Monday, March 31, 2008

A Little Off Topic

Try this on for size. Take 2 hours in the library and let me know how smart you really are. Please, post any comments in the comments section.

http://intelligence-test.net/part1/

Gerry Mac


Remember this guy? Enough said. (That's the uniform of the NBDL Bakersfield Jam)

MJD, the legend

MJD




Fabiacci, you never cease to amaze me. Just when I thought I knew all 10 relevant white americans in the NBA, I forgot perhaps the best one, Michael Joseph Dunleavy, Jr. (MJD) This guy is a rich man's J.J. Redick, just as good of shooter, but also 5 inches taller. Although I won't yet write Redick's NBA career off, I'd say he'd have a much easier time getting off that beautiful stroke if he weren't shorter than everyone guarding him at the 2. Anyway, enjoy some great MJD highlights above.

Also wanted to clarify something before all of our readers label us as white supremacists and report us to the Anti-Defamation League or the NAACP. This whole tangent on white american basketball players has nothing to do with race issues, but is only an entertaining exercise aimed at poking fun at fellow awkward caucasian basketball players. One only need attend a game of our own AEPi (read white and Jewish) intramural basketball team to attest to this. The issue of genetics, race, and natural athletic ability is the subject of a whole different post. Perhaps Fabs will have something to say about it later on . . .

Do I Ever Not Have Thoughts Epstizz?

For a fun little exercise, I'm gonna rank the top 10 white American basketball players in the NBA right now.
WARNING: The following may be too underwhelming for children under 13

This list took a while to assemble; the fact is, the guys who do get PT are all relatively similar in production and effectiveness. But let's get started.
The list of best white Americans right now. (If you were to pick a team regardless of position for a game tomorrow, who would I choose....)

1. Mike Dunleavy, Pacers -- Every once in a while when I check ESPN's NBA Scoreboard, I'll see Dunleavy's picture on the top of the page next to a stat line of, oh, 34 points 8 rebounds and 7 assist . What other white guy could go off like that?

2. Chris Kaman, Clippers -- It may have taken him a few years to get going, but in the absence of Brand this year he has put up a staggering 13 boards and 3 blocks a game, to go along with 16 points.

3. Mike Miller, Grizzlies -- Miller was a high draft pick and much was expected from him coming out of Florida. He has had a solid career in the NBA, maybe not quite up to expectations, but a serviceable shooter and defender nonetheless.

4. Brad Miller, Kings -- Miller became an inside force on the once-perennial contender Kings, averaging 15 points and 10 boards for a solid 5-year run. He had a downyear last year, but he has played well this season...well enough to notch this 4th spot.

5. David Lee, Knicks -- The good news: he's heart and soul of the Knicks. The bad news is: that's like saying he's the heart and soul of Eliot Spitzer's Personal-Life Consulting Team.

6. Kirk Hinrich, Bulls -- TheFabFiles reader and friend David Greene once famously said, "I am here because I want to be." Well, Kirk is here because he has to be. There's really no one else. A year ago and he'd be top three. He's had his struggle this year though, shooting just 41% from the floor.

7. Nick Collison, Sonics -- Hinrich's Kansas teammate has had an equally uneventful season, a far more uneventful career.

8. Luke Walton, Lakers -- There are some other guys who may deserve this spot over him, but he is a starter and sometime-contributor for the only contending team on this list. That's gotta be good for 9th when his competition is Matt Harpring, Steve Blake, and Joel Przybilla right?

9. Matt Harpring, Jazz -- Once upon a time he would have headed this list, but the Jazz decided to try and compete, meaning their favorite white American had to find a nice comfortable seat next to Jarron Collins. His minutes per game of the past five season, starting with 03-04: 36.6, 33.1, 27.4, 25.5, 18.1. Maybe Sloan found out he keeps in touch with Jon Amaechi.

10. Joel Pryzbilla, Blazers -- Mr. Irrelevant

The case of Redick and Morrison


Another example of the curse of the GWABP is JJ Redick and Adam Morrison, two of the best white american college basketball players since Christian Laettner? Check out the link for one blogger's list of the best GWABPs of all time. Any thoughts fabs?


