Ballin’: How Dangerous are the Utah Jazz?
NBA February 28th. 2008, 9:29am
Utah 103, Detroit 95: The Pistons must have run into that massive, yet invisible, West Coast Wall in the third quarter, allowing the Jazz to rally from down 15 with about 17 minutes left in the game, and lost to Utah for the sixth time in a row. The Jazz have a solid eight-man rotation, a sweet mix of bigs, a great point guard, and solid shooters … yet nobody’s talking about them in the West. Why is that?
New Orleans 120, Phoenix 103: The Hornets improved to 4-0 on the season against the Suns and ended a three-game losing streak on the strength of double-doubles from Chris Paul (25-15) and Tyson Chandler (12-15). If the Shaq-Amare tandem was supposed to improve the Suns defense, the impact has yet to take shape, as here are the opposing team point totals in their five games together: 130, 77, 116, 113, 120.
Toronto 107, Minnesota 85: TJ Ford’s stats – in 24 minutes, 16 points, three assists, zero turnovers. Jose Calderon – in 23 minutes, six points, seven assists, one turnover. Point guard problems? Ford said he is content coming off the bench, which squashed any potential controversy.
Chicago 113, Indiana 107: Sure, the real news is that Larry Hughes scored 29, and Drew Gooden pumped in 10 points and took 15 rebounds … but what about the fact that the Pacers started four white guys? When was the last time any team did that?
Denver 138, Seattle 96: It’s almost March, and when you have a mere 15 victories, playing defense isn’t nearly as important as positioning yourself for a crack at Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. So Seattle permitted Denver to shoot a franchise best 67 percent.
Photo: Icon Sports Media
164 Responses to “Ballin’: How Dangerous are the Utah Jazz?”
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February 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am
suns fans should be worried imo
February 28th, 2008 at 9:35 am
as a guy who picked the suns in the preseason, and talked up shaq’s signing, i, too, am a bit worried
it’s only 5 games in, but they’re not even trying on defense
and please don’t force me to play comment nazi, guys. we will go a day without comparing two guys and mucking this thread up
February 28th, 2008 at 9:37 am
1966 Texas Wester…shit
February 28th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Suns fans should be worried, this is what everyone predicted would happen. The one thing he was supposed to do, play defense, isn’t even happening. The West is just too up and down for him, he does best against grinders like Det/Clev. The only team it could help against is SA, but there are lots of other teams to worry about.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:37 am
lol i agree the lebron kobe debate should be suspended until they play again
February 28th, 2008 at 9:38 am
ill be the first to admit it…the cavs played like absolute shit last night. they deserved to lose. happy irish?
February 28th, 2008 at 9:38 am
That’s a point guard problem I wish a certain team I follow (which shall remain nameless, per TBL’s directive) had to deal with.
Better tandem in the league?
Calderon/Ford or Nash/Barbosa?
February 28th, 2008 at 9:39 am
holy shit…denver put up 138? BEASTLY.
first round lakers/nuggets series? thatd be a must watch.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:40 am
The Hawks have won one in a row!!!!
February 28th, 2008 at 9:40 am
CP3>everyone combo or straight up
February 28th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I watched most of the Pistons-Jazz game and Utah is good. Okur killed them with three 3-pointers in the last 2 minutes of the game – and Deron Williams is awesome.
Newsflash – Phoenix doesn’t play D. Why is this different this year than any previous year? The big guy is slow and fat, but they have never played defense.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am
am i happy spence, sure not today buddy. orlando had back to back road games and lost to Philly last night in a blowout. we just played philly here, and beat them but they kicked our ass last night bad. We made there guards look like rip hamilton and chauncey billups with them scoring over 25 apiece.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am
@CRM: You know I agree for the most part…but Pargo comes in and actual contributes negatively. He doesn’t add zero. He subtracts.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Chelsea – Well last year, Phoenix had the champs on the ropes until Horry jacked Nash and Amare stepped out of the box and got suspended. Not nearly ready to give up on them yet … perhaps it has just been a slow transition.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:44 am
LBJ ankles injury almost confirmed to me that there is no god
February 28th, 2008 at 9:45 am
At this rate, the Pacers may not have enough players to finish the season:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/LOCAL/802280510
February 28th, 2008 at 9:46 am
TBL, almost everyone have the Jazz has one of the 4 favourites in the West. Charles Barkley choose the Jazz are the favourites to win it all, and I have heard almost everyone mentioning them as the sleeper to win it all. They are not a sexy pick like the Lakers, Spurs or Suns but they have a shot, if (and it’s a big if!) Mehmet Okur doesn’t disappear on the Playoffs like he does every time.
