More Injuries, C-Web and Billy Hunter
- The big news in the NBA is that Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal will miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a flap tear in the articular cartilage of his left knee.
This is very bad news for the Heat, who have looked absolutely awful thus far. What’s strange is that they are getting basically the same production from all of their regulars, with the exception of Shaq and Jason Williams (who just made his debut on 11/17).
The team numbers tell a completely different story though. Miami is dead last in points per game (88.9) and 27th in shooting (42.9%), down from 99.9 and 47.8% last season respectively.
Their defense is no better either. They are 19th in points allowed (99.9, up from 96 a year ago) and are 20th in opponents field goal percentage (46%, up from 44%).
Rebounding is yet another area where the Heat have lost their mojo. They pull down 39.3 boards a game (down from 43.1) which is good for 23rd overall, and they are 22nd in rebounding differential at -3.6.
I’ve said it many times before, but when a team can’t defend or rebound, they are in trouble. Throw in that Miami is already 2-4 at home (lost 3 in a row too) with brutal losses to Chicago (by 42 points), Houston (22) and New York (24), and I think the problems go well beyond a championship hangover.
In short, I don’t see how this team is going to turn things around without Shaq. Yes, the big fella being out is affecting their offense and rebounding, but the defense? Not so much.
Dwyane Wade, who has not looked like himself even though his numbers are solid, has his work cut out for him big time now. As does coach Pat Riley, who might just be regretting his decision to come back at the moment.
Is D Wade really in the class of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James? Is Riley still a master motivator and tactician without a dominant big man? We’ll see what both are made of over the next month.
File this one away too. Shaq’s return date right now is set between 12/23 and 1/7. Knowing how the Diesel loves attention, I have no doubt that he’ll be back on Christmas day to face his old buddy Kobe.
- Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva will miss the next four to six weeks with a torn ligament in his left elbow. This is a major blow to Milwaukee’s playoff chances, as they will now be without two thirds of their starting front court (Bobby Simmons has yet to suit up this year).
Ruben Patterson is an adequate fill in for Simmons, but the options at PF are less then stellar. Turkish youngster Ersan Ilyasova has moved into the starting lineup for Villanueva and journeyman Brian Skinner is backing Ilyasova up.
The Bucks flat out do not have the depth to remain competitive minus their #2 and #3 scoring options. By the time those two are healthy, I expect them to be too far behind for it to matter. I also see this as the beginning of the end of coach Terry Stotts’ tenure in Milwaukee.
- Phoenix Suns two time reigning MVP Steve Nash tweaked his back at practice on 11/13. He has missed two games since and is day to day for now.
Nash suffers from spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra slips over another. This is an on-and-off type injury that flares up and settles down one or twice a year for Steve.
I’ll think he’ll be fine in the long run, but it’s only natural to be concerned that the soon to be 33 (on 2/7) year old PG might be breaking down. I don’t remember this problem ever surfacing this early in the season in the past.
While the Suns do need Nash to go deep into the playoffs, they are well equipped to deal without him for short periods of time. Leandro Babosa, Marcus Banks and Jalen Rose can all chip in to help handle the PG duties in Phoenix until Steve is 100% healthy.
- Cleveland Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes suffered a high right ankle sprain on 11/15. Hughes has already missed one game and is expected to be out for at least one more.
I’d be surprised if Larry is back on that schedule. High ankle sprains notoriously take a long time to heal, and Hughes is not exactly known as a quick healer anyway.
I’m sure the Cavs can make due without him, but any prolonged absence will prevent Cleveland from running away and hiding from the rest of the Eastern Conference.
- I never felt quite right ripping the Sixers in MMM. It’s not that I couldn’t, it was more that is was a Philadelphia based publication, and why provoke people? This is why I love the new blog.
So Chris Webber is unhappy with role? Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris. My boy, you’ve go it all backwards. YOU should be ecstatic with your role. It’s US that should be unhappy.
C-Web is shooting a robust 38.4% from the field, 57.1% from the stripe and averaging 10 points a game. And he’s wondering why he’s not playing more?
If it’s all together obvious to him already (which apparently it’s not), I’ll let him in on a little secret. YOU ARE A COMPLETE AND UTTER LIABILTY ON DEFENSE!
I’m not a fan of coach Maurice Cheeks, but he’s got this one right. Sitting Webber in the 4th quarter gives Philly their best chance to win games.
Period.
The fact that Chris is grousing about this when the team is winning (they were 4-3 when this broke) tells you all you need to know about him. Anyone with eyes can see that the combination of Samuel Dalembert and Steven Hunter improves the Sixers D in crunch time.
Below are all the different ratings I could think of on C-Web.
John Hollinger’s PER – 35th for PF’s at 11.94
Roland Rating – 7th on team at +1.5
NBA.com’s efficiency – 55th for F’s at 12.8
And he wants to be traded?
Wait, no he doesn’t.
C’mon already buddy. If GM Billy King could move you, he would. The reality is that nobody wants a broken down, soon to be 34 (on 3/1) year old malcontent with 43 million dollars over two years left on his contract.