If you haven't seen the video below, it's worth checking out, maybe Love will be a GWABP after all

Kevin Love being amazing

NBA Awards, Wire-style

Ya sue me, I'm stealing a page from the artist formerly known as The Sports Guy, currently known as Rick Reilly the 2nd.

Presenting NBA Awards set to legendar quatations from the greatest TV show that has ever existed:

1. "My name is my name!" Marlo, Season 5 --- To the MVP of the NBA, Kobe Bryant.
Kobe might not be having the best statistical year of his career or the best season in the NBA, but, hey, his name is Kobe and he hasn't won one yet; couple that with the noticeable absense of individual accolades beside his three NBA titles, and that he's been the most complete and marketable superstar of the post-Jordan era (face it, big men just dont sell like they used to) and its becoming a farce that he has yet to notch an MVP.

2. "They do not get to win. We get to win!" McNulty, Season 3 --- To the Coach of the Year, Byron Scott
As much as credit must be bestowed on Chris Paul, the MVP candidate if Kobe had won one before, Scott has been the underlying, demanding presence that has pushed this team to a surreal level. When the Hornets were flying high at mid-season, not many experts thought they'd keep pace in the decade's toughest conference. But Scott and Paul have been willing this team to victory night after night and they've established themselves as an elite force.

3. "What the f*ck did I do?" McNulty, Repeated --- To the 6th Man, Manu Ginobli
I think that quote basically explains itself. He may be one of the most efficient players around, but when you think Manu, you gotta think of the classic "hands up in disbelief and blank stare at the ref" look. He's perfected it.

4. "I'll do what I can to help ya'll. But the game's out there, and it's either play, or get played." Omar, Season 1 --- To the Defensive Player of the Year, Kevin Garnett
Can't you picture the ever-humble KG sitting in an office, staring down Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers, saying this exact line. Well, just as putting their trust in Omar paid off for McNulty and the Justice System, so too has trusting KG paid off for the Celtics. And I'd say that the Celtics chose to play rather than get played. No amount of hyperbole justifies how much KG has meant to this C's team (so has he revolutioned a team, a city, a culture, or a human race?). It's not just his intensity and defensive prowess; but for some reason, the team's biggest question marks (Rondo and Perkins), as well as a number of seemingly average bench guys, have been playing outstanding, consistent basketball for 5 months. Most of that credit has to go to KG.

5. "You know I don't take this sh*t too serious" - "Oh ya right, it's just business." Stringer Bell and Avon, Season 3 --- To the Executive of the Year, Danny Ainge
Avon knows he's setting best friend Stringer up to die during their final scene together. Well, I'm sure Danny Ainge felt pretty similar when he was discussing the KG trade with his friend and former teammate Kevin McHale. Who knows what role personal relationships played in the Celtic's acquiring KG, but we do know that one move locked up Ainge's bid for this award before the season even started.

6. "Game's the same, just got more fierce." Slim Charles, Season 3 --- To the Western Conference Playoff Race
Who saw this one coming? When Cutty gets out of jail and back into the game, he is shocked at how much has changed. Well, it was as if NBA fans were locked up for a few years and let out halfway into this season. It has been a thrill to watch the West this year. The NBA has always been criticized for the lack of intensity in games during the doldrums of the season; for that reason many hoops fans, including myself, generally take an NBA mid-season sabbatical and flock to the college ranks. Well, not this season. The intensity has been sky-high for nearly three months now and it isn't letting up. The Western Conference this year is the drug game replacing bats with guns. It's the same game, just more fierce.

