Jim Rogash / Getty Images

John Bennett’s been on the OTN team for a few weeks now, as the host of The Outside The NBA Podcast. This is the first edition of his weekly column The Lookahead, where he’ll preview the games he’s most looking forward to. He just joined Twitter and you should harass him because doesn’t worship Hubie Brown. -Ed.

1. Thursday’s TNT Doubleheader: Boston @ Miami & Lakers @ Denver

Miami looked completely lost in its season opener in Boston. Wade was understandably horrible as he played 3 minutes in the pre-season, and they barely ran an offense. That will not happen this time and while the crowd won’t be as ridiculous as it was in the Garden, it should help the Heat when Boston’s D tries to clamp down.

The Nuggets won both times the Lakers visited Denver last season. Maybe this time Ty Lawson will dunk on Theo Ratliff.

This is a new year, though, and the Lakers’ new pieces have blended smoothly into the rotation. Everyone seems to be playing their roles perfectly and it’s resulted in a 7-0 record. Pau’s touch passes are as crisp as ever. He’s so good at them it makes me think he should be the setter on Spain’s volleyball team come London 2012.

2. Portland @ New Orleans, Saturday

This off-season I punched the Hornets franchise in the face. I mean, Trevor Ariza’s a great defender and when he shoots the 3 well, he can be a dynamic offensive player… but really, that’s your move to keep Chris Paul?

I won’t say I ever doubted Chris Paul’s ability but I did doubt his body. Paul hasn’t missed a beat and shows no sign of injury. He also punched me right back in the face by leading the Hornets to a 6-0 start to the season.

I felt this was a bubble playoff team at best. 6 games in, they look like a legit threat in the West and have beaten some very solid teams.
Jerryd Bayless faces his former club for the 1st time. It should be a solid battle of backup PGs in Bayless and Amon Johnson.

3. Portland @ Oklahoma City, Friday

Looks like too many mainstream prognosticators labeled Oklahoma City the 2nd best team in the West. They’re 3-3 and their defense has slipped to 23rd in the league.

I think they’ll break out of their current funk by the time these two teams meet. I also think that Portland goes into this game with a bit of an attitude. All the attention going to OKC when Portland went 50-32 (same as the Thunder) last year with massive injury issues. Here’s hoping they’re upset about being overlooked, giving this game a real playoff feel to it.

4. Golden State @ Milwaukee, Saturday

MONTA ELLIS! MONTA ELLIS! MONTA ELLIS! Loving the new and improved Monta Ellis.

The last time these two played in Milwaukee, Brandon Jennings dropped 55 points. G-State is a completely different team than they were last year, though. They have a new head coach who cares, and a retooled roster. And the Bucks have one of their main scorers from last year, Mr. Corey Maggette.

5. Milwaukee @ Atlanta, Wednesday

This is a rematch of last year’s first round series. It’s a statement game for the Bucks as they lost last year in 7 without their big Aussie.

I can’t tell you why, but I have a feeling Drew Gooden has a great game. Don’t ask me, it’s just a hunch that by all accounts makes absolutely no sense since Josh Smith should theoretically destroy the Kansas grad on both sides of the ball. Only bring this up if I’m right.

6. Washington @ Chicago, Saturday

I fully expect John Calipari to sit back and drink a beer while marvelling at two of his former players fail to contain one another. Any way we could have the eight other players just hang out on the sideline while John Wall and Derrick Rose play a 48 minute game of 1-on-1?

Layne Murdoch / Getty Images

My God, it’s great to watch Chris Paul again. The Hornets/Heat game last night might have been my favourite game of the whole season. Dude was the best player on the court for those 48 minutes, and that court had a few pretty amazing players on it.

I’m sure you’re aware the Hornets are 5-0. And it hasn’t been an easy schedule – Milwaukee at home, Denver at home, San Antonio on the road, Houston on the road, and Miami at home. Plenty more impressive than Atlanta going 6-0 against MEM/PHI/WAS/CLE/DET/MIN, right? Or the Lakers beating HOU/PHO/GSW/MEM/SAC/TOR? Yeah. Shoals is right, New Orleans is the biggest story in basketball.

You know who else might be right? Ethan Sherwood Strauss, who picked CP3 to win MVP before the season started. He said, essentially, that CP3 could win because he’s the second best player in the league, he’s going to have an amazing statistical season, and there’s a good chance his team will outperform its modest expectations. The media people who vote on the award will still dislike LeBron and view Dwight Howard as more physically gifted than skilled, KD’s Thunder will underachieve, and Paul will emerge as the guy with the best MVP story. [This is just a stupid summary - pleeeease read the whole thing 'cause Sherwood Strauss is good at writing.]

I loved the post when he wrote it, but still would have picked LeBron James. And now, I think I’d still roll with LeBron, but I’m nervous about the pick. Here’s why: LeBron is the best player in the world, but statistically he might not be THAT much better than Chris Paul. Paul’s started the season putting up impossible-looking numbers, but this isn’t anything new. Last year, before the injury he was producing more than anyone else on the planet. And even though he won’t shoot 50% on threes all season and defense means LeBron will still be the better overall player in my books, there’s a good chance at the end of the season that Paul’s numbers will suggest that the “best player alive” conversation is at least worth having. Couple that with a winning team that no one expected to do anything, and bam. He’ll be MVP, unless the Heat win close to 70.

Everything hinges on the Hornets continuing to win, though, and I’ve got lots of questions that I sort of want to think about and sort of want to push away so I can simply enjoy watching them.

• How can I possibly reconcile my belief that Monty Williams is an excellent young coach absolutely perfect for this team with the fact that he’s playing Marcus Thornton fewer minutes than Willie Green?

• Is Emeka Okafor seriously going to make a leap in his seventh season in the NBA?
• Has Jason Smith’s more-than-solid play been a figment of my imagination?
• Can Trevor Ariza figure out how to score efficiently and become the perfect 3′s and D role player we want him to be?
• Shouldn’t employing D.J. Mbenga and Aaron Gray as your only backup centers disqualify you from winning 50 games?
• Is Chris Paul the best point guard… ever? [And all the other questions Dwyer posed here, really.]

Planning to watch all of the Bucks/Hornets game tonight, with absolutely no idea who to cheer for, so maybe I’ll have more of a handle on New Orleans tomorrow. For now, I’ll just say Chris Paul is brilliant at basketball and you should be obsessively paying attention to his team for the next little while despite its lack of national TV appearances.

Before today’s quotes/tweets feature, a quick programming note: LeBlog James is generally going to run Mon-Fri, but I’ll put something up on the weekends sometimes as well. If I miss a weekday, like I did yesterday, there will pretty much always be a Saturday post to make up for it. ONWARD:

Quoted

“He just absolutely was adamant when we talked about it. He didn’t feel it was correct to be there for a week and get paid for the season.” – Herb Rudoy, Fabricio Oberto’s agent. Oberto suddenly retired on Thursday because of a heart condition. Amazingly, he decided to give ALL of the $854,389 he was set to make this season back to the Blazers. Players who suffer career- or season-ending injuries have no obligation to give back even a penny.

“My phone’s on mute.” – Nate McMillan, asked for a reaction to losing two players in a span of four hours. In addition to the Oberto news, it was announced Thursday that Eliot Williams would have surgery on his dislocated right patella. This will likely mean he’s out for the season.

“SEMIH … YOU … GO!” – Doc Rivers, to Semih Erden, after he missed a defensive rotation. The lovable Turkish rookie apparently is not amazing at English just yet.

“I thought it was a great idea and I think it will really help the team. I won’t have to start the game off and I’m still learning. Coming in off the bench, I can see how aggressive the game is so I can know how aggressive to be and not be. I’ll get the feel of the game a lot better.” – The totally immature, team-killing problem child DeMarcus Cousins, after learning Samuel Dalembert would replace him in the starting lineup. What a jerk. Good thing the Wolves didn’t draft him at #4.

“There’s one thing that I know for sure, and it’s that KG would not offend cancer patients. That makes no sense. It makes no sense on a lot of fronts. Not only is he experiencing it in his own family, but that’s just not something I’ve ever heard — in 30 years — ever say, in trash talking.” – Danny Ainge

“I’d love to see Charlie and KG in the ring. I’d pick Charlie. I’ve seen KG get his ass whupped. … He’s always barking, and when it’s time to get physical, he’s always been a little chihuahua.” – Reggie Evans

“I’m trying to change it now where instead of avoiding the contact and hitting crazy shots, I’m trying to get fouled and go to the free-throw line. It’s kind of weird for me right now getting used to it, but it’s coming along.” – Derrick Rose, making people who care about scoring efficiency extremely happy.

“Against a good defensive team we have trouble a little bit. We don’t have — and this isn’t to put down anybody in our locker room — but we don’t have the great one-on-one players. We don’t have [Dwyane] Wade and [LeBron] James and Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant.” – Stan Van Gundy, after the loss to the Heat. You better believe this is a challenge to Vince Carter.

“I couldn’t have said this with 100 percent honesty last year: We’re way better than this. We know we are. We’re way, way better than this. It’s heartfelt and upsetting to see where we’re at right now.” – Kevin Love, after the Wolves lost by 42 to Orlando. God, I feel bad for him.

“Obviously, I’ll be Prime Minister one day but I was going to wait until after I finish playing basketball.” – Steve Nash, when asked about this nonsense.

“I just hope I don’t pass the ball to Rondo, and then go set a screen.”- Brian Scalabrine, on his return to Boston as a Bull.

“Scal is the ultimate professional athlete. I have uncanny respect for the guy. He came in here and was a professional every day that he put on the green and white. I respect him more than anything. He’s one of my favorite ex-teammates in my small 15 years [in the NBA].” – Kevin Garnett, on Scalabrine. Wow. And Scal got a hell of a welcome – the crowd gave him a standing ovation and chanted his name when he subbed in, and a tribute video was played for him and Tom Thibodeau on the big screen.

“We have a saying: ‘DTW — Defense Travels Well.’ Your legs and your shots won’t go all the time. Your jump shots may not be there. But if you can lock into your defense — that’s what they’ve done. And that kept us in the game. We weren’t down by 10, 15 points. Our defense kept us close.” – Keith Smart. THE COACH OF THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SAID THIS! Get very excited.

“We are not trying to take so much crazy shots as we did in the last couple of years. We try to more move the ball and get easier shots and get everybody else involved in the offense. So I think that helps, that we don’t take those shots after five or seven seconds on offense, just pulling up.” – Andris Biedrins, who must be unbelievably happy that Don Nelson is no longer the coach of his team.

“This is probably one of the toughest things to do when you leave a year. One of the things about the NBA is out of sight, out of mind. For Denver to give me an opportunity, I want to do well, not only for the opportunity but so they don’t feel they wasted a spot.” – Melvin Ely. I bet you didn’t know he started for the Nuggets last night.

“I’m not here to defend myself. I just want to get on the court and just let my actions, the way that I play (take care of it). That’s all I care about is just getting out on the court and playing at the level that I’m capable of playing at. I don’t really worry what people say about me.” – Baron Davis. Good. I’d love to be wrong about you, Baron. Let’s see it.

“None of your business.” – Gregg Popovich, when asked what drills Richard Jefferson was put through to rejuvenate himself in the summer.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I don’t even have a computer, I barely can answer my cell phone.” – Jerry Sloan, on Twitter.

Tweeted

“I am sorry Indiana. That was not Pacer basketball. What u saw is not acceptable and we r not gonna let this be the norm. We can do better!” – Roy Hibbert, after Indiana lost by 26 in Philly.

“Gotta talk to Leo and figure out how to use Inception.” – Roy Hibbert.

“I would like to apologize 2 the woman who I jumped in2 when I dove for the loose ball out of bounds. I am sorry and I hope I didn’t injure u” – Roy Hibbert, who accidentally kicked a woman in the head last night.

“I’m starting to feel like I did something to the refs in my previous life! I felt like a kid who couldn’t play with his friends!”- Jermaine O’Neal, who is averaging 7.5 fouls per 36 minutes so far this season.

“Big congratulations to JD! He’s worked really hard and is a great teammate. He deserves everything he gets.” – Steve Nash, congratulating former All-OTN Team member Jared Dudley on his contract extension. Who would have thought 3 years ago that the only members of the 2007 draft class to be extended would be Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Mike Conley, and Jared Dudley? Very happy for Mr. JMZ.

“Rod Strickland was REAL!!!! I don’t care what nobody say. Top 5 to me, no ASG, no Hype….” – Brandon Jennings, who also studies tapes of Kenny Anderson and watches several NBA games simultaneously.

“I really hope the rockets lets me know something soon…” – Jermaine Taylor, who is the most likely Rocket to be waived in order to facilitate an Erick Dampier signing.

“Beyond frustrated…feels like I’m being lied 2″ – Jermaine Taylor, who might be talking about his situation with Houston or might be talking about something completely different.

KG's all like, "Why'd you spend so much time talking about me and Villanueva?"

We recorded a monster episode of the podcast yesterday. Part 1 is 53:39, part 2 is 33:37.

Topics covered include: The KG/Charlie V. mess, Rajon Rondo’s early-season excellence, Mike Conley and Al Horford’s contract extensions, David Kahn’s guarantee that Ricky Rubio is going to be in Minnesota next season, Baron Davis being out of shape and acting like it’s something new, Eddy Curry as a possibility for Miami, first coach/GM to be fired, our least favourite teams to watch, and the Clippers’ backcourt. Then we get to some new segments…

1) Me talking about a player that I’m loving this week… the other guys are trying to call this “Broner” but I’m vehemently opposed to this.
2) Statgasm – Julian’s numbers-themed weekly thing.
3) Predictions on last night’s games – where we guess what’ll happen in the TNT doubleheader so you can laugh at our stupidity while the results are fresh.
4) Basketball bubble – where my and Julian’s ignorance on things other than basketball is exposed for all to ridicule.

The best part of the show by far is Julian performing some of our favourite parts of Matt Moore’s Mike Conley rant.

Click here to listen to part 1.
Click here to listen to part 2.

Recommended reading:

Beckley Mason on Rajon Rondo
Matt Moore on Mike Conley’s extension @ NBA Facts & Rumors and his classic rant, in full
Moore on John Kuester
Arash Markazi’s report on Baron Davis sitting out because of his knee
Steve Perrin on Eric Bledsoe
Rob Mahoney on Eric Gordon, from the summer
And Moore AGAIN, this time on Al Horford vs. Joakim Noah

Shout-out to Brendon Lynch of the Hardcore Hoops Show for giving us an awesome pep talk before we went in the studio.

Luis M. Alvarez / AP Photo

There were seven games on the schedule last night, but the Knicks and Magic didn’t play because Madison Square Garden is not safe. I’ll start with the one game that came down to the wire:

The Wizards beat the Sixers 116-115 in overtime. It wouldn’t have made it to overtime if not for Cartier Martin (representing the D-League) tying the game with a last-second three-pointer that could easily have been an and-one. John Wall could not have been introduced better in the Wizards’ home opener and proceeded to put up a monster line: 29 points (on 16 shots), 13 assists, a franchise record-tying 9 steals, and, gulp, 8 turnovers. Since there are always fun numbers in overtime games, check out some other stats: Lou Williams started 0-8 but finished with 30 points on 16 shots (15-17 FT!), Elton Brand had a super-efficient 21 and 9, and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 13 assists. I wanted a second overtime, but I was happy that Wizards fans got this win and EXTREMELY happy for Mr. Martin.

The Hawks beat the Cavs 100-88. Great to see Marvin Williams score 22 and get fourth-quarter burn. For Cleveland, J.J. Hickson was awesome. He hit a bunch of mid-range jumpers to start, which opened up his game. He’s coming along quite nicely. Wish I could say the same for Ramon Sessions, who is way better than he’s showing right now. He and the returning Mo Williams combined to shoot 9-31 and dish out only 5 assists. I thought it was over when the Hawks scored 40 points in the first quarter, but Cleveland worked its way back. Byron Scott said he loved the effort.

Portland beat Milwaukee 90-76 in an unsurprisingly slow-paced (87 possessions) game. The Blazers couldn’t hit anything at the outset and the Bucks started off on a roll. It looked like Carlos Delfino was going to do what Luol Deng did to the Blazers a night earlier, but the difference was that Wesley Matthews came in and stopped Delfino like he couldn’t stop Deng. The Bucks’ offense pretty much died near the end of the first, which was when the Blazers’ came to life. 6 turnovers and 0-4 shooting behind the arc was not what I was hoping for from Brandon Jennings after his awesome triple double on Saturday.

There were three blowouts yesterday: Boston 109, Detroit 86; Miami 129, Minnesota 97; and Lakers 124, Grizzlies 97. I won’t discuss these ones, but I will share three great dunks.

Credit to Zach Harper, Ben Golliver, and @jose3030 for the videos in this post.

Before I get to today’s feature, where I’ll quickly take stock of every team in the league after one week of basketball, I want to share a couple of links:

The Wall Street Journal profiled Anthony Morrow, which is awesome because he’s the best damn shooter in the world. There are a bunch of Steve Kerr quotes within.

And I don’t know how this got by me a few days ago, but CelticsBlog interviewed the great Jackie MacMullan. Really great read on her early days in the business, the 80′s in the NBA, Kevin McHale, and a couple of current Celtics.

Week 1 Catch-up

The Hawks are undefeated and they are getting to the line, but they haven’t been tested and it doesn’t look like Jeff Teague is who they hoped he would be.

Rajon Rondo has 67 assists in 4 games and his Celtics are rebounding their way to wins, but Nate Robinson has been bricking everything and they still need to cut down the turnovers.

D.J. Augustin’s been better than expected, Boris Diaw is still playing more than Tyrus Thomas, and Charlotte’s defense is almost the league’s worst after being the league’s best last year.

Derrick Rose is leading the league in usage rate, James Johnson does stuff now, and Keith Bogans has played more minutes for Chicago than Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.

J.J. Hickson looks suited for his bigger role, Antawn Jamison has been all kinds of disappointing, and Ramon Sessions has been about 1/100th as good as I thought he would be in Cleveland.

The Mavericks have been awesome defensively against weak competition and Dirk Nowitzki is too good for Halloween costumes.

Arron Afflalo’s force people to spell his name right and Denver’s playing very good defense, even Al Harrington!

Rodney Stuckey’s getting assists now, the Pistons’ bench is outplaying their starting five, and they’ve looked fairly good in each loss before the C’s game last night.

Andris Biedrins and Brandan Wright get to play now, Monta Ellis is lovable again, and the Warriors really need Stephen Curry’s bum ankle to heal.

The Rockets have lost all three games, two of them close, but Kyle Lowry’s back and Erick Dampier will arrive shortly.

