Do you know what it feels like to miss YOUR team play?  If you wake up every morning thinking, breathing & living sports then you know how important every game is. Pre-season, post season, and of course “the season” – you’re proud to rock your team’s colors all year round.  Here in the U.S. our coldest season is our biggest season, sports season that is. There are so many sports to watch and so many teams to follow so we’ve compiled a little guide to some of the places that can help you with your sports obsession.  From the mystical hops used to create some of the beers to the always friendly bartenders, these sports bars are here to service your every need when it comes to watching your favorite team pulverize the competition.  Munch on a few wings, tune into the huge TVs, sip one of the hundreds of beers on tap, or take a stab at the darts, pool tables, & arcade machines and you might realize you’ve just found the place where everyone knows your name…

So check out our list of Playoff-worthy bars… (in honor of the Heat, the Celtics, the Rangers, the Devils, the good guys, the bad guys… and in general, the sports guys…)

NYC

• Bar41
• Pour House NYC

San-Fran

• Abbey Tavern
• Mucky Duck Pub

LA

• Big Wang’s Wings
• Capitol City Sports Bar & Lounge

Philadelphia

• Cavanaugh’s Sports Bar
• CJ & Eck’s

Houston

• Coaches Sports Bar & Grill
• Nick’s Place

Nashville

• Closing Bell
• Spanky’s Sports Bar

Miami

• Automatic Slims
• Tom’s NFL

Chicago

• ESPN Zone
• Mother Hubbard’s Chicago

Detroit

• Hockey Town Cafe
• Nemo’s

St. Louis

• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Lester’s Restaurant

By Mark Zhurbin

Wanna block my shot?

I’ll kick you in the balls, son.

That’s how champs do it.

Rondo and the Celtics took it to us tonight

Hey Jose and Andrea, next time you don’t feel like showing up for a game against a good team, do you mind informing the rest of the team in advance so they can try about 200% harder? Behind a pair of no-shows in their starting five and another patented third quarter collapse, the Raptors fell to the Celtics 116-103 in Boston tonight. Excuse the negativity, but there’s just nothing good to say about this team right now.

Calderon had nine points, four assists and three turnovers and Bargnani had seven points and four boards, negating strong efforts from Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu, who each had 20 in the loss. After starting hot, Turkoglu didn’t help his cause by picking up his fourth foul of the night early in the third quarter, in which Toronto was outscored 33-17 and officially put to bed. In the past three games, the Raptors have been manhandled 105-64 in the third.

This one actually looked pretty good at halftime — despite committing 14 turnovers and allowing Boston to shoot 68% in the first half, Toronto held a one-point advantage and stretched it to four in the early minutes of the third before the wheels fell off. Paul Pierce capped it off by making a poster of Bosh early in the fourth, causing Jay Triano to raise some hell to which his team, not surprisingly, didn’t respond.

In the end, a loss that was likely to happen one way or another. Still, pretty disappointing when two guys that’ll be counted on if this team hopes to be any sort of a contender don’t bother making their presence felt.

Now 7-10, the Raps are home to face the Suns on Sunday in the first of two straight at the ACC.

"Why are you so mean, KG?"

I usually love watching the Celtics play, but that mood changes considerably when they’re facing the Raptors. Fresh off a 116-81 pounding at the hands of the Bobcats, Toronto will look to bounce back tonight against Jose Calderon’s best friend (Mr. KG, in case you forget) in Boston. As always, check in at Raptors Republic for the best preview in the business.

As easily as the Celtics have handled us in Toronto the past couple years, the Raps have actually put up some decent battles on the parquet floor in Boston. Calderon took over a game in January ‘08 (the Celts’ championship year) before his famous encounter with Garnett early last season, and Andrea Bargnani forced overtime with a late three in an eventual 115-109 loss in the second meeting. The Celtics come into this one looking a little susceptible too, following a tight win over a Sixers team they usually pound and a near-disastrous loss to the Knicks over the weekend. Still, at 11-4 and with the Fantastic Four still in tact, they’re as good a bet as any to win the East this season.

Toronto comes in desperately in need of a bounce-back following Wednesday’s embarrassment in Charlotte. I called out Chris Bosh yesterday and stand by it — now’s the time to step up, big man. This is as tough a game as you’ll play all year, so let’s go make a statement.

The Raptors and Celtics get going from TD Banknorth Garden at 7:30.

I did very well on my picks yesterday.  The problem was I relied too much on parlays again.

I went 2-1 on the NFL games and 2-0 on the NHL games.  The problem was I lost all 3 NFL parlays because of the Giants. I still managed to break even but you shouldn’t just be breaking even if your record is 4-1 (80%).

I could blame the lackluster Giants for blowing my parlays but the truth of the matter is I got too greedy and overconfident. I parlayed my picks, then I did a 6pt teaser in case they didn’t quite cover the spread, then I parlayed the games straight up. I was conifident the Giants would win, I just wasn’t confident in Dallas winning by 14.

Here is the lesson: Never play a parlay unless you can make up for the loss by winning about 65% of your picks.

In otherwords, I should have been able to at least break even as long as 2 teams won.  Instead, I had to rely on my NHL games to bring me back up. With a winning percentage currently at 75-80%, covering losses with a 65% winning rate is reasonable.

Anyway, we got some good games coming up today in NHL and NBA. I’ll give you all my picks later this afternoon but here are some games to start your day. I’ll have some NCAA football picks for you later today as well.

NBA: Phoenix vs Minnesota: PHO -9.5

This game is strong enough to play straight. No buying points needed today.

Straight up parlay: PHO, POR, BOS, SAC

These games are strong enough to play straight up but I give no guarantees on spreads (other than the Suns, which I still don’t “guarantee,” obviously). I’d especially stay clear of Boston’s spread as they are in an 0-6 ATS rut and 2-10 in their last 12 games ATS.

NHL:

Atlanta vs Carolina SU (-115)

This is one of the strongest games in my NHL GF System, but one of the lowest moneylines. 

Parlay: ATL (vs CAR), CHI (vs ANA), PHI (vs BUF), FLOR (vs TOR)

I usually just do parlays with NHL because it’s too hard to play the spreads and the lines are often too much to make it worth while.  I like these picks though as the Thrashers (ATL) are 7-2-1 on the road (Carolina is 3-0 at home in it’s last 3 games but all were to losing teams), Chicago’s Hossa had a strong debut with 2 goals and should continue his dominance, the Flyers are getting Briere back and looked strong even without him, and Florida is 5-0-3 since Nov 12th and 4-0 against Toronto in their last 4 meetings(The Panthers have lost 3 straight at home but all were in OT, and all were to winning teams).

The AP is reporting that the legendary professional Basketball player Allen Iverson is set to announce his retirement from the N.B.A. Iverson , a former Most Valuable Player for the N.B.A. has been in the league since the 1996 season, in which he was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Iverson

He played with the Sixers for 10 years. During his tenure he was Rookie of the Year, League MVP, 2x All-Star MVP, and led the league in scoring for four years. After his rookie season, during which he led the 76ers in points, assists and minutes, Iverson was named the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson last week after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time away from younger players they are trying to develop.

With no apparent interest from any other NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire.

Iverson will always be credited for popularizing the streetball style move called the cross-over, and for his exciting tricky aggressive driving style of play.

He was never the tallest on the floor, just the most dangerous player that always wanted the ball.

