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Oh, Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert. With the news of what happened on both the team charter on that fateful Dec. 19 or what happened in the locker room on Dec. 21 changing almost hourly at this point, no-one really knows what to make of the whole situation. Least of all James (Ed.: No arguments here). However, since white people everywhere seem to be reacting with revulsion and abject horror to the entire situation, I figured I would weigh in here. I have problems with a couple of claims that have been made.

I: Arenas crossed a line that no-one in sports ever does.

Uh-uh. For while we may not have any proof to the contrary, given the prominent role guns have in the United States in general (and ESPECIALLY in sports) we would be pretty remiss to think that no athletes bring weapons with them to work. Especially in Major League Baseball, the NFL and NBA. Why? Well, most pro athletes didn’t grow up in the suburbs. Many of these guys come from pretty shitty areas in society: Compton, generally poor rural areas in the south and Midwest, the various ghettos of New York, the Greater Miami area, and Chicago. I’ve heard over the years plenty of times people in media proclaim how so and so ‘left the ghetto behind’. It doesn’t work like that. Even though they left and may well have brought some family and friends with them, that’s still where they are from – that’s where their friends live and, more importantly, that’s where their enemies live. Street rules say you have to protect yourself. It’s just the way it is. Who knows if someone from the past, jealous over success or in need of some money, would try to jack a pro athlete? For their and their families’ safety, most would be crazy to not own some protection. And while gun laws may say a gun needs to be kept in a safe, with a trigger lock and with a clip of ammo in a SEPERATE safe, if the goal is protection that doesn’t do particularly much. For a gun to be effective as a means of defense it has to be visible (as a warning) and accessible (should it ever be needed). To think no other athlete in another sport ever did something like bring a gun to a locker room, or even horse around with it, is naïve as all hell.

II: Athletes don’t do dumb things that endanger themselves or the public.

Uh-uh. A few names for you:

• Plaxico

• Ray Lewis

• Pacman Jones (1)

• Pacman Jones (2)

• Pacman Jones (3-6)

Vehicular Manslaughter anyone?

According to this, there have been 308 NFL players arrested since the year 2000 for various charges.

Hell, even commentators get in on the act.

To single out Arenas is unfair to Arenas and to the victims of ACTUAL crimes committed by athletes. Stallworth got 30 days in jail for KILLING someone! Gilbert could be facing more than that for being an idiot. Hell, Jamaal Tinsley unloaded a HUNTING RIFLE in the middle of the street and nothing happened. And don’t even get me started on Marvin Harrison. (Aside: the witness suffered an unfortunate accident in August of 09 when he got in the way of several men with guns. In an interview with police shortly before his death, he named Harrison as the likely person behind it. At the time, there were news stories about it galore, now I can find none. Read into that what you will.)

So now you’re wondering why I’m defending Gilbert, right? The answer is I’m not. My point that he isn’t a bad person or didn’t do anything uniquely horrible for a professional athlete doesn’t mitigate the fact that he is a raging moron who fully deserves whatever penalty he incurs. What we as a society are doing, though, is placing some of our fears on Arenas and persecuting him for that rather than what he actually did.

When we were kids, we all went through the years and years of anti-bullying campaigns. We all are well aware of the psychological and physical dangers of it. Yet here we have a PRIME example of bullying in public that we can use to educate the next generation and we’re too busy lynching Arenas to notice. Look at the facts that we know:

1. The dispute started over a card game where the rules weren’t preset, apparently Gilbert disputed and left early.
2. Gilbert enjoys a position of power, strength, and financial security that the teammate does not (i.e. he makes 100000x more money).
3. Rather than mediate the situation, Gilbert needled and mocked the person owing money mercilessly. He allegedly threatened to torch Crittenton’s car (in jest) and, when he didn’t respond to the joke kindly (with the “I’ll shoot you in your bad knee” line), he took the joke to the next level rather than backing off.

What is that? CASEBOOK BULLYING! Arenas pushed around his weaker teammate, mocked him until the guy almost snapped, then continued laughing. When initial reports were that Crittenton threw the gun across the room, my reaction was, “I would have done WAY worse.” No wonder Washington’s locker room is falling apart. And aside from that, even if he did want to continue the joke, the incident occurred in a public area shared by his co-workers, with numerous people around. An incredible lack of respect for the people around him (who were put in an awkward and potentially dangerous situation) as well as to Crittenton who now has had his manhood challenged in front of his entire team.

A few months ago, a few friends and I took a road trip to Miami. While we were there, we decided to go to a shooting range (best $50 I’ve ever spent). I’ve handled guns before so I wasn’t too nervous, but my friends were a bit skittish. They had never seen a gun close-up before, let alone fired one. After getting our guns from behind the counter and being shown they were unloaded, one of my friends turned around, and, while turning, briefly pointed his gun at me. He immediately apologized multiple times and I was pretty rattled by it. Why? Well, even though I knew the gun was unloaded, and knew that I had my own gun in my hand, and knew that he is one of my best friends and wouldn’t shoot me, I was still EXTREMELY uncomfortable having a gun handled that way and aimed in my direction. Even he, who had never handled a gun before, recognized that while I was in no REAL danger, there was enough threat of danger that I could potentially be angry at him.

A man who owns four guns should realize this too. Even if he was challenging his friend in jest, he still challenged him. He created an incredibly dangerous situation, mostly for himself. It wouldn’t likely be a bystander who would have gotten hurt had things continued to escalate, it probably would have been Arenas himself who’d be shot. While I don’t think his teammates now have ill will towards him, there must have been a bit of distrust after that. They must have been watching him out of the corner of their eyes. Surely Washington is going to try to void his contract and cut ties, but what if they can’t do that? And what if they can’t trade his huge contract? If he returns to the Wizards, every eye is going to be on him every time he gets a razor from his locker. The players might still be friends, but that’s a poisonous environment.

He created a media circus in Washington for the first part of 2010 and that had to wear down, irritate and distract the team. When he apologized and said he would use better judgement in the future, that should have been it. But he called out Al Sharpton, said he wanted to sue the New York Post for defamation of character, pretended to shoot teammates in a pregame huddle, and called David Stern “mean”. Even though his character WAS defamed (see above, he isn’t a murderer/rapist), when the District of Columbia is convening a grand jury to indict you, IT’S TIME TO SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!

I used to quite like Arenas. Great player to watch, very likable guy. But the same qualities that make him a great player to watch and likable – his brashness, his swagger and his arrogance – have shown that he is, in fact, immature at best, stupid most probably and socially retarded at worst. I understand that he wants to represent himself, thus having no agent, but at a time like this wouldn’t it have been prudent to hire a PR firm to help repair his image? Shouldn’t he have run his twitter binge idea before a lawyer and a publicist first? Shouldn’t he have made sure that he didn’t further anger the league’s higher-ups? Isn’t it common sense to not make fun of a situation WHILE IT’S STILL GOING ON? Arenas has, for the past few weeks, acted with the same foresight and common sense possessed by 5 year olds. And it’s not a good look for him.

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We’re finally back with the fifth episode of The Outside The NBA Podcast and it feels good. Julian, Wagman, and I start this one off by dredging through the Gil/Critt mess. Then, we name the official player of the podcast. We briefly touch on Ron Artest before getting into the Andre Miller situation in Portland and discussing all of the teams at the bottom of the standings (except Indiana, for some reason). Since there was only one game last night, this is actually current. Hell yes. Runtime is just over 66 minutes.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

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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.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Oh, it has been far too long since the last BfB. Holidays and all, you know. I can promise these will be more frequent now, though. Anyway, seven games on the schedule last night and three of them turned out to be fairly big upsets. Fun!

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum: His team didn’t play last night, and I’m kinda worried about his playing time and his role after watching Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, and Tayshaun Prince return to the Pistons’ lineup on Sunday at the Air Canada Centre. HOWEVA, I have something for you: an awesome look at his high school days from a documentary, discovered by Piston Powered.

Shannon Brown: 10 Pts (4-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 1 PF in 15 mins.

No highlights for you today, unfortunately, but that’s a nice line in limited action. What pisses me off, though, is that Sasha Vujacic played 19 minutes in this game. Plus, when we reached garbage time with 6 minutes to go in this surprising 118-103 loss to Phoenix, Brown played and Vujacic didn’t. So, the minutes discrepancy is even greater if you’re talking about meaningful minutes. That’s not okay.

Jared Dudley: 19 Pts (6-10 FG, 3-4 3PT, 4-6 FT), 7 Reb (2 Off), 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 2 PF in 28 mins.

Dudley was the player of the game for Phoenix, as he led the bench unit that took apart the Lakers. That scoring total ties his career high and that efficiency brings a big smile to my face. The Suns’ announcers called his performance “amazing”, “off the charts”, and said “he is so fun to watch”. Agreed. He hit several big threes, grabbed key rebounds, made great passes, drew fouls around the basket, and played smart defense, much of it coming against a guy named Kobe Bryant. I loved every second of it. Here’s his post-game tweet and his first ever appearance on NBA TV’s arena link:

Serge Ibaka: 6 Pts (2-3 FG, 2-3 FT), 9 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 0 TO, 2 PF in 17 mins.

Going up against the Nets, this wasn’t Serge’s most spectacular game. The rebounds stand out, though. The talent-deficient Nets can’t afford to let teams get offensive boards if they want to win and Ibaka got 4 of ‘em. The Thunder rolled to their 3rd straight win, 105-89. This rookie’s best highlight came immediately after checking into the game, where he came flying out of nowhere to get a put-back lay-in. His lowlight was when Keyon Dooling dunked on him. Sadly, Tony Battie dunked on him too. Meh, there’s still plenty to like here and his team won the game they were supposed to win.

Rookie Watch

Brandon Jennings: 24 Pts (9-18 FG, 2-5 3PT, 4-6 FT), 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 5 TO, 3 PF in 41 mins.

His play was the only thing to be happy about when it comes to last night’s game if you’re a Bucks fan. And I’m kind of a Bucks fan. I witnessed him score 7 points in about a minute in the first quarter and he scored 9 straight points in the third quarter as well. The third quarter run wasn’t enough to get his team out of the hole they had dug themselves earlier, though. What hole, you ask? Well, the Bobcats outscored Milwaukee 33-14 in the second Q. Blah. I still love the Bucks, but Jennings can’t do EVERYTHING for them if they expect to win. His teammates shot 35% from the field in this one.

Jeff Pendergraph: 11 Pts (4-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 1 Blk, 0 TO, 2 PF in 19 mins.

He wasn’t supposed to play these minutes, but you know the deal in Portland. Good for him, I say – last night’s effort shows that Pendergraph intends to make the most of his opportunity. Portland fans have to be a bit depressed about losing 103-94 to the Sixers, but they should take some solace in the fact that their unheralded rookie managed to score 11 points on 5 shots in just his fourth game back from injury. I need to see more of him to get a better feel for his game, but I can tell already that he’s got the right attitude. Much like the next two guys on this list, he provides energy and toughness. The skill stuff? Not sure yet, but I’m optimistic.

