Last night, I witnessed the greatest player since Jordan close out on of the best teams of this decade. I am, of course, referring to Kobe Bryant and the San Antonio Spurs, respectively. Tim Duncan had his fourth career triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists which would have made news had Kobe not been...well, himself. Bryant finished with 39 points and scored 17 of them in the final period. He completely dominated and led his team back from being down 17 points in the first half.
To any average fan, it would seem as though Kobe was the one who fueled such a comeback. However, the average fan would be wrong. This comeback was ignited while Kobe, Derek Fisher, and Lamar Odom were on the bench. Jordan Farmar had a great game, showing viewers that he definitely has a future in this league, with eight points, three assists, and a steal in only 17 minutes of playing time. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol helped out tremendously on the boards with eight and nineteen, respectively.
For the Spurs, they saw yet another tough game for Manu Ginobili. He was nursing a bum ankle while the Lakers forced him to use his off hand on penetration to the basket. The result? Nine points on 3-for-9 shooting from the field. Another problem, which is unusual for such an experienced team, has been their inability to close out games. They had a 20-point lead in Game 1 which they also ended up losing. I can only wonder what those "tweaks" Duncan was referring to after the game will be.
In the East (or Midwest for tonight's game), the Celtics will be looking to close out the Pistons on the road in Game 6. I firmly believe this game will be going the full seven games, and Detroit will win at home tonight. However, I do not see Boston losing at home in Game 7 so either way, all those nostalgic fans will get their wish and have a nice ol' Celtics/Lakers rematch that they've been waiting for.
The key for the Pistons is none other than Rasheed Wallace. I've said it all series long, and I'll reiterate it time and again. 'Sheed is essential if Detroit wants any hope at forcing a Game 7 back in Boston. He needs to bust his ass on defense and, also, to make Kevin Garnett work on both ends of the floor by taking it hard to the basket and becoming an offensive force. In their Game 5 heartbreaking loss, Wallace scored 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting, which is a good game for him. But he didn't play his hardest on the defensive end against Garnett. He allowed KG to score 33 points on 11-for-17 shooting which, in my mind, was the simple and direct reason Boston won.
Now I'll take you much farther south in this blog to the land of NBA superstar-hopefuls in Orlando, Florida, the home of the League's annual pre-draft camp. First, I'd like to congratulate the Bulls on their superior luckiness. Next, I'd like to point out that either choice, Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose, would at least help your franchise somewhat in the future. But, in my humble opinion, Rose is the better choice. This is a Chicago team that has been looking to ship Hinrich elsewhere in order to get someone that could fill their frontcourt void. If that goes through, Rose would be the floor general and playmaker that he has proven he can be. My mock draft goes as follows:
1. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls
2. Michael Beasley, SF, Miami Heat
3. Brook Lopez, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Jerryd Bayless, SG, Seattle SuperSonics
5. Kevin Love, PF, Memphis Grizzlies
6. OJ Mayo, SF, New York Knickerbockers
7. DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers
8. Eric Gordon, SG, Milwaukee Bucks
9. Darrell Arthur, PF, Charlotte Bobcats
10. Russell Westbrook, PG, New Jersey Nets
I'm not completely sold on Anthony Randolph yet, and I'm not so sure many NBA scouts are either, which is why I have him going anywhere from 11-13. I also expect Gallinari to go somewhere in the 11-13 range as I'm not buying the whole Italian/D'Antoni connection with the Knicks. I would now like to warn NBA general managers of three draft busts although, sadly, 99% of GMs don't read my blog:
OJ Mayo- His many run-ins with the law is an obvious concern, but you can't forget his selfish and conceited decision-making that appears in his game from time to time. OJ can be very turnover-prone as well when he tries to do too much on the floor. All in all, there are way too many concerns and question marks about not only his game but also his image.
Roy Hibbert- All the success he has had thus far has been due to height and great teammates. He's not athletic and doesn't have the explosive first step to attack the rim in the post. When he plays against others of his size, he tends to be outplayed. Hibbert isn't a very good rebounder for being 7'2" and will struggle tremendously at the next level.
Donte Green- Many would be attracted by his athleticism and versatility. I, however, am not so easily fooled. His shot selection is downright terrible and, for as athletic as he is, Green doesn't get to the free throw line all that much. Finally and maybe most importantly, he's afraid of contact. In the NBA, the contact is ten times that of college.
I'd also be concerned with taking players such as Anthony Randolph, Eric Gordon, and Joe Alexander. The thing I love about the NBA Draft is that for every major bust, there is always that one great steal that no one sees coming. Well, almost no one. Here are my three "steals"...
Lester Hudson- This guy will most likely go down in college basketball history as "that guy from the mid-major school who recorded a quadruple-double". Nonetheless, he would be a perfect pick for the late first round. He can play both guard positions and put the ball in the hoop all the while making himself hard to guard.
Trent Plaisted- One of the premier big men in college this past season would be a great pick in the late first or early second round come draft day. He is a fantastic rebounder and a decent scorer even though he doesn't possess the athleticism and potential of someone like DeAndre Jordan. I find it difficult to believe NBADraft.net thinks he's just another Greg Foster.