Allen Iverson is a sho-in for the Hall of Fame, and I suspect that he can still run with the best of them, given a team that can design their plays to allow Iverson to shoot at will.

I personally enjoyed the years I got to watch him compete in the NBA, and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Thanks for the 100 percent effort Allen Iverson…you were worth watching and you will be missed.

Read the full story here…

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPZfEWbAiIKgjsNDLhC1jiVSsJZAD9C78M580

The Sheep claims 13 refs in on betting scandal

The biggest and definetly the quietest story of the week, which Boston Sports Desk was first to break (Channel 7-Boston had it during the sports segment on Tuesday nite) involves a potential huge NBA betting scandal and game fixxing.

After being tipped off to the news by a confidential informant (CI) last Tuesday night around 10:30 p.m., I began to search a number of sources only to find no mention of a possible story. The silence was extermely loud. The lone other source i could find was the Channel 7 sports department.

At the heart of this story is former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and “a friend” Jimmy ” The Sheep” Battista. The Sheep as he is know is a professional gambler who served time in federal prison along with Donaghy for their roles in a gambling scheme where the outcomes of NBA games were altered to suit certain bettors’ needs.

While I can appreciate the skepticism of the general public, I find it alarming that the story is being given such little mention. It was just a little more than a year ago that MLB was dealing with a” small” steroid problem. I can remember MLB commisioner Bud Selig down playing Jose Canseco’s book and accusations about how big of a problem there actually is/was in baseball. Canseco was right. The American sporting public was shocked. All of those records that were broken were tainted. The home runs, the pitching victories, the power…it was all fake. Americas’ game was tainted !!

Now, on the heels of that, we’re looking at another, potentially bigger scandal involving betting, organizied crime, the NBA, the “fixing” of games, major networks ESPN and TBS. The reason I mention ESPN and TBS is the fact that neither are giving much coverage to the story. I am wondering out loud why ? Is it the fact that they have a partnership with the NBA ? The fact that they could have possibly been told by the NBA to down-play the issue ? The fact that so-many advertizing dollars are on the line here? How many sponsers are likely to stay with a product (NBA games) that could be fixed ? Not many I would guess.

It should be noted here that “The Sheep” does have a book coming out at some point. The tell-all prose alleges as many as 13 NBA referees being involved in some capacity. Does this sound a little like the Jose Canseco situation ? It does to me. “The Sheep” claims to have phone records that will detail the involvement of 13 refs in addition to Donaghy. Trying to make some money or just a factuall accounting of what was actually going on in the NBA ?

I did happen to catch a few minutes of Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti on Wednesday, talking on their radio show on” 98.5 The Sports Hub”. Felger, normally a flaming blowhard, wondered why not many news/sports media were giving any attention to the issue. Other than that, I have not heard a great deal other than that.

Shorly after Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in jail, NBA comissioner David Stern blamed a “rogue, isolated criminal” for the problem. The issue seemed to go away…away very quickly. Stern was quick to come to the aid of his referees and said that he believe that no other officials or players would be implicated in the scandal. I’m not so sure now.

KEVIN HARRIMAN

The story of the night

Yeah, so the Raptors were pounded last night in Charlotte. How does that happen, even on the road and in the second of a back-to-back? Well, here’s how: The team just ain’t that good. And what’s this breakout year everyone is talking about Chris Bosh having? The team is 7-9! Not sure if you recall, but last November Bosh had even better numbers than these, then got tired at the end of the month and limped the rest of the way home. If you’re a superstar, CB, then let’s see it. Win some games.

Anyway, that’s my opening rant. I’m probably overreacting, because realistically this is a slightly-better-than .500 team and that’s probably where it’ll end up at the end of the year. Still, last night’s effort in Charlotte was embarrassing. After making an apparent first quarter defensive stand, the Raps let their guard down, allowing the Bobcats — a team that had scored 100-plus three times in 14 games and never more than 104 this season — to score 116 and set franchise-record with a 35-point win. Toronto shot a season-low 34.5% from the field and was out-boarded 49-42.

There isn’t much use going around pointing fingers, since this was just an all-around ugly effort. Jose Calderon had six turnovers, Bosh was held without a field goal until right before halftime, big-time free agent signing Hedo Turkoglu had five points and no rebounds and the bench, aside from Amir Johnson, combined to shoot 4-of-27. Johnson was the only real bright spot, finishing with 13 points, eight boards and three blocks in 23 minutes.

As bad as that was, it may get worse — the Raps are off today but are in Boston to face the Celtics tomorrow. How about this is where you prove you’re a star in this league, CB4?

To celebrate the Holidays I am going to post a free winning pick for every day of the week starting on Thanksgiving and going all the way to Sunday. I will also post some great sportsbook bonus so you can take advantage of some of the best in the business! Take time out to be thankful for everything in life and remember the troops that can’t be home on Thanksgiving.

Want all of my top rated plays for this week for free? Just sign up and play at any sponsor and you get them all for free! Email me at mregaw@yahoo.com for the plays!

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

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Free Pick for Thursday November 26th, Turkey day!

Texas @ Texas A& M

Texas has already clinched the Big 12 South and will play Nebraska in the

Happy Holidays!

Championship game but they can’t afford to get caught napping here. This will be no problem for Texas as they are focused on going to the Championship game after the loss last year that put them out. Texas A&M has flopped in six of nine as dogs of 20 points or more and in 10 of 12 ATS off a home win. The Longhorns have scored at least 41 points in their four previous road games this season. They are 23-12-2 ATS in November and get a blowout win here.

Play: Texas -21

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Free Pick for Friday November 27th

Alabama @ Auburn

Auburn enters this game with revenge after getting blanked last year. Alabama is going to the SEC Championship game against Florida so this game is a warm up. The Tigers have covered seven of 11 against Alabama and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five showdowns. The Crimson Tide dropped nine of 13 ATS when giving up more than 11 points on the highway. Auburn will not win but they will keep it close.

Play: Auburn +10

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Free Pick for Saturday November 28th

Arkansas @ LSU

The loss for LSU was a tough one that will linger over to this week. Arkansas has pulled off the upset against LSU the last two seasons. The Razorbacks are 11-6 as road dogs and the visitor is 6-3 in the past nine meetings. The Tigers are 2-14 as SEC home favorites and they have floundered in 27 of 34 ATS at Baton Rouge in November. Arkansas knows hwo to beat LSU and will do it again.

Play: Arkansas +3.5

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Free Pick For Sunday November 29th

Indianapolis @ Houston
Houston will be playing on a short week and they have to get Chris Brown in the right mindset for this game. Houston has cashed eight straight as home dogs and won six of those eight SU, the only two losses at the hands of the Colts by a total of four points. The Colts have struggled within the division, dropping 14 of 21 ATS, while the Texans are 6-2 at Reliant Stadium versus AFC-South citizens. Indianapolis has won six of seven at Houston, but failed in five of seven ATS. Houston finally gets the win against the Colts.

Play: Houston +3

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NSO: These are our NBA power rankings for week five. These rankings do not include todays games.

