This week in the NBA

[alfdogg]

Sun, Dec. 3

Minnesota @ Philadelphia, 6:00

Detroit @ Charlotte, 6:00

Atlanta @ Portland, 9:00

Orlando @ LA Clippers, 9:30

 

Mon, Dec. 4

Dallas @ Washington, 7:00

Memphis @ New York, 7:30

Golden State @ San Antonio, 8:00

Boston @ Chicago, 8:30

Milwaukee @ Utah, 9:00

Orlando @ Sacramento, 10:00

Indiana @ LA Lakers, 10:30

 

Tue, Dec. 5

Dallas @ New Jersey, 7:30

Portland @ Detroit, 7:30

Golden State @ Houston, 8:30

Sacramento @ Phoenix, 9:00

Atlanta @ Seattle, 10:00

Miami @ LA Clippers, 10:30

 

Wed, Dec. 6

San Antonio @ Charlotte, 7:00

Toronto @ Cleveland, 7:00

Orlando @ Indiana, 7:00

Memphis @ Boston, 7:30

Washington @ New York, 7:30

Portland @ Milwaukee, 8:00

Houston @ Minnesota, 8:00

Philadelphia @ Chicago, 9:00 ESPN

Atlanta @ Denver, 9:00

NO/OK @ LA Lakers, 10:30

 

Thu, Dec. 7

Phoenix @ New Jersey, 7:30

Detroit @ Dallas, 8:00 TNT

Miami @ Sacramento, 10:30 TNT

 

Fri, Dec. 8

Houston @ Charlotte, 7:00

Detroit @ Orlando, 7:00

Portland @ Indiana, 7:00

Phoenix @ Boston, 7:30

Washington @ Philadelphia, 8:00 ESPN

LA Clippers @ San Antonio, 8:00

Utah @ Minnesota, 8:00

Toronto @ Chicago, 8:30

Memphis @ Milwaukee, 8:30

Miami @ Denver, 10:30 ESPN

Atlanta @ LA Lakers, 10:30

NO/OK @ Seattle, 10:30

 

Sat, Dec. 9

Houston @ Washington, 7:00

Philadelphia @ Orlando, 7:00

Boston @ New Jersey, 7:30

Milwaukee @ New York, 7:30

Indiana @ Cleveland, 7:30

LA Clippers @ Memphis, 8:00

Minnesota @ Chicago, 8:30

Denver @ Dallas, 8:30

NO/OK @ Golden State, 10:30

[Ripper]

Is it too early to point out how much Tyson Chandler is outplaying Ben Wallace? Should I give it another month and then start talking shit about Scott Skiles?

[Guest Felonies!]

Is it too early to point out how much Tyson Chandler is outplaying Ben Wallace? Should I give it another month and then start talking shit about Scott Skiles?

Where does Scott Skiles factor into the Chandler > Wallace inequality?

[alfdogg]

I'm not arguing Ripper's point, I just wanted to point this out, as I noticed it when comparing the two's stats.

 

Tyson Chandler

FT% - .324

 

But yeah, the Wallace signing has gone about as horribly as it could have at this point in the season.

[Guest]

Dwight Howard is a beast.

[Guest Felonies!]

I'm not arguing Ripper's point, I just wanted to point this out, as I noticed it when comparing the two's stats.

 

Tyson Chandler

FT% - .324

 

But yeah, the Wallace signing has gone about as horribly as it could have at this point in the season.

Oh, you don't have to tell me that. My issue here is that Skiles is not at fault for Chicago's slow start, nor is he at fault for The Headband Controversy. For the record, I think Paxson (whose rule this is, not Scott's) should relax this rule contingent on Wallace's performance. If he wants his stupid headband, let him earn it. The whole rule is kind of outmoded given Curry's departure, and rather draconian.

 

ANYWAY, I'm happy with Scott Skiles as head coach.

[Just John]

Even if the opposition isn't that great, the Rockets have a tough week with 4 games in 5 nights, 3 of which are on the road.

 

The national tv games are completely uninteresting to me. Philly and Shaq-less Miami twice? Yuck.

[Guest]

Hey alf, are you ready to see Kobe light up the Pacers.

[alfdogg]

[mike546]

Eddy Curry has 20+ points in 7 straight games.

 

Hes getting better.

[alfdogg]

New ESPN Power Rankings. Marc Stein must be a Memphis fan.

 

Not counting tonight's games, obv.