Nick, do you consider Leandrinho as a PG? To me he can’t run any offensive play, the only thing he knows is run…himself! I have to go with the Calderon/TJ, they are so different and Calderon has estabilished as a very solid PG with a great Ast:TO ratio, i can’t really see how TJ Ford can return to the starting 5.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:49 am
@CH4OS: No, I don’t consider him a pure point, but when Nash is out, he’s the one bringing the ball up and trying to initiate offense. It’s tough. Nash has been a bit careless with the ball, but he’s such a better scorer than Calderon. Considering Barbosa is better than Ford, IMO, I’d give the nod slightly to PHX. As early as next year, probably have to side with Calderon.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Celtics got PJ Brown yesterday.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Hornets/Jazz tomorrow night. ON NATIONAL TELEVISION! Probably our only chance to see them in action until they (hopefully) make the second round of the playoffs (assuming they’ll farm all their first round games out to the NBA TV ghetto)
February 28th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Nick, i thought you are asking for the best “pure” PG tandem, so that’s why i choose Jose/TJ. If you go that route, why ignore BD/Monta Ellis? I have to go with them right now.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Whomever thought the Shaq/Amare combination would play defense had to be delusional. Neither of those guys has been even a mediocre individual or team defender in the last five years.
I can’t wait to see who Phoenix plays in the playoffs (if they even MAKE the playoffs!)
February 28th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Celtics got PJ Brown yesterday.
And I see that the top story on espn.com this morning was a story by a certain writer who thinks Sam Cassell should sign with them too.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:54 am
TBL, the Pacers have been starting four white guys for awhile now. Deiner, Murph, Dunleavey and Foster.
jgp, not sure if you mean Simmons but JA Adande had a Casseell to the Celtics story up days ago. Also there are rumors that Brent Barry might go to Boston as well.
Amazing how the 44-12 Celtics get no pub. They beat the Cavs and it doesn’t even get mentioned by TBL?
February 28th, 2008 at 9:55 am
@ dornoch- what about the third place team in the east. no pub either is there
February 28th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Yeah, Simmons.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Gee irish, I wonder who deserves more pub, the Celtics or a team that is NINE games back of them.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:59 am
@CH4: I didn’t specify pure. Monta is the starting SG. That’s not really a point-guard tandem. If we’re going that route, just give me Parker/Ginobili.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:00 am
hey i think they both do dornoch, much more than the indiana pacers on here every day.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Huge fan of the Jazz. Without an NBA team in Pgh., grew up loving the Stockton to Malone combination and have been a fan since. Love the current combination of players, and think the Korver trade was huge. I’ll be watching tomorrow night since they’re rarely on TV out east.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:03 am
As a Suns fan I can say I am a bit worried but not about Shaq. The coaching worries me the most. Watching that game last night the Suns were pounding the Hornets and you could tell CP3 was getting frustrated not being able to drive straight to the hole with Shaq in the middle. Then D’Antoni decides to take Shaq out and go small which was just begging for the Hornets to go off. Sure enough a 16-2 run ensued to end the half. His refusal to play Brian Skinner is infuriating. He played him all the time when we didn’t have Shaq and now he doesn’t play him a minute. LINTON JOHNSON THE GUY ON A 10 DAY CONTRACT PLAYED 24 MINUTES! RIDICULOUS
February 28th, 2008 at 10:07 am
NBA West Playoff Standings:
Lakers
Spurs
Jazz
Hornets
Suns
Mavs
Rockets
Golden St.
Lakers vs. Golden St. or Denver would be fantastic. Jazz vs. Dallas would be great too.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Shaq sucks. It’s not complicated. They lost a great player and got a crappy washed up one. Shaq has been useless for 2 seasons now. He is slow, he can’t move, he can’t play defense, and he doesn’t give any effort on the boards. He’s useless. At this point he is a poor man’s Erick Dampier, without the jump shot.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Trading Marion was ridiculous as they now don’t have anyone who can guard Nowitzki, Harrington, or Carmelo. I believe Marion would also guard at times Kobe and McGrady. IF they were to get to the finals, Marion would have guarded LeBron or Garnett or Rasheed (who punished Amare the other day).
