Tonight two of our favorite teams to watch come together to do battle – Cleveland at New York.
So many storylines…
For CLE: Will the Cavs continue to play down (or up, but not in this case) to their opponents’ level? Will LeBron finally have a decent game at Madison Square Garden? Will Sasha Pavlovic ascend further up the tower of our favorite current Cavaliers?
For NYK: Will the Knicks continue to stink it up? Will…can…how…nah, that’s pretty much it, huh?
The Knicks are bad again – Isiah’s 2-7 start is exactly the same as Larry Brown’s last season. If they don’t turn it around soon, it’s only a matter of time before Mr. Thomas is out.
In his new Daily News blog, Knicks Knation, Frank Isola has a badly lit photo and pretty much states that the team has already stopped listening to Zeke and don’t have his sense of fight, so things don’t really look all that up.
We tend to agree – the only way the Knicks were gonna do anything was by becoming a scrappy, hard-working, never give up team. They’re not there.
The reason? We would blame it on Stephon Marbury, but he is what he is. This is on Isiah, and we’re rooting for him, remember. Besides not being a great x-and-o guy, he simply has bad motivational techniques.
Not bad so much, but he uses them badly. Take the incident this weekend where he tries to fight Bruce Bowen of the Spurs and then screams at Gregg Popovich. Okay – that’ll work. The problem comes when Isiah then goes out of his way later to calmly explain that he was doing that as a motivational technique.
You can’t do that – people hate being manipulated like that. We had a boss that did that once – we felt like every time she spoke to us it’d been filtered through some book called something like “How To Get the Best From the Best and Do Your Best: The Ten Levels of Building an Effective Team Atmosphere (4th Edition – Now With Interactive DVD-ROM!)”.
You know – stuff like “Say “good job’ at a Level 6 Enthusiam, then pat employee on the arm twice. Smile for 2.3 seconds, then walk away while giving a Level 3 Enthusiasm thumbs-up.”
How do we know this is totally Isiah? As pointed out by a (drunk) reader over the weekend, Zeke is wearing a puzzle piece lapel pin this year.
Is it a symbol for some company? Representative of a dead relative or friend?
No, it’s the Crucial Puzzle Piece Pin, and is described as follows.
Recognize the important and outstanding qualities within your organization with the Crucial Puzzle Piece lapel pin. Presenting these to your organization will promote a collective sense of pride in that one employee does make a difference. Great for employee motivation.
Perfect – perfect, perfect, perfect.
Is this a pale imitation of Pat Riley’s “15 strong” cards? Does everyone on the team have these? Did they throw them away, and then Isiah dug up his copy of “How to Coach (Volume 7 – Now With Interactive DVD-ROM!)” to figure out his next move?
Will anyone tell Isiah he needs to come up with better motivational stuff than the same junk anyone can look up on the internet in 8 seconds and then use on 16-year-old retail store employees?
Will the Cavs go down by 17 early by letting Jamaal Crawford run wild on Eric Snow? Oops, that was our angry subconscious talking. We feel it.
(Thanks to Naseef for the drunk email.)
Last night ESPN had a special Sunday NBA broadcast, in celebration of the big game between Shaq’s Heat and Yao’s (aka “not T-Mac’s”) Rockets.
What 2-3 years ago was an epic battle between the league’s last great center and it’s potential next great center is now, unfortunately, a one-sided slap-fight attended by the league’s only great center.
(We have a feeling that last sentence is a mess, but we’re having trouble typing, and aren’t gonna fix it. For example, here’s all the different ways we spelled “center” before getting it right: cneter, centre, entcre, ccentr, & beef.)
Yeah – so like the Rockets won and crap. By a lot.
Plus, Yao dominated Shaq. By a lot.
34/17 vs Shaq’s 15/10. Let’s move on before this post gets any longer. By a bunch.
“Every time I score against him, I’m happy like a kid,” Yao said of O’Neal. “I feel like a kid getting candy on Halloween because it’s really too hard to score against him. Too hard. He’s just great.
“He is the dominant center in this league, even at his age. He’s not the same in the regular season as he is in the playoffs. Like last year. If it was the playoffs, I would have seen a totally different Shaq. I would say the regular season doesn’t matter. Maybe one day I could meet him in the Finals.”
