Bleacher Report - Basketball

Allen Iverson's Retirement Leaves More Questions Than Answers

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:32:56 -0500

In sports, it is a rarity to witness the start-to-finish career of a hall of fame player with all the ups and the downs that come along with time. In most cases, the player's career is cut short by injuries or loss of talent, causing them to drop from superstar levels to mediocrity. Rare as ever is it to witness a legend make it from day one to the end of his career with still a little sparkle or flicker of what they once used to be.

When Michael Jordan retired from the Washington Wizards, those of us who had seen from his early days to his peak still saw some of shades of his super stardom as he walked off into the sunset.

When Brett Favre retired, and when he retires again, we will surely see some of the magic in his eyes that helped him become one of the greatest to ever suit up.

Such was expected of 14 year veteran Allen Iverson.

When news broke of Allen Iverson announcing his plans to retire, I wasn't the least bit shocked. After all, the New York Knicks passing on A.I. was a sign that we may never see him perform on the biggest stage again.

There were rumors of him playing in Europe, but we all knew that would never be the same. Weeks of disgruntlement in Memphis preceded Iverson's decision to walk away from the game for good.

Though I wasn't surprised by the announcement when I initially heard it, a feeling of emptiness and confusion came over me hours later when it began to set in that this wasn't the way it was supposed to end for one of the best players in league history.

There was no farewell tour. There was no montage of interviews from various superstars, past and present, talking about how Iverson influenced them individually and the game as a whole. There was no Joe DiMaggio teary-eyed speech about how it was time to move on.

There was nothing.

For a player who ranks fifth all time in points scored per game, a ten time All-Star, and a guy who was second only to Michael Jordan in points scored per game in the playoffs, this is how it ends? A call to Stephen A. Smith and a halftime blurb on ESPN by Jalen Rose?

There is no question that Iverson's decision making over the past has been far from perfect. From the day he came into the league, his friction with Larry Brown to his qualms about "practice" and his off-the-court issues with his posse, to his refusal to come off the bench in Memphis, Iverson had made poor choices. But that is who he was.

We knew that from his college days and nothing about him changed in that respect. We hated how ridiculous he may have sounded at times, but loved how big the little man's heart was on the court. He wanted to win and he wanted to win badly. You could see it in his eyes, you could feel it with every slam his body took to the hardwood, and you could hear it in his voice when he would vent about the team's failures.

This is who Allen Iverson was. His passion was his gift and in the end, it was his curse.

There is no question in my mind that there is a place somewhere in the league for Iverson. But can you blame any General Managers who are weary of signing him after his departures in Detroit and Memphis? I can't.

What saddens me the most about Iverson retiring, prematurely in my mind, is that he still has at least two or three years left where he can contribute to a championship contending team. The only caveat being that he cannot dominate the ball and run the show like he used to.

I am 100 percent positive that Iverson could join a team, come off the bench, and immediately make them a threat. No question.

However, Iverson doesn't see it that way. Perhaps if he did, he would one day retire similar to David Robinson and the many other legends who walked away with slightly diminished skills, but a championship victory.

How different our last memories would be if A.I. could find it in himself to yield some of his ego for the betterment of his own legendary status - a status that is just as important to his fans, though he may not understand that.

Instead, we have an ESPN news ticker informing us that the greatest small guard has decided to retire.

I am not fortunate to have an insider link to Iverson where I could ask him why he chose to go the path he did. If I did, I would ask him what upset him about being a sixth man while potentially being a crucial piece of a championship team.

Manu Ginobili was not a starter for the Spurs when they won their title, but few remember, or care about that. All they commit to memory is his contributions to achieving the ultimate goal. Why could Allen Iverson not do the same?

Perhaps, we will never know.

There are many paths in life that we as individuals choose to take. All we can do is look at our options and make the decision that we deem the best possible for ourselves. It appears that Iverson has made up his mind, and retirement is what is best for him.

Allen Iverson doesn't owe anyone an explanation. That being said, the irony in all of this is the man known as the "Answer" is leaving us with so many unanswered questions.

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The Top Ten Dunkers In The NBA

Sachin Arora — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:22:45 -0500

Dunking is one of the most exciting elements of the NBA game today, and this slide show is going to show you the top 10 dunkers in the league at the moment. Dunking is one of those things that require skill and finesse, and a guy like Shaq isn't going to make this list just because he can stuff the ball into the net using his big body. Note: You may have a different opinion on this, feel free to state your opinion, that's what comments are for :)

Begin Slideshow

The Retirement of Allen Iverson: Glory, Tragedy, Selfishness, and Business

D REW — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:56:10 -0500

I was on my treadmill when the radio announced that Allen Iverson was retiring from the NBA at age 36 after being discontent with his role in Memphis and unable to be signed by the New York Knicks.

I turned off my treadmill and had to take a second to reflect.

As an NBA and Iverson fan:

1. It was just over a month ago I was thrilled to write about Iverson's potential to help the Memphis Grizzlies become playoff contenders.

2. It was just over six months ago I watched the Detroit Pistons organization come to terms with the fact he was not the best choice for their organization.

3. It was three years ago I was convinced he would help the Denver Nuggets go far in the playoffs. (Which led to two first round playoff ousts...)

4. I was seven years ago I was disappointed with the Philadelphia 76ers performance in the NBA playoffs. (An ouster in the first round...)

5. And it was eight years ago that I sat on the edge of my seat and screamed like a maniac during the 2001 NBA post season to watch the buildup of what I consider the performance of the decade: Allen Iverson during Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals.

In 2001, Allen Iverson was my hero.

He was a rebel, a young super-talent unafraid to speak his mind and play his game, leading a rag—tag group of players consisting of guys like Matt Geiger and Tyrone Hill through the NBA playoffs to face off against the Juggernaut that was the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers were undefeated in the 2001 post season, defeating my Blazers, the Kings, and the Spurs by an average of 20 points. They were looking to be the only team in the NBA to ever go undefeated in the post season.

Because the Lakers had knocked my Blazers out during game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals in heartbreaking manner...Iverson was my ticket to revenge.

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals Allen Iverson scored 48 points to lead his team to a five point victory in overtime.

The Lakers dreams of a perfect season were squashed by the rebel with corn-rows, tattoos, and a larger than life determination to win the NBA Finals.

Proof the little guy can win. A fairy tale?

But as usual with true—life David V. Goliath storylines...the Lakers would win four games in a row and take the 2001 NBA title.

Yet even in defeat, the Philadelphia 76ers led by Allen Iverson prevented the Lakers from accomplishing a goal far more significant than their second NBA title in two years.

They prevented them from setting an undefeated postseason record.

For many, myself included, it was a bigger accomplishment for the 76ers than it was for the Lakers to win the title.

That's glory.

But in the years that followed, perhaps it was injury or perhaps it was the fact that coaches never ran the game that Iverson was accustomed to playing...Iverson had struggles that included a loss in the 2004 Summer Olympics and numerous first round postseason exits.

He would win scoring titles and even a second All Star game MVP, but he never led another team to the glory of 2001.

To me, that's a tragedy. I think winning meant more to Iverson in 2001 than all the money or stats in the world. He was in inspiration to the nation. I even bought his sneakers and they made my whack—white—boy game way better.

I was so sure that Iverson would help Memphis, but he was discontent being taken in off the bench.

That's selfishness.

Here was his chance to be Uncle Iverson to the new kids on the block. To reassert himself as a leader.

It seemed that money and stats were more important to him than helping rebuild an organization that could use him.

Perhaps that is why the New York Knicks passed on him.

And now he has retired.

That's business.

Iverson wants to shake the whole league up by letting them know he's:

a. OUT

b. AVAILABLE

He's making a ton of racket, using his influence to gain plenty of media hype over the course of the season (pulling a Brett Favre?) to let teams who maybe aren't paying as close enough attention as they should that he is ready to play when called upon.

But, only if he's inserted into the starting line-up and given control of the ball.

Well, in the end that technically is the game he played during his glory year.

So I doubt the league has heard the last of Mr. Allen Iverson.

At least, I hope not.

But I hope that one day Iverson can realize that the last eight seasons of his career have been marred by tragedy, selfishness, and business.

Come on, Allen.

Go back for the glory.

It's well worth it!

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The Chicago Bulls Should Pursue Allen Iverson

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:16:43 -0500

I know, Allen Iverson's retiring from the NBA. Or at least that's what he says.

The fact is that Iverson is leaving the game on someone else's terms. He's one of the greatest guards of his, or any, generation, and the game is forcing him out. After 14 years, there's nowhere for the former MVP and scoring champ to go.

Really?

In my mind, there's a perfect situation for Iverson, where he could contribute in a way that makes him happy enough to stay around and that also benefits the team. Iverson's a perfect fit for the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls are young and have issues scoring the basketball. They've scored over 100 points only once while being held under 90 five times already this year. On a roster filled with skinny tweeners, the defense can only take a team so far. For the Bulls, it will probably be the Draft Lottery next summer.

One of the problems the Bulls are facing is specifically off their bench.

This past summer they let Ben Gordon, their uber-sixth man, walk away as a free agent (he landed in Detroit). Gordon was lights out off the bench, and when he came in it appeared he had the option to shoot or shoot the second he got his hands on the ball.

But the Bulls didn't want to commit long term, or the substantial dollars Gordon was asking, to a player his size or one that played such little defense. With the legendary Free Agent Class of 2010 coming, nobody wanted to spend money for longer than one season.

When Gordon left, the calculated risk the Bulls were taking was that someone, somewhere on their bench, would pick up his scoring. That risk has fallen flat; nobody's scoring off the Bulls bench.

In fact, the Bulls head to Thanksgiving with only four players averaging double-digits in points per game this year. Luol Deng is currently the team's leading scorer at only 17.5 points per night, a number that represents a bad year for Iverson.

Iverson could join a team that has such luminaries as Jannero Pargo and Lindsay Hunter on the payroll, with the team's leading scorer off the bench being Kirk Hinrich at barely over eight points per game.

Why wouldn't the Bulls at least pick up the phone?

Iverson could join a team that's played with Gordon rarely passing the ball for years; the role isn't new, and the chemistry wouldn't completely change. And by letting Iverson play free and shoot at will, he would likely be more comfortable coming off the bench.

There's something else to consider when thinking about the Bulls adding Iverson: dollars. The Bulls don't run the United Center any more.

The Blackhawks are the trendy team in Chicago now. They're the organization selling out games and jerseys and hats and sweatshirts.

Bringing in a player with Iverson's resume would give the Bulls marketing leverage in their own building. While the Bulls struggle to stay in the middle of the pack in their division, the Blackhawks are adding one of the best scoring wings in hockey to a team that's considered one of, if not the best in the entire NHL.

I'm not saying the Bulls need to sign Iverson to compete with Marian Hossa and the Hawks, but their marketing department wouldn't mind the boost in headlines.

The one major issue with this idea is something the Bulls will deal with until they make a change on the bench. Iverson might kill Vinny Del Negro.

But then again, anyone who's ever used a timeout appropriately might be in front of Iverson in line to handle that issue.

