett has a very large array of moves. His go-to move is still his right-handed hook shot, which he can convert with in a variety of ways, but he mixes in dropsteps, turnaround jumpers, up-and-unders, and other moves as well. One of the things Padgett is best with is faking a spin off one shoulder, selling it very well, and then turning back off his other shoulder, putting up a hook shot, which he’s capable of doing with either hand. Padgett has always used an extensive series of fakes to get off his moves. Padgett’s post sense is outstanding, as he takes what the defense gives him incredibly well and rarely forces ill-advised shots, opting to reset the possession if he doesn’t like what’s there. While Padgett’s athleticism is definitely not ideal, his excellent coordination, mobility, and footwork help make up for that in the post, and he does show the athleticism to pull off moves such as drop-stepping from one side of the paint to finish with a reverse lay-up on the other side of the rim.

"As for the rest of his offense, you can’t understate Padgett’s ability to do the little things and how he applies his basketball IQ in all areas of the game. Lousiville ran a lot of their offense through Padgett in the high-post, as he shows good passing ability, hitting cutters and shooters alike. Even many of his turnovers were actually passes that went off the hands of his teammates. He’s also an excellent cutter without the ball, specifically in pick-and-rolls, where he reads the defense very well. It’s also quite the common occasion to see Padgett moving around the perimeter setting screens, and directing his teammates to their spots on the floor.

"On the defensive end, Padgett’s great basketball IQ stands out as well, as he plays a very fundamentally sound game while showing great awareness, always making the right rotations. These rotations in combination with his size and timing allow him to block some shots, but he’s not very dynamic here due to athletic limitations. In man-to-man defense in the post, Padgett shows great footwork and always keeps his hands up, forcing his man into tough shots, while also doing a good job not getting beat laterally. He can be pushed around by players with a strength advantage and shot over by players with a length and athleticism advantage, but he still makes them work for it.

"With his incredible feel for the game and high basketball IQ, he should get plenty of chances to make an NBA team, even with some of his limitations. If not, he should have a very successful career overseas, as long as he can manage to stay healthy. "

Nocioni should be a starter

Andres Nocioni (6'7 225 SF) led the Bulls to victory in their last preseason game, scoring 26 points, 9 in overtime, playing 44 minutes as a starter in the absence of Deng.

Nocioni's high-scoring game capped a pretty solid preseason, and highlighted how well Andres plays when given the minutes. In the five games he played more than 20 minutes (averaging 28 mpg), Andres averaged 18 points on only 12 shots, a very efficient clip, along with 5 rebounds.

Just by way of contrast, the starter Deng in the preseason also averaged 28 minutes, but scored only 11 points on 10 shots, along with 5 rebounds.

This reveals a classic case of someone being declared better simply because they've been declared starter, and given better minutes. Andres' numbers are dragged down by the games he played 15, 11, and 6 minutes, but WHEN GIVEN COMPARABLE MINUTES, his numbers are actually better than the guy starting in front of him.

Deng was a lottery first round draft pick (seventh overall) out of Duke, entering the league in '04.
Nocioni was undrafted out of Argentina, also entering the league in '04. Notice, from the stats below, how Andres has always been given fewer minutes.

Yet, compare the years when they both averaged the same 27 minutes. Given the same minutes, Andres scored more points (13.0 vs 11.7) on fewer shot attempts (10.1 vs 10.6), and gathered in more rebounds (6.1 vs 5.3).

Yet, Deng's minutes then shot up, to 33 and 37, while Nocioni's then fell to 26 and 24.

So what is the argument? You could say that Deng had greater "upside" and has contined to progress as a ball player. BUT, I have already shown that this very preseason, when given the same minutes, Andres is more productive!

From his very first year, Deng has been given more minutes, so a casual glance at the stats makes Deng appear the better player. But when they average the same minutes, Andres shows greater productivity, both in the past and now!

So why is Deng starting, and Andres backing him up? Obviously, the answer is right there, in black and white.



year 1:
LD 27:18 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 10.6 shots pg, 5.3 rpg
AN 23:23 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 7.4 shots pg, 4.8 rpg

year 2:
LD 33:23 mpg, 14.3 ppg, 12.2 shots pg, 6.6 rpg
AN 27:18 mpg, 13.0 ppg, 10.1 shots pg, 6.1 rpg

year 3:
LD 37:30 mpg, 18.8 ppg, 14.9 shots pg, 7.1 rpg
AN 26:30 mpg, 14.1 ppg, 11.0 shots pg, 5.7 rpg

year 4:
LD 33:47 mpg, 17.0 ppg, 14.2 shots pg, 6.3 rpg
AN 24:36 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 10.7 shots pg, 4.2 rpg

Matt Freije cut

Matt Freije (6'10 240 SF) cut by Bucks today. He played well for the Bucks' summer league team, averaging 11.8 ppg (2nd on team) as well as being the 2nd leading shot blocker, while leading the team in FG% and 3-point FG%. But in the preseason, his few minutes shrunk by the game, going from 20 to 15 to 13 to a few sub-10s and a couple DNPs. His best game was an 11 point night on 5-6 shooting in 13 minutes against Detroit.

Matt played briefly with the Hornets in '04-05 and the Hawks in '06-07 but has yet to find a season-long home in the NBA.

He played for Vanderbilt from 2000 to 2004, leaving as Vandy's all-time leading scorer, and was named First Team All-SEC as a senior, when he averaged 18.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg.

Good luck to Matt finding a basketball home elsewhere this year.

Chris Andersen should be starter

Chris Andersen put together a fabulous preseason for the Nuggets, and has clearly earned a starter's spot, outplaying both the starters at PF and C (Martin and Hilario).