JR Giddens- He's projected as a late second rounder but will do a lot better in the NBA than in college. His athleticism is out-of-this-world and plays tough on both ends of the floor. The only thing missing is the ability to attack the basket hard, which should be easy for NBA coaches to corral since he is such a phenomenal athlete.
So there you have it. Those are my views on the NBA world, from Los Angeles to Boston to Orlando and everywhere in between. Have a nice week and, hopefully, the Pistons can extend the series to seven games tonight.
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Showing posts with label Plaisted. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plaisted. Show all posts
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Game-Planning 7
Hey everyone, I hope you had a happy and safe New Year's Eve. It's been awhile since I've made a post; I was pretty busy over the break. Nonetheless, I'm back now and I'm ready to feed you with some college hoops information. This is the time of the year when it starts to heat up. Conference games begin. Some tough non-conference games are scheduled. So without further adieu...
1st Quarter- Kansas at Boston College
Winner: Kansas
Why They'll Win: The Eagles are 8-1 at home this season with their lone home loss coming to Providence by nine points. They're led by Tyrese Rice (20 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) and Shamari Spears (12 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast). BC doesn't have much down low as they only have one starter over 6'6". The Kansas Jayhawks, however, have THREE starters over 6'6". I think size will be the difference-maker in this one, and Boston College will be handed their third loss of the season on Saturday. Kansas is led by Darrell Arthur (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast), and Darnell Jackson (12 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast). They run a nice hi-lo motion offense that should spell trouble for BC if Kansas has a decent shooting night.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 5th at noon eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- Louisville at Kentucky
Winner: Louisville
Why They'll Win: Isn't this game always a treat to watch? Rick Pitino goes back to his old college to coach against for their arch rival. Well, things aren't very perfect for either team this year. Pitino and Louisville were a highly-ranked team to start the season but have faltered somewhat with losses to BYU, Dayton, Purdue, and Cincinatti. Kentucky brought in a new coach, Billy Gillispie, that was supposedly the coach who would turn around the program. However, they've put up a paltry 6-6 record with losses to Gardner-Webb, UAB, and San Diego to name a few. Anyways, the Wildcats are led by Patrick Patterson (18 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) and Joe Crawford (16 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast). The Cardinals are headed by a group of guys that it is near impossible to only choose a few. They have EIGHT players averaging at least 16 minutes per game so they have quite the depth on their roster. I think Louisville will pull out the win against against a rival school in a hostile environment.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 5th at 4pm eastern time on CBS.
Halftime Thoughts-
As of now it looks as if six, maybe seven, conference will draw at least three bids in the NCAA Tournament when March rolls around. Of course, it's a long season and anything can happen. Not surprising are the conference such as the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10, and Big Ten. Surprising is the Atlantic-10. On a side note, it's interesting that the SEC has a good chance at having less teams dancing come tourney time than the A-10!
CollegeHoopsNet.com's Hot Topic of the Week: Mid-Season All-American talk is buzzing through the online forums as you read this. Making the CollegeHoopsNet's list were DJ Augustin, Eric Gordon, Shan Foster, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love. Interesting that there is not even one ACC or Big East player on there, and three freshman made the list. I could, however, see putting Trent Plaisted of BYU in there over Love. Plaisted is having a phenomenal season and I'm very impressed with his play.
Can the Memphis Tigers go into the regular season undefeated? Quite frankly, it's probably too early to call, but I'll try anyways. They still have Gonzaga, Houston, and Tennessee left on their schedule. I can't really imagine them losing to anyone else on their schedule, but you never know. Houston will be an interesting matchups because BOTH teams absolutely love to get the ball up the floor as fast as possible. We'll just have to wait this one out.
3rd Quarter- Pittsburgh at Villanova
Winner: Villanova
Why They'll Win: I worry about the Panthers. They've lost both Mike Cook and Levance Fields, and they suffered a loss to Dayton. Also worth mentioning is that they were down at halftime in their last game...against Lafayette. I can't see Pitt pulling out a W on Saturday. Everything seems to be against them. They have no momentum whatsoever and are struggling with every team they play. Villanova, on the other hand, has been led by Scottie Reynolds (17 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb) to not only a 10-2 record but also a #17 ranking in the AP poll. They are fresh off a loss to DePaul, a conference foe, and it's only natural that they'll come out with a chip on their shoulder next game. Coming into that game, they were riding a nice 6-game winning streak. Jay Wright will have his players focused, and Pitt is in trouble.
When To Watch: Sunday, December 6th at noon eastern time on MSG.
4th Quarter- Marquette at West Virginia
Winner: West Virginia
Why They'll Win: Some of you may be thinking why I even have this matchup in my blog. Well, the Golden Eagles are ranked 10th, and the Mountaineers are one of the more dangerous teams in the Big East, in my opinion. They are a solid 10-3 and are led by Alex Ruoff (16 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and Joe Alexander (15 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast). Coach Huggins' squad has had a couple tough losses so far such as a 2-point loss to Tennessee and a 6-point loss to Oklahoma. They didn't come to mess around, and Huggins will have these kids ready to not lose their THIRD game in a row. West Virginia is in the middle of a tough stretch of games right now that started with Oklahoma and will end with Syracuse on January 13th. It's important for them to regain focus or they could fall tremendously in the next couple weeks.