Del Negro is an amateur trying to coach a young, talented team in the building Michael Jordan built. His questionable use of players, timeouts, and play selection might drive one of the most passionate players of his generation crazy.

But that would be worth it.

These Bulls have enough talent, and energy, to compete. They just don't have the scoring. The last time I checked, Iverson's name was synonymous with putting points on the board.

This should be a no brainer rental for the Bulls.

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Final Answer: Allen Iverson retires as one of the greatest.

Dwyane Montell — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:01:51 -0500

It is official. One of the NBA's greatest players and scorers ever has retired.

Allen Iverson told Stephen A. Smith of ESPN today that he is retiring from the NBA. Forget the unfair ending he went through, but let's look back this legendary career.

He was a 6-foot-tall but was a beast on the court . Iverson will probably go down as one of the 25 greatest players ever. He accomplished so many great things in the NBA, things that guys like Carmelo and LeBron only dream about.

It all started in the summer of 1996 when the Philadelphia Sixers drafted Iverson out of Georgetown University with the first overall pick.

Iverson's accomplishments:

-1996 Rookie of the year.
- An amazing 24,020 career points, 5,522 career points and 1965 steals.
- Amazing Career averages of 27.1 ppg (5th all-time) and 6.2 apg along with 2.2 spg.
- 30 ppg in the playoffs for his career (2nd all-time next to Michael Jordan).
- 1996 Rookie of the year.
- Three time NBA steals leader.
- Four time NBA scoring champion!.
- 10 time NBA All-star
- Two time NBA All-star game MVP
- 2001 lead one of the least talented teams in league history to the Finals.
- 2001 NBA MVP.

Oh and all of that at barely 6 feet tall and about 170 lbs. All of that and fans want to remember the unfair ending?

The truth is in five years when AI goes to the Hall Of Fame we are going to remember his career. The days in Philly when this guy would amaze the world by dropping 50 points, then running around the Wachovia Center with his hand to his ear as the crowd chants his name.

People are going to remember how Iverson changed the game forever. He was arguably the most hated, but was also the most loved athlete in the world. He inspired kids all over the world.

Iverson inspired today's NBA superstars and the future superstars to come. Before him, few many players had cornrows and tattoos and not many people dressed in baggy clothes before games.

AI started that. He started the hip-hop culture in the NBA.

He showed people in the world that anything is possible no matter what size you are or where you are from.

Growing up in the hard streets of Hampton, Iverson was a star on the football field and on the basketball court and was clearly a super freak athlete. Maybe quicker than any player that has ever played in the NBA, Iverson took over games and dropped 40 points at will.

Nobody will forget the night he dropped 48 points on the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals or the night he dropped a career-high 60 on the Magic in 2005.

Iverson averaged 30 ppg over four times in his career and he was always top-10 in scoring before being traded to Detroit.

Iverson played harder than any player I have ever seen. He played through all kinds of injuries and is arguably one of the toughest players ever. He had so many memorable moments in his legendary career. You could probably write a book about the memorable games and moments Iverson had in the NBA.

But why did it end like this?

Just a year ago, when he played for the Nuggets Iverson was one of the best guards in the league, averaging 26.4 ppg and 7.1 apg along with 2.2 spg and shooting 46 percent from the field. Than the Nuggets traded him to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups and everything went downhill from there.

His whole career, the media and the critiques said Iverson should shoot and dribble less.

Last season Iverson had a talented team and did just that. He only took 14 shots per game and his minutes were down. He was playing 27 mpg and touching the ball four times a quarter.

Which future hall of famer and great player who is coming off an amazing season has made that kind of sacrifice? Still, Iverson was constantly bashed by the media and league executives for being selfish and for refusing to come off the bench.

People wanted him to shoot less, play off the ball more and play less minutes. They also wanted him to come off the bench behind Rodney Stuckey. Iverson was frustrated and was sent home after a nasty season with the Pistons.

Although I don't know how 17.5 ppg and 5 apg with another All-Star selection is considered a failed individual season, but the only reason it was that bad was because of the unfair treatment by Michael Curry and the Pistons organization.

Billups won four more games with the Nuggets in the regular season and two more games against the same Lakers that eliminated the Nuggets when Iverson played for them. So all of a sudden Iverson was seen as cancerous to a team, because the team he was on the season before won four more games without him.

Then in the free agent market of 2009 Iverson barely got any offers because teams thought he was done and was a distraction.

The Memphis Grizzlies eventually signed him and made the same mistake the Pistons made by bringing him off the bench, behind a player he is much better than.

Iverson thought he had enough of this and asked the Grizzlies to be waived.

He was so close to signing with the Knicks last week, but even they passed because of their delusion about Iverson. Today one of the greatest players in the league history retired because of the unfair treatment he got from the league.

For Iverson it must always have felt like "Me against the world" and it was that for him. The media and certain members of the league hated the cornrows, tattoos and hip-hop lifestyle and it pissed them off that these trends were coming to the NBA because of this guy.

Iverson made his way mainstream and next thing you know almost every player in the NBA was rocking cornrows and tattoos and dressing in baggy clothing to their games. David Stern got fed up and made a dress code and ended that though.

Still Iverson's mark will always be remembered in the NBA because the next time a player is trying to reach 25,000 career points they will have to go through Iverson's name. The next time a player is trying to reach 6000 assists, they will have to go through Iverson's name and next time a player wins a scoring title they will mentioned in the same sentence as Iverson.

The next time a player drops 50 or 60 he will be in the same legendary company of Iverson. The next time any greatness aside from an NBA championship is achieved by any NBA player they will have the honor of saying "I have done things that Allen Iverson has done".

The man is going down as a legend and we will see him enter the basketball Hall of Fame in about 6 years if he does not return to the game he changed forever.

He is impossible to forget. So the next time you see a player with cornrows remember Iverson was the reason. The next time you see a player with tattoos and hip-hop clothing remember Iverson started this trend.

The next time you see a player make a rap album, remember Iverson was the reason.

The next time you see a little man take the league over remember Iverson was the reason. Remember and never forget that the "Answer" is also the "Reason".

Iverson will always be remembered as one of the game's greatest players and the guy who played harder than anyone.

He is arguably the greatest trend setter in league history and one of the most loved/hated players ever. Iverson changed the game forever and will never be forgotten. But just like his play on the court, his career ended way too quick.

Thank you Allen Iverson for all the great memories. There will never be another player like you.

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It's Finally Been Answer'ed, Allen Iverson Steps Away

Kody Leibowitz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:47:33 -0500

And just like that, an end of an era.

Today, Allen Iverson, 34, has announced his retirement from the NBA, only 11 days removed from taking "a personal leave" from the Memphis Grizzlies, most likely his last basketball team.

"I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association," Iverson said to Stephen A. Smith, of ESPN and the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn't help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case."

By now, every city he was played for (and more) is talking about his legacy. But in particular, what legacy has he left on a certain team that picked him first overall in the 1996 NBA Draft? What legacy has he left on the Philadelphia Sixers and the city of Brotherly Love, most of all?

In Philadelphia, he will always be remembered as a warrior. He leaped for balls, splattered his body, heart, and soul onto the hard court, and never walked away (from a game.

He will always be remembered as a prolific scorer and league MVP. He won four scoring titles (1998-99; 2000-01; 2001-02; 2004-05), 10-time (seven with the Sixers) All-Star with two All-Star MVPs (2001 and 2005), and one NBA MVP (2000-01).

He will always be remembered for the last Sixers' championship run. With the chants for a fourth NBA title and BEAT LA! in the Wachovia Center, on billboards and signs throughout the city and suburbs, and the step-over PG Tyronne Lue in Game One of the NBA Finals.

And he will always be remembered for his selfishness. It was always "I"-verson, never the team. He never wanted a Robin to his Batman, a true sidekick—from Jerry Stackhouse, to Larry Hughes, to Glenn Robinson, to Chris Webber, to Andre Iguodala. Even with his career-average of 6.2 assists, none of these players ever shined with Iverson at the helm.

He drove out many head coaches, including the love-hate affair of head coach Larry Brown.

And may I remind you of his now-infamous quote, "Practice? We talking 'bout practice? Not a game, not a game...we talking about practice."

To the bitter-end, he feuded with his coaches, his organization, his city...his fans.

So maybe there were more headaches and heartbreaks from the "Answer" to Philadelphia then there were warmth and welcoming. But then, as the saying goes, "Don't read too much into things."

"And finally, to the city of Philadelphia," Iverson states. "I have wonderful memories of my days in a Sixers' uniform. To Philly fans, thank you. Your voice will always be music to my ears. God bless you all."

Maybe that's the "answer" we need to hear. Maybe on the eve of Thanksgiving, we need to be thankful for all he gave us and forgive and forget the bad.

After reading those words, maybe the love-hate relationship is what Philadelphia loves. Maybe there was more to cherish than to frown down.

He was our answer for the decade we had him.

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After a Failed Stint in Memphis, Allen Iverson Retires!

Sachin Arora — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:57:08 -0500

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN SHORTLY BEFORE THE NEWS OF IVERSON RETIRING. IVERSON HAS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT AND FINALLY PUTS AN END TO HIS GREAT CAREER!

Allen Iverson is a player of many talents and skills. Having the ability to keep a good relationship with a coach isn't one of them. Iverson is a future hall of famer, and probably the best ball handler of all time, but a player has to know when its time to hang it up. Iverson has considered retirement many times, but that hans't seemed to lead into the actual retiring of No 3. Iverson's ego is bigger than his brain, which means he doesn't know when to stop playing. Right now, he should end his career with at least some dignity, because if he keeps up these "I don't get enough minutes—I don't wanna play here" skits then his great career will start to look a lot less great.

A lot of people have written articles on how great the Grizzlies and Iverson were going to do. Well this is the time where the people who didn't believe so get to rub it in all of your faces. Iverson played three games, got angry with his team and left. I don't call that a success.

What most of you don't see is that Iverson is a great player, but he's a selfish player and has certain needs which most teams aren't willing to give to him. For him to be effective he has to have very little support and he has to have the ball in his hands more often than not. When he's surrounded by a more balanced team ie. Detroit, Memphis, then he is an ineffective player. Why do you think he has never won a championship.

Iverson has to make his own decisions in life, but I think most of us would agree that he is out of his prime and should just hang up a great career and save the NBA the headache of him signing with another team. So the next time you see Mr. Iverson, tell him to retire.

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The End For the Answer: Allen Iverson Retires

Shady Botros — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:56:01 -0500

Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that guard Allen Iverson will retire. Iverson plans to move on from playing basketball and spend more time with his family.

It appears that this is how it will end for the Answer. His career started great and it’s sad to see his career end this way.

Here were Iverson’s statements about retiring "I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn't help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case, I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level."

After the fiasco in Detroit in which Iverson came out as a bad guy in Detroit after being shut down due to a “back injury”. Especially due how negative the press was about Iverson in Detroit and the way Billups rejuvenated the Nuggets.

The last season and a half have been a nightmare for Iverson. He was sent to Detroit in a trade that, now, looks extremely lopsided, released by them, and then signed with a team that perennially stinks.

