Back in the game

It’s been awhile. But do know that the last few weeks or so that I’ve been absent from this blog have not been from naught. Indeed, much has been accomplished.

Tentatively, I am no longer a free agent. Last week, I accepted an offer from the McAllen Monitor to be a general assignment sports reporter/designer. I say “tentatively” because it’s not yet official; my drug test and background evaluation still have to be complete. but I do have a start date of Aug. 28 set. Interestingly enough, I’ve always held The Monitor in high regard. I have known McAllen very well over the last decade and counting, as my aunt and uncle – and now my brother – all work and reside there, so I grew up reading The Monitor’s sports section whenever we visited them. It was an impressive section then, complete in its purpose. It seems no stone is left unturned.

Aside from that, I’ve been finishing up some reading as well. Thursday, I finally wrapped up Jack McCallum’s “Dream Team,” which is worth all the accolades and hoopla that’s been sent its way since its July release. I found the book insightful. It doesn’t read too long – maybe around 330 pages or so – but it is packed with information and new material about, in my opinion, the greatest team ever assembled. Most importantly, the book offers much needed perspective. All you have to do is turn on ESPN and hear the stupid debate about whether the Dream Team could beat the 2012 USA team. It’s ridiculous, and just further proof of how short our memories are. This year’s USA team couldn’t even hold a candle to the 1996 USA team, let alone the ’92 version. And that ’96 team had plenty of issues of its own, as McCallum points out toward the end of his book.

Along the lines of reading, as I leave this post, let me offer some worthy material for your own enjoyment. I promise you won’t be disappointed;

– Grantland.com’s Jonah Keri, who has become my favorite baseball writer, has a neat piece on Felix Hernandez’s perfect game from Wednesday here.

– SI.com’s Andy Staples takes a look at the copycat process going on across college football, as Alabama’s Nick Saban apparently holds the gold standard for the game today. Read it here.

– SI.com’s Thomas Lake has a compelling open letter asking Michael Jordan why he hasn’t come to the aid of his former high school coach, whom Jordan has incorrectly called him out time and time again for “cutting” him. Read it here.

– Via ESPN.com, a Texas Pee Wee youth football league bars a 300-pound player. It’s here.

 

 

 

Lin’s significance complex for Rockets

Jeremy Lin is taking his talents to Houston. (Photo by Associated Press).

In all honesty, I know why it was done, but then again I don’t. Yes, the Rockets needed a point guard. Yes, the Rockets needed a signature star. And, yes, the Rockets were desperate to do anything – everything – in order to climb quickly up the latter back to relevancy. I certainly understand that much.

But I still am uncertain about whether it was right. I still have doubts about whether it makes sense to toss $25.1 million to a point guard who has played just 65 games in the NBA and has been waived twice, including by, you guessed it, the Rockets. I have my doubts about exactly how smart it was to bypass sure things like Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic in order to hand the keys to Lin, who has started just 25 games, though almost all masterful and on Broadway. I have my doubts about if the Rockets truly felt Lin was the answer to their problems – if he is truly part of the solution – or if it was a decision of haste, of chaotic minds and blurred thinking. I have my doubts about how Lin’s game – not so much the turnovers (those should subside with more experience), but the iso-heavy, ball-controlling facets – will fit into an offense that has the potential to be so dynamically diverse, that it may have not been wise to acquire Lin for the sake of possibly taking the ball out of the hands of playmakers like Chandler Parsons, Royce White and Jeremy Lamb and force defenses into complete madness. And, indeed, I have my doubts about a professional who refused to play in the postseason and help his team when even he admitted he was about “85 percent” healthy after months of rehab following a knee injury. Reeks of selfishness, though I grudgingly understand as he was putting his best interests (specifically a sexy financial deal for the next few years opposed to aiding a No. 7 seed against a too-much-to-handle Miami Heat team) at heart, which is what many of us would do as well.

Even with those doubts, however, it comes down to this: Houston simply had no choice. This was the bed it made. These were the cards the Rockets dealt themselves. After whiffing on previous franchise stars like Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and (maybe, maybe not) Dwight Howard, this was an offseason headed toward glorious failure if something wasn’t done, and done quickly. Because for all of the hype and praise thrown the way of boy wonder GM Daryl Morey, the bottom line is the bottom line. And that bottom line reads as follows: Five years, two playoff appearances, one playoff series win, three consecutive lottery seasons with not even a top-10 pick. This offseason is not so much about the Rockets’ reclaiming their bid as contenders as it is about Morey, the king of “all smoke, no fire.”

With all that said, Lin is a superior  acquisition. I love his pick-and-roll game, I love his swagger and I love his resilient nature. I don’t think he’s a perfect fit, but I think he’s a notch below. Where I think the ideals will clash is if the Rockets manage to actually get Andrew Bynum, and obviously will then have to turn schematically from a guard-oriented offense to a post-centric one. If the Rockets truly want to build around Lin, interestingly enough the best complement would be Howard, who doesn’t need the ball to be effective yet still commands double teams (only God knows why) and thrives off rebounding and shot-blocking. However, with the stable of young talent that’s been on display at the Rockets’ summer league in Vegas, I’d be very cautious before surrendering most of it for a one-year rental of Howard. A core of Lin, Donatas Motiejunas, Chandler Parsons, Royce White and Jeremy Lamb is tantalizingly special. Of course, I’d like Howard if possible, but if he’s not going to give any promise of re-upping, why sacrifice the future? The Rockets have a bevy of draft picks and cap space at their disposal to further build the club, and I’d like to see how the aforementioned core grows together. Howard could thrive playing off Lin’s dumpoffs and alley-oops, whereas Bynum needs the ball with his back to the basket and his defense is predicated upon his offense, not vice versa, and that’s a no-no with a ball-dominating guard like Lin.

Aside from the basketball aspect, there is no question Lin also puts the Rockets back in the limelight nationally and internationally. This all goes back to Morey wanting to bring the team back to relevance, and he managed to kill two birds with one stone: not only did he make his team better and acquire that big star, but he also managed to produce a big wave for the team’s bottom line in revenue. National pundits can now ignore the fact that this Rockets team still has underachieved greatly this summer and can focus on the fact that media darling Lin is now wearing the red and silver. I’m amped up about this. I won’t even lie; I can’t wait to get my hands on a Lin jersey. Not only am I a fan of Lin’s game, I’m a fan of what he represents: an astute, savvy businessman who is marketable, humble and represents his team in the appropriate fashion.