Omri Casspi: 11 Pts (4-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-4 FT), 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO, 3 PF in 36 mins.

You just have to love this guy. Unfazed by his 1-6 start from the floor, he contributed in other areas and hit his last three attempts with his brother watching from the stands for the second straight game. This included a thrilling dunk a couple of minutes into the third quarter and a HUGE three-pointer with 2 minutes left in the 4th. As is usually the case, his man and help defense was a positive for Sacramento in this 106-101 victory over Denver.

Jon Brockman: 6 Pts (1-3 FG, 4-4 FT), 10 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 TO, 5 PF in 17 mins.

Whoa, two Kings rookies here and neither one is Tyreke Evans! Ha. If you didn’t know, ‘Reke sat this one out with an ankle injury, making this W all the more impressive. Brockman was a big part of the winning effort, as you can see by those rebound and block numbers in limited action. I love watching this guy and think every team needs someone like him. You know the type – dirty work and defense. You can tell that other bigs don’t like facing off with this particular rookie and you can tell that he doesn’t give a shit. It’s unfortunate that his exuberance sometimes leads to more fouls than you’d like, but you kind of have to accept that for now. At least he helps make up for it with his knack for drawing fouls on the opposition when he goes up for rebounds and puts up shots on the inside. Without Brockman, I don’t think the Kings would have made it to overtime against the Lakers the other night. Doubtful that they would have pulled out this win without him, too. And I’m quite sure there’s no one else on this roster capable of blocking a Nene dunk.

Stephen Curry: 0 Pts (0-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-1 FT), 2 Reb, 0 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 3 PF in 11 mins.

I take no joy in pointing this out, but he was -16 in that time too. If you’re talking about the toughest night of Steph’s young career, this has got to be right up there with the time Nellie benched him against the Knicks in mid-November. Normally, I’d be pissed off that he didn’t get more time even if he was playing poorly, but it’s hard for me to do that on a night like this one, where the Warriors defeated the Celtics 103-99. I just hope Curry can enjoy the huge win with his teammates, even with the way he played.

James Harden: 3 Pts (0-10 FG, 0-4 3PT, 3-4 FT), 6 Reb (3 Off), 1Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO, 3 PF in 23 mins.

This was very strange to watch. I’m not sure what was wrong with the bearded rook last night, but he couldn’t get anything to fall. It didn’t matter if the shot was open or contested, whether it came on the perimeter or around the basket – nothing would go down. The shots I’ve seen him make all year were bricks. The rest of his game wasn’t affected too much, despite what the low assist total might imply. He played the same type of ball we’re used to, but just couldn’t buy a bucket. Luckily, all he’s concerned about is the win. I am sure he’ll bounce back.

Fun With Stats

Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd combined for 4 points on 1-10 shooting in 35 minutes. This should give you some insight as to why coach Scott Skiles opted not to play them in the second half.

Zach Randolph filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal in Memphis’s 116-111 overtime win over Washington. Oh, and Z-Bo went 9-9 from the line, including hitting two free throws to tie the game with 0.3 seconds left in regulation. What’s crazy is that I expect this production now. Check out the numbers he’s been putting up lately! In the same game, Gilbert Arenas filled the stat sheet with 30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 5 threes.

The Grizzlies only have a winning record overall against 4 NBA teams: the Wizards, Raptors, Clippers, and Bobcats. The last time the Wiz won a game in Memphis? November 3, 2004.

Vladimir Radmanovic pulled down 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Yes, that Vladimir Radmanovic. I don’t understand it either.

The Celtics had 25 turnovers in a game they lost by 4 points. The Nuggets shot 20-35 from the free throw line in a game they lost by 5 points.

Philly shot 58% against Portland. 104 points might not look like a crazy offensive night, but this was an 87-possession game. That’s 119.5 pts per 100 possessions. The Suns lead the league in that category with an average of 111.8. This was a combination of very solid offense from the Sixers and poor interior D from the Blazers, as Philly managed to go 23-31 at the rim and 7-11 from inside of 10 feet. (Hoopdata’s box scores are awesome.)

Brandon Roy has managed at least 23 points in 13 straight games now. No player has a longer 20+ scoring streak going.

With 8 wins on the road this season, the Thunder have matched last year’s total. Also, the team is now 11-2 when KRS-TIC scores 10 points or more.

For the 19th consecutive game, the Nets were outrebounded.

The Lakers really seem to be missing Ron Artest. With Luke Walton sidelined as well, their lack of depth was exposed last night – the Suns’ bench outscored L.A. 52 to 31.

The Suns have now defeated the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic this season. These are the top three teams in the league, record-wise.

Impressive

Gerald Wallace: 21 Pts (7-13 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-9 FT), 14 Reb (2 Off), 4 Ast, 1 Bl, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 3 PF in 43 mins.

21, 14. Ho-hum. This is what it’s come to with G. Wallace, which is crazy. He is just piling up stats and he’s as fun to watch as he’s ever been. Unless you’re rooting for the other team, that is. I appreciate the hell out of the way he hounds you on defense, outjumps and outworks you for rebounds, and gets out on the break. Last night, I just wished it had a less demoralizing effect on Milwaukee.

Kevin Durant: 40 Pts (15-22 FG, 0-2 3PT, 10-12 FT), 5 Reb (1 Off), 2 Ast, 3 Stl, 5 TO, 1 PF in 40 mins.

I feel for you, Trenton Hassell. You’re smart enough to know there’s no one on your team better fit to guard Kevin Durant. You’re smart enough to know how to best defend KD, given your size and athletic ability. You’re also smart enough to know that it probably won’t make a difference. Your best effort won’t be close to enough if Durant is playing as he should be, which he was. 40 points on 22 shots? Incredible. And none of it seemed forced. Hell, none of it seemed particularly difficult. The Nets don’t have anyone that comes close to matching up with him and their team defense is just poor. KD scored in every way imaginable. Beautiful to watch.

Nick Collison: 11 Pts (5-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-1 FT), 10 Reb (4 Off), 1 Blk, 3 PF in 29 mins.

Before I leave the stats behind, I should mention that he was +25 on the evening and he would have been 5-6 if not for a full-court heave at the end of the third quarter. Now, remember when I said every team needs a Jon Brockman type? Collison is that guy for the Thunder. He’s less reckless and thus less exciting than Brockman, but he’s ahead in the mental game at this point. If you’re still focused on his stats, then add two charges taken, numerous solid picks, and a few nice passes that didn’t result in assists. I’m telling you, he was big.

Yi Jianlian: 29 Pts (11-20 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-9 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 2 Stl, 3 TO, 4 PF in 42 mins.

I must say I was intrigued to see Yi after Mark Ginnochio of Nets Are Scorching showed me that he looks like a different player these days. Little did I know he was going to tie his career high last night and engage in a scoring duel with Kevin Durant (18 to KD’s 22) in the first half. What I liked most was Yi’s aggressiveness – in the first half, he was persistent in getting to the basket and had some nice finishes. He hit some perimeter jumpers, sure, but I’m more interested in the fact that he converted some dunks and hook shots. I’ve been pretty critical of him in the past, but would like nothing more than to see him shut me up. The way to do that? Keep this up and keep getting stronger.

Robin Lopez: 8 Pts (4-4 FG, 0-2 FT), 5 Reb (3 Off), 1 Blk, 3 PF in 21 mins.

At the end of the first quarter, Lopez led the Suns in scoring. The announcers called his work “sensational” and said it was “the best stretch of his career”. I’m not one to argue, there. His good work continued throughout the game, as he used his size to disrupt the Laker bigs better than anyone else on the Suns’ roster could. Had a nice block on Kobe, too.

Elton Brand: 25 Pts (11-16 FG, 3-5 FT), 9 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 PF in 30 mins.

Hell yes! I feel a sense of pride when Elton puts up awesome numbers like these. I’ve said it before: this man has plenty left in the tank. He’s just been used improperly this season. Last night, though, the Sixers made a point of getting him the ball on the inside and Portland did not have an answer for him. Playing with Speights helps because he can be the 5 on offense and playing with Iverson helps because AI can set him up. Expect much more of this if Eddie Jordan allows it to continue. 30 minutes is still not enough if you ask me.

Allen Iverson: 19 Pts (7-11 FG, 5-7 FT), 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 TO, 3 PF in 31 mins.

19 points on 11 shots? Efficiency! Iverson! Again, hell yes! This isn’t just about the numbers, though. Qualitatively, there’s a lot to impressed with as well. He started off the game by hitting a few shots, but that didn’t make him try to dominate the game. Instead of forcing up contested shots or going on-on-one, he pushed the ball and shared it with his teammates. He looked quick, confident, and happy. I don’t know if a lot of people were paying attention to this game, but I loved it. Felt a bit bad rooting against the injury-ridden Blazers, but I really wanted AI and Elton to get this one. I remain convinced that this Sixer team is significantly better than its record.

Andres Nocioni: 21 Pts (6-7 FG, 3-4 3PT, 5-6 FT), 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO, 3 PF in 25 mins.

This was probably best game I’ve ever seen Noc play. He was essentially perfect on offense and he worked hard against Kenyon Martin and, briefly, Carmelo Anthony on defense. With their stud rookie sitting out, the Kings needed someone to step up and provide scoring punch – Andres’s dead-eye shooting was huge. In all honesty, I can still hardly believe what I saw. GREAT night for him.

Donte Greene: 17 Pts (6-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT), 1 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 1 PF in 23 mins.

1 rebound for a 6’10 forward, but I’m impressed? Yeah. He really was good in all other areas. From the tip, Greene set the tone for the Kings – in the first two minutes, he scored 7 points, blocked a Carmelo Anthony shot, and drew an offensive foul on the Nuggets’ star small forward. His defense remained solid all night – 34/8 sounds good for Melo until you see that he needed 42 minutes and 35 shots to get there. Greene was a big part of this – he did a great job of making Anthony work and avoiding fouls. I’ll forgive him for the lack of rebounding this time. I’ll forgive him for the dumb heat-check in the first Q. I’ll even forgive him for the thoughtless gamble he made when he tried to intercept a pass he had no chance of getting to. Hm, now it sounds like I’m hating on him. Trust me, I’m not. Very solid game.

Monta Ellis: 37 Pts (15-26 FG, 1-3 3PT, 6-8 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 Stl, 3 TO, 3 PF in 48 mins.

For the fifth time this season, Monta played the entire game. The Warriors needed it to beat the Celtics, it would seem. Anyway, this was just a fantastic effort. He puts such pressure on your defense, even if your defense is one of the league’s best. To put up these kind of numbers against Rajon Rondo is extreeeeemely impressive. You know Monta is most dangerous with his penetration and finishing ability, but his jump shot was falling this time out – he made 9 out of his 12 attempts from 16-23 feet. (Again, Hoopdata’s boxscores are AWESOME.)