Okay, it’s time to quit dancing around this “Shaq kinda isn’t all that great anymore” talk. Look at Yao – he’s all like “If it had been the playoffs blah blah balkman.”
Yeah if it’d been the playoffs, Shaq would’ve been worse, based on last year’s postseason. Let’s move on the Ira Winderman’s take on the game. More dancing.
The game’s most dominant big man? After this, and perhaps one or two more, could there be any debate?
Clearly, he’s giving himself a buffer period, so that Shaq doesn’t yell at him in the locker room. Furthermore, he names no names, which means he can recalibrate that sentence to mean whatever he wants later.
This is a clever and popular new strategy. Check Dwyane Wade himself out.
Miami’s Dwyane Wade, who made eight of 22 shots for his customary 24 points, said, “We know who the best center in the league is.”
We do? Oh yeah – it’s Yao.
Look, we love Shaq. One of the all-time greats both on the court and off. Facts is facts though, and there’s no shame in saying it at this point:
Antoine Walker is still fat and we all know about dominate centers. The center is the center. Good, bad, the other way. Up, down, up down, left right, l eft right, ab start. That’s it – we said it.
The talk about the new roundie has died down quite a bit – mostly in favor of bitching about the refs.
More and more, the guys are just playing with the thing, realizing at last that it just isn’t that big of a deal. (Moreso, they’ve probably realized David Stern isn’t budging on this one.)
In fact, last night the lil’ guy actually got a little bit of backhanded praise.
Vince Carter hit an unlikely shot that sent the Nets/Wizard game to OT – an OT that New Jersey would dominate, thus winning the game.
Afterward, Vince and Jason Kidd gave thanks to the mighty glowing object of synthetic power.
Would the old [roundie] have gone in on Carter’s last-gasp tying shot?
“If it would’ve hit like that? Heck no,” he said. “No way.”
“It didn’t rattle. It just stuck,” Kidd said. “The old [roundie] maybe just hits the rim and bounces out. But you’re going to see a lot of those [roundies] maybe get stuck and roll in or get stuck and roll off. We were very fortunate that it stuck and rolled in.”
Even we’ll admit it looked a little odd, but in this case, “odd” worked. (At least for the Nets.)
Since we have nothing else to say about that, allow us to offer up this plea for help:
See that ad at the top of this column for the sportbook place? (Click on it while you’re taking the moment to check it out – send some traffic over to the sponsors, eh?)
We don’t see it. There’s some setting on our laptop that keeps up from seeing it. Similarly, we don’t see ads on the main page of MSN DOT COM or on myspace (DOT COM!!!!).
Anyone have any idea why this is? It’s not really a big deal, except that whatever it is also blocking us from seeing NBA League Pass on our computer. (We think it has something to do with Flash-based things? Dunno – that’s why we’re asking.)
It’s not a huge deal, except that if we could get that running, we could have a game on TV and one on the computer, thus bringing us one step closer to a seizure, something we’ve always been curious about.
Whoever can fix this gets a free Who Shot Mamba? shirt of their choice from the YAYsports! Store of Purchasable Goods.
Email or comments section is cool – thanks in advance.
Fair warning:
It’s Ohio State-Michigan week. They’re currently, as we hoped/dreaded, ranked 1/2 in the country.
Not only are we at risk of heart attack, but any and all NBA posts this week could randomly transform into OSU/Michigan posts at any time.
We’re not going to do any sort of farewell post or anything, but if Ohio State loses Saturday, we’ll probably die.
NOTE: If there were any justice in the world, these teams would just get to have a rematch in the BCS Championship, assuming the game is close. We’re guessing there’s no justice.
If you missed the roundup of last night’s Cleveland-Boston game, here’s the quickie synopsis.
Cavs go down 25-10 after one quarter, continue to be down by as much as 25 for most of the game, then stampede back in the fourth to win.
You probably expect us to go into some kind of LeBron James fueled frenzy, but this was typical Cavs for this season so far – play down (or up) to the level of the opponent. They were lucky enough to get away with a win this time.
No, this is about Boston.
That is flat-out one of the worst teams we’ve ever witnessed. Horrible. Terrible. Even when they were up 25, it was clear that if you just applied a little pressure, they’d turn it over every time.