All because he refused to come off the bench and his services are now refused due to being a me-first player with no interests of being a sixth man. The New York Knicks wouldn’t even offer him a contract.

The notion around the league has been that Iverson’s skills have diminished and that he’s lost a step. That is partly true, Iverson can now only play well against the guys he used to dominate.

This isn’t the same guy who stole home court for the Lakers and gave Sixers’ fans a chance that maybe they had a shot in this series.

However, Iverson believes that his skills are the same and that he is being blackballed out of the league due to his locker room influence and popularity among most players in the NBA.

The former first overall pick is certainly in the argument as the greatest small guard of all time although most would give the edge to Isaiah Thomas. Iverson is a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer even though there are questions about how he will be remembered.

Does his legacy stay intact and will people remember him only for his days in Philadelphia?

No, because of the way he went out especially considering his quotes about coming off the bench saying he’d rather retire than come off the bench.

His legacy will change due to how the Billups-Iverson trade turned out and how Iverson looked like a bad guy after Billups almost led his team to the NBA finals. In addition to the fact that Iverson wasn’t there for his team in the end, because of Joe Dumars shutting Iverson down due to what was a back injury when we all know that the Answer would’ve fought off the injuries.

Iverson was also a guy who never adapted to the team but had to have the team adapt to him. In his last full season in the league he averaged 26 points and seven assists which would be great if it didn't cost Denver's young players to be influenced by a guy like Iverson in the process

He had to have the ball in his hands, he needed others to sacrifice their games, he needed all the minutes, and never liked coming out of a game which also earned him the reputation of being a coach killer.

However, I believe Iverson will be mostly remembered for the good. I watched Iverson rejuvenate Philadelphia as an NBA city. People came out to see Allen Iverson; not the other guys. Iverson took the crown from Jordan as the league’s most popular player and made kids growing up want to be Iverson; not Jordan.

It was the personality which made Iverson who he was. Good or bad, Iverson’s character had a great influence on the NBA. Iverson was a guy who stayed true to himself even when it resulted in people having negative opinions about him.

This guy was a warrior who put it on the line night after night fearlessly attacking the basket and played through numerous injuries while doing so.

My take on it, well it’s sad to see a guy of his stature go out this way. Basically he ran himself out of the league because he was never accepting a bench role.

If Iverson had been willing to accept that bench role he might be playing for a contender like Cleveland helping LeBron James by coming off the bench to give his team some scoring punch.

Do I think Iverson is 100 percent done? No. I think that if a contending team such as the Cavs or the Spurs called and said that they would be willing to offer Iverson a contract if Iverson was willing to take a bench role but knowing Iverson, he rather be retired than come of bench.

Well if it is, it was great to watch this guy play. From crossing up Jordan, to the 2001 finals, to the famous “Practice” speech, this guy will be missed in this league.

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Allen Iverson: The Soldier Who Refused Help

The Daily Hurt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:38:13 -0500

And so it ends for Allen Iverson.

Unwanted and unloved, the answer for Iverson is retirement.

He remains too stubborn for his own good but stubbornness is not a strength—it's a weakness.

At one time or another, everyone of us has had to accept change. Like it or not, it's a part of life.

Those who adapt, learn from it, move on and usually become better people.

Those who don't end eventually up being forgotten and passed over.

After a career of being "the man" and being in spotlight, when it dimmed, he didn't want to step away.

For all his prodigious talent, Iverson wasn't a leader. He was a soldier who didn't know how to bring the best out of his team mates.

His career was always all about him. He didn't know how to share and he looked uncomfortable when he was asked to do it.

Iverson's legacy is one of contradictions.

He was truly a great individual talent. Someone who fought well above his weight. He was tough and uncompromising.

But he would bend to nobody. No player, no team.

Everyone had to accommodate him. Change their game, their style.

It was his refusal to compromise that would prove to be his undoing.

When he was traded to the Pistons last year, it gave him a chance to prove that he winning meant more to him that scoring titles did. For years, he groaned and griped about not having team mates to help him compete for a title.

Finally, he had one in Detroit. For the first time in his career, he would be playing with a group who had won it all together. Maybe that Pistons team together was coming to an end as well, but it was hoped that Iverson would be the injection the Pistons needed.

This would be the ultimate test of Iverson's character.

And he failed it. Miserably.

In Memphis it was the same story this year. He talked a good game but didn't back it up.

He lasted only three games.

It didn't have to end this way for Iverson. It could have been and should have been more.

He's only 34. Still young enough and healthy enough to play for a good few years.

He still has the talent to play at the NBA level.

Unfortunately though, Iverson just doesn't have the smarts to go with it.

He just doesn't understand that no team is going to build around him. He's had his time and now it's over. There are other roles for him now, but he's not interested.

For him, it's all or nothing and the league's teams have spoken: nothing.

Once again, Iverson gets his way.

It's reasonable to think this isn't the last we've seen of Iverson. As injuries mount, teams will surely consider him as the playoffs draw near, especially if they feel that the former MVP and scoring champ can get them over the line.

For now Iverson in the NBA is no more.

twitter.com/LeighEllis

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Allen Iverson Retires from the NBA: A Reflection of a Misunderstood Career

Vikram Dimba — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:36:04 -0500

Stephen A. Smith of ESPN is reporting that Allen Iverson has officially retired from the NBA.

His last game in the NBA was against the Los Angeles Lakes, and Iverson scored eight points on two for five shooting in just 21 minutes of play. This was a game in which Kobe Bryant ironically surpassed Iverson on the all-time scoring list.

It's easy to point out the flaws in Iverson's game. He's a ball dominant, low efficient guard with no natural position. He should be a shooting guard by the nature of his game, but his diminutive figure makes him poor defensively and a liability on that end of the floor.

The way Iverson handled the Memphis situation was wrong, and it's likely true that Iverson may be the hardest player in NBA history to build a team around, as teams should be filled with defensive players and shooters who are capable of playing off of the ball.

But overall, this is a sad day for the NBA. We as fans have lost one of the generation's most influential athletes. For all that's wrong in his game, it's indisputable that Iverson is also one of the most accomplished players to have ever stepped on to an NBA court.

His career was filled with accolades. Iverson was the consensus Rookie of the Year in 1996, made 10 All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA teams, won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2000-2001, won multiple All-Star game MVP's, and four NBA Scoring Titles. Few others possess a similar resume to Iverson.

He paved the way for the young guards today, players such as Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. They are the small guys that can get into the lane at anytime and finish with the best of them. Similar to the extent Julius Erving changed the game with his high-flying, athletic game, but obviously to a much lesser extent.

Of course, it's unavoidable that we go back to the fact Iverson has seemingly finished his career without the ultimate prize, an NBA Championship. It's more controversial than other similar cases, such as Karl Malone or Charles Barkley, due to the fact that many argue that Iverson's game isn't conducive to winning basketball games.

It's sad that his career has ended the way it has. He handled the Memphis situation the wrong way, complaining about minutes nearly immediately after he was inserted into the lineup, and refusing to play through it to prove his point over starting in place of Mike Conley.

The infamous, "We talkin' bout practice?," the cornrows, and the demeanor that he carried are what we'll likely remember the most. The flaws in his game are apparent, but let's remember him for what he did for the game.

Over the past decade or so, we have all witnessed one of the greatest volume scorers to have ever played the game. The run to the NBA Finals and the 48 point Game One in the Finals against the undefeated Los Angeles Lakers. With the MVP and the scoring titles, he is one of the most athletically gifted players to have ever played. The steals and the flash of one of the NBA's most popular players during his prime.

He isn't a hero, in fact he's far from it, but he isn't the enemy either.

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Pivot Points: Allen Iverson has Decided to Hang Up his Sneakers

Hadarii Jones — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:28:26 -0500

It's official.

At 6:00 p.m. EST, Steven A. Smith of ESPN announced that Allen Iverson has decided to retire and spend more time with his family.

While this seemed like it may have been the next step in the on going Iverson saga, I still can't believe it's true.

Apparently Iverson has become disenchanted with the media scrutiny and the mutiny from most fans in basketball and chose to make his stop in Memphis his last one.

So what's next for the legion of Iverson fans who have continuously sang his praises?

Probably a litany of articles claiming the demise of professional basketball, and how things won't be the same without their fallen star. On the contrary, the game hasn't really missed him and things have been humming along just fine.

I will miss the competitive spirit he brought to the game, and I will miss the passion that made him so special, but I can do without the presumption that his presence enhanced the game of basketball.

When it's all said and done, he will hold a special place in history as one of the best guards to ever play the game, and he will join the ranks of great players to have never won a championship.

Beyond that, the possibility still exists that he could find a team that could use his services come playoff time, but it may be in his best interest to simply fade into NBA lore.

I said that I would never pen another article about Iverson until he signed with a team because everything else was not news. I was wrong, as his retirement will dominate the airwaves for the duration of the Thanksgiving weekend.

I'm sure there are other writers on this site who can wax poetic much more than I am able to about the life and times of Allen Iverson, and they will have the next two weeks to do so.

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Warriors-Mavericks: A Game To Remember Without Don Nelson

Khalid Shakran — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:47:55 -0500

The Golden State Warriors only needed six healthy bodies to come out with the most valuable of wins against the Dallas Mavericks who had won five straight games.

Monta Ellis scored a season-high 37 points, dished out eight assists, and had four steals.

Stephen Curry came through in crunch time to score 11 of his 18 points in the final 3:50 of the game, while Anthony Morrow had a spectacular performance with 27 points and 9 rebounds.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect about the victory was how energetic and determined the young players performed without Don Nelson.

Most importantly, Corey Maggette did not set foot on the court last night.

Warriors' fans might have already seen the future head coach for the team in Nelson's top assistant Keith Smart.

And smart he is.

Smart, who filled in as the head coach for the ill Nelson, decided to go with three guards and not insert Maggette in the game at all. Incorporated in that reasoning was Vladimir Radmanovic, who had rebounded exceptionally well (12 rebounds), and provided a sound defensive game against Dirk Nowitizki.

The 45-year-old assistant also realized that Jason Kidd, JJ. Barea, and Jason Terry do not have any intention, or chance, of defending Curry or Ellis' quickness. Therefore, sticking to playing Ellis, Curry, and Morrow together was the correct decision.

In addition, Smart noticed, just like Nelson did in the 2007 playoffs, that Nowitizki does not like being defended by smaller players. Nelson decided to put Stephen Jackson on Nowitizki in the 2007 playoffs, and Smart decided to put Radmanovic against the 7-footer last night. Nowitzki detests going against smaller players due to the fact that they make him defend on the other end—an aspect which Nowitzki is not known for.

On the offensive end, and for the first time since entering the league, Morrow looked like the player Warriors' fans envisioned he would become. Firstly, Morrow did not stand still and wait for Curry or Ellis to deliver him the ball for a guaranteed three. Morrow kept moving on every play, and in some instances decided to attack the basket.

If Morrow continues to play the way he has played, he will be one of the best shooters in the league.

Another aspect worth noting is how Ellis and Curry are starting to mesh and understand each other's games. Curry made three incredible plays towards the end of the game. He hit a three pointer after Ellis saw he was open, made a perfect pass to Anthony Randolph for a dunk, and hit a one-handed runner over Nowitzki.