Roy Hibbert’s dominating from the high post and McBob is dunking on everyone in Indiana.

Blake Griffin is everything we hoped he’d be, but his team is still Clippering its way to losses and Baron Davis thinks that, before this season, “getting in shape was never a problem.”

Lamar Odom is shooting 6-8 on threes and 27-38 overall on the season and the Lakers are making me think they could go another month without a loss.

The Grizzlies looked good in half their games, they need Zach Randolph back, and you’re going to have trouble watching Mike Conley play without thinking about his contract.

The Heat are playing incredible defense and they’re going to win tons of games, but we’d like them to start running – the blowout against Minnesota last night was their only fast-paced game.

There are still too many missed jump shots in Milwaukee, but Brandon Jennings had perhaps the best game of his career the other day.

Kevin Love is averaging 15.5 points and 11.3 rebounds and has yet to play over 30 minutes in a game this season.

The Nets look nothing like they did last year and Derrick Favors is not a bust.

Chris Paul has the Hornets undefeated against three playoff teams and Marcus Thornton had 17 points and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes in San Antonio the other night.

Gallo’s been awful, Chandler’s been awesome, and the Knicks are going to need some time to put it together.

The Thunder have not been playing the awesome defense we saw last year, but that should change.

After the Magic lost by 26 in Miami, I can’t wait for the rematch that’s three weeks from today.

Elton Brand’s averaging 16.3 points and 9 rebounds, Evan Turner’s had three 7-rebound games, and the Sixers haven’t won a game yet.

The Suns can’t rebound or stop anybody, but Goran Dragic’s PER is 25.8.

Armon Johnson’s been a pleasant surprise and you have to watch the Blazers play against Oklahoma City tomorrow.

Tyreke-Cousins-Casspi is my favourite young trio and I’d much rather talk about the Kings’ much improved offense than their inconsistent, often-terrible defense.

Hope you’re as excited as I am to see more from Tiago Splitter and Gary Neal for the Spurs against Phoenix tonight.

In Toronto, Andrea Bargnani and Reggie Evans are perfect for one another.

The preseason may have tricked us into forgetting that the Jazz need time to gel, but Paul Millsap deserves your attention right now.

John Wall’s a must-watch, but I wish he had better teammates and wish the “new and improved Yi Jianlian” would put on a Wizards uniform.

Chris Graythen / Getty Images

The NBA season is almost here.

First of all, WOOOOO!

Second, um, hello. I come to you with my predictions for the season, along with reasons I’m excited about each and every team that I’ll be watching on League Pass from this week till mid-April. We know how difficult it is to prognosticate in October and that injuries and trades will change everything, but hey, predictions are fun! Feel free to call me out when some of the things I say look hilariously dumb a month or two from now. Here we go:

Eastern Conference

1. Miami: 66-16 (last season: 47-35)

I might actually be selling them short with 66. They’ve got weaknesses (old and slow bench, subpar centers) but their strengths are so strong that they should win most regular season games fairly easily.

I can’t imagine trying to gameplan for them. We’ve seen that it takes a total team defensive effort to limit LeBron and Wade separately. Now, they’re together, with Bosh?! They’re going to punish teams on the break and get to the line a billion times a game. It’s going to be amazing to watch.

Excited about: Finding out if they care about winning 70+, seeing if Spoelstra gets creative with his offense, and discussing LeBron’s on-court brilliance instead of his off-court madness.

2. Orlando: 60-22 (last season: 59-23)

Don’t forget how good the Magic were last season. They had the league’s best point differential and it wasn’t close. They went 33-8 in the second half of the season. Entering the playoffs, lots of extremely smart people (and I) picked them to win the East. Problem is, they ran into a Boston team playing at its peak.

This year, if Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis play the way they should, you still have to consider Orlando title contenders. The Heat look impossible, but you can see the Magic giving them trouble. Miami currently has no one to guard Dwight one-on-one and there are plenty of capable outside shooters here to make them pay for doubling.

There’s room for improvement on last season’s mark because Vince Carter had some truly awful stretches last season while learning the offense and playing hurt. A bounceback season is possible for VC, even though he’s turning 34 in January. His strong pre-season is evidence for this.

Excited about: Dwight Howard proving Ben Q. Rock right for saying what he said here.

3. Boston: 50-32 (last season: 50-32)

This is still a championship contender. No one wants to face them in the playoffs. When you’ve got Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins, you’ve got an elite defense. Even with Tom Thibodeau gone.

However, as we saw last year, this team isn’t built with the regular season in mind. While it is certainly possible to improve on last season’s mark due to their painfully average second half of 2009-2010, I wouldn’t bet on it. Even with the strengthened bench – watch out, they’re incredibly deep now – the Celtics likely will lose games due to their veterans’ injuries and reduced minutes. Hopefully, though, they won’t lose any due to disinterest this time around.

Excited about: Delonte West redeeming himself, Rondo starting in the All-Star Game.

Gary Dineen / Getty Images

4. Milwaukee: 47-35 (last season: 46-36)

If you’re pessimistic about the Bucks’ chances, I understand. They vastly overachieved relative to expectations last season and Skiles has a track record of flaming out. There are difficult rotation decisions to make here and Keyon Dooling is a downgrade from Luke Ridnour at the backup point guard spot that was so important last year.

I’m going the other way, though. Counting on improvement from Brandon Jennings and hoping for only a small drop-off from Andrew Bogut, I think Milwaukee can sustain despite not being able to sneak up on teams anymore.

Drew Gooden and Corey Maggette address their desperate need for more scoring. Maggette in particular is a perfect fit for the free throw-challenged Bucks, as he is incredible at getting to the line. These two don’t play standout defense, but Skiles has incorporated poor defenders into great defensive systems before. And with the deep bench and versatility on this roster, it should happen again.

Excited about: EVERYTHING. This was one of my favourite teams to watch last season. Can’t wait to see Jennings and Bogut work the pick and roll (on both ends), thrilled that CDR has a fresh start, and hungry for a Brockman Burger.

4. Chicago: 47-35 (last season: 41-41)

Trading Vinny Del Negro for Tom Thibodeau and acquiring a much-needed low post scorer and pick-and-roll man in Carlos Boozer means the Bulls should be worlds better than last season.

I hesitate to put them in the 50-win category just yet, especially with Boozer out to start the season, but if Thibs can impart some of his defensive wisdom on Derrick Rose then they certainly have a shot at it. Rose can improve on the other side of the ball, too – even if he doesn’t become a three-point threat this season, just getting to the line more would be huge.

Excited about: An improved offense – TT is known as a defensive mastermind, but the Bulls’ problem under VDN was the other side of the floor, where they’ve already shown progress.

6. Atlanta: 46-36 (last season: 53-29)

Atlanta’s bringing back basically the same club that won 53 games last season. But with Larry Drew implementing a motion-based offense and a defense that isn’t built on switching every screen, Hawks games will be different.

To sustain their record, I’d have to bet that the potentially more entertaining offense will be as effective as their isolation-heavy offense. I’d have to bet on Jeff Teague emerging as a viable alternative to Mike Bibby and his atrocious defense. I’d have to bet on Jamal Crawford duplicating his fantastic Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season. I’d have to bet on another essentially injury-free season. Can’t do that.

Excited about: Josh Smith remaining the best player on the team and finally making it to the All-Star Game.

7. Philadelphia: 38-44 (last season: 27-55)

Call me crazy, but I think they have playoff talent. I had them at 40-42 a year ago and still think they were capable of that mark if Eddie Jordan hadn’t lost them.

Jordan was hired to make a good defensive team also a good offensive team. He ended up making a bad offensive team also a bad defensive team. Under Doug Collins, things should be different.

As has been the case for years now, there’s plenty of young defensive weapons here. They should be able to force turnovers and bad shots. And on offense, they have plenty of options. I am sure Collins will draw up a thousand plays and make sure they get efficient looks at the basket.

They still lack wing shooting, but have numerous big men who can help space the floor. For things to go right, the rotations must be balanced and everyone’s going to have to buy in. You can’t count on this happening, but I’ll be optimistic.

Excited about: Jrue Holiday, but maybe not as excited as Doug Collins is.

7. New York: 38-44 (last season: 29-53)

With the additions of Amar’e, Felton, Azubuike, Turiaf, and everyone’s favourite 21 year-old, Anthony Randolph, we’re looking at a possible playoff squad.

I’ve got them in the post-season because I think they’re going to be a quality offensive team. And, if D’Antoni has them practicing defense this season, they’re capable of being not-completely-terrible on that end, too.

Felton isn’t the ideal 7SOL point guard, but he’s solid for the price they paid. And Amar’e, assuming he’s as motivated as he was after the All-Star Break last season, could average over 30. With the fantastic value they got for David Lee, you have to call the off-season a success.

They really need to look at acquiring some rebounding help, though.

Excited about: Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony Randolph finishing fast breaks.

9. Charlotte: 35-47 (last season: 44-38)

The playoffs aren’t out of the question, with Larry Brown’s track record of squeezing the most out of clubs like this. But the fact is that this team lost its starting center and point guard and haven’t replaced them.

Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson had to carry the team offensively last season. They’ll have to do that again, and I’m not confident they’ll have the league’s best defense again.

Excited about: Shaun Livingston having an NBA home.

10. Indiana: 34-48 (last season: 32-50)

Finally, they’ve got a point guard. The Troy Murphy for Darren Collison trade looks like a home run for Indy. But how will it translate in the win column this year?

I see Indy being terrible on the glass, average on D, and decent on offense. Sure, the offense could be better than decent if Collison, Granger, and Hibbert all have great seasons. But will that make ‘em a playoff team? I’m guessing no, even in the East.

An offensive boost would change what it’s like to watch this team, though. In contrast to their very entertaining 2008-2009 run, last year’s Pacers were a chore to watch. As the second-fastest team in the league, they proved that fast-paced basketball isn’t always exciting basketball. Here’s hoping Collison makes things fun again.

Excited about: The new and improved Roy Hibbert.

11. Washington: 30-52 (last season: 26-56)

If you’re like me, you’re a big Gilbert Arenas fan and you’re itching to see him out there again. You want to know if he can be an efficient scorer off the ball. You want to see if he’s healthy and committed enough to play solid defense.

And if you’re like me, you watched more college basketball last season than you had in years simply because of John Wall’s Kentucky team. The kid is electric and we expect big things for good reason. Just know that rookie point guards make lots of mistakes while learning on the job.

Without knowing how Wall/Arenas works out, and with the tantalizing/frustrating talents of Andray Blatche still in the frontcourt, it’s difficult to project where this team lands up. I suspect they’ll be the most inconsistent team in the league. I’ll say they improve this year, but they’ll need to make a roster move or two with defense in mind if they are to make a big jump right away.

Excited about: John Wall’s alley-oops to JaVale McGee.

12. Detroit: 28-54 (last season: 27-55)

No doubt, last year’s team underachieved. It was a deep team that had plenty of offensive firepower, yet it finished 21st in offense. Injuries to almost every key contributor had much to do with it. The team never clicked, roles were never established, and one got the feeling halfway through the season that the team was looking forward to next year.

Now, it’s next year. They’ve got something to prove. But there are flaws on this roster. It lacks a star and quality two-way players. Kuester’s going to have to figure out how to balance the rotation and define roles. Even with Jerebko hurt, there are major logjams at the 2, 3, and 4. The front office must want to see development from the young guys, but can they sit the highly-paid veterans?

The McGrady signing is confusing because of his age and the fact that they have guys who play the same positions. It’s interesting, though, because this team desperately needs a distributor. That’s a role McGrady is capable of fulfilling if he wants to.

Excited about: Will Bynum’s increased range.

13. New Jersey: 27-55 (last season: 12-70)

Last season, the Nets’ power forward minutes went to Yi Jianlian, Kris Humphries, and Josh Boone. This year, they’ll go to Troy Murphy and Derrick Favors. This alone should bump up their win total.

Their offense should improve greatly, as Avery Johnson will make sure they actually run plays. Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, and hopefully a full year of the late-season version of Terrence Williams will help, too.

Avery will preach defense, but I don’t think they have the personnel to be good on that end. This is what’ll keep them out of playoff contention.

Excited about: The beauty that is an Anthony Morrow jumper and a Terrence Williams dunk.

13. Toronto: 27-55 (last season: 40-42)

Duh, the Raptors will be significantly worse this year. They lost their only elite player and their off-season moves don’t give us reason to see their-league worst defense becoming passable. Bargnani’s touch and size make him an extremely tough cover, but teams have fared a lot better against him with Bosh sitting out. Unless they hit an absolute home run with their trade exception, don’t expect much winning this year.

Toronto could be fun to watch, though. Last year’s team was maddening at times due to high expectations and Hedo Turkoglu. Both are gone, now. Any success this group finds will be a surprise. I’m looking forward to watching my hometown team, even if I have no delusions about a playoff berth.

Excited about: The Young Onez dunking on fools.

15. Cleveland: 18-64 (last season: 61-21)

It kills me to make this prediction. Cleveland fans don’t deserve this, but here we are.

What was once an elite defensive team will be much worse without LeBron and Delonte. Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson were efficient offensively, but never had to create shots for themselves. Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison can score, but I doubt they’re in Cleveland by the trade deadline.

It’ll be great to see Ramon Sessions get starters’ minutes and you have to hope Byron Scott lets the young guys run. You’ll want to watch the Cavs to see Jamario Moon and J.J. Hickson finishing fast breaks.

Excited about: The healthy Leon Powe.

Western Conference

Lluis Gene / AFP Photo / Getty Images

Just as they did last year, the Lakers have 70-win potential. In fact, there’s no reason they can’t improve. Their bench will be better than it was. Pau could get more touches. Kobe could be more efficient.

The other side of it: these Lakers haven’t consistently played with the discipline required to win 70 games in the regular season. They’ll abandon the triangle, coast through some possessions, and rely on their superior talent to win close games. They’re an absolute joy to watch at their peak, but we don’t know when they’ll play at their peak.

With Bynum’s knee and Kobe’s finger, I’ll say they’ll duplicate their last regular season. I also expect them to return to the finals.

Excited about: Matt Barnes and Ron Artest on the same team!

2. Portland: 53-29 (last season: 50-32)

Portland overachieved last year when you consider the ridiculous assortment of injuries it had to face. With fewer injuries, a young core one year older, and a full season of Marcus Camby, this team should be among the league’s best.

Stat people love this team and it’s clear why. The Blazers are deep at every position, Brandon Roy is a year removed from being “just a step behind Kobe,” Greg Oden is a monster at both ends when he’s healthy, and Nic Batum seems poised to break out. I just hope they’re at full-strength come playoff time.

Excited about: Rose Garden going f’ing crazy in the playoffs.

3. San Antonio: 51-31 (last season: 50-32)

The West will be tough, but don’t expect the Spurs to go away. They won 50 games with disappointing seasons from Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson. Now, with Tiago Splitter giving Timmy some help on the inside, they’ve improved.

Duncan and Ginobili are still producing and I don’t expect that to change. Sure, Tim’s not the dominating defensive presence he once was, but he’s still effective there and a game-changer on the offensive end. They probably won’t get a full season from Manu, but George Hill can capably fill in and The Poo God is still one of the league’s very best two-guards when he’s healthy.

Excited about: DeJuan Blair, 21 years old, starting in the NBA without ACL’s.

Nathaniel S. Butler / Getty Images

4. Oklahoma City: 50-32 (last season: 50-32)

Despite OKC being my favourite team to root for, I’d be surprised if these guys increased their win total from last season.

Even with improvement from almost everyone on the roster, wins will be hard to come by in the West. And last year was a special, special season for the Thunder: In addition to finding that magical chemistry that made NBA freaks fall in love with them, they somehow managed to remain injury-free. They’d be incredibly lucky to duplicate that.

Excited about: More minutes for the lovable Serge Ibaka and the bearded James Harden.

5. Utah: 49-33 (last season: 50-32)

Their 8-0 preseason made me rethink this team a little. I thought they’d start slow again, with Okur out and Jefferson getting himself settled in. Now, though, I’m thinking maybe we won’t have to wait for the new year to let out a collective “holy crap, this team is good!”

With Korver in Chicago and Matthews in Portland, it’s important for the Jazz to get some production from Raja Bell and Gordon Hayward.

Excited about: Paul Millsap being featured in the offense again, Al Jefferson playing on national television, and Raja Bell at full health.

6. Dallas: 46-36 (last season: 55-27)

The Mavs are old and they overachieved last season by winning tons of close games. Nonetheless, they are a good basketball team.

Dirk is a treasure and he’ll continue putting up monster numbers without wasting possessions. I hoped they’d get more for Dampier’s nonguaranteed contract, but Chandler should play well with Jason Kidd. Hopefully he can stay on the floor.

The problem is that they still don’t have an elite wing creator to pair with Dirk… or at least not a proven one. If I’m Rick Carlisle, I’m playing Roddy Beaubois 30+ minutes a game because he’s the only hope Dallas has of making a significant improvement this year. If he can come close to sustaining his awesome per-minute stats from last year, this team could be on the right track. The problem, of course, is keeping Kidd/Terry/Butler/Marion happy with the reduced minutes that would result.

Excited about: Rodrigue Beaubois, just like every other NBA diehard is.

7. Denver: 44-38 (last season: 53-29)

There’s talent in Denver, but things aren’t looking great for 2010-2011. Obviously, the most important storyline here is what happens with Melo. After that, though, you have to wonder how they’ll do up front with the Birdman and Kenyon Martin having knee issues – this team was only average on defense last season.

Ty Lawson should get more minutes and look for his own shot more often. This’ll help. Al Harrington will help, too. But we’re still waiting for J.R. Smith to put it all together and there’s no way to know when that’s going to happen. Assuming Melo sticks around, I’m comfortable saying this is a playoff team, but uncomfortable predicting anything better than that.

Excited about: More gems like this.

7. Houston: 44-38 (last season: 42-40)

You already know Yao’s playing a maximum of 24 minutes each night and he’ll skip some back-to-backs. He’s still going to transform the way this team plays.

They’re going to have to get used to playing two different styles on a regular basis: with Yao, they must make a concerted effort to feed the post in the half-court. Without him, they must push the ball in the style they did last year. It’s going to be up to Aaron Brooks to pick his spots offensively. (Hint: cut down the field goal attempts when the big man is out there.)

The Rockets certainly have the pieces to be a much better offensive team than we saw last year. We don’t know, however, if they can get back to being the defensive force we were used to until Yao’s injury. With Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin sharing the backcourt, and Yao struggling with mobility, this will be a challenge.

Excited about: Yao! And probably my favourite bench in the league: Kyle Lowry, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes, and the suddenly-intriguing Ish Smith.