7. "Lesson here, Bay...you come at the king, you best not miss." To the Eventual NBA Champs, the San Antonio Spurs
Every year, around this time, they find their top gear to make a late-season and postseason run, which is a remarkable feat they're able to accomplish on a consistent basis. Remember the Patriots' season? They were lauded as the best team in the history of the NFL, but many experts who had them as locks to win the Super Bowl ignored their late-season struggles. It is increasingly difficult, and in most cases a matter of luck, to turn the switch on. There are two types of great teams: those, like the Celtics, who play entire seasons with the switch on. And there are those, like the Spurs, who have become adept at knowing when and how to turn it on. Many teams can peak at any time, as the Rockets have, but only the great ones peak in the playoffs. And only the true dynasties do it consistently.

8. "I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase" Omar, Season 2
"How's my hair look?" Snoop, Season 5 --- To David Stern and Clay Bennet for Stealing the Sonics
I just wanted to throw those two quotes in there. Just like Maury Levy, Stern is tampering with the game without ever setting foot on the streets. And Seattle better pull a Snoop and make sure they look good before heading to the grave.

9. "Sh*t, you just a boy." - "And that's just a knee." Michael, Season 5 --- To the Future of the NBA, Steph Curry
Don't let his looks deceive you, he is the real deal.

The Dying Breed

In response to the question posed by Epstizz,

The good white American basektball player (GWABP) has really been a rarity for more than a decade now, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. The ironic thing about Epstizz's question is, as good as Kevin Love might potentially be, he exemplifies the exact reason that there are no longer any of his kind. He is one of the slowest, doofiest looking players I've seen on a court recently (with the obvious exception of the bohemith from UNC Ashville). You see, the question you ask yourself when you see Love dominate games is not, How does an amazing player move so awkwardly, but rather, How is such an awkwardly-moving player so amazing.
The NCAA will always boast its share of fantastic GWABPs, but they all tend to have the same defficiences in common: their glaring lack of athletic ability. Granted, this is not the most subtle of discoveries, but I found it increasingly fascinating that the concerns voiced about Kevin Love are what turns off scouts about Love's peers. The fact that Love, and Hansbrough too for that matter, needs to be the hardest-working, fundamentally sound player on the court implies that, without possessing those skills, the GWAPB won't survive in the NBA...And even with those skills, you're no sure thing.
So scouts and GMs are hired to pick the skills most essential to be a succesful pro, and they will 9 out of 10 times choose athleticism and raw talent over fundamentals and work ethic. And the thing is, as much as we might see that decision made over and over, it is not close to even a slightly-flawed system of decision-making. It is, at its core, after assessing the evidence, a false notion.
I want to offer a little evidence, in two words: David Lee. Granted, he was not a standout at Florida, but he was a poor man's Hansbrough. He worked his ass off, was a hustle-machine, and, most importantly, had the rebounding sense - that innate mental and physical ability to recognize where the ball would bounce off the room and establish position for the rebond. So the Knicks took a flyer on David Lee with the 30th overall pick in the 2005 draft. Maybe in such a deep draft this was the right spot for him, but it's impossible not to think that the stigma of being a white American basketball player impacted his appeal.
So quickly back to Love. If he comes out, he probably won't be a top-5 pick. And I can't blame the scouts who drool over the "upside" of OJ Mayo and Michael Beasley. I just hope their assessment of Love doesn't revolves not on how awkwardly he gets up the court, but on the amazing things he does when he gets there.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

best music video of all time

rose takes over games

this kid is gonna be great

How bad are white american basketball players?

Who are the best white american NBA players now? Mike Miller? Kirk Hinrich? How can they be so successful at the collegiate level and turn into dud NBA players? Was Larry Legend the last? Can Kevin Love be great? Any input Fabs?

Stephen Curry's draft prospects

Although the sophmore is returning for his junior year . . .

Let's check out his draft prospects.