Along with Curry, Ellis has been the main leader on this team. Down eight in the fourth quarter, Ellis jumped into the team huddle during a timeout and urged the team to continue fighting. Ellis' defensive game has also been a standout. He is becoming a more complete player on the court.

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Gilbert Arenas Breaks His Silence, but Is He Right?

Tony Owusu — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:46:18 -0500

Gilbert Arenas recently broke his self-imposed moratorium on speaking to reporters after a 22-point loss to San Antonio on Saturday. The loss followed another embarrassing 20-point loss to Oklahoma City the night before. Arenas used the opportunity to drop these gems on why his Washington Wizards have started the season 3-9 (they are 4-9 now after last night's win against Philly):

“Most of us feel confident in each other on the floor, and there are a few that don’t. For the most part we all get along. There are, what, 15 players on the team? 14 do."

When asked whose responsibility it was to get all the players on the same page, Agent Zero responded:

"Me and Antawn. That's our jobs. But at the end of the day, if 15 players don't want to go, and it's only 14—you've seen Remember the Titans—it's the same thing, we've just got to play."

So we know the one person he is talking about, because Caron Butler is also one of the team captains and he specifically leaves him out of the response.

Now, I understand why your first reaction would be to criticize Gil. He hasn't played in two years and is being paid rather handsomely by the franchise for the next six. Caron, while missing some games here and there, has been on the court for the most part and has produced.

But let's look at what Brendon Haywood had to say on Friday night after the OKC loss.

"It’s very frustrating because our talent is not winning out over our egos. If you want to win, you have to check your ego at the door. Bottom line. If you normally score 20 and you don’t get your 20 but the team is winning, who cares?”

Originally, many took that to be a swipe at Arenas. But Mike Jones, the Wizards beat writer for the Washington Times, was on the local sports-radio program The Locker Room and had a different take on the situation.

"The 20 point comment was not about Gilbert," said Jones during the interview. "He [Haywood] might have been talking about he same person Arenas was talking about."

I love Caron Butler's game. But they may be right. Butler is having a down season this year. His field goal percentage is down to 40 percent, the lowest it has been since his second season in the league. While his rebounds are up, his points per game currently stands at 16.8—down four points from last season.

I recently went to a Wizards game at the Verizon Center when they played the Cavaliers, and I must say Caron did look kind of lost on the floor at times. Flip Saunders' offense has wing players coming off screens and catching and shooting. Caron would come off the screens and catch and hold, trying to decide how to attack the defense.

Which brings me to the question that I originally asked. Is Gilbert right? Well, yes and no. He is correct in his assessment of Caron. Caron acknowledged that it took him some time to learn Eddie Jordan's system in a Philadelphia Inquirer story on Tuesday.

"It takes a while," said Washington's Caron Butler, a two-time All-Star under Jordan. "It took me like 40 games in it to get accustomed to the system."

So yes, Gil is right about what Caron needs to do. But what does Gil need to do? A leader on a team does not call out one of the other stars on the team in public like he did. Especially when he hadn't talked to Caron about his feelings previously. So he is also wrong.

Winning cures everything, including internal bickering. So unless the Wizards start playing with some heart—and start playing some D—this could turn out to be another very long season.

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Fantasy Basketball Box Score Breakouts – 11/24/09

Ryan Lester — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:31:30 -0500

Here’s a look at some fantasy basketball players that blew up the box score last night:

Nick Young, Washington Wizards
32 MIN, 20 PTS, 8-16 FG, 2-2 FG, 2 3PM, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 TO
Young finally got some run, and he took full advantage of it. He could see more action over the next few weeks as Mike Miller recovers from a calf injury.

Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
27 MIN, 15 PTS, 5-11 FG, 1-1 FT, 4 3PM, 2 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 TO
The second straight good game for Nate. Chris Duhon has been struggling so Nate could work his way into an even larger role.

Vladimir Radmanovic, Golden State Warriors
48 MIN, 14 PTS, 6-14 FG, 2 3PM, 12 REB, 4 STL, 2 TO
Radmanovic played the whole game, in part because the Warriors are hurting, with big men Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins out. He should continue to see big minutes, so he’s worth owning.

Jarrett Jack, Toronto Raptors
30 MIN, 18 PTS, 7-7 FG, 1-1 FT, 3 3PM, 3 REB, 6 AST, STL, TO
Jack was definitely feeling it tonight, and this is his third good game in a row for those of you keeping score at home. He’s worth owning in deeper leagues.

Rafer Alston, New Jersey Nets
26 MIN, 19 PTS, 7-14 FG, 2-4 FT, 3 3PM, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO
Devin Harris is back, so Alston’s fantasy value took a hit. He had a good game last night, but it was a weird night for the Nets in which Brook Lopez and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined for nine points. Don’t expect this type of production for Alston on a regular basis while Harris is healthy.

Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets
31 MIN, 15 PTS, 6-8 FG, 2-2 FT, 1 3PM, 8 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO
Nice game for Afflalo, but he’s been too inconsistent to have on your roster.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com .

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Arron Afflalo: A Starter for Sixth Man of the Year Consideration?

Courtzide Seatz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:14:16 -0500

I know it seems counterintuitive to talk about a starting shooting guard as a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, but I ask that you hear me out.

Arron Afflalo was inserted into the Denver Nuggets starting lineup back on November 10th and hasn't been removed since. Despite his starting status, he is averaging about three fewer minutes per game than J.R. Smith at the shooting guard position.

George Karl loves to have Smith come off the bench because that's where he feels he is the most effective. If you have ever witnessed the instant shot in the arm he provides the second unit, it becomes almost impossible to question Karl's decision.

Anyone that is familiar with the Nuggets knows that J.R. Smith is clearly one of the most talented players on the team, and under almost any other coach in the NBA he would undoubtedly be the starter.

That said, there are obvious reasons that Karl chooses to configure his lineup the way he does. What can't be understood by studying box scores are the intangibles and stability that is provided by having Afflalo in the starting lineup.

He won't amaze you with his numbers, and if you haven't watched him play, you will likely think I'm crazy on several fronts for initiating this conversation.

But the fact of the matter is that Afflalo plays harder than almost anyone else in the NBA, and his effort is clearly contagious to all of his teammates. In my opinion, Afflalo is one of the most entertaining players in the entire league to watch on every play.

He is not the most athletic player. He does not create a difficult matchup for the other team. He will not amaze you with highlight reel, acrobatic finishes.

But when he is on the court, people like myself, who appreciate the little things about the game of basketball, find him impossible to ignore.

Many Nuggets fans stridently questioned the decision of Nuggets ownership to allow Dahntay Jones to sign with the Indiana Pacers during the offseason. They felt like they were losing a crucial and inimitable piece to the Nuggets success last season and that not enough was done to replace his tough and physical presence on the defensive end.

Having never seen Afflalo play during his time in Detroit, I had nothing on which to base my assessment of his qualifications as a worthy replacement. But about a month into this NBA season, I can officially say that I, for one, do not miss Dahntay Jones in the slightest.

Afflalo is every bit the defender that Jones is, and he provides much more potential for output on the offensive side of the ball. And despite Jones' unquestionable toughness, which in my opinion more closely resembled calculated bullishness, I think Afflalo is his superior in every aspect of the game.

Afflalo is coming off of his strongest performance of the season last night against the Nets (15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in 31 minutes). The only complaint I have about him is that he needs to begin putting together these types of games with more consistency. But even when he doesn't score a point, his presence is undeniable on the court.

The Sixth Man of the Year Award should be based on total number of minutes logged rather than just whether a player comes off the bench more than he starts. If this was the case, and if I had a vote, Afflalo would undoubtedly be my early pick for the resounding impact he has on every game.

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Revenge of The Knuckleheads: Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden Coming Through

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:04:47 -0500

When the Dallas Mavericks announced the sign-and-trade that brought Shawn Marion to Dallas, I was quite excited. Whatever else the Matrix might be, he's an exciting, athletic defender and an explosive scorer, and I was glad to see him coming to Dallas.

I wish I could have said the same about two newcomers, Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden.

Those two seemed like a dangerous mix for the Mavericks and their team chemistry, because let's face it, Thomas and Gooden weren't exactly known as teammates that everyone wanted to play with—as their combined 12 teams in 19 years in the league would attest to.

And it's not like they were bouncing around with cellar dwellers the whole time either. Thomas spent time with the Bulls and Suns, while Gooden was on the Bulls, the Cavs team that made it to the Finals and the Spurs last season.

But that's not what came to mind when I thought of the two.

For Tim Thomas it was two memories, both of which helped the Mavericks at the expense of his own teams.

Number one: in the 2006 Western Conference Finals, Thomas decided it would be a good idea to taunt Dirk Nowitzki, and Dirk responded on the court, by dropping 50 points and helping the Mavs beat the Suns in 6 games.

Number two: in 2008, with the Clippers holding on to a two-point lead in the closing seconds against the Mavericks, Jason Terry turned the ball over with 27 seconds left in the game, seemingly clinching the Mavericks' fate.

Instead of dribbling most of the shot clock out, Tim Thomas decided to go for an ill-advised dagger from the elbow, instead bricking the shot, and setting up a buzzer-beating three-ball from Jerry Stackhouse, giving the Mavericks the win.

Both times, I sure was glad Tim Thomas wasn't on my team.

And now he is. I always liked his game, but he was just one of those guys who took more away from the team than he gave it, and that's the last thing the Mavericks need.

Drew Gooden was always more memorable for his obnoxious hairdos, whether it be the stripe of hair on the back of his head under his headband, the long Capt. Jack Sparrow-style beard, or the ridiculous hippie beard he wore for most of last season.

After being traded from the Cavs, he was waived by the Kings, picked up by the Spurs, then dropped from them after last season's defeat at the hands of the Mavericks.

When there were rumblings that Gooden would be the starting center for the Mavs coming into this season, I was not a happy camper.

So here the Mavericks are, with two "knuckleheads" fresh off the scrap heap, and these two players were supposed to play a role in getting the Mavs back to the top o the Western Conference.

You'll forgive me if I was skeptical.

When Thomas hurt his knee in a pickup game over the summer, and Gooden started the season taking boneheaded baseline jumpers, trying to take the ball upcourt, and then suffering an abdominal injury, it seemed the perfect time for a loud chorus of "I Told You So's."

But then a funny thing happened. Dampier got ill (well, that's not funny) and Tim Thomas got healthy.

All of a sudden these two knuckleheads are playing their butts off, and looking like they could be everything the Mavericks signed them for—and more.

Drew Gooden has been filling in for Dampier like a man possessed. Gone are the terrible baseline jumpers. Instead he's a double-double machine, tipping in misses at key moments, and providing the low post defense that Dampier has only given us every few games.

In the last five games, Gooden has pulled in 11, 14, 11, 16, 12 rebounds, including three, four, five, nine, and four offensive boards. I'd say that's a step up from Dampier's inconsistent ways.