It’s very much the second coming of Yao Ming. Like Yao back then when he was drafted No. 1 overall by Houston in 2002, Lin signals the berth of a new era. I hate to sound cliche, but he does. Rockets fans have longed to hold onto someone – anyone- who symbolizes the Rockets with the grit and thrive-amongst-adversity swagger that Houston represents. Yes, we’ll miss Luis Scola and Lowry, and yes there are some nutty fans who still haven’t gotten over the trade of Chase Budinger, but no talent or personality has gripped our attention like Lin has these last 48 hours or so when it became clearer and clearer that the New York Knicks wouldn’t match Houston’s offer. And even re: Yao, we didn’t really know what we were getting when he was drafted. We knew he was tall and boasted a myriad of brilliant skills for a man his size, but we didn’t truly know. With Lin, we do. We’ve seen him destroy the defense of the Dallas Mavericks and put up 38 points on the Los Angeles Lakers. We’ve seen him create for others and get to the rim seemingly at will. There is substantial proof that Jeremy Lin has the skillset to be a transcendent star for the Rockets, and that’s the difference.

Top to bottom, there is no reason to not like this move by the Rockets. A move of desperation, yes, but a move nonetheless. This is a fastball that Morey has whiffed upon so many times in his tenure, and finally he got it right. I don’t care if I should be wary that free-spending New York felt it was too much to match Lin and instead thought Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton were just as qualified to hold down its point guard fort. I don’t care if there are questions about Lin’s defense and propensity for turnovers. I don’t care if Jeremy Lin really, deep down wanted to play for the Knicks and simply accepted Houston’s offer, not because he really wanted to be a Rocket, but because it was too good to pass up.

I just care that he’s on our side. I just care that he’s only 23 years old. I just care that he averaged 18 points and 7 assists in his 25 starts. I just care that Morey finally struck it big. I just care that the Rockets are finally relevant again, even if fools will consider that because of Lin’s race and not because of his vast array of skills.

As a Rockets fan, I just care again. Not that I didn’t care before, but certainly not with this much guile and with this big of a smile on my face. As a Rockets fan, I’m in love again.

And isn’t that the point?

 

 

Rockets make impressive first impression in Vegas

In his first unofficial game as a Rocket on Friday, 7-foot forward/center Donatas Motiejunas did not disappoint, compiling 25 points and nine rebounds in a 93-81 Houston win over Toronto in Las Vegas. (Associated Press photo).

It’s only one game. An unofficial one, at that, against peers who will likely see more time in the D-League than the NBA come the 2012-13 NBA season.

That’s what I had to keep telling myself as I watched the Rockets open summer league play with a 93-81 win over Toronto in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon. Then again, as a Rockets fan these days, I’ll take any inkling of hope I can get, and if that means going gaga over the Rockets’ batch of tantalizing youth talent, then so be it. Because if anyone came away with any impression at all after Friday, it was this: the Rockets’ future is bright. Very bright.

With Houston in the midst of heated talks for the Magic’s Dwight Howard – where it is almost certain a great deal of that youth and promise we saw Friday will be dealt away for Orlando’s disgruntled mega superstar – the game at least gave a slight bit of hesitation to Rockets fans who want nothing more than to see Howard wearing No. 12 in the red and silver. For the record, I do not want Howard. It’s not worth mortgaging the future for a moody individual who has made it perfectly clear he will not re-up with Houston once his contract expires next summer. I see it as extremely, and uncharacteristically, short-sighted that Rockets GM Daryl Morey just give away all the assets and young talent he has worked so hard to acquire over the last four years in a move that reeks of desperation and all style and little substance. That’s just my opinion.

The Rockets talent that took the floor Friday was just too overwhelming, in my eyes.

– Motiejunas is incredible. He is 7-feet, 222 pounds and not yet even 22 years old. He amassed 25 points and 9 rebounds, and made it all look so freakin’ easy, playing with a distinct purpose in the paint against a relatively experienced Raptors frontcourt. He ran the court like a gazelle, established position early and then burned his defender witha series of jump hooks, power moves or simple duck-ins. If that wasn’t enough, he went deep and buried two long 3s from the right wing and corner, showing no hesitation to rise up and shoot as soon as the ball was rotated his way. His stroke is pure, and he is sure and able around the rim, shooting 11 for 13 overall. He’s got to work on free throws, though. He missed four of five.

– In case we didn’t know already, the Rockets are in trouble at the point guard spot. Their lone two floor leaders on the roster are the two available in this summer league now that Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic were either traded or departed for perceived greener pastures earlier this summer. The 5-foot-10 Courtney Fortson, essentially an iffy-shooting guard in a point’s body, missed six of his seven shots, and 6-foot-1 undrafted guard Scott Machado, who led the nation in assists last year, missed five of his six shots and had five assists to four turnovers, often forcing the issue way too much, though that’s expected. Houston is in trouble here. Bad. One point guard I don’t trust to run the offense and set up his teammates, and the other has a tendency to try too much. The good news – aside from the fact that it was indeed just one game, and the first at that – is the Rockets boast an assortment of bigs who are versatile and have the skillset to handle the ball, lead a break and find teammates. More on that later.

– It’s only been one game (again, I have to keep reminding myself), but let me just get this out of the way now: I was wrong about Terrence Jones. I thought the 6-foot-9, 252-pound, No. 18 pick of the first round this year was nothing more than a carbon copy of current Rocket Patrick Patterson, also a product of Kentucky. No. Not at all. Jones can handle the ball. He can take a man off the dribble. He can shoot from distance. He can bang and rebound and defend the post. He’s simply more versatile than Patterson, can do more things with the ball. Not only that, if you heard on NBA TV how coach Kevin McHale gushes over him like none other – calling Jones “my guy” – then you know Patterson’s minutes and spot in the rotation are in jeopardy. Jones made just 4 of his 11 shots, but he made a 3, hit all eight of his free throws and contributed 17 points and 9 rebounds.

– I liked what I saw out of 6-foot-5 wing Jeremy Lamb, the Rockets’ No. 12 pick in the first round, but I wasn’t blown away. Lamb did what we all figured he could do: he scored, and scored a lot. He had 16 points, made 6 of his 11 shots and did little else. He can create off the dribble and attack and is a confident shooter, willing shot-taker. He is a lot like Kevin Martin, except he attacks the paint and loves the floater and doesn’t rely strictly on the jumper. He is a steady presence out there, which is nice for a youngster playing with young teammates, but guards like him who can score with ease are a dime a dozen in this league, especially at an average size like him.