Who is Shaq supposed to guard? Dampier? Biedrins? Chandler? Just a ridiculous move.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:18 am
NSP…every one of those matchups would be awesome except Rockets-Spurs…I am all for the Rockets falling off and getting Denver in there at least for the interesting factor…This might be the first time in a long time that any “upset” would not setup the second round for a sweep.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:19 am
The Utah Jazz are so dangerous that 2 nights ago they lost the worst team in the league.
ESPN must read this blog, their poll question on SportsCenter last night was who would you rather have on your team, LeBron or Kobe?
Last night GMU played William and Mary, W & M had one black player on their entire team. Every time he made a shot I tried to slip in a token reference.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Glad to see the Hornets get back on track after a humiliating loss to the Wizards the other night. HUGE game tomorrow night against Utah at the Hive.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:20 am
NBA EAST STANDINGS
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Orlando
4. Toronto
5. Cleveland
6. Washington
7. Philly
8. NJ
whoever makes it out of the east, will have a tough time against any of the top west teams
February 28th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Bulls win! Only 2 GB of 8th! Hooray! …at 23-34.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Irish: I watched some of the game last night (Magic/Sixers). Your guys looked out of sync. I don’t know if the Sixers were the reason why, or they were tired.
According to the Sixers color guy, Stan Van Gundy says the Sixers are the best team on the fast break IN THE LEAGUE. Pure nonsense?
February 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am
NJ is just so bad. I can’t see them hanging on to the 8. I’ll go with Chicago at the 8.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:23 am
dorn…it didnt get mentioned because TBL (rightly so) wants to avoid any bullshit about kobe v. lebrizzy. ya’ll beat us pretty bad last night, but its ok.
irish…philly is underrated.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Geez Hazean I wouldn’t classify losing to the Wizards as humilitating.
The Utah Jazz losing to the Timberwolves is humilitating.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:24 am
@ gonzo- yeah they got smoked last night. Philly outplayed us, especially there guards miller and green. i would like to say it was because of back to back road games but there is no excuse for getting beat like that. we beat them last friday, so we will take that as a revenge game. stan van is dumb, i dont like him for what he did to dwight on public
February 28th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Irish…who ever makes it out of the east will have a tough time against any of the bottom teams in the West…Boston and Detroit are the closest they have to a complete team and they both have flaws that will be exploited but the West (C’s at the PG and Detroit in the Front Court)…the Cavs have Lebron and the Poo Poo Platter…the Magic have Howard and two real good shooters at forward but no guards and Toronto is nice but not outstanding…everyone else is not even in the conversation
February 28th, 2008 at 10:25 am
cbh,
The Wolves have also beaten New Orleans (and your boy CP3), Phoenix (twice), and Golden St. Regular season is meaningless.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I’m not on the Golden State bandwagon. The Lakers would be a bad, bad matchup for them, definitely sweep potential in the first round. They have nobody inside, NOBODY to guard either Gasol or Bynum. Sure, they’ll go small and try to change the game up that way, but the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, who has no problem getting up and down in the floor in transition.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:27 am
roman…don’t sleep on the bucks.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Nick..trust me I am not putting them in the finals or anything but the Nets are playing better since the trade and they have good young talent in the front court, VC is showing signs of a pulse and Marcus Williams is playing well and scoring more than Kidd did
February 28th, 2008 at 10:27 am
NSR, thanks for letting me know Chris Paul is my boy, that’s news to me considering I don’t like him and have never claimed to on this board.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I think every top seed West team is hoping Golden State does not make the playoffs.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:29 am
And before all the Chris Paul fanboys get upset, I don’t dislike him either, I basically have no opinon on him.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:29 am
roman and nick…do either of you think that williams and harris is a better PG situation than having kidd take all the minutes and williams sit on the bench for 35 minutes a game?
it could be me, but im not a big jason kidd fan at all.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:30 am
The Bucks have talent but I don’t think they have it together and I don’t think they know what type of team they want to be…it makes them dangerous for a game or two but I don’t think this is the year to take them seriously.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Oh and congrats on the LeBron…youngest to take 7500 shots (which received considerably less attention)…and youngest to score 10,000!
February 28th, 2008 at 10:30 am
@chh: Your love of Chris Paul is well-documented and borderline fanatical (kidding).
