Fines for flopping!
Lots of happy people, outside of San Antonio, and perhaps Cleveland and Utah. I wonder what the odds are on who will be the first? I'd have Varejao as the favorite, with Manu close behind. We shall see. Now all we need is a Laker win tomorrow to top a solid 24 hours.
Showing posts with label Utah Jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utah Jazz. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
A Tale of Two Coaching Matchups
Even though the Couch Potato gave only 6/10 bags for this weekend's action, today's NBA action, composed of two Game 6s, look fairly promising.
When one look at these games, even superficially, one difference between the two games stands out.
Coaching.
One game features two HOF coaches, one the longest tenured and consistently good, and the other possesses 9 rings. This contrasts sharply with the other game, which features two coaches, whose luck has been significantly better than their coaching.
Which much of the media may have ignored just how significant this is, this match up between Doc Rivers and Mike Brown will go down, for me, as the match up of two of the worst coaches in NBA playoff history. Bill Simmons (good luck on your situation with ESPN) has done a great job of sharing the skills of Doc Brown. Although, I have to admit, I was stumped to see Doc Brown following the conventional wisdom and leaving Rajon Rondo out there after he started playing well. However, this one game does not mask multiple silly substitution patterns utilized by Doc. Mr. PER, John Hollinger, gives light to one of the more dumbfounding grievances is his latest work for ESPN, the question as to why the corpse of P. J. Brown is getting more burn than the productive Leon Powe.
As for Doc Brown, it is simply frustrating for me. Just as Boston hired a good defensive assistant coach in Tom Thibedeau, the Cavaliers should look at hiring a good offensive assistant/associate coach for the Cavs to show that their run last year was not just a fluke, and to entice LeBron to stay rather than bolt Madison Square Garden or The Bronx. Look, it is NOT a good idea to get LeBron the ball 30 feet from the basket on the wing, especially when the spacing is so poor such that 3 defenders can collapse on LeBron without fear of a major penalty.
Just thinking about those two wasting the talent they had been given is frustrating.
Just watch the games for the difference. There is so much more ball movement and off the ball cuts in the Jazz-Lakers series. There is quite a bit of beautiful basketball there, with the exception of some unnecessary fouls and turnovers. The beauty of the game comes from the coaches. Perhaps Doc and Mike should be watching the game following their own for some ideas.
When one look at these games, even superficially, one difference between the two games stands out.
Coaching.
One game features two HOF coaches, one the longest tenured and consistently good, and the other possesses 9 rings. This contrasts sharply with the other game, which features two coaches, whose luck has been significantly better than their coaching.
Which much of the media may have ignored just how significant this is, this match up between Doc Rivers and Mike Brown will go down, for me, as the match up of two of the worst coaches in NBA playoff history. Bill Simmons (good luck on your situation with ESPN) has done a great job of sharing the skills of Doc Brown. Although, I have to admit, I was stumped to see Doc Brown following the conventional wisdom and leaving Rajon Rondo out there after he started playing well. However, this one game does not mask multiple silly substitution patterns utilized by Doc. Mr. PER, John Hollinger, gives light to one of the more dumbfounding grievances is his latest work for ESPN, the question as to why the corpse of P. J. Brown is getting more burn than the productive Leon Powe.
As for Doc Brown, it is simply frustrating for me. Just as Boston hired a good defensive assistant coach in Tom Thibedeau, the Cavaliers should look at hiring a good offensive assistant/associate coach for the Cavs to show that their run last year was not just a fluke, and to entice LeBron to stay rather than bolt Madison Square Garden or The Bronx. Look, it is NOT a good idea to get LeBron the ball 30 feet from the basket on the wing, especially when the spacing is so poor such that 3 defenders can collapse on LeBron without fear of a major penalty.
Just thinking about those two wasting the talent they had been given is frustrating.
Just watch the games for the difference. There is so much more ball movement and off the ball cuts in the Jazz-Lakers series. There is quite a bit of beautiful basketball there, with the exception of some unnecessary fouls and turnovers. The beauty of the game comes from the coaches. Perhaps Doc and Mike should be watching the game following their own for some ideas.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
On Home Court Advantage And Refereeing
Warning: This post may have been influenced by a bitter Laker loss.
14-1. 14-1. That is a great, almost incredible record, in most sports and in most situations.
14-1
Let that sink in. Now, that is the record of home teams in the Conference Semi-Finals of the NBA Playoffs. Considering the intensity of playoff games, simply pay attention to the magnitude of such a record. It serves as an exemplar of the gargantuan power that home-court advantage has in the NBA.
But what causes such an advantage?
Is it as conventional wisdom says, due to the impact that sleeping in one's own bed has? Or is it due to the home team simply played with more passion and energy and the associated energy of the crowd?
