Bleacher Report - Articles by Harris Beringer

Something’s Different About Carmelo Anthony

Harris Beringer — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:52:44 -0500

Carmelo Anthony has not been the same player this season. Articles across the country have lauded him for an improved all-around game.

Surely his stats are more balanced since his rebounding and assist numbers increased, but that does not mean he plays better basketball overall.

His rebound rate ranks among the top for small forwards, but the increase can be attributed to the departure of Marcus Camby, who previously snagged those boards. No one else on the team rebounds well, and someone has to get the ball.

His shooting percentages are at a career low, and his possessions resulting in turnovers are far higher percentage than ever before. Melo apologists cite a sore elbow, but great players learn to deal with injuries.

For the stat geeks out there, Carmelo’s PER has fallen to 16 this season, after three straight seasons between 21.1 and 22.1. Can we really blame the elbow?

Here are the top four possibilities why Carmelo is missing shots and making more mistakes:

He’s hurt
Usually when someone’s arm hurts, they can’t shoot or dribble as well. Solution: He is still making free throws, so he should try to limit himself to high percentage shots. Carmelo has never shown good shot selection, but this time he really should try.
He’s too fat
He reportedly lost 9 pounds in the offseason, slimming down from 245 to 236. However, he does not look any thinner. Athletes often say they lost weight, packed on muscle, or are in the best shape of their lives. Usually lies. His NBA profile lists him at 230, but that was probably his rookie weight. This article mentions 228-230 is Melo’s ideal weight. He weighed 220 at Syracuse. Maybe his chef is too good. Solution: He may lose his personal chef, Daniel Young. Young cooked for Obama at the DNC.
He got a haircut
Everyone knows unique hair helps you play better. Look at Ben Wallace. No one cares about his hair anymore, and he plays like an old man. Solution: Shave a nugget into his hair.
The Nuggets need a new shooting coach
Does anyone remember J.R. Smith? This was supposed to be his breakout season. His assists and rebounds are at career highs (sound familiar?), but he can’t buy a bucket. Solution: Is Reggie Miller available?

Do you think Carmelo can recover and post his fourth straight excellent season?

Ron Artest vs. Caron Butler: Who Would You Rather Have By Your Side?

Harris Beringer — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:35:48 -0400

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the NBA Gauntlet site to participate in this post's poll.

Ron vs. Caron

They are both 28 years old and injury-prone, spent two years in college, have been traded a couple of times, and are members of high-powered trios. Ron Artest joins Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming this season, while Caron Butler continues to play with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.

They each also rank among the league-leaders in steals, although Artest is more heralded for his defense.

They each have a somewhat menacing appearance, with Artest sporting large muscles and words shaved in his head, and Butler showing off some ink of a skull on his arm.

These two players have much in common, but their names are not among the similarities.

Ron is short for Ronald, from Queensbridge, NY. He says he grew up on the streets and always follows that code of honor. No one, including fans, may disrespect him or his friends.

Caron is Mr. Butler’s middle name. James Butler, who was born in Wisconsin and went to high school in Maine and college in Connecticut, does not sound like a very dangerous sort of guy. Naturally, he went with Caron and got the aforementioned skull tattoo.

Background aside, who would you rather have on your team right now?

Ron Artest: 20.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG

Each time he missed games, his team was much worse.
He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2003-04.
He was selected to the 2004 All-Star game.
He played well in his sole All-Star game appearance, unlike Butler.
His PER (Player Efficiency Rating) has improved every year except the 2005-06 season, when he was traded from Indiana to Sacramento.
Artest had to play with Stephen Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley, and numerous other bad influences.
He is fiercely devoted to his teammates—he now loves Yao Ming.
Knicks fans have been depressed for the last nine years that the team drafted Frederic Weis over him.

Caron Butler: 20.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG

He was an All-Star in 2007 and 2008.
Caron’s PER has risen each season except his second, when Miami imported a bunch of new players, and he could never get in a rhythm.
He greatly improved his passing and shooting last year, and helped the Wizards make the playoffs despite a major injury to Gilbert Arenas.
Last year, he had a higher PER and Win Score than Artest.
He has played second fiddle to Arenas, Bryant, and Wade, and clearly plays better without them.
He is less likely to suddenly retire, join the Knicks, or release a music album.

Who would you rather have by your side?

Eddy Curry Pie Relapse

Harris Beringer — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:06:39 -0400

Eddy Curry, a 6′11, 300+ pound center for the New York Knicks, reportedly wanted to be a gymnast when he was younger.

However, when he realized he could sucker an NBA team into paying him way too much money, he gave up his first love. Plus, the basketball looked tasty. Check out the comic.

Paul Pierce vs. Carmelo Anthony: Whose Self-Promotion Is More Justified?

Harris Beringer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:36:44 -0400

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit NBA Gauntlet to participate in this post's poll.

The Truth vs. Melo

In this battle we have the self-proclaimed “best player in the world” up against the versatile young snitch-hater.