1. Lakers
2. Suns
3. Hawks
4. Magic
5. Nuggets
6. Mavericks
7. Celtics
8. Cavaliers
9. Bucks
10. Trail Blazers
11. Rockets
12. Heat
13. Jazz
14. Thunder
15. Bulls
16. Spurs
17. Raptors
18. Hornets
19. Pacers
20. Kings
21. Warriors
22. Clippers
23. Pistons
24. Wizards
25. Bobcats
26. Grizzlies
27. 76ers
28. Knicks
29 Timberwolves
30. Nets

If you want to know, how I do this, check here.  Otherwise, cut to the chase:

Some observations:

Some of this week’s takeaways:

• Given that the Celtics last year started out 27-3, that there is not one 2 loss team left this early in the season is kind of striking. The teams we expected to suck out loud (Grizzlies, Griffin-less Clippers, I’m looking at you) are actually just ordinarily mediocre.
• A new #1 emerges in Portland.  The Celtics slip to #3 on the strength (weakness) of a ghastly shooting night against the Magic and a very mediocre effort against the Knicks (and frankly, a fairly desultory one against the Warriors).  As a fan, I was getting used to my Lester Hudson sightings.
• Blazers winning on the strength of an efficient 6th ranked offense, which might not be highlighted by announcers because of their very slow tempo (2nd to last in the league).  Their 2nd ranked defense has been a revelation too – Greg Oden is quietly having an outstanding season – and if he knew how to play without fouling, Bill Simmons’ homoerotic Kevin Durant love would be kind of unfounded.
• Wow the Timberwolves are bad.  With a good PG in Sessions and an interesting rookie in Flynn and a very capable post player, how they are so constipated offensively is hard to fathom.  At least the Nets have been ravaged by injuries. (btw: how can Lawrence Frank be on the chopping block when his entire starting five and only all star has been hurt most of the season?)
• Rockets are #6 still – and still, I am stunned.

The Captain gets the game ball: solid D, great offensive punch, final play call.

Let’s face the facts: the Celtics are playing mediocre ball and have been for the last week and a half. Despite their 10-4 record, it’s mediocre ball at best. This most recent game against New York raised more questions than answers.

I’m a teacher. I teach world history and economics. I ask a lot of questions. My students ask a lot of questions. We all ask a lot of questions. It can more often than not show a deeper understanding of a topic. Other times, it’s just the perfect thing to do when we are absolutely bewildered by a topic.

I’m bewildered.
I’m going to stop diagnosing.

Hey ¡RONDO! why aren't we seeing more of this?

Here are 34 questions for the Celtics because I just don’t know what else to say. Why 34 questions? Because #34 is Paul Pierce. Paul Pierce is the Truth. So by the power of transitive property, 34 = The Truth. I am hoping these 34 questions lead to some level of enlightenment and higher understanding.

1. Why is overall energy level so inconsistent and why aren’t we
2. Why is our offense settling for so many low percentage jumpers with the shot clock expiring?
3. Why are we not attacking the hoop more?
4. Why is Rondo playing like a $3 million PG on some nights and an $11 million PG on other nights?
5. Why is our help defense scheme look so slow?
6. Why is Ray Allen getting so many more minutes than he needs?
7. Why isn’t Quisy getting more playing time?
8. Why is Sheed shooting 3s like I shoot 3s?
9. What’s going to happen in a few weeks when Glen Davis returns (remember: no more Big Baby)?
10. When will KG finally be in game shape?
11. Actually: will KG ever be back to being in good game shape (even if he can’t jump)?
12. When will everyone realize how unbelievably good Pierce is playing right now?
13. Will Danny many any trades before the new year?
14. If Danny were to make trades, what do we really need right now?
15. Is our PG by committee / PG by convenience working?
16. Will the Real Eddie House please stand up? Please stand up?
17. Has Doc ripped into his team yet about what the heck is wrong with them?
18. Is this the kind of play we can expect for the rest of the season?
19. Is it a good sign that Rondo can’t hit his FTs because it means he is finally changing his shooting style   for the firs time in his career?
20. Will Doc force Sheed down on the block more?
21. Why isn’t Perk closing out quarters more often?
22. Aren’t we a defense-minded team?
23. So why aren’t we a) playing defense better and b) letting one of our team’s best defenders (Perk) get more minutes on the floor?
24. Why haven’t we seen more dynamic lineups on the floor (like Rondo, Pierce, KG, Perk, Sheed; or Ray, Pierce, Quisy, KG, Sheed; or Rondo, Piece, Quisy, Perk, Sheed)?
25. Will TA’s first game in the 2010 season be in Celtic green?
26. Will Scal continue to be 100% efficient on the floor for as little minutes as he is getting?
27. Should we trade Scal (with TA) and if so should we get him more minutes?
28. Is JR Giddens the epitome of practice hero and game zero?
29. Will Shelden William’s interior game improve with more touches?
30. Why can’t our team get offensive rebounds (is it not built into our defensive scheme?)?
31. Why have we started so slow offensively in almost every game this season (what happened to those 30+ points from 2008-2009?)?
32. Why are we giving up so many points in the first half?
33. Why are we turning into a team that either wins/loses a game in the 3rd quarter?
34. Is the whole “sleep experts” advice of bypassing pre-game shoot arounds in favor of naps really working?

I want to see an absolute spanking tomorrow night against the 76ers on Wednesday night. I want Philly to waddle off the court.

Cool, then we done.

Next question?
Cool, then we done.

Articles of the day from my 3 favorite Celtics sites: It’s not time to trade Ray Allen (yet) at CelticsBlog, Myth or Fact: The Celtics are shooting too many 3s at RedsArmy, Do you believe Doc at CelticsHub.

1. Atlanta Hawks (11-3)- Three impressive wins over the Blazers, Heat, and Rockets keeps them in the top spot.  Great matchup for the Southeast division lead on Thanksgiving night vs. Magic will be a real treat.

A Thanksgiving night matchup between the Hawks and Magic on TNT is must see TV

2. Orlando Magic (11-3)- A big jump to the number 2 spot this week with wins over Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Boston, and Toronto.  Battle with the Hawks will be a true test for this very deep Magic team.

3. Phoenix Suns (11-3)- Lost a step this week with a loss to the Hornets, but still went 3-1.  I hope this team has the defense to step up for it’s offense occasionally, otherwise the Suns could burn out quickly.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (10-3)- Had a great week with the return of Pau Gasol, a centerpiece of this championship team.  They should have another undefeated week with games vs. New York, New Jersey, and Oklahoma City.

5. Dallas Mavericks (10-3)- Another strong week from Dirk and the Mavs have them a spot in my top 5.  The week included wins over the Kings, Spurs, and an inspiring OT win in Milwaukee.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-4)- A 3-1 week against all sub .500 teams wasn’t all that impressive, especially when the loss was by almost 20 to an awful Washington club.  The Cavs need to be more consistent, and will look to be this week against Dallas on Saturday night.

7. Boston Celtics (10-4)- With losses at home to both Atlanta and Orlando, is there a power shift brewing in the East?  Should go 3-0 with games against Philly, Toronto, and a struggling Miami squad this week.

8. Portland Trailblazers (10-5)-  After winning six straight, a loss in Atlanta seemed to take a lot out of them.  They followed the loss with a win against awful Detroit and a loss in Golden State.

9. Denver Nuggets (9-4)- A loss to the Clippers set them back a bit, but they’re still a relatively consistent team.  The week ahead brings match-ups with New Jersey, Minnesota, and New York.  Any losses there, and a big drop in these rankings will follow.

10. Milwakee Bucks (8-3)- Besides a heartbreaking OT loss to Dallas, this team has continued to impress with Jennings (or Sessions apparently haha) leading the way.  A very tough stretch follows with games against San Antonio, the suddenly hot Hornets, Thunder, and Magic.