C.J. Watson: 11 Pts (4-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-4 FT), 0 Reb, 7 Ast, 7 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO, 1 PF in 37 mins.

Wow, wow, wow. 7 steals! Forget about the last one; that came on a long pass on the last possession, when the game was out of reach. Those first six, though? All of ‘em came in the second frame. Crazy, right? I was excited when I flipped to the game and he picked off a Rondo pass and went the other way for a layup. I was even more excited when he did the same thing on the next possession. Sitting Steph Curry was definitely the right decision with the way Watson was playing. You have to love the steals, but he did a great job defensively in ways that won’t show up in the stat sheet as well – he worked his ass off chasing Ray Allen around screens and managed to slow the sharpshooter down a bit. With the way his off-season went and the way everything’s gone with the Warriors this season, I couldn’t be happier to see him have a game like this.

Rajon Rondo: 30 Pts (11-18 FG, 1-3 3PT, 7-9 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 15 Ast, 3 Stl, 6 TO, 3 PF in 46 mins.

Yet again, Rondo was the best Celtic on the floor. I won’t pretend that I was rooting for his team this time, but I enjoyed every one of his points and assists anyway. I still haven’t quite figured out how exactly he is able to do whatever he wants on the court even with guys playing a few feet away from him when he catches the ball on the perimeter. I love that he shot 7-9 from the line and I love that he uses pump fakes more often and more effectively than almost anyone in the league.

Quoted

“There’s no such thing as being too intense.” – Stephen Jackson, when asked about his technical foul/being vocal

“Once I got my second wind I was all right. The first couple minutes I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.” – Allen Iverson

“Having Allen back helps. He’s a finisher. He can get to the line and get the ball to guy at the right time. We’ve missed that.” – Elton Brand

“You just expect everything. With them, you don’t know what kind of crazy lineups they’re going to have out there.” – Doc Rivers, on the Warriors

Tweeted

@BothTeamsPlayed: Ummmm…..seriously, who’s the dude in this Yi costume?

@gswscribe: I will not be bringing my wallet into the locker room after the game. @quietstorm_32 might steal it

@johnschuhmann: Do we really know what AI’s got left in the tank? When’s the last time we saw him play injury-free & without rust?

@HPbasketball: Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics all lose? CHAOS REIGNS. #onenightonly

@freedarko: If Monta’s not an All-Star, I’ll puke myself to death. Can you win Most Improved twice?

@cdouglasroberts: I’m going to be cheering like Roni Turiaf tonight. All I need is the Pastor Troy beard & chin. Yes yess.

@cdouglasroberts: Tonights game put me in a horrible mood!!! I hate watching from the sideline. I already don’t have any patience. Can’t wait until practice!

@cdouglasroberts: We need to change our thinking & approach!! I hate where we are! I MUST practice tomorrow. PERIOD!

@cdouglasroberts: Had to go get some eggnog. I’m going to go to the market tomorrow to buy the REST! Fridge full. I’m on that! Family Guy is on too. Yes yess!

To Watch

Amar’e posterizing Mbenga:

A wild play that begins with a Devin Harris steal and ends with Courtney Lee slamming home an alley-oop:

Kevin Durant’s sweet baseline dunk:

Awesome NBA singing Part 1, starring three young Sacramento Kings:

Awesome NBA singing Part 2, starring Danilo Gallinari:

To Read

Kevin Durant blogging about his new teammate, Eric Maynor.

Adrian Wojnarowski tells us what’s going on with Tracy McGrady right now.

Zach Harper takes a look back at how astonishingly good Tracy McGrady used to be.

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.

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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.

Layne Murdoch/Getty Images

I’m eschewing the normal BfB format at least for one day. It might just be the spazzy band I went to see last night, but I’m feeling a bit ADD and want to ditch the normal structure and just give some thoughts about the games I watched on Saturday and Sunday.

First up, did you see that Milwaukee/Portland classic on Saturday? Yes, I’m calling it a classic. I know this one might slip by a lot of people, but it shouldn’t. This was a hard-fought double-overtime game that featured several huge clutch plays by the two best Brandons in the world and, really, you should see it. If you missed it and you’ve got League Pass Broadband or a less official means of watching previously played games, get on that. Neither of the awesome Brandons actually led their team in scoring, as big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Andrew Bogut stepped up in that area on Saturday night. Both had very memorable moments that I almost feel like I shouldn’t ruin for you here, even though this is kinda supposed to be a recap. Hm. Here’s what I’ll do: if you want a full recap of this fantastic 108-101 Milwaukee win, just head on over to Bucksketball. I couldn’t possibly do a better job telling the story. One thing to add before I move on: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is amazing. He played the best defense I’ve ever seen on Brandon Roy. Sure, Roy got his 23 points, but he needed 24 shots to get them and not a single one of them was easy when LRMAM was on him. What’s so incredible to me about Luc Richard is his versatility. I’ve seen him matched up with Brandon Roy, LeBron James, and Dirk Nowitzki this year, and each time he seems like the perfect guy to guard the superstar. What a defender.

As happy as I was to see the Bucks beat the Blazers, I was distraught to see the Wizards fall to the Pacers that same night. If you haven’t heard, it was a bit of a wild finish. Okay, that’s an understatement. It was one of the most surreal finishes I’ve ever seen. With 22 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Earl Boykins hit a seemingly-impossible shot at the end of the shot clock over T.J. Ford to put his team up 4. On the next possession, Tyler Hansbrough was fouled with 13 seconds left. Psycho T hit the first FT, missed the second intentionally, and Mike Dunleavy was fouled on the rebound. Lil Dun made both free throws to make it a one point game, and the Pacers fouled Gilbert Arenas with 6.6 seconds left on the next possession. When Gilbert stepped to the line, I wanted him to make those free throws as much as I’ve ever wanted anything in a basketball game. He had his first triple double in five and a half years and now had the opportunity to make up for that crucial 0-2 appearance at the foul line down the stretch of the Boston game 2 nights earlier. When he missed the first one this time and I saw that look of confusion/uncertainty on his face, my heart sunk. Then he missed the second. Ugh. At least it looked like his team would still win… but then T.J. Ford raced down the court and put up a crazy lay-up that ended up going out of bounds as the buzzer sounded. Relief, I thought. But no. The referees went to the replay and concluded that the ball had gone out of bounds off the Wizards and there was still half a second left in the game. Alright, fine.
“Just don’t fuck this up, Washington,” I thought. But fuck it up they did, as a foul was called on Brendan Haywood on the inbounds pass. This was a very, very questionable call – it seemed they were calling a foul on Mike Dunleavy’s shot attempt, which, to me, would have been impossible to get up in that amount of time. Lil Dun stepped to the line and calmly netted both free throws, again, and the Wizards’ JaVale McGee very confusingly stayed out on the perimeter on their final play, where he was supposed to slash to the basket and try to get an alley-oop tip-in with 0.1 seconds left. McGee received a pass behind the three-point line and chucked up a shot that had no chance of a) going in or b) counting. So it ended, 114-113 for Indiana. Blah. On TV, they kept showing Gilbert’s confused/sad face and it was killing me. It’s so strange to see him shaken. Before the injuries, Gil was one of the most upbeat, confident guys in the game and you just knew he would make clutch free throws like that. Now, there’s clearly something off and it’s not just physical. I really, really hope he gets his mojo back quickly. This was simply an awful way to lose a game. For more, read the recap at Truth About It and, if you want to get a bit depressed, watch the video at the bottom.

I should quickly touch on the other crazy finishes on Saturday. Unfortunately, with all the basketball happening on Saturday, I missed both of these ones. First, the overtime Charlotte/Dallas game. This proved a couple of things that we should already know – you really want Dirk Nowitzki on your team at the end of games and the Dallas Mavericks are a very, very good team. Dirk scored 18 of his 36 points in the 4th Q. and OT, including the game-winning jumper (surprise, surprise). Dallas won this game 98-97 even though it probably shouldn’t have, which is what good teams do. Dirk started off 1-for-10 and 7-22 as his team trailed for almost the whole second half, but they managed to put a run together and come out on top. Stephen Jackson said, “We competed and did everything we’re supposed to do to win this game,” and he might be right, but it wasn’t enough. Moving on, that Denver/Phoenix game seemed like a great one. I’m a bit pissed that I missed it, but I was watching the Laker game I haven’t got to yet whilst recording the Bucks/Blazer thriller. Carmelo Anthony had another great night in a winning effort, scoring 32 points and adding 8 rebounds. On the other side, Steve Nash contributed 28 points and 7 assists, but it wasn’t enough… Or was it? See, you could easily argue that he deserved a couple more points than that. With less than 30 seconds left, Nash drove to the basket with Nene covering him and missed a layup. The Suns were down 2 at the time and forced to foul when Denver recovered the rebound. Thing is, Nash could barely get off the ground on his shot because of the contact from Nene. There was not a hard foul on the play, but there was a quite obvious foul that prevented Nash from doing what he wanted to do, and the refs swallowed their whistles. The Nuggets ended up winning 105-99. It’s unfortunate, but these things happen. I’d be incredibly frustrated if I was a Suns fan, but it’s hard to blame the loss on that alone. Phoenix raced out to an early lead but it was their tired legs in the second half of a back-to-back in the Mile High City lost them this game, even if the refs didn’t do them any favours.

One more game to talk about on Saturday (I’m not doing all of them): Jazz vs. Lakers. I’m just going to focus on two wing players: Kobe Bryant and Wesley Matthews. Wait, Wesley Matthews? Really? Yes. This undrafted rookie was absolutely huge. I believe he had 15 points in the first half and he finished with 19 and 6 assists in 37 minutes. Him starting for Jerry Sloan is one of the best under-the-radar stories in the NBA. I want a full feature on this guy because I don’t know enough about him. I do know he has some game, though. He can knock down open shots, slash to the basket, and defend better than almost any other rookie. I’m loving what’s happening in Utah with this kid. Anyway, next, Kobe. Looking at the boxscore without knowing the context, you’d think I’m crazy for singling him out. 16 points on 24 shots, going 1-9 from the line? Ouch. I can’t remember the last time Kobe had a line that bad. But that’s not the story. The story is that Kobe played 37 minutes in this game despite his broken index finger and his stomach bug. That stomach bug meant he had to get IV fluids pre-game and at half-time. But he still played as hard as he possibly could because he’s Kobe Bryant. It was an odd thing to see, Kobe so… mortal. All he had was not enough this time. There were tons of missed jumpers and he was moving in slow motion, but he wanted to play and he believed he could help his team win. It wasn’t to be, as the Jazz won 102-94, but that’s alright. The Lakers aren’t hurting in the win department right now, at 18-4. It was just inspiring (and, at the very end, admittedly a bit sad) to see him out there when maybe no one else in the league would have been. Again, there is only one Kobe.