Thoughts on the NCAA Tourney

1. If you don’t start with Stephen Curry, you’ve been watching the NIT. The diminutive Davidson shooting guard not only single-handedly carried his team into the Elite 8, but did so against three perennial powerhouses. He dropped 40 and 30 points, respectively, against Gonzaga and Georgetown, then poured in 33 more against a Wisconsin defense hailed as one of the nations best. Michael Flowers tried as he could to contain Curry, but all Dell’s son needs is an inch between the ball’s release point and a defender’s hand. And eventually, he found the inch.
From a fan’s standpoint, this was about as entertaining as anything sports-related I’ve seen in a while. The Giants victory was shocking and the NBA has been riveting. Curry is something entirely different; he is just enjoyable to watch. It’s a pleasure watching the fair-faced sophomore. He never complains about calls, never shows up opponents, and always defers credit to his teammates. It’s not something you see everyday.

2. Memphis reminds me a lot of the Giants in their Super Bowl run. Obviously there are many differences, and I’m not trying to say that Memphis is the same sort of underdog as the Giants. The similarity I see is that each team had a glaring weakness that was not exploited nearly enough by their opponents.
The Giants had one of the most unreliable kickers in the NFL, and contenders almost always rely on their kicker at one time or another during a season and playoffs. Well, Laurence Tynes was not asked to kick one clutch field goal during the regular season. Then the playoffs came around and his time came against the Packers in the NFC Championship, and what happened? He blew, pretty badly too, two potential game-winning field goals. If not for the overtime collapse of Brett Favre and the tremendous, if not unwarranted, confidence of Tom Coughlin in Tynes, the Giants may be remembered as a great team that was one kicker away from a Super Bowl berth.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country, but as long as they blow-out teams – or at least have a large enough lead that a few missed free throws down the stretch won’t cost them, like it almost did against Mississippi State – their weakness will not be exploited. For both the Giants and the Tigers, capitalizing on these mistakes involve opponents staying close until the end, a task easier said than done, but when a team does manage to keep the margins slim, those weaknesses will begin to show. The Giants managed to escape what seemed like their ultimate destiny; that is, losing at the foot of their kicker. The question is, Will the Tigers manage to do the same and escape what seems like their destiny?
I say probably not. Blowing out Texas is one thing, and a pretty impressive feat at that. But the Longhorns are not UCLA, and Rick Barnes is not Ben Howland. My guess is, the Memphis-UCLA Final Four game will come down to free-throw shooting and the Bruins will take advantage.

3. Derrick Rose is the best prospect in the nation right now. Not only does he mesmerize every game, but he does so in limited opportunities. He is not the team’s go-to-guy, that title belongs to CDR. What is asked to do though as their point guard is direct the team and take his shots when they come, in the flow of the game. It’s one thing to standout, like Beasley and even Curry, when you are the team. It’s another to put up the staggering, triple-double-threatening numbers of Rose on a limited amount of shots.
He is a terrific rebounder and passer, and always seems in control when he has the ball. He ought to be the first pick.

As Posted on TrueHoop.com

TrueHoop reader Michael expresses his admiration for the Celtics in this email:

First, as good as the Rockets looked throughout their win streak, they had absolutely nothing tonight. And the saddest part is, at least if you're a Rockets fan, it had nothing to do with a lack of intensity.

I've watched a lot of basketball games, including many recent Knicks' games, and the Rockets offense tonight might have been the most horrific display I've ever seen.

They ran pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll and every single time T-Mac ended up further away from the basket with half as much time on the shot clock.

I was shocked at how poorly they played in such a huge game. But what amazed me most was one thing I kept noticing play after play: they never ran, not up the floor, not through backdoor screens, not to try to get a fastbreak. They remarkably played the entire game at half-speed.

The Rockets had their moment in the sun, and there is no chance they do anything of significance in the playoffs. They aren't athletic enough and if you shut down T-Mac, all you need to do is score 80 points to win.

Second, I had serious doubts about the Celtics during their West Coast slide after the All-Star break when KG returned, but those doubts are long gone. They are hands down the best team in the league. If they play the type of defense they played against the Rockets, only an MJ-esque performance by Kobe could defeat them.

Many of the true contenders of a month ago -- the Suns, Mavs, and Spurs -- are fading while the Celtics are playing their best ball of the year. A month ago I would have said this was the Spurs' title to lose, but now I think the ball's in Boston's court.