11. Miami Heat (8-5)- The Heat cooled down this week with losses to the Thunder, Hawks, and Raptors.  A nice win against the surging Hornets kept them afloat. Tough week ensues with match-ups against the Celtics and Magic.

12. Houston Rockets (8-6)- Houston had a .500 week, going 2-2.  Although, both losses were to the number 1 and 3 teams in the power rankings.  The Rockets need to step it up this week against Dallas, Oklahoma City, and the Spurs.

13. Utah Jazz (7-6)- Had a great week finishing 3-0 with wins against Toronto, San Antonio, and Detroit.  Utah needs to prove they can beat a winning team though, with not a single win vs. a .500 team or better yet this season.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-7)- Probably the most frustrating team in the NBA so far this season.  Every time they look ready to jump in the rankings, they lose.  ESPN matchup with the Bucks on friday night should be an interesting game.

15. Chicago Bulls (6-6)- One of the most inconsistent teams in the league, the Bulls are right where they should be, at .500.  Three tough road games will show just where they are so far, as they face the Blazers, Jazz, and Bucks.

16. New Orleans Hornets (6-9)- Rounding out the top 16 is the young New Orleans Hornets.  Now, I understand that they are only 6-9, and there are about 4 teams that probably deserve the spot more, but not many teams had a better week than the Hornets.  With impressive wins against the Clippers, Suns, and Hawks, the Hornets went 3-1 and are definitely playing better ball than the Spurs, Pacers, Raptors, and Kings.

Segundo partido de Pau Gasol y segunda victoria consecutiva de los Lakers. El español hizo ayer 15 puntos, 7 rebotes y 6 asistencias en la victoria de los angelinos (que gran Bynum!) ante los anárquicos Thunder. Los Lakers se aproximan a la cabeza del oeste, pero hay algo turbio: de sus 13 partidos ha jugado 10 como local, mientras los Suns han jugado 9 de sus 14 fuera de casa.

ACTUALIZO: Habéis visto la canasta de Kobe por detrás del tablero?? ya está en youtube

Calderón y sus Raptors sucumbieron ante la profundidad de banquillo de los Magic. El extremeño de oro hizo 16-2-4, el día que Jarret Jack hizo 11 asistencias. En los Magic, demostración de variedad, con victoria en Canadá, pese al discreto partido de Howard (y discreta temporada….), al escaso acierto de Rashard y Carter, y a la baja de Nelson. Ahí estaba Jason Williams para recordar sus mejores momentos.

En el resto de la jornada destacar la victoria sobre la bocina y en la prórroga de los Celtics (qué gran Pierce!!). Canasta de KG sobre la bocina, pese a su mal partido (y mala temporada!!). En los Knicks, tonterías de Nate Robinson aparte, se ve mejoría.

Destacados:

• Paul Pierce: 33-9-6, 6 triples, 1 robo, 2 gorros, 9/17 en campo y 9/10 en libres. Perdió 3 balones y tuvo un domingo especialmente inspirado
• A.Bynum: 25-9-0, 1 robos, 2 tapones, 9/11 en campo y 7/7 en libres. Casi infalible
• Kobe: 26-6-7, 2 robos, 4/4 en libres y 0 pérdidas. Consistente
• Al Harrington: 30-9-2, 5 triples, 1 robo, 10/21 en campo y 5/6 en libres. Gran sexto hombre, pero racheado
• Wade: 31-6-3, 3 triples, 1 robo, 3 gorros, 12/21 en campo. Notable
• Nash: 20-0-9, 1 triple, 7/8 en campo y 5/5 en libres. Otro consistente
• David Lee: 22-15-3, 1 robo, 7/12 en campo y 8/9 en libres. Perdió 5 balones. Un borrón en su gran partido
• Jason Williams: 16-5-3, 2 triples, 2 robos, 5/9 en campo y 4/4 en libres. No perdió balones. Gran vuelta de este veterano
• Narz Mohammed: 18-5-0, 2 robos, 2 gorros, 8/10 en campo y 0 pérdidas. Sorpresa agradable
• Rondo: 14-9-10, 4 robos. Mal día en tiros (5/13 fg: 4/8 en libres). Cerca del triple doble de nuevo

Troy Murphy Trophy

• K.Perkins: 16-13-1, 4 gorros, 6/7 en campo. Contundencia

Otros destacados:

• Ibaka cogió 13 rebotes; D.Howard 12.
• Mario Chalmers repartió 9 asistencias, Jarret Jack estuvo bien con 11
• Marcus Thornton metió 5 triples
• Sheed robó 4 balones
• Espectacular Ibaka con 5 gorros

Vaya día:

• Mal día en el tiro: Sheed (0/6), Harden (2/15) y Hughes (2/11). Mal también el cuarteto: Duhon, Jeff Green, Powell y Odom con 1/6
• Grandioso bombardero Harden. El novato hizo un rotundo 0/10 en triples. Y lo hizo a lo grande, en su año de debutante y en el Staples. Hay pesos pesados en los Thunder?? Pues que le den un tirón de orejas.
• Johnson hizo un 2/5. Hablo de Amir
• James Jones tiró 3 veces en 38 minutos
• Sin rebotes: Nash y un tal DaJuan Summers
• Sin asistencias: Bosh

Nuestros galardones:

• Zapatilla de oro: Vince Carter tiró 24 veces a canasta
• Mario West: DeSagana Diop jugó 2:32 minutos. Mal día para los “Marios”
• Benito: Rasheed Wallace 0 puntos, pero 4 robos
• Concha Velasco: Russell Westbrook hizo 6 pérdidas. Yo apuesto por el amigo Russell para el premio anual
• Seleapareciólavirgen: Jarret Jack con sus 11 asistencias. A que no lo repite?

La pregunta del día:

¿Qué jugador que el año pasado colocó 6 tapones en toda la temporada hizo ayer 2 gorros? (Es decir, dos más que los que puso ayer Dwight Howard)

Un’altra settimana di regular season è trascorsa e ci avviciniamo a piccoli passi verso una situazione stabile. Ho avuto la possibilità di vedere diverse partite e vi riporto le mie impressioni:

• Atlanta vs. Portland
  Partita bella con molte emozioni: i Blazers grazie al nuovo schieramento a 3 guardie stavano andando forte e gli Hawks erano primi a est.. ne è uscita una partita in overtime. Portland ha dimostrato di essere molto competitiva, con molte opzioni, anche troppe; anzi… diciamo proprio troppe! Il potenziale è altissimo ma non c’è una vera gerarchia, nei momenti chiave la squadra la prende in mano Roy, e sono buone mani, la seconda punta è Aldridge, favoloso attaccante ma assolutamente non una personalità dominante, più adatto a essere il terzo di una gerarchia da squadra di livello… il vero problema è che dopo questi due c’è la confusione, e ciò non vuol dire che non ci sia supporting cast, anzi il contrario ce n’è fin troppo, ci sono altri 7-8 giocatori, con diverse caratteristiche ma stesso livello di importanza. La storia insegna che una squadra vincente deve avere una gerarchia ben stabilita con una strutturazione spesso a piramide. I Blazers devono ancora trovarla… da 2 anni la stanno cercando… mi ripeto ma hanno assolutamente bisogno di una trade!
  Che dire di Atlanta invece… Sorprendenti! Ci si aspettava un buon inizio, una buona squadra, ma non così. Estremamente discontinui, accendo e spengono in un attimo, ma quando si mettono a giocare, sia in attacco che in difesa sono fantastici. Hanno un gioco spettacolare e divertente, pochi schemi, diciamo pure che gran parte del gioco è improvvisazione, ma si divertono e fanno divertire. Ma allora la domanda è lecita: come fanno a vincere così tanto se sono una squadra così umorale? I motivi sono 3 a mio parere: 1. Si divertono e quindi giocano, attaccano in 5 e difendono in 5, quando decidono 2. Sono molto forti fisicamente, atletici e rapidi, Josh Smith ne è l’emblema 3. Joe Johnson dimostra come si può essere un leader senza spiccicar parola; con i giornalisti è un divo del muto, in campo non parla mai, ma nel quarto quarto, quando sono stati in partita giocando male, solo sfruttando il talento, dice 2 parole, schiaccia il bottone e come d’incanto la squadra cambia faccia… leadership silenziosa.
  Di fatto sono loro i favoriti per la quarta testa di serie dei playoff. Non credo vadano più su ma non è detto.
• Boston vs. Orlando
  Altra partita per cui potrei scrivere per pagine e pagine, cercherò di essere breve. Con Garnett per i Celtics è tutta un’altra musica, ma non è evidentemente un’intera partita nelle gambe dopo l’infortunio e deve amministrarsi. La squadra deve ancora trovare tutti gli equilibri ma per me è ancora la favorita. Prevedo che prima di natale arriverà una serie di vittorie consecutive da 10 o più per mettere in chiaro le cose.Ci sono degli automatismi da sistemare e giocatori da recuperare.
  Wallace riesce ancora a stupirmi. Per Boston è un lusso incredibile averlo dalla panchina, e per lui è un’ottima cosa data l’età non essere costretto a un minutaggio da titolare. In questa partita abbastanza sorgnone, fino a una brutta decisione arbitrale che lo ha fatto molto arrabbiare nel 4° quarto. Da li in avanti, per 3-4 minuti è stato il dominatore assoluto della partita, chiudendo su tutti i Magic in aiuto e ridicolizzando Howard in 4 possessi consecutivi, sia offensivi che difensivi. Che dire, se si scatena non ce n’è per nessuno. La buona notizia è che dopo la sfuriata ritorna tranquillo, ma giocare con lui e Garnett insieme dovrebbe essere illegale.
  Orlando: tornato Lewis e ricomincia la festa! Più o meno… Il gioco è tornato quello dell’anno scorso e l’efficacia pure, la cosa diversa è che Carter, come era previsto, si è dimostrato molto meno adatto di Turkoglu a questo sistema; soprattutto nel 4° quarto quando sentendo la responsabilità del suo ruolo nella squadra ha cercato di prendere in mano la squadra: ne sono usciti una serie di forzature, alcune andate anche a segno grazie al suo immenso talento, ma nulla creato per i compagni. Sta volta è andata bene, anche per via dei problemi di Boston, ma questo modo di giocare tende a non farti vincere nel lungo periodo.
• San Antonio vs. Dallas
  Altra partita molto sentita questo derby texano, e le 2 squadre hanno riservato sorprese in questo avvio di stagione: Dallas è partita molto bene, che era prevedibile, ma soprattutto esprime un bel gioco, come non si vedeva dal 2006, l’anno della finale. San Antonio invece attraversa un momento di crisi, ci si aspettavano problemi di infortuni, ma non così presto. Il più penalizzato è Jefferson che è un’ottimo giocatore ma non ha le caratteristiche per prendere in spalla la squadra, è stato preso per giocare con Parker, Ginobili e Duncan, con questi giocatori a esaltare le sue qualità, non per essere il primo terminale offensivo, e in questa situazione è in crisi soprattutto psicologica. A San Antonio prevale l’idea che meglio avere infortuni nella prima parte di stagione che nella seconda, e di fatto è vero, ma ora si stanno accumulando un po’ di sconfitte che, se la crisi non rientra potrebbe essere difficile assorbire.
  I Mavs invece sembrano giocare sul velluto e, come nel caso di Atlanta, sembrano divertirsi. In più c’è Nowitzky, che gioca come mai in carriera e lascia a bocca aperta per quanto grande è il suo repertorio.
• I Knicks continuano a perdere tranne una piccola parentesi con i Nets, e Gallinari continua a giocare alla grande, tranne una piccola parentesi con i Nets.
• Tornato Gasol, ora vediamo i veri Lakers… non che quelli visti fin ora facessero schifo, ma Pau da tutta un’altra dimensione alla squadra.

How old are the contenders?

Okay, today we’re going to be looking at how old each of the contenders are.

I have chosen five legitimate contenders and one additional possible contender. Three in each conference. Those teams are:

• Boston Celtics
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Orlando Magic
• Los Angeles Lakers
• San Antonio Spurs
• Portland Trailblazers — the possible contender.

I’ll be looking at each team individually and checking these categories:

• Players at or above 35 years of age
• Players at or above 33 years of age
• Players at or above 30 years of age
• Average age of starting lineup
• Average age of team’s 9/10 man rotation
• Average age of squad overall

I’ll be looking at each separate section to both list the players who fit that category + the player’s ages + the player’s role.

I want to see both how old each team is respectively but also how dependent they are on some of their older players.

Boston Celtics

Thirty five years of age or older

The Celtics have one player in that age bracket and that’s Rasheed Wallace who is 35 years old.

Rasheed Wallace is the team’s sixth man.

Thirty three years of age or older

The Celtics have two players in this age group, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

Ray Allen is 34 years old. Kevin Garnett is 33 years old.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are both key individual players for the Celtics. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are two of their top four players.

Thirty years of age older

Three players here for the Celtics.

Paul Pierce is 32 years old while Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House are both 31 years of age.

Paul Pierce is one of the Celtics two best players while House is their lead backup guard and Scalabrine is one of their insurance big men (not in rotation).

Starting lineup ages + average age

Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are 23 + 25 years old respectively.

Rajon Rondo is one of Boston’s top four players and Perkins is a key glue guy.

Those two combined with Garnett, Pierce and Ray give Boston’s starting lineup an average age of 29.4 years.

Average age of 9/10 man rotation

Marquis Daniels and Glen Davis are 28 and 23 years old respectively.

Marquis Daniels is the first wing off the bench while Glen Davis is the team’s second big off the bench.

Those two players along with Eddie House, Rasheed Wallace and the Celtics starting lineup give Boston’s first choice rotation an average age 29.3 years.

Average age of team

The overall average age of the team is 25.9 years of age.

The final five players on the team were Sheldon Williams (26), Tony Allen (27), JR Giddens (24), Lestor Hudson (25) and Bill Walker (22).

Cleveland Cavaliers

Thirty five years of age or older

The Cavs have one player in that age bracket and that’s Shaquille O’Neal who is 37 years old.

Shaq was brought in to be the Cavs second best player. A legitimate sidekick to LeBron James.

Thirty three years of age or older

The Cavs have two players in this age group.

Anthony Parker and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are both 34 years old.

Parker is currently the team’s starting two guard and important rotation player. Whilst Big Z is the team’s backup center, second big off the bench, and important rotation player (role may decrease if Hickson continues to prove himself as a starter).

Thirty years of age older

No additional players here for the Cavs.

Starting lineup ages + average age

Mo Williams is 26 years old, LeBron James is 24 and JJ Hickson is a ripe old age of 21.