Cursed, don’t sleep on my boy Biedrins. This is of course assuming Nellie even plays him. Best center no one talks about, but Nellie has been using him less and less.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
golf clap
February 28th, 2008 at 10:32 am
I enjoy watching AB…he’s shooting like 65% this year..ridiculous. But like I said, even Kobe and Odom can run with them, and their size would be disastrous for Golden State.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:32 am
@spence: I’m not a fan of Williams at all. I think he’ll be out of the league in 2-3 years. I do like Harris’s future, though.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:33 am
roman…i was joking about the bucks. no East team has a chance in the Finals.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:34 am
i feel bad for devin harris. he was on the team of his dreams and gets traded for an over the hill PG. Devin harris will be a top PG in this league, in my opinion, for the next 7+ years. I also agree that Marcus Williams is a waste. go jack another labtop marcus
February 28th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I’m certainly not predicting a GS victory, but they present matchup problems for teams without great perimeter D. BD/Monta would torch whoever Fisher guards at least once or twice. Ultimately lose the series in 6 games, though.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Spencer, the problem with Kidd and the team they had on the floor was the big men don’t score…unless Kristic is playing…and they didn’t run like they did a few years ago…Kidd is most effective running and dishing out and driving for shots and having a forward (Kenyon Martin) grab garbage and put it back in…Williams can score with his jump shot and it makes up for the lack of scoring up front..it also helps when VC decides to show up, something that was not happening when Kidd and him were on the floor together…last year and this year VC was at his best when Jefferson and/or Kidd were not on the floor (which blows and VC sucks for that) but this team is going to be good with Williams and Harris and when they can both be on the floor at the same time they will be able to run big time…especially with Josh Boone and Sean Williams who are just athletes and a guy like Diop doing everything that Jason Collins was supposed to do
February 28th, 2008 at 10:36 am
cbh, I was just doing my best Wilbon/TK impression. Wasn’t making a claim one way or the other.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Nick P…i like him a lot more than i like kidd at each’s stage in their careers. kidd is nice this year, but would you pay that much for him when hes not giving you anything but assists?
February 28th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I really don’t see how the Lakers can sweep the Warriors. I’m a Laker fan but i would not be surprised if the Lakers lose in the First Round against any team except the Rockets. Bynum is going to be rusty (if he returns at all), Gasol can’t defend anybody at the Center position and even at PF, Odom is very prone to mental turnovers and the bench is very young and unproven in the Playoffs. I really don’t see how the Lakers can be the favourites this year. Oh i don’t forget the pinkie!!!
February 28th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Considering it took Kobe 8,000 plus shots to reach 10,000 pts cursedcleveland. I wouldn’t be to worried about it
February 28th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Biedrins is an above average defender and could guard Gasol. Bynum isn’t exactly an offensive force. I’d be more worried about who guards Kobe.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I’m with Spence, I think that was a horrible trade they made with the Nets.
NSR, that makes a whole lot more sense now.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:39 am
S-Jax would do about as well as anyone, NSR.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:41 am
NSR…i actually like biedrins against Gasol, finesse on finesse. the problem with bynum is keeping him off the glass and boxing him out so he cant get lobs and easy entry passes, thats more important than guarding him when he has his back to the basket.
b-diddy on kobe? thatd be fun to watch.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Also, what has plagued Phil Jackson teams in the past are small quick penetrating guards like Monta Ellis. He would be the X-factor for me in the series.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I also think Harris is the real deal but Williams is not garbage..he has played really well since the trade…he has a chance to be a good starter in this league or at the very least a good backup on a good team…there are a lot worse PGs that Marcus Williams
February 28th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Marcus Williams got pwned by Lamar Butler in the Elite 8.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Kobe was also the youngest player to appear on the First Team All-NBA defensive team
February 28th, 2008 at 10:45 am
I think the Nets should roll out a lineup of Carter, Jefferson, Diop, Boone, and S. Williams. Play zone and pack it in. Of course, I’m kidding, but it’d be fun to see it tried. I don’t know how many mroe offensively challenged shot-blockers a team can have.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Kobe was also the youngest player to have an in-season acquittal of rape charges.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:45 am
dwight might top that this year, D 12 is only 22.
who do you guys think will win the most improved player this year?
February 28th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Irish..most improved..two words…Eddy Curry…he is a force who can play straight up with any center in the league…Isiah’s finest move
February 28th, 2008 at 10:48 am
NSR…funny stuff. then i realized that the cavs had Ben Wallace and Varejao on the court for a good stretch last night and didn’t find it nearly that funny.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:49 am
LOL.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:49 am
roma please watch this saturdays game and see how big eddy does against a real center
February 28th, 2008 at 10:49 am
@irish: My money was on Bynum pre-injury…but now I’ll go with Hedo or Rudy Gay.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Yeah I’d go with Hedo.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:50 am
im not tring to be bias, i just want your guys honest opinion on my boy Dwight howard. He went from good last year, to being a great elite player this year. if im wrong please tell me
February 28th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Most Improved:
Marvin Williams
Kaman
Gay
Aldridge
Calderon
February 28th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Kobe was 21 when he appeared on the list as a firs teamer…Dwight Howard is already 22
February 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am
He’s not shown enough improvement to win that award, irish. He’s basically just playing more minutes (leading to more boards) and taking more shots.