9. Memphis: 42-40 (last season: 40-42)

Like the Thunder, Memphis was able to avoid major injuries last season. With that luck, an unexpected All-Star campaign from Zach Randolph, and the emergence of Marc Gasol as an All-Star caliber player as well, they exceeded expectations.

Their undefeated preseason is definitely encouraging. Historically, teams that roll through the preseason at least make the playoffs. And with the way this team should dominate the offensive glass and score at the basket, that’s a realistic goal. It’ll be tough in this conference, though.

The Grizzlies brought back their important players and added Tony Allen and Xavier Henry. If Darrell Arthur can give them something and there’s improvement from OJAM and Gasol, they could do some damage. I’m just not convinced that they’ll be playoff-bound with that bench and that defense.

Excited about: Marc Gasol getting more touches. Please, Basketball Gods, make this happen.

Christian Peterson / Getty Images

10. Phoenix: 40-42 (last season: 54-28)

Of course, it’s possible that Phoenix will return to the playoffs. With Steve Nash and plenty of shooters, their offense should be very good. (I say this despite them making less than a quarter of their threes in the preseason.)

The problem is that, without Amar’e, I don’t expect them to be GREAT offensively. And if you’re going to be as bad as I think the Suns will be on defense and on the boards, you need a fantastic offense to make up for it.

Look for Nash/Lopez and Nash/Warrick pick-and-rolls. Look for Turkoglu to be better than he was in Toronto, but nowhere near worthy of that crazy contract. Look for Josh Childress’s awesome mini-fro. But don’t look for a team anywhere near as good as it was last May.

Excited about: Another year of Steve Nash, another year of JMZ.

11. New Orleans: 39-43 (last season: 37-45)

A healthy Chris Paul is worth more than two extra wins in a vacuum, but almost every team in the West improved.

Paul has carried weak supporting casts before and this year he’s actually a part of a very solid starting unit. This team is shallow, though. In fact, the bench is so blah that it makes sense for Marcus Thornton to play the 6th man role despite being clearly superior to Marco Belinelli, horrendous preseason shooting notwithstanding. I dig the Jerryd Bayless acquisition and I like me some Pops, but I think they need more help.

Excited about: Chris Paul reminding people he’s a legit MVP candidate when he’s at full-strength.

12. Golden State: 36-46 (last season: 26-56)

David Lee, Lou Amundson, Dorell Wright, Jeremy Lin, Rodney Carney, Charlie Bell, Dan Gadzuric, and half a season of Ekpe Udoh > Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, Ronny Turiaf, and C.J. Watson?

Not exactly.

But it’s not as simple as that. These Warriors should be much better than last year. With Don Nelson out of there, this team should play some defense. Reggie Williams won’t have to play power forward. Andris Biedrins will actually get on the floor. Brandan Wright might finally get a chance.

The Steph Curry/David Lee pick-and-roll will be almost impossible to stop. Monta Ellis could go back to scoring efficiently. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the W’s right now. I just get the feeling they’re a year away, in this conference.

Excited about: Staying up late to watch these guys put up lots of points, Bay Area fans finally seeing this franchise move in a positive direction.

13. Sacramento: 35-47 (last season: 25-57)

If DeMarcus Cousins is as good as I think he is, Sacramento’s offense just got a lot better. And with a full season of Carl Landry and improvement from their young guys, the Kings should have made some progress on the offensive end anyway.

Samuel Dalembert might be seen as simply an expiring contract, but he should be huge for the Kings on D when he returns from injury. The Kings haven’t had a shot-blocker in ages and desperately needed an anchor last season. Spencer Hawes may be full of potential, but he’s never going to be that guy.

The second-year bump from Evans and Casspi along with the Cousins/Landry/Dalembert/Thompson frontcourt makes it tempting to predict an OKC-like leap in the standings. While I’d LOVE to see it happen, I’m betting against it. Still, there will be progress.

Excited about: DeMarcus Cousins making a couple of GM’s look very, very foolish.

14. Los Angeles Clippers: 31-51 (last season: 29-53)

The Clippers were awful again last season. Baron Davis was better than the year before, but he still launched way too many ill-advised threes. Despite a great season from Chris Kaman, they were 28th in offense. And if you’ve paid for ESPN Insider and read Hollinger’s preview, then you know that they only had the point differential of a 21-win team.

This year, with Blake Griffin, they should be better. But he’s the only reason I’m optimistic. Baron Davis came into camp out of shape and I’m not confident that Vinny Del Negro is the answer here. As with any of Baron’s teams, there’s potential for a huge turnaround because we know he has an incredible amount of talent. I just don’t see how you can trust that he’ll harness it the way we want him to at this point.

Excited about: More highlights like this.

15. Minnesota: 22-60 (last season: 15-67)

I want to give them more than 22 based on talent, but I see them underachieving on offense and being terrible defensively.

Kind of like last year, where they finished 29th in offense despite having Al Jefferson and Kevin Love on the team… and were so bad defensively that Darko Milicic seemed like a revelation to their General Manager.

The difference is, this year, if they underachieve like I think they will, it’ll be even more annoying. This team really has talent. David Kahn made some puzzling off-season decisions, but Wesley Johnson, Martell Webster, Luke Ridnour, Nikola Pekovic, and Anthony Tolliver are rotation players. Minnesota actually has real depth here.

I’d love to see a more-than-7-game improvement, but I’m worried that tons of turnovers, players struggling with the system, and embarrassing interior D will keep them in the West’s basement.

Excited about: Kevin Love finally getting the minutes he deserves.

Larry W. Smith/Getty Images

PURE JOY. Wednesday, January 13, 2010 was a phenomenal night in the NBA.

As I’m starting to write this, there are still games on. Generally, that’s not how you do a recap. I just wanted to begin while I still have this big, stupid grin on my face.

This isn’t the first time this season where the action on my television has turned me into, basically, a giddy child. Hell, this isn’t even the most hysterical I’ve been this season (check where I talk about Jennings’s 55 here). But damn, there were some great close games and I don’t know if there’s been a night where there have been so many positive things to talk about. So let’s talk about them, it’ll be fun.

Lakers 100, Mavericks 95

Andrew Bynum: Oh what fun it is to watch a real, honest-to-goodness post-up big man do his thing. Erick Dampier is (seriously) a very good defender, but Bynum ate him up right from the beginning of the game with his quick moves and his soft, soft touch. His line? 22 and 11. 8-11 from the field. You don’t know how happy it makes me to be able to talk about his GAME rather than a trade rumour. I hope he continues to play like this and the rumours cease. Are we remembering that this kid is only 22? Yeah.

Ron Artest: Since his concussion, he has had a few sub-par performances. He might be past all that now, though. 16 points on 5-5 FG, 1-1 3PT, and 5-6 FT. 11 rebounds, too. Can’t ask for more, and I haven’t even mentioned his most important contribution: defense. It’s so great to see it working out well in L.A. – I didn’t see it going down like this, but sometimes there’s nothing sweeter than being proven wrong.

Kobe Bryant: He played 11 minutes in the first half and didn’t do much of anything, with back spasms so obviously slowing him down. The one shot he attempted had about 10% of the lift his J normally has and his mortality startled me. In the second half, though, Kobe looked like a different player. Not his usual self, mind you, but there was some energy and he wanted the ball. And, with his team inbounding the ball with 42.5 seconds left, he received it and hit the biggest bucket of the game, a jumper over Josh Howard. He only scored 10 points on 11 shots in 35 minutes, but I’ll remember that shot. And the fact that he played when so many others wouldn’t have.

Dirk Nowitzki: The only reason Kobe needed to hit that shot was that Dirk had made a huge three-pointer on the previous possession, tying the game up and capping an 8-0 run. He was, typically, brilliant in the 4th Q., where he scored 15 of his 30 points. In that 4th Q., he hit a jumper to become the 34th player in NBA history to pass 20,000 career points. For this, the crowd gave him a terrific standing ovation. It’s a bit mind-bending for me every time I see a player pass a milestone like this – I remember when this guy was a rookie with silly hair and I hadn’t the foggiest idea he would ever be close to becoming an All-Star, let alone the sure-fire HoF’er he is today. Oh, and speaking of hair – he celebrated his achievement with a new look.

Spurs 109, Thunder 108 (OT)

DeJuan Blair: The man of the night, in my books. The first thing I noticed when I turned on this game was that Tim Duncan wasn’t playing. The second thing I noticed was that Blair was making life miserable for OKC. From the opening tip, this rookie was dominant inside and I loved it. He’s always a beast on the glass and he always finds a way to score after grabbing offensive rebounds, but last night he was a big threat on the pick-and-roll as well. Check out this unbelievable line: 28 points (11-17 FG, 6-8 FT), 21 Reb (10 Off), 2 Blk, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 6 PF in 31 minutes. I can’t say enough about this. 31 minutes! Yeah, this game went into overtime, but he didn’t even play big minutes for a regulation game. Yet, 28 and 21. Absolutely insane. Need I remind you that he has no ACL’s? No, you knew that already. Let’s appreciate this guy and enjoy it every time he gives a big Eff You to the teams who passed on him in the draft.

Tony Parker: So I guess this was bullshit, then? Haha, kidding. Jesse Blanchard of 48 Minutes Of Hell was on-point – Parker’s been hampered by plantar fasciitis for the past little while and his production has suffered for it. In this game, though, you would never have known. He, like Blair, came out on fire in the first quarter, where he scored 16 points on 7-9 shooting. He finished the game with 28 points and 8 assists and generally looked like the TP we’ve come to expect, getting where he wants on the floor and finishing way easier than logic would dictate.

Manu Ginobili: 0-10 from the field, 0 points. But he had 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block, and one of the biggest plays of the season:

This breathtaking hero play allowed Richard Jefferson to hit what would turn out to be the game-winning jumper with 9.1 seconds remaining.

Russell Westbrook: Here’s the line: 25 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds. Awesome, right? Well, the fact he needed 24 shots to score those points makes it a bit less awesome, but that’s okay for this 21-year-old. We know that he’s made significant strides in his all-around game and is continuing to improve with every game. Sure, he missed what would have been a game-winner at the end of OT, but this game doesn’t go to OT if he doesn’t hit that huge jump shot with 3.8 seconds left in regulation. Big game, in a great game.

Rockets 120, Timberwolves 114 (3OT!)

Corey Brewer: He sent this game into overtime with a shot from halfcourt. No analysis necessary.

Wayne Ellington: The rookie who started the season off shooting so, so poorly came up BIG. 7-12 from the floor, 3-4 from downtown. This includes the shot from distance that tied the game at 105, setting up the third and final overtime period.

Shane Battier: His three-pointer in the third overtime to give the Rockets a 6-point lead was a dagger of sorts. I also saw him get a huge block in one of the overtime periods. He actually finished with 5 (!) blocks in this game, a weird accomplishment for a guy who almost never tries to block shots on the man he is guarding. Funny thing is, he has a 6-block game to his name this year too. Check the boxscore and you’ll see he also registered 2 steals and 12 rebounds (7 offensive) in 49:34.

Aaron Brooks: A career-high 43 points in… 59 minutes and 25 seconds of action. What a night. What a looong night for the Wolves, trying to guard him. 14-30 FG, 6-9 3PT, 9-12 FT. Don’t tell me it’s not that impressive per-minute, don’t complain that he “only” got 5 assists. The man scored 43 points in an NBA game. Not easy. [Also, he only had one freaking turnover. One.]

Chuck Hayes: Love, love, love this line: 10 Pts (5-6 FG), 17 Reb (4 Off), 6 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO, 6 PF in exactly 50 minutes. There are not a lot of players in this league capable of putting up this line. I mean, only taking 6 shots in 50 minutes, and making almost all of them? The 17 boards are a career-high, as are the 6 assists. I suppose this shouldn’t be surprising, given that he played 50 minutes, but it’s so very impressive to be able to play that many minutes with the intensity and focus that he possesses. He’s the Rockets’ second-shortest starter, but he’s battling as a center every single night. He’s loving it, too, and I’m loving watching him. Brilliant basketball player.

Al Jefferson: 26 points, 26 rebounds. Fine, 26 shot attempts too. It’s still a beautiful line and he made several key baskets in the overtime periods. It’s well worth noting that his rebounding total is a new franchise record. Setting a franchise record for rebounding on a team that had Kevin Garnett for the majority of his career? That’s gotta feel good.

Pacers 122, Suns 114

Danny Granger: Here’s the guy that was rated so highly in fantasy basketball as the season began: 33 points (11-22 FG, 5-9 3PT, 6-8 FT), 8 Reb (1 Off), 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO, 4 PF in 40 mins. He led his team back from a 24 point deficit, which is very hard to do in the NBA. You know what’s harder? Doing that in two consecutive games. The Pacers had rallied behind Granger against Toronto just two days prior, when they were down by 23 points. I kind of doubt this has happened before.

Dahntay Jones: After receiving a DNP-CD against Toronto, Jones played 25 minutes in this one and scored 11 points on 6 FGA’s, with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block as well. I hated seeing him in the doghouse and hope that he will stay away from there from here on out.

Mike Dunleavy Jr.:30 points for Lil Dun and it’s the first time he’s done that as a Pacer. The last time he scored 30 was the final game of the 2007-2008 season. Dunleavy only needed 26 minutes and 14 field goal attempts to get that impressive total, which means he had a game that can only be described as “supereffingefficient.”

Steve Nash: He can’t be happy, with his team giving up such a huge lead. No one on the Suns seemed happy about letting Milwaukee come back against them the night before, and now to do the same thing but not even pull out the win? Awful. Still, I’ve gotta show him some respect. He managed his 20/9 in just 27 minutes because he had to get seven stitches to fix his busted lip after taking a first-quarter elbow from Earl Watson. Apparently, a tooth went through his upper lip. Tough guy.

Hawks 94, Wizards 82

Jamal Crawford: 14 of his 22 points came in the 4th quarter. This is his 2nd 14-point 4th Q. in less than a week. Antawn Jamison had made it a 66-64 game early in the period, but Crawford is making a habit out of taking over at the end of games and making sure his team comes away with a W. Perhaps we need a nickname for him that reflects this, but for the love of God don’t let it be “Big Shot Jamal.”

Antawn Jamison: It came in a losing effort, but it was impressive. 25/19/3 on the night. 17 of those points came in the 2nd half, as part of a push to come back from their 12-point halftime deficit. I hate that he’s stuck in Washington right now, but I love that he’s continuing to play hard and produce like the more-than-solid player and true professional that we know he is.

Celtics 111, Nets 87:

Ugh. I don’t want to look at numbers for this one. Check these videos out, though. One is Tony Allen almost hitting his head on the backboard whilst slamming home an alley-oop; one is Bill Walker being Bill Walker.

Knicks 93, Sixers 92

David Lee: You would have understood if he had skipped this game, as his grandfather passed away on Tuesday. Instead, he played and played well: 24/9/2 in a winning effort.

Sam Dalembert: You would have understood if he has skipped the game, as several of his relatives and friends in Haiti have yet to contact him since the horrific earthquake on Tuesday. Instead, he played and played well: 12/21/1 with a block and a steal.

Heat 115, Warriors 102

Dwyane Wade: He may not be averaging the MVP-level numbers he did last season, but he got ‘em this time. 35/7/9 on 10-15 shooting, with 3 steals as well. Oh, and he shot 15-15 from the line. So as to appear human, he turned the ball over 7 times as well.

Jermaine O’Neal: Also just took 15 field goal attempts and he scored 25 points. His +26 was the highest of anyone in the game and I’d be tempted to call it a “vintage” JO performance if he had just blocked a shot. In watching the final quarter, he looked great and looked like he was having fun.

Corey Maggette: He followed up his 32 points on 14 shots vs. Cleveland with 25 points on 11 shots here. This man has some obvious holes in his game, but he can definitely score and get to the line with the best of ‘em. 11-11 from the charity stripe tonight. He’s far from my favourite player to watch and you can hate him if you want, but know that this kind of efficiency is rare.

Anthony Morrow: I love watching this man shoot and I love seeing that he scored 24 points on 14 shots. I just love that he TOOK 14 shots – in his previous 3 games combined, he had just 13 attempts. 30 minutes tonight for Morrow and it should be that way every damn game. Come on, Nellie, realize what you have here. 4-5 from downtown.

Hornets 108, Clippers 94

Chris Paul: 15 points, 15 assists, 4 steals, +27. That’s what Chris Paul does. But most importantly, his team got a W. Happy to see that, even though I’m really, really feeling for the Clippers given yesterday’s AWFUL news about Blake Griffin.

Peja Stojakovic: 20 points on 8-14 shooting, 4-6 from downtown. He led the AP recap and I can’t think of the last recap I wrote where this was the case. Peja can be absolutely deadly when he spots up behind the arc and defenders are seduced into watching Chris Paul rather than getting out there on the three-point threat.

Nuggets 115, Magic 97

Carmelo Anthony: 27/7/5, shooting 8-15 FG, 2-5 3PT, and 9-9 from the line. It’s his second game back from injury and he did the things he didn’t do in the first game: rebound and get to the line. His team was down by three at halftime, but he scored 9 of his points in the crucial 3rd Q. where the Nugs outscored the Magic by 16.

Matt Barnes: He’s been starting lately for Orlando and he had a season-high in points in this game, finishing with 28. 9 boards, 3 steals, and a block show that he was doing his normal all-around thing during the 37 minutes he played. Unfortunate that his great performance couldn’t have come in a closer game.

Blazers 120, Bucks 108

Rudy Fernandez: He’s the only one I can feel happy for in this looks-much-closer-than-it-was game. The Blazers had a 33 point lead in the second half and the Bucks needed a 37-23 4th Q. to make the final look respectable. This was Rudy’s first game since Dec. 1 and I suppose there was a little rust – he went 1-5 in his 15 minutes, missing all four of his three-pint attempts. When he entered the game, the fantastic Portland fans gave him a standing ovation. Wish I had seen it live.

Fun With Stats

The Lakers won the 3,000th game in franchise history. They’re the first team to reach that mark.

Kobe Bryant needs 60 points to reach the 25,000-point plateau. If he wasn’t so far from 100%, I might make a crazy prediction that he’ll reach it next game.

Charlie Bell came into the game against Portland with 399 career three-pointers made. He hit 2 in the game. Over 400 threes? Not bad for a guy who a lot of people thought wouldn’t make it in the NBA. Not bad at all. MSU! MSU!

Quoted

“Yeah, I’m not retarded.” – Dirk Nowitzki, when asked if he knew the standing ovation was for him scoring 20,000 points.