He's also been close to lights out from the field, shooting 51% from the field, which would be much higher if it wasn't for a 4-16 outing against the Kings last week.

Drew Gooden is becoming the player that team's have been waiting to see for so long, and he's doing it when the Mavericks have needed the consistency he's provided at center.

More important than the numbers is the timeliness of Gooden's play. When the Mavs need a bucket that Dirk and Terry are unable to drain, Gooden often comes out of nowhere for the tip-in, giving the Mavs a huge momentum boost.

Thomas hasn't been putting up gaudy numbers like Gooden, mostly because he hasn't been given the minutes.

But he has been filling the role the Mavericks signed him for—a big body off the bench that can do some work on the low post, as well as hit the three.

At 6-10, Thomas has got a very underrated low-post game for a guy who is always (rightfully so) talked about as a gunner. Against the Warriors last night, he was posting up their small guys, even good defenders like Anthony Randolph, and finishing strong either with a nice jumper or a thunderous dunk.

Now, Thomas isn't exactly a lock down defender, but on smaller teams his size in and of itself is an advantage. And while Thomas isn't shutting people down, he's definitely not giving up easy buckets either.

Now, if these two are your top players, there's not a chance you're going deep into the playoffs. But as role players—with Gooden as a backup center and Thomas as an 8th, 9th, 10th man—the Mavericks are getting production off the end of their bench, and as far as good teams go, that's something they certainly have.

It remains to be seen whether the two "knuckleheads" can keep up their torrid pace, but I for one have been impressed with their efforts. As the season progresses, maybe the rest of the West will be impressed (and that's how you rhyme, FYI) with the way they and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks are playing.

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Road to Eastern Conference Crown Runs Through...Atlanta

Kenny Crute — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:42:08 -0500

With a little less than one-fifth of the 2009-2010 NBA season in the books, it may be a bit soon to anoint a conference champion. What we know so far is that the Atlanta Hawks have come out of the starting blocks quickly, and appear to be a team built to pose a legitimate threat to the Eastern Conference powers that be.

Atlanta is tied with Orlando for the best record in the East at 11-3 (Los Angeles and Phoenix also have 11-3 records in the Western Conference). The Hawks are undefeated at home (7-0) with eight of their 11 wins coming against teams with a .500 or better winning percentage.

The Hawks have tweaked their roster from last season, adding journeymen centers Jason Collins and Randolph Morris. Atlanta also got help in the backcourt by acquiring versatile guard Jamal Crawford via trade and signing veteran forward Joe Smith.

Atlanta has long been a place where aging players come to finish their careers, or unproven talent cuts their teeth in the NBA. Now the Hawks are long, athletic, and young. Atlanta has but two players on the roster (Mike Bibby and Joe Smith) with more than 10 years in the league.

The Hawks trot a balanced scoring attack onto the court now, with no one player or group doing the bulk of the scoring. Veteran Joe Johnson still leads the way for the Hawks at 22 points per game. Still, Atlanta gets scoring from the front and backcourts with Al Horford (14.6), Josh Smith (15.6) providing a solid punch in the paint.

One of the glaring weaknesses from last year's version of the Hawks was the lack of a true center, and a second clutch scorer. With the addition of Collins (7'0") and Morris (6'11), there are plenty of fouls to be given inside.

Crawford is a very capable "Robin" to Joe Johnson's "Batman" as the additional go-to-guy.

With a young roster, multiple scoring threats, long and athletic bodies, and solid veteran leadership, Atlanta appears to be built for the long haul. The Hawks eliminated Dwyane Wade and Miami in round one of last year's playoffs, but were swept by Cleveland the following round.

With Boston getting older, Cleveland, Orlando, and perhaps Miami seem to be the only roadblocks between Atlanta and a deep run in the playoffs. It is of course too early to tell, but at this stage in the young season, all roads point to "A-Town".

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Who's Worse, the Nets or the Knicks?

John Frascella — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:23:46 -0500

This is a fun game to play, isn't it?

Well, if we were going strictly by records, the New Jersey Nets would have the obvious advantage right now. New Jersey has played 14 games to this point in the season and they've won a grand total of...umm...zero. The New York Knicks, on the other hand, have a whopping total of three victories, congratulations to the organization on that.

So yeah, on records alone, the Nets are the lowest of low. But let's look at the big picture here, I'm talking about the remainder of the season. Who will have a better record at the end of 82 games, the Knicks or Nets and why?

For starters, the Nets have suffered through a Mets-esque parade of injuries. Their best player, actually the best player on either team in the Metropolitan area, Devin Harris, has played in only four games, starting in just two. When healthy, Harris is one of the quickest and most explosive penetrators in the NBA, a scoring point guard with an incredible knack for getting to the foul line.

In Harris' absence, the keys to the team have been in the hands of "Skip to My Lou," better known as Rafer Alston or perhaps it's the other way around, anyway, I digress. Alston is an experienced floor general, but he can't create offense for himself the way Harris does and there's too much mileage on his legs to be playing the minutes he has.

The funny thing is, the Nets actually have an excellent third-string point guard in Keyon Dooling, but he's been out the entire season. Alston has been backed up by rookie Terrence Williams, who is a small forward by trade, certainly not an ideal situation.

In addition to the Harris and Dooling injuries, the Nets have been without Yi Jianlian (who got off to a surprisingly fast start), Jarvis Hayes (their best bench player a season ago), Courtney Lee, and Chris Douglas-Roberts at times.

Bare in mind that the planned starting lineup was Harris, Lee, CDR, Yi, and Brook Lopez, and that Hayes was supposed to be one of the first two ballers off the bench. In essence, New Jersey has been without five out of its top seven players.

But Knicks fans are thinking: excuses, excuses and that's so true. Who even knows if the Nets would be good with their regular rotation available?

So what about those Knicks?

They are equally as difficult to watch, if not worse. The thing about the Nets is, at least they try to play clean, heady basketball. The Knicks, on the other hand, are running-and-gunning under the tutelage of Mike D'Antoni and it's painful to watch.

Before the Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph trades last season, it was pretty entertaining, because those guys could actually make shots. Now we have Wilson Chandler and Larry Hughes jacking up shots that would make Red Auerbach turn over in his grave. The shot selection is truly mind-boggling.

As for the coaches, I can't really support either guy right now. I understand that Rod Thorn and Donnie Walsh lined up Lawrence Frank and Mike D'Antoni as their coaches after the '10 free agent class, but they should have to earn their way there, shouldn't they? I realize that the Nets and Knicks' roster situations are far, far from ideal right now, but 3-25 combined, really ?

It's pathetic. I'd take the ax to Frank because the Nets have gotten progressively worse since he took over for the underrated Byron Scott. Zero wins, fourteen losses might as well try to shake things up. The past two games he brought Harris and Lee off the bench, as if he had the luxury to do that at 0-12.

Regarding D'Antoni, well, he gives me a headache. Here you have a franchise in rebuilding mode and yet lottery selection Jordan Hill and late first-rounder Douglas can't seem to find their way onto the court for significant minutes.

If now's not the time to develop younger players, then when? Doesn't Walsh talk to D'Antoni about organizational development? Where is the leadership? Do Larry Hughes and Eddy Curry really have to play? Why did they trade for Darko Milicic and then bury him so far on the bench that he can't even see the court?

It's all about contracts, I suppose, but what if they don't get LeBron, D-Wade, Dirk or Amare? Chris Bosh isn't the answer, let's get real. So Mr. Walsh, tank two entire seasons for Bosh? That will be the end of your tenure in New York, I would think.

In the end, it's hard to tell. These two franchises are in such disarray that they can't really be evaluated. If D'Antoni tried playing Nate Robinson, Harrington, and Danilo Gallinari together more offensively, I might favor the Knicks. But Mike doesn't seem to want to do that. If Frank put Harris, Lee, CDR, and Lopez back together with consistency, I might favor the Nets, but he hasn't done that yet.

So what's the verdict?

I think I'll just turn off my TV before tipoff.

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A Clipper Thanksgiving-Hopegiving

Jose Salviati — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:38:45 -0500

I admit to never really grasping the concept of Thanksgiving growing up. As a kid I knew it had something to do with the pilgrims and Indians eating together and, much more important to me, it meant no school! Age however brings wisdom however and as I grew older I can to understand that Thanksgiving meant football! So, I did what ever self-respecting man does on the final Thursday of November, I started making a habit of over-eating and spending the day in front of the TV! After getting tired of watching the Lions go 0 for Thanksgiving I just ended up over-eating and over-sleeping. To me, it was Thanks-for-a-Day-to-Over-Indulge Day. Now, I get it. I get why George Washington designated special days for a national thanksgiving. Why Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday to be celebrated the last Thursday in November. I get it and I appreciate it. So, it is with this new-found appreciation for a national day dedicated to giving thanks that I present not just my personal Clipper related thanks, but my hopes for the team as well. Where thanks is about looking back and at the present -- hopes is about looking forward. The following are my Clipper Thanksgiving AND Hopegiving wishes for the season.

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Atlanta Hawks Hope to Feast on Turkey and Orlando Magic This Thanksgiving

John Boller — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:25 -0500

The last time the Atlanta Hawks played a game on Thanksgiving, President Barack Obama was 34 years old and winning a Grammy for the audio version of his autobiography, “Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance,” according to the president’s biography.

Meanwhile, Atlanta was being led by Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock.

Now, go ahead and fast-forward 14 years later, President Obama is our 44th President, and the Hawks are tied for the best record in the NBA because of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.

The Atlanta Hawks (11-3) are a perfect 7-0 at home this season, where the entrée will be the Orlando Magic (11-3) on Thursday night, followed by turkey for the main course, and for dessert, the best record in the NBA.

Could the NBA have planned their Thanksgiving any better?

Two of the three best teams in the league, who also happen to be in the same conference and same division, battle it out on Turkey Day to be the best team in the league.

Good thing it is on TNT, because they know drama, which is exactly what this game will be.

It is the first time that the two teams have played each other all season, and they do not play each other again until Jan. 9.

The Magic won the season series last year 3-1. The Hawks beat Orlando by 14 to open the season last year, but then Orlando won the final three games by an average of 14 points. Their second win over the Hawks last season was a 34-point blowout at Orlando.

Both teams have new looks to their rosters. For the Atlanta Hawks their new key addition is guard Jamal Crawford, while the Magic have brought in Vince Carter.

Crawford is the second-leading scorer for the Hawks with 16.7 points per game and Carter’s 18.7 points per game is good enough to lead the Magic.

Atlanta will have the benefit of playing on five days rest, while the Magic have to host the Miami Heat tonight and then fly out to Atlanta to start a three-game road tip that ends on Sunday at New York.

Advantage Hawks.

Atlanta will have to make sure and not let Carter get off to a fast start. Carter has led the Magic in scoring in four of Orlando’s last six games, including their last three and had a season-high 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11.

The Thanksgiving Day matchup will also feature two of the premiere double-double players in the NBA. The Hawks’ Al Horford is scoring 13.7 points per game and pulling down 10.1 rebounds per game, and Dwight “Superman” Howard is averaging 11.1 rebounds per game to go with 17.4 points.