When Paul Pierce was interviewed by the Spanish newspaper Marca, he revealed that he thinks he is the best player in the world. He attributes this statement to confidence, not conceit.

He also said that LeBron is the most difficult player to defend, Magic Johnson is one of his idols, and his teammates are his favorite players.

In response to a question, he said that Gilbert Arenas is better than Jose Calderon because Calderon has room for improvement, but Arenas is already a superstar. Those years in Spanish class really paid off.

Carmelo has among the most egomaniac websites around, carmeloanthony.com. He enjoys photography and blogging, and recently he took some decent photos, so it’s fair that he was published in the NY Times. To be honest, I would be doing the same things if I were in his position.

Last year, Pierce and Anthony were both voted All-NBA (third), and they have had comparable PER and scoring numbers over the past few years. Let’s see the argument for each:

Paul Pierce: 19.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.5 APG

Pierce won a ring with the Celtics in 2007-2008.
The Celtics were terrible when he missed 2006-2007 with an injury.
He returned from a critical stabbing injury early in his career.
He managed to play with Antoine Walker.
He has been a much more accomplished passer, despite playing on some lousy teams.
Pierce is a better three-point shooter and gets to the line more often than Carmelo.

Carmelo Anthony: 25.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG

He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.
Melo had the fifth most popular jersey last year, while Pierce’s jersey was 13th most popular.
He greatly improved his rebounding last year, and had a career high in field goal percentage.
Ranked one spot higher in MVP voting last year.
He only needed one year of college, and he won the NCAA tournament that year.

So, which All-Star is more justified in his self-promotion?

Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James

Harris Beringer — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:50:12 -0400

This article first appeared on NBA Gauntlet on 8/18/08. Kobe is leading the poll 145-142.

Doberman vs. King James

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James routinely factor into the discussion every season as MVP candidates. Each year, they have among the highest scoring averages, PERs, Win Shares, and any other metric commonly used to determine the best basketball player.

Last year, LeBron flirted with a triple-double for the season, but slowed down a bit as the season progressed. Even so, he still ended up with numbers that would often win the MVP. Unfortunately for him, many players had compelling arguments for the MVP award. The highest rated by many metrics were Kobe and LeBron.

Kobe: 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG

LeBron: 30 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG

ESPN conducted a poll and determined LeBron should win, but in actual results, he came in fourth. Kobe won, followed by Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, James, and Dwight Howard.

How can this be justified?

Kobe was the best player on the second best team in the NBA. LeBron’s team was just average.
Kobe prides himself on defense and frequently asks to guard the opposing team’s top scorer.
Kobe shoots better from three-point range.
Some voters thought Kobe was “due” for the award after many fantastic seasons.

Of course, LeBron had a much weaker supporting cast, so you can’t blame him for winning fewer games.

LeBron also has none of Kobe’s character issues. He has never asked to be traded, was never indicted for a major crime, never changed his uniform number, and doesn’t complain about bad teammates.

LeBron also has posted many great seasons back-to-back, yet still hasn’t gotten recognition. Also, if they’re including a whole career in MVP discussion, why did Chris Paul end up second?

Maybe the MVP voters made a mistake.

The MVP just counts the regular season, so how do they compare in the postseason?

They have each carried their teams through the playoffs, but could not win a championship without an all-star sidekick.

In NBA Finals, each man faltered when confronted with stifling defense. LeBron and his Cavs were swept in the 2007 NBA Finals by the Spurs, who had won four championships in nine years. Kobe and the Lakers could not handle the intense pressure applied by the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals.

Which Nike shoe salesman would you rather have on your team?

Baron Davis Vs. Chauncey Billups

Harris Beringer — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:00:30 -0400

Note: this article first appeared on NBA Gauntlet on 8/03/08. In the poll there, Chauncey has 53% of the vote.

Boom Dizzle vs. Mr. Big Shot

In this gauntlet match-up, we have the point guard who left his Warriors at the altar for the Clippers going against the point guard who disappeared for the Pistons in the 2008 playoffs.

That said, each floor general has had remarkable success over the past few years after spending years unable to capitalize on their talent.

Last year, each player put up all-star stats:

Baron Davis: 21.8 PPG, 7.6 APG, 2.3 SPG

Chauncey Billups: 16, 6.8 APG, 1.3 SPG

Based on the numbers NBA.com highlights, Baron Davis is a much better player.

However, Chauncey Billups excels in less-heralded stats such as True Shooting Percentage.

Plus, although Baron Davis racks up more assists per game, he also has many more possessions, and gets assists on a smaller percent of his possessions.

So, which do you think is more important?

Getting an assist each time you have the ball? Or having the ball more often., because your team needs you to?

As a result of higher shooting percentages, lower turnover rate, and higher assist rate, Billups actually accumulated more Win Shares and Player Efficiency Rating.

Unsure what that means?

Check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Who would you rather have on your team?

Knicks Preview: How Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni Can Save New York Basketball

Harris Beringer — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:34:02 -0400

I have written my share of Knicks articles, and they were basically all correct. This year, I have a few more fearless projections and suggestions—take that, Mr. Frasier—for fans and management, respectively.