Yeah, we fast-forwarded through most of the third quarter, but at no time did we think the Cavaliers couldn’t come back and win if they decided they wanted to.
So what’s Boston’s problem? We turn it over to the Celticsblog commenters, who were on a roll postgame last night with 139 angry to semi-angry comments.
# putingomes Says:
November 11th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
Simply because the Celts were in position to win games does not make Doc a good coach.
The fact that we are blowing close games in the fourth quarter is because Doc is doing things like subbing Tony f-ing Allen in as an offensive sub. Why not just throw Wally in as a defensive sub while your at it Doc, might as well take it all the way. At least make it a little funny. Just fire him, please for the love of god.
That was our thought, as well.
The talent level isn’t that bad over there. It’s not great, but they’ve got some guys that seem to know how to play basketball. The problem is they’re all just running round…running around. There seems to be no organization, rhyme, or reason to what’s happening.
Give that team a Scott Skiles or Mike Fratello and they’re probably winning 40 games. Serously, Doc Rivers is that bad.
As for our favorite guy Paul Pierce, this is the only Celts game we’ve seen this season, but he looked miserable. Even when they were up big.
Has he had that look on his chubby face all year? Get him a veteran buddy or ship him somewhere where he has one. At least give him some ice cream on the bench to make him less frowny.
NOTE: Our official theory as to why so many good teams (such as the Cavs or Mavs) are struggling to get their ish together is as follows. Remember how we noted last month how it seemed like nobody was taking the preseason seriously at all? Sitting out games or just generally not caring?
There you go – nobody’s mentally prepared, except all the allegedly crap teams like Toronto, Portland, and Atlanta, who were all revved up from the start. (This was more like an additional post than a note, but that’s the theory.)
NOTE 2: We’ve been saying it for two years – Sasha Pavlovic can PLAY.
The early read of the standings is mighty confusing this season, and perhaps no part more so than the Portland Trailblazers sitting at 4-2.
Yep, that’s where they are after 6 games (4+2=6!), the fourth victory coming last night over the Hornets. (also quick starters at…4-2.)
The catalyst behind this quick start?
None other than one-time hotel-patron Zach Randolph, the power forward of questionable morals, motivation, and fitness level.
One thing nobody has ever denied is his skill, and that’s what’s carrying him this year.
“He is one of the most significant forces in the NBA,” said lead assistant Dean Demopoulos, who served as coach in [head coach Nate) McMillan’s absence. “He was wonderful.”
Hard to believe anyone who isn’t a hooker would describe Zach as “wonderful”, but there you go. NBA 2007, kid. Ungh!
Anyway, it’s possible the Blazers are actually a good team, especially now that word comes down Darius Miles is having more surgery – the less Miles the better, as they say on family vacations wherein the family is driving.
With a miraculously motivated Randolph and rookie Brandon Roy looking like a vet, they may just have something for the long suffering people of Portland.
It’s heartwarming – we can’t tell you how many nights we’ve sat up, angst-ridden and feeling helpless, calling out to the moon and stars, “Please, oh please!! Won’t someone bring some light and joy upon the poeple of Portland!! Lo Portland! I sing to thee!!”
It’s finally working, so we’re probably gonna stop that as a nightly routine now.
Before last night’s Cavs-Bulls Central Division showdown on TNT, Charles Barkley stated emphatically that the Cavaliers needed to prove they can play with the elite teams like Chicago.
(Disregard for a second that CHI was 41-41 last year and might have things to prove, too.)
Umm…before last night, Cleveland had beaten Washington and San Antonio (on the road), and lost to Atlanta and Charlotte.
Clearly LeBron, et al need to prove nothing against elite teams – no problems there. It’s the sucky teams they have problems with.
To emphasize that point, they rolled over alleged contender Chicago last night, moving the ball a bit on offense and handling the whole operation with relative ease.
Not much of note was said after the game, so allow us to direct your attention to our appearance in Chad Ford’s ESPN chat yesterday.
Brian (Los Angeles): Do you think David Stern will call him “that Chinese guy” on draft night?
Chad Ford: Probably night. But by draft night, most draft fans will know about Yi Jianlian. Some scouts think he’s the best young international draft prospect to hit the draft since Yao himself. That’s high praise … but the kid does have potential. He’s 7 foot, very athletic and can play multiple positions on the floor.