Howard is also the only Magic player to have played and started in all of Orlando’s 14 games.

The jump ball is at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, so if you are on the East Coast have dinner eaten and the dishes cleaned before then. For you central and West Coast time zones, better find a television set with some wheels.

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Raptors-Scoring Machine Ready To Roll Over Bobcats After Keeping Pace

Louis Pisano — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:42:06 -0500

The 123-112 win over the Indiana Pacers wasn’t a pretty one, though the first half of the game was one of the best offensively in the 15 year history of the Toronto Raptors.

Indiana isn’t a defensive juggernaut by any means, and this marked the seventh game out of 12 that they have given up over a hundred.

The Raptors may have scored 74 points in the first but also gave up 53 and then were outscored 59-49 in the second half. This game could have easily slipped away from them as we have seen happen in the past.

Jarrett Jack brought his “A” game as expected against his old team and has been a real factor over the last three games as his comfort level on this team rises.

Chris Bosh didn’t have a great game and still recorded his league leading 12th double double of the year.

Thankfully, Andrea Bargnani really stepped his game up in the fourth quarter, as he was somewhat transparent for the first three.

Some props should be given to veteran center Rasho Nesterovic who made 6-of-9 from the floor for 12 points in 16 minutes on the floor. Big ups!

Before this game, the Raptors were 1-8 when giving up more than 100 points, now they are obviously 2-8. Their record stands at 7-8.

The question isn’t whether they can score because they are in the upper echelon of the league in this category, but when they need a stop, can they get it?

The Raptors have played one of the most difficult schedules to start this season and are now just one game below .500 and are making their way into Charlotte to take on a fairly low-scoring team that can play defense.

Toronto has lost both times this year when playing in back-to-back games, mind you the losses came against Dallas and Utah and were during road trips.

The Bobcats are supposed to see the return of their number one center, 7’1" Tyson Chandler, who’s been nursing a sore back, for this game.

Chandler is a big presence in paint, and he rebounds and blocks shots very well while adding some but not a lot of scoring.

They also recently traded Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic to Golden State for scorer Stephen Jackson and guard Acie Law.

Charlotte forces 14.83 turnovers, 8.33 steals per game on their home court, so the Raptors will have to play a smart game and take care of the ball.

The Raptors definitely have very good chance of winning this game, but they will have to play a full 60 minutes at both ends of the court, which seems they really only accomplished once, and it was in their home opener win over Cleveland.

The bench, as it has been all year, will have to continue to play well and contribute as will the starting five.

The spread for this game opened up with Charlotte as a two and a half point favourite, but by the time this game starts, this number may come down.

If the Raptors can get the win, which I think they should, they will move their record to .500 on the year and go on to play in Boston, Friday, riding a high and with some renewed confidence.

Go Raps!

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Pivot Points: LeBron's Decision Matters More to Cavs than Anyone Else

Hadarii Jones — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:19:49 -0500

Lost in all the speculation about LeBron's impending free-agency decision is the impact that his departure would have on the Cavaliers—and the city of Cleveland itself.

The media and fans alike are beside themselves on what the addition of James to various teams could do for their fortunes, while neglecting to realize the repercussions that would be felt if James left Cleveland.

In reality, roughly 50 percent of current Cleveland fans are more rooted in their allegiance to LeBron than the city of Cleveland itself and are more likely to sway their team of choice based on wherever James may eventually land.

But for the die-hard Cleveland fans who were steeped in Cavaliers history before James' arrival, the future prospects are dim in a world without LeBron.

The obvious question would be who would assume the mantle of leading man on the team in LeBron's absence? The answer to that question is a lot more complicated than it may sound.

You would have to assume that the players who made their way to Cleveland to aid James in his quest for a title would begin a hasty retreat if he were no longer there to lead them.

Mo Williams and Shaquille O'Neal would probably be the first defectors and they would only be the opening of the flood-gates as players rushed to disassociate themselves from the spiraling franchise.

Even if Williams decided to stay, Shaq surely wouldn't—and how far does anyone think that Williams could lead a team on his own? His skills are not exactly honed for being the leader of anyone's team, and he is much better suited as a side-kick.

Cleveland would surely have money to burn in free-agency should LeBron leave, but who would be knocking down their door to sign a long term contract with a team that is going absolutely nowhere?

Gone would be the prospects of a bright future, replaced with something that very much resembles the team that the Cavaliers were before LeBron made his presence felt.

That team was a comedy of horrors, who nothing much was expected and nothing much was ever realized, a virtual doormat in a league that had passed them by.

When James was signed the fortunes of the team immediately changed and the mood of the city was altered and inspired. A new arena, a new coach, a brand new outlook for a city that was used to disappointment.

Gone were the prospects of having to root for two perpetually abysmal NFL teams. King James came in and had the Cavaliers in the Finals with dreams of more special things to come.

True Cleveland fans voice their confidence that James will stay with a smugness that is actually a veneer hidden by the very real chance that LeBron will bolt from his home state to the greener pastures of other cities.

They dismiss talk of his departure with a smile that quivers on the edges, because what would they do if James did decide to leave?

Their false logic is based on an inane loyalty to teams that have never really given the state of Ohio much to cheer about. And what is loyalty to today's brand of athletes?

Too often loyalty is defined by dollar signs and why would anyone think that LeBron's allegiances lie anywhere else?

Of course this is all speculation, but to think that Cleveland fans are not worried about life without LeBron would be comparable to believing in fairy tales that always have happy endings.

Life is not a fairy tale and the city of Cleveland would do well to brace themselves for the impending despair if LeBron were to leave. It shouldn't be too hard, after all, Cleveland fans are well versed in the virtues of perpetual disappointment.

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Bill Simmons on Portland

Busta Bucket — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:41:13 -0500

I just checked out Bill Simmons' mailbag and found this juicy tidbit regarding his trip to Portland:

Q: Did your book tour include a stop at the Rose Garden for Pistons-Blazers last week? I hope you checked out the way the Garden treats Greg Oden. Every time he does something basic, the place explodes like he dunked from halfcourt. They are just willing themselves to think he will be good.
-- David G., Portland

Yes I did. And the best way to describe the crowd's support for Oden: It's like watching 15,000 parents rooting for their kid, only all 15,000 parents fathered the same kid. If he ever exploded for 30 points, 20 rebounds and eight blocks in a game, you'd have to carry each deliriously passed-out Portland fan out of the Rose Garden individually like they were victims of smoke inhalation in a burning house. (The funny thing is, everyone in Portland is nodding right now. And yes, I know he's had a couple of inspired games this season. You don't need to e-mail me the stat lines. No, really. Save us both the time. Let's not put too much pressure on him. Baby steps.) I was also startled by Portland fans arguably (see, there it is!) liking Rudy Fernandez as much as, and maybe even a smidge more than, the great Brandon Roy.

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Open Letter To Allen Iverson

Harrison Moore — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:34:21 -0500

Allen, I’m going to be frank here: you’re out of answers.

Due to no fault of your own, your reputation in this league has been tarnished, downsized, and spat on. The media has played no small part in your fall from grace and are one of the main catalysts for this growing fetish around the league involving you and coming off the bench.

You deserve better.

I know it, you know it, and honestly, so do most of the GMs and coaches around the league. But instead of giving you the chance to bring the team production and possibly even wins, coaches are more interested in wearing your pride as their badge of honor.

They want you to come off the bench behind a Mike Conley or Rodney Stuckey? That’s a joke. Trying to develop younger players is one thing, but these guys haven’t shown the potential to be half of what you are.

You put your best player at each position on the floor at the start of the game, that’s a no-brainer (the sole exception being a Lamar Odom-like situation in Los Angeles).

What I’m about to suggest here won’t shock you, Allen, not after I tell you where I was born. Philadelphia is my hometown and watching the finesse and heart you displayed nightly was one of the main joys of my childhood.

You were one of the biggest reasons I even got into basketball.

Look at the 76ers now, Allen. They’re without a leader. Sure Elton Brand shows flashes of who he used to be. Sure Lou Williams can put up 25 in any given game, but both of those guys can disappear for over a week just as easily.

Andre Iguodala is the most consistent force Philly has to offer now, but he’s no leader yet. He’s a Robin desperately in need of a Batman. Look I’m done beating around the bush here, Allen. My suggestion is as simple as this: come home.

I won’t lie to you, my suggestion doesn’t offer you a chance at holding the Larry O’Brien this June. It doesn’t offer you 25 shots a game either.

What it does offer you is a fanbase that loves you more than any other and even more importantly to you, Allen, it offers you a starting job. On a 5-10 team that hasn’t been out of the first round of the playoffs since the 2001 Finals (which you led them to), nobody’s starting job is untouchable.

As you already know, Sixers management won’t approach you, Allen. If they do that, they’d be conceding that they really weren’t better off without you at all. That won’t happen. You’ll have to go to them and you’d be well served in not making this a public affair.

Going behind closed doors will ensure that you have the opportunity to establish that you will start and if you won’t, you can just walk away and the world will be none the wiser.

I’m a big fan of yours, Allen, and I hate where your career is heading. You haven’t always made the right moves but as I said earlier, you deserve better and I don’t know that you’ll get it anywhere else. So please, make the right move now, Allen.

Come home.

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Pivot Points: The LA Lakers' Bench Is the Weakest Link To a Superior Team

Hadarii Jones — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:33:34 -0500

If the game of professional basketball was played without the service of reserves, then the Los Angeles Lakers would be more dominant than they have been in the past three games.

As it is, the bench plays an integral role in the success of an NBA team and the Lakers' reserves have been the depths of night compared to the bright sunshine of the team's first five players.

Take away Lamar Odom and the Lakeshow's bench is the worst among all other contending teams in the league, and it's not like they are even close in that respect.

Call it the ultimate anomaly, because the Lakers may have the best starting five in all of basketball, yet they tend to become spectators as they watch the bench waste the benefits of their supreme performances.

For the third consecutive game Kobe Bryant and company have watched the reserves lose leads of 20-plus points and allow teams to creep back in and make the final score somewhat respectable.

Take last night, for instance. The Lakers totally dominated the smaller New York Knicks, grabbing an astounding 60 rebounds to the Knicks' 36, and taking a 21-point lead into the locker room at the intermission.

For all practical purposes the game should have been over as the lead ballooned to 25 points late in the third quarter and coach Phil Jackson finally called the dogs off and inserted the reserves into the game.

The Knicks immediately took advantage and were able to trim the lead to the final 10-point margin. The only portion of the game that the Lakers were outscored was the time that the reserves were on the court.

Odom was supposed to bring the punch that the bench had been missing in the absence of Pau Gasol, and he does. But he is basically a one-man show in desperate need of a compadre on the floor.

For those of you who feel I am being too studious and rigid in my analysis of Los Angeles, consider that the teams that the Lakers have defeated are not exactly the cream of the NBA's crop.

Of the three teams only the Oklahoma City Thunder have a winning record, while the Knicks are abysmal and the Chicago Bulls couldn't be considered much better.

So what happens when the Lakers are involved in a tight game and need to call on their reserves to maintain a close lead, or even worse, change the flow of momentum?