Hedo, on the other hand, went from a marginal player to a legit second banana.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am
@cursed: That’s your opinion.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am
irish…i think roman was being sarcastic earlier about curry. at least i hope he was.
i think rudy gay is the MIP. he’s lebron-lite in terms of athleticism, size and talent. he’s going to be seriously good. what about al jefferson, bad team, but hes gone from solid to outstanding this year, tho its still gay’s to lose.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Howard went from 18 and 12 to 22 and 14.5. That’s a good improvement. Kaman went from 10 and 8 to 16 and 13 and doubled his block from 1.5 to 3.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
my bad cursed, i thought he was older. thank you for the correction
February 28th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Forgot Hedo. Yeah, he’s up there, and I think his clutch performances will help.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Irish…my love for Dwight Howard has no bounds…seriuosly if you had to watch Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph night in and night out you would begin to comprehend the Jealousy I have…the guy is great..he is going to be a MAJOR force in this league (especially when they find him a PG)and I am sticking to my prediction that Howard wins a title before LeBron (and that is not a knock on LeBron just on his coach, GM and Supporting cast)
February 28th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Last night Ben Wallace looked exactly like the guy Chicago wanted out of town. Terrible. Boston wasn’t even sticking a guy within 5 feet of him – and he still wasn’t getting rebounds. He will not be seeing much run in the playoffs when games are on the line.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Howard’s only playing 2 more minutes per game and taking two more shots. He’s definitely made the leap this year.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Kamans numbers are a direct effect of losing Elton Brand. Thats why I like Hedo for most improved. As far as Dwight Howard Irish, there is not a better center in the game right now.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
is Boston really that good though guys…if # 23 wouldnt of hurt his ankle, i think you would of pulled that game out. Detroit is the force in the east still in my eyes.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:59 am
And again, the Chicago backups outplayed their overrated starters. Hughes had 29 pts, 6 assists and 3 steals. I guess LeBron doesn’t make EVERYONE better. (Had to do it).
February 28th, 2008 at 10:59 am
@NSR: But he’s shooting the same %’s. It’s not like he’s getting better at scoring; he’s just taking more shots. Hedo has shown marked improvements in shooting % and everything else.
All I’m saying about Dwight is that he was already great last year. In the history of MIP, those guys don’t win the award.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Irish, LeBron played awful last night even pre-injury. He was throwing passes all over the place, taking terrible outside shots and played zero defense. The ankle injury actually helped them. They got the lead down to 5 at one point..
February 28th, 2008 at 11:01 am
boston is not that good. they whooped us last night, but if the new cavs had played together for more than a week, it probably would’ve been a different story.
if rondo isn’t feeling it, theyre a different team. KG is probably the most camoflauged ’superstar’ in the league. you dont even notice he’s out there half the time.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:02 am
And Howard’s numbers are a direct effect of losing Tony Battie.
Losing Elton Brand doesn’t make you block more shots than before! I didn’t see fantasy basketball owners go out and pick up Kaman in the second round because his numbers would balloon without Brand.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Irish..I agree with Nick on this…you are too worried about MIP…to me MIP is for a guy that sucks and then all of a sudden is good…not for a guy that was really good and then became Very Good…and while the award is an honor it is like the backhanded compliment of awards
February 28th, 2008 at 11:03 am
I thought Boston was the favorite and then I finally got to see them in action and they are not that good. KG looked much older then I thought he would. Detroit is ridiculous and it all starts with the big bag of knuckles they have at the point. Mr. Big Shot abuses guards in this league
February 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I also thought KG had very little impact on that game. Yet he had 18 pts 11 rebounds and 5 assists. I came away thinking “Wow, KG really did not play that well.”
PP played terribly as well. AV did an excellent job drawing the erroneous charges. He’s taken the Duke defensive scheme to another level.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Yeah, I’ve never watched a KG-led team and afterwards thought to myself, Wow! That guy took over the game. But Boston’s main problem is Paul Pierce. As he goes, so too go the Celtics. It seems whenver he’s matched against one of the league’s elite, he makes the game personal and starts chucking. Last night he was 4-14 from the field.