– I am in love with the Rockets’ plethora of versatile bigs. In. Love. Whether it’s 6-foot-9 Chandler Parsons, the 6-foot-9 Jones or even 6-foot-8 Royce White (in a pinch), the Rockets have found playmakers at other positions aside from just point guard (thank God). Early on, White (who looked lost and uncomfortable against the size he saw at the power forward spot) and Parsons took advantage of opportunities to set up others. You can detect White’s passing ability and know-how, and Parsons looks a lot better than I saw last year. He’s much, much more comfortable on the perimeter and seems to relish having the ball in his hands, which is a good sign for someone who’s as skilled as he is. Parsons had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. White had two assists to go with six points and three rebounds. With Parsons and White on the floor at the same time, we saw the ball in their hands often, making plays and initiating the offense, allowing a shoot-first point like Fortson to spot up and look for his shot. Parsons’ length and range, and White’s size and bulk both pose difficult matchups for opponents at the forward spots who don’t like to stray far from the rim and defend off the dribble. In all,13 of the Rockets’ 21 team assists came via the bigs.

Again: It was only one game. I can’t stress that enough. However, before we read about all these guys who may or may not be involved in a Rockets deal for Dwight Howard, it was crucial that we see at least what the young kiddos had in the stable. Put it this way: White looked the worst of the Rockets’ youngsters, and he’s been the most heralded by coaches and scouts so far. That’s the depth of talent we’re looking at. If I’m Daryl Morey (and fortunately I’m not), I think twice about getting Howard in tow for all these young players and assets I’ve worked so hard and mortgaged the last three seasons for.

Morey has a tough decision to make, and, for better or worse, he’s responsible for the bed he finds himself in.

2012 U.S. basketball: Does size really matter?

James Harden and the U.S. will pose an interesting dynamic this summer: can small ball win on the international stage? (Photo by Associated Press)

Lost within the mindless drivel of whether or not this year’s U.S. men’s basketball Olympic team could beat the 1992 Dream Team is the intriguing test of ideals posed by the current representatives.

First things first: this year’s team would not stand a chance against the ’92ers. Not. A. Chance. As athletic, quick and versatile as this year’s version is, there is no question the Dream Team’s vast size, bulk and efficiency (i.e. pure shooting) would be too much to handle. That efficiency would severely limit transition opportunities for this year’s bunch and force the 2012ers to play in the halfcourt more than they’d like. Not only that, the ’92ers would own the glass and do a sound job of getting to the free throw line, limiting possessions and pace, both attributes this year’s team thrives and is heavily dependent upon. So can we stop with the nonsense, please? Yes, it makes for good conversation, but the bottom line is it’s disrespectful to the 92ers, whom many – including moi – consider the greatest team of talent ever assembled.

Now that that’s over with, let’s talk a bit about whether or not we are truly entering a new era of basketball, something that’s been at the forefront of the minds of hoops enthusiasts ever since Miami won the 2012 NBA title with smallball (though many conveniently neglect how significant of a role LeBron’s improved post play figured into matters). It’s been noted how small this year’s USA team is; only two player stand taller than 6-foot-9). They are wing-heavy, reliant upon incredible versatility, interchangeable parts that cover up fantastic flaws. At one point during Thursday’s 113-59 smothering of the Dominican Republic in an exhibition in Las Vegas, the USA trotted out a lineup of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Thirty-eight points were scored off 27 turnovers, and when the DR zoned, the good guys were able to find Kevin Durant, the team’s lone pure shooter, time and time again. It was fun basketball, pickup at its best. Run, run, run. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Wash, rinse, repeat. Rarely – if ever – was the U.S. forced to slow it down and play through a man defense in the halfcourt.

But there is a reason Americans watch the likes of Spain and Argentina with a careful eye. Spain, in particular. With an experienced point guard in Jose Calderon who can deal with pressure competently and not lose his poise when the likes of James and Bryant are in his face, Spain looms as the U.S.’s biggest threat when you add the tall and beefy Gasol brothers and stringy shot-blocker extraordinaire Serge Ibaka. Or how about France and Tony Parker? Or Argentina and Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola. If the U.S. did not boast just Tyson Chandler as its lone true center, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But competitive basketball comes down to two things: Can you stop the other team, and can you execute when it counts? And those two come hand-in-hand with halfcourt basketball and producing when stakes are high and possessions are precious; when the game has slowed to a considerable crawl and not a track meet. The optimist’s thinking is that, just as much as we consider how the U.S. is going to match up against opponents, opponents are going to have to guard them too. This is true, and no one questions how nightmarish of a headache it will be to stop the U.S., especially if racking up transition points. However, playing on a smaller court, in more limited space, size matters in FIBA, and that’s something the U.S. lacks since Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, and now Blake Griffin are all out with injury. I find it highly amusing that people think the U.S. will cakewalk to another gold medal when even the elements of the game (closer 3-point line means less operating room, and the court itself is smaller in FIBA) do not lend favor to the U.S.

I have long been a fan of traditional basketball (if you can’t tell). Give me size and bulk any day. I want rim protectors. I want guys I can throw the ball into and work inside-out. I want guys who can play with their back to the basket, guys who protect the lane. I want guys who can post up, get to the rim and draw contact and get their defender in foul trouble. That’s basketball. The idea of basketball is to put the ball in the hoop, and you have a harder time doing that if you have guys who can protect the rim and force opponents to shoot jump shots (preferably 3s). The U.S. has almost always had a team who could do those things AND outlet to the skill guys who could race the other way for easy dunks or wide open 3s. Now this bunch only does the latter. Gone are the days of a David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kevin Garnett. And while offense struggles with a lack of size, that won’t necessarily prove the case with these U.S.ers. They’ll score just fine. It’ll be on defense where it will be felt the most, when LeBron and Carmelo Anthony are having to guard the Gasol brothers and could find themselves in quick foul trouble if Spain plays it right.

These Olympics, I can’t wait. Not only will we see if Kobe can win a gold in his (in all probability) swan song on this grand stage, or what LeBron will do for an encore after a legendary championship run, but two basketball eras are clashing – this era of speed and athleticism versus the traditional route of size and strength. Who will prosper, and is this a movement to new form of basketball? We shall see.

Rockets’ system lacks feeling, results

If Daryl Morey had his way, it’s highly unlikely that rookie first-round draft picks (from left to right) Royce White, Terrence Jones and Jeremy Lamb would ALL be wearing Houston Rockets colors. Alas, so far they are, an indictment of how much of a failure this offseason has been for the organization.

There’s an infamous saying that goes something like this: “Sports are a business. It’s nothing personal.” Eventually all fans have to learn to adopt this adage, even if they don’t wish to. We’d like to personalize our teams. We’d like to find ways to relate to the players. We’d like to see them grow and mature, not only on the court or field, but off it as well. In essence, we’d like to feel that we were with them along the way, and that should they ever reach that sacred stage known as their sport’s championship, that we were right there with them, through thick or thin, heaven or hell.

Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets could not care less about the human nature of sports. They are business, above all. Their employees on the court are not people; they are assets. They don’t necessarily care for their players as they do the bottom line, even when, apparently, that bottom line is far from a success. As fans, we understand there is no loyalty in sports, but it wouldn’t hurt the teams we root for if they weren’t so blatant about it. Yet, that’s where the Rockets – playoff-less the last three seasons and owners of middling middle of the first round draft picks over that same time – stand. In an effort to do whatever it is they’ve been trying to do, whether initially trying to rebuild without bottoming out (fail) or now trying to sacrifice all for the precious signature star that has eluded them since the days of a healthy Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, they’ve also successfully managed to disconnect themselves from their fans, as if operating as some sort of secret service whose intentions are only known to those inside the precious walls of the Toyota Center.

Consider this: This summer, the Rockets have said farewell to four players (Kyle Lowry, Courtney Lee, Samuel Dalembert and Chase Budinger), two of which (Lowry and Lee) were held in relative high regard by fans for their professionalism (Lee much so than Lowry over the previous six months) and two valued two-way talents, a commodity owned by few Rockets. Lowry was traded to Toronto last week for a first-round draft pick that is all but guaranteed to be a lottery selection. Lee was simply given his walking papers; even worse, his qualifying offer was withdrawn even after General Manager Daryl Morey confidently assured fans Lee would be back even as an restricted free agent. Dalembert, a valuable rebounder and shot-blocker on a team lacking interior presence, and a first round pick were traded to Milwaukee for three unknowns in Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer and Shaun Livingston, and a first round pick. Budinger, a sharpshooter, was given to Minnesota for a late first round pick. So let’s summarize: Four Rocket players – three who started a significant number of games last year – and a middle first round pick were essentially exchanged for three benchwarmers and three middle first round picks. In the process, in an offseason with an adored amount of cap room and assets, the Rockets have been rejected by the likes of Dwight Howard, Eric Gordon and even their own unrestricted free agent, Goran Dragic. This summer’s biggest prize so far? Omer Asik, a career backup, one-dimensional center whom Houston desperately is committed to spending $8 million per year upon.

This summer was supposed to be one of redemption for Morey, who has been hyped beyond belief ever since he arrived in Houston’s front office as some sort of boy genius; the Billy Beane of the NBA, if you will. This was the summer where it appeared everything was in line: plenty of money available. Plenty of young assets. Plenty of draft picks to offer in sexy trades. This was going to be Morey’s time to shine. This was going to be his moment; his LeBron epiphany, per se. But it never came to fruition. And now Morey and his staff are left as the laughingstock of the offseason. It has gotten so bad, the Rockets have abruptly switched directions. A team that was only a premier superstar away from really making a quantum leap in the West is now under midst a rebuilding session, a fire sale in a misguided effort to indeed land that signature star; yes, the same signature stars like Howard and Gordon who do not even consider Houston as a fruitful destination. But what else is Morey supposed to do, really? He waited too long. It took him three years before realizing that drafting 14th in the lottery is not where a team desires. The Rockets have been living in no-man’s land for the most of Morey’s tenure. Even the Charlotte Bobcats feel bad. And while owner Les Alexander is also to blame for his insistence that his team rebuild without tanking, his time as owner has not been this discombobulated. The bottom line is it’s Morey’s job to put the pieces in place to field a respectable, competitive unit, and he failed to done so.

It’s also Morey that has a great deal to do with what follows, which arguably could be the most troubling.

Morey prizes assets, not people. And people around the league – opposing GMs and, of course, players – are starting to see that. Players are immediately expendable the moment they find themselves on the roster of the silver and red. There is no such thing as job security if you’re a Rocket. Mind you, that’s true for all teams in all sports, but especially for the Rockets. They don’t even pretend to believe they care for their players. So I give them props for being upfront, even if it’s hurting them just the same. Professional athletes wish to be cajoled, embraced, beloved. Not only financially, but personally. They want to feel wanted, as if they’re valued. They don’t want to be treated as if they’re a minor league prospect, shipped at a moment’s notice if that’s what the higher-ups deem necessary. Morey and the Rockets deal with assets, not people. And don’t think that that doesn’t matter. It does. Just look at the fact they didn’t give Dragic that player option in his fourth year of a discussed deal, simply because they couldn’t harbor the thought that a player was not in their control. Phoenix did offer that option. Guess where Dragic went?

It is a severe disconnect. Players feel like assets to the Rockets, and fans don’t know who to root for or get to know because he could be here today, gone in a few hours. Morey and the Rockets wish to be looked at as a forward-thinking franchise. In some ways, they are. They get the most bang for their buck and have done a relatively admirable job of scouting talent for the draft. But mostly, they operate like a minor league club, jettisoning players to and from the D-League at will (with no real data showing that it pays off in considerable improvement by the particular player) and pretty much employing a system void of feeling, void of personality.

And as a result, a system void of results.

LeBron learns, LeBron wins

LeBron James finally gets to put up a banner of his own after closing out the Oklahoma City Thunder with a triple-double in Game 5 of the Finals on Thursday night. (Getty Images)

Hopefully, the nonsense can now stop. Perhaps we can all retire the “LeBron ringless” jokes and the “lack of clutch” meme that many have resided upon ever since LeBron James made a bonehead decision to nationally announce Miami as his free agent destination of choice two summers ago, further ridiculing hapless Cleveland in the process. Hopefully the childish antics of jealousy and/or hate that have truly embarrassed us instead of LeBron come to an end.

Because the fact of the matter is that James is, yes, indeed, an NBA champion, as of late Thursday night when he fittingly closed out the relentless, if not fantastically spirited, Oklahoma City Thunder with a 26-11-13 line in Game 5 of the Finals, putting a nice little touch on his gaudy resume by adding his first Finals MVP award. Because the fact of the matter is that James is unquestionably the game’s greatest talent that we have seen in quite some time, and he’s certainly its top horse now, with nobody even remotely close.

Consider:

– James joins Tim Duncan, James Worthy, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as only players to record triple-doubles in title-clinching game.

– James is the third title winner to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists in NBA Finals, joining Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson. He averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in this year’s Finals.

– James is the 10th player in NBA history to win the regular season and Finals MVPs in the same year.

– The 34 points created from James’ assists in Game 5 were the most in his playoff career and second-most in a Finals game in 15 yrs. How’s that for “clutch”?

– And a pretty interesting note, if not altogether ultimately irrelevant: Michael Jordan won his first title at 28 years, 3 months. James wins his first title at 27 years, 5 months. 

I won’t pretend to have always been on the LeBron bandwagon. I hated “The Decision”, but was fine with the decision. I hated the pep rally to celebrate, well, nothing. I hated his sometimes kid-like manner in postgame press conferences after losses. I hated his smug look. Too often prior to this season – and even in some bit glimpses this season – I saw a man who took his talents for granted; a man who discreetly looked down upon the rest of us.