If the past three games are any indication, Jackson would be better off letting his starters play through fatigue rather than trusting the team's fortunes to his unflattering group of reserves.

It was previously understood that the Lakers' biggest weakness was their propensity to allow perimeter penetration from opposing guards. While that is still a concern, it's diminished with the return of Gasol.

If the Lakers are beaten on the perimeter, the next line of defense is the seven-foot combination of Gasol and Andrew Bynum, which is the perfect deterrence for perimeter penetration.

Ron Artest is a much better defender than the departed Trevor Ariza and he recognizes, unlike Ariza, the importance of staying with his man when the urge to rotate presents itself.

This cuts down on wide-open looks from the perimeter and, in essence, leaves a penetrating guard with nowhere to go once he is in the lane.

So the onus once again falls on the bench, and to borrow a quote, they are "The Weakest Link."

Coach Jackson seems to think so, and verbalized his concerns when he said that the 10-point victory left him feeling depressed because his team was unable to break the Knicks' spirit.

Being the master tactician that he is, how long will it be before he decides to trust the conditioning and will of his starters before playing Russian roulette with his reserves in a game that really matters?

If the past three games are any revelation, that time may be approaching faster than anyone could have ever imagined.

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Blazers vs. Nets, 7 P.M. CSN

Busta Bucket — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:24:22 -0500

The Blazers take on the 0-14 New Jersey Nets tonight at the Rose Garden. To be fair, the Nets have been without their star PG Devin Harris for most of the season and Courtney Lee (just returned from a groin injury) and Yi Jianlian (out with bad knee) have played a total of 10 games. Still though, they play in the East where they should get some win-able games here and there. The Blazers still need to take this game seriously, because you don't want to be the team that gives a win-less team their first W.

New Jersey Nets coverage at Nets Are Scorching and the Nets Daily Blog.

Blazers

Analysis

Nets

Blake continues to get open looks from beyond the arc. But overall has been very inconsistent. Andre Miller responded to being sent to the second unit with a tremendous game Monday against the Bulls. Sixteen points, five assists and a plus-30 leading the bench mob works for me.

If Devin Harris were at full strength and Rafer Alston was the back-up PG bringing the spark off the bench, then the Nets might get the edge here, but that is not the case. Harris has only played four games since coming back from injury, and is still coming off the bench as he gets back up to speed. Rafer meanwhile has been shooting 33 percent for the season in Harris' absence. Harris' return should lead to a little less Skip-To-My-Lou, which is a good thing for the Nets.

Roy is getting comfortable again at his natural "Point-Shooting guard" position, meaning he should be a happy camper. All season Roy has seemed bothered by the lineup changes and the overall play of the team. I don't care if he's been using his star status to get what he wants. I just want him to get "right". We're do for a monster game from our all-star.

Chris Douglas-Roberts has been filling in admirably while Courtney Lee was out with injury. CDR is a Most Improved Player candidate averaging 18 ppg (up from five ppg in his rookie year). Basically he is the only positive storyline so far this season for the win-less Nets.

Martell Webster the starter is a better player than Trenton Hassell. Since re-joining the starting lineup Webster has had a great game and a sub-par game, but the main thing is he's getting shots and his teammates are looking for him. An active Martell, combined with the minutes that Roy and Rudy get here, gives Portland the edge at this position.

LaMarcus is coming off one of his best all-around games of the season. LA has 24 pts, 13 rebounds, a block, and his first 3-pointer of the year in Monday's game versus Chicago. Josh Boone will not be able to handle the L-Train in this match-up, especially coming off a game last night against Denver's bigs. Another double-double is in Aldridge's future tonight.

I'm going to throw New Jersey a bone here. Brook Lopez gets the edge at the center position. Lopez is a rising star in the East averaging 17 ppg and nine rpg, while leading the NBA in blocked shots. He also had good games against us last year (22 points and 17 points). That, and I don't want to get too high on Oden after the career game that he had on Monday. The match-up against Lopez will be a good gauge of the progress and consistency that Oden has been showing off over the last few games. I hope we see the same confident, beast of a player that we saw last game.

Overall Winner:

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The Fearless Life of Abe Pollin

Jarrett Carter — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:14:48 -0500

Many of the tributes you will hear about Abe Pollin will capture the essence of his kindness, his endearment to those he worked with and hired, and his undying affection for the Washington-Metropolitan area. Those are laudable portions of a man whose life meant so much to so many.

But his strongest characteristic is likely to be the one passed over by many writers; his fearless approach to life and profession.

Everything would point to life working against the son of a Russian immigrant in the early 1900s, but Abe Pollin crafted fortune out of opportunity and generosity out of affluence. He eschewed a life as a real estate mogul in exchange for life as the owner of the Baltimore Bullets, characterized early on as the definition of risky business.

Rather than making professional sports ownership into a hobby venture, he envisioned a lucrative business operation. A fearless proposition for a team that was not perennially successful and had very few supporters in the region.

When he decided that an arena for the team should be built, he took it to the suburbs of Prince George’s County. It was uncharted territory for a town so use to the urban digs of RFK Stadium. Without fear, he moved the Bullets to Landover and put Washington on the professional basketball map.

When the team struggled and man, did they struggle, he continued about his work of loyalty and dedication to his people. Wes Unseld, by his own admission, stayed around longer than he should have. Pollin frugally spent when he shouldn’t have and the Bullets lost for a lot longer than they should have. He wasn’t scared to run his business his way,right or wrong.

In 1997, in the face of rampant and hideous gun-related homicides in Washington D.C., Pollin held a contest to rename the team. Wizards, to the chagrin of many, became the new mascot. Abe Pollin wasn’t afraid about ticket sales and sponsorships falling off because of the move. He believed that he could do something to help save the city from itself, if only with a change of the name.

He drafted and traded without fear, he adopted minority children and nurtured them as his own without concern for what the social elite of Washington would think, and he gave freely and cheerfully, despite his basketball and hockey franchises’ plummeting appeal and profits.

And when it became apparent that one of the greatest players of all-time couldn’t suit the needs of his team or his city, he fired him without worry of league wide or local recourse.

Abe Pollin lived without fear and enjoyed the liberating feeling of courage. He playfully slapped players after wins and consoled them after losses. His teams were some of the worst you ever saw, yet he proudly owned them and never tired of trying to make them better by his rules and standards.

Thankfully, he lived to see the Wizards and Capitals come of age as relevant franchises and watched the city revitalize itself around his handiwork.

Once a builder, always a builder.

We can only hope to live so free and to die with a life as meaningful and as well-lived as Abe Pollin did.

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Marc Gasol Among the Biggest Surprises: Fantasy Hoops Roundtable

Ryan Lester — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:20:18 -0500

A bunch of top fantasy basketball minds have agreed to participate in a Roundtable Debate. I’ll kick things off:

This Week’s Topic

Looking at the season’s early surprise players, which one or two do you feel will continue to put up big fantasy numbers this year?

Alex

While the season is still young, two of the biggest surprises thus far have to be Marc Gasol and Lou Williams. Both are putting up big numbers and seem to be playing well above their preseason projections. Every year there are a number of players that get off to quick starts only to be derailed later in the season—the question is, can these two keep it up?

Marc Gasol is currently averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game all while shooting 61 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line.

Gasol has never rebounded at this pace and has never shot the ball this well from the field. He is off to a quick start and will soon regress to a more realistic output. With limited athletic upside and not a real increase in minutes from last year, there really is no explanation for Gasol’s recent breakout.

Lou Williams is shooting 48 percent from the field and 83 percent from the line, while averaging 17 points, five assists, and nearly two steals. Even though we picked Sweet Lou as one of our preseason busts we feel he has proved us wrong and his breakout is real.

This season Sweet Lou has entered the starting lineup and is seeing a ton of minutes. While his field goal percentage will likely come down a bit, the increased playing time will help him continue his current level of assist and scoring output.

Ryan

A player that I believe will continue to put up unexpected fantasy numbers is Phoenix’s Channing Frye.

Frye has been a force behind the arc, but also is contributing in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. He shoots a decent clip from both the floor and the stripe. Even if his production dips a bit, he will still have value because of his position eligibility (PF & C) and his ability drain three-pointers.

Another surprising big man that should continue to put up big numbers is Joakim Noah. Noah has been an absolute force on the glass, and has been a very effective shot-blocker. He’s not afraid to do the little things, which will endear him to his coaches, fans, and teammates alike. Even when Tyrus Thomas does return, Noah will be fully entrenched in the middle for the Bulls.

Brian

Drafted on average 120th overall in Yahoo! fantasy basketball leagues (behind guys like Tyson Chandler, Shaquille O’Neal, and, yes, Yao Ming), Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has been nothing short of spectacular through the first month of the season. All of his statistical measurables are up—way up—compared to his rookie season of a year ago, and there’s no reason to think there’s any end in sight to his upper-tier production.

Through his first 13 games, the 7-1 Gasol has posted impressive per-game averages of 15.2 points (on 61 percent shooting, good for third-best in the NBA), 11.1 boards, 1.7 blocks, 1.2 steals, 1.9 assists, and a respectable 75 percent from the free-throw line.

That has made him the third-most valuable center in fantasy hoops, behind just Chris Bosh and Al Horford, and helped his Grizzlies to a…well, the Grizzlies are still pretty terrible at 4–9 heading into Monday night's match-up with the Sacramento Kings, but Gasol is clearly doing what he can to make this team competitive again.

There’s little of consequence behind Gasol on the Grizzlies’ big-man depth chart (sorry, Hasheem Thabeet doesn’t count), so expect the seven-footer to maintain his 35+ minutes per-game average as the season wears on. That should give him ample opportunity to finish it out with double-double averages in points and rebounds.

I’d love to see him keep those steals up over one per game, and to take the next step towards fantasy dominance by upping his blocks to two per. Either way, we’re looking at one of the biggest bargains of the year.

For the record, I drafted Gasol 157th overall (middle of the 16th round) in the ETB fantasy hoops league, one pick after Jamario Moon. Gasol is currently ranked 13th overall.

Erik

I will admit that Channing Frye was virtually forgotten and/or ignored as far as fantasy basketball was concerned, especially by me. I remember a center who took too many medium-range jump shots and didn’t rebound or block enough to be appreciated.

Let’s not forget how he has had his fair share of a multitude of missed games in an underwhelming career so far. It has been more than a pleasant surprise to see Frye finally transform himself into a viable fantasy basketball player.

In the end this has been about him finding a team and a system that can maximize his style of play. While he isn’t an Andrea Bargnani for small-ball teams, he has at least exceeded Rasheed Wallace in terms of value. I think Frye and the scorching Suns should remain consistent for the rest of the season.

Keep on enjoying the threes he chips in from your center slots.

Nels

Marc Gasol may lack the shock and awe of someone like Andrew Bynum, the natural fanboy appeal of someone like David Lee, and the national attention of someone playing in a city other than Memphis, but you can’t argue with the stats Gasol has been putting up so far this year: 15.2 points on 61 percent shooting, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.

We had Gasol ranked at No. 107 going into the year and through 13 games he’s ranked at No. 14 on the GMTR player rater.