Ray Allen is the heart and soul of the team. Without him, they’d be screwed.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Might Bill Simmons be right? That the Celts would have been better signing Pau Gasol. He doesn’t bring the defense KG does, although I didn’t see KG make one defensive play last night, and one game statistical sampling is what we do here.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:08 am
yea, allen is the one guy who makes me think, “shit, lets hope this guy doesnt get warm.” he’s a deadly dude and PP doesnt have the ego-check in him to realize that jesus shuttlesworth is the guy who should have the ball at the end of games…this will def cost boston in the playoffs esp against detroit or the cavs.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:08 am
@ roman-im not worried about the MIP, i think Dwight has improved more than anyone else out there. he is the most dominant big man in the game. he wasnt considered that last year. no more from me about d 12
February 28th, 2008 at 11:09 am
cursed…if anything, simmons knows his NBA. id rather read his NBA-shit than Marc Stein, Ric Bucher or any of the SI.com writers.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:11 am
The Gasol vs. Garnett debate is worthwhile I think. But again, the problem isn’t Garnett. While Garnett won’t win you many games, he won’t lose them for you either. Pierce will. Boston would be better off with a “glue” guy in the 3-spot that can meld. A guy like Gay, Granger, Outlaw, or Childress.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:12 am
It doesn’t matter whteher Allen, Pierce or KG get the ball at end of games. Any one of them can make a freakin’ open shot, as none of them are seeing double teams. Cleveland got a bag of old, flat, used basketballs in that trade. Stop foolin’ yo-selves!!
February 28th, 2008 at 11:15 am
And I know people love the ole MVP debate – but the Cavaliers need to go 18-6 to hit 50 wins. There’s just no freaking way they’ll give LeBron the MVP (deserved or not), in the terrible Eastern Conference without 50 wins. Fair or not, they’re just not doing it.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am
It is pointless to debate who is better Boston or Cleveland because none of them are getting past Detroit.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:20 am
yysa- magic can get past detroit
February 28th, 2008 at 11:21 am
maybe Irish but I really think they are a year away
February 28th, 2008 at 11:22 am
YYSA- Yeah, Cleveland didn’t get by Detroit last year either. WTF?!?! Flip is an idiot and they never play with any urgency. A good team, yes. But there is no clear-cut favorite in east right now. Which is why you gotta like a team like the Celts with three hungry (not like Detroit) vetrean stars.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Cursed…if its me I am giving the MVP to Chris Paul…and trust me LeBron is an MVP…but what Paul did with NO this year is just tremendous.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:24 am
thats true about the hunger for a championship. but think about experience in big games together on the same team
February 28th, 2008 at 11:24 am
It wouldn’t shock me if Toronto made it out of the East if they can beat Cleveland in the first round.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:26 am
walfredo…its not that theyre going to be double teamed, its just that you KNOW PP is taking the last shot and you KNOW its going to be an ill-advised, hurried shot that doesnt have a great chance of going in. and hes not going to pass to an open KG or Allen no matter what.
I like detroit better than Boston, but at least PP can slow down LeBron, Tayshaun just gets abused, and in the playoffs, thats what matters. despite my apparent homerism, i truly believe this looking at it objectively.
Roman…i agree. CP3 is totally responsible for their success. NO has no business being where they are with david west, peja and tyson looking like absolute beasts. its all because of CP.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:35 am
CP3 is a stud. He should be First team defense the way he hounds guards. Props to the Hornest by surrounding him with the perfect talent for his game. deadly assassin shooters on the outside and athletic big men with hops on the inside.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Spence – I DON’T know PP is taking the last shot. Ray already has 2 buzzer-beaters to win games this year. Nobody can slow LeBron, but I’m not convinced his supporting cast got much better with that trade. I’m a total homer, too, but Celts do have the best record in the league right now and I always hated PP but he’s playing some great all-around ball (last night not included) this year.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:40 am
walfredo…you bring up a few good points, but PP’s reverted back to his old gunner self as the season has gone on. regardless, we’ll find out in the playoffs, no need to discuss this further, you guys waxed us last night and theres nothing else i can really say that isnt wild speculation.
the east playoffs, after the first round, will be some interesting basketball. boston, cleveland, detroit, and orlando/toronto. i like all those teams.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:48 am
The Cavs are definitely better post-trade. Delonte does a nice job on opposing PGs.