Webber referred to the situation as, "Timeout times 50, basically", referring to his infamous gaffe at Michigan. Well my man, I’d use the same analogy to describe how I feel when I see the other team abusing you in high pick and rolls.....again, and again, and again.
If he wants out that badly, he should take a buyout like his buddy Jalen Rose did. And when/if this happens, BK should drive a seriously hard bargain. Like half of the 43 mil and he is free to sign wherever he wants.
Wouldn’t it be funny if he did become a free agent and none of the contenders wanted him?
I can only hope…
- On 11/17 the NBA Players Association entered into a one year deal with nutritional supplement company Abbott Nutrition. The deal provides free products and retail discounts to players.
This deal is really small potatoes, as most players already use some type of supplements, and all the products are guaranteed by the company to contain no substances banned under the NBA's drug policy.
Where it gets interesting are the quotes coming from Union President Billy Hunter.
"A lot of that has been precipitated by the league, the moves that the Commissioner has decided to make and implement - many we feel are beyond scope of the collective bargaining agreement."
Like the player dress code, replacing the leather game ball with a composite model and the crackdown on players complaining about calls during games.
"At a minimum, we should have been consulted. As a result, maybe I feel less compelled to consult them on things."
WOW!
If I know anything about Commissioner David Stern, he was not happy about those quotes at all. I expect to hear the usual smooth public retort from Dictator Dave on this, but rest assured, behind closed doors he is seething and plotting his revenge.
- Three second round picks that are all going to stick in the league:
Craig Smith - 6’7, Minnesota Timberwolves, 36th pick
Paul Millsap - 6’8, Utah Jazz, 47th pick
Leon Powe - 6’8, Boston Celtics, 49th pick
I assume they all slipped because they are the same type of player, undersized PF’s. Let me tell you something though, while none of them will be stars, they will all have decent careers as hustling role players that don’t mind banging and doing the dirty work down low. In other words, the type of player that every team needs at least one of.
- A bulletin for all fantasy owners:
Center Jerome James made his season debut for the New York Knicks on 11/17. Snap him up while you still can!
This is very bad news for the Heat, who have looked absolutely awful thus far. What’s strange is that they are getting basically the same production from all of their regulars, with the exception of Shaq and Jason Williams (who just made his debut on 11/17).
The team numbers tell a completely different story though. Miami is dead last in points per game (88.9) and 27th in shooting (42.9%), down from 99.9 and 47.8% last season respectively.
Their defense is no better either. They are 19th in points allowed (99.9, up from 96 a year ago) and are 20th in opponents field goal percentage (46%, up from 44%).
Rebounding is yet another area where the Heat have lost their mojo. They pull down 39.3 boards a game (down from 43.1) which is good for 23rd overall, and they are 22nd in rebounding differential at -3.6.
I’ve said it many times before, but when a team can’t defend or rebound, they are in trouble. Throw in that Miami is already 2-4 at home (lost 3 in a row too) with brutal losses to Chicago (by 42 points), Houston (22) and New York (24), and I think the problems go well beyond a championship hangover.
In short, I don’t see how this team is going to turn things around without Shaq. Yes, the big fella being out is affecting their offense and rebounding, but the defense? Not so much.
Dwyane Wade, who has not looked like himself even though his numbers are solid, has his work cut out for him big time now. As does coach Pat Riley, who might just be regretting his decision to come back at the moment.
Is D Wade really in the class of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James? Is Riley still a master motivator and tactician without a dominant big man? We’ll see what both are made of over the next month.
File this one away too. Shaq’s return date right now is set between 12/23 and 1/7. Knowing how the Diesel loves attention, I have no doubt that he’ll be back on Christmas day to face his old buddy Kobe.
- Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva will miss the next four to six weeks with a torn ligament in his left elbow. This is a major blow to Milwaukee’s playoff chances, as they will now be without two thirds of their starting front court (Bobby Simmons has yet to suit up this year).
Ruben Patterson is an adequate fill in for Simmons, but the options at PF are less then stellar. Turkish youngster Ersan Ilyasova has moved into the starting lineup for Villanueva and journeyman Brian Skinner is backing Ilyasova up.
The Bucks flat out do not have the depth to remain competitive minus their #2 and #3 scoring options. By the time those two are healthy, I expect them to be too far behind for it to matter. I also see this as the beginning of the end of coach Terry Stotts’ tenure in Milwaukee.
- Phoenix Suns two time reigning MVP Steve Nash tweaked his back at practice on 11/13. He has missed two games since and is day to day for now.
Nash suffers from spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra slips over another. This is an on-and-off type injury that flares up and settles down one or twice a year for Steve.
I’ll think he’ll be fine in the long run, but it’s only natural to be concerned that the soon to be 33 (on 2/7) year old PG might be breaking down. I don’t remember this problem ever surfacing this early in the season in the past.
While the Suns do need Nash to go deep into the playoffs, they are well equipped to deal without him for short periods of time. Leandro Babosa, Marcus Banks and Jalen Rose can all chip in to help handle the PG duties in Phoenix until Steve is 100% healthy.