But I respected his game. From day one. I respected how he never backed down to the criticism, how he remained a team-oriented player during the plethora of times that fans/media/critics demanded he shoot. There has never been one like him. I never once “hated” on his skills. But even more so, I believed he was a good guy who was simply as naive and impressionable as they come. And I certainly believed he was undeserving of all the hate and scorn thrown his way. Ironically enough, all that adolescent hate thrown his way – either by bloggers or national media – ended up making it easier to root for LeBron.

His journey up to this point has been scintillating. In my eyes, the light clicked for him in Game 4 of this year’s Eastern semis against Indiana, with his team trailing the series 2-1. He posted a bizarre 40 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists in 43 minutes. From there, he kicked it into another gear, scoring no fewer than 26 points in the remaining 14 postseason games, and scoring  more than 30 six times. It’s not like he took over all the time (though sometimes he did), it’s that he asserted himself better. He knew his spots. He knew how to exploit defenses. He looked comfortable, attacking with purpose. It’s like everything all came together for him, and it was that Game 4 against the Pacers when the Heat officially became LeBron’s team. It took him a while later to realize it than the rest of the world, but, hey, better late than never, right?

LeBron earned this championship, and that’s what we all want to say about the greats of any game. We want them to earn it. We want them to take the stage by the throat and thrive. We want them to do their thing. We want them to shut us up. Oh, and LeBron won the title his way. He didn’t just become the scoring juggernaut people demanded of him; it was where he was scoring (in the paint). But even more, he sliced and diced the Thunder with his passing, by setting up on the block and simply tearing them apart with pass after pass after pass. He was a 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward who led his team in assists and dictated tempo, not to mention the offense. There was no answer. As the kids would say, LeBron went beastmode in these playoffs. He finally figured it out.

I’ve always said that LeBron isn’t anything like Michael Jordan. Those comparisons should’ve stopped years ago. He’s more like the modern day Magic Johnson, albeit a much better defender and shooter. In fact, heck, he may not even be Magic Johnson. Have we ever even seen someone like LeBron James before? We may have to go back to the days of Oscar Robertson, who did whatever he wished on the basketball court. LeBron is the one player since Robertson’s era who we could legitimately argue could average a triple-double over an entire season, like Oscar did.

But most importantly, above all and any of this, LeBron James – he of the Playstation-like stats and three MVPs and one Finals MVP – became human. He matured. He opened up. For the first time this season, we saw that LeBron was just like any of us. We saw him overcome adversity and come out on top. We saw him handle interviews with class and reflection. We saw sincerity, we saw someone who was genuine when he talked about being a changed man. It was like America refused to trust LeBron until he proved that he could trust us. And he did. Finally. But perhaps what’s most reassuring is that we saw a man who made mistakes, just like any of us do. And we saw that same man become a better person for it, just like we all hope to do.

I’m far from a Heat fan, but I’m happy for LeBron. I am. I’m not happy that he won a title and reached the top. I’m happy he had to face some significant challenges along the way, and that he not only succeeded, but also learned a bit along the way. Good for him. We all knew he would (in all probability) figure out the basketball side of things. But for him to figure out the mental aspect of it all? Hard to not applaud the feat.

I’m happy that he proved you never stop learning about yourself. Even if you’re the world’s greatest basketball player, having performed magnificently on the game’s grandest stage.

 

 

Interviewing 101 in need for media

 

Questioning during media press conferences is so putrid these days that I can’t blame players and coaches for seeing the media as a hassle and unnecessary evil.

Through five games, these 2012 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat have been fantastic. It’s been, relatively, down to the wire, with the winner having to simply make the necessary buckets and stops to earn the win. While officiating has been verbally and electronically harassed by media and bloggers, I don’t think it’s been all that bad. After all, Kevin Durant isn’t getting to the line because he ‘s shooting jump shots; LeBron isn’t getting in foul trouble because he is keen on avoiding fouls (and Durant is not putting pressure on him on offense); and the flopping has been not nearly as outrageous as it has been in the previous series this postseason. These Finals are relatively equal in star power between the two clubs, so it’s been a matter of who’s been able to step up in support (Shane Battier, Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers for the Heat) and who hasn’t (James Harden and Serge Ibaka for the Thunder).

However, the most disappointing aspect continues to be what occurs after the games, either when selected players are called to the podium for a press conference or talked to at their lockers before media and (maybe) bloggers. The interviewing has been atrocious, comical. Whether it’s one schmutz comparing LeBron’s brief return from a cramp in Game 4 to Willis Reed’s legendary return to the Knicks in a Finals game in the 70’s, or if it’s the sensationalistic response when Ibaka was taken out of context when responding to whether LeBron could guard Kevin Durant … or maybe it’s the continued harping on Russell Westbrook and trying to manufacture a feud between him and his team for the way he plays when it’s really much ado about nothing. There are some esteemed journalists, entities, at these press conferences, and they’re embarrassing the profession with their questioning, desperately trying to edge and bait players into saying something delicious so they can justify an unwarranted angle or opinion on a story.

There are too few questions about what really matters, such as the Thunder’s poor adjustments after a Western Conference Finals in which it made brilliant ones. Or what about the fact that the Heat have thrived without a true center? How has Heat coach Erik Spoelstra worked around that and manipulated his schemes and adjusted accordingly? Or what about the health of Dwyane Wade and the fact that he’s essentially passed off the baton to LeBron? I’d also like to see more questions of Thunder coach Scott Brooks’ lineups, and why he has stubbornly stuck to his starters when it’s blatantly obvious his best lineup is Westbrook/Harden/Sefolosha/Durant/Ibaka. Or, speaking about Harden, why not more of a focus on his struggles? These are all storylines that I would assume would garner much more interest than whether Spoelstra birthed memories of Reed when he saw LeBron return from the cramp to hit a key 3 before leaving for good late in the fourth quarter. Fans are smart enough to see HOW the Heat are winning. The media and its access are supposed to tell us WHY, providing an inside look into what’s really going on, answering the questions we feel fans want answers to. We are not supposed to be the story, yet so many of us seem intent on doing just that.

This doesn’t just stick to postgame press conferences. The in-game interviews are just as horrible. In general, it seems reporters have gotten very lazy. There’s no originality, no real gameplan to what they wish to relay to the public. I don’t need Doris Burke to ask Scott Brooks why the Thunder started fast in Game 4; it’s obvious they were playing with more urgency. I don’t need her to ask Spoelstra how his team will close out the fourth quarter; he’s not a freakin’ foreteller. Be smart. Ask relevant questions. Do your homework. The public wants to know why coaches and players give the same cliche answers every single day? It’s because reporters ask the same cliche questions every single day. That’s why. Make the player or coach think. Don’t give them an easy out (I’m looking at you, Gregg Popovich).