“Crazy shit did happen.” – Gregg Popovich, on how the Spurs won.

I don’t even know if (Tim) Duncan could have done this tonight.” – Scott Brooks, on DaJuan Blair.

“He was 0-for-10 and he made the biggest play of the game. He basically won the game for them.” – Scott Brooks, on Manu Ginobili’s save.

“That’s one of those NBA games where you don’t want to see a winner. It’s two great teams battling.” – Jeff Green, on OKC/SAS.

“It was a great game. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the basketball gods for allowing us to win.” – Gregg Popovich, on OKC/SAS.

Tweeted:

@SI_ChrisBallard: Every time Serge Ibaka scores for Thunder – like now, after putback – the OKC PA plays the Chewbacca roar. Corny, but it does crack me up

@stackmack: J. Flynn and overtimes go together like cookies and milk. 3OT here we come!

@jeskeets: We might have to retire “Whoa Boy” after tonight’s ridiculous fantasy lines …

@bruce_arthur: This whole night in the NBA has been a #leaguepassalert

@Thirty2zero: I scored 43 in my new shoes. We won. And in 20 minutes it’s my birthday. I love this game!

@dmorey: Incredible effort by the guys on a back to back. Solid D. AB/Scola offense and Chuck/Shane defense were huge. Happy Birthday @thirty2zero .

Issac Baldizon/Getty Images

Hey heyyy, it’s the first BfB of 2010. I’m a bit pissed at myself for letting so many days go by without an update here, but at least I’ve been really active on Twitter, right? Right? Hope that’s okay. Anyway, 4 games on the schedule last night. There’s stuff to talk about.

The All-OTN Team

Serge Ibaka: 6 Pts (2-7 FG, 2-2 FT), 8 Reb (3 Off), 2 Blk, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 2 PF in 22 mins.

With the light Monday schedule, it’s not odd that we only had one All-OTN guy going. Ibaka had a good all-around outing, though, and he was on the floor for the final stretch of this 98-85 win over the Bulls despite his missed shots. Speaking of missed shots, one of them made me think. He missed a sort of difficult turnaround jumper and my initial reaction was, “Argh, why?!” Then, I thought about it for a second. It wasn’t the best shot, but it wasn’t far off. It’s actually pretty cool that he’s trying things and he has the freedom to make some mistakes. Some coaches would yank a 20-year-old rookie for that kind of thing, but that isn’t what happened here with Scotty Brooks at the helm. There are two reasons for this. First, Brooks knows that Ibaka’s effort in other areas will make up for a few missed shots. Second, Brooks knows that it would be detrimental to mess with this kid’s confidence. He’s not the kind of guy who’s going to be selfish and play the hero, so you trust him and give him a bit of leeway on the court. With respect to Serge’s offensive game, this will pay off sooner and in a bigger way than many people realize.

Oh, before I move on I want to share a note I made when he was matched up with Tyrus Thomas the first time he checked in: “him vs. Thomas = fun.” Pretty simple, but damn true. Love watching these athletic bundles of energy and potential go at it. Near the end of the third quarter, I made another note: “SERGE BLOCKS TYRUS’S DUNK.” Then, I checked on Twitter and saw J.E. Skeets had just said the following: “Tyrus Thomas vs. Serge Ibaka. That was fun.” Yup.

Rookie Watch

Eric Maynor: 6 Pts (2-4 FG, 2-2 3PT), 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO, 2 PF in 19 mins.

Okay, I’m good with him now. No, I’m not over the fact that Shaun Livingston is out of the league. I still don’t like thinking about it and I reallyfuckingwant some team to sign him soon. But I am not letting this get in the way of enjoying Eric Maynor anymore. It wasn’t his fault to begin with. He’s a fantastic back-up point guard and I love that Scotty Brooks (you can tell I’m a fan of his, right?) plays him WITH Westbrook, too. In fact, the two plays that stand out involved them hooking up – first, Maynor had a nice steal and made a beautiful outlet pass to Westbrook for a bucket. Later, he blocked Kirk Hinrich’s shot and, again, found Russ with an outlet pass. Here’s the second play:

Both of Maynor’s buckets were straightaway three-pointers. I know it’s a small sample size, but he’s shooting 62.5% from beyond the arc since joining the Thunder. His shots last night looked PURE – nothing but net.

James Harden: 13 Pts (5-11 FG, 3-5 3PT), 1 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO, 5 PF in 26 mins.

I expect great production from Harden at this point, so there’s not much to analyze here. Plus, I don’t want to say too much because he’s going to be featured in another piece I’m working on. So, for now, just take a look at his post-game interview with NBA TV.

Dante Cunningham: 7 Pts (3-5 FG, 1-2 FT), 3 Reb (2 Off), 3 Stl, 1 TO, 3 PF in 24 mins.
Jeff Pendergraph: 8 Pts (4-4 FG), 7 Reb (3 Off), 1 Blk, 1 TO, 3 PF in 30 mins.

It blows my mind that Cunningham and Pendergraph have to get real minutes now. Still, there’s no sense in complaining about what could or should have been in Portland. We may as well enjoy the young guys and, fortunately, they make that pretty easy. Both of these bigs play hard on every possession – if they mess up, it’s because they get caught doing something that rookies do. That’s fine with me, I’ll take their heart and passion on my team any day. While Pendergraph is characterized by the toughness and physicality of someone much more experienced, Cunningham is characterized by his athleticism and his activity level, as well as his mid-range J. Fun fact: all three of his steals came in one three-minute span near the end of the first half.

I’m not going to put Patty Mills’s stat line here because it’s not pretty, but I have to say I was very happy to see him check in during the 2nd quarter. I always like to see rookies make their debuts and I’m always partial to Australian players because I used to live there. Can’t wait to see him get more minutes, especially if he’s playing alongside my guy Jerryd Bayless.

Impressive

Michael Beasley: 22 Pts (10-21 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT), 8 Reb (3 Off), 3 Ast, 2 Blk, 3 TO, 4 PF in 39 mins.

Beas played one of the best halves of basketball I’ve seen from anyone this season, even without his awesome fro. Check it out, I took notes on the first and second quarters:

• Aggressive move on Josh Smith off the dribble, scores.

• Stop on Smith!

• Offensive board over Smith, then hits a jumper. Wow.

• Faces up Josh Smith and hits a J. 3-3.

• Good work on the boards, active.

• Nice move on Horford. Missed a shot, missed a tip, converted. So he’s missed 2 shots, but he actually scored on that possession. 4-6 from the floor.

• Wade finds him for 3 in the corner. 5-7: 11 points in less than 8 minutes.

• Blocks Josh Smith! Then goes to the bench.

• End of 1st Q., 30-14 for Miami.

• Back in to start 2nd. Playing the 3 though. I don’t like that.

• EASY open J against a zone. 6-8. 13 points. Still hasn’t missed aside from those two that he boarded.

• Misses a J over Zaza. 6-9. His team is up by 22 points, though.

• Faces up on the right side agaaaaain, drives and hits a hook. Crazy. 7/10. 15 points. The Heat announcers just called him “virtually unguardable.”

• Awesome drive past Smith on the left, layup. 17 points. 8-11 with a little less than 6 minutes left in the half.

• Nice cut, missed a baseline jumper but they scored on an offensive board anyway. Ha. 8-12.

• Nice shot on the inside off a Chalmers feed. Should have been an and-1, but no call. 9/13. 19 points.

• Fast break. Hacked by Crawford. Made 1st ft, missed 2nd. He looks pissed about missing that 2nd one.

• Nice contest on Josh Smith’s hook. Another stop.

• Goes to the bench… wow, nice half. The Heat are KILLING them. I hate this stupid matchup.

To be clear, he had 20 points on 13 shots, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block in his first 18 minutes of action. His team had a 17-point lead at the half and he was the biggest reason why. In the second half, for whatever reason, his production didn’t sustain. Not that it really matters that he went 1-8 in the final two frames, as his team still ended up winning by 17 and his buddy D-Wade picked up the slack. I’ll remember that first half though. It’s the reason I still think Miami has themselves a stud at the 4 without looking to Bosh or Boozer. When Michael Beasley is locked in, he can score on anybody and it looks like the easiest thing in the world. The defense is coming along, too.

Quick note – can we just scrap the Atlanta/Miami games? That first-round series last season had to have been the least-entertaining 7-game series in NBA history. This one ended 92-75, but it felt over after one quarter. Blowouts are no fun. Come on, you know you want Toronto to get the 5th seed.

Russell Westbrook: 29 Pts (13-24 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-5 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 4 TO, 2 PF in 45 mins.

Hope you caught him duelling with Derrick Rose early on, it was fun to watch. I know Rose had the edge last year, but with his relative stagnation and Russ’s D, I’d take Westbrook today. Not that it matters, and not that that means anything in the big picture. We should just be happy we get to see these guys (along with the wealth of other talented young PG’s balling right now) grow and do battle for the next decade-plus. Anyway, Russ’s 29/7/6 trumped Rose’s 19/7/3 and his team got the W. This is just another in a streak of great games from the former UCLA standout – let me direct you to a couple of tweets from ShamSports, referring to games played before last night’s contest:

Oh yeah, here’s another tweet you should pay attention to. I know it’s not exactly from an impartial source, but he’s got a point:

Oh, and Durant? 25 points on 14 shots, plus 8 boards. Impressive? Sure. That’s just what he does, though. He’s that good.

Devin Brown: 30 Pts (11-20 FG, 5-8 3PT, 3-5 FT), 4 Reb (1 Off), 1 Ast, 2 TO, 3 PF in 37 mins.

I still don’t believe my eyes. Devin Brown, on my impressive list? Ugh. I never thought I’d see the day and I’m not totally comfortable with it. He and Bobby Brown form a tandem that would make it impossible for me to root for this Hornets team if it did not feature the best point guard on the planet, Chris Paul. The difference is that Bobby is out of the rotation and Devin is, I guess, not that bad an NBA player. If I’m being fair. I don’t really want to be, ‘cause he bugs me, but there it is. He’s a decent rotation player. Not a starter, mind you, although he really did look like one in last night’s 91-87 victory in Salt Lake City. I mean, 5-8 from downtown? REALLY? I didn’t see all of this game but it seemed he nailed a jumper every time I flipped there. I’ll have you know that one of his threes came on a bank shot that made me laugh for a good minute. Ridiculous.

Chris Paul: 12 Pts (5-15 FG, 0-4 3PT, 2-2 FT), 6 Reb (3 Off), 9 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO, 4 PF in 39 mins.

I just said he’s the best point guard on the planet. He is. The man he was facing, Deron Williams, is up there as well. And, in all fairness, Deron played a better game by the numbers. 12 points on 15 shots doesn’t compare to D-Will’s 17 on 11. Plus, D-Will had 11 assists to CP3’s 9. But, hey, as much of a stat geek as I am, I’m telling you to throw all that out the window for a minute and appreciate what Chris Paul did at the end of this game. On a crucial play, he made an UNBELIEVABLE steal on a D-Will pass, then came down the other way and let the shot clock tick down before driving to the hole and laying it in. This was the defining moment of the game and the Jazz had no chance afterward. I’m not telling you to ignore Paul’s poor shot selection prior to this, but I’d like you to focus on how he came through at the end. That was huge. Actually, just watch the damn video:

Eric Gordon: 19 Pts (6-10 FG, 4-6 3PT, 3-4 FT), 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 TO, 4 PF in 27 mins.

What’s interesting about Gordon’s line is that pretty much all his damage came in the third quarter. The Clippers came out of halftime tied with Portland, but Gordon’s 16-point explosion propelled them to a 4-point lead going into the final frame Down the stretch, most of the scoring damage was done by Baron Davis and Rasual Butler, but you have to credit Gordon for shifting the momentum his team’s way.

Two things ALWAYS impress me about Gordon’s game. First, his jump shot. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’s easily one of my five favourite jump shots in the league right now. When the ball leaves his fingers, you expect it to go in every time. Or at least I do. The second thing is that he is aggressive and gets to the line. His 4 free throws last night fell short of his average (5.3), but that’s a solid number for a guy who attempted 10 field goals. You never expect pure shooters to be able to slash, draw contact, and finish, but this is a different type of player. He’s both a deadly shooter and an athlete. Plus, he can be a solid defender. The Clippers better not find a way screw this one up.

Andre Miller: 22 Pts (9-20 FG, 0-2 3PT, 4-7 FT), 3 Reb (2 Off), 16 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO, 1 PF in 40 mins.

I came to a strange realization a couple of weeks ago while watching the Blazers play: I kind of play like Andre Miller. In fact, of all the people in the league, I think I play the MOST like Andre Miller. I never planned this. When I started playing ball, I wanted to be Magic Johnson (and, hell, I still do). Later on, like everyone else on the planet, I obsessed over MJ. I imitated Tim Hardaway’s killer crossover. Then AI, Kobe, Nash, and VC came along. You know how it goes. But now I’m 23 and I’ve got no hops, no speed, and the growth spurt the doctors assured me was coming when I hit my teens just never came. I don’t play nearly as often as I should and I don’t work on my handle every day like I did when I was a kid. So, when I do play, I play like an old man. Head fakes, shot fakes, tricky passes, in-between shots. I play with my back to the basket sometimes, even against taller guys. All I’ve really got is a feel for the game, especially if my long-range shot isn’t on. This makes me kind of like Andre Miller and it makes me appreciate his game more than I used to.

Last night, everything was working for him, as you can see with the numbers. He was throwing outlet passes, running the fast break perfectly, getting his teammates layups and open 3-pointers. It was exactly what the Blazers brought him in to do and I loved it. At halftime, he was 3-11 from the floor (including a made field goal off an extremely lucky bounce where he tried to take Baron Davis to the post) but he was completely in control of the game, as evidenced by his 10 assists. In the second half, his shots started to fall and he kept finding teammates as well. This was great, great work from Dre. It’s a shame it came in a 105-95 loss, though. I hate to say it, but the one thing he wasn’t able to do was get Brandon Roy going. The Blazers’ franchise guy went 3-12 from the floor, with no free throw attempts.

Juwan Howard:16 Pts (8-11 FG,), 4 Reb, 1 Stl, 2 TO, 5 PF in 36 mins.

Juwan Howard is an intelligent vet who moves the ball quickly, plays good positional defense, and hits open jump-… wait, what? No way. Juwan Howard?! You’ve got to be kidding.

Uh-huh. Check the Twitter reaction, starting with my incredibly creative and witty commentary.

@outsidethenba: JUWAN HOWARD HOLY FUCK
@talkhoops: Juwan Howard just dunked on Kaman! WOW. What’s up, 1997?
@bustabucket: My head just exploded. Was that Juwan Howard!?
@jeskeets: Juwan Howard just crushed Chris Kaman!
@NBAnoise: Chris Kaman, meet your daddy, Juwan Howard. Posters go on sale tomorrow.
@sportsguy33: I’m at clips-blazers + Juwan Howard just posterized Marcus Camby. Crowd is still reeling. That dunk was from 2 decades ago.
@ripcityproject: I just lost my voice, the power went out, my christmas tree caught fire and the fridge opened to reveal a demon dog…thanks Juwan.
@jeskeets: #DikemebeMutomboAndOrGregOdenNBAHumor RT @wastro: Juwan Howard just got his first Sportscenter highlight since World War II. #Blazers
@docfunk: Chris Kaman just got his “Helping The Elderly” scout badge. #JuwanHoward #Seriously

To watch

I’m not going to fill up this section because I’ve included some videos throughout. Really wanted to share this Brandon Jennings clip, though. Two reasons for this: it’s cool seeing this fantastic rookie talking about his pre-game routine and some of the food his mom made for him while he was in Italy. Second, it’s hilarious that he’s talking about healthy eating in a segment sponsored by freaking Taco Bell.

To Read

Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm discusses the brilliance of John Wall and makes a bold claim about him.

Tom Haberstroh from Hoopdata looks at the NBA in Polychromatic Form for the third time. (So effing cool, but then… I’m a geek.)

Jon Robinson of ESPN discusses the return of NBA Jam (!!!) and some amazing NBA Jam-related stories.

Holly MacKenzie is the best.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Another seven games on the schedule on Tuesday night and I’ve got a lot to talk about. My eyes were focused mainly on Cavs/Hawks, Thunder/Wizards, and Lakers/Warriors, but I’ve done my best to cover everything.

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum: He didn’t play tonight, as he was bothered by injuries to both of his ankles. Without him, the Pistons lost 104-87 to the Knicks. Yes, the Knicks. With the ATL/CLE and OKC/WAS games going on at the same time, I hope you’ll forgive me for missing this one. Just looking at Detroit’s shot distribution is interesting, though. Rip Hamilton went 5-21 from the field to score 16 points. Rodney Stuckey managed 15 points on 13 shots. Ben Gordon got 17 points on just 9 shots. The rusty Tayshaun Prince played 24 minutes and went 1-4; the still-hurting Charlie Villanueva played 12 minutes and went 0-4. This all adds up to a terrible offensive night, but that’s not what I’m getting at – the question is how coach Kuester is going to keep all these guys happy. To be effective, all of these players aside from Prince absolutely NEED touches and NEED shots. When Bynumite comes back, he’s gotta have ball in his hands and the freedom to create. With all the injuries this team has been through, the feeling out process that should have happened in training camp and the first few weeks of the season is happening now. This team has to find a rotation that properly balances minutes for their numerous scorers as well as guys like Ben Wallace and Jonas Jerebko. What complicates matters is the fact that we know Joe Dumars is likely trying to move Prince and Hamilton. You don’t want to put too much effort into featuring these two if it’s not best for the team, but you can’t banish them and kill their trade value either. To be clear, I’m not saying the Pistons can’t get it together – there’s a lot of potential on this squad. The problem: as presently constructed, the roster is unbalanced and there are a lot of mouths to feed. I fear Bynum might get lost in the shuffle.

Shannon Brown: 7 Pts (2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT), 3 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 0 PF in 19 mins.

I was excited to see Shannon get 15 first half minutes, only to see him unfortunately ride the pine for most of the second half of this 124-118 win. While he was on the court, though, I appreciated his effort guarding Monta Ellis. It’s a tough assignment, but Brown doesn’t back down from anyone. He managed to make life difficult for the Warriors’ star guard, who scored 22 points on 23 shots in 43 minutes. As for offense, Shannon had three big plays, each coming near the end of quarters. As the buzzer beater sounded to close the first, he drew a foul on Ellis on a jumper. Then, near the end of the half, he dunked HARD on Vladimir Radmanovic, the man he was traded for last season. This should have been and and-1, but wasn’t, and I’ll post it here as soon as I can find a video. Finally, he hit a big three with a minute left in the third. Shame he didn’t sniff the floor for the final ten minutes of this one, save for the last 40 seconds when it was decided. Hope he focuses on the fact that his team got the W instead of the fact both Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar got more burn.