I think eventually Devin Brown won’t be the starter. We’re pretty anemic to start games on offense with the current setup, and Devin is a big reason why. I think Wally or Sasha will be the starter by the time the playoffs roll around, and personally I’d prefer Sasha as a starter.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:51 am
spencer, you are wrong about Pierce. He has not gone back to his gunner self. That is a pretty ridiculous comment actually.
Shots per game:
Lebron 22+
Pierce less than 15
Pierce takes the same number of shots as Ray Allen and shoots a better %.
I don’t get the hate on Paul Pierce. He takes bad shots like everyone else but not near as many as you are implying.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Come on Dorn. You’re comparing a guy’s shot attempts playing alongside 2 other all-stars and a sweet PG to a guy with Z and 3 helpings of doo-doo (pre-trade anyway).
February 28th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Delonte has played extremely well early on, but there’s a reason this guy wasn’t starting in Seattle. Last night he came down and took two hurried three pointers without passes (which is LeBron’s job!). It’s that kind of stuff that’s always angered his coaches.
Gotta love what Joe Smith is doing…but wow do the Cavaliers have to figure out what they’re going to do with Ben Wallace. I seriously thing they’ll be better off the less he plays. AV was expoonentially more valuable last night on defense.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Dorn…from what ive seen lately, he has. and i agree with Nick, there’s less shots to go around. PP is a pretty good post player and is pretty hard to stop going to the rim. but if you get him settling for jumpers, like he has been, then you’re pretty damn happy.
the hate on him stems from the fact his bad shots are taken at the expense of others, rather than kobe, without the supporting cast, or lebron. its the same knock i have on gilbert arenas, only gilbert isnt a grousing asshole, so he gets more love.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Forget Lebron, Nick. This isn’t about Lebron. I just think a superstart offensive guy like Pierce taking 7 less shots than James is quite significant. 15 shots a night is nothing and certainly isn’t the result of someone gunning.
Pierce has adapted nicely and his playing terrific basketball. His teams 44-12 record should show that. To be honest I am not sure what spencer is watching to call Pierce a chucker.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
OK, at least I know it is personal. Don’t blame you, if I was a Cavs fan I would hate Pierce too. But Pierce’s job is to score and he is taking less shots than any time in his career, short of his rookie campaign. I can’t do anything but praise him and that coming from someone who always blamed a lot of the Celtics ills on Mr. Truth.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
If it’s not about Lebron, then don’t mention him.
@cursed: I love Delonte’s eagerness to hit the glass. Larry wasn’t too fond of “sticking his nose in it.” (to quote Austin)
February 28th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I remember when people said Kobe was a gunner and someone who’s only going for scoring titles. That nonsense has apparently gone out the window. Seems to me that great players understand their role and the best way for their teams to win games. Kobe is a perfect example.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Like taking the second half off of in a Game 7 of a playoff series, not getting within 30 feet of the basket on numerous occasions?
I know he played well in the 1st half and they were down big, but why give a half-assed effort when it matters the most?
February 28th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
True Nick, but honestly, how many boards did the Cavaliers really need out of Hughes. Cleveland’s 4th in the NBA in boards…how many more rebounds could Hughes really have gotten – especially with LeBron chasing triple doubles and fighting Z for uncontested rebounds.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Nick, you and RD keep referencing that game ad nauseum, when the only thing that needs to be said is: That Phoenix team was leaps and bounds better than the Lakers. Kobe did everything he could in the first half, and they were down 15 pts. You reference that game so often, it’s like you’re using it to define Kobe’s career. Nice try.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
It’s fun to cherry pick games and series!
February 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I’m just wondering if he thought giving a half-assed effort in the 2nd half of a win-or-go-fishing game was the best way to win. If it is, that’s fine. Some would argue it might not be.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
@cursed: I don’t know how many rebounds Hughes could have secured for the Cavs, but if the answer is “more,” he should have been in there. It’s not like we needed him out in front of the D catching outlet passes to start the break, considering he runs a worse fast break than Sustar at Owens North.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Nick, it’s just a bad point and you’re not doing yourself any favors perpetuating it. It would be like me cherry picking an NBA finals game from LeBron last year…then repeating that the rest of his career regardless of whatever accomplishments he had. It’s called “selectivity.” And you’re much, much better than that.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Owens north reference!
February 28th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Anyone else think that Cassell on the front page of ESPN.com is ridiculous? He hasn’t even taken a buy out yet, but the fine people at the 4-letter think that speculation about an almost-washed up point guard’s status is front page material?