While Gasol is not going to keep up that insane pace overall, the scoring and block numbers he has been putting up are legit. Over the last two months of the 2008-09 season, Gasol averaged 14.3 points and 1.3 blocks while shooting 55 percent from the field. So, it’s not a stretch to think that his stats this year are following a natural sophomore progression, with the possible exception of his rebounding numbers, which are likely to see a small regression from the 11 per game he’s currently averaging.

Bonus points for the fact that Gasol is one of the only people to have ever benefited from Zach Randolph’s presence down in the paint. The Grizzlies may have drafted Hasheem Thabeet to be their center of the future, but they overlooked the fact that they already had one in Gasol.

If Hustle were a fantasy category, Joakim Noah would be a first round pick because he’d win you that category by himself. Of course, it’s not, but the end result of Noah’s hustle is that he gets points, rebounds, and blocks like he drinks water.

And since most of his buckets come from Derrick Rose passes or offensive rebounds, he’s always getting high percentage shots around the basket (except when he uses his "Ugly Stick," form-from-the-free-throw-line shot). He’s sitting pretty at No. 29 on the GMTR player rater, and should end up in the top 50 because he is not going to stop. Ever.

Tommy

As we all know—when dealing with real estate, the three most important factors of any property are: location, location, and location. Well, this same theory holds water when discussing fantasy hoops.

Channing Frye had spent the prior two seasons buried on the Portland Trail Blazers bench. He is a jump-shooting big man who prefers to float on the perimeter as opposed to bang with the bruisers down low, and never fit into Blazers coach Nate McMillan’s system.

Throughout his NBA career, Frye’s previous coaches looked at his 6′11″ frame and asked him to spend the majority of his time in the paint, not out by the arc. Over his first three seasons in the league, Frye made a total of just nine three-pointers, and by his final year in Portland (2008-2009), it became clear that Frye was not part of the long-term vision.

As a free agent, Channing decided to sign with the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns—an organization that has led the NBA in scoring four of the past five seasons, and had no problem with shooters shooting, no matter how big or small they were.

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry has encouraged Frye to launch three’s whenever open and Frye has obliged. Through the Suns first three games of this season, Frye had connected on 13 three-pointers, which was more than he made during he first 215 games of his career combined (9).

Frye may lose some PT when Robin Lopez returns from injury, but Channing will still likely be playing 30+ minutes a night as the starting center for the highest scoring team in the NBA. In other words, he’ll have more good nights than bad, and he’ll continue to remain among the league's leaders in three-pointers made and attempted.

I suppose I could write a few paragraphs about how well Brandon Jennings has played and about how he is the future of the franchise and is thus, all but guaranteed consistent minuets for the rest of the season. Instead, I’ll simply copy and paste two mind-boggling tidbits of info—courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau :

*Brandon Jennings tallied 29 points and seven assists to help lead the Bucks to a victory over the Bobcats last Friday night. Jennings has registered 252 points and 59 assists in his first 10 games in the NBA. Only one other player reached those levels in those categories in his first 10 games in the league: Oscar Robertson (255 points and 92 assists).

*Jennings scored 26 points in Milwaukee’s win against Memphis on Saturday night. Jennings has scored at least 25 points in six games this season, the highest total for any NBA rookie before Thanksgiving since Michael Jordan had nine 25-point games prior to the fourth Thursday in November in 1984.

Long story short: This kid is the real deal.

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The Denver Nuggets' Nene Has Nasty Night Against Nets

Rich Kurtzman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:17:44 -0500

Nene is an unsung hero of the Nuggets, the big man and the beef of Denver’s basketball team. He plays the Center position, which just like offensive linemen in the NFL, is the least glamorous spot on the NBA court. Yet, when he’s on top of his game, Nene is a complete artist around the hoop.

He can back down almost any other Center in the NBA today, and his quick footwork means Nene can explode around almost any opponent. His favorite play from the block is an unstoppable spin move, from which he can throw up a hook shot or perform a deadly up-and-under move.

But what I love to see from the 6’11” Brazilian the most is when he’s cutting through or driving the lane to throw down a monstrous tomahawk dunk.

Tonight, Nene was his unrelenting self, attacking the hoop and forcing players to either foul him or sit back like fans and watch him rack up the points.

In the first quarter Nene went 4-5 from the field, and the only shot he missed the ball slipped out of his hand on a dunk attempt. But on three of his buckets in the first period, all Nene had to do was catch a perfect pass and slam the ball through the hoop.

Carmelo Anthony was a perfect passer tonight, and in the first quarter he zipped three passes into Nene for dunks.

Those early points weren’t all though, as Nene shot 8-13 overall (.615) for 17 points, beasted the boards for nine rebounds and added five steals (many during a key third quarter run). He even through in a blocked shot and an assist.

But if Nene wants to be considered an All-Star in 2009, as George Karl predicted, he must produce this kind of performance every night. And in reality, his numbers are solid at 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game are fourth and fifth best in the West respectively.

Meaning that even though he’s having a career year, Nene has to be even better to be the West’s starting center during the All-Star break—even with Shaq and Yao gone.

Whether or not Nene can play up to that type of caliber is up to him and will be seen starting tomorrow night in Minnesota (1-13). But for tonight, it was a great time to be a Nene fan as the Nuggets were carried on his broad shoulders and they dominated the Nets 101-87.

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Oklahoma City's Thunderous Road Win Serves Notice to NBA Foes

Robert Kleeman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:01:17 -0500

The name might still sound dinkier than a wedding at a roller rink and cheaper than box wine, but the team is as excitable as a litter of Dobermans.

With a resolute performance in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder inched farther from the NBA's cellar and closer to its rooftop.

Though the Thunder still needs a few years to join the ranks of the league's elite, it notified the Utah Jazz and other conference adversaries that no contest will be won easily.

The team's 104-94 victory at Energy Solutions Arena oozed gameness and maturity.

Anyone not able to appreciate this squad's competitive spirit needs a pulse check.

Even if championship contention is reserved for the Boston Celtics, L.A. Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, and maybe a few others, things are looking up in Oklahoma City.

It might be too early for the NBA's newest die-hards to start talking playoffs, but with the West muddled more than ever, the lower seeds could lock up the final slots with less than 45 wins.

The Thunder needed to show some life after a dreadful performance against the champs at Staples Center.

How did Oklahoma City eke out a win in a building where the home squad lost eight times last year and four times in 2007-08?

How did a former 23-win franchise complete the kind of confidence-building conquest that was off-limits mere months ago?

The Jazz had more rebounds and points in the paint and still lost by double figures.

Here's how the Thunder stole this one, and the seven others, that have the franchise one game above .500 for the first time ever.

Rumbling and Rolling

Kevin Durant delivered a star performance, posting 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting. His defense was active, and he scored several breathtaking buckets in transition.
His two treys and career-high assists also helped the cause.
The ball moved from side to side, rarely sticking in one player's hand for an extended period. This unselfishness forced Utah defenders to react, causing open jumpers galore. Most of Oklahoma City's 18 three-point tries were uncontested. The Thunder drilled eight of them, good for 44 percent.
For a team in the throes of puberty, 25 assists to 16 turnovers in a hostile environment is a groovy ratio.
Players put their athleticism to good use on the defensive end and swiped the ball 18 times.
The Thunder caused 24 turnovers, a season high for an opponent and the Jazz.
Surviving after making only 4-of-12 baskets in the final frame, with Utah charging back to within eight, is commendable.
Russell Westbrook deserves props for sinking all four of his freebies in the fourth quarter. Those free throws helped the Thunder keep the Jazz at arm's length.
The reserves drained of 11-of-15 attempts. Rookie James Harden sizzled with 10 points, and Kyle Weaver swooshed a timely triple in the fourth period.
The team also swatted six shots, three more than the Jazz.
Thabo Sefolosha's clingy defense frustrated Deron Williams into a 5-for-14 night. Williams recorded nine assists, but also turned the rock over nine times.
Memo Okur missed eight of his 13 looks, a testament to the Thunder's interior labor.
Closing out quarters is the underappreciated key to scoring road triumphs. The Thunder finished strong in the second, third, and fourth periods with mini-runs.
The 53-52 halftime lead alone put the Thunder in position to snatch the game.

Presti's Plan Procures Praise

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich once called now Thunder GM Sam Presti a "resident genius."

His work in Oklahoma City has done nothing to tarnish the tremendous reputation he built in San Antonio.

Had he kept Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis two summers ago, the Seattle Sonics-turned Thunder might have been a playoff team.

Instead, Presti let Lewis walk, where he promptly signed a $100 million deal with the Orlando Magic he would never have earned in Seattle. He then traded Allen to the Boston Celtics on draft night for the rights to Jeff Green.

This determination to avoid stopgap players and borderline All-Stars will give the Thunder's budding star core of Westbrook, Green, and Durant ample time to grow together.

The Memphis Grizzlies could learn from this wise philosophy. How bad would Oklahoma City be had it signed Zach Randolph or Allen Iverson?

Underrated Signing and Overlooked Trade Pay Dividends

When Presti traded a first round pick to the Chicago Bulls for two-guard Sefolosha, it did not garner mass SportsCenter attention.

The move, however, has allowed the Thunder to make massive improvements on the defensive end. He can hound ones, twos, and threes, as evidenced by his recent pesky turns on Caron Butler, Kobe Bryant, and Williams.

He won't shut many stars down, but he can make any of them work. His long arms force opponents into wild shots, and his resourcefulness often causes bad passes and poor clock management.

Twice in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's win, Sefolosha filched the ball from Williams.

Coach Scott Brooks calls Sefolosha his hardest working, best defender.

Also under the radar was Presti's signing of Serbian center Nenad Krstic. His eight-point, four-rebound average would dazzle few observers at first glance.

He fouled out late in the fourth quarter in Utah and scored a listless two points in L.A. on Sunday.

His mid-range shooting and spirited defensive stands have juiced the Thunder's attack.

The team owes much of its win in San Antonio to a third quarter stretch in which Krstic nailed three straight 20-footers.

Tuesday, he drew two fourth quarter offensive fouls and blocked a would-be layup.

Coach's Demeanor Triggers Competitive Streak

When former NBA journeyman Brooks took over for P.J. Carlesimo, the team was 3-29. Since, the squad has improved to a .500 record.

How many thought this interim hire would seize the job?

Brooks has cultivated his own style on the sidelines, molding a streetwise product, where players up and down the roster contribute.

The players, Durant in particular, have responded to his tactics.

Undrafted in the CBA and now one of the game's youngest coaches at 44, Brooks has guided his team into the top 10 in field goal percentage defense after a dolorous 26th place finish last year.

His squads own victories at Miami, Detroit, San Antonio, and Utah. The Thunder smacked around the Magic at the Ford Center.

After the beat down, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said with a straight face, "The Thunder is a better team than we are now."

A lot of coaches could emerge from matches with Oklahoma City grumbling similar blunt assessments.

Dinky name. Excitable product.

In September 2008, Oklahomans felt the Thunder's impact for the first time. Now, everyone else in the NBA is feeling it, too.

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