Okay, finally, Sunday! This day started out swimmingly for me as a Raptors fan. I had thought of getting tickets to see the Raps/Rockets matinee, as I love the way Houston plays and Toronto always seems to find a way to beat them at home, but I was scared off by the Raptors’ recent performances. This club has struggled mightily against good teams and, in my eyes, the Rockets are a good team. If Toronto was going to win, everyone on the team would have to bring the same energy they always get from All-OTN Team member Amir Johnson. Yesterday, that happened. The Rockets fell 101-88 and it was fantastic. The Raptors out-worked Houston, the team that out-works everyone. Hedo Turkoglu (23 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) had his best game of the year and Jarrett Jack (17 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast) stepped up big-time in Jose Calderon’s absence. Sonny Weems was given minutes that had previously gone to Antoine Wright and Marco Belinelli and he made the most of them. 11 points and 4 rebounds in 30 minutes sounds okay, but what’s great is how he brought energy and defense and contributed where he could on offense. Wright is a solid defender, but his offensive decision-making has been very lacking this year. Belinelli is a great shooter, but he lacks the athleticism that makes Weems such a threat in the open court and such a nuisance for offensive players. I’m not saying Sonny has earned himself a permanent 6th man role based on one performance, but it was very encouraging. This, from a guy who played 55 minutes all of last season. On the Rockets’ end, I should mention the horrible day for Trevor Ariza and the great one for Carl Landry. Ariza lost his cool after starting the game 0-9 from the field. With his team down big, he swung his elbow at DeMar DeRozan after he coughed up the ball. It wasn’t close to connecting, and one has to wonder if he was actually *trying* to connect, but it was scary. He was tossed from the game immediately. Good news, there seems to be no bad blood between these two L.A. guys after the incident. Onto Landry: 25 points on 10-13 shooting, with 7 rebounds (6 offensive). And, again, I’m not surprised. If you’ve been following along since the season began, you’ll know how high I am on this guy. It was great to hear the Raptors’ announcers fawning over him last night; he deserved it. No Toronto player could deal with him down low. If his team had properly moved the ball and connected on more open shots, his effort could have been part of a winning effort, but today wasn’t Houston’s day. Thankfully.

Atlanta beat New Jersey by 27 yesterday and it went exactly how you might expect. New Jersey started off pretty well, keeping it close for the entire first quarter. Then, Atlanta separated itself. New Jersey has some talent at the top of its roster, but it’s really hard to stay close with teams when they go to their bench. I want to say New Jersey should have more wins right now, but look at who’s playing the minutes. Trenton Hassell and Josh Boone started last night and combined for 40 minutes. Rafer Alston shot 0-8 in his 23 minutes and yesterday was far form his first awful-shooting game this year. Bobby Simmons saw 21 minutes of action, Eduardo Najera 13, and Sean Williams 7. Terrence Williams ended up with some nice numbers, though, getting 18 points and 7 rebounds in Chris Douglas-Roberts’s absence. Atlanta is just too talented for New Jersey and that’s the way it’s going to be most nights. Brook Lopez and Devin Harris are great, but Courtney Lee should not be a third option (as much as I dig his game). Atlanta has no such depth problems. With Marvin Williams out, Mo Evans stepped into the starting lineup and kept up the hot shooting that we saw in the Toronto game. He shot 4-4 from downtown and finished with 22 points on 13 shots. Not bad at all. The strange part of this game was that the Nets actually didn’t shoot too porly – even with Alston going 0-8, they finished the game 44-87 from the field. That doesn’t matter when you can’t stop anybody or grab a rebound, though – Atlanta went 49-99 from the floor in this 130-107 victory.

Next up, Memphis vs. Miami. I saw the first half of this game and, just like the Atlanta/New Jersey game, didn’t really need to watch the second half. I might go back and watch the third quarter, though, as Rudy Gay put on a show. After an impressive first half where he scored 20 points, he exploded for 15 more in the third quarter that saw Memphis outscore Miami 31-18 to give them a 26-point lead before the beginning of the fourth. The final score? 118-90. Jeez. From what I saw in the first half, the Grizzlies made the Heat look old and slow. They pushed the ball at every opportunity and converted most of the time. Rudy Gay had an amazing reverse dunk on the break and, for the first time in my life, I saw Zach Randolph throw an alley-oop pass. It still boggles my mind how this team is playing. This is the last team I expected to come together as a team and play exciting ball. It’s great to watch, even though I’d have preferred Miami gave them more of a fight on this particular evening. Dwyane Wade did as much as he could in the half of action that I saw, matching Gay’s 20 points in the first half. He only scored 5 in the remainder of the game, though, finishing with 25 to Gay’s 41. He really needs his teammates to step up, though. When your second-leading scorer is Dorell Wright with 16, you’re not winning the game.

You remember what I said about the Bucks/Blazers game? Yeah, if you can watch the Thunder/Cavs game from last night I highly suggest you do that too. The Cavs’ dominant fourth quarter soured all of it a bit for me, but it’s still more than worth your time. You can see Kevin Durant looking like a true megastar in the first half, All-OTN Team member Serge Ibaka putting in a perfect 4-4 performance and making me proud by moving his feet so well on D, and… well… You can see the LeBron James Show. You can analyze this game from many angles, but no matter how you look at it LeBron won this one for his team. After eating a kid’s french fry in the second quarter, he had numerous consecutive highlight plays, including a vicious reverse dunk on the break, a deep three-pointer, and a chasedown block on Thabo Sefolosha. Still, the Thunder had the lead, which they kept for most of the third. With a minute and a half left in that 3rd Q., James scored 7 straight points and he added another three-pointer before the quarter was done. It’s amazing now looking at the boxscore and seeing that he went 5-8 from downtown because these threes weren’t regular threes. The majority were pull-ups from a few feet behind the line. This is an impressive shot to begin with, but, when LeBron hits it, it must make you feel helpless. He’s impossible to stop when going to the basket, so you have to give up the outside shots. Now, when he’s willingly launching them and they are dropping in perfectly? You’re screwed. I can’t fault Thabo or the Thunder for how they defended James last night; LBJ was just too good. As I said, though, the 4th was a bit of a bummer. Oklahoma City tried to match James’s heroics from downtown and didn’t have the same results – they went 1-8 from downtown in the quarter. Their other attempts were mostly 2-point jumpers. Rough. Still, they had a chance to win. They were down only 4 with just a little over 4 minutes left in the game when Mo Williams broke their hearts. Just as it seemed the Thunder had gotten an important stop, Mo drained a three from past halfcourt as the shot clock expired. The only word for this is deflating. The crowd was silenced and the Thunder saw the writing on the wall, losing their energy and failing to score for the next 3 and a half minutes. Watching the ball drop through the net and seeing the reactions from the young players on the Thunder killed me. Oh well. Still a nice effort in a great game, and these guys will have plenty of opportunities to get their revenge. Final score: 102-89, Cavs. But it felt much closer.

In the last game of the week, San Antonio went to the Staples Center to match up with the Clippers and came away with a convincing 115-90 win. Like the other blowouts, I only caught the first half. The Spurs had balanced scoring, with 21 from Duncan and 17 apiece from Manu and RJ. Rookie DeJuan Blair chipped in with 14 and 9 in just 17 minutes, as well. The Spurs dominated in the first Q., but the Clips ended the second on a run and cut the lead to 10 before San Antonio ran away with it in the 2nd half. Gotta say, the Spurs impressed me in the first half. I can’t say they had their Eff You moment, but I was encouraged with what I saw, even though it came against some kinda crappy Clipper defense. They spread the floor like the Spurs of old, they got contributions from everyone, and Manu looked kind of like the old Manu. Slower, I’ll give you that, but still deadly. We might have to get used to the fact that Ginobili will never be as explosive as he used to be, but he’s still got his smarts. He’s got his jump shot. He’s got his crazy ability to see angles other people don’t. There is still room for improvement here, but if he just plays like he did last night the Spurs are in pretty good shape. As for the Clippers, um, you have to hand it to Baron Davis for suiting up and coming off the bench despite a stomach ailment, but they didn’t play winning basketball on either end. I should also mention that Ricky Davis played 21 minutes. That was a bit weird.

We’ll finish this off with a few highlights:

An additional lucky break for Indiana against Washington:

My man Pops Mensah-Bonsu pleasing the home crowd with a nasty block:

Rudy Gay’s amazing reverse:

Mo’s dagger:

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

Very, very quick recap today, as I don’t really have any time to be doing this but am trying anyway. The Basketball Gods didn’t help me out much last night, as the Celtics/Wizards game was unavailable in Canada, the Pistons/Nuggets game crapped out on me with 6 seconds left in the game, and my recording of Jazz/Magic stopped with about 7 minutes to play. Weird night.

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum

Bynumite is hurt right now. He already had issues with his right ankle, but when he rolled his left ankle right at the end of the Philly game the other night, it ensured he’d sit a game out for the first time this year. Luckily, Rodney Stuckey stepped up in his absence and Detroit was able to top Denver, 101-99. More on Stuckey in abit.

Shannon Brown

The Lakers weren’t on this week’s Thursday sched, but I really should post his insane alley-oop from Wednesday night, shouldn’t I?

Jared Dudley

He didn’t play yesterday, but he did post this picture and this video.

Fun With Stats

Congrats are in order for Chauncey Billups and Ray Allen, who passed the 13,000 and 20,000-point plateaus last night, respectively. Crazy stuff to think about when you’ve been watching these guys play since they were rookies. I remember when the Raptors acquired Billups mid-way through his rookie season. HATED losing Damon Stoudamire, but at least we were getting another young, promising PG. You know the story after that. (Update: Apparently, Paul Pierce passed 19,000 points last night too. How’d that one get by me at first? Anyway, congrats to him as well.)

Dwight Howard shot 6-7 from the free throw line last night. In his last 4 games, he is shooting 29-39 from the stripe. That’s 74%. Gilbert Arenas shot 1-6 from the line last night, including two crucial misses in crunch time (sad face), and is now shooting 71% on the season.

Orlando’s awesome bench started out the game 12/15 from the field, with much of that damage being done by the sharp-shooting Ryan Anderson. I love watching this guy play – he is absolutely perfect for Stan Van’s system. He essentially only shoots when he’s open for three or he’s right under the basket. And he’s efficient as hell. You CANNOT leave this man open or he will burn you, as Utah found out last night to the tune of 14 first-half points. It seemed like he scored all of those points in about 3 minutes, but I could be wrong there. The Magic raced out to an 18-point lead early, but couldn’t match Utah’s energy in the second half, falling 120-111 at the end of their road trip.

Rajon Rondo eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time this season last night in Boston’s 104-102 win in Washington. That surprise you like it did me? He’s been one of the best players in fantasy basketball all year, despite only averaging 11.5 points a game. His fantasy owners and Celtics fans have to extremely happy with his work last night. This is the second game in a row where he was the major difference-maker in a Boston win. In addition to the 21 points, he had 11 assists. But, of course, he’s garbage and we only think he’s good because he has quality teammates….