Update: Video of the dunk below.

Serge Ibaka: 2 Pts (1-2 FG), 2 Reb (1 Off), 1 Blk, 2 PF in 7 mins.

Forget not playing in the 4th, Serge wasn’t inserted into the Thunder lineup at all in the second half! Hard to complain, again, because his team won 110-98 over the Wizards and Nick Collison continued to play well in his place. Ibaka did have a very nice putback at the beginning of the second quarter, but that’s really about it.

Rookie Watch

Eric Maynor: 11 Pts (3-4 FG, 1-1 3PT, 0-1 FT), 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 Stl, 0 TO, 1 PF in 12 mins.

Here’s where I admit I have mixed feelings about Maynor. On the one hand, I liked him a lot the couple of times I saw him play at VCU and was enjoying his work this year in Utah. On the other hand, his arrival in Oklahoma City spelled the departure of Shaun Livingston, a long-time favourite of mine who I looked forward to watching every time the Thunder were playing. It kills me that Livingston is out of the league at the moment and so far it’s been difficult for me to watch Maynor without thinking about it. I know it’s unfair, but that’s probably how it’s going to be until Shaun catches on somewhere else (hopefully very soon). That said, Maynor was fantastic at the beginning of the fourth quarter in this one. His steals, passing, and penetration were huuuge. He even nailed desperation three at the end of the shot clock. It was all very nice to see. Kinda.

Jonny Flynn: 17 Pts (7-14 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT), 1 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 TO, 0 PF in 29 mins.

Didn’t see much of this 117-99 Spurs victory over the Wolves, but I like Flynn’s line. 17 points on 7-14 shooting is a nice bounce back after the 8 points on 2-12 shooting that he posted against Washington on Saturday. This is all a learning process for Jonny and the Wolves, though. Expect more nights like this and expect more nights like Saturday before the season ends.

Stephen Curry: 15 Pts (6-10 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-3 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 3 Ast, 4 TO, 3 PF in 23 mins.

Quick point guards generally do well against the Lakers, so I thought we might be in for a big bounce-back effort from Steph here. After he posted 9 points in the first quarter, it seemed like it was heading that way. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite keep it up and committed too many turnovers in the second half. Still, we saw him do the things we know he can do: he scored on jumpers and drives to the basket, and he pushed the ball and made the right passes.

Fun With Stats

Tyrus Thomas had a Tyrus Thomas stat line in his second game back from injury: 8 points on 2-10 shooting, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 5 turnovers. Two of those blocks came on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. I’ve missed seeing stats like that from him. For most of this season, I’ve also missed his teammate Derrick Rose. I mean, he’s been on the court for most of this campaign, but he hadn’t been putting up great numbers. In happy news, he extended his recent streak of good games last night by recording 28 points on 20 shots, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. I’m still not a fan of the 6 turnovers or the fact that 12 of his shots came from 16-23 feet out, though. Get to the basket, Derrick!

For the Knicks, David Lee had a 30/12/5 night and people are talking about him as a possible All-Star. Great stuff, especially because it only took him 19 shots to score those 30 points. His teammate Danilo Gallinari went 5-10 from the field and 4-9 from behind the arc. His one two point attempt was a jumper a minute and a half into the game. I love his three-point stroke, but come on! We know he can do much more than launch triples – his line frustrates me more than it amuses me.

Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson led the way for San Antonio, which is a nice change. Manu had a near-triple-double: 14/9/10 in less than 28 minutes. It’s hard not to get excited about that. Same with the fact that RJ poured in 24/6/3 with 4 threes and a block. Strange that he didn’t manage to draw a single foul, though. It’s also worth noting that the Spurs have now won 9 of their last 11 games, even if it has been a soft part of their schedule.

David West set a new career high in scoring as he finished with 44/12/4, including a 22-point third quarter and TWO three-pointers. Chris Paul had a 16/11/10 triple-double whilst only turning the ball over once in 42 minutes. Still, the Hornets lost to the Rockets 108-100. This is largely because Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks combined to shoot 15-24 from the field, including 10-15 from behind the arc. Insane numbers.

Emeka Okafor recorded 5 blocks against Houston, all of them coming in the same third quarter where David West went off. Anthony Randolph only played 19 minutes in Golden State’s loss to the Lakers, but he swatted 5 shots as well.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has scored 104,000 points in his career, all as a Cavalier. He moved past Brad Daugherty’s mark of 10,390 last night to become Cleveland’s second all-time leading scorer, behind LeBron James.

Speaking of LeBron James, he turns 25 years old today. Hard to wrap my head around this. On one hand, he looks and plays like he’s a lot older than 25. On the other, I vividly remember reading about him for the first time in SLAM when he was balling for St. Vincent–St. Mary. If you’ve been following along since then too, consider yourself lucky. We are obviously, OBVIOUSLY seeing something very special here. Happy birthday, Bron. I think I’ll celebrate by getting started on Shooting Stars.

Impressive

Kevin Durant: 35 Pts (12-19 FG, 3-6 3PT, 8-10 FT), 11 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 5 TO, 2 PF in 40 mins.

This is the 5th-straight 30+ scoring game for KD and, yet again, he’s doing it without sacrificing efficiency. The Thunder needed it, too. Despite all the holes in the Wizards’ defense, Durant was the only one who had it going for most of this game. That’s actually one of the most important things to take away from this game – the Thunder can find ways to win without playing their best ball for 48 minutes. In this game, their star kept them competitive for three quarters and then they took it to another level. Bad habit? Probably. But it’s also a sign they’ve learned how to win games.

Gilbert Arenas: 24 Pts (8-20 FG, 4-8 3PT, 4-5 FT), 7 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 Blk, 3 Stl, 3 TO, 3 PF in 40 mins.

If you’re a Gilbert Arenas fan, just look at that line for a second. Awesome, right? He hit every category and was kinda-sorta near a triple-double. I know I’m happy he’s on my fantasy team. Offensively, he was great all game. He hit very, very impressive shots and created for his teammates like the Gil we know and love. It would be dishonest of me to move on without bring up the defense, though. It was awful. The whole team’s D was awful, but Gil’s stood out. I don’t expect any NBA guard to completely stop penetration, but you have to at least be able to limit it. Arenas did not do that last night. Not saying it cancels out his great offensive effort, but it has to be mentioned.

Delonte West: 17 Pts (6-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 4-6 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 1 PF in 29 mins.

Yay, yay, yay. I love seeing Delonte play well and, this night, he was the player of the game. He demonstrated a knack for coming up with huge plays on either end when his team needed them. Did you see where he back-tapped a missed shot to a teammate? He has no business doing that at his size, but he got it done. Did you see when he got a rebound over Josh Smith and drew the 5th foul on Atlanta’s stud forward? Again, no business doing that. He’s able to guard bigger guys, penetrate the D, draw fouls around the basket, and score when it seems improbable. Ernie Johnson called him “effective and annoying”, with the latter referring to how opposing teams see him. I’ll tell you one thing: he doesn’t annoy me. I love LeBron, but Delonte is my favourite Cav and he has been playing fantastic ball lately. You should have seen me when he dunked on Josh Smith (video below). Best part? It was payback for a couple of possessions earlier, where Smith had blocked him.

Anthony Parker: 10 Pts (4-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-3 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 0 TO, 1 PF in 22 mins.

Those numbers aren’t going to blow you away, but I found myself thinking that this was the best I’d seen AP play in a couple of years. His block on the fast break was awesome, as was his cutting and his defense. His J looked perfect, too. If the Cavs can get inspired ball from Parker, West, and Mo Williams for the rest of the season, watch out.

LeBron James: 14 Pts (6-20 FG, 0-5 3PT, 2-3 FT), 8 Reb (1 Off), 10 Ast, 1 Blk, 5 Stl, 4 TO, 2 PF in 39 mins.

He’s not in this section because of his offense, trust me. His jumper was as off as I’ve ever seen – he missed it from seemingly everywhere on the court. He made up for it by delivering every time that he went to the rim (although this should have been way more often), setting up his teammates well, and playing amazing defense. Joe Johnson started the game 4-4 for Atlanta, but then he missed his next 9 shots and LeBron was a huge part of that. His defense on Johnson caused the Hawks to go on a ridiculous 8-minute drought to begin the 4th quarter. We all know James’s help defense is great, but I love seeing him take the challenge of shutting someone down 1-on-1. He suffocated Tyreke Evans in the Kings’ scoreless overtime last week and did the same to JJ here. The Hawks should have been more creative offensively, but this doesn’t take away from the work Bron put in.

Jamal Crawford: 26 Pts (10-17 FG, 4-5 3PT, 2-4 FT), 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 2 PF in 34 mins.

Crawford impacted this game as soon as he came in. It seemed he reached double-figures in scoring before I could blink. We know that Crawford hasn’t always been the most efficient scorer, but he’s been better in that regard for the Hawks than he has at any other point during his career. Last night, he had a TS% of 69.3. In addition to his 4-5 mark from downtown, he hit 4-7 from 16-23 feet, prompting Kevin McHale to start talking about the lost art of the pull-up jumper during the broadcast. He hit 8 straight field goals at one point (including a banked three-pointer), but his hot streak didn’t result in a win because he just didn’t have the help necessary to topple the Cavs.

Kobe Bryant: 44 Pts (13-27 FG, 2-6 3PT, 12-12 FT), 4 Reb (1 Off), 11 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO (!), 2 PF in 43 mins.

A season high in points and assists for Kobe. 7 of the assists came in the first quarter. He had to guard Monta Ellis for stretches, too. You’ve seen him have games like this before, though. The Lakers didn’t play a great game against Golden State, but Kobe put the team on his back. He’s the league’s most skilled, most fiercely competitive, and hardest-working player. He did everything he needed to do to get the win.

Corey Maggette: 25 Pts (7-11 FG, 0-1 3PT, 11-13 FT), 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 0 TO, 3 PF in 31 mins.

25 points on 11 field goal attempts? Another solid effort from Maggette, including numerous nice finishes on the break. He’s always been good at scoring and getting to the foul line, though… The problem is that often he has failed to bring anything else to the table. Lately, he’s been playing pretty hard on defense and sometimes making plays for other people on offense. He knows he’s a scorer, but he hasn’t been a black hole. This is a great thing.

Quoted

“By his effort alone, I think we owe this game to him in the win column.” – Phil Jackson, on Kobe Bryant.

“That guy is amazing. To be able to shoot like he did with the finger problems that he has on his shooting hand, it’s amazing. I love watching him play, and it’s always a pleasure to coach against him.” – Don Nelson, on Kobe Bryant.

“I can go out there on that floor and take anybody on our team on one-on-one at 52 years old and drive right around them.” – Flip Saunders (More on Flip’s post-game comments, including video, at Bullets Forever.)

“Right now we stink. And we’re showing it.” – Gilbert Arenas

“LeBron just treated Josh Smith like a rental car” – Ernie Johnson, after LeBron went past J-Smoove to score at the rim.

“Worst hair in the NBA, but he’s got hops” – Rick Kamla, on Josh McRoberts

Tweeted

@flintstone14: I am killing this rookie Jodie meeks in madden 10. 28-0 in second
@YUNGBUCK3: @flintstone14 omggg Jodie weak man, smh
@flintstone14: @YUNGBUCK3 this dude is weak. Lol

@talkhoops: How has Andray Blatche not taken over the world yet? And don’t say hookers.

@TheNoLookPass: A few friends of mine can probably relate to this 4th quarter between the Cavs and the Hawks: no scoring.

@ShamSports: Tyrus Thomas with his usual combination of awesome and terrible tonight. That combination can take different forms, but it’s always there.

Some background for these tweets coming up: The Hornets very nearly traded Devin Brown yesterday. Then, as you know, they lost to the Rockets.

@ticktock6: How many times a game do you think cap space will turn over the ball? More or less than Devin Brown?
@ticktock6: Noooo, Devin! Don’t leave meeeeeee!! Who will I blame everything awful that happens in life on now?
@ticktock6: OMG now the T-Wolves have taken the Devin Brown announcement OFF THEIR SITE. *dies* (if this falls through it will ruin my day. Ruin.)

Now, during/after the game…

@KDonhoops: Devin Brown, judging by his play, does not like his current team.
@ticktock6: None of this would ever have happened if we had traded Devin Brown today.
@ticktock6: The gloves are off now. It’s me vs. Devin. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Watch your step, Brown. I’m right behind you…..
@ticktock6: I’m afraid to fly home tomorrow for fear I will find Devin Brown has eaten my cats & written his name across the wall in their blood

To Watch

Delonte on Josh Smith:

Kobe getting Turiaf’d:

A nasty putback from Tyrus:

LeBron being LeBron at the end of the first half:

Manu is amazing:

To Read

A Kobe Bryant feature in GQ.

Tom Ziller names Tim Duncan the NBA player of the decade.

Ryan Jones names LeBron James the high school player of the decade.

Matt Moore says a book should be written about the Wizards.

Dave from BlazersEdge continues his decade retrospective, looking at Portland’s tumultuous 2002-2005 period.

Jason Friedman’s great recap of Rockets/Hornets includes a full transcript of Rick Adelman talking pre-game about Tracy McGrady.

I took a break from daily recaps last week, but trust me when I tell you I didn’t take a break from watching ball or reading about it. There’s no way I can let a week of action go by without sharing my thoughts, so here’s a mammoth recap. I’ve done this before, using Twitter updates and YouTube videos to guide me. This time, I went through my Delicious bookmarks and picked out a bunch of my favourite links from the week. Took forever, but it’s fun to share the work of some of my favourite writers.

Monday, Dec. 14

“Bucks Fans Respond to Bogut’s Incentive” – Fred Birman takes a look at Squad 6 for the NYT’s Off the Dribble blog.

I’ve linked to an article on Squad 6 before, but you may have missed that and this is a great piece. If you didn’t know, Squad 6 is “a wild cluster of standing, chanting and screaming fans decked out in wigs, sombreros and even a man brandishing a wrestling-style championship belt.” Bucks center Andrew Bogut held auditions for people to be a part of it, and all members go to the games for free. The important thing: you have to stand up the whole game and make noise, or you’re not allowed back. This kicks so much ass.

“Sometimes the truth hurts…” – Matt McHale of By The Horns takes an honest look at his team.

This is a bit of a depressing read, but it shows exactly how Bulls fans had to feel after their team’s performance against the Boston Celtics. It’s hard to follow a team that doesn’t play up to its potential on defense and runs one of the ugliest offenses in the league. These Bulls are not fun to watch, leading to fan frustration that is intensified by the fact that it’s hard to trust the team’s management. One reason that fans don’t trust the management is because of the whole Ben Gordon situation. After messing with their highest-scoring, hardest-working player’s role and minutes for years, they screwed him around in contract negotiations and eventually let him walk for nothing at the end of his rookie deal. Anyway, as McHale covers here, the Bulls really miss Ben Gordon. They had hoped that John Salmons would make up for his absence, but he’s apparently forgotten how to shoot the basketball (38.5 FG%, 32.7 3PT). So has Kirk Hinrich (35.5% FG, 29.6% 3PT). Without Gordon, the Bulls can’t spread the floor properly. The result, so far, has been a team that takes and misses a lot of long, two-point jumpers. Not fun.

“Rose and Vinny on Rose’s role” – Matt of Blog-a-Bull comments on a couple of pieces about Chicago’s young PG.

In addition to fretting over the generally ugly basketball their team has been playing, Bulls fans have been worried about their potential franchise player, Derrick Rose. There’s no sense skirting around the issue: he’s been disappointing this season. At first, his unspectacular play could be blamed on the fact he was coming back from an injury, but it has persisted. The problem is that the flaws we saw last season – poor man and team defense, poor outside shooting, and an only decent ability to create for his teammates – are still there, and his breathtaking drives to the basket are less frequent. Not many Bulls fans are jumping off the bandwagon completely, but few are as excited as they were last season. If you ask me, he’s still got a chance to be one of the very best players in the league. He’s got elite quickness and scoring ability and he’s only 21 years old. I think he’ll get better the year goes on, and, even if he doesn’t, we will see improvements next season. It’s important that he works on his weaknesses in the summer, though. And part of that responsibility is on the franchise that’s paying him – the Bulls have to make sure he is working on the right things so he can develop into the player they want him to be. A coaching change might be a start, here.

“NBA ‘Watchability’ Scale: Ranking Every Team Based On Entertainment, Not Talent” – Mike Prada of Bullets Forever tells us which teams he’s watching on League Pass.

If you somehow missed this last week, you’ll notice immediately that those Bulls I’ve been talking about are right at the bottom, heh. Anyway, as a League Pass addict I loved reading this and agree with the vast majority of what is said here. The Bucks are WAY TOO LOW at #11, though – I’d have Jennings and Co. in a three-way tie with the Rockets and Thunder, right at the top of the list.

“The Day T-Mac Lost The City Of Houston” – Clutch goes over a couple of clips from a Rockets/Raptors game last year that non-Rockets fans might have never seen.

Okay, this is a bit random… but I remember this game well. Not for McGrady’s loafing, although I do remember talking about that. I remember this because I watched this one at Raptors Fan Friday and, surprisingly, it was a blowout in the Raptors’ favour. Once the game was out of hand, Von Wafer had his coming out party, starting a streak of 12-straight double-digit scoring games after a string of DNP-CD’s. I ran into the great J.E. Skeets on the street later that night and we conversed about all things NBA. I drunkenly harassed him about why he hates Mike Bibby so much, but didn’t get a concrete answer. I’m pretty sure I made some absurd claims about how awesome I was at basketball as a 9-year-old living in Australia, too. Good night.

“Who is the MVP at the Quarter Pole?” – Zach Lowe at Celtics Hub says, based on numbers, you could make the case that Rajon Rondo is Boston’s MVP.

“Rondo giving it his best shot” – Gary Washburn takes a look at Rondo and his improving jump shot.

This is just the start of the Rondo love from last week. It’s great, isn’t it? Fine, I know, I know. Most people don’t like Rajon as much as I do. Just let me have this: Rondo is improving on his weaknesses and is possibly, POSSIBLY the key to the Celtics’ hot start.

“Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle Can Probably Beat You At Table Tennis” – Zac Crain shares a video from Dynamic Table Tennis TV.

Maybe it’s just me, but I found this incredibly amusing. I love finding out that NBA people have strange hobbies. This almost beats finding out that Todd MacCulloch has become a professional pinball player. I also love that this isn’t the last weird Carlisle link I have for you this week. Just wait.