Let's start with the projections. Last year, my projections were pretty accurate. I was tough on all of the players who ended up being terrible (see Richardson, Q.)—but for some crazy reason, I thought the Knicks could win 41 games and make the playoffs. Instead, they stumbled to 23 wins and an unlucky lottery slot.

This year, let's start off with the win total—33. Now, how can the Knicks achieve that record?

Last year was filled with an unprecedented level of drama, with a coach spending the entire year on the hot seat, a sexual harassment scandal, an unhappy "star" point guard who mysteriously left the team to have surgery, trade rumors, and various in-team scuffles.

This year, stability alone should bring the team back to its play of two years ago. Unfortunately, much of the Eastern Conference, with the exception of the Nets, has improved.

Elton Brand brings a low-post presence to Philly. Toronto has a new center, and Indiana found a new point guard. Milwaukee and Atlanta can look forward to another year of growth from their young players. Even Charlotte might improve.

The Knicks, though, are unlikely to notice any improvement from their own players. Not a single Knick has improved while in the league, which might be a sign the coaching staff was terrible. This year, Mike D'Antoni's high-octane offensive approach should increase scoring and raise morale. If that translates to more wins, then great.

Now, can the Knicks win more than 33 games? That will take a real effort to trade the trash and find new roles for others.

Jerome James and Malik Rose have no good reason to take up a spot on the bench. Jerome is on par with Carl Pavano, in terms of free-agent signings who never play.

Rose no longer has the athleticism to overcome his height limitations, so his career should be done. The Knicks release them both and find some NBDL talent or summer league players to take their spots.

Jared Jeffries, Renaldo Balkman, and Mardy Collins are all the same player, only with different heights. Renaldo is the best athlete, Jeffries is the tallest, and Collins is the best passer.

None of them can shoot, and none of them should play more than 10 minutes a game. Trade any of them, maybe for a second-round pick if possible.

Eddy Curry needs to get in shape and be removed from the game whenever he does not show effort on the boards. Send him to Tim Grover, who runs the famous A.T.T.A.C.K. training facility, to improve his quickness.

Not many teams would want to trade for Curry, but these teams might bite: Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Dallas, Minnesota, and Memphis.

Some trade ideas:

1. Eddy Curry and Quentin Richardson for Darko Milicic, Marko Jaric, and Javaris Crittenton

A deal that might make everyone happy. Darko can fit in better in New York than in Memphis, and might finally blossom into a good player. His blocks would be a welcome addition.

Marko and Javaris would bring more point-guard options to the Knicks, and help solve the Grizzlies' glut at the position. Quentin should be a more attractive trade target for opposing teams since he has lost weight and has excelled in D'Antoni's system before.

Eddy Curry and cash for Mike Miller

A guard with great shooting ability.

Eddy Curry for Erick Dampier

Dampier has three years left on his deal, which would hurt the LeBron plan, but maybe a solution can be found then.

2. Nate Robinson and Mardy Collins for J.J. Redick, Marcin Gortat and a first-round pick in 2010

The Knicks get a sharpshooter, needed in D'Antoni's offense, as well as a backup center. Since they would be giving up more desireable players, they also get back a first-round pick for 2010, which they lost in the Marbury deal.

Jared Jeffries and Nate Robinson for J.J. Redick and Tony Battie

3. Zach Randolph and Renaldo Balkman for Marcus Camby and Tim Thomas

Addition by subtraction. The Knicks would like the cap relief and the subtraction of a bad influence. The Clippers can use a low-post presense and rebounder now that Elton Brand has departed for greener pastures.

Marcus Camby would not be much of a scoring threat for the Clippers, and it seemed like they preferred Randolph. The Knicks would reunite with Camby, who helped them reach the finals in 1999.

Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford for Wally Szczerbiak, Eric Snow, and a first-round pick in 2009

Once again, the Knicks pick up a great shooter in Wally. Eric Snow can provide some leadership from the bench. Both incoming players only have one year left on their contracts.

Cleveland would get a talented low-post scorer who could play a Carlos Boozer-type role. Snow is clearly less skiilled than Crawford, but his contract is for only one year instead of three.

4. Stephon Marbury for anything

Even if he is talented, motivated, and ready for a fresh start, everyone else on the team wants him gone. If they can get any sort of productivity out of him, that would be fantastic and they can disregard this idea.

5. Renaldo Balkman for anything

The Knicks currently have way too many small forwards: Jeffries, Balkman, Gallinari, Chandler, and Richardson. Balkman is the worst.

With some serious luck, the Knicks can trot out a starting 5 of Duhon, Crawford, Chandler, Lee, and Camby with a bench of Gallinari, Anthony Roberson, Milicic, J.J. Redick, Jared Jeffries, Marcin Gortat, Jaric, and Crittenton. They would have cap flexibility almost immediately, as well as a 2010 pick, when they can go after free agents.

I pencil that team in for 42 wins based on the potential of the young guns, the new coach, and the strength of the bench.