In playing just about the same mpg each, Chris averaged more total rebounds, more offensive rebounds, more free throw attempts, and way more blocks, than either Martin or Hilario. He scored less, but only because he took less shots. His scoring efficiency, points per shot, was higher.

Rebounds: CA 8.3, KM 5.6, NH 5.3
Offensive Rebs: CA 2.5, KM 1.4, NH 1.2
Blocks: CA 2.2, KM 0.4, NH 1.0
FTAs: CA 5.5, KM 3.4, NH 5.0
Scoring Efficiency (points / FGA): CA 1.5, KM 1.25, NH 1.4

When a guy is a better scorer, rebounder, and defender, that usually means he is the starter, right? So why isn't he starting? Hmmm, why could it be??? Is it because Chris is missing the one most vital ingredient for playing in the NBA, dark skin?

Kirk Hinrich returns

Kirk Hinrich (6'3 190 PG) reminded the world how good he can be tonight against the Bucks. Playing 35 minutes off the bench, Kirk scored 25 on 10 shots, combined with a team high 7-8 on FTs, to go with 8 assists. Ehem, uh yeah, shhh, we won't mention the 7 TOs.... But great game overall!

Kirk averaged 16.6 ppg and 6.3 apg in 35 mpg as recently as '06/07. But his PT is likely to be much lower this year, after the Bulls have already installed a rookie PG in his place. The main reason he got so many minutes tonight was probably because the rook' went down with an injury in the 1st quarter.

Here's hoping Kirk can get his head in the game and keep his minutes high under his new coach this year.

Matt Carroll we miss you

Matt Carroll (6'6 212 SG, 6th year) is without a doubt, the biggest disappointment of the season so far.

In the last two seasons, Matt has become a well-established killer marksman, hitting an incredible 43% of his 3 pointers, logging significant minutes for him team, around 25 mpg. Two years ago he averaged 12.1 points, and last year, 9.0 ppg.

So far, this preseason, in which the Bobcats have failed to win a game, has been a total disaster for Matt. Typically getting less than 10 minutes per game, Matt is attempting only 3.6 shots a game, and averaging a paltry 2.9 points.

Leave it to Larry Brown, without a doubt the worst coach in basketball, to put a struggling young team in reverse, making them even worse than the year before, and to turn his best shooter into a scrub.

As reported in Charlotte:

The most common theme to these exhibitions is them trying too hard to please Brown. “We're playing too uptight,'' said Carroll. “He told us to play uptight on defense and loose on offense. Either we're doing the opposite, or just playing uptight at both ends. It's still the preseason, and we're trying to play the way he wants. Maybe we're trying too hard to do it, but that's not a bad thing right now.”

It's always funny to hear players lie to the reporters, trying to keep the happy face on.

Poor Matt. We miss you, buddy, and hope you can get a better coach soon.

Zaza Pachulia not ready for burial

Zaza Pachulia (6'11 280 C) has perhaps not resigned himself to oblivion on the Hawks bench quite yet. Last night, Zaza led Altanta to victory with the game winning basket, scoring 18 total (on 12 shots) and ripping down a team-leading 9 rebounds, including a dominant 6 on the offensive glass.

Zaza saw a major dip in minutes last year, as Atlanta went with the Dominican rookie Horford at C.

In '05-06, Zaza logged 31:23, and put up 11.7 ppg and 7.9 rpg (43% of them offensive), 5.2 FTApg
In '06-07, Zaza logged 28:06, putting up 12.2 ppg and 6.9 rpg (41% of them offensive), 5.2 FTApg

In '07-08, Horford logged 31:23, and put up 10.1 ppg and 9.7 rpg (32% offensive), 2.6 FTApg

Hmm, looks like a downgrade to me, as Zaza is much more skilled on the offensive end, including offensive rebounds.

Let's look at the patterns this preseason.
Zaza has played 20 mpg, producing 10.7 ppg (on 5.7 FGA) and 7.3 rpg.
Horford played 27 mpg, producing 9.6 ppg (on 7.8 FGA) and 8.0 rpg.

So, Zaza gets more points on less shots, almost the same rebounds, while playing only 75% of Horford's minutes.

And he's the backup? WTF?

Austin Croshere cut

Austin Croshere (6'10 235 PF) appears to be at the end of his long NBA career, being waived by the Pacers.

Austin entered the league as a first round draft pick by the Pacers back in '97, and logged his best years over the '99-00 and '00-01 seasons, when he averaged 23 mpg and over 10 ppg.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to waive Austin,” Pacers general manager David Morway said. “Austin’s a terrific professional and has represented this franchise extremely well and we appreciate his passion, dedication and commitment to the Pacers over the years.”

Josh Davis waived

Josh Davis (6'8 235 PF) waived by the Pacers today. Josh had a solid career in college playing for Wyoming, and was a star of the CBA, but has not mananged to latch onto much PT in the NBA.

Josh finished his 4 year career at Wyoming ranked 13th in scoring (1,439), second in rebounds (956), second in steals (140) and second in blocked shots. He was a three-time Mountain West All-Conference selection and earned Honorable Mention All-America honors at the conclusion of the 2001-02 season.

He was named 2003-04 CBA Most Valuable Player, Newcomer of the Year and All-League First Team, and ranked in the CBA’s top-10 in scoring average (9th, 18.7), rebounds per game (4th, 9.6), offensive rebounds per game (6th, 2.7), field goal percentage (7th, .590) and three-point field goal percentage (7th, .411). Josh has also played in Spain for Leon Caja Espana.

His career year in the NBA was '04-05 when he played 42 games for the 76ers, although averaging only 7.8 mpg.

Spencer Hawes breaks out

Monster game tonight for Spencer Hawes, abusing Yao Ming and the Rockets, with 25 points and 16 boards (both team-highs), including 6 boards on the offensive glass, in his 40 minutes of play.