We wonder why newspapers and journalism in general is dying a slow death. Well, the journalists aren’t exactly helping. I don’t speak for all, but most. It’s become a “wash, rinse, repeat” industry. Just going through the motions. Too many writers/journalists want to harp on the industry’s ills instead of trying to do something about it. Maybe find a different way to approach gamers. Maybe scramble and do more enterprise. Admittedly, it depends on circumstances. It’s all circumstantial (isn’t everything?) What you can control, however, is stuff like your line of questioning. It’s a lost art.

If journalists truly want to make people read more, they’re doing a shoddy job of it. They’re giving people nothing worth reading.

 

Silva On Sports’ 2011-12 NBA playoff preview

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will be joking around all the way to the 2011-12 NBA championship. Silva On Sports has the Thunder beating the Miami Heat in seven games in the Finals. (AP PHOTO)

After a frenetic, hurried regular season, the NBA’s postseason tips off Saturday. Unlike my preseason awards picks, my preseason playoff picks were, more or less, the same. I’m actually quite proud. Kind of.

In the East, I picked, in order: Chicago, Miami, New York, Indiana, Atlanta, Orlando, Boston, Philadelphia. In reality, it was, in order: Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Philadelphia. I got the teams right, just the seeding varied through the middle of the pack. Of course, the East should have been the easiest conference to pick.

In the West, I picked, in order: Oklahoma City, Dallas, the Clippers, Portland, Memphis, the Lakers, San Antonio, New Orleans. In reality, it was, in order: San Antonio, Oklahoma City, the Lakers, Memphis, the Clippers, Denver, Dallas, Utah. I whiffed completely on the Hornets and really underrated Denver. I also completely underrated the Spurs, and I obviously missed the boat on Portland.

So, here’s what we’re looking at in the first round matchups: in the East, it’s (1) Chicago vs. (8) Philadelphia, (2) Miami vs. (7) New York, (3) Indiana vs. (6) Orlando and (4) Boston vs. (5) Atlanta. In the West, it’s (1) San Antonio vs. (8) Utah, (2) Oklahoma City vs. (7) Dallas, (3) the Lakers vs. (6) Denver, (4) Memphis vs. (5) the Clippers.

In my preseason picks, I chose Oklahoma City and Chicago to square off in the Finals. I’m changing that. Not knowing exactly how healthy Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton really are for the Bulls (I think they’re far from 100 percent, really), I’m going with a Oklahoma City-Miami Finals, with the Thunder (who I did pick to win it all) prevailing. As badly as I would like to see LeBron James get his ring, there is simply not enough quality depth around him. Thunder get by the Heat in 7.

But that’s still quite a ways down the road. Here are my picks for the first-round matchups:

EAST

(1) CHICAGO BULLS vs. (8) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS … season series: 2-1, Chicago … SILVA’S PICK: BULLS IN 5

The Bulls are the best defensive team in the NBA, and while I think they’ll fall a lot sooner in these playoffs than many might think (as in, the second round), it won’t be against the Sixers. To beat the Bulls, Philadelphia will have to thrive in transition, and while that might work enough to earn a win, it won’t be enough over the course of a series. You have to win in the halfcourt in the playoffs, and Philly simply can’t. Chicago is too good defensively. It will force Philadelphia into the halfcourt and into shooting jumpers. Philly’s Evan Turner said he would rather have the Bulls than to play Miami in the first round. Now he’s got them. He won’t like the outcome. The Bulls will roll, and they would roll even if Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton weren’t playing. I just don’t care much for the Sixers.

(2) MIAMI HEAT VS. (7) NEW YORK KNICKS … season series: 3-0, Miami … SILVA’S PICK: HEAT IN 6

The Heat are vulnerable against teams that can shoot the 3, which New York does, and quite well. However, the playoffs are won around the rim, and that’s where Miami will hurt the Knicks. Miami averaged almost three more free-throw attempts than the Knicks in their games this season, and almost SEVEN more rebounds per game. I expect the Knicks to catch fire and win a couple of games, but the Heat will be too much in the paint and in transition, capitalizing on the long misses from whenever New York does miss from distance. The key matchup in this one will be Amare Stoudemire-Chris Bosh. If Stoudemire can win that matchup, things will get interesting, but that is a favorable matchup for Bosh, and I assume the Heat know that. I expect a steady dose of Bosh touches, and I expect LeBron James to absolutely have a field day against the Knicks. He knows these playoffs are his for the taking, and it starts with a marquee matchup in the Big Apple.

(3) INDIANA PACERS VS. (6) ORLANDO MAGIC … season series: 3-1, Orlando … SILVA’S PICK: PACERS IN 6

Even with Dwight Howard unavailable for the Magic, I still think Orlando will steal a couple of games. Stan Van Gundy is a brilliant coach, and I think the Pacers will let their guard down a few times. Indiana has so much pressure on them to simply breeze through this series, that it may tighten late. The Magic should let Roy Hibbert get his points but lock down everyone else. They’ll have to keep hitting from deep, and I think they will, and it’s an absolute must that they keep Indiana off the free-thr0w line and out of transition. It seems like a lot to ask, but I expect the Magic to be playing with a Goliath-sized chip on their shoulder. It still won’t be enough to knock off a deep and balanced Indy squad, however.

(4) BOSTON CELTICS VS. (5) ATLANTA HAWKS … season series: 2-1, Boston … SILVA’S PICK: CELTICS IN 5

The Hawks not having Al Horford is just as essential as the Magic not having Dwight Howard. Horford offers a versatile power dynamic for the Hawks that they otherwise lack, and now they have no interior game and no threat to pull Boston’s bigs away from the basket, meaning Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass and Greg Steimsma can just sit back, protect the rim and rebound. If Atlanta is to upset Boston, it will have to from the perimeter, and that’s not happening with the best defensive backcourt in the playoffs wearing the green and white. Expect to see a breakout playoff debut for Avery Bradley, as well as a field day for Rajon Rondo. Easy pickin’s for the Celtics.

