Ballin’: Sixteen and Life
NBA December 18th. 2008, 10:00am
San Antonio 83, New Orleans 90: Too bad this isn’t how the Hornets finished in game seven last year. Remember all that chucking by Pargo? CP3 and West took over this time, rallying the Hornets from down seven in the fourth. Guys who weren’t the Big 3 on the Spurs shot a combined 11-for-41. Why is Matt Bonner taking 15 shots?
Golden State 120, Indiana 127: Danny Granger dropped 41 on the defensively-challenged Warriors. Anyone else get the feeling that too many people are in love with Granger right now? Nice player, all-star, all that, but let’s all calm down – the Pacers are 9-16. The Warriors are a massive mess.
Milwaukee 88, Philadelphia 93: A costly victory – Elton Brand dislocated his shoulder in the third quarter. Figures that the 76ers would rally in his absence. Louis Williams scored 25, but Philly won it with defense – the Bucks missed eight straight shots to open the fourth.
Dallas 96, Toronto 86: Dirk and JT scored 27 apiece and the Mavs rallied on the road. Josh Howard (20 points) returned the starting lineup for the first time in a month and stood during the anthem, which is always a good thing.
Atlanta 85, Boston 88: Hawks cave down the stretch, lose a tough one to Boston. That’s 16 in a row for the Celtics, who we’ll be writing about later.
50 Responses to “Ballin’: Sixteen and Life”
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December 18th, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Don’t talk about my man like that.
/Intern CRM
December 18th, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Solid game from the Hornets. As for last year’s Game 7, I think that had more to do with the Spurs’ experience. It’s one thing to do it in December. Quite another to do it in June.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:04 AM
great games last night
Nice player, all-star, all that, but let’s all calm down – the Pacers are 9-16
+1 TBL
Spurs in town tonight. Gortat vs Matt Bonner. get your popcorn
December 18th, 2008 at 10:06 AM
God I hate that “chucking Pargo” talk. He was the only one with any balls on that team when it came down to it. He had the hot hand. he was right to take the shot.
/not a hornets fan
/not secretly crm
December 18th, 2008 at 10:07 AM
they have faced a pretty tough schedule so far…
granger is a beast, i don’t know how anyone could hate on the dude.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Spurs fell apart in the 4th. Cost me the chance of going 5/5 last night.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Yes, Pargo’s chucking that got the Hornets back in the game. From USA Today:
December 18th, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Watching the Cavs gets boring. I expect them to win by 20 every night. At least they exceeded my expectations last night against a REALLY bad Minnesota team.
By the way, does it bother anyone else that Skinny Miller LOOKS like he should be in the WNBA? Love his game, but his looks are becoming a problem.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:12 AM
TBL, I sitting in the 3rd row at the Pacers-Warriors game last night (friend’s tix, not mine). Without a doubt, Golden State was the most disinterested NBA I’ve ever seen.
Don’t want to go all Bill Simmons on you, but let’s just say there was more focus and enthusiasm from my college IM teams than GS last night.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Kevin McHale needs to be fired
December 18th, 2008 at 10:17 AM
update on the Ole Miss arrest
December 18th, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Manny: I think you mean uninterested. Disinterested is a Kantian term referring to one’s ability to judge an object without having a vested interest in the outcome. It refers to impartiality.
/jmorris
December 18th, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Is Rondo the best PG in the Eastern Conference?
December 18th, 2008 at 10:32 AM
I’m willing to hate on Danny Granger. Good scorer, but do something else! Anything else. He’s the same exact player he’s always been, he’s just taking more shots. Whoopdee fuckin’ do.
At the same time, he’s boarding less and turning it over more.
All-star?
I’ll pass. He has to get in line behind Wade, Rondo, Devin Harris, Calderon, and Joe Johnson.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Jose Calderon > Rondo
imo
December 18th, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Is Rondo the best PG in the Eastern Conference?
no. he is above average at best.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Just looked up his all-star status. I guess he’s considered a forward. That changes it, I suppose. The East is a little thin there.
But Lebron, Bosh, and Garnett have better cases. Caron Butler too, IMO.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Rondo is amazing. I’d take him ahead of most, including Calderon.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:36 AM
irish, he’s the only other one I could think of, but Rondo wreaks havoc on the defensive end too.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:38 AM
@nick p- dont forget Paul Pierce in that forward slot.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:40 AM
@irish: You know I agree. He’s having a down year, and I didn’t want to have to explain it, though. He plays much better D than Granger, too.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Note the “Eastern Conference.” There isn’t much competition. Calderon, maybe Rose, maybe if you consider Devin Harris…
December 18th, 2008 at 10:42 AM
There isn’t much competition
give my boy Jameer Nelson some love. come on. He is stepping up this year and playing well
December 18th, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Mo Williams.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:44 AM
i consider devin harris. don’t you?