“Anytime you’re going against a player like that (Yao), one of the best in the world, you have to be aggressive and can’t back down,” said Hawes.

Kevin Love shows up at last

Kevin Love (6'10 270 PF), much heralded rookie from UCLA, finally has a solid game for the Timberwolves. I must admit, I have expected more from him this preseason, but so far, his stats have been pretty weak.

In 21 minutes of action tonight, Kevin scored 14 on only 6 shots, including a team-high 5-5 FTs, and collected a team-high 10 rebounds, as well as 2 steals.

Very nice night for Kevin, let's hope he can build on the momentum and live up to his billing.

Jared Reiner waived

Jared Reiner (6'11 255 C) was cut today by the Philadelphia 76ers, despite not missing a shot the entire preseason. Of course, he only played in one game, for four minutes, going 3-3. Not exactly a fair tryout...

Jared played at Iowa, where he led the Big Ten Conference in rebounding as a junior, before bouncing around the NBA for a couple seasons.

Reiner played extensively in 2007 in the NBADL, averaging 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, being voted to the D-League All-Star Game and the All D-League Second Team. He also played in the top Spanish league with Polaris World last year before trying to catch on with the NBA again.

Luke Jackson cut

A former All-American at the University of Oregon, Jackson (6-7, 215) played in three preseason games, averaging 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.3 minutes. The four-year NBA veteran was 5-for-15 (33.3%) from the field and 1-for-4 (25.0%) from 3-point range.

Steven Hill cut

Steven Hill, the wild haired defensive specialist from Arkansas, was cut today by the Portland Trailblazers. Not really a surprise, as he saw just about zero PT during the preseason.

Blake Ahearn waived

Wow, as cynical as I am, this one kinda surprised me. Despite how well he has played in the preseason, Minny cuts Blake Ahearn, and keeps a washed up journeyman (Kevin Ollie) in his place.

Really makes you wonder what it takes for an unheralded white American to get a shot in the league. Very depressing.

Here is a video news report showing Blake's game winning shot the other night, plus an interview with him.

www.kxmb.com/video.asp?ArticleId=287795&VideoId=23072

Nick Fazekas waived

Despite leading the Nuggets in rebounding in their last game (in only 12 minutes of play), the Denver Nuggets waived Nick Fazekas. The forward, who is from Colorado, signed a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract before the start of the team's training camp in late September.

Fazekas is the all-time leading scorer in University of Nevada history, and a 3-time WAC Player of the Year award winner. He averaged 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 26 games with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers last year in his rookie season, and over 17 points and 8 rebounds in the NBADL.

After receiving a qualifying contract offer from the Clippers in the offseason, Fazekas played on the team's summer league squad. But on Aug. 1, the two parties agreed to dissolve the offer.

Aaron Gray, monster in the middle

Aaron Gray (7'0 270) is a stud basketball player, begging to be used to his capability. Last year, his rookie campaign, his numbers were pedestrian, averaging 10.0 mpg, producing only 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds.

However, a glimpse of his power came in the last game of the season, as he was given 35 minutes of PT, and produced 19 points (on 13 shots) and an eye-popping 22 rebounds.

Aaron's minutes this preseason have been all over the board, under the new coach and with lots of team injuries, let's just say there have been a lot of experiments with the lineup. The one constant: when given minutes, Aaron is a beast.

He has played 20+ minutes three times (out of six games so far) this preseason, but look at these numbers:
21 minutes, 10 boards (2 offensive)
24 minutes, 9 boards (5 offensive)
28 minutes, 11 boards (5 offensive)
14 minutes, 7 boards (3 offensive)

Not only does he put up big rebound numbers, overall, a full 40% of his rebounds are on the offensive end, which is an absolutely incredible stat, and truly demonstrates his skill.

These numbers are sick, and if given starters minutes, there is no doubt, Aaron would be one of the elite rebounders in the league.

Ryan Anderson rebounds strong

Ryan continues to demand attention in NJ, despite his coach refusing to give him real minutes.

Tonight, Ryan actually led his team in rebounding, with 9 total, including 3 offensive, in his meager 16 minutes. The starting PF (Yi) had only 4 rebounds, in his 31 minutes. Good game overall for Ryan actually, putting in 11 points on 9 shots, plus an assist and a block.

Ryan is an all-around player, a great shooter and rebounder, a rare combo in the typical NBA big man. What is not to like about this rookie, who, surprise surprise, went undrafted? Despite being first team all-PAC-10 as a sophomore, averaging 21.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, in fact, leading the whole conference in scoring.

And he has to ride the pine behind a Chinese guy who is totally unproven? How do you justify that?

How do you explain how Yi was the 6th pick in the first round of the draft last year? And Ryan goes undrafted? How do you explain that?

Unless you realize one key fact: the NBA is an entertainment product, driven by marketing, and is NOT a pure sporting competition based on basketball excellence. When you realize that one key fact, it all makes sense, because highly-skilled pale-skins like Ryan just aren't part of the NBA international marketing plan.

Steve Novak, sharpshooting big man

Nice game tonight for dead-eye shooter Steve Novak (6'10, 220, PF, 3rd year).

Last year Steve averaged only 7.5 mpg for the Rockets, despite the fact that he shot 48% from 3 point range. This year he is making his case for more PT with a new team, the LA Clippers.

Very nice game tonight for Steve, scoring 9 points on only 4 shots, and adding a steal and a couple rebounds, in only 13 minutes, while avoiding any TOs or steals.

Steve is a true 3 point specialist. So far this preseason, every single one of his shots has been a three point attempt. His best game as a Clip so far saw him score 12 on only 6 shots.

Overall this preseason, he is shooting an incredible 50% from beyond the arc! And averaging less than 12 minutes a game... Does anyone else see the disconnect here? Isn't finding tall guys who are excellent shooters what basketball is all about? Not in the NBA, as we know, at least when it comes to certain players...