- Cleveland Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes suffered a high right ankle sprain on 11/15. Hughes has already missed one game and is expected to be out for at least one more.
I’d be surprised if Larry is back on that schedule. High ankle sprains notoriously take a long time to heal, and Hughes is not exactly known as a quick healer anyway.
I’m sure the Cavs can make due without him, but any prolonged absence will prevent Cleveland from running away and hiding from the rest of the Eastern Conference.
- I never felt quite right ripping the Sixers in MMM. It’s not that I couldn’t, it was more that is was a Philadelphia based publication, and why provoke people? This is why I love the new blog.
So Chris Webber is unhappy with role? Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris, Chris. My boy, you’ve go it all backwards. YOU should be ecstatic with your role. It’s US that should be unhappy.
C-Web is shooting a robust 38.4% from the field, 57.1% from the stripe and averaging 10 points a game. And he’s wondering why he’s not playing more?
If it’s all together obvious to him already (which apparently it’s not), I’ll let him in on a little secret. YOU ARE A COMPLETE AND UTTER LIABILTY ON DEFENSE!
I’m not a fan of coach Maurice Cheeks, but he’s got this one right. Sitting Webber in the 4th quarter gives Philly their best chance to win games.
Period.
The fact that Chris is grousing about this when the team is winning (they were 4-3 when this broke) tells you all you need to know about him. Anyone with eyes can see that the combination of Samuel Dalembert and Steven Hunter improves the Sixers D in crunch time.
Below are all the different ratings I could think of on C-Web.
John Hollinger’s PER – 35th for PF’s at 11.94
Roland Rating – 7th on team at +1.5
NBA.com’s efficiency – 55th for F’s at 12.8
And he wants to be traded?
Wait, no he doesn’t.
C’mon already buddy. If GM Billy King could move you, he would. The reality is that nobody wants a broken down, soon to be 34 (on 3/1) year old malcontent with 43 million dollars over two years left on his contract.
Webber referred to the situation as, "Timeout times 50, basically", referring to his infamous gaffe at Michigan. Well my man, I’d use the same analogy to describe how I feel when I see the other team abusing you in high pick and rolls.....again, and again, and again.
If he wants out that badly, he should take a buyout like his buddy Jalen Rose did. And when/if this happens, BK should drive a seriously hard bargain. Like half of the 43 mil and he is free to sign wherever he wants.
Wouldn’t it be funny if he did become a free agent and none of the contenders wanted him?
I can only hope…
- On 11/17 the NBA Players Association entered into a one year deal with nutritional supplement company Abbott Nutrition. The deal provides free products and retail discounts to players.
This deal is really small potatoes, as most players already use some type of supplements, and all the products are guaranteed by the company to contain no substances banned under the NBA's drug policy.
Where it gets interesting are the quotes coming from Union President Billy Hunter.
"A lot of that has been precipitated by the league, the moves that the Commissioner has decided to make and implement - many we feel are beyond scope of the collective bargaining agreement."
Like the player dress code, replacing the leather game ball with a composite model and the crackdown on players complaining about calls during games.
"At a minimum, we should have been consulted. As a result, maybe I feel less compelled to consult them on things."
WOW!
If I know anything about Commissioner David Stern, he was not happy about those quotes at all. I expect to hear the usual smooth public retort from Dictator Dave on this, but rest assured, behind closed doors he is seething and plotting his revenge.
- Three second round picks that are all going to stick in the league:
Craig Smith - 6’7, Minnesota Timberwolves, 36th pick
Paul Millsap - 6’8, Utah Jazz, 47th pick
Leon Powe - 6’8, Boston Celtics, 49th pick
I assume they all slipped because they are the same type of player, undersized PF’s. Let me tell you something though, while none of them will be stars, they will all have decent careers as hustling role players that don’t mind banging and doing the dirty work down low. In other words, the type of player that every team needs at least one of.
- A bulletin for all fantasy owners:
Center Jerome James made his season debut for the New York Knicks on 11/17. Snap him up while you still can!
posted by D$ at 12:24 PM
1 Comments:
I suppose C-Web has something to left to offer, but not on a good team (next year is contract year anyway).
His lack of movement on defense means that whichever team he's on won't be a top flight defensive squad.
For BK to move Webber, the Sixers would have to take back someone with more years and more money left on their deal to get it done.
Possible? Yes. In the best interest of the franchise? Probably not.
FT, the "we have AI, a tweak here and there" thinking has got the Sixers where they are now. Nowhere.
As I've said many times before, the time to trade AI was after LB left town.
His value was never higher, and someone proabably still thought they could win with him.
Look, there's a reason that no #2 option has ever been able to mesh with AI. One after another, they've all come and gone. The one constant being AI himself.
AI is a HOF player, but he has never sacrificed his game for the good of the team. NEVER.
People rip on Kobe for the way he plays, but look at how #24 played in the Phoenix series last playoffs. Ever see AI doing something like that?
You know what they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. If you want to keep AI, you should know what that gets you by now.
- D$
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