Thursday, June 25, 2009
Blake Griffin at the Draft
Well dressed. Black 2 button (i think), purple shirt, patterned black tie... and it actually fit. Ricky Rubio also gets props for a classic navy number. Hasheem Thabeet, on the other hand, looked a bit like the tin man.
Busy Day in the NBA
Busy day in the NBA- the key moves being VC to Orlando, Courtney Lee to NJ, Shaq to the Cavs, Wallace/Pavlovic to the Suns, RJ to the Spurs, Fabricio Oberto to the Pistons, Miller/Foye to Washington. Whew.
I tend to enjoy the more technical side of sports, and therefore often find myself interested in rather obscure topics and situations. Of these trades, the two teams I find myself most interested in are Washington and New Jersey, especially New Jersey.
The Washington Wizards, with the (fingers crossed) return of a healthy Gilbert Arenas are sure to be video game favorites next year, whether your poison is Live or 2k. Their multitalented offensive line up actually reminds me more of Manchester United's attack (offensive total football?) than anything in basketball.
Their starting lineup, if I was their coach:
1) Gilbert Arenas
2) Nick Young
3) Caron Butler
4) Mike Miller
5) Antawn Jamison
Obviously, a very weak team defensively but one that should do surprisingly well on the boards, as 1-5 will all be doing their share. In addition, all 5 are willing and extremely able passers and 3 point shooters. Randy Foye and Arenas' inadequacies as point guards should be covered up by Mike Miller's floor leadership and vision. Think Golden State Warriors, except with a chance to win every night, against ANYONE. In addition, with good coaching they'll be able to execute in the half court too. Probably an 8th seed at best, but if they get into the playoffs they'll be fun to watch.
The New Jersey Nets are going to be the polar opposite of the Wizards. In Devin Harris, Courtney Lee they have two of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Hassell, and to a lesser extent Lee, are offensive liabilities however, and the same can be said of Brook Lopez. With Yi Jianlin, Bobby Simmons, and the newly acquired Skip to my Lou rounding out the core of the team, the Nets look very young and limited offensively.
What they do have on their side is youth and speed, and lots of it. Devin Harris is possibly the fastest player in the league with the ball in his hands- and without. Courtney Lee is no slouch either, and Jarvis Hayes is an able finisher on the break as are Yi Jianlin and Bobby Simmons (former Most Improved Player on the clippers). Brook Lopez has shown that he's in great shape, and should be able to outrun most big men in the league.
What this boils down to is that the Nets are going to be like the Celtics lite- great defense leading to fast breaks, but with a faster pace overall. Unfortunately, as is, the Nets look like a sub .500 team. What makes them interesting however, is they seem to be one or two players from becoming a VERY good team, but if that's going to happen they're going to have to establish a strong defensive identity early in the season.
I tend to enjoy the more technical side of sports, and therefore often find myself interested in rather obscure topics and situations. Of these trades, the two teams I find myself most interested in are Washington and New Jersey, especially New Jersey.
The Washington Wizards, with the (fingers crossed) return of a healthy Gilbert Arenas are sure to be video game favorites next year, whether your poison is Live or 2k. Their multitalented offensive line up actually reminds me more of Manchester United's attack (offensive total football?) than anything in basketball.
Their starting lineup, if I was their coach:
1) Gilbert Arenas
2) Nick Young
3) Caron Butler
4) Mike Miller
5) Antawn Jamison
Obviously, a very weak team defensively but one that should do surprisingly well on the boards, as 1-5 will all be doing their share. In addition, all 5 are willing and extremely able passers and 3 point shooters. Randy Foye and Arenas' inadequacies as point guards should be covered up by Mike Miller's floor leadership and vision. Think Golden State Warriors, except with a chance to win every night, against ANYONE. In addition, with good coaching they'll be able to execute in the half court too. Probably an 8th seed at best, but if they get into the playoffs they'll be fun to watch.
The New Jersey Nets are going to be the polar opposite of the Wizards. In Devin Harris, Courtney Lee they have two of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Hassell, and to a lesser extent Lee, are offensive liabilities however, and the same can be said of Brook Lopez. With Yi Jianlin, Bobby Simmons, and the newly acquired Skip to my Lou rounding out the core of the team, the Nets look very young and limited offensively.
What they do have on their side is youth and speed, and lots of it. Devin Harris is possibly the fastest player in the league with the ball in his hands- and without. Courtney Lee is no slouch either, and Jarvis Hayes is an able finisher on the break as are Yi Jianlin and Bobby Simmons (former Most Improved Player on the clippers). Brook Lopez has shown that he's in great shape, and should be able to outrun most big men in the league.
What this boils down to is that the Nets are going to be like the Celtics lite- great defense leading to fast breaks, but with a faster pace overall. Unfortunately, as is, the Nets look like a sub .500 team. What makes them interesting however, is they seem to be one or two players from becoming a VERY good team, but if that's going to happen they're going to have to establish a strong defensive identity early in the season.
Shaq traded to the Lebronia LeBron's!
Two of the biggest single-name (also made-up name) superstars and the two most physically dominating players to ever play the game are on the verge of teaming up.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4285489
Like the article says, this trade is essentially an admission of previous trading mistakes. For Marion (one of the hottest trade commodities in the league at the time), they got a great, aging player who simply did not fit their system, who they're now trading to save money.