That gives the Cavs an average age of 28.4 years in their starting lineup. As we can see that’s considerably higher than three of their starters due to Shaq + Parker.

Average age of 9/10 man rotation

Four more rotation players here …

Daniel Gibson is the team’s backup point guard and is 23 years old. Delonte West has an uncertain role for now but let’s put him down as the team’s backup two guard. Delonte is 26 years old. Jamario Moon is the Cavs main wing off the bench and he is 29. Anderson Varejao is the team’s sixth man and first big off the bench and is 27 years of age.

That gives the Cavs ten man rotation an average age of 28.1 years.

Average age of team

The overall average age of the team is 26.9 years.

The five other players were Leon Powe (25), Daniel Green (22), Darnell Jackson (24), Jawad Williams (26) and Coby Karl (26).

Orlando Magic

Thirty five years of age or older

The Magic have one player in that age bracket and that’s Anthony Johnson who is 35 years old.

Anthony Johnson is Orlando’s third string point guard.

Thirty three years of age or older

The Magic have two players in this age group, Adonal Foyle and Jason Williams.

Both players are 34 years of age.

Adonal Foyle is Orlando’s third string center and Jason Williams is the club’s primary backup guard.

Thirty years of age older

Two more players here for the Magic, Vince and Rashard.

Vince Carter is 32 years old and Rashard Lewis is 30 years old.

Vince Carter is the club’s second best player and go-to guy offensively. Rashard Lewis is the team’s third or fourth best player.

Starting lineup ages + average age

Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus round out the starting lineup. They are 23, 27 and 27 years old respectively.

The average age of Orlando’s starting lineup is 27.8 years.

Average age of 9/10 man rotation

Orlando have five more players that should be mentioned as rotation possibilities. So we’re going with an eleven man rotation for the time-being (roles still in dispute).

JJ Redick and Matt Barnes are the club’s top bench players on the wing. They are 25 and 29 years of age respectively. Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass are competing for the backup power forward position. Anderson is 21 years old. Bass is 24 years old. Marcin Gortat is the club’s sixth man and backup center. He is 25 years of age.

The average age of Orlando’s rotation players is 27 years of age.

The only bench player that is above 30 years of age is Jason Williams. The starting lineup has two players, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis.

Average age of team

The overall average age of the team is 28.1 years.

Los Angeles Lakers

Thirty five years of age or older

The Lakers have one player in that age bracket and that’s Derek Fisher who is 35 years old.

Derek Fisher is the starting point guard for the Lakers.

Thirty three years of age or older

The Lakers have no players in this group.

Thirty years of age older

Three players here for the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant is 31 years old while Lamar Odom and Ron Artest are both 30 years of age.

Kobe Bryant is the team’s best player. Lamar Odom is the team’s third or fourth best player and their sixth man. Ron Artest is the squad’s fifth best player and starting small forward.

Starting lineup ages + average age

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol round out the starting lineup. They are 22 years old and 29 years old respectively.

That gives the Lakers starting lineup an average age of 29.4 years.

Average age of 9/10 man rotation

The Lakers have five more players worth mentioning here.

Jordan Farmer and Shannon Brown are the team’s backup point guards and have been playing alongside one another fairly often too. They are 22 and 23 years old respectively. Sasha Vujacic was a pivotal bench player (backup off guard) two years ago but his poor play has him in danger of being phased out altogether. He is 25 years of age. Luke Walton is the team’s backup small forward and is 29 years of age. Josh Powell is the club’s second big man off the bench and he is 26 years old.

That gives LA’s rotation, eleven players, an average age of 27.5.

Average age of team

The overall average age of the team is 27.3.

Adam Morrison (25) and DJ Mbenga (28) are two other bench players that hadn’t been mentioned yet.

San Antonio Spurs

Thirty five years of age or older

The Spurs have three player in that age bracket.

Michael Finley and Theo Ratliff are both 36 years old. Antonio McDyess is 35 years of age.

Antonio McDyess is a key glue guy for the team. Michael Finley is a rotation player for the club (almost 20 min a night) while Theo Ratliff is battling for a rotation job (looks like he’ll be the fourth big in the rotation, but not a certainty).

Thirty three years of age or older

The Celtics have one players in this age group, Tim Duncan.

Tim Duncan is 33 years of age. He is the Spurs best player.

Thirty years of age older

One more player here for the Spurs.

Manu Ginobili is 32 years of age. He is the Spurs second best player.

Starting lineup ages + average age

The starting lineup is still unsettled for the Spurs … I’m going to go with their best five players for the time being.

That is Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess and Tim Duncan. Tony Parker is 27 years old and Richard Jefferson is 29.

The average age of that lineup is 31.2 years.

Side note: Tony Parker is the only player who is currently in their prime. Everybody else is declining (Manu is a question mark due to injuries, but likely declining).

Average age of 9/10 man rotation

Five players worth mentioning here.

George Hill is 23 years old and the team’s primary backup guard. Keith Bogans is the Spurs best wing defender amongst the role players and looks to be an important role player. He is 29 years old. Roger Mason Jr is the team’s backup two guard (along with Finley) and is 29 years of age.

DeJuan Blair is the club’s first big off the bench and he is 20 years old. Then there’s Matt Bonner who is also 29 years of age. That is a total of seven players (Finley/Theo) after the starting lineup … due to the Spurs unsettled rotation.

The average age of the rotation players is 29.8 years of age.

The Spurs supporting cast has three players that are 29 years of age and two more who are 36. One other is 27 … and two are young players (Hill/Blair).

Average age of team

The overall average age of the team is 28.7 years.

Three players who so far have gone unmentioned — Malik Hairston (22), Ian Mahinmi (23) and Marcus Haislip (28).

Portland Trailblazers

Thirty five years of age or older

The Blazers have one player in that age bracket and that’s Juwan Howard who is 36 years of age.

Howard is an insurance big man for the Blazers (not rotation player).

Thirty three years of age or older

The Blazers have one player in this age bracket, Andre Miller.

Andre Miller is 33 years of age.

Andre Miller is an important role player for Portland. Currently he is their starting point guard but that role is still up for grabs.

Thirty years of age older

One players here for the Blazers.

Joel Pryzbilla is 30 years of age. He is the club’s backup center and an important role player.

Starting lineup ages + average age

Only one starter mentioned so far, Andre Miller. The four others are Brandon Roy (25), Nicolas Batum (20), LaMarcus Aldridge (24) and Greg Oden (21).

The average age of the starting lineup is 24.6 years.

Average age of 9/10 man rotation

Steve Blake is 29 years old (backup point guard). Everyone else on the Blazers who hasn’t been mentioned by name is under the age of 25.

Other rotation players — Rudy Fernandez is the team’s main backup two guard and is 24 years old. Martell Webster is 22 years old and the squad’s backup three. Travis Outlaw is 25 years old and the club’s backup power forward.

Portland runs a ten man rotation with an average age of 25.3 years.

The Blazers have only three rotation players above the age of 25 — Blake + Miller + Przybilla.

Average age of team

The overall average age of the team is …

Rest of the team — Jerryd Bayless (21), Dante Cunningham (22), Jeff Pendergraph (22) and Patty Mills (21).

Portland has only four players above 25 and only three of them are in the rotation. The two point guards and the backup center.

Thoughts On Ages

(1) The Boston Celtics have only one truly old player (Rasheed Wallace) and his game is still effective with less athleticism/mobility. Two others to keep an eye on in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (mostly due to the injury). The rest of the team is in good shape. A bunch of young players (Rondo, Perk, Davis) and a couple of well season vets (Marquis, House).