December 18th, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Granger is pretty solid on D. He’s one of a few players who averages more than a steal and a block per. In consecutive games he held Pierce to 16 pts on 5-16 shooting, Lebron to 11 points on 4-12 shooting, and Pierce again to 17 on 4-12.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:48 AM
@ Hef
You’re right, my bad. Though “without having a vested interest in the outcome” describes Nellie right now.
BTW, Danny Granger is legit. He’s being guarded by the other team’s best defender each night and still putting up numbers.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:49 AM
And the difference between Granger’s FG% and LeBron’s is boiled to down to one more made FG per night. I’m always reminded of Costner’s line in Bull Durham about “25 hits”.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:53 AM
200 449 .445% – Granger
237 477 .497% – Lebron
December 18th, 2008 at 10:53 AM
@NSR: He’s shooting a bit better than Lebron, all-in. I said he’s a fine scorer. He’s shooting exactly the same as last year. To the decimal point.
What else does he do, though? Grab a board, dish a little, and stop turning it over. Scoring is overvalued.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Take that back. I was looking at career numbers for shooting. Lebron is a bit better this year.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:56 AM
I would agree, though his numbers are pretty similar to Kobe’s with nowhere near the help (1 apg less, 1/2 TO more).
December 18th, 2008 at 10:58 AM
And I don’t mean to say Granger is in LeBron’s league as an all-around player, no way. But he’s definitely in the second group. And Pierce isn’t having a very good year at all (40% fg).
December 18th, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Kobe’s pretty clearly on the decline.
That said, doing what Kobe does at SG is more valuable than the same stats at a SF. Granger should be doing *more* of the other stuff. Unless you consider Granger a SG, which is fine too.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:05 AM
But he’s definitely in the second group
Carmelo is better than Granger. Who else do you think is in that second group NSR?
December 18th, 2008 at 11:09 AM
I think Carmelo and Granger are comparable, though Granger’s lack of rebounding prowess is duly noted.
Second groupers? I don’t know, Joe Johnson, Brandon Roy, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay maybe. I think Kevin Durant is putting himself in the discussion.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:13 AM
i agree with you on JJ and Caron Butler
December 18th, 2008 at 11:20 AM
The first group of wings would be LeBron, Kobe, and Wade. It’s tough to put anyone else in that group.
I probably have a larger group of players that I would consider second tier.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:26 AM
And after thinking about it, I’d probably take out Rudy Gay.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Anybody that consistently watches Pacers basketball knows that Granger is the best perimeter defender on the team, so if you’re crying that he should do something else except score, then you’re a little naive or clueless (your pick). He leads his team in blocked shots (he’s a SF). Saying that, he has the ability to guard the 2,3, and 4 spot. I hardly think scoring is the only thing he does. His entire line last night: 41 points, 11 rebouds, 6 assists, 2 blocked shots, 1 steal. Not to mention, he’s a hell of a free throw shooter (something Lebron and Wade couldn’t claim for what seems like forever). I think he’s on like a 42 in a row streak right now. You can’t ask much more of a player. And yes the pacers are 9-16 but as I’ve said for the last month, they’ve played the toughest schedule in the league. Show me another team that has played Boston, LA, Boston then Cleveland all in a row.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:36 AM
LOL
granger = real nice player. wouldn’t put him in the carmelo class yet, tho.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Dudes, Granger has ZERO low post help and ZERO other scoring options… Yes, he is not as well rounded as Carmelo, but he is a stronger and quicker version of Uncle Reggie Miller. That’s the best comparison I can think of
December 18th, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Cleveland > Any other city in the universe
December 18th, 2008 at 12:08 PM
That was the first almost-positive quote Nickp has ever wrote about Kobe.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:21 PM
“Caron Butler too, IMO.”
Over Granger? Put down the crack pipe. And ANYBODY that is ripping on Granger’s defensive abilities has almost assuredly not watched him play a single minute this season.
In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the majority of people on this thread that weighed in on Granger haven’t watched a single minute of Pacers basketball this season.
Yep, they are 9-16. They are also 9-16 against a first 25 game schedule that is the toughest ANY NBA TEAM has faced in FORTY-TWO years. Without their 2nd best player. I already have a playoff wager with TBL, and I’ll take anybody else’s action on this right now…they are making the playoffs.
And, no I’m not a Pacers fan…I’m a Sixers season-ticket holder of 20 plus years.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Well said Jay
December 18th, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Who are they going to beat out? NJ? NYK? Toronto?Philly? Chicago? Miami? even Milwaukee
I watched Indiana play a couple times this year. Not impressed. Philly sucks too
December 18th, 2008 at 1:36 PM
everytime Indiana wins, people are on here declaring playoffs. When they lose, not one word from the peanut gallery
December 18th, 2008 at 1:40 PM
Indiana had to play the ‘02 Lakers, the ‘96 Bulls and the ‘86 Celtics. Hardest schedule in the history of sports.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:10 PM
“NJ? NYK? Toronto?Philly? Chicago? Miami? even Milwaukee”
All of the above, with the exception of Miami.
And yes, Philly does suck, although I actually think they are going to be play much better WITHOUT Brand.
And, Irish, put your money where your mouth is.