When To Watch: Sunday, December 6th at 2pm eastern time on MSG.
That is the end of this edition of Game-Planning. Come back next week for another set of game that you won't want to miss. I hope you have a good weekend, but don't spend too much time in front of the television.
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1st Quarter- Kansas at Boston College
Winner: Kansas
Why They'll Win: The Eagles are 8-1 at home this season with their lone home loss coming to Providence by nine points. They're led by Tyrese Rice (20 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) and Shamari Spears (12 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast). BC doesn't have much down low as they only have one starter over 6'6". The Kansas Jayhawks, however, have THREE starters over 6'6". I think size will be the difference-maker in this one, and Boston College will be handed their third loss of the season on Saturday. Kansas is led by Darrell Arthur (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast), and Darnell Jackson (12 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast). They run a nice hi-lo motion offense that should spell trouble for BC if Kansas has a decent shooting night.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 5th at noon eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- Louisville at Kentucky
Winner: Louisville
Why They'll Win: Isn't this game always a treat to watch? Rick Pitino goes back to his old college to coach against for their arch rival. Well, things aren't very perfect for either team this year. Pitino and Louisville were a highly-ranked team to start the season but have faltered somewhat with losses to BYU, Dayton, Purdue, and Cincinatti. Kentucky brought in a new coach, Billy Gillispie, that was supposedly the coach who would turn around the program. However, they've put up a paltry 6-6 record with losses to Gardner-Webb, UAB, and San Diego to name a few. Anyways, the Wildcats are led by Patrick Patterson (18 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) and Joe Crawford (16 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast). The Cardinals are headed by a group of guys that it is near impossible to only choose a few. They have EIGHT players averaging at least 16 minutes per game so they have quite the depth on their roster. I think Louisville will pull out the win against against a rival school in a hostile environment.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 5th at 4pm eastern time on CBS.
Halftime Thoughts-
As of now it looks as if six, maybe seven, conference will draw at least three bids in the NCAA Tournament when March rolls around. Of course, it's a long season and anything can happen. Not surprising are the conference such as the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10, and Big Ten. Surprising is the Atlantic-10. On a side note, it's interesting that the SEC has a good chance at having less teams dancing come tourney time than the A-10!
CollegeHoopsNet.com's Hot Topic of the Week: Mid-Season All-American talk is buzzing through the online forums as you read this. Making the CollegeHoopsNet's list were DJ Augustin, Eric Gordon, Shan Foster, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love. Interesting that there is not even one ACC or Big East player on there, and three freshman made the list. I could, however, see putting Trent Plaisted of BYU in there over Love. Plaisted is having a phenomenal season and I'm very impressed with his play.
Can the Memphis Tigers go into the regular season undefeated? Quite frankly, it's probably too early to call, but I'll try anyways. They still have Gonzaga, Houston, and Tennessee left on their schedule. I can't really imagine them losing to anyone else on their schedule, but you never know. Houston will be an interesting matchups because BOTH teams absolutely love to get the ball up the floor as fast as possible. We'll just have to wait this one out.
3rd Quarter- Pittsburgh at Villanova
Winner: Villanova
Why They'll Win: I worry about the Panthers. They've lost both Mike Cook and Levance Fields, and they suffered a loss to Dayton. Also worth mentioning is that they were down at halftime in their last game...against Lafayette. I can't see Pitt pulling out a W on Saturday. Everything seems to be against them. They have no momentum whatsoever and are struggling with every team they play. Villanova, on the other hand, has been led by Scottie Reynolds (17 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb) to not only a 10-2 record but also a #17 ranking in the AP poll. They are fresh off a loss to DePaul, a conference foe, and it's only natural that they'll come out with a chip on their shoulder next game. Coming into that game, they were riding a nice 6-game winning streak. Jay Wright will have his players focused, and Pitt is in trouble.
When To Watch: Sunday, December 6th at noon eastern time on MSG.
4th Quarter- Marquette at West Virginia
Winner: West Virginia
Why They'll Win: Some of you may be thinking why I even have this matchup in my blog. Well, the Golden Eagles are ranked 10th, and the Mountaineers are one of the more dangerous teams in the Big East, in my opinion. They are a solid 10-3 and are led by Alex Ruoff (16 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and Joe Alexander (15 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast). Coach Huggins' squad has had a couple tough losses so far such as a 2-point loss to Tennessee and a 6-point loss to Oklahoma. They didn't come to mess around, and Huggins will have these kids ready to not lose their THIRD game in a row. West Virginia is in the middle of a tough stretch of games right now that started with Oklahoma and will end with Syracuse on January 13th. It's important for them to regain focus or they could fall tremendously in the next couple weeks.
When To Watch: Sunday, December 6th at 2pm eastern time on MSG.
That is the end of this edition of Game-Planning. Come back next week for another set of game that you won't want to miss. I hope you have a good weekend, but don't spend too much time in front of the television.
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