Paul Davis, rebounding machine

Paul Davis (6'11 260 PF, 3rd year) enjoyed a strong game tonight, pulling down a team-leading 9 rebounds in only 21 minutes.

Paul has averaged only 7 mpg in his first two seasons, and has racked up a lot of DNPs, so it would be nice to see this young man-giant unleashed, and watch the massive white athlete do his thing inside the paint.

Paul has been starting at PF alongside Chris Kaman lately, and has led the team in rebounding in almost every game, including a very high percentage of offensive rebounds, the true mark of rebounding skill. He also racks up a surprisingly high number of steals for a big man.

Here's hoping we see a lot more of Paul this season!

Kevin Kruger released by Bucks

Kevin had the remarkable distinction of scoring 8 points on 1 shot in his first preseason game (1-1 on a 3-pointer, and 5-5 FTs), when he played 12 minutes. After that it was all downhill, with a slew of DNPs.

October 20, 2008 · 6:26 PM

The Milwaukee Bucks released former ASU/UNLV guard Kevin Kruger late this morning.

With an overloaded roster, and point guards Luke Ridnour, Tyronn Lue and Ramon Sessions on the Bucks’ roster, it was apparent that Kruger was a long shot to make the squad.

"He went in with his eyes open," said UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger, Kevin's father. "Anytime you get released, it can be a little depressing, naturally. But it was a great experience for him."

Kevin Kruger went to China on the Bucks’ recent preseason jaunt but did not play. He returned to Las Vegas on Sunday. Because of the time difference, Lon Kruger said his only son did not get to sleep until Monday at 6 a.m.

A year ago, Kevin Kruger was the last player cut from Orlando's camp. He talked about likely playing in Europe this season after a D-League game in Los Angeles last season.

Robin Lopez: defensive machine

Robin Lopez (7'0 255 C), rookie out of Stanford, is proving to be a defensive machine for the Phoenix Suns.

Tonight he blocked 4 shots, in only 20 minutes, against the Bobcats. Last week he was off the charts with 7 blocks against the Nuggets. He is averaging almost 3 blocks a game in the preseason.

Hopefully he can squeeze some minutes at C and continue to play like a monster in the regular season.

Ridiculous discrimination, squared and cubed

This is the crap that really pisses me off. A white player will play a fantastic game when given minutes, outplaying the starters coming off the bench, and the next game, rather than being rewarded with some PT and the chance to keep the hot streak going, they actually see a drastic reduction in minutes.

Cases in point:

Ryan Anderson, NJN, yesterday scores 20, on 11 shots, playing 25 minutes against Boston. Today, buried, playing only 9 minutes. Not even like he was playing bad, scoring 4 on 2 shots, with 3 boards, but it looks pathetic even touting it. No one can get to double digits as the 10th sub in 9 minutes of PT, and what is point of mentioning single digit production...

JJ Redick, DNP tonight against the Hawks. WTF? Was he was injured, because what other reason is there for a DNP??? Two nights ago JJ scores 14 on six shots and led the team in plus-minus in his meager 21 minutes. The rookie who started ahead of him and played 26 minutes that night, scoring 2 (on eight shots!!!) to go with his 3 TOs, HE GETS REWARDED tonight with 33 minutes. Are you kidding me???

Blake Ahearn, against Toronto, scores 15 (2nd on team) on only 9 shots in his 21 minutes. Then in the very next game, he gets thrown in for a grand total of 4 minutes of PT, at the very end of the game against Denver, no less (but STILL hits a clutch 3 to help Minny win).

Where is the logic or sense in all this? Unless discrimination against white Americans makes sense, and it's logical not to play your best players.

Adam Morrison posts a nice game

Adam Morrison (6'8 205 SF) has not logged many minutes this preseason, and his prospects under his new coach do not look good, given Larry Brown's preferred style of play and narcissistic, hard-headed personality. In the five previous pre-season games before tonight, Adam has played this many minutes: 13, 21, 0, 12, and 0, putting up a grand total of 12 shots over those 5 games.

However, sharp shooting nights like tonight should help keep Adam in the lineup, as he scored 12 on only 6 shots, while playing just 18 minutes.

Adam attracts a lot of hate, because, like JJ Redick, he is a non-submissive white. The very personality traits that are lauded and admired in black athletes, like passion, anger, and ultra-competitiveness, make a white athlete an object of hate. It is a huge double standard.

Everyone seems to be an expert on the weaknesses in Adam's game, but he has basketball talent galore and can do great things on the court, not the least of which is SCORE.

Good luck to Adam in what seems to be destined as a frustrating sophmore year, under a new coach.

Dan Grunfeld with Knicks

Dan (6'6 220 SG) probably won't make the final cut for the Knicks, but he has gotten off the bench a couple times in the last couple games, so I figured he deserved a mention as a tip of the hat to one of the many white American ball players fighting to make a living at the game they are great at.

Grunfeld was undrafted out of Stanford University and spent the last two seasons playing overseas. The River Hills (Wisconson) native spent the 2007-08 season in Spain, where he averaged 14.7 points and 3.3 rebounds for Aguas De Valencia. Grunfeld averaged 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for Oldenburg in Germany during the 2006-07 campaign.

As a collegian, Grunfeld played four years at Stanford, highlighted by his junior season in 2004-05 when he earned First Team All-Pacific 10 Conference honors after averaging 17.9 points per game (although tearing his ACL towards the end of that season).

Like all great white basketball players, Grunfeld is described as a gifted passer with a great feel for the game who can score in a variety of ways including perimeter jump shots, drives to the basket or in the post.

UPDATE: Dan was waived on Oct 23rd, after playing in only 1 preseason game.