 

1. Dallas

2. Utah

3. Orlando

4. San Antonio

5. Phoenix

6. LA Lakers

7. Detroit

8. Houston

9. Denver

10. Indiana

11. Chicago

12. Golden State

13. LA Clippers

14. Cleveland

15. Sacramento

16. Miami

17. NO/OK

18. Minnesota

19. New Jersey

20. Atlanta

21. Toronto

22. Milwaukee

23. Washington

24. Memphis

25. Charlotte

26. Seattle

27. Portland

28. New York

29. Boston

30. Philadelphia

[Brett Favre]

Eddy Curry has 20+ points in 7 straight games.

 

Hes getting better.

 

What was more impressive tonight was the 15 rebounds. Good to see him produce consistently. David Lee also with a double double (20 and 11).

[Precious Roy]

Eddy Curry has 20+ points in 7 straight games.

 

Hes getting better.

 

What was more impressive tonight was the 15 rebounds. Good to see him produce consistently. David Lee also with a double double (20 and 11).

 

 

And Memphis will still be ahead of New York in the next power rankings...

[alfdogg]

Nice flop, Kwame.

[Guest]

Kwame's progressed a lot further than I ever thought he would.

 

I want him signed to an extension.

[chaosrage]

Even if the opposition isn't that great, the Rockets have a tough week with 4 games in 5 nights, 3 of which are on the road.

 

The national tv games are completely uninteresting to me. Philly and Shaq-less Miami twice? Yuck.

 

Good thing we have online streaming and NBA.com archive games.

[Broward83]

New ESPN Power Rankings. Marc Stein must be a Memphis fan.

 

Not counting tonight's games, obv.

 

1. Dallas

2. Utah

3. Orlando

4. San Antonio

5. Phoenix

6. LA Lakers

7. Detroit

8. Houston

9. Denver

10. Indiana

11. Chicago

12. Golden State

13. LA Clippers

14. Cleveland

15. Sacramento

16. Miami

17. NO/OK

18. Minnesota

19. New Jersey

20. Atlanta

21. Toronto

22. Milwaukee

23. Washington

24. Memphis

25. Charlotte

26. Seattle

27. Portland

28. New York

29. Boston

30. Philadelphia

 

 

Now I know I haven't been paying too much attention to the NBA this season (living in Brownsville, the local FSN winds up showing more Spurs/Mavs games than Rockets...) .. but when did Houston make this surge to a Top 10 power team in the league?

 

Usually we (like the Astros) tend to suck it up in the first half of the season under Van Gundy then make this late season run...

[Guest]

They became a good team when T-Mac and Yao were both healthy at the same time, and when Yao learned how to become "dominant".

[Ripper]

Is it too early to point out how much Tyson Chandler is outplaying Ben Wallace? Should I give it another month and then start talking shit about Scott Skiles?

Where does Scott Skiles factor into the Chandler > Wallace inequality?

 

 

Because Scott Skiles has got to get over that "You made one mistake so I will sit you." crap. It makes players uptight and make them try too freakin hard.

 

I have always said, Scott is/was a great assistant coach in Phoenix. He was still just as tough, buit had Danny Ainge there to reign him in when got overboard. Then he became head coach and would pull players for 2-3 quarters because of a couple of turnovers. Or have a different player in his "doghouse" like every week. But the guy just plain alienates his players and makes them not be able to play loose and free because they are constantly looking over their shoulder to make sure that coach isn't going to pull them. I can say he has gotten better which is to be expected after phoenix being his first spot, but still. He mixes with young players like Larry Brown.

 

I am saying this because Chandler is with Byron Scott now who won't pull you for any goddamned thing. I mean seriously, Jason Collins kept his starting spot even though every backup they had in Jersey at the time outplayed him. Chandler now has the confidence to go after it without thinking that coach will punish him if he screws up.

[Guest Felonies!]

Skiles is a bad fit for star-studded teams, but I think he's the right man for the job with the balanced roster we have, save Wallace, who is a real flop thus far. I can't dispute that last part. I don't think that he's alienated the rest of the roster, though. After an annual road swing that has always hurt the team, it's really starting to look like the players are jelling and getting back on track. Hopefully I can proudly say that once again, Skiles's superior conditioning becomes evident two months from now.

 

Good for Chandler that he's getting it together, but how much slack are you supposed to give a sixth-year player?

[Ripper]

Didn't like 6-7 players ask to be traded last year? Or was that just ESPN fluffing up the article to make it seem worse than it was?

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

I've been saying since the second there was talks of Bulls signing Wallace that it'd have been a terrible move.