“Haslem Accepts New Role, Still Wants To Stay With Heat” – Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse takes a look at the classy, consistent power forward.

A few telling quotes from and about Udonis in this piece. It’s actually from December 13, so I’m cheating a bit. I think it flew a bit under the radar, though, and you should read it. People don’t talk much about Haslem because his game lacks the, um, flash of some of his teammates, but he is a solid, dependable pro that all 29 other teams would love to have.

“With Blazers Struggling At The Point, Bayless Wants More Minutes” – The Baseline shares a quote from a frustrated second-year player.

There’s really not much to analyze here. Jerryd Bayless wanted more playing time when this was published. Just know that I’m smiling while I type this. If you don’t know why, you absolutely must keep on reading.

“Post-game thoughts: Raptors 101, Rockets 88” – Scott Carefoot of RaptorBlog takes a look at the Raptors’ point guard situation after this Sunday afternoon win.

Carefoot starts this piece by saying there should be no debate about whether or not Jarrett Jack should start at PG for the Raptors. In his view, Jack should start and the Raptors should be looking to trade Jose Calderon. Well, um, I think there is still a debate and I have to disagree with him. I love Jarrett Jack, but he can’t do what Jose Calderon does. Even against good defense, Jose does a tremendous job of running the offense and finding guys shots where they are comfortable. Two years ago, the man should have been an All-Star with the way he was shooting from all areas of the court, distributing the ball, and playing decent defense. Last season? Different story. Jose was hurt all year and couldn’t play D. This season? Well, that’s where things get complicated. His defense has remained pretty awful, although in my opinion he is still easily a net positive because of his offensive play. But it’s led some people, like Carefoot, to reasonably argue that Jack is better for the squad. He’s playing pretty damn well right now as Jose is sitting out with a hip problem. Calderon’s current status is making me question whether or not he was ever healthy this season. The key question here is whether or not we’ll ever again see the guy who should have been an All-Star two years ago. That guy wasn’t close to being the worst defensive PG in the NBA. Jarrett Jack is not nearly as good as that guy. I hope we get him back and this debate ends.

“Wizards’ Arenas missing the mark mentally” – Mike Jones of the Washington Times examines the strange clutch mistakes Gilbert Arenas has been making.

Reading quotes from frustrated players always bums me out. It’s especially upsetting when it comes to Gil, though. The guy was/is known for his immense swagger. Agent Zero isn’t meant to be missing free throws at inopportune times. He isn’t meant to doubt himself. But he’s human, so this stuff is happening. It’s all a part of the comeback process, I guess. More on him later. For now, a few videos before we move on to Tuesday’s stuff:

Rob Mahoney of The Two Man Game breaks down Josh Howard’s performance in his return to the court. This is a part of his fantastic Moving Pictures series – watch the others if you haven’t already.

Rockets players meet the Aaron Brooks bobblehead.

Happy Holidays from the Phoenix Suns

Tuesday, Dec. 15

“Carlisle On Mavs: ‘We Make Hard Work Out Of Sex’” – Um, the story is in the title.

Remember I said I had another weird Carlisle link for you? Well, yeah, this is it. If there’s a better (or funnier) way for a coach to express that his team is making things unnecessarily difficult, I haven’t heard it. Just brilliant.

“Chris Paul’s role: Superstar” – Henry Abbott examines what’s going on with Chris Paul and his Hornets, referencing some work done by Niall Doherty of Hornets247.

I feel a bit stupid linking to TrueHoop. Everyone reads TrueHoop. I’m not linking to the Simmons/Gladwell piece from this week, even though I enjoyed it. But then again, I think this Henry Abbott piece might have slipped by some people. It’s an interesting question – could Chris Paul possibly be hurting his team? Could the guy who dragged a team seriously lacking in talent to 49 wins last season be preventing his club from getting more wins now? The answer: um, maybe. Abbott’s intention is obviously not to diminish Paul’s brilliance, but rather to ask if his talents are currently being used properly. Here’s my take: Paul isn’t 100% and he is playing far too many minutes. You’ve no right to be mad at CP3, but if you’re mad at coach Jeff Bower for having him out there for so long, trying to do everything, that’s fine with me.

“The Knicks On Defense: Quarter Season Report” – Bandwagon Knick looks at the Knicks’ D using data from Synergy Sports.

I absolutely love reading pieces like this one. I’m definitely a stat geek and I think this kind of highly specific data helps us understand the game better. If you haven’t caught many Knicks games this season (and I wouldn’t blame you if that was the case), you’ll learn a lot. I’m especially appreciative that this post is focusing on DEFENSE, as that side of the game is so damn hard to quantify. I wish this info was available for every team in the league… well, actually it is, but it’s not cheap.

“So many deck chairs, so little time- 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors season through 24 games” – Jae from Golden State of Mind provides a harsh but fair critique of the Warriors’ start to the season.

I can’t say I actually enjoyed reading this, even though it’s excellent. Nellie’s Warriors have long been one of my favourite teams to watch, but this season they mostly frustrate me. I love Curry, Ellis, Randolph, and Morrow, but I don’t love the sloppy basketball they’re playing. Jae tells fans to let go of their playoff hopes if they still have them and can’t find a single bright spot in the season aside from Stephen Curry, kinda. Damn.

“GM 24 Recap – Snapped” – Philadunkia examines how the Sixers finally ended their losing with with a win over Golden State.

“Game Notes: Warriors at Sixers” – Tzvi Twersky of SLAM gives an account of his experience at the game.

Oh, this was a fun game for me. I’d been waiting for Philly to get a damn W. The best part was how A.I. played; here are a couple of quotes:

“What really impressed us is that he looked like he is finally getting his legs under him. He was quick, active and used his legs to go into his jumper instead of fading away. Getting his left knee drained twice may have helped and we’re sure having a couple days off did not hurt either.” – Philadunkia

“AI doesn’t seem upset that he’s not getting the ball too much (he’s playing off the ball, and goes plays at a time without touching it). He seems happy just to be playing meaningful minutes. Got to love that.” – Tzvi Twersky

There are a couple of things I don’t like, going back and reading these. Elton Brand only played 16 minutes off the bench in this one, even though he was effective. Oh, and Ivey’s knee problem has meant he’s only played one game since. Blah.

“The difference between admiration and awe” – The Roy Halladay trade inspired Scott Carefoot to think about Chris Bosh’s place in the hearts of Toronto fans.

The basic argument here is that, while Chris Bosh is certainly popular in Toronto, the fans don’t love him the same way they loved Roy Halladay or Vince Carter. If Bosh leaves town, they will be disappointed but not utterly devastated. Living in Toronto, this rings true to me. It’s unfortunate because you can make a very good case that Bosh is playing better basketball this year than VC ever has. The love we had for Vince here can hardly be overstated, though. We loved him like Philly loves Allen Iverson and Cleveland loves LeBron James. There was a time when he was the most exciting player in the world and we all took great pride in having him play in our city. With Bosh, it’s not quite the same and Carefoot captures that perfectly. As for Halladay? Wrong sport for me, sorry. But Wagman threw up on the street after finding out he was gone.

“Blair still a great unknown” – Jeff McDonald shares a couple of great quotes about rookie DeJuan Blair from Coach Popovich.

Rookie love, people. I dig it. The key Pop quote is here: “He’s a strange dude. Those things he does out there, I don’t know how he gets them done. I don’t know what his game is. I don’t know what to do with him.” This is hilarious to me. One of the best coaches in our game is saying even he doesn’t understand how Blair gets it done. The point is that Blair doesn’t really have any post moves, lacks height, lacks elite athleticism, but somehow manages to grab rebounds better than almost anyone in the league and score well around the basket. Pop doesn’t run any plays for Blair; he just throws the guy out there and hopes he delivers. The vast majority of the time, he does.

“Is Al Horford playing out of position or just creating a new one?” – Peachtree Hoops’s must-read on Al Horford’s improvement and where he fits with the future of the center position.

So good. The idea is that, even though Horford is a non-traditional center, he matches up favourably with almost every 5 in the league. With the way he’s producing and the wins the Hawks are piling up, it’s hard to argue this point. And all of this makes me happy. I was a bit worried about him when he didn’t make the second-year leap I expected him to. Turns out we just needed to wait a year.

“Sit down for this: NBA’s vital signs checking in just fine” – Ken Berger says that, despite attendance being down, there might be more NBA fans than you think.

Really interesting read. It sucks that so many arenas have so many empty seats, but at least people still seem to care about the league. It’s encouraging to know that TNT’s NBA ratings are up. The question becomes, then, how is the NBA going to make money off its new, young fans? Surely, a huge portion of the NBA’s 1.7 million Twitter followers are not coming to games. How many of these fans are shelling out the cash for League Pass Broadband? Can the NBA make up for the lost ticket revenue in other ways? I don’t know, I’m just asking questions here.

Wednesday, Dec. 16

“Recap: Cavs 99, Nets 89 (Or, That Was Just As Good As Any Other Regular Season Win! Technically Speaking!)” – John Krolik of Cavs: The Blog gives some insight into the Cavs/Nets game from the night before.

First, I have to say you should always Krolik’s stuff. Really, you should read all of the people I’m linking to here, but I’m mentioning Krolik in particular because I always feel like I’ve learned a lot when I read his stuff. I’ll admit that, despite LeBron’s awesomeness, the Cavs would not crack the top 10 in my watchability rankings. This means I miss more of their games than, say, Thunder games. I basically feel like I’ve watched the games after I read his detailed recaps, though. Anyway, the key thing that stands out here to me: Krolik appreciates Jamario Moon’s rebounding and believes that this skill would be key in small-ball lineups that feature LeBron James at the 4. He also implies that Mike Brown should, you know, actually play LeBron at the 4. I’m 100% with him on this. I loved the Jamario signing at the time (and the Parker one, too) mainly because it would allow James to get more minutes as a PF, where he is even more of a matchup nightmare than at the 3. I’m really hoping coach Brown experiments with this more as the season goes along. Even if he doesn’t, I still say the Cavs had a pretty damn good off-season. Moon and Anthony Parker may not have been loved much in some sectors of Raptors Nation when they were starters last season, but they’re more than capable role players in Cleveland. And as for Shaq, well… It hasn’t worked out that great so far, but methinks the move will pay dividends in the playoffs if/when they match up with Orlando. And you can’t forget that all they gave up for him was Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic.

“Phoenix Suns Remain Undefeated at Home with Win over Spurs” – Phoenix Stan happily reflects on a big Suns win at Bright Side Of The Sun.

This was one of the most memorable games of the week, if only for Goran Dragic’s performance. His 18 points were a career-high and he played great D, too. This man has made such great strides this season. It’s been said elsewhere, but I’ve gotta say that he’s impressed the hell out of me all year long. Watching him last season, I just couldn’t see him becoming a real rotation player. I love it when I have to eat my words about things like that.

“Thoughts on Pistons – Rockets: McGrady’s Debut” – Rahat Huq puts Tracy McGrady under the microscope.

Gotta show some love for the newest member of the TrueHoop Network, Red94. I hadn’t read any of Rahat’s work until the TrueHoop debut, but have devoured everything he’s written since then. Great stuff. Anyway, if you missed it, this is really all you need to know about T-Mac’s first game back. Love the little note on rookie Chase Budinger at the end, too.

“Media Row Report: Blazers 95 Kings 88” – Ben Golliver at Blazers Edge

“Blazers Mount Comeback, Edge Kings 95-88” – Tom Ziller at Sactown Royalty

“Game 23 Recap: Blazers 95, Kings 88” – Zach Harper at Cowbell Kingdom

All three of these writers are fantastic. The fact that I just happily re-read three different recaps of a game I watched should speak to that. Anyway, check these posts out and see the love for Jerryd Bayless and Tyreke Evans. Also, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the negative comments about Spencer Hawes just a little bit. I don’t hate much on here, but I have to say Hawes is one of my least favourite players to watch. He’s got nice touch on his shot, but he doesn’t play like a big man. He doesn’t have much athleticism, doesn’t grab many rebounds, and doesn’t play good defense inside. These are some of the same criticisms that have been fairly levied on Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani, but there’s a difference: Bargs has, albeit slowly, improved on his weaknesses each season. Plus, he occasionally does phenomenal things offensively that make me momentarily forget he has any weaknesses at all. Can’t say the same about Spencer.

“Post Up: Return of T-Mac” – Holly MacKenzie.

“Behind the Box Score, where the Spurs can’t guard anyone” – Kelly Dwyer.

“Lion Face/Lemon Face 12.16.09: Shaqzunas O’Nealkaus Edition” – Zach Harper.

Honestly, if you’re not reading the Post Up, Behind the Box Score, and Lion Face/Lemon Face every morning, I don’t particularly want you reading me. I look forward to these every day and could link them all over this post, but that would be a bit redundant so I’m just doing to do ‘em all here. You’ll notice some props given to Michael Beasley for his performance against Toronto in all three, and his quote featured in both Holly and Kelly’s pieces is my second-favourite from last week. It would seem that Dwyer is with me on Chase Budinger and Harper is with me on Spencer Hawes. Finally, um, I have to quote this bit of Lion Face/Lemon Face:

Seriously Toronto defense, go kill yourself. You’re putting all of these nice, fine Canadians into some jigsaw, Saw type of torture machine every time you hike up the shorts, sit down in a defensive stance and then allow a ton of points on a lot of easy shot attempts. Please check yourself and quick wrecking this Canadian pride.

“Back-to-Back Preview: Bulls and Bucks” – Dexter Fishmore of Silver Screen and Roll looks ahead to two games that (spoiler alert) the Lakers end up winning.

Including this because Fishmore totally eviscerates the Bulls in a way that not even Bulls bloggers have done thus far this season. Also, if you don’t love Andrew Bogut already (and you should because you know about Squad 6), you will after you watch the video of him high-fiving the air after a made free throw.

“Appreciating Charlie Villanueva: Perfect in the Post?” – Mike Payne of Detroit Bad Boys takes a close look at Charlie Villanueva’s success in the post.

I knew Charlie V. was scoring pretty well this year, but damn. He’s this unstoppable down low? I had no idea. This is an awesome use of specialized stats and it’s very encouraging for those who are worried about Detroit spending all their cap space on “two bench players” this past summer.

“Rondo’s Latest Trick: Consistency” – Jeff Clark of CelticsBlog argues that Rajon Rondo’s consistency this season means he should make the All-Star Team.

That’s right, another Rondo piece. You don’t have to read it if you don’t want to, but I loved it. I’m telling you (and so is Jeff), this guy has been a monster. The hate is irrelevant. He’s playing out of his mind and there’s no doubt in my mind that he deserves an All-Star nod.

“Nowitzki relishes role in crunch time” – Tim McMahon of ESPN Dallas uses statistical and anecdotal evidence to prove Dirk is as clutch as they come.

I fear Dirk in the clutch. He’s come up big at the end of games numerous times this season and the play where he beat my Bucks with his shot over Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is permanently etched into my brain. We were talking about consistency with Rondo, and, man, I’m not sure “consistent” is a strong enough term to talk about Dirk’s excellence in his twelfth NBA season. He has been so reliable all year that it’s hard to even know what to say about him. I expect a dominant performance every time he steps onto the court and that’s pretty much what I get.

“Warriors’ new slogan: Buy tickets or else Randolph gets it!” – Tim Kawakami remains very critical of the Golden State organization as he discusses the fact that Anthony Randolph is on the trading block.

It’s obvious Kawakami gets some joy out of slamming the front office. But, really, with the way they’ve treated their fans, I don’t blame him. The guy writes with anger but the anger is fucking real and I love it. I don’t, however, love what the Warriors are doing. At all. Randolph is a 20-year-old second-year player and the team has been screwing around with his playing time since he got to the Bay Area, regardless of how he’s performed on the court. Actually, you know what, I DO love that he’s on the trading block. Anything to get him out of there. Anything to avoid a Tyrus Thomas scenario. This kid has SO MUCH potential, I can’t bear to see him fail to realize it.

“Someone Over The Rainbow” – Rob Mahoney delves deep into Russell Westbrook’s game.

Man, what great writing. Seriously, I hope no one stopped after Monday or Tuesday. Look at the people in this section – Krolik, Ziller, Harper, MacKenzie, Dwyer, Mahoney, and the list goes on. These are pros. I’m just trying to learn from them. Anyway, Westbrook: the guy has such obvious potential to be an elite player. He is exciting as hell right now and his defensive abilities are off the charts for a second-year point guard. However, he doesn’t play like a “pure” PG and his decision-making can drive you a bit crazy. If you’re like me, reading this will keep you optimistic and patient when it comes to the possibility of him becoming who we want him to be.

“Livingston Keeps Moving Forward Without Looking Back” – Chris Tomasson of NBA FanHouse talks to Livingston and other players about his journey back to the NBA.

I’m just going to assume you know about the injury. Just reading the first couple of paragraphs made me feel sick, but I was smiling by the end of the article. Shaun has long been one of my favourite players and I can’t describe how happy it makes me to see him playing and contributing at the NBA level. It’s just a bonus that he’s on one of my favourite teams. He had unlimited potential when he was drafted and that’s curbed a bit now, but, really, fuck it. That’s not the point. I guess it kind of sucks if he never makes an All-Star team, but the fact that he’s playing at all is incredible. What a story. Root for this man and respect the hell out of him. Thank you.

“Ron Artest returns to Chicago and talks about environment” – Mike Bresnahan writes about Ron Artest as he returns to Chicago.

Remember I said the Beasley quote was my second favourite? Here’s, by far, my favourite quote of the week:

“It’s great. I take it on dates and everything. Fine wine. A lot of romance. A lot of kissing up. Trying to get used to her and hopefully she’ll give me her number. I love the triangle.” – Ron Artest, when asked about his relationship with the Lakers’ offense.

“Bynum hopes shoe swap will keep him healthy” – Vince Ellis.

“Suns forward Jared Dudley adds 3s to defense” – Paul Coro

If there’s a news story about an All-OTN Team guy, I’ve gotta share it. Not a whole lot here, though. Apparently, Will Bynum’s damn sprained ankles may have been related to the fact he was wearing shoes unsuitable for how he plays. And Jared Dudley has improved his NBA game the same way he improved his college game, by working extremely hard. That’s how he became one of the league’s best three-point shooters. But you already knew that.

Thursday, Dec. 17

“Just because you’re moving…” – Holly MacKenzie takes an honest look at what’s been ailing the Raptors.