Dan Dickau waived

The Warriors waived point guard Dan Dickau on Sunday, clearing the way for Oakland-born, Vallejo-raised DeMarcus Nelson to make the team. Nelson was invited to training camp on a non-guaranteed contract but quickly became a favorite of coach Don Nelson's with his gritty defense.

Dickau played in just two of the Warriors' four exhibition games and averaged 5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2 steals in 12 minutes.

Ryan Anderson, white athlete, steps up big

Ryan Anderson (6'10 240 PF), rookie from Cal, steps up to the big stage, putting together a monster game today as the only bright spot for the Nets in their loss to the Celtics. Anderson comes off the bench to score a team leading 20 points on only 11 shots in his 24 minutes. Especially impressive: his team-high 9 trips to the line.

Great article copied below about how Ryan has to overcome every negative stereotype in the book. The article even points out that if he was European, he would be a lottery pick. But as a white American, of course, he is in back of the line. He jokes about it publicly, saying "for some reason my athleticism is a question" but in all honesty, how can our white athletes not be seething inside, barraged as they are by the constant disrespect that comes with their pale skin.

The Underestimation of Ryan Anderson

September 21st, 2008, 2:08 am by NetIncome

Please don’t underestimate Ryan Anderson. No, actually, go ahead…really, he likes it.

“I do relish the underdog role,” he told HoopsAddict before the NBA Draft. “Since I have not received the overwhelming attention other players garner, I attract doubters. I love performing in front of those who doubt my skills and don’t believe in me. I use the doubters as motivation to not only prove them wrong, but as extra fuel for on-court focus.”

Oh yeah, he’s smart. He did go to Berkeley after all, and utilizes those off-court smarts between the lines.

“For some reason, my athleticism is a question, despite my proven performances against athletic players,” he said in that same interview. “I typically allow the doubters to question my athleticism since I feed off positioning and timing. Positioning and timing is what gives me huge advantages especially with rebounding since I enjoy crashing the glass. Since I first started playing basketball, I always felt I had a keen sense of what angle a missed shot would best allow me to gather a rebound and more times than not I’ve been correct. I have always had a natural feel for when to jump and when not to, which has made me a solid rebounder.

“Yet I do understand the athletic question and realize teams want to see someone windmill dunk at 360 degrees,” he added a bit sarcastically. “For me… I play the timing game. I can easily bang home a dunk in traffic yet my game is predicated on feel, timing and positioning. Two points is two points.”

And if you think you detect just he slightest bit of arrogance beneath that smiling, joking demeanor you might have seen at the Nets post-draft press conference, try this, from an interview with a Sacramento television station reporter who asked he models himself after. No hesitation.

“I love Dirk. He’s definitely a player I model myself after. He’s a really talented player inside and outside. And you know I’ve always been kind of an inside-outside player. .. working on moves to the basket. Trying to get an advantage. Not so much to be a shooting–a small–forward but kind of taking advantage of players if I can.” He even jokes his sparse goatee is an homage to Nowitzki.

So now we know he is mentally tough, intelligent, and just a bit arrogant. Can he play?

Former NBA coaches who faced up against him in the PAC-10 think so.

“I was in the NBA for seven years, and he (Anderson) is going to be in the NBA. He’s very good, very versatile.” said Arizona interim head coach Kevin O’Neill who was twice Lawrence Frank’s boss.

“He is just a special player. He’s the most versatile big guy in our conference, absolutely the most skilled. He’s also tenacious, and that’s a rare combination.” added USC head coach Tim Floyd.

Kiki Vandeweghe thinks so too. “He can shoot, he can rebound. He had a lot of double doubles this year at Cal, one of the best players in the PAC-10 this year. He’s going to surprise some people. He’s a little more athletic than people think…and again, he’s a character guy and I think he’s going to be a very effective front court player for us for a long time…and he addressed a big time need for us in outside shooting up front. Then, he added, “You know it’s very interesting…he was our scout’s favorite pick.”

Gregg Polinsky, the Nets chief scout, had indeed raved about him and got the Nets brass to drive to Philadelphia to watch him work out for the 76ers after scheduling conflicts prohibited a trip to East Rutherford. Some of the brass had also watched him in a Wizards’ workout. It was a surprise. Anderson had thought he was going at #19 to Cleveland.

“I was honestly surprised that New Jersey had selected me because they had never really talked to me although they did come and watch me when I worked out in Philadelphia,” he said.

Vandeweghe says the Nets had a choice that night. “There were about four players who we were looking for,” said the Nets GM after the draft. “They were all there! That was a little bit surprising. We were very pleased he was there and very pleased all of them were there. We went with the biggest player, we went with the biggest player we thought was the most effective for our team.

“Everybody had someone else they liked but the consensus was we had three small players and Ryan Anderson was the big player and so if the players are pretty much equal, the old adage in the NBA is ‘go big’”. Whoever, whatever. Anderson was happy to go to New Jersey, acting like the kid that he is.

“It was unbelievable. I started going insane,” Anderson recounted to his local paper. As the draft rolled on, Anderson admits he had curled into the fetal position. “All of a sudden David Stern says my name on TV and it was like this huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was great. Then I just jumped up, ran out to our front lawn and yelled from the top of my lungs. For a while there I was pretty much out of control.”

Anderson didn’t mind that his name had not been mentioned at all by the ESPN reporting team prior to the Nets pick…but he was aware of it. “I always have to come in and prove myself so I’m kind of used to it,” Anderson told his local paper. “People usually don’t find out what kind of player I am until I step onto the floor.

He knows what he has to do to improve. “I’m not used to powering every move home, yet I know it’s a skill I need to be successful in the NBA,” he has said. “Everyday I’m getting up plenty of shots while familiarizing my grip to the NBA official ball. Since I operate off the senses, my shot is feeling much better and I’m utilizing my improved footwork for hesitation stop and go moves as well as my height to shoot over the top of a defenders.”