Almost forgot this… The Washington Wizards grabbed 0 rebounds in the 2nd quarter last night. I don’t know if that’s ever been done before in the post-shot clock era. Insane.

Update: Totally forgot to mention Melo. The man scored 40 points in 43 minutes last night, with 16 of ‘em coming in the final frame. Think maybe he should have taken the final shot rather than Billups? Can’t just be me.

Impressive

Rodney Stuckey: 25 Pts (7-14 FG, 0-1 3PT, 11-15 FT), 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 5 TO, 1 PF in 39 mins.

Shame about that assist-to-turnover ratio, but you have to live with it when you’re getting this kind of scoring. His former mentor, Chauncey Billups, had 21 points on 16 shots and only had 2 assists himself. In a game decided by 2 points (and one that ended with a missed shot from Billups), you have to give Stuckey huge credit for coming out on top in the individual matchup. This followed what might have been his most impressive performance as a Piston on Wednesday night, where he scored 27 points and added 8 assists in a victory over Philadelphia. Is Rodney turning the corner? I don’t know. He had a great stretch of games last December, too. With all the injuries the Pistons are dealing with right now, though, they really needed him last night and he came through. Hope he keeps this up.

Ben Wallace: 7 Pts (2-7 FG, 3-6 FT), 16 Reb (6 Off), 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 3 Stl, 3 PF in 35 mins.

Ignore the 2-7 and the fact that he airballed a free throw during this game. Ben Wallace is super fun to watch again. His return to Detroit (and good health?) has rejuvenated his career. Didn’t see this coming at all. I’m loving watching him battle for boards underneath the glass and get steals that he really has no business getting. Even though he still cheats too much on D, he remains a terror on that end and has forced John Kuester to start him and give him 31 minutes a game. He is 35 years old. Fantastic.

Deron Williams: 32 Pts (9-18 FG, 2-5 3PT, 12-15 FT), 8 Reb, 15 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 3 PF in 42 mins.

You can’t ask for a better line for that from your point guard. He ran the team perfectly, finding teammates for open threes and for layups under the basket. If your point guard is getting to the line like that and only committing one turnover in over 40 minutes, you’re in good shape. Adding those assists and rebounds, too? Phenomenal. Methinks he has a good shot of FINALLY making the All-Star team this year, assuming this McGrady foolishness gets turned around.

Carlos Boozer: 20 Pts (8-16 FG, 4-8 FT), 14 Reb (4 Off), 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 Stl, 1 TO, 2 PF in 44 mins.

Ho-hum, another 20 and 10 game for Boozer, who is the only player not named Chris Bosh averaging those numbers this season. He did need a few extra minutes to get his stats tonight, but it’s still impressive. During the broadcast, Doug Collins pointed out what I feel are the two most striking things about Boozer this season – he’s in shape and he’s smiling. It’s great to see him able to battle under the glass against likes of Dwight Howard and it’s great to see him having fun again. I missed this Carlos Boozer last year.

Quoted

“I’m really proud of Stuck and the way that he’s been able to develop into not only a great player but one of the leaders on the team now. I watch his games all the time… it’s like a big brother watching a little brother.” – Chauncey Billups.

Tweeted

@TheRealTWill: Boy I love my new work ethic I owe it to doug overton an sitting out made me a better ball player I believe, an get to work on my left hand

@Truth_About_It: Walked in media room bathroom just b/f the game, Gheorghe Muresan was squatting over a urinal trying 2 pee, turned around & walked back out.

@canishoopus: Revamped Pistons are infinitely more watchable than I expected this offseason and better without their stars. They’re like Rockets East.

@BulletsForever: Obsessive much? Gilbert Arenas said he went to the practice court right after the game to shoot 50 free throws.

@kpelton: Watch Deron Williams play tonight, realize *he’s never been an All-Star*, and try to tell me the NBA is not blessed with talent right now.

To Watch

Ray Ray’s big dunk:

No, this isn’t where he reached 20,000. That took place when he hit a three-pointer. Fitting.

Antawn Jamison’s crazy shot:

This had me going nuts. I love Jamison’s floaters. This one made me particularly happy though, because it’s the kind of ridiculous shot I like to take. When I was 12 or so, I did this in some meaningless game and the crowd went crazy. I don’t have a lot of moments like that I my totally-not-illustrious playing career, but I’ve got that.

Rondo’s huge dunk:

This happened right after the Jamison play. Man, I was happy the game ran late and I got to see the ending on the channel that had the Jazz/Magic game. I was freaking out. If it isn’t abundantly clear, I am a pretty big Rondo fan.

To read

…speaking of, here’s a fantastic piece on Rajon Rondo by Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.

And here’s one from Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle on Kyle Lowry, who is leading the league in charges taken.

Then, there’s Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman giving us a very, very encouraging update on Shaun Livingston.

And… whoa I guess it’s all point guard linkage today. I dig that. Here’s Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge breaking down Jerryd Bayless’s promising play and Holly MacKenzie of The Score appreciating the greatness of Steve Nash.

Hey, check it out – a new feature! This is the debut of Basketball for Breakfast, my stab at a daily recap. I know, I know, there is already a wealth of excellent recaps in the NBA blogosphere. I read them all and that won’t change. This isn’t an attempt to compete with anyone; I’m simply trying to add something of my own. I’ll do my best to keep it fun and unique.

The All-OTN Team

Amir Johnson: 2 Pts (0-2 FG, 2-4 FT), 7 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 4 PF in 20 min.

Not the most impressive stat line in this 106-102 loss to the Wizards, I’ll admit. He was enjoyable to watch, though. The man always brings the energy. Those 7 rebounds? 6 of them came in the first half, including an amazing grab that he followed up with an assist to a cutting Chris Bosh. What’s most impressive about Amir’s rebounding is that he gets them in different ways – last night, I saw him tip the ball to himself, tip it to his teammates, and straight-up wrestle it away from opponents’ fingertips. He is one of the few Raptors in the franchise’s history who manages to get rebounds that he shouldn’t. The 4 fouls in 20 are unfortunate, but he’s still learning.

Jared Dudley: 7 Pts (2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 1 TO, 2 PF in 18 min.

Again, these numbers won’t blow you away, but they rarely do with Jared. I’ll tell you this: I didn’t see much of this 126-99 blowout, but in the couple of minutes where I tuned in during the 2nd quarter I saw Jared Dudley make three impressive plays in succession: hitting a three-pointer, drawing a foul underneath the basket, and saving a possession for his team. Clyde Frazier, calling the game for the Knicks, seemed positively smitten with him. It’s always nice to get 7 rebounds from your backup small forward, too. Shame his effort wasn’t anywhere close to enough to avoid this embarrassing defeat.

Shannon Brown: 4 Pts (1-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT), 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 PF in 23 min.

Argh. More crappy numbers. Doesn’t mean he had a bad game, though. On the night where his new website launched, he entered the game with 1:07 left in the 1st quarter and stayed there through most of the 2nd, absolutely shutting down sharpshooter Marcus Thornton. Brown quite obviously wasn’t on the court to score; he was there to stop Lil Buckets from doing so. And he succeeded – Lil Buckets couldn’t get anything going in the first half. Unfortunately, the Hornets didn’t Let Shannon Dunk on this night, as his best opportunity was a missed alley-oop from Kobe Bryant. His one FG was pretty nice, though:

Rookie Watch

DeMar DeRozan: 2 Pts (1-4 FG), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 TO, 1 Blk, 1 PF in 16 mins.

Not a standout night for DeMar, as he missed a couple of jumpers we know he can make. It’s important to remember what his role is on this team, though. Since Jay Triano has opted to play him pretty much exclusively with the starting unit, he is not asked to take a lot shots and doesn’t get many opportunities to get in rhythm. We saw some nice plays, though – DeRozan’s 1 FG came on an alley-oop from Jose Calderon, where he didn’t have the angle to slam it down so he adjusted and layed it in. His block on Gilbert Arenas in the 3rd quarter was fantastic, too. I’ve got to add that the 1 Ast is a bit deceiving, as he made a couple of aggressive plays that led to scores where he was not credited for any stats. One in particular stands out, where he drove on the right baseline and kicked it out to Chris Bosh, who found Andrea Bargnani at the top of the key for three. That’s a hockey assist. Nice to see. Still firmly on this bandwagon.

Ty Lawson: 13 Pts (5-7 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-3 FT), 5 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 PF in 24 mins.
Very nice line for Lawson, on the night that his alma mater beat my Spartans by 7. 13 points on 7 shots, in 24 minutes? You have to love that efficiency – this is why statheads love him. And why you should love him? He can score in various ways, as he hurt the Warriors last night with his jump shot, his runner, and his ability to get to the basket. He outscored fellow rook Stephen Curry on this night, despite playing 16 fewer minutes and attempting 7 fewer field goal attempts. Another fun fact: his PER so far this season is 17.6. His teammate J.R. Smith’s? 15.1. Can’t give Denver enough credit for acquiring him in the draft.

Dante Cunningham: 6 Pts (2-6 FG, 2-3 FT), 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 PF in 18 mins.

Four fouls in 18 minutes? Ah, rookies. You have to be happy for Cunningham, though, as he made his first career NBA start last night due to LaMarcus Aldridge nursing his knee. While he obviously didn’t make up for Aldridge’s production, he had a positive impact on the game with his hustle. You know I love players like that. And I’m not the only one, check out what Seth Johnston of Bust A Bucket had to say:

Energy like Cunningham’s is something I am craving more and more as we sit and wait for the team’s bigger personalities to sort out their issues. I want a hyperactive role player power forward to just go nuts out there and provide me with some sort of vicarious catharsis. So thanks for giving me a little of that, Dante.

Darren Collison: 20 Pts (7-14 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT), 5 Ast, 2 Reb, 4 TO, 2 Stl, 2 PF in 34 mins.
Collison continues to be awesome. I cannot BELIEVE Byron Scott was playing Bobby Brown over him earlier this season. I mean, I feel bad that Byron is without work, but I’m sorry, that was inexcusable. A kid this quick, with his ability to penetrate, knock down shots, and play defense? You put him out there over a chucker like Bobby, every time. Some analysis from Niall Dohery of Hornets247:

He would have had a few hockey assists if anyone kept count, and he was pesky as always on defense. He had two nice plays against Kobe, first getting by him on the perimeter late in the third quarter, keeping him on his back and then using a hesitation dribble to open up a gap for the layup. About a minute later he shadowed Bryant brilliantly to slow down the break and help stop the Lakers getting an easy bucket at the end of the period.

Additionally, he had a crazy buzzer-beater at the end of the 1st half. I’ll put the video here when/if it surfaces.

Fun With Stats

Brendan Haywood shot 1-8 from the line last night against Toronto. This, obviously, hurt his team. Fortunately, he made his minutes worthwhile by doing a very respectable job on Chris Bosh, who was held to 7-22 from the field. If the big man had just made his free throws, though, this game wouldn’t have come down to the final couple of minutes. The Wizards managed to escape with a victory after Hedo Turkoglu committed an unforced turnover with 31 seconds left in the game, but if you’re a Wizards fan you have to think it shouldn’t have got to that point.

