Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Scottie Pippen, basketbollspelare
I read today on TrueHoop that Scottie Pippen will play a game for a team in sweden this winter. Jake and Phoebe should get tickets now.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Big three?
I don't understand it.
When I was a little kid, I liked the Celtics, #33 and all that. And then they sucked, like unwatchably sucked for years. And now they are promising again. I should be psyched. But instead I find myself rooting against them. Why?
When I was a little kid, I liked the Celtics, #33 and all that. And then they sucked, like unwatchably sucked for years. And now they are promising again. I should be psyched. But instead I find myself rooting against them. Why?
The culture of failure
I figure we might as well start a new thread for last night's game, which was really one of the hardest heartbreaks I can remember for this team, even if it isn't a huge deal from the perspective of the season as a whole. A beautiful game for Lebron (and again, encouraging in its way - being able to play to the final moments on the road, against an elite team, on the second night of a back-to-back has to say something), but my god what a failure on that last play. Deron Williams is strong and quick but there's no excuse for not having defended him at halfcourt. One he's in the paint, you have to be a bit reluctant because you don't want to foul, but fucking get in front of him when he's fifty feet from the basket. Make him throw a risky pass. Don't let him coast in for a layup. Is this not obvious? Lebron's instinct was correct to get all the way back on D, but someone has to press, if not two guys. It's a shame that they wasted a good game and a solid comeback effort on one stupid lapse.
Not that the game was perfect. The free throw problem is eating me alive. The Cavs were a pathetic 19 of 29 from the stripe. Lebron missed two early in the game and I thought to myself, this is exactly the kind of thing that haunts you in the final minutes, when a couple of free baskets in an early, low-pressure situation could have put you in control right now. In fact, Lebron was the only one to blame tonight - 7 of 15! When you shoot 40-45% percent from the floor, taking a fair number of outside shots, that just does not make sense. The turnovers were also an issue, but that concerns me less since I think it was just the texture of the game. The Jazz had almost as many.
Maybe girls are right that you need to drink organtic milk. (Clearly the perfect conclusion to any blasketblog post.)
Not that the game was perfect. The free throw problem is eating me alive. The Cavs were a pathetic 19 of 29 from the stripe. Lebron missed two early in the game and I thought to myself, this is exactly the kind of thing that haunts you in the final minutes, when a couple of free baskets in an early, low-pressure situation could have put you in control right now. In fact, Lebron was the only one to blame tonight - 7 of 15! When you shoot 40-45% percent from the floor, taking a fair number of outside shots, that just does not make sense. The turnovers were also an issue, but that concerns me less since I think it was just the texture of the game. The Jazz had almost as many.
Maybe girls are right that you need to drink organtic milk. (Clearly the perfect conclusion to any blasketblog post.)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
What's a Man to Do?
Somehow Cavs GM Danny Ferry has become a local and, somewhat, national villain. NBA writers and most local fans are anticipating a difficult start for the Cavs for two reasons. First, their brutal early schedule. That's already been well document on this blasketblog.
Second is the absence of Andy Varejeo. Let me make one thing clear: Varejeo is worth, maybe, four million dollars annually. He's asking for ten million. Sir, you're welcome to spend the season in Europe, Asia, or on any other continent willing to give a big man of limited abilities ten million dollars a year. We don't need you for that price.
That brings me back to Danny Ferry. Somehow he's been blamed for Varejeo's absence as well as the underwhelming performance of the Cavs free agent class of 2005. At that time, Ferry was praised for bringing in Hughes, Jones and Marshall. Their fragility and erratic performances have nothing to do with Ferry! Now, all of a sudden, people are leaping all over him.
National writers and fans alike need to chill the fuck out. The consensus is that Ferry and the Cavs did nothing this offseason. That's because he, Ferry, had no resources to work with this offseason. The team had zero draft picks, due in no part to Ferry. They have no tradeable pieces outside of Boobie Gibson and he's untouchable.
Of course they also had zero salary cap room for free agents. I don't blame Ferry. I applauded Ferry for his '05 moves. So did most national writers. And those writers can't have it both ways! They can't laud Ferry for his aggressiveness in '05 and rip him for not spending in '07. The NBA salary cap doesn't work that way.
I guess in closing I will simply suggest everyone, fans and writers alike, relax, lay off poor Danny Ferry and allow the team to play. They will win or lose with virtually the same squad as '06. And that's not the bad thing some make it out to seem. Maybe Andy comes to his senses and tells his brother, who's his agent, to go fuck himself. On second thought, that won't happen. I hope you like Greece Varejeo.
Second is the absence of Andy Varejeo. Let me make one thing clear: Varejeo is worth, maybe, four million dollars annually. He's asking for ten million. Sir, you're welcome to spend the season in Europe, Asia, or on any other continent willing to give a big man of limited abilities ten million dollars a year. We don't need you for that price.
That brings me back to Danny Ferry. Somehow he's been blamed for Varejeo's absence as well as the underwhelming performance of the Cavs free agent class of 2005. At that time, Ferry was praised for bringing in Hughes, Jones and Marshall. Their fragility and erratic performances have nothing to do with Ferry! Now, all of a sudden, people are leaping all over him.
National writers and fans alike need to chill the fuck out. The consensus is that Ferry and the Cavs did nothing this offseason. That's because he, Ferry, had no resources to work with this offseason. The team had zero draft picks, due in no part to Ferry. They have no tradeable pieces outside of Boobie Gibson and he's untouchable.
Of course they also had zero salary cap room for free agents. I don't blame Ferry. I applauded Ferry for his '05 moves. So did most national writers. And those writers can't have it both ways! They can't laud Ferry for his aggressiveness in '05 and rip him for not spending in '07. The NBA salary cap doesn't work that way.
I guess in closing I will simply suggest everyone, fans and writers alike, relax, lay off poor Danny Ferry and allow the team to play. They will win or lose with virtually the same squad as '06. And that's not the bad thing some make it out to seem. Maybe Andy comes to his senses and tells his brother, who's his agent, to go fuck himself. On second thought, that won't happen. I hope you like Greece Varejeo.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Cavs/Warriors
If anyone else is watching (jake?), we should live-blog here. An interesting early season matchup between two teams with a lot of pressure already to demonstrate that last year was not a fluke. I'm really hoping the Cavs can pick up a W to get some momentum on this tough west coast swing.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
It's blasketball time or whatever1!
Just a quick prognostication before the Raptors/Celtics tipoff: the Raptors will win.
Ben
Ben
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