WEST

(1) SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS. (8) UTAH JAZZ … season series: 3-1, San Antonio … SILVA’S PICK: JAZZ IN 7

Ah, yes, my upset special. I can hear Spurs fans frothing at the mouth right now. But let’s take the facts: The Spurs struggle against size. Prime example is their 4-2 ouster to Memphis in last year’s first round of the playoffs. In fact, the situation is eerily similar – last year, the Spurs were the 1 seed; Memphis was the 8 seed. No one even dared giving the Grizzlies a shot. Like deja vu. Utah has the luxury of throwing big after big after big at the Spurs: Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter. All are mobile bigs with height, not unlike Memphis’ Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. I expect Utah to make a high percentage of its shots, with its inside attack, and limiting the Spurs’ transition opportunities. Having size also means this: Utah won’t have to double team a Tim Duncan, for instance, and can afford to stick with the Spurs’ plethora of shooters, which is absolutely crucial. San Antonio will have to win this series with its perimeter firepower, and with Devin Harris playing out of his mind lately, I don’t exactly expect a cakewalk for Tony Parker. Not enough people are giving Utah credit. The young club stepped up and rose to the occasion in the last month to earn the last playoff spot, beating teams with its interior depth and timely shooting. Almost every game over the course of April was a playoff game for Utah, and it survived. The Jazz are smart and don’t beat themselves. This is a scary matchup for the Spurs.

(2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS. (7) DALLAS MAVERICKS … season series: 3-1, Oklahoma City … SILVA’S PICK: THUNDER IN 5

The Thunder shall roll (no pun intended) through this one. Too much firepower for Oklahoma City. The biggest thing is that the Thunder have gotten to the free-throw line with ease against the Mavs, averaging 31 attempts to Dallas’ 19 this season. The Mavericks’ have no answer for the Thunder, and OKC knows it can attack the rim at will against Dallas. Oklahoma City is playing with something to prove. This will be Russell Westbrook’s series to take control of, and he will. The defending champs will go out with a whimper.

(3) LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. (6) DENVER NUGGETS … season series: 3-1, Los Angeles … SILVA’S PICK: LAKERS IN 6

Tempted to go with another upset here, but the playoffs are won by rebounding and defense, and Los Angeles certainly owns those facets in this series. The Lakers will play this series without their best perimeter defender in Metta World Peace, and that could hurt them against the likes of Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington. Fortunately, the Nuggets don’t have too much size, and their beloved transition attack doesn’t win playoff series’. Ramon Sessions and Andrew Bynum will have to play big, and I expect they will. The Lakers will beast on the boards (they outrebounded Denver by 6.5 caroms in their games this season) and they held the Nuggets to a measly 22.6% marksmanship from 3. To beat the Lakers, you have to be able to hit from the outside since odds are you won’t get anything going inside against the likes of Bynum and Gasol. Not good for Denver.

(4) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. (5) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS … season series: 2-1, Memphis … SILVA’S PICK: GRIZZLIES IN 6

Memphis is my darkhorse in the West. Too much size. Too much defense. Great perimeter play. It’s too much of a headache to try to game-plan stopping Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol on the inside, AND Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo on the perimeter. I really like Memphis; it would really not surprise me at all to see them make a run to the Finals. They’re that good. The Clippers are a solid team, but they’re just not ready. DeAndre Jordan has been too off and on this season, and I don’t feel too secure having to rely upon the likes of Reggie Evans, Nick Young and Randy Foye. I also don’t expect Blake Griffin to counter the Grizzlies’ physical nature; in fact, I think Memphis could very easily take Griffin off his game early and often if it so desires. The only Clipper I expect to rise up is Chris Paul, but it won’t be nearly enough. This Grizzlies team is loaded, and their identity plays perfectly to playoff success.

Silva’s 2011-12 NBA season awards

Another NBA season has come and gone, this one more unique than others – obviously – due to the 66 games played in 120 days. The playoffs loom Saturday, though there is no clear-cut favorite. I had Oklahoma City – the West’s No. 2 seed – winning it all in the preseason and I’ll stick with that pick. But we’ll get to the postseason later.

For now, here are my end-of-season awards:

MVP: LeBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT

To me, this race is not even close. James has far and away been the best the league has to offer this season. Even aside from the 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists per game. Even aside from the 53% field-goal percentage and 36% 3-point marksmanship. He owns a league-best player efficiency rating of 29.9, 1.6 more than the next closes in Kevin Durant. Oh, and he’s also doing this in the second-fewest minutes per game (37.8) over his career.

Say what you want about LeBron, and much has been said. But there is never a time when he is not the best player on the floor, and what makes this season impressive is his work done in the offseason to improve his game. One aspect in particular has shown vast growth: his abandonment of 3-point attempts (3.5 per game last year; 2.4 per game this year), which has resulted in more attacks near the rim (6.6 attempts at the rim this season; 5.9 last year). James has found a way to make his game even more dangerous.

James gets the easy nod over the Clippers’ Chris Paul (fifth in PER; who has single-handily transformed the culture of the Clippers; is, in my opinion, the most clutch player in the league, amidst the top 10 in points and assists in the clutch;  19.8 ppg, 9.1 apg, 2.5 spg in 36 mpg) and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (third-straight scoring title; 28 ppg, 8 rpg, 3.5 apg in 38 mpg).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TYSON CHANDLER, NEW YORK KNICKS

Much like Chris Paul has turned around the Clippers’ fortunes, Chandler – the best free agent acquisition in the offseason, without question – completely altered the Knicks’ defensive fortunes. In Chandler’s first year with the team, the Knicks are fifth in the league in defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) instead of the 23rd they were last year. Consider that their two top stars are Carmelo Anthony – just now learning the concept of defense – and Amar’e Stoudemire, who likely will never quite grasp the concept of defense.

Chandler not only defends, he leads. He guards without fouling. He yells out rotations. He holds teammates accountable. He averaged 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, but again, that’s only the surface. The stats don’t account for how many times he accounted for whoever blew by Anthony or Stoudemire on any given possession. It doesn’t account for shots altered.

Chandler gets the nod over the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett (holding opponents to 37% shooting on post-up plays) and the Bulls’ Joakim Noah (9.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg, but came on too late after a slow start).

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: KYRIE IRVING, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

It was not the best year for rookies, but Irving was the top pick – literally. He blew away his freshmen peers and displayed a mature offensive game for a first-year player, someone who can score on the bounce or off the pass, and someone who excels late in games. In 30.5 minutes this season, Irving averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds. His shooting numbers were healthy – 47% from the field, 40% from 3 – and here’s the real deal: according to SI.com’s Zach Lowe, Irving shot 51 percent (18-of-35) in the last three minutes of games when the scoring margin was three or fewer points, even winning such a game in Boston against the Celtics.

Irving gets the nod over the Kings’ Isaiah Thomas (11.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, only 1.6 turnovers per game, 25.8 mpg), who was the LAST PICK of the 2011 NBA Draft, and the Knicks’ Iman Shumpert (9.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.7 spg28.9 mpg), who, like Chandler, helped revive the Knicks’ defense and has become one of the top perimeter defensive players in the entire league.