College scouts have said that’s going to be a challenge.

As one, quoted by Scout.com, said, “He was bothered by taller and stronger defenders who forced him to alter his release point and bodied him whenever he put the ball on the floor. This was most apparent when facing Stanford and the Lopez twins as well as UCLA with Kevin Love along with several athletic forwards. Anderson does not elevate very well which causes him to pull back on his shots in order to prevent blocks, which leads to fewer fouls and lower productivity against better defenders.”

Another remarked that his three point shooting is excellent, with a high release point and an increasingly quick release then adding “when Anderson catches the ball in post, he is a little less reliable. He has good footwork, a soft touch, and good intelligence on the offensive end, but he too often finds himself trapped under the basket or turns into a double or triple team. While he is a very good passer out of the paint and has shown very nice awareness in the high post and on the perimeter, he frequently finds himself out of position on the low blocks.”

Not all the scouts and pundits are as negative. Brian McCormick, a trainer and writer said this of him prior to the Nets’ pick: “If Anderson was from Serbia, he would be a lottery pick for sure. He is everything NBA executives crave: a 6′10 power forward with some back to the basket game, mobility and three-point range.

“Sure, he needs to add some strength, but potential lottery picks Brook Lopez, Donte Greene, Anthony Randolph and DeAndre Jordan need strength as well. However, they possess ‘upside’ and ‘length’ while all Anderson possesses is offensive fundamentals and demonstrated ability in the NCAA’s best conference.”

And while some of those players may have given him trouble, he did against them, as this highlight reel shows. They—along with Michael Beasley—didn’t exactly shut him down.

The Nets are not sure how they’ll use him apparently, which is either a testament to his versatility or uncertainty about how to best utilize his skills. He played more of the 4 in the Orlando Summer League and the 3 in the Rocky Mountain Revue. He did much better in the former.

“They see me as a 3 (small forward) or 4 (a big forward) and I already know my role as a pick and pop (shoot from the outside after setting a screen) player who also will be able to drive inside when a bigger, slower guy is on me,” he told his local paper in August.

No doubt, he is going to take some time to develop. After all, he will be the youngest Net to step on to an NBA court since 1979 and second youngest ever.

But he’s been there before, even in high school, where he was pudgy but the three-time conference scoring champion. He was barely recruited. Cal’s then coach Ben Braun was one of the few Division-I schools to make him an offer.

He was ranked as only the country’s No. 34 power forward among incoming freshmen. Two years later, he was the only Pac-10 player to finish among the top five in both scoring and rebounding in both seasons at Berkeley.

One of his Cal teammates was Nets’ training camp alumnus Rod Benson, who used Anderson in a couple of his Yahoo! Sports video blogs and is a big fan: “Ryan is a lot more prepared than many first-round picks entering the draft. Ryan will be able to come in and contribute immediately. I know that a team that passes up on Anderson will regret it later because his game is all about instant positive contribution. Ryan will be effective inside and outside as well as rebound efficiently.”

It won’t be easy. He does have a support group led by Brook Lopez, once a rival now a friend and supporter, telling the New York media that Anderson had “the best jump shot in the PAC-10”. Anderson in return has become a surrogate twin for Lopez, helping him replace his brother, Robin.

He remains wowed by his circumstances.

“It’s going to be a thrill playing on the same team as a great player like Vince Carter. I’ll never forget when he won the slam dunk in the 2000 All-Star game in Oakland. He’s an amazing player and has always been one of my favorites,” Ryan said. (Memo to VC: your new teammate was 12 at the time.)

“I’m definitely excited for the season to start. It felt so good to put on that uniform.”

As for the future, here’s what he told the local reporter. “It’s like a dream come true - but this is only the beginning. All I can do is just go out and work hard, play basketball as well as I possibly can, and hopefully in the future, I’ll be able to impress the people of New Jersey.”

Two “people” he’s already impressed in New Jersey are his point guards, Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling.

When Dave D’Alessandro of the Star-Ledger asked them which of the team’s many youngsters they liked, both put Anderson at the top of the list.

“His skill level is higher than what people think, he can really shoot the ball,” said Harris. “And I think that will open up a lot of things. . . .Our job to kind of push him along. Every young guy needs a little push, and we’ll probably push him the hardest.”

Dooling also didn’t hesitate: “I’ve got two,” he said. “First guy, most people don’t know much about Ryan, but he has a really, really nice game. He can shoot the basketball, he’s deceptively strong, and he’s really crafty around the basket.

Being described as “crafty” by a veteran like Dooling will probably impress Anderson. It sounds so much more unique than “athletic”.

Juan Carlos Navarro returns to America

But not the NBA!

Playing the LA Lakers as part of an American tour with his new club, FC Barcelona of Spain, Juan Carlos Navarro played strong, pouring in 34 points to go with his 7 assists and 6 rebounds, including 17 in the fourth quarter alone as he attempted to will his outgunned team to victory.

Was he making a point? Oh yes. As Pau Gasol put it: “I think he was trying to prove a point tonight—that he can play in this league. I think he felt he was not valued as a basketball player at the end of the season, but he can play with any team he wants to. He fits well anywhere if he gets the minutes. But no team stepped up to the plate and gave him a good contract so that he could continue here.”

An excellent white player discounted and disrespected by the NBA? Shocking, truly shocking.

When did it become the Negro Basketball League?

The NBA is mainly black today, but when did it become so?

The NBA added its first black player in 1951, but throughout the 1950s, most NBA players were white. An all-white team won the league championship in 1958, for example. The league remained majority white throughout the 1960s. It wasn't until 1964 that the league saw its first all-black starting lineup. By the mid 1970's the shift was on and by the early 1980s it was complete, with whites making up a quarter or less of the league since then.