Maybe?
I however, would like to suggest an additional reason for such a disparity.
Referees.
Coming off the Tim Donahey scandal, refs had been under much scrutiny until the incredible race out West took away much of that scrutiny and attention. It would be silly to deny that home teams get the "breaks" from the referees. Look no further than today's Lakers-Jazz game for some proof. With Utah up 2 in Utah, with the ball, Carlos Boozer decked Derek Fisher with an elbow, taking out Fisher and Gasol, who was help up by Fisher's body (on the floor), and thus created a 5-3 for the Jazz. Needless to say, the situation was compounded when a touch foul was called on Lamar Odom to set up a 3 point play. On the opposite end of the floor, even with the Laker player missing the field goal attempt, such a "foul" was not called.
Furthermore, another practice in NBA officiating that concerns me regards how flagrant fouls are assessed. Such fouls are assessed based on the player-floor contact rather than the player-player contact. Such an act is completely against the spirit of the call, which is based on intent and original player-player contact. Why must a team be put at a disadvantage when a big fouls a more fragile or smaller player who the falls in an awkward manner? Or when, a player takes off without proper balance gets contact and falls awkwardly?
Please do not misconstrue this post as having no solid points. I, like many, would like to see games being decided due to ability, rather than some referees.
14-1. 14-1. That is a great, almost incredible record, in most sports and in most situations.
14-1
Let that sink in. Now, that is the record of home teams in the Conference Semi-Finals of the NBA Playoffs. Considering the intensity of playoff games, simply pay attention to the magnitude of such a record. It serves as an exemplar of the gargantuan power that home-court advantage has in the NBA.
But what causes such an advantage?
Is it as conventional wisdom says, due to the impact that sleeping in one's own bed has? Or is it due to the home team simply played with more passion and energy and the associated energy of the crowd?
Maybe?
I however, would like to suggest an additional reason for such a disparity.
Referees.
Coming off the Tim Donahey scandal, refs had been under much scrutiny until the incredible race out West took away much of that scrutiny and attention. It would be silly to deny that home teams get the "breaks" from the referees. Look no further than today's Lakers-Jazz game for some proof. With Utah up 2 in Utah, with the ball, Carlos Boozer decked Derek Fisher with an elbow, taking out Fisher and Gasol, who was help up by Fisher's body (on the floor), and thus created a 5-3 for the Jazz. Needless to say, the situation was compounded when a touch foul was called on Lamar Odom to set up a 3 point play. On the opposite end of the floor, even with the Laker player missing the field goal attempt, such a "foul" was not called.
Furthermore, another practice in NBA officiating that concerns me regards how flagrant fouls are assessed. Such fouls are assessed based on the player-floor contact rather than the player-player contact. Such an act is completely against the spirit of the call, which is based on intent and original player-player contact. Why must a team be put at a disadvantage when a big fouls a more fragile or smaller player who the falls in an awkward manner? Or when, a player takes off without proper balance gets contact and falls awkwardly?
Please do not misconstrue this post as having no solid points. I, like many, would like to see games being decided due to ability, rather than some referees.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Jazz Beat Writter Shows No Class
Derek Fisher is one of the most admired players in the NBA. He has earned respected in every NBA city he has played in by every player and by every coach. In fact, he was elected one of the presidents for the Players Association. With that being said, this article makes no sense at all.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695262735,00.html
I am simply confounded after reading the article. Apparently, even being a church owned paper does not give you class. The assumption that Derek Fisher joined the Lakers to screw over the Jazz is as ridiculous as it gets (up there with Agent 0 going to the Lakers.) Apparently, he conveniently forgot that the Utah Jazz made it the Western Conference Finals and the Lakers went out in the First Round and were in turmoil with the whole Kobe situation. Frankly, basketball wise, leaving Utah made no sense for Derek Fisher. He is making less money in L.A., and the Lakers, at the time, did not even look like a contender. So leave to this guy to compare him to Carlos Boozer, who is said to be more honorable, after stabbing a benevolent blind man in the back. Just wow.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695262735,00.html
I am simply confounded after reading the article. Apparently, even being a church owned paper does not give you class. The assumption that Derek Fisher joined the Lakers to screw over the Jazz is as ridiculous as it gets (up there with Agent 0 going to the Lakers.) Apparently, he conveniently forgot that the Utah Jazz made it the Western Conference Finals and the Lakers went out in the First Round and were in turmoil with the whole Kobe situation. Frankly, basketball wise, leaving Utah made no sense for Derek Fisher. He is making less money in L.A., and the Lakers, at the time, did not even look like a contender. So leave to this guy to compare him to Carlos Boozer, who is said to be more honorable, after stabbing a benevolent blind man in the back. Just wow.
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