(2) The Cavaliers have three elderly players to watch out for. Their two centers, who are key offensive players for the team, who are 34 + 37 years old respectively. And Anthony Parker who’s role could be larger than expected due to Delonte West’s situation. The rest of the team is in good shape age wise.

Shaq and Big Z have been pivotal players for the Cavs this season (Shaq) and in past years (Z). Their contracts are up at the end of the season and they’ll need to be replaced by someone capable of being a star-like-figure (Hickson? Trade? Free Agency?) for the Cavs to remain a contender next season.

(3) The Magic have one old rotation player and that’s their backup point guard who is backed up by another old player. All in all, that’s a fantastic situation. Vince Carter is someone to keep an eye on in the future but not now.

(4) The Lakers key players are between 29-31 plus Bynum at 22 years of age. That’s a nice grouping. They have several years in them with this core. Only one rotation player who you would point out age-wise and that’s Fisher and Fish has two backup point guards behind him (solid depth).

(5) The Spurs really are quite old. Several role players who are getting on in years, two of whom are past their sell-by-date as rotation players. An old main five guys, only one of whom is in his prime. Only two young players in their rotation.

(6) Portland is amazingly young. Only three rotation guys above the age of 25 and only one of them could be considered past his prime, and that player is aging remarkably well.

Rambling on ….

• The Blazers are set to be contenders for the next decade
• The Lakers are good for another couple of years
• The Magic have one key player to watch (Vince) and how they handle that situation will decide how long they last as a contender. But they’re good for the next two year’s of Vince’s contract.
• The Cavs have uncertain player personnel issues. This will be the last hurrah for that core.
• The San Antonio Spurs need to revamp their supporting cast and breathe some life into that team. They’re the oldest team here but they’re aging well (Manu’s injuries aside). They have another year or two or three left in them … but it’ll be the quality of the supporting cast around their main three guys that decides whether they get over the hump and actually win a ring or not.
• The Celtics need to watched. Two of their Big Three may be aging too fast for the C’s to maintain their place in the East. They’re fine for this season … but next season? Maybe, maybe not. Something to watch closely. If they can make one clever trade they could open up a title challenge for the next 3-4 years though.
• In terms of this season … only three teams are potentially vulnerable to age related situations (decline or increased chance of injury effected play) and they are the Spurs, Cavs and Celtics. The Spurs look the most vulnerable and it’s a toss up between the Cavs and Celtics for second place.

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

The best team of the NBA so far. Josh Smith has been superb in the first 14 games. He has been the horse they have been riding. The Hawks had a weird loss to the Hornets Friday but that’s Ok on the road and on a second of back-to-backs.

#2 – Cleveland Cavaliers

Without Shaq, the team plays better. He just doesn’t fit there and with him out for a while now, they were able to give minutes to JJ Hickson who could be the solution for their problems, certainly not offensively but maybe defensively.

#3 – Phoenix Suns

The Suns remain red hot. 2^nd best record of the league so far, even with the loss to the Hornets on Thursday which shouldn’t be a shock because every time that the Suns are dominated on the boards, they lose, and it’s a lock just like that.

#4 – Los Angeles Lakers

Gasol is back and that means the Lakers should make their push to the league’s best record now. With the Spanish Center there, they are just so tough to beat, they are big and physical.

#5 – Orlando Magic

With Rashard Lewis back, they become a matchup nightmare again. The win against the Celtics highlighted that. Vince Carter is coming alive, against Boston he scored 26, turned the ball over a lot but took the game over in the end and that what you expect from your superstar and the reason why Orlando traded for him.

#6 – Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony has been terrific so far and put himself in the MVP race however they are still not on the same level as last season. Their defense has been OK but when Billups doesn’t play well, all of a sudden nobody else but Carmelo produces.

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

Nowitzki has been carrying them because the bunch of injuries already started, Marion and Howard haven’t played together for a decent amount of time, and it’s not close to end.

#8 – Boston Celtics

On back-to-backs they look old. The loss against the Magic can be faced as a problem but when healthy, they are still the best team in the NBA. The question is: for how long will they remain healthy?

#9 – Milwaukee Bucks

The Jenningsmania is all over the NBA, even in this Power Rankings.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

Travis Outlaw is out with the same injury that held Webster for the entire season last year and that’s a hit on their second unit. The 3 men backcourt has survived so far but maybe is time to trade Miller.

#11 – Miami Heat

As Wade goes, they go which means that so far, they are a playoff team.

#12 – Houston Rockets

Even I’m convinced that this team needs somebody who can create his own shots on clutch moments. That guy is neither Ariza nor Brooks. Hopefully McGrady won’t screw the good vibe around the team.

#13 – Oklahoma City Thunder

When those four guys score, they are tough to hold. Lately even when they lose, they are on the game until the end. As the season progresses, they progress and the Western Conference should watch out.

#14 – Utah Jazz

With Williams back and Boozer stepping up, the Jazz won all three games this week including one against the Spurs which was their first in San Antonio in 20 games.

#15 – Toronto Raptors

They won 42% of their games. With all the money spent in this team and with playoff expectations around them, they have to perform better.

#16 – San Antonio Spurs

Ginobili and Parker out this week, injuries caught with them like expected. They always start slow, so no worry there.

#17 – Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose has struggled a lot and that’s a real problem. This is a team that has a lot of variations and formations but it’s only 8 deep.

#18 – Indiana Pacers

They are who we thought they were: a .500 team.

#19 – Detroit Pistons

With Hamilton and Prince out, they have been able to hang in there but the problems are the same, lack of size inside and no rebounders, and when they face decent competition, that’s a problem.

#20 – Sacramento Kings

They are 5-7. Can you believe that?! The Kings won 41.7% of their games and that’s crazy. Tyreke Evans and Omir Caspi have been big so far.

#21 – Los Angeles Clippers

Yes, they have been a disappointment but when Gordon and Griffin return, they should be better. The push to the playoffs is yet to come but Kaman has played the best basketball of his career and Baron Davis is finally finding himself on that offense. Their second unit is amazing.

#22 – New Orleans Hornets

Without Chris Paul and with the new coach, they played well this week. Rookies getting more playing time and when Stojakovic shows up to play, they are not that bad. It’s tough to see them over .500 though.

#23 – Philadelphia 76ers

They are the ones to open a playoff spot on the East. They face problems on offense and defense. With Brand there, they haven’t been as committed to Iguodala on offense which they should if they want to save the season.

#24 – Golden State Warriors

Jackson is gone and the Warriors got cap relief instead. They’ll play shorthanded for the rest of the season but Don Nelson likes it this way. Nelson who, by the way, is 23 wins away from his record which means he’s 23 wins away from retirement what could mean that next season, maybe the Warriors will be OK.

#25 – Charlotte Bobcats

Probably the dumbest team in the NBA. The franchise is for sale but yet they took on Jackson’s awful contract in a move that won’t make them better than those teams they are fighting.

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

Iverson is now gone for good. It’s time for them to translate talent into wins.

#27 – Washington Wizards

They have been the most disappointing team so far.

#28 – New York Knicks

Apparently they refused going after Allen Iverson, which would at least entertain us, because of Eddie Curry and Toney Douglas. I have no words for that.

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

They miss Kevin Love but as expected they would be bad anyway.