For example, in 1991-2, the NBA was 25% white, by 1994-5, the NBA was only 18% white (a low for the decade), and in 2004, the league was still only 21% white (with a sizable chunk of that white talent from outside the US).

The last championship team that was predominantly white was the 1985 Boston Celtics. Since then, the last predominantly white team to even come close to a championship was the 2001 Sacramento Kings.

The obviously screw-job given to the Kings in the Western Conference Finals, which a referee has testified to be demanded by the league, was an obvious basketball travesty to everyone who watched the series, and did more than anything to turn white basketball fans into conspiracy theorists.

The anti-white bias of the NBA became more than just conspiracy theory in 2002. It was in that year, the US National Team, composed of black NBA all-stars, was humiliated in its home country during the World Championships of Basketball, losing numerous games to all-white international teams, and failing to even medal.

The point was hammered home in 2004, when Team USA, an all-black team of NBA all-stars, lost a number of games at the Olympics, although it came back from 4th seed in its pool to win a bronze medal.

The point was made again in 2006, even after a massive rebuilding campaign bordering on national basketball crisis, as as another all-star cast of blacks lost in international competition, finishing with a bronze in the World Championships.

Even the average fan was left wondering after these fiascos, how teams of "unathletic" foreign whites, who can't even make it in the NBA, are able to beat teams of our "super-athletic" NBA all-stars?

The humiliation of the NBA brand of "blacksketball" would have been revealed sooner if not for the geopolitical breakup of two European basketball superpowers of the 90s: Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. Team USA was one back-of-the-rim shot from losing to Lithuania in the year 2000, and Lithuania is just one small component of the former Soviet Union.

Today, the USSR basketball superpower has had its talent pool disected into separate teams, all of whom still dominate international competitions, such as Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine. Yugoslavia has been similarly disected, formerly uniting such basketball powerhouses today as Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Croatia.

In short, it is now obvious to all and proven on the court that white basketball is as dominant as ever, WHEN GIVEN THE CHANCE. The ethnic cleansing of whites from the NBA is not based on lack of basketball skill, but on other factors.

There is no doubt that blacks can be great basketball players too, but the systematic exclusion and minimization of whites can no longer be justified, and WE AS FANS WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE IT.

Pure hatred against JJ Redick?

What else can account for it? Tonight, Hedo is out with injury, the "designated" SG Pietrus moves up to starting forward, so the Magic start who at SG? Rookie Courtney Lee, of course! After all, he is 6'5, and more importantly, has the crucial tone of skin (dark).

Lee scores 2 points on 1-8 shooting, complimented by 3 TOs, in his 26 minutes of play. Resulting in a team-worst plus-minus of -18. Great move, coach.

JJ, limited to 21 minutes off the bench, scores 14 points, on only 6 shots! Including 4 trips to the line, and 4 rebounds, versus only 1 TO. Resulting in a team-leading and mind-boggling +26 plus-minus.

The numbers speak for themselves, as does JJ's treatment. What a sick joke.

Why isn't Varejao starting?

Anderson Varejao (6'10 240 PF) puts together a solid game tonight, scoring 15 points on a perfect 7-7 shots, and I am left wondering, why in the world isn't he starting? Why is he riding the pine behind Ben Wallace, how much sense does that make?

For example, Wallace tonight starts, and plays 26 minutes, scores 1 point, gets 2 rebounds, commits 4 TOs and 4 fouls. Such stat lines are all too typical of Ben Wallace, who is, quite frankly, a poor imitation of basketball player.

Varejao, on the other hand, scores 15 with 4 rebounds in only 21 minutes.

I guess having dark skin, a ridiculous afro, a surly face, and a bad attitude means more in the NBA than having skill. But I guess you already knew that.

Goran Dragic shows promise

Goran Dragic (6'4 180 PG) is the rookie brought in to spell Steve Nash, and stepped into the spotlight tonight starting for the injured former MVP.

While not a great shooting night, scoring only 6 on seven shots, Dragic quietly put together a real gem of a game, and gave a nice glimpse of his skill and potential.

In over 30 minutes of play, Dragic picked up 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, while only turning the ball over once. Goran also did a great job on his opponent at PG, Allen Iverson, who went only 1-6 and had 5 TOs.

All in all, a very solid game for a PG, especially a rookie, demonstrating his intelligence, versatility, and atheticism. We look forward to great things from the young Slovenian!

Ahearn continues strong play

Blake Ahearn leads all Minny guards in scoring tonight in their victory over Toronto, scoring 15 on only 9 shots, playing just 21 minutes. He also picked up a steal, zero TOs, and zero fouls! Which shows how smart he is, avoiding getting busted for DWW (Defending While White).

His highly touted (1st round draft pick) but younger, smaller, and worse-shooting rival at PG (Sebastian Telfair), played more minutes (over 24), but had only 4 points and 1 steal, while producing 2 TOs and 3 fouls.

Weird how that works, isn't it? You can be younger, smaller, more careless, more foul-prone, more crime-prone, and worse shooting, but if you are a "playground legend" with dark skin, you get a fat first round contract and average over 30 mpg. Yup, that's the NBA.

Introducing Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat (7'0 240 C) had a strong statement game for the Orlando Magic tonight. File this in the "nice flash of potential department" for the rookie from Poland.

Normally when you think of the leading rebounder and shot-blocker for the Magic, national team player Dwight Howard comes to mind. But tonight, playing only 22 minutes behind Dwight Howard, Gortat led the team in both rebounding (with 12), and shots blocked (with 3), while picking up only 2 fouls. Very nice start for the young big man. Especially when compared with Howard's mere 8 rebounds and 2 blocks (and 4 fouls) in his 28 minutes.

Hopefully, Gortat's talent will be recognized and he will see some reasonable minutes.