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: JAMES HARDEN, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Another easy pick. You can even argue that Harden is the second-best player on the Thunder. One of the most gifted offensive performers in the league, Harden averaged 16.8 points and 3.7 assists in 31 minutes per game this season. He shot 49% from the field 39% from 3 and 85% from the free-throw line. Most impressive is the fact that he averaged his points on only 10.1 field goal attempts per game. He has a true shooting percentage (which takes into account 3s and free throws) of 65 percent. To put into perspective, the only player of the last three seasons, according to Lowe, to achieve that is Chandler, a 7-foot-1 center who did it twice. Incredible. Simply an outstanding year for the wingman.

Harden gets the easy nod over Memphis’ O.J. Mayo (12.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg in 26.8 mpg) and Philadelphia’s Lou Williams (14.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 26.3 mpg).

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: JAMES HARDEN, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Harden’s credentials have been cited. Already an electric player, he had his coming-out party in last year’s playoffs, and improved his PER this season a full five points from last year. That’s not easy to do when you’re already a primary component to a team. Harden averaged 4.6 more points per game than last season and one more rebound per game. His shooting took the biggest jump. He shot just 43% from the field and 34% from 3 in 2010-11.

Harden gets the nod over Minnesota’s Nikola Pekovic (13.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg this year to 5.5 and 3.0, respectively, last year; 10-point jump in PER) and Houston’s Goran Dragic (11.7 ppg, 5.3 apg this year to 7.7 and 2.5 last year).

COACH OF THE YEAR: TOM THIBODEAU, CHICAGO BULLS

2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose played in just 39 of 66 games this season. With how heavily Chicago is dependent upon him (he had a 32.16 usage rate last season, third in the league), it could be assumed that the Bulls would be fortunate just to hang on to a playoff spot in the East.

Nope.

Instead, the Bulls waltzed to a 50-16 overall record, good for the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA. They beat Miami by FOUR games for the top spot in the East, and relied upon the likes of John Lucas III and Taj Gibson and C.J. Watson. Um, who? But Thibodeau’s no-nonsense attitude, as well as his admirable defensive mind, paced Chicago, which is why he should win the award in consecutive years for the first time in the league’s history. Thibodeau accepted no excuses and held each and every player accountable. Not only was Rose absent most of the season, so was Rip Hamilton – the team’s prized offseason acquisition – so the Bulls were without their starting backcourt for a great majority of the condensed campaign. Thibodeau’s acute play-calling and use of his players, however, only boosted team morale, and he puts his team in a position to succeed time and time and time again.

Thibs gets the nod over San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, who again led his team to the top spot in the cutthroat West, and Memphis’ Lionel Hollins, who guided the Grizzlies to the West’s fourth seed even with star forward Zach Randolph (28 games played) and key reserve Darrell Arthur (out the entire year) missing significant time.

Are advanced stats healthy for the game?

Over the past few months, I’ve become more engrossed in the world of advanced statistics, particularly in regard to the NBA. I’ve always had a passion for sports statistics and numbers, ever since my days as a kid when I’d collect the box scores out of newspapers to add up things like point totals and shooting percentages, but I’ve been feeling the need more and more lately to ask “Why?” I watch games these days, notice trends, and the next thing I know I’m at my computer hoggling hoopdata.com or basketballvalue.com or whatever in search of an explanation for said trends. It’s turned sports into a science for me. I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.

One of the things that make sports so awesome is the magic. Too many times we’ve seen situations we’ve deemed impossible occur. We don’t know why or how. All of a sudden, that .200 hitter hits a couple of bombs to win a game, or that .287 long-range shooter drills a 3-pointer to win a championship game. It’s wondrous and fantastic at the same time; it’s a reason we’re adamant about watching games in their entirety. The worst thing that can happen to a sports fan is them missing something they’ll remember the rest of their lives. But nowadays, with technology at such an unthinkable level, we have analysts and bloggers and mathematicians wanting to tell us why those things happen. They’ll tell us that that .200 hitter hits .455 in day games with the the stadium half full, which they’re certain led to his bombs. Or they’ll tell us that that .287 long-range shooter actually shoots .389 when pulling up for a 3-pointer with more than 17 seconds remaining on the shot clock in games decided by five or fewer points. It can completely disrupt and destroy your child-like innocence. We love that a poor shooter can ultimately decide a championship game! We love that a poor hitter who hasn’t hit a home run in his last 56 games can all of a sudden drill a few for no apparent reason off a future Hall of Famer. It’s what makes sports great. We’ve come to expect – and embrace – the unexpected.

That is precisely why I tread with caution in using advanced stats. There is such a thing, in this man’s eyes, as knowing TOO much. What I use advanced stats for is to help me ultimately understand a greater whole, specifically behind teams or players. The key word there is “help.” It’s not the end-all, be-all, because it’s still my opinion that the “eye test” prevails above all, especially if you’re knowledgeable about a sport and can comprehend what you’re seeing and all that goes into it at an above average understanding. Numbers and stats can assist in understanding, but on a moderate level. What I have found is that having a good grasp on advanced stats and applying them to situations fans can understand is crucial when you’re trying to make a name in blogging or sports writing in any venture, which is why so many writers go that route these days. Since February 12, I have been editor of spacecityscoop.com, a fan site of the Houston Rockets for fansided.com. I had to find a way to make our site unique and not regenerate the same bunk as other fan sites, so I embraced articles on advanced stats, hopefully allowing fans a look into why the team performs a certain way. For example, we’ve taken a look at the effect of Goran Dragic or Kyle Lowry in the starting lineup. We’ve taken a look at the different offensive and defensive schemes that work and don’t work for the Rockets, and their success rate with each. Yes, we offer opinion and analysis, but we also look to educate our audience.

http://spacecityscoop.com/2012/04/04/goran-or-kyle-the-numbers-show-the-real-difference-is-lee-over-martin/

http://spacecityscoop.com/2012/04/02/analyzing-the-rockets-offense-defense-what-works-and-what-doesnt/

Is this good? Is it a good thing to force sports fans to think more, when we’re generally perfectly fine about evaluating teams and players by what we see? I’m not sure. As a fan, I would be interested, but that’s because as I’ve grown older, I do want to know why things operate like they do. I want to know why teams react in certain situations and which areas of the court a player thrives in. However, I certainly treasure the precocious desire to not being open to knowing more than what we should. I see how it takes away from being a sports fan. We want to watch games with a relatively open mind, on the edge of our seats because we know that the next at-bat or the next snap or the next shot could be one that we’ve never seen before. Most of us don’t want numbers to show us. Let the games do that. Duh.

So, to be honest, I don’t know where I stand on advanced stats. I feel these days they’re being pushed down our throats. I understand their significance, and when applied appropriately with the accurate amount of salt taken, I even find them necessary. However, we’re teetering on that edge where WAR and PER and true shooting percentage are taking away from the sport’s innocence. And in that regard, it’s very possible advanced stats aren’t worth it at all.