Man, that Wooden quote. I LOVE that quote. I think the first time I heard it was when commentator Jack Armstrong said it during a Raptors broadcast years ago. Not 100% on that, but I do know it’s been with me for years. So, yeah, I was sold after the first line. But I kept reading and kept nodding my head as I agreed with everything and I kept grimacing as the mutual dissatisfaction with this Raps team sunk in. What’s bothered me most in the Raptors’ losses is that sometimes they just don’t play like a team I’d watch if I didn’t feel like I had to. I like every single player on this roster and feel like I’ve got to know them through reading and watching interviews and hearing stories about them during their time in this city, but, as a group, it’s just not working a lot of the time. If you look at the teams I love watching (ex. Rockets, Thunder, Bucks, Suns…), they seem to play better than they are. I love the little things they do. It’s ball movement, togetherness, hustle, and defensive intensity that get me. These Raptors have rarely had these things for a full 48 minutes. Even though they were projected to be a bad defensive team and that’s been their downfall, you get the feeling they are underperforming when you consider the talent on the roster. In short stretches, or, rarely, in one entire game, you see how dangerous this team could be if they got it right. This team gives defenses fits with its outside shooting and offensive execution. At times, these guys play solid team defense, especially when the more athletic bench players are in the game. But there have been so many little, stupid mistakes that add up throughout games. These mistakes lead to a sense of frustration on the part of both the players and the fans. Here’s hoping these decrease as the season rolls on and watching and writing about Toronto’s team becomes more fun.

“Despite setbacks, Oden optimistic on his future” – David Aldridge’s fantastic piece on Greg Oden and his rehab.

I’m sure you know how great of a writer David Aldridge is and I’m pretty sure you’ve already seen the videos and read the quotes from when Oden talked to the media at practice last week. I’ve got to link to this anyway, just in case you missed it… plus, I really want to be able to share a fantastic fact that I learned reading it: Oden’s dog is named Charles Barkley McLovin. You have to love that.

“Boris Diaw’s Fade Out” – Brett Hainline of Queen City Hoops searches for an answer to the Boris Diaw conundrum.

Diaw hasn’t been fitting in with this Bobcats team since Stephen Jackson arrived. It was great when he started producing for them after he came from Phoenix, but it was somewhat of a surprise as well. His star had certainly faded in Phoenix ever since his role was minimized with the return of their other key players. It seems like the same thing is happening in Charlotte now and it’s a problem. This Charlotte team is going to make another run at the playoffs and if they’re going to finally make it they will need his help.

“Game 24 Recap: Kings 112, Wizards 109” – Zach Harper of Cowbell Kingdom

“Tyreke Evans, You Are A Maniac” – Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty

I wanted to limit the amount of times I linked to the same people, but I’ve done it again. If you missed the Wizards/Kings game on Wednesday night, I’m a bit mad at you. But you can kind of make up for it by reading these great recaps and watching the videos. It sort of broke my heart to see Gilbert lose the ball at the end, but Tyreke Evans is just so unbelievably good. How is this man a rookie? It’s ridiculous. Fellow rookie Omri Casspi gets some much-deserved love in those writeups, too.

“Arenas overshadowed by $111 million deal?” – Michael Lee of the Washington Post talks to Gilbert about the big contract hanging over his head.

If I was Gilbert, I wouldn’t want to hear about the contract all the time either. But, unfortunately, that’s what comes with signing those deals. It’s going to come up, especially when you’re not producing like other people who are making that kind of money. To me, though, the root of the issue is expectations – both what we expect from a near-max-money guy and what we expect from a guy working his way back from a serious injury. I have to emphasize that making all that money doesn’t make you perfect. Making that money doesn’t make you completely responsible for the team’s fortunes. And, in this case, making that money doesn’t make you immune to rust and doesn’t make you recover from injuries at a superhuman rate. I’m sure different Wizards fans had different expectations for Arenas going into this season, but if you’re upset with his individual play I think you have to re-evaluate yours. Obviously, his late-game anti-heroics have been a bit of a shock, but is it a catastrophe that his efficiency is down from where it was before he missed two full seasons of action? Is it unexpected that he has trouble elevating at the basket now? It shouldn’t be. We’ve seen flashes of Gilbert’s former self this season but we’ve also seen a man who is mortal like the rest of us. He’ll get back to being Agent Zero, but it’ll take time.

“Phil designs Kobe’s heroics” – Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register gives some great insights about Kobe’s game-winner against Milwaukee.

You’ve probably already read this and know about Kobe’s flashback to the 1991 finals. It just felt wrong not to mention it in a weekly recap. Gotta say, I was rooting for the Bucks hard in this game. Like always. But when that shot went in, I wasn’t upset. That’s just greatness and I can’t be mad at that. The blocking call a couple of possessions earlier, though? I can be mad at that. Utter bullshit.

“New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni says sitting Nate Robinson was nothing personal” – Frank Isola of the New York Daily News shares some quotes from Mike D’Antoni about Nate Robinson’s benching.

Bah, this confuses me. I want to believe D’Antoni, but I find it difficult. Is Nate that destructive on the floor? Does he really make the team that much worse? What’s different from last season, when he was effective? It’s hard for me to argue against the benching with the way they’ve played better without him, but I think Robinson’s skills make him worthy of playing time. Mike is saying that Nate is “a good guy” and he’d “play Satan himself” if he thought it’d help the team, and I’m left wondering how honest he’s being about the whole situation.

“Q&A With Daryl Morey” – Jason Friedman interviews the Rockets’ GM at the quarter-mark of the season.

Before I talk about the content, I have to give huge credit to Jason Friedman and Rockets.com. I read more articles on the Rockets’ official site than all of the other teams’ sites combined and that’s pretty much just because of Friedman’s stuff. Now, onto Morey: I love his genuine and thoughtful answers to all the questions here and, when asked about team-building and what he’s learned since he’s been on the job, he gives the best anti-tanking argument I’ve ever heard. It’s simple as hell, but I’ve never thought of it this way. When you’re winning games, your players become more valuable. They’re seen as “winning players” and the demand for them goes up throughout the league. Houston’s positioned themselves to be a major player in the trade market if they want to because they have a bunch of guys on short, inexpensive contracts and they’re winning. This is the other side of the coin when you’re talking about accepting losses in order to get good draft position.

“Cavaliers’ West dealing with issues ‘one day at a time’” – Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News gets some great quotes from Phil Martelli, Delonte’s college coach.

This is another “big” article from last week, so I’ll leave the content alone and assume you’ve read it. I just want to add that West is a HUGE part of this Cavaliers team. I know he’s coming off the bench right now, but he might be the team’s second-most important player. He doesn’t look like he should be, but he’s well above-average on both ends of the court and, if the Cavs are going to do more playoff damage than they did last year, they need him. I don’t know the extent or the details of the mental health issues he’s facing, but I hope for his own sake and for the sake of NBA fans that he gets everything straightened out as much as it can be. I’ve said Cleveland isn’t one of my favourite teams to watch, but that has nothing to do with Delonte.

Friday, Dec. 18

Jerryd Bayless was the star on Thursday night, so all of the internet’s all-stars were talking about him on Friday morning. Some evidence:

“Behind the Box Score, where the Blazers have a new stud” – Kelly Dwyer.

“The Post Up: J. Bayless!” – Holly MacKenzie.

“Lion Face/Lemon Face 12.17.09: JERRYD BAYLESS JUST HAPPENED EDITION” – Matt Moore.

“Jerryd Bayless and the Liberation of Combo Guards” – Tom Ziller.

“Media Row Report: Blazers 105 Suns 102” – Ben Golliver.

“If You Don’t Know, Now You Know (Part 2)” – Rey Moralde.

“Jerryd Bayless!! Woooo!!” – Mark Schiralli aka mookie.

Yes, I know I said I would only link to those daily recaps once. Whatever. I don’t have a whole lot to add here on top of all those great pieces, but I’ll say this: I was fucking overjoyed watching Bayless do his thing that night. I thought he’d be a fantastic player when he came out of college and the one thing that pissed me off about that great Portland squad last year was the fact that they didn’t give him a chance. It’s true that his per-minute numbers were shit last year, but I’m telling you there was a reason Blazer fans wanted to see him play more. His talent was obvious, but he was being used incorrectly and sparingly. It’s so great that he’s a big part of their offense these days, even though I hate that it had to come at the cost of half their roster being injured.

“Links: My Decade” – Lang Whitaker doles out some nostalgia.

Seems appropriate that right after I talk about Bayless, the new thing, I go to something that’s been in my life for years: The Links. I’ve already told you the inspiration for my All-OTN Team came from Lang. Him talking about Robert Horry’s incredible performance in the 2005 finals along with a collection of animated .gifs definitely had me going down memory lane. It wasn’t that long ago where I didn’t read any of the people I’m linking to now except for Mr. Whitaker. Every day, I checked Hoopshype and SLAMonline for my NBA news. That was it. Then came TrueHoop and Ball Don’t Lie and the bazillion blogs that I read now. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss the simpler times – the wealth of information and analysis out there today is amazing. Just fun to take a look back for a moment.

“Arenas hoping Agent Zero can save Wizards” – Marc Spears gets some amazing quotes from Gilbert Arenas and touches on some rookie big men, Anthony Randolph, and more.

I think I’ve said enough about Gilbert and Anthony Randolph. Just read Spears’s piece if you haven’t. He and Woj turn out consistently excellent stuff for Yahoo!, but you know that already.

“In praise of the Big Piranha” – Nate Arch of Canis Hoopus gives props to Kevin Love after a Wolves win.

With Al Jefferson around, I’m not sure I agree that Kevin Love will definitely become the Wolves’ MVP, but I’m ready to be convinced. I’ve been a Love fan from the start – he does a ton of good stuff on the court. Some of it shows up in the boxscore; some of it does not. As Arch rightly points out, Kevin’s ability to contribute in multiple areas makes him potentially the team’s best player. I don’t want to steal too much from the post, so just read it. I’ll say this, though: if he didn’t already have such a big role and put up such good numbers, his intangibles alone would make him a lock for my All-OTN Team

“Game 24 Recap: Dallas 100, Oklahoma City 86” – Zorgon of Welcome To Loud City recaps the entertaining Thunder/Mavericks game.

I’m going to forgive Zorgon for writing this recap a day late because of the recognition he gives to my man Serge Ibaka. The All-OTN Team’s center was named the “Thunder Down Under” in this excellent recap. Key sentence: “Many props go out to Ibaka for significantly improving his game throughout the course of the season.” Wow. He’s significantly improved his game in a month and a half. That’s big. This guy was supposed to be a project. I’ve been telling you, keep your eyes on this him…

“Changing course: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City’s offensive star, is turning heads with his defense” – Darnell Mayberry talks about the part of KD’s game that others are not talking about.

If you haven’t been watching the Thunder play, I can tell you it’s all true. The most impressive thing I’ve seen from Durant in the NBA is not his ridiculous scoring ability – I knew he had that. It’s the fact that he’s worked on his game and turned weaknesses into strengths. There’s nowhere that’s more apparent than on the defensive end – no one has made more defensive strides than him in the last two years.

“KG: Klutch Guy” – Bent from CelticsBlog shows that Kevin Garnett has come up big at the end of games this season.

It’s impossible to make that “Garnett disappears in the clutch” argument now. So don’t do it. Thanks.

“One Pounding Dribblers Anonymous” – Scott Souza tells us how far Kendrick Perkins has come with his game.

Heh, another Celtics piece. My Toronto friends are going to hate me if they read this. Anyway, with all my Rondo love I’ve kinda neglected the Celts’ man in the middle. Kendrick has been a great defender for a couple of years now, but what’s really worth noting about his current campaign is the improvement he’s had on the offensive end. He’s making quick moves and getting easy baskets. The rest of the league can’t be happy that he’s becoming a legitimate offensive threat.

“Then and Now: Tony Parker” – Jeff Garcia of Project Spurs tracks Tony Parker’s maturation as the Spurs’ point man.

It seems so long ago that TP was a rookie and we didn’t know how good he was going to be. Remember when we were worried that he couldn’t shoot? How about when the Spurs almost signed Jason Kidd? This is a good look at how he’s become one of the game’s best PG’s.

“Pistons’ Will Bynum made himself into NBA player” – Jo-Ann Barnas.

“Pistons find a Swede surprise in Jonas Jerebko” – Vincent Goodwill.

“Rookie Austin Daye has been good for the Pistons” – Ted Kulfan.

Obviously, my favourite piece is the one on All-OTN Team member Will Bynum. You should read all three, though – they are fantastic reads. Plus, you need to learn about ‘em. These unheralded Pistons are all playing very good basketball right now.

“Brandon Jennings, Social Media Misfit” – Bethlehem Shoals gives his take on the $7,500 fine the league doled out to the rookie.

Obviously, Shoals gets this completely right. All day Friday, people were discussing the absurdity of this fine. He sent a message to his fans from his phone after a win, at a time where he’s allowed to talk and text on it. And now he’s $7,500 poorer. This is just stupid. At least Brandon hasn’t followed through with deleting his Twitter account.

“Raptors pile it on Nets, who continue to search for answers” – Holly Mackenzie’s gamer for the Raps/Nets game on Friday night.

A late Friday link, but had to include it because it’s the exact right angle. I was at the game and intended to root for my Raptors, but took absolutely no pleasure in how they got the win. I said it felt like a Globetrotters game, with all the fast break dunks the Raps were getting. Chris Douglas-Roberts was working his ass off all night, but some of his teammates were not. Holly points out that, somehow, the Nets had as many turnovers as field goals in the first half. Ugh. What an ugly game. Try not to feel bad for CDR while reading that, I dare you.

Saturday, Dec. 19

“Video: Rockets’ Landry embeds teeth in Nowitzki’s arm” – J.E. Skeets comments on the unbelievable collision from Friday night.

I have to lead with this for Saturday. I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Nothing more to add; I still can’t believe it.

“You Know the Drill: Cavs 85- Bucks 82” – Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball recaps Bucks/Cavs.

“Recap: Cavaliers 85, Bucks 83 (With Special Bonuses!)” – Mitchell of BrewHoop recaps Bucks/Cavs.

This was an enjoyable game, even though my Bucks lost. Quickly going to say that Milwaukee fans are spoiled by these two great blogs, and I’m going to quote each of them about Brandon Jennings:

“Maybe it’s because I’m a fellow skinny PG, but when I see Brandon bust his hump getting a hand in the shooter’s face, it makes me happy. He won’t be able to outmuscle anybody, but he can make shooters miss through sheer annoyance. I chalk it up to good coaching (thanks, Kelvin Sampson!).

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This point is less about Jennings’ use of the lost art of “hand-in-face” and more about his exceptional effort. He plays like a guy who flat-out loves the sport, and if he works in practice as hard as he does in games (which I hear he does), he’s going to be huge.” – Mitchell of BrewHoop, on Jennings’s shot defense.

“Jennings finished 5-21 and wasn’t able to create anything for the Bucks on the last play. Not that creating against Cleveland is very easy, they’re among the league’s best defensively and this is the second time in Jennings’ life he’s played them. So had he created a good look or hit a three there, it would have been beyond exceptional. That’s how things typically are in the league for rookies and it’s something we’ll likely be seeing more often than not the rest of this year despite Jennings’ talents.

_

But it’s not too difficult to envision the end of games two years from now when Jennings IS able to create something and the Bucks DO have the talent to win these kinds of games. And then Bucks fans will be talking about their superstar and how he’s the reason they’re winning. I hope.” – Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball, on Jennings at the end of games.

“Mr. $111 Million Drops A Determined 45 Points Against Former Team” – Kyle Deidie of Truth About It joyfully discusses Gilbert’s breakout game and shares other reactions to it.

YES! This game was so fun to watch for me, just to see Gilbert light it up. I know the Warriors team defense was pathetic, but still. He dropped 45. Finally. After all the depressing crap I linked to earlier with him, you know this is my favourite piece. Let me have this: Woooooo!

“How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Jonathan Bender” – Seth Rosenthal of Posting and Toasting is impressed with the newest Knick.

Man, it was awesome seeing Jonathan Bender on my TV playing basketball again. And, whoa, I didn’t expect him to have a debut this good. Did you watch that video? He does NOT look like a guy who hasn’t played pro ball in years. I know it’s just one game, but still. This is encouraging. Be happy.

“The Recap: December 19th, 2009” – Holly MacKenzie.goes over Friday’s games for The Score.

Wow, this feels like the millionth Holly Mack piece I’ve linked to. I originally wanted not to have more than one link by the same person. Oh well. You should be reading The Recap on The Score every day, whether it’s Holly or Scott Carefoot doing the work. Anyway, the reason I’m linking this? Check the quote of the game for the Memphis/Indy:

“There are too many words to describe what he’s meant to this team so far. He’s been an energy guy, a guy who’s been a leader for this team and a veteran. Going out and putting in the work he’s been doing on and off the court has been amazing.” – Mike Conley on Randolph’s presence.

Holy shit. I’m guessing you didn’t expect to be hearing that kind of thing about Zach Randolph. I certainly didn’t, but I’m excited about it. You know I’ve been loving how the Grizz have been playing.

“GM 26 Recap: POW…How you like us now?” – Jeff McMenamin recaps the Sixers’ victory over the Celtics.

A good recap as always, but I have to single out the Elton Brand bit because it’s what I’ve been trying to say since the damn season started.

At center it should be a no-brainer to have Elton Brand start, but you never know with Eddie Jordan. For some reason Brand has been the odd man out of the rotation for most of the season and since Brand is such a class-act guy there’s been really no complaints out of the big man. Well for all the complaints which he left unsaid I’m going to make sure that you know them now. Brand should start, Brand should play over 35 minutes every game, Brand is still capable of putting up 20/10 every night, Brand is a leader on and off court, and Brand will shock the NBA in the second half of the year. Give the man his due. He cares more about dominating at the game of basketball than he does about the contract which he signed a little more then a year ago. I’m tired of the media saying it’s his fault for underperforming when Jordan has played him less then 30 minutes in 12 games this season. This [Holiday/Iverson/Iguodala/Speights/Brand] is the starting five which will lead the Sixers to wins like the one against Boston last night.

“Rajon Rondo’s Assists Demand Our Attention” – Greg Payne of CelticsBlog.

“Rondo’s frustration, and why can he do whatever he wants” – Red’s Army.

I’m saying no more about Rondo. Just letting other people do the talking for me.

“Robinson wants trade from Knicks” – Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports shares a trade demand from Nate’s agent, Aaron Goodwin.

“Agent Says It Is Time for Robinson to Leave” – Howard Beck of the New York Times reports the same thing. I think his was first, but you have to be a member of NYTimes.com to read it.

I think my feelings on this should be obvious. If a trade means Nate will actually get to play basketball, I’m all for it.

“Kirk Snyder: A life unraveled” – Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune tells Kirk Snyder’s sad story.