In the Phoenix/New York game, the Suns failed to reach 100 points for the first time this season. The Knicks managed 100 points by the end of the third quarter. I should also point out the magnificent work of Danilo Gallinari: 27 pts (10-19 FG, 6-12 3PT, 1-2 FT), 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk, 0 (!) TO in 36 mins. Check out what Seth of Posting and Toasting had to say about Gallo’s fantastic all-around game:

He looked much more confident and made his way into the center of the court to participate more in the offensive flow. There were backdoor cuts, frontdoor cuts, and even a stop-and-pop banker from about 12 feet out.

So great that he’s being more than just an excellent three-point shooter, isn’t it? I am sure that Francesco Cappelletti of Ball In Europe is proud as hell right now.

Also scoring from all over the floor last night was Anthony Morrow, who scored 27 points against Denver while only hitting 2 three pointers (in all of his other 20+ games this year, he’s had at least 4 threes). It may be because of the limited bodies the Warriors have at their disposal right now, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that gorgeous shot launched so often these days.

Two more statistical shout-outs for before I move on – Michael Beasley and Ray Allen were huge in winning efforts. Beas was one point short of his career high, finishing with 27 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor and 11-12 (!) from the line. Pleasing his fantasy owners, he also contributed 8 rebounds, a block, and a steal. Jesus Shuttlesworth came through with his best game of the season, too, as he poured in 27 points on only 9 field goal attempts. When you go 5-6 from downtown and 10-10 from the line, that type of statistical improbability can happen. Oh, and he threw in 5 rebounds, 5 assists, a block, and a steal. Nice to have you back, Ray Ray.

Quoted

“They spread, they go, and they’re kind of all over the place.” – Carmelo Anthony, on Golden State’s offense, from Denver’s telecast. So few words here, but I don’t think he’s missing anything.

“Who are these guys?” – Clyde Frazier, on the Knicks, from New York’s telecast. I must say, Clyde, I was wondering the same thing. 71 points in the first half?

“Just pathetic defense by the Suns.” – Clyde Frazier again, providing spot-on analysis of how Larry Hughes was able to amass about 48 assists in about 4 seconds against Phoenix.

“I’m happy for our fans. They got to go home and watch (North) Carolina and Michigan State. If any of them were smart, they would have left early and watched that game.” – Larry Brown. Wait, there’s more, check out this next gem…

“I think even Doc Rivers had 12 points.” – Gerald Wallace. Ouch. I don’t think you need me to say any more about last night’s Boston/Charlotte matchup.

“I decided today I was going to be more aggressive. It’s fun. It relieves the pressure, it gets me off the ball and puts me back into my old mode where I was just scoring.” – Gilbert Arenas. I was quite impressed with Gilbert last night, even if he’s not quite back to his old self yet. Actually, that gives me an idea…

Impressive

Gilbert Arenas: 22 Pts (7-17 FG, 3-7 3PT, 5-5 FT), 3 Reb, 9 Ast, 1 TO, 1 Stl, 1 Blk in 38 mins.

It took Gil a little while to get going with his shot, but he was dishing out assists as soon as the first quarter began. Only once the fourth quarter began did Agent Zero really join the party, but when he did it was something to see. Like the Gilbert of old, he took control of the game near the end, scoring 12 points in the final frame. Not trying to ignore Antawn Jamison’s 10 fourth-quarter points, but Arenas was leading the team. As a Raptors fan it was annoying, but as a Gilbert fan it was heartening. Give him some more time and he’ll be dominating more quarters.

Andrea Bargnani: 20 Pts (8-14 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-2 FT), 11 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 2 TO, 1 Blk, 5 PF in 35 mins.

I could definitely get used to seeing double-doubles next to Bargs’s name. Love that. The Italian Rodman grabbed 7 of those boards in the first half, with 3 of them coming on the offensive end. As always, you love his efficient scoring, but when Bargs is boxing out properly and getting after it inside, all of Raptors Nation is proud. More of this please, sir. Oh, almost forgot – his one block came against Earl Boykins. I can’t recall a single instance of Earl Boykins getting a perimeter jumper of his blocked in the NBA, but Bargs managed to do it. Kudos.

Tweeted

@stackmack: On the pizza promo front: Turkoglu’s ONLY make in the fourth quarter was a pointless three at the buzzer to win pizza for the crowd.

@Nat77: Raptor fans cheered when for a buzzer beating slice of pizza and booed while their team was only down 3 and had a chance… #teampromofail

@LakersReporter Lakers crowd is incensed with N.O. scrapping during garbage time enough to threaten free tacos. 99 pts. w/04.8 left…

BAH. Rant time. This stuff pisses me off. Get rid of all of these stupid promotions. If the crowd is chanting, I want it to be about the game. End of story. And, Raptors fans, you’re letting me down lately. I love your passion for the team, I love that there seem to be a gazillon of you on the internet, but smarten up. This isn’t directed at all of you (after all, I am a Raptors fan), just the pizza people and the two fools in the section next to me who were heckling Chris Bosh on Sunday. Not cool.

@ticktock6: I think it’s hilarious that my entire twitter feed is cracking jokes about that Devin Brown airball. Lord, it was so bad. I’m still laughing

@kpelton: Every time I watch this Hornets-Lakers game, Bobby Brown is shooting. He does not lack for confidence.

I don’t even know how I feel about the Browns anymore. It’s just ridiculous at this point. At the beginning of the season, I was screaming at Byron Scott for playing them. Now, they both kind of need to be on the court for at least some stretches, but come on. What is going through their heads with some of these shots? The Devin Brown shot Ticktock6 from Hornets Hype is talking about was honestly one of the worst shots I have EVER seen. Very comparable to Zach Randolph’s boneheaded end-of-game three-pointer last year, except it came in the 1st quarter with plenty of time on the shot clock. As for her reaction (which was the same as mine) – sometimes, you have to laugh because the only other option is to cry. I’ll definitely post the video here if it surfaces later today. Here’s hoping.

To Watch

Lamar Odom destroying Hilton Armstrong:

(This spot is reserved for when nba.com puts up John Thompson’s interview from last night about Allen Iverson. Come on, guys.)

To Read

Generally, I’m going to use this section for articles/posts published the previous day, leaning more heavily on stuff that hasn’t been linked much elsewhere (like this piece on Carl Landry, this one on Jarrett Jack, this one on Mike Wilks, and this one on the Wolves). Today, though, I’ve got to direct you to three excellent Thanksgiving-inspired pieces from a few days ago. If you’re American and you took a break from the NBA for a couple days there, I forgive you, but do yourself a favour and read these. The first two speak perfectly for me, and the last one speaks to me.

Giving Thanks To The Game, by Holly MacKenzie

Guess what I’m thankful for? by Kelly Dwyer

A Different Set Of Eyes, by Tim Donahue

Gary Dineen / Getty Images

This past week, I’ve been tweeting and League Passing my face off and loving every minute of it. I’ve seen buzzer-beaters, incredible dunks, and one of the most captivating individual performances I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Here’s a recap of the week that was, using selections from the Outside Twitter account as a guide.

Monday, Nov. 9

6:55 PM: I guess as a Raptors fan I should be excited about Duncan and Parker not playing. I’m scared of the Raps letting up, though. Spurs are deep.

This is one of those times where I wish I was wrong. Manu Ginobili was brilliant, the Raptors’ defense was awful, and Toronto lost despite shooting 59% from the floor.

9:45 PM: I want that Matt Bonner dunk on a poster.

10:42 PM: This Raptors lineup is fucking FUN. I’d be rooting for them even if they weren’t “my” team.

I believe Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli, and Amir Johnson were all on the floor at that point. The Raptors’ revamped bench has been a huge bright spot so far this season. While these new guys have flaws (i.e. Belinelli’s shot selection, Johnson’s propensity to foul), they are exciting and they bring stuff to the table that the Raptors needed. Every game, I look forward to the bench unit getting some run. It’s especially nice when Antoine Wright and Johnson are on the floor at the same time, doing their best to shed the “soft” label this club has had for years.

12:08 AM: Is Stephen Jackson reinventing himself as a distributor on this team loaded with scorers? For one game against the Wolves, the answer is yes.

There really wasn’t much defense being played here, but what Jackson did was still impressive. He didn’t look for his own shot AT ALL, choosing to create for his sweet-shooting teammates like Kelenna Azubuike and Anthony Morrow. “Coach” Don Nelson even joked about how Jackson’s agent ripped him earlier that day.

12:59 AM: Huge dunk from Jawai! Big smile on my face. Don’t care that it’s in this context.

The context: right at the end of the worst loss in T-Wolves history. It really couldn’t have been less meaningful. I’m really rooting for the Aussie to succeed, though. The Raptors had high hopes for him when they picked him up in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft, but he was soon dealt a crushing blow, mistakenly being diagnosed with a cardiac issue and barred from undergoing any physical activity. He missed training camp and never managed to get in game shape for his first NBA team. When he was traded to Dallas in the Turkoglu/Marion deal, it looked like he would unfortunately get lost in the shuffle again. But then the Timberwolves called, with their injury-riddled frontcourt requiring another big body. He still looks like he needs to drop a bit of weight in Minnesota, but he has finally been given a chance to play and has been a contributor.

1:46 AM: Working on article about the rooks. Started off writing full paragraphs, now typed “Beard! Shooting! Perfect fit! Thunder!” Ugh, bed time.

Tuesday, Nov. 10

1:28 PM: My ASG Voting: W: Nash, Kobe, KD, Melo, Amar’e. E: Gil, Wade, LeBron, Bosh, Dwight. Hardest part: No CP3. Unfair, want him instead of Gil.

Getting left off of my All-Star team was is just the start of a horrible, horrible weak for Chris Paul that saw his team lose 3 of 4 games, including being blown out by Phoenix and Atlanta. We’ll get to the rest of it soon. Also, I’d now put Brandon Jennings there instead of Gilbert. No contest.

8:34 PM: Carmelo just did the most impressive offensive thing (1:31 here) I’ve seen since that Wade “slashing through the whole D” thing.

I was watching the game with Julian and Wagman. It was one of those plays where we all went “holy shit!” when it happened and were even more impressed when we saw the replay. The degree of difficulty on that play is off the charts; Melo is unbelievable.

9:47 PM Gilbert Arenas is in danger of breaking Jason Kidd’s all-time record for turnovers in a game (14).

He finished with 12, tying the opposing team on the night and Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Allen Iverson, Damon Stoudamire, and Scottie Pippen in the record book. Kelly Dwyer said he should have sat this one out and, even though I’m a massive Arenas fan, I’m not going to offer a counter argument.

10:29 PM: BRAD MILLER IS THE NEW DEREK FISHER. HOLY HELL
10:33 PM: I’ve seen this replay 20 times and still don’t know if it should count or not.