[naiwf]

Der Fuhrer admits a mistake

 

Stern acknowledges NBA dropped ball with new ball

Dec. 5, 2006

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

 

NEW YORK -- The NBA believes it has a better game ball, but commissioner David Stern has acknowledged he should have talked to the players before introducing it.

 

"Whether or not we did enough prior to it, we're actually, well, we think this ball has many of the attributes that Spalding says it has," Stern told the New York Times in a story posted on its website Tuesday. "It's an improvement in many ways. But if our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness."

 

Stern said he will address the players' criticisms with Spalding, the ball manufacturer.

 

"Everything is on the table," he told the paper. "I'm not pleased, but I'm realistic. We've got to do the right thing here. And, of course, the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it's a day late or not, we're dealing with this."

 

The lack of player input about the new ball prompted one of the two unfair labor practice charges the union filed with the National Labor Relations Board late last week.

 

"In the summertime, they sent us a ball," Houston guard Rafer Alston said Tuesday. "They said, 'The ball's here. This is what we're going to use.' They sent one to every player. It never said anything. There was never a reason why or anything."

 

Players have complained about the ball, changed from leather to a microfiber composite, since training camp began. They argue the ball bounces differently than the old one, both off the floor and the rim. The new synthetic material is more sticky when it's dry, but players say it's more slippery when wet -- which the league and Spalding deny.

 

Some of the league's biggest stars, from Shaquille O'Neal to LeBron James, have been among the most critical of the ball.

 

"You worry about that ball, and it kind of keeps you from doing what you have to do with it," Suns guard Raja Bell said. "I let that go. But I do think they should have probably asked guys. If you aren't going to ask the whole league, at least ask your superstars, the guys who make you the money."

 

Stern said he understands why the players feel as they do.

 

"I won't make a spirited defense with respect to the ball," Stern told the Times. "In hindsight, we could have done a better job.

 

"With respect to the ball, I take responsibility for that."

AP NEWS

The Associated Press News Service

[Ripper]

I am going to need Joe Johnson to get a little more vocal. The refs anally rape him nightly and he keeps this nice guy act going on. He is legitimately a superstar in this league now, and you would think the guy could get foul call inside. But sitting on your ass isnt going to get it done. He's gotta let it be known and stop letting his teammates and coaches do the arguing for him.

[Ripper]

That little flip shot that luke ridinor has is going to make him a allstar one day.

[alfdogg]

This is SAS's take on the state of the Knicks, specifically Stephon Marbury. It's a couple weeks old, but it's still worth the listen.

 

 

 

If I get time in the next couple days, I'll do up a transcript for those who don't want to listen to him talk, because it really is a great piece whether you like SAS or not.

[naiwf]

That first caller is the typical Marbury homer. So many "Knicks fans" get caught up in Steph's statline instead of the fact that every team he goes to gets worse, and every team he leaves gets better. Who gives a shit if you get 20 & 8 nightly if the team you're on goes on average 35-47 yearly, and you've been on ONE winning team since 1998.

 

97 - 40-42

98 - 45-37

99 - 12-6 w/Min

99 - 13-19 w/NJ

00 - 31-51

01 - 26-56

02 - 36-46

03 - 44-38

04 - 12-22 w/Phx

04 - 25-22 w/NY

05 - 33-49

06 - 23-59

 

TOTAL - 340-447, it was a little hard trying to figure out the midseason results for the team he was traded to.

[Brett Favre]

Probably like 80% of Knick fans hate Marbury, so that's really not the norm. I listen to the Stephen A. Smith show sometimes, and he changes his opinion every other day, but yeah, just like everyone else he's been down on Marbury, and rightfully so.

[alfdogg]

Pacers get a big win against the Magic, 94-80. Stephen Jackson had his best game of the season with 26 points on 11-17 from the field, and Jeff Foster had 18 rebounds for the second time in three games. J.J. Redick got in the game late for the Magic, and made his first NBA 3-pointer.

 

Despite the 2-4 record, I was really pleased with the way we played on the road trip. The Denver game aside, we were in the games all the way through, and twice cut 20+ point leads to single digits (against the Raps and Lakers), so it's good to know we're not just rolling over and quitting when we get down.

 

Back to the Magic for a minute, whatever happened to Andrew DeClercq? I recall him consistenly playing well against the Pacers, then he had some sort of injury a couple years ago and was never heard from again.

[alfdogg]

Philadelphia is really, really bad.