Man… I don’t know what to say. This is just really, really fucking sad. At least we’ll always have this.

“Dennis Rodman’s fame benefits rich and poor” – Dan LeBatard with a fascinating (to say the least) look at where Dennis Rodman is at right now.

Um, wow. With this and the Snyder story… Just wow. So much crazy stuff in this article. I do, however, know that the answer to the question on the side of the page regarding Rodman and the Hall Of Fame is a definite “yes”.

“Free Amir” – Tom Liston’s ode to Amir Johnson.

I needed the Saturday section to end on a happy note. A song about an All-OTN Team member, set to The First Noel? That’ll do just fine.

Sunday, Dec. 20

“Bailed Out By a Star: Kings 96, Bucks 95” – Tom Ziller recaps Evans/Jennings. I mean… Kings/Bucks.

What a game this was. I LOVED watching the league’s two top rookies go at it. Both played very well. I can’t wait to see them do it again for the next, oh, fifteen years or so. I was rooting for the Bucks, as usual, so I didn’t appreciate Tyreke’s amazing game-winner as much as, say, Ziller. But, still – great game. And Tyreke Evans is indeed a star.

“Clippers 112 – Philadelphia 107 – Overtime – Improbable” – Steve Perrin of Clips Nation recaps Clips/Sixers.

“Clippers 112, Philadelphia 107 (OT)” – Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog recaps Clips/Sixers.

The end of the fourth quarter was insane. Check Arnovitz’s piece for the video. I still can’t get over it. These are two L.A. Clippers blogs, and neither of these writers are saying Iggy’s shot was definitely no-good. That was the closest buzzer-beater I have EVER seen.

“Magic get defensive against Blazers” – Philip Rossman-Reich goes over the Magic/Blazers game.

This wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Magic got the win. What’s notable for me this bit about Vince Carter:

This was the kind of game where Orlando needed him to do other things. And Carter did that. Vince finished with seven rebounds and three assists and did a decent enough job defensively to try and make up for some of his offensive failings tonight.

So, even though he hurt my fantasy team, Vince was able to be a positive for Orlando in a winning effort. This, despite having a miserable (1-14) shooting night.

“Rockets 95, Thunder 90” – Darnell Mayberry’s notes on a Thunder loss.

“The Rockets do it again on the glass to take down the Thunder” – Royce Young of Daily Thunder gives his take.

Ahh, two of my favourite teams facing off. I was rooting for Oklahoma City, but knew this would be a tough matchup for them. The Rockets seem to just have their number. Anyway, serious love for Ibaka here. Mayberry points out that he played all but 1:40 of the final period and that his block on Chase Budinger was so big that they replayed it on the jumbotron despite the fact this was a ROAD GAME. Young, well, he said this:

Serge Ibaka ladies and gentleman. The line for the fan club starts right behind me. He had 10 points on 5-5 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots in just 23 minutes. He’s going to be getting 30 a night soon and potentially sending Nenad Krstic into extreme role player mode. You watch.

Erm… fan club… I have to line up behind someone? But I named him to my team! Argh, fine… I’m with you, Royce. Gotta love the “Chewblocka” nickname too, ha.

“Sunday Discussion – Offensive… to say the least” – J.G. of Daily Thunder ponders whether OKC’s offense needs re-tooling.

Another solid Daily Thunder post. This is a really intriguing question to me. I commented on it, actually, but there are 82 freaking comments there now so it’s lost somewhere in there. I think a big part of the issue is what you think of the previously discussed Russell Westbrook. I believe in him and think he’ll get it, so I’m more inclined to stick with Brooks’s system.

“Team Resiliency Strikes Again” – Jason Friedman of Rockets.com gives Houston’s perspective on the Rockets/Thunder game.

Hey, check it out, Friedman again! I told you there’s quality stuff on the Rockets website all the time. Read this piece if you want to know why I fell in love with this Rockets team. It’s all there.

“Read Between The Lines” – Graydon Gordian of 48 Minutes Of Hell examines the last ten seconds of Saturday’s Spurs/Pacers game.

This is a really interesting look at how 10 seconds can be a pretty good microcosm of a season. Tim Duncan has been the saving grace of the Spurs’ year; everyone else is surrounded by question marks. I should elaborate about Saturday night – it was a bit crazy. This Spurs game was decided by one point and a dunk from Timmy D. ended up being the game-winner. You already know about the Iggy and Evans shots. In addition to all of this, the Chicago/Atlanta game went into overtime and the Bulls pulled out a victory. With all that, plus wanting to watch the rookie battle, plus catching bits and pieces of the Suns/Wizards game (which turned out to be a Phoenix blowout), I was flipping channels like a motherfucker. Yay for League Pass.

“Interview: Jazz Rookie Wes Matthews Making Most of Opportunity in Utah” – Chris Littmann’s video interview with the Jazz’s undrafted rookie.

Just watch the damn thing. If you can’t appreciate that an undrafted rookie who thought he was going to play this year in Europe is now starting for Jerry Sloan’s team, you have no soul.

“Raptors use late run to put away Hornets” – Eric Koreen’s game story for Sunday’s Toronto/New Orleans matinee.

I love hearing that DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems are being called Batman and Robin these days. It’s been obvious since the start of the season that they have great chemistry off the court and, now that Weems is seeing consistent time, they’re showing it on court as well. I went to this game, mostly because I wanted to see Chris Paul, and I didn’t get exactly what I was expecting. Paul was held in check by Marcus Banks and Jarrett Jack and an ankle injury. Not that he would admit the injury was bothering him. It was nowhere near a perfect game for Toronto, but I loved watching the bench guys get after it and I am currently not as discouraged with the team as I was earlier in the week. When I got home, I took in some more games and have a few things to say. First, Zach Randolph! Remember that Conley quote? Yeah. Dude had 32 pts and 24 rebs (9 offensive) yesterday against Denver. This came in a winning effort. Several of those points and boards came at timely moments, keeping Denver from getting too close. To quickly wrap up (because, Jesus, this is long): The Celtics/Wolves and Lakers/Pistons games went pretty much as you’d expect, Brandon Roy was a beast against Miami in a Portland win, Dallas impressively took care of Cleveland without the services of Dirk Nowitzki, and the Knicks managed to beat Charlotte on the strength of a huge Danilo Gallinari block in the final seconds. Now, a couple more links and this is over…

“As Weird as Finger Panes” – Bethlehem Shoals is inspired by the fact that the New York Times said Darko Milicic’s lasting impression will be the fact that he was immortalized in the name of the FreeDarko blog.

Instantly, this is a classic FD piece. It prominently features Amir Johnson, which pleases me, but I must say I definitely do NOT associate anything resembling a sinking feeling with him now that he’s on my Raptors.

“Jumping head-first into the Bucks’ ‘Squad 6’” – Andrew Wagner of OnMilwaukee.com joins Squad 6 for a game.

And we finish how we started. Just a fun piece about what it’s like to go crazy in Bogut’s section for the night. Check the video at the bottom, too.

Evan Gole/Getty Images

In yesterday’s recap, I said I “let myself down” by falling asleep and missing 4 hours of NBA action. Well, last night I fell asleep and missed one half of basketball. Just one half. But, ugh, when I was awoken with a phone call at about 1:30 AM and the broadcast was over, I positively hated myself. I stay in to watch basketball, always loving it, always hoping to see something amazing… and last night, although I was in, I was passed the hell out on my couch when amazing happened. There were numerous great performances last night and I’ll get to them all, but first let’s re-live the incredible ending of the Lakers/Heat game, the ending that I missed because I am a complete idiot:

Holy shit. Okay, let’s move on…

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum: 12 Pts (2-8 FG, 0-2 3PT, 8-10 FT), 5 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 PF, 4 TO in 29 mins.

Gotta focus on the 10 free throw attempts, here (although the 5/5 is nice too). I read an excellent Pistons breakdown on Bucksketball the other day, where Jeremy Schmidt pointed out that Bynum averages four attempts at the rim per game. Beyond that simply seeming impossible for sub-6-footer playing less than 30 minutes a game, this is just so valuable to a team. Penetrating the D and making the opposition shift is one of the most important parts of basketball and Bynum is able to do that extremely well at the NBA level. He can get himself all the way to the basket seemingly by sheer will-power (oh man, no pun intended – seriously) and draw fouls if he can’t convert. Terrific skill to have for a “backup” point guard.

Shannon Brown: 2 Pts (1-5 FG, 0-2 3PT), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 PF, 1 TO in 15 mins.

I don’t have much on Shannon from last night, but should point out that he spent a bit of time guarding Dwyane Wade during Flash’s quiet first half. Also, check out his reaction to Kobe’s buzzer-beater:

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Amir Johnson: 4 Pts (1-2 FG, 2-2 FT), 3 Reb, 1 Stl, 5 PF, 2 TO in 17 mins.

Funny how a guy who deservedly has a bad reputation for fouling ends up saving a game for his team by avoiding contact. After having picked up 5 fouls in 17 minutes of action, Amir was able to use a bit of “trickery” to fool Gilbert Arenas on the final play of OT. As Gilbert went to the basket, he was focusing on drawing contact rather than putting the ball in the hole. When Amir got out of the way, Gil was unable to convert. Check out Amir talking about the play, post-game:

Serge Ibaka: 6 Pts (3-5 FG, 0-1 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 23 mins.

The numbers won’t blow you away, but this nasty block will:

Rookie Watch

DeMar DeRozan: 16 Pts (6-10 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-5 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 PF in 27 mins.

So proud of DeRozan last night. The first half was something special. Building on what we have seen before, he made aggressive move after aggressive move on offense, putting pressure on Washington’s weak D. He scored 16 points in his first 16 minutes, including these three beauties:

It’s just a shame he didn’t add much in the second half. I wanted to see him come back in the game down the stretch, but it’s hard for me to complain too loudly when his team came away with the overtime win.

Wesley Matthews: 18 Pts (7-13 FG, 2-7 3PT, 2-3 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 5 PF in 35 mins.

Matthews was absolutely huge for the Jazz in this game, which ended up being closer than it should have been after Utah started the game up 22-3 on Indy. The Pacers were killing it in the 2nd quarter, but this rook converted a 3-point play with 37 seconds left in the half and followed it up with a three-pointer to beat the shot-clock with just 3 seconds remaining to keep the lead at 13. He continued his solid play on both ends of the floor down the stretch. The 18 points were a career-high and his defense on Danny Granger was fantastic. No Jazz player was bigger besides Carlos Boozer, who finished with 35 and 13 in this 96-87 victory.

Taj Gibson: 14 Pts (7-14 FG, 0-2 FT), 13 Reb (4 Off), 1 Stl, 5 PF in 36 mins.

This is the first double-double of Taj Gibson’s career and I’m actually surprised it hasn’t come sooner. The guy plays with a ton of hustle and you have to dig that. As the 26th pick in the draft he was definitely not supposed to be starting for the Bulls, but he has done a more than admirable job all year considering the circumstances. Of course, you’d like him to get to the foul line more often, but, again, this is a late first-round pick giving his all. Appreciate this guy, even if you’re still bitter about the whole DeJuan Blair thing.

Brandon Jennings: 15 Pts (6-20 FG, 3-10 3PT), 5 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 38 mins.

Damn. Another poor shooting night for Brandon. I can get behind the 8 assists and 5 rebounds, though. Here’s the frustrated rook on Twitter, down on himself after this 105-96 loss on the road.

You just feel his frustration, don’t you? But here’s what I love about Twitter: two of my very favourite players in the league telling the star rookie to keep shooting:

Jonas Jerebko: 16 Pts (5-9 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-7 FT), 7 Reb (2 Off), 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 27 mins.

This is the first time this Swede has been mentioned in my Rookie Watch but it won’t be the last. He is definitely an All-OTN-type player, doing all the little things that help you win games. He’s only 22, but he contributes on both sides of the floor. Always great to see that in a rookie. You have to read Brian Spencer’s piece on him for Empty The Bench and check out this quote from his coach last night:

“Jonas has emerged as one of the best rookies in this league—he is really expanding his game. He was huge.” – John Kuester

Before I move on, I should mention that he hit a key jumper with less than 2 minutes to play to put his team up by 9. Fantastic when a rookie helps to secure a victory like that.

Fun With Stats

For this night, I’m going to examine a few pairs of players who came through in big ways.

Kobe Bryant: 33 Pts (12-25 FG, 2-3 3PT, 7-8 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO, 5 PF in 42 mins.
Dwyane Wade: 26 Pts (7-21 FG, 0-1 3PT, 12-18 FT), 7 Reb (2 Off), 9 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO, 4 PF in 41 mins.

Those lines aren’t important – these are superstars, you expect numbers. What’s important here is the battle these two had in the 4th quarter. Kobe had 17 in the final frame and Wade had 12, including 9 in the final two minutes. As you know, though, Kob’ had the last laugh with his impossible game-winner after Dwyane missed a free throw.

Brook Lopez: 31 Pts (12-22 FG, 7-7 FT), 14 Reb (6 Off), 2 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO, 3 PF in 40 mins.
Courtney Lee: 27 Pts (11-16 FG, 3-4 3PT, 2-4 FT), 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 0 TO, 5 PF in 33 mins.

Amazing numbers there, but the most important numbers are here: 1-18. Yes. FINALLY. The Nets have erased that 0 from the win column. It took enormous efforts from these two sophomores to get it done, but they finally got it done. Thank God Courtney Lee is finally starting and thank God Stephen Jackson’s clutch three-point shooting wasn’t enough for the Bobcats to avoid the 97-91 defeat. On this night, the whole NBA world was rooting for the Nets and they came through. Such a relief.

Al Harrington: 27 Pts (11-17 FG, 4-8 3PT, 1-4 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO, 4 PF in 39 mins.
Chris Duhon: 25 Pts (10-16 FG, 4-8 3PT, 1-2 FT), 4 Reb, 10 Ast, 1 Stl, 0 TO, 1 PF in 36 mins.

Look at that efficiency! BY FAR the best performances from these two guys this year. Knicks fans have been used to these two clanging threes, but on this night they went in. Harrington took it to his former team in Danilo Gallinari’s absence and Duhon thoroughly outplayed Mike Bibby. I bet you didn’t expect the Knicks to beat the Hawks by 7 on the road, but it happened: 114-107.

Zach Randolph: 24 Pts (11-20 FG, 2-2 FT), 15 Reb (9 Off), 3 Ast, 3 TO, 3 PF in 39 mins.
O.J. Mayo: 25 Pts (10-16 FG, 5-8 3PT), 4 Reb (1 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 0 PF in 40 mins.

I bet you didn’t expect the Grizzlies to beat Dallas by 16, either, but you should know that Dallas has now lost 3 straight games in Memphis. The Mavs couldn’t match the Grizzlies’ energy and they let Randolph and Mayo completely school them on the offensive end. Knock their low assist totals if you like, but these guys can flat-out put the ball in the hole and that helped their team get a 98-82 win on this night.

Impressive

I’ll continue with another pair of players here – these two faced off against each other as they returned from injuries:

Chris Paul:16 Pts (6-13 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-3 FT), 6 Reb, 15 Ast, 8 (!!!) Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO, 3 PF in 38 mins
Kevin Love:11 Pts (3-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-4 FT), 11 Reb (3 Off), 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 3 PF in 24 mins.

Woooooow. 8 steals for Paul? 11 rebounds in 24 minutes for Love? It’s amazing how these guys can come back and be seemingly without rust. Don’t expect them to put up these performances every night from now on, but appreciate what they did last night. Paul completely dominated the game en route to a 98-89 Hornets win, and Love showed off the three-point stroke he worked on this summer. I am so very much looking forward to watching these two play for the rest of this year.

Now, the most impressive player of the night for me (aside from Kobe, obviously). This guy showed the heart and determination his team desperately needed in a winning effort:

Chris Bosh: 31 Pts (13-25 FG, 0-2 3PT, 5-8 FT), 16 Reb (9 Off), 4 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO, 2 PF in 41 mins.

His work in the 4th quarter was breathtaking: 13 points and 6 boards, with 5 of them coming on the offensive glass. He made timely, difficult plays and bailed the Raptors out when nothing else was working. Hedo Turkoglu ended up making the game-winning shot in overtime, but it was Bosh who kept the team alive and put them in a position to win. Raptors fans have been seeing these amazing performances from him all season, so it’s a shame the team only has 8 wins. Really hoping the team can string a few wins together here and it’s not just because I’m from Toronto. It’d just be a shame to waste an MVP-level season from this young power forward.

Quoted

“Chris Bosh is a man possessed right now.” – Raptors colour commentator Jack Armstrong, during the 4th quarter I just mentioned.

“It’s just one at the end of the day. It’s one win. We wanted it to get it out of the way. It means a lot. We did it. We can’t be satisfied with it. We’ve got to move forward and put something together.” – Chris-Douglas Roberts, after the Nets defeated the Bobcats.

“That’s Black Mamba. I knew he was gonna make it.” – Ron Artest, on Kobe’s game-winner.

Tweeted

I’m just going to go with a string of Kobe-related tweets today.

@RobMahoney: For everyone who doesn’t think it’s worth it to stay in on a Friday night to watch the NBA…you just missed something special from Kobe.

@offseasonblog: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@seanfrancois: KOBE! wow…#ShouldWeHaveExpectedAnythingLess?

@kpelton: Are you kidding me? #wherekobehappens

@jalenrose: Lakers Kobe for 3…of the wrong foot for the Win vs heat…best clutch in the NBA…insane!

@Nat77: wow… That was a ridiculous shot! you can’t help but love this game when you get moments like that from legends like Kobe

@AndreHoops: You watched it for 2-plus hours like I did. It’s not about hate, it’s about excellence. Appreciate THE best player n the NBA 2day. Thx Kobe.

@stackmack: I just lost my mind. Totally just lost my mind. Holy freaking Wow.

@outsidethenba: fjsad;klj;sakljls I didn’t see Kobe. Didn’t see anything. FUCK.

To Watch

An unfortunate series of events for rookie Sam Young:

Jeff Green hammering home the reverse before the Celts took over to win 105-87 :

LeBron James and Joakim Noah exchange words during the Cavs’ 101-87 victory over the Bulls:

Some long-overdue joy in New Jersey:

The newest 76er talking to his college coach, John Thompson:

To Read

The best piece I’ve ever read on future #1 pick John Wall.

Part One and Part Two of Chip Crain’s interview with Grizz owner Michael Heisley.

Some words on Allen Iverson from Eric Snow, Holly MacKenzie, and Dei Lynam.

To Listen

Kelly Dwyer on Lakers.com

The latest FreeDarko Presents: The Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast

The latest Chronicles of Crotty