Luckily, with the continuing emergence of Amare Stoudemire (assuming he can avoid further injury), the Suns actually have an interesting team. Sasha Pavlovic is a very solid wing player who should fit very well into the Suns system. He can shoot the 3, run the floor, slash to the basket, and play some (SOME) defense. He also seems like a smart player, as in his limited time on the floor he seems to be in the right spots, never looks lost and avoids careless mistakes. I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing 15-20 minutes a game scoring 10-15 ppg right off the bat. If he shows improved defense and ability to handle the ball, he may become a sort of Joe Johnson lite. Of course, point guard skills may be a lot to ask for from a player who hasn't seen the floor much in his career, but he has shown flashes of solid decision making ability.
I fully expect Ben Wallace to retire, unless the Suns ask him to play. Considering his recent performances, I seriously doubt that's going to happen.
As for the Akron Lebrons- woops, the Cleveland Cavaliers- the sheer physical domination of Shaq and Lebron all over the floor make this a very scary team. However, their Championship hopes lie squarely on the shoulders of a guy who never even gets off the bench.
Mike Brown.
For all the talent the Cavs have, they have a rather curious mix of players. They lack the kind of smart, veteran player who a coach can trust to control the tempo of the game and keep the team level headed when Lebron is off the floor. Players like James Posey, Tayshaun Prince, Shane Battier would be perfect. Guards like Aaron Brooks and Leandro Barbosa are also great at controlling the tempo off the bench, and the faster pace they bring to the game usually helps bench players get easy baskets, greatly increasing their effectiveness later in the game. Instead, however, they have Varejao, West, and Joe Smith off the bench- solid players, but ones who simply cannot operate without a superstar on the floor. Delonte West is the only one of these players with the potential to become the guy they need, but his lack of a consistent jump shoot limits his ability to get to the basket at the moment. If he works hard over the summer, West could be the 6th man that the Cavs need to bring a Championship to Lebronia- I mean Cleveland.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4285489
Like the article says, this trade is essentially an admission of previous trading mistakes. For Marion (one of the hottest trade commodities in the league at the time), they got a great, aging player who simply did not fit their system, who they're now trading to save money.
Luckily, with the continuing emergence of Amare Stoudemire (assuming he can avoid further injury), the Suns actually have an interesting team. Sasha Pavlovic is a very solid wing player who should fit very well into the Suns system. He can shoot the 3, run the floor, slash to the basket, and play some (SOME) defense. He also seems like a smart player, as in his limited time on the floor he seems to be in the right spots, never looks lost and avoids careless mistakes. I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing 15-20 minutes a game scoring 10-15 ppg right off the bat. If he shows improved defense and ability to handle the ball, he may become a sort of Joe Johnson lite. Of course, point guard skills may be a lot to ask for from a player who hasn't seen the floor much in his career, but he has shown flashes of solid decision making ability.
I fully expect Ben Wallace to retire, unless the Suns ask him to play. Considering his recent performances, I seriously doubt that's going to happen.
As for the Akron Lebrons- woops, the Cleveland Cavaliers- the sheer physical domination of Shaq and Lebron all over the floor make this a very scary team. However, their Championship hopes lie squarely on the shoulders of a guy who never even gets off the bench.
Mike Brown.
For all the talent the Cavs have, they have a rather curious mix of players. They lack the kind of smart, veteran player who a coach can trust to control the tempo of the game and keep the team level headed when Lebron is off the floor. Players like James Posey, Tayshaun Prince, Shane Battier would be perfect. Guards like Aaron Brooks and Leandro Barbosa are also great at controlling the tempo off the bench, and the faster pace they bring to the game usually helps bench players get easy baskets, greatly increasing their effectiveness later in the game. Instead, however, they have Varejao, West, and Joe Smith off the bench- solid players, but ones who simply cannot operate without a superstar on the floor. Delonte West is the only one of these players with the potential to become the guy they need, but his lack of a consistent jump shoot limits his ability to get to the basket at the moment. If he works hard over the summer, West could be the 6th man that the Cavs need to bring a Championship to Lebronia- I mean Cleveland.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Adam Scott- swing changes?
I'm not sure about what I'm seeing, but it seems as though Adam Scotti s making swing changes. He seems to be bending more at the waist and less at the neck, which allows him to better center the ball in his field of vision. In addition, his plane seems a bit flatter with an earlier and smoother release of the right side, as opposed to his older swing with a more carefully timed, delayed release.
JB Holmes' Putting Stroke
It's looking FAR better then I've ever seen it. A smooth, full turn through the ball with no manipulation as opposed to the stabby hit he had in the past. If the results have improved as much as the appearance, Holmes may suddenly find himself contending on a lot more courses.
Rocco Mediate's Preshot Routine
Anyone notice it? It seems as though he set up VERY open with his shoulders, hips, and feet while he aligns his club, similar to the way Jack Nicklaus opened his putting stance to get a good view of the line. Then, after his clubface is aligned, he goes ahead and squares up his shoulders and drops his right foot back to close his hips and feet.
Maybe not a bad routine for those of us who struggle with open alignment. This way, you can aim as you feel comfortable, and then set yourself square to the target.
Maybe not a bad routine for those of us who struggle with open alignment. This way, you can aim as you feel comfortable, and then set yourself square to the target.
By the way
WOW Mike Weir, wow. His shoulders look weirdly open but apparently it's working pretty well for him.
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