February 28th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
It’s just that he effectively quit on his teammates. I don’t think it gets brought up enough personally. Chuck hammered him for it initially, but then it died off. People still bring up Pippen refusing to enter a playoff game when the shot wasn’t drawn up for him.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
@cursed: Sam is washed up, but he immediately becomes the best backup PG in the league.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Lets just be clear: Wallace and Varejao should never be on the court together. And yet, they were last night…how is Mike Brown a coach?
February 28th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
And we’d like to thank Daequan Cook for participating in this year’s NBA season. That’s pretty bad if you can’t find time in Miami’s 100win lineup
February 28th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Mike Brown is actually screwed with the trade. He had trouble putting together a lineup before, now he’s got duplicity all over the board. Think about it…he has three perimeter shooters who can’t play defense effectively (Gibson, Wally and Jones). Good luck figuring out who the “hot” guy is on a given night. Than you got AV and Wallace, both the EXACT same player (AV’s better at this point, much better).
Then you have Joe Smith and Z …both effective shooters from the high post, neither with post moves at this point in their career – neither can play defense.
YIKES!
February 28th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Nick, I just thought I could point out that Pierce takes SEVEN less shots per game than Lebron to show that if he is gunning, it isn’t THAT bad.
But you won’t give up the chance to point out that Lebron’s cast is not as good as anyone elses. Face it, if Lebron had KG and Ray Allen he would still be taking 20 shots a game. Pierce on the other hand is taking less shots. And who is the gunner?
February 28th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
i think the cavs would be better off bring LBJ off the bench to provide a spark.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
BTW, Pierce and KG can explain to Lebron how frustrating Wally Szczerbiak is to play with. You can already see that Lebron hates him.
I think Cleveland was better with Drew Gooden. Not sure about other teams but he gave the Celtics problems. I don’t see Joe Smith or Ben Wallce causing any sleepless nights.
The best player the Cavs got was Delonte West. He is fearless and btw, quite CRAZY. You Cav fans will find out. If Delonte had a blog it would be the best of any NBA player. Trust me. The guy is a total fruit loop. In a good way. Sort of like Spaceman Lee.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Cursed I think that is their front page splash more for Simmons than the fact it is about Sam Cassell.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
@dorn: that’s an empirical question. I encourage you to invent a time machine and find the answer. Until you do, it’s purely conjecture. But considering Lebron is a much better shooter, he probably would shoot more.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Check out this page 2 article about Delonte:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=cornetta/060214
February 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Yeah but did Kobe ever quite like Dwayne did here?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/extramustard/02/28/hotclicks.0228/index.html
February 28th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Lebron isn’t a better shooter.
Points per shot:
Pierce 1.38
Lebron 1.36
FG % doesn’t tell the whole story, Nick.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
FT % Lebron 70%, Pierce 84%
3PT % Lebron 30%, Pierce 39%
But yeah, Lebron is the better “shooter”.
Pierce is the better shooter and the more efficent scorer.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Adjusted FG%
Pierce: .505
Lebron: .517
Your points-per-shot is a nice stat, but it includes free throw attempts. It’s relevant for this particular argument. You said Lebron would have more field goal attempts on Boston than Lebron. I said he probably should because he’s a better shooter. How does what I just gave you not confirm that?
February 28th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Adjusted FG% only looks at 2 and 3 pt attempts.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
So what about a daily podcast (for now) with myself giving a daily breakdown of the ballin comments? A temporary substituion for our radio show.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Steve Nash only shooting six times is a joke. Come’on Steve, your better than that.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Of course a Lebron fan would think FTs are irrelevant. Last time I checked, free throws were shots and Lebron is much worse at shooting them than Pierce. Not sure why it shouldn’t count in a discussion about shooting. Oh yeah, Pierce is 14% better, that is why it shouldn’t count.
Lebron is the better player, Pierce is the better shooter.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Seriously Dorn, at the skill of shooting a basketball, Paul has better form and all that bullshit, but as far as results when someone is actually guarding you, Lebron is more productive at finding the bottom of the basket. JJ Redick is a better shooter than both guys in a closed gym. It doesn’t mean he should be getting more FGA.
Related strictly to FGA, I said Lebron deserves more because he’s a better shooter. How can you possibly disagree with that?
February 28th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Of the top 50 scorers in the league, Lebron has the second worst FT percentage, ahead of only Dwight Howard. Of the shooters in the top 50 in 3PT FGA, Lebron has the second worst percentage.
Pierce is a better shooter. Lebron is a better scorer and player. Lebron is the best driving guard I’ve ever seen, but you can’t say that makes him a great shooter.