I flipped to the OKC game because it looked like it was over when Billups was at the foul line with 0.6 on the clock. Something told me to check back on this one more time, though, and we were lucky enough to get there literally a second before the inbound pass. When Brad Miller’s desperation shot (1:40 here) went in, we all went apeshit. I’m surprised nobody got hurt. Then, there was 10 minutes of watching replays and debating over whether or not it was good. Julian and Wagman were certain it was late. I wasn’t sure. In retrospect, they were right.

11:09 PM: Numerous buzzer-beaters tonight. James Harden just hit a RIDICULOUS one to end the half. Yes, it counted.

12:41 AM: Blah. Not happy about that ending for my 2nd-favourite team (1:55 here). Thought that last shot had a chance.

Kevin Durant had 37 points on 23 shots, shooting 18-18 from the line. Wasn’t enough, though, against this powerhouse Sacramento team.

12:48 AM: Nice timing. As soon as the OKC game ended, Bill Simmons appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Still on right now.

4:37 AM: Stayed up all this time editing a podcast. Have never done that before. Crap, have to leave for work in 4 hours

Wednesday, Nov. 11

11:51 AM: B. Jennings on NBA TV yesterday

2:37 PM: Never thought I’d see Nash referred to as “the Iggy Pop of the NBA”. Can’t really argue, I guess.

7:19 PM: Every time DeRozan scores I’m… uhhh… proud? Is that what it is? Have no idea why. Anyway, I like him.

Holly MacKenzie re-tweeted this one and said “Thanks for saying it for me.” Thing is, as someone who covers the Raptors, she has talked to DeMar in a pre-draft workout, at the draft, at the Vegas summer league, and at practice all the time. It makes sense for her to feel that way; she’s been there and seen him working hard. I, on the other hand, have never met the guy. I didn’t even see much of him in college. I don’t really know how he became “my guy”, but he is. There’s something about him that makes me watch him in the same way I imagine people watch their kids. If he makes a mistake on the court, the first thing that comes to my mind is always something like “noooo, I hope he doesn’t lose any confidence” instead of something like “get that rookie out of the game”. I root for him harder than anyone else on my hometown team. This has definitely has added to my enjoyment of the Raptors this season, but it’s a bit weird. I even added him as a friend on Facebook.

10:00 PM: Feel bad for New Jersey (1:52 here). Oh man. “They end this one with a whimper” – that is correct, Ian Eagle.

That had to hurt. So much. Without Harris, this is a team full of young guys trying to scrape together wins even when they’re overmatched. To come this close, and then have a turnover like that one? Gutting.

10:14 PM: Huge 3 from Jennings. He has 23 and 9. Then he drew the 5th foul on Nene while trying to get a rebound.
10:15 PM: ANOTHER 3! Jennings! I have no words.
10:25 PM: Normally I like the Nuggets but against this Bucks team they are pure evil to me. Go Jennings.
10:27 PM: Clutch ft’s, Brandon. Nice.

I’m not apologizing one bit for all this Jennings love (and this is nothing, wait till we get to Saturday). This rookie is a wonder. We haven’t seen a small, left-handed rookie point guard who can score from anywhere on the court, keep his teammates happy, and come through in the clutch like this since Damon Stoudamire won the Rookie of the Year in 1995-1996. He is like Damon on steroids. His drives are captivating, his shot is pure, and his swagger is immense. Defenses fear him. Try asking me when the Bucks are coming to Toronto and I’ll tell you “January 22” before you finish your sentence. It’s as if God created Brandon Jennings to thank me for being a basketball fan.

10:30 PM: Switched over to HOU game for a second and saw Carl Landry get a fucking vicious block on Rudy Gay. Along with it, a nice scream.

I couldn’t find a video of that particular block, but I found this one. Insane. Landry really embarrassed Rudy that night, just like Travis Outlaw did the night before. Rough week. Sorry, Rudy. One more thing: I’m not the least bit surprised that Landry is having so much success this season. In fact, I thought he’d be scoring more than this. He was quietly a very efficient scorer for the Rockets for the past couple of seasons and he possesses passion, energy and all the other good stuff that can’t be seen in his stellar PER. Love this guy. He’s on both of my fantasy teams.

10:35 PM: Read Shoals’s piece about being either extremely pro- or anti-Jennings. Um, yep. 1st time in my life I’ve considered buying a Bucks jersey.

I looked into this. The NBA Store shamefully doesn’t have pre-made Jennings jerseys on the Bucks’ page – you have to select a customized jersey and then find his name on the list, just like you would if you wanted a Francisco Elson jersey. Also, the Bucks’ official store is on the Bradley Center’s website, which is down. (Update: Home, Road, Alternate.)

10:48 PM: I generally can’t turn down a Thunder game but we’ve got Steve Nash and Chris Paul on the floor at the same time here, so… sorry OKC.

Sadly, this was my final tweet of the night. I thought that seeing two of the best point guards ever go at it would keep me going, despite getting less than four hours of sleep the night before. Nope. At some point, I apparently woke up enough to turn off the TV and fall right back to sleep.

Thursday, Nov. 12

7:13 AM: 75 1st-half pts for PHO? Clutchness from KD? F me for falling asleep. Ok with missing Westbrook’s injury live tho, wouldn’t handle that well

I woke up on the couch with the lights still on, a bit confused. Immediately checked highlights to see that Durant had taken out the Clippers without much help from the Thunder’s backcourt terror, including a game-winning jumper with 39 seconds left in the game (1:45 here). Westbrook shot 1-11 in less than 22 minutes and probably shouldn’t have even tried to come back after Marcus Camby landed on his ankle. The Portland/Phoenix game probably would have just depressed me, in retrospect. 75 points in a half sounds like fun, but I’m sick of seeing Chris Paul’s team get killed. Turned out to be Byron Scott’s final game as their coach.

7:29 AM: If you’re not a Will Bynum fan, you have no soul.

7:38 AM: “It felt good, it made me feel young again.” – DeRozan, 20 years old, on his dunk last night.

Aw… What a great kid! Shit, I’m doing it again. I’ll stop.

1:29 PM: Bryon Scott is gone. Not surprised in the least. Lil Buckets & Lil Dimes are free!

The first thing I thought about when I heard the news was that these two rooks would get to see more playing time. I was excited. No one knew who was replacing Byron at this point, though.

2:16 PM: Erm… Bower? I don’t know about this. I guess he’ll probably play the rookies he drafted, which is good. Worried about that team though.

I’m an idiot, I didn’t even notice the Tim Floyd thing initially.

2:30 PM: Sham nails it RT @ShamSports Byron Scott fired, Tim Floyd strangely hired.

I wasn’t going to include re-tweets in this thing, but he said it way better than I could.

2:47 PM: I actually get angry when I think about the Warriors. So much talent. Damn it.

Should I rant here? Do we need another rant about this organization? I’m so far beyond sick of reading about the clusterfuck that is the Golden State Warriors, and I bet you are too. I just want this to end.

8:39 PM: Came on here to see the reactions to Wade’s dunk. Love seeing there are so many people who just freaked out like I did. Thanks, Twitter.

I never thought I’d fully get into this Twitter thing like I have. I’m not just spending so much time there because it’s how you get news now; I legitimately enjoy seeing people’s commentary during games and their responses to crazy plays like this. When you’re staying in to spend quality time with League Pass and your laptop, there’s something pretty cool about seeing a ton of other people doing the same thing and loving it.

9:44 PM: Shortly, there will be a picture of 9-year-old me wearing the purple ‘dino’ uniform on the internet. I’m not sure how I feel about this.

I must say, one of the highlights of my week was when Tas Melas tweeted about the picture. The thing was sent around my office, too. One of my co-workers made it his background image. I’m not seeing any real downside to posting it… yet.

9:52 PM: Barkley, you are killing me.

11:52 PM: The Machine = The ENFORCER!

2:46 AM: Bloody hell. Didn’t quite register how FAR Shannon Brown took off from, live. Bynum, Iggy, Wade, Brown. Couple of amazing nights for dunks.

2:55 AM: “I’m in the NBA and without ACL’s and with the Spurs. Doing my dream. I’m blessed. It’s amazing.”

Friday, Nov. 13

12:02 PM: What the FUCK is this about? CB had a hell of a summer and is 2nd in the league in PER. What more do you want from him?

Um, yeah. This didn’t please me. I just don’t understand what prompted it. Chris Bosh is by no means flawless, but how does he deserve this sort of treatment? Blaming Bosh of all people for Toronto’s lack of post-season success is ridiculous. It’s a team game. And why write this now? There are games to talk about. Reading this article, you would have no idea that almost nobody has been better than Toronto’s franchise guy so far in this young season.

4:35 PM: I need to write about OKC so I have an excuse to use this pic.

Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images

5:49 PM: Rockets cut Pops, and the Raptors have a roster spot. I’m sure there are people thinking what I’m thinking.

10:09 PM: Just saw Chris Paul being carried off the floor. Heart fucking sank. Damn it.
10:18 PM: Someone say Chris Paul is okay.

This looked awful. I couldn’t concentrate properly on any basketball being played for the next little while after I saw this (was watching the fantastic first half of the Lakers/Nuggets game at the time). I don’t even know how to put into words how devastated Hornets fans would have been if it turned out to be a season-threatening injury. Then, imagine what Paul himself was going through. Gah. Anyway, it turns out he’s sidelined 3-4 weeks, which isn’t good but isn’t as bad as it could have been. (Update: Now, the Hornets announced Paul is out “indefinitely”. Damn it. I want him back soon. Selfishly, I want him back before December 20, when his team makes its annual visit to Toronto. I was going to take my mom to that game for her birthday! Not going to bother, if there’s no CP3.)

1:31 AM: Um, WHAT? Raptors, Lawson, I didn’t see any of it. Can’t get home fast enough! Ahhh
1:50 AM: I just watched that Lawson dunk 5 times in a row. And I’m not done.

When I went out to watch my friend’s band play, the Lakers/Nuggets game was very competitive and the Raptors had cut a 22-point Clipper lead to 11. This was one of the countless times I’ve been thwarted by not being able to be in two places at once. As soon as the set was over, I checked NBA Game Time Lite and Twitter on my phone. The Raptors had won by 15, the Nuggets by 26, and everyone was losing their shit over one of my favourite rookies dunking over a 7-footer. You should have seen my face. I booked it home, reveled in Lawson’s awesomeness, and watched the Raptors Game In An Hour on Raptors NBA TV.

Saturday, Nov. 14

11:54 AM: Hot damn. I’ve watched a lot of basketball, and DeAndre Jordan’s wide-left attempt last night was one of the worst FT’s I’ve ever seen.

That wasn’t the only great video to come out of this game. Check out Kevin Arnovitz’s work for ClipperBlog. Along with Rob Mahoney at The Two Man Game, online basketball analysis is going to the next level with the use of video.