#30 – New Jersey Nets

They have been banged up but nothing justifies that awful start. Douglas Roberts is back, so is Harris, which means the offense should be better but the 0-17 start looks real.

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings III: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/power-rankings-iii/

The headline from Yahoo: so right.

Most people would say that wins are wins. At the end of the day, as long as the number in the win column increases by one then that is all that matters.

Well. We know that really isn’t true. Objectively speaking, yes. A win is a win. But emotionally, physically, mentally, wins can carry significantly different meanings. This win is a bit too fresh in my mind for me to really know what this win means, but I know it means something. Or at least, I hope it means something… The start of a streak, mainly.

I was at the game on Friday when the Celtics crawled their way back to not getting outclassed by Vince Carter and the Magical Magicians. The game slipped out of their hands in the final 2 minutes, and it was a bit gut wrenching to watch the loss unfold in person. This afternoon, I was fearful of a repeat performance.

After building a solid 14 point lead in the 3rd quarter, the Knicks found life while we found complacency. I was imagining blog post titles after a 3rd quarter collapse by the Celts that would lead to a loss:

“Celtics blow.”
“Celtics defense takes a graceful exit.”
“Celtics make Nate Robinson and Al Harrington look like shoo-in Hall of Famers.”
“Celtics add Sunday to their list of days to take off (along with Fridays).”
“Celtics get Knicked in the butt on Sunday.”

I’m glad the Celts didn’t lose. But let’s be honest: those 5 titles could still show up in the next few hours on the interwebs. The only difference is that the Celts didn’t lose.

Two things that really need to be addressed:

OUR HELP DEFENSE. As I tweeted today during the game, our help defense looks like welfare defense all cracked out and pending for renewal. As KG noted the other day, we play help defense with proper rotations/switches. But when a team forces us to play man-to-man and they hit their outside shots, we are in trouble. If help isn’t coming to our helpers then we are screwed. Phoenix hit their shots. Indiana hit their shots. Orlando hit their shots. (Atlanta just flat out out-played us). New York almost stole one from the Cs… but not with anything special, just from us being a bit lazy on defense. We made too many gambles, and we paid the price. How many times were there pick-n-rolls AND cuts to the hoop where one of the Knicks bigs had an easy layup to finish off the play? Too many to count. Our rotations look sloppy and we look to be asleep on so many defensive possessions. The Celts bit on everything the Knicks threw out there. Yikes. Coach T: go to work.

OFFENSIVE FLUIDITY. We just look terrible on some possessions. Our ball movement seems robotic on too many possessions. There are times when we move so well without the ball and our passes are so crisp that the points go down easily. Then at other times, everything looks terribly out of sync. What’s the deal? It’s not fatigue. It’s not a lack of familiarity in the system. Are we second guessing ourselves? We might be. The Celts seem to be hanging their heads and sulking at times instead of carrying themselves with unwavering swagger on both ends of the court. Let’s get that back. An emotional win today against the Knicks could be what we need to get some confidence and attitude back.

Other noteworthy observations: Quisy is still the most efficient player on the floor. Sheed needs to do something… anything. Glad to see 3ddi3 Hous3’s stroke return.

Yeah. Those are two pretty big things. Paul Pierce better put some ice on his back tonight: carrying the team for the 4th quarter and OT must have made it sore.

Article of the day: New York Times touching on the Pick-and-Roll.

I know, I know. The NBA season is just three weeks old, but I believe that today’s Boston at the Knicks battle is a big one. Boston is struggling after a quick start. At 9-4, the record is not bad for a good team, but Boston is not considered just a good team. Picked by many as an NBA finals participant, Boston has now lost 3 of their last 4 including a tough loss to Orlando at TD Bank Garden.

After being bounced by the Magic in last years playoffs, I had hoped that the Green would have a better performace. But Boston came out flat for some reason and fell behind by as many as 13 in the first quarter. Sure they did come back and make a game of it in the second half, slow starts are not something Boston can afford against good teams.

Yes its only 13 games into the season, but its eveident that Kevin Garnett is not the same Garnett he was last year prior to injuring himself in a late season game in Utah. Garnetts stats have gone down this season. Is it the injury ? Is it Rasheed Wallace getting more touches ?

Whatever it is, Garnett still looks like his knee is bothering him. He occasionally drags his leg. Coach Doc Rivers commented following Celtics practice this week that his All-Star forward may need some more time to mend. “I think it will take all year,’ Rivers told reporters this week. “By playoff time, he will be fine, but he’ll have a great stretch then a tird stretch. Thats just my opinion.”

A quick start today at Madison Square Garden will go a long way to calming Celtics Nation. A patriots win over the Jets and a b ig Celtics win may be just what the New England needs. And maybe, it will stop us all from talking about 4th and 2….Me included !!!

KEVIN HARRIMAN

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you had yourself a nice week!

This week just FLEWWW right by!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it

On Wednesday night one of my good friends invited me to go to the Celtics game! Her dad has season box seats at the TD Banknorth Garden and let us use them for the evening! Before the game I had a delicious yogurt mess– Archer Farms Vanilla yogurt with banana slices and Kashi goodfriends cinna-raisin crunch cereal.

Here we are at the game– it was soooo much fun!!!

I’m not a huge sports person — AT ALL! In fact I think I can name 2 of the players on the team– but of all sports– I do enjoy watching basketball.

The box room we were in was AWESOME! It was two floors, had two full bars and not to mention LOTS of food! There was crackers, cheeses, nuts, make your own pizza, pastas, salads, rice, veggies and fish!

Here are some of my eats:

On the left, I had haddock with rice and purple cauliflower! Delish!!!! The other dish is a mix of caesar salad and a goat cheese/sundried tomato salad.

During half time, an entire DESSERT buffet was put out! I was too excited and simply forgot to take pictures but I loaded up! Some of my eats included a mini canoli, mini apple pie sundae and chocolate chip cookies! SOOO good!! We had a great night and the Celtics won which made it all the better!

On Thursday night dad and I ventured to our spot for some delish din. It was late and I wanted something light but still delish. I started out with a jumbo shrimp cocktail (per usual)… and asked the chef to prepare me a mixed veggie salad with grilled chicken for my entree. I topped this bad boy off with EVOO and balsamic. I also had bread, hummus spread and a bite of dad’s fig and gouda cheese flatbread

Other eats as of late have included LOTS of yogurt messes–

Fage, Kashi go lean, Kashi Puffs, bananas and raisins.

& FUJI (my fav!) apples!

Last night I worked until 11 pm and then met up with my girl Lauryn who was in town (she’s the one I met up with in NYC last week!) it was so great to be able to see her two weeks in a row!!!

This morning I made myself the perfect hangover cure…

MORE YOGURT!!!

Archer Farms Vanilla yogurt with raisins, banana slices and Kashi Honeysunshine– I don’t think I ever get sick of combining bananas and raisins– I do it with yogurt, oatmeal— everywhere!

I also had some frozen grapes

As for the rest of the day– I’m planning to meet up with Lauryn for lunch and probably do some shopping

Daily Insight–

At the Celtics game I got to thinking about people and their life’s passions. I couldn’t help but wonder how/when the Celtics players discovered their love and talent for basketball. I am really fascinated/slightly envious (in a good way) of those who have figured out their life’s passion because I have yet to figure mine out.

My question for you is– have you discovered your ‘passion’? How did you know it was ‘your thing’?

That’s all everyone– have a wonderful day