However, with the NBA being what it is, an entertainment spectacle rather than a pure competition of basketball excellence, the chances are slim to none that Gortat will displace many of "superstar" and "freak athlete" Dwight Howard's minutes.

Luke Ridnour ready to start

Luke is in a battle for the starting spot in his new home with the Milwaukee Bucks (nothing new for Luke in that regard), and tonight made his case strongly. Give a starter's PT (36 minutes), Ridnour racked up 16 points (on 11 shots) and 12 assists. Most impressive was his team-leading 10 trips to the line. Making such aggressive play a regular feature of his game would be huge, as he has averaged less than 2 FT/game over the last couple years.

After only playing 18 and 16 minutes in the last couple games, fighting knee problems, Luke must have had an extra fire in his belly, and it really showed.

Ridnour’s presence gave the offense a bit of cohesiveness, something that has been lacking as the Bucks’ new players learn more about each other and the system of coach Scott Skiles.

“It felt good to get my knee back to where I can play a lot,” said Ridnour, acquired in a three-team, off-season trade that sent Mo Williams from Milwaukee to Cleveland. “It held up real well. My goal is to get everybody involved.”

Marc-Darko combo getting noticed

News article copied below taking notice of the twin towers concept that coach Ivaroni is trying out with Gasol and Milicic. As I knew from watching Spain over the summer Olympics, Marc is a real stud basketball player, displaying the rare combo of rugged toughness and intelligent skill. From the article, it is clear that he has earned the starting center spot with Memphis.

It is Darko who is now trying out for PF, along side Marc, as Ivaroni is intentionally playing them together to see what chemistry develops. The results were good tonight. Although the team lost overall, the starting unit with Gasol and Milicic had a winning plus-minus. Darko especially shined, scoring 12 points on five shots, along with six FTs, a nice sign of aggressive play. He also led his unit with 5 rebounds, in 20 minutes of play.

Here is the article:

Milicic, Gasol tested as Griz's towers of power

Serbian moves from forward to center, back

By Ronald Tillery (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Sometimes, all Darko Milicic knows to do is laugh.

It's funny to the Grizzlies' big man that he's sort of come full circle.

The 7-foot Serbian and former No. 2 overall draft pick entered the NBA as a power forward and supposed offensive dynamo. His focus then shifted to becoming a defensive-minded, rugged center in recent years.

Now, in his second season with the Griz, Milicic is back working mostly at his natural position at power forward. Newcomer Marc Gasol has stepped in as the man in the middle. And while Milicic promises "to do whatever they want me to," he admits not knowing what to think of the Twin Towers concept.

Griz head coach Marc Iavaroni is taking a serious look at the combination. The pair of 7-footers started the past two preseason games together, and the idea is more than a fleeting experiment.

Iavaroni is trying to strike the right balance with his starting unit as conventional wisdom suggests at least three positions have been solidified. The question midway through training camp appears to be what is the right power forward-center combination to go alongside the Grizzlies' talented perimeter trio of Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay?

The upside of a Gasol-Milicic combo is their sheer bulk, defensive prowess and high basketball IQ that could help offensive flow.

The downside is low offensive productivity and poor foot speed that sometimes makes them a glaring liability at both ends.

"I'm not sold on anything," Iavaroni insisted, adding that, "we just want to see how our 7-footers play together."

The jury is still out partly because Milicic's back injury has made him available for just two of the four preseason games. Meanwhile, Gasol has demonstrated that he's more than serviceable. The Spaniard, former Griz Pau Gasol's brother, amassed 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists Monday in the Grizzlies' 103-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Iavaroni, slow to infuse post-up options on offense, ran several plays through Gasol and the 7-footer displayed uncanny awareness and crisp passes.

During one sequence against the Pacers, Gasol stood on the low block in front of Griz bench. He surveyed the scene and then flipped a pass to a streaking Conley, who flipped in a layup from under the rim. Moments later, Gasol corralled a loose ball under the basket and slammed it through the rim for an easy put-back.

"There's always got to be a balance," Gasol said. "If we're effective on the inside it'll make it easier for the guys on the outside. They know they need us to score at least a little bit to get them open."

It's no secret that Iavaroni is impressed by Gasol.

"I've been surprised by Marc's defense," Iavaroni said. "He's a position guy, and he's shown some shot-blocking ability. And he's physical. He hasn't backed down from anybody."

Opponents have hit Gasol, and he's been hitting back.

"Being young does not mean you can't be strong," Gasol said. "We need that toughness. Sometimes you have to be mean. I'll do anything that it takes."

That's at least one thing Gasol and Milicic have in common.

But while Iavaroni praises Milicic as a reliable defensive rebounder, there are questions about his ability to provide passable perimeter defense. Milicic's passing and scoring around the rim are inconsistent, too.

Those bad habits are concerns given the athleticism and scoring prowess Milicic could face daily at power forward.

It didn't bode well when Mayo fed Gasol streaking along the baseline, and Gasol delivered a touch pass to Milicic, who missed a dunk.

"He just needs to play a very simple game," Iavaroni said. "Offensively, he needs to finish inside. We're probably not going to go to him a lot. We've got other guys we can go to. But Darko has to do the little things."

The upside of Milicic's game is that four of his first five rebounds Monday were on the offensive glass and his defensive intensity didn't waver. Soon after Gay tip-dunked a basket early in the second half, Milicic followed with a block on the defensive end. Milicic's rejection of Jarrett Jack's floater with two seconds left on the shot clock eventually led to a 24-second, shot-clock violation.

"He just has to be more consistent with his habits," Iavaroni said.

Iavaroni was consistent, making sure that Gasol or Milicic was on the floor at all times whenever making substitutions.

"We're going to go with what we do well and make the opponent match us," Iavaroni said. "It might be them (together). It might not be them."