Our 20 entries as “Orange Roundie” demanding eternal allegiance were ignored, yet that gets the call. Oh, well. (We did that while working, btw. We’re either a multi-tasker or a bad worker – likely some of both.)
As for Chicago, this was our first look at them this year. Not to go all Bill Simmons on you, but we talked to our dad three times during the game, and each time he asked what CHI was paying Ben Wallace for.
We’ve said it before – bad signing for this particular team at that money, and we contend that Scott Skiles could get some CBA guy to rebound and play post defense effectively enough. They should’ve saved up for Rashard Lewis next summer.
Back to CLE – all is right with the world. The losing streak is over, at least until we play a weak team again. Next up we’ve got Boston, New York, and Portland. Awesome – three-game skid on the way.
NOTE: This LeBron/quitter nonsense isn’t even addressing.
NOTE 2: Check it! Spider-Man 3 trailer. Ungh! We love girls and money.
Name one thing nobody anticipated would happen tonight.
Stop – we’re gonna do it for you.
The 0-4 Mavs taking on the 1-4 Suns. (You never would’ve come up with that, but don’t punish yourself. It’s okay.)
Keep in mind, these (along with the Spurs) were supposed to be the powerhouse teams of the Western Conference, the powerhouse conference of the NBA, the powerhouse basketball league of the United States, the powerhouse country of the Earth, the 5th most populated planet in the Milky Way.
Anyway, that’s where their records stand after last night, when the Mavs lost to the Clippers and the Suns went down to the Spurs in OT.
They each have their respective problems, and there’s a 96% chance both will be fine by the time December rolls around, but is there danger in just assuming they’re come around naturally?
Avery Johnson doesn’t think so. Yet.
“I evaluate the team in 20-game increments,” Johnson said. “We haven’t got to that evaluation point yet. But does that mean we want to continue where we are? We’ve got to get better. When you play really good basketball, you can identify one or two areas. We’re not there yet. I want to get it down to one or two areas.”
Dunno about that Avery – if you’re 0-20 at evaluation time, there could be a small problem.
Fact is, the Mavs aren’t defending – they’re like the old Mavs, but without Steve Nash and Michael FInley, which means the offense isn’t there, either.
Not to confuse you by transitioning with Steve Nash, but the Suns MVP point guard might be hurt – he’s got a hip strain thingie, and isn’t sure what that’s gonna mean in terms of playing tonight.
No Steve Nash on either team? How can one win like this? It’s impossible, that’s how. Even though that sentence doesn’t work, we’ll be watching this game tonight. Why? Because the math adds up and baskets count for three from behind that one line.
Take that to the bank, kid, and then go home.
The Cavaliers’ loss to the Bobcats continues to haunt us.
While we could’ve totally ripped Boston for needing overtime to get their first win of the season against Charlotte…well, yeah. We can’t.
Delonte West burst forth from near obscurity and exile to nail the winning shot, and Paul Pierce couldn’t be more happy.
PP and Wally threw in 35 each, and then passed off the potential heroic game-ender to the house elf, which he subsequently hit.
“I was confident that once I kicked it out Delonte would make the shot,” said Pierce. “He’s that kind of player. He can knock down shots when we need them. He was there for me.”
West added: “Dobby love Paul Pierce! Paul Pierce will always be there for Dobby! Paul Pierce is hero! Paul Pierce will be Dobby’s friend! Best friend to Dobby!”
It’s good to see the Celts get that first one – it’s always the most difficult, especially when you’re a bad team with a bad coach. Doubly so when you have a bad, brain-typing GM picking your players.
On the CHA side of the roundie, Emeka Okafor shut us up on all that Dwight Howard talk with 28 points and 18 rebounds, while Adam Morrison went for 12, on awesome 2-8 shooting. Also, Melvin Ely had an assist and a turnover in four minutes of play. Brevin Knight – 22 and 7 assists.
What did you think reading that last paragraph? Did you think we were doing an out of nowhere switch to an “all stats” format? Did you think we’d just lost our mind?
Did you think that we started this entire post just so we could make Morrison and Wally say all kinds of racially charged stuff, and then we stopped because it possibly reflected badly on Adam Morrison to the point that it could be actionable in court and might not fall under the umbrella of parody?
We just, y’know, threw that last one out there in a random sort of way.