4:30 PM: About to post another book review. This time, no pics of me as a kid. Just fawning over what’s one of my favourite books ever.

7:12 PM: I’m totally ready for Will Bynum vs. Earl Boykins.

Wagman gets on my case sometimes, saying “you love any little guy who shoots a lot”. I maintain that, while I definitely do like me some small point guards with swagger, he’s simplifying things. For example, I am not a big fan of Bobby Brown or Jannero Pargo. So there.

7:34 PM: Okay, I know AI’s made some mistakes here, but… The Grizz would prefer TINSLEY? Argh. Sigh.

Nothing personal against Tinsley here. When he was in shape, the guy was one of the best distributors in the game. The Grizzlies could definitely use a player like that. It’s just that this whole Iverson scenario pisses me off. It’s inconceivable to me that he signed there without even discussing what his role would be on the team. Bitching to the media won’t solve anything, obviously, but it should have never reached that point. Iverson wasn’t much good in Detroit, but it would be very sad if he went out like this. I still hope that another team gives him a chance to prove he can still play, and that, if given that chance, Iverson makes a concerted effort to fit in, share the ball, and pick his spots. Ron Artest has done this remarkably well in L.A. up to this point, so I guess what I’m saying is… A.I., be more like Artest! Good god.

7:51: Oooooh, Boykins almost converted a 3 while getting fouled. I’ve missed this guy.
7:53: Boykins has 11 points already.

This was crazy. After being out of the NBA since the end of the 2007-2008 season, Earl Boykins hit 5 of his first 6 field goals and energized his new team. Exciting stuff.

9:51: Q-RICH!!!!!! WHAT?!!?!?!?
9:55: Yes Brook!!!
9:56: Noooooooo NJ! Ahhhhhh

At this point, my buddy Justin had come over. He wanted to watch Spurs/Thunder, but I insisted that he had to see Brandon Jennings play (but I hadn’t the slightest fucking clue what we were in for), so we had it mostly on Bucks/Warriors despite him saying they were “bad teams”. Thanks to Twitter, I saw that the Utah/Cleveland and Miami/New Jersey games were going down to the wire. Managed to flip to MIA/NJ in time to see Quentin Richardson bank in a ridiculous three to tie it, Brook Lopez hit a layup to take back the lead, and Dwyane Wade hit an incredible three to crush the Nets’ hopes of finally winning a game. Exciting as hell, but I felt terrible for Jersey – this was probably even tougher than the loss to Philadelphia.

10:06 PM: There is literally no one I like watching more than Brandon Jennings these days
10:09 PM: They’re chanting “Bran-don Jen-nings” in Milwaukee.
10:10 PM: I am freaking out. This is unreal. Brandon Jennings.
10:17 PM: This kid is not human. I don’t even understand this.
10:17 PM: THIS IS WHY I WATCH BASKETBALL
10:19 PM: I feel like I’m high right now.
10:20 PM: This is too much. This is like an advertisement for the sport.
10:34 PM: I am barely paying attention when the Warriors have the ball. Just waiting for Jennings to get it back.
10:50 PM: I keep getting chills.
10:50 PM: When Jennings scores, I feel like I am scoring.
10:53 PM: HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!
10:59 PM: Jennings with the rebound. Fitting.
10:59 PM: BRANDON JENNINGS DID NOT SCORE IN THE 1ST QUARTER
11:05 PM: I am completely spent
11:07 PM: How the fuck did I gain followers tonight? All I’ve done is ramble like a crazy person.
11:14 PM: Fuck you Canada, we have Euroleague right now. Okay, I’m outta here. RT @johnschuhmann Brandon Jennings interview on NBA TV now.

To anyone who saw this live, you understand. If you didn’t, well… I’m not sure I can do it justice with words, but I’ll give it a shot. This was a special performance from an extraordinarily talented player. In the third quarter, everything Jennings did worked. Threes, pull-up jumpers, floaters, layups, they all went in. In the fourth, he wouldn’t let his team lose. The Warriors made a comeback, but every time they needed a basket, Brandon would get one. He even got a key rebound. As he was dominating the game, it never even felt like he was forcing things – he was just on another level. My mind was racing, thinking about what, if anything at all, was going through his head; thinking about what it must be like to be in that arena; and thinking about all the other die-hards lucky enough to have chosen to spend their Saturday night this way, hoping to see something even one-tenth this amazing. Justin and I were screaming, jumping, and high-fiving. I frantically called a few friends to tell them what was going on. I told the guy who has Jennings in our fantasy pool that I’d trade a kidney for him. All this, and I wouldn’t even say I got carried away. This display of excellence deserved extreme reactions. Some descriptors that come to mind: thrilling, awe-inspiring, and emotional. We went out to a bar afterward and it was showing a UFC event. I struggled to talk about anything besides the game and I kept wishing all of the TV’s would suddenly ditch the brawling dudes and play a replay of The Brandon Jennings Show. This game wasn’t only great; for someone like me who recently decided to give this NBA blogging thing a serious try, it was life-affirming.

Sunday, Nov. 15

6:01 PM: Beaubois! Bynum! Pistons vs. Mavericks, I’m up for this.
6:23 PM: Has there ever been a better point guard draft than this one? Jennings, Lawson, Flynn, Beaubois, Maynor, Collison have been very impressive.
6:23 PM: That’s not even mentioning Rubio. Or Evans/Curry/Douglas ’cause they’re combo guards. I think Teague can be a player, too. Damn.

In a liveblog on The Score the other night, we were talking about the rooks and I said this was pretty much a perfect class for me. Tons of really good point guards and pretty much everyone feeling like an underdog after it was declared a “weak” draft class – I can’t ask for more. Beaubois went off against the Pistons, by the way, finishing with 14 points and 4 assists without missing a single shot in 19 minutes of action. At one point, Jason Terry subbed in for him and the announcers talked about how the Pistons were catching a break.

8:43 PM: This is exactly Marco Belinelli’s type of game

You put Phoenix and Toronto on the court and you can expect to see a hell of a lot of fast breaks and ball movement. Belinelli thrives in these freewheeling games, as he can easily find open looks for himself and use his court vision to make plays for others. Now’s a good time to admit that I wasn’t too fond of his acquisition, initially – I thought his turnover rate and his penchant for taking, um, questionable shots made him basically an average offensive player. With his defense looking poor on a Golden State team that basically ignored that end of the floor, I questioned how well his game translated to the NBA. After watching his first 10 games as a Raptor, though, I have become a fan. He has provided a spark off the bench, scoring at a very efficient rate and keeping defenses on their toes with his aggressiveness. The “bad” shots are still there, but he’s actually making a lot of them. His turnovers have dropped a bit, too, and the defense? Not great, but not THAT bad. I can admit when I was wrong.

9:08 PM: Durant has 38. Lawler just said “he should never pass the ball.” Still over 8 minutes left.
9:25 PM: I feel like a bad Raptors fan. Can’t ignore the end of this OKC game.
9:33 PM: Durant is probably thinking about having another slap fight. Damn it, game over.

I don’t feel like that bad of a Raps fan at this point, since I watched the stuff I missed a few hours later. I love Raptors TV. You know what I’d love more, though? If the Canadian version of League Pass aired game replays. Anyway, onto that Thunder/Clippers game – there was 8:43 left and the score was tied when Durant hit for 38. He then missed a three-pointer on their next possession and didn’t shoot again until he made a jump shot with 4:25 left to bring his team within 1. Somehow, that was basically the end of Durant’s contribution. The remainder of the game saw Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green committing turnovers and missing shots, with Durant’s final shot being a meaningless missed 3 when down by 8 with 17 seconds left in the game. I know this team is young, but there’s no excuse for this. Durant is one of the best offensive players in the game and he was unstoppable to the tune of 40 points on this night. Scott Brooks (who drew up a great play to get Jeff Green an open corner 3 late in the game, only to see him miss it), Westbrook, and Durant himself all have to be held accountable for the fact that he vanished at the end of this one. Very frustrating.

10:01 PM: “Amir Johnson has been spectacular tonight.” – @RaptorsDevlin. Yup. Love it love it love it.
10:04 PM: Haha, I see there’s a stretch of 4 almost-consecutive Amir Johnson tweets on my feed. This makes me happy.

I’m a big Amir Johnson fan. In fact, I think I’m the second-biggest Amir Johnson fan in this city. He is a beast on the boards, a quality defensive player when he’s not fouling people, and an energy guy. Seeing him get a season high in minutes played and finish the game with only 3 fouls put a big smile on my face. There’s not much that’s sweeter than seeing young players starting to realize their potential.

10:16 PM: Ballsy shot by Turk. Ballsy.
10:18 PM: Swirsky would be screaming about onions right now. Oh man. TURK!
10:21 PM: I was 100% sure that Turk shot was going in. Then I was 100% sure that Nash one was going in. Ahhhhhhhhhh.
10:23 PM: Crushing. Great game, but crushing.

The end of this 1-point defeat was tough to swallow. Toronto’s big free-agent acquisition, playing despite a banged up hip, hit HUGE back-to-back jumpers in crunch time. The next sequence: Nash getting an and-1 on a layup (to put the Suns up 1), Turkoglu and Nash each just missing the kind of shots you expect these guys to make at the end of games, and then, with the game on the line, Turkoglu missing a step-back after a rare ball-handling hiccup while matched up with Channing Frye. The Raptors haven’t won against Phoenix since Nash signed with them in 2004. So close.

11:02 PM: OMG I just saw the Ariza/Artest shoe thing.

11:11 PM: Aaron Brooks loves playing the Lakers.

The speedy little point guard abused L.A. again, scoring 33 points on 23 shots while grabbing 6 rebounds (!) and dishing out 4 assists in a Rockets victory. We know Derek Fisher has lost a few steps defensively, but you still have to be impressed by Brooks. He raises his game when he plays the champs.

11:36 PM: Really appreciate how the Rockets have played this season.

The last game of the week, and it’s damn appropriate. Here’s a team that hasn’t seen a minute from its two stars making close to $40 million this season. Their record is 4-3 and they have beaten the Lakers once and lost to them by just 1 another time. Show their roster to a casual fan and they will not get excited – Brooks, Landry, Trevor Ariza (who the Lakers honoured with a very classy championship ring presentation and tribute), Shane Battier, Luis Scola, and Chuck Hayes won’t get a lot of votes for the All-Star Game this season. But all of them, along with Kyle Lowry, David Andersen, and Chase Budinger, have been a joy to watch this season. They play hard, they play together, and they don’t get blown out (with one exception). On paper, they don’t look like they have the personnel to be a good offensive team, but Rick Adelman has them playing above-average offensive basketball thus far. The defense? Even without Yao, they can play D. Chuck Hayes is nothing short of brilliant on that end of the floor and you don’t need me to tell you about Shane Battier. When you watch League Pass all the time, you inevitably have some teams that draw you in more than others. For me, if the Rockets are playing, I’m probably watching. Unless Brandon Jennings is on another channel, that is.