The New Jersey Nets have lost their first 16 games of the NBA season and, with one road game left on a devilish West Coast swing, look like a mortal lock to match the 0 and 17 landmark of early season futility set in 1988/89 by the Miami Heat and equalled by the ever-hapless Los Angeles Clippers ten years later.

The Nets are not poorly coached and the roster has clearly not quit on Lawrence Frank. However, injuries to guards Devin Harris and Courtney Lee and overall “talent issues” have sent them spiralling on a losing skid that may well see them surpass the unwanted record. Simply put, the likes of starters Trenton Hassell and Josh Boone don’t have the quality required to come out on top, however infrequently, against their opponents. Things have got so bad that they recently lost at home to the arguably-more-hapless New York Knicks.

The Nets’ descent into potentially precedent-setting ignominy is just one of many of sport’s dubious distinctions. From the NFL and MLB to the English Premier League, Formula 1 and boxing, the owners of such unwanted records become part of the folklore of their respective sports and, in the case of some, almost a comical euphemism for continued miserable failure and bad luck. Read on as the Sports Bloke examines 10 of the most dubious distinctions in sport.

Major League Baseball
Although there’s never a shortage of struggling MLB teams, none can match the horrific record of the Pittsburgh Pirates. On September 7 2009, the Pirates lost to the Chicago Cubs. It was their 82nd game of the season and condemned them to a 17th successive sub-500 season. No team in MLB history (or any American sports franchise) has ever matched Pittsburgh’s losing streak.

NBA
There isn’t a single NBA diehard who doubts that the Los Angeles Clippers are jinxed. Take this season for example. Armed with the No 1 pick, they made the correct selection in Blake Griffin only for their new signing to blow his knee out on a dunk in a pre-season game. At the time of writing, Griffin has yet to play for the Clippers. Although the Nets may surpass the Clippers 0 and 17 mark for consecutive early season losses, the franchise holds so many unwanted records that it has become a by-word for futility. To save time and space, I’ll only cite two. The Clippers are the oldest NBA team never to appear in the NBA finals. They are one of three teams (Memphis and Charlotte are the others) to have never won a Conference Championship or Division Title in their history.

Boxing
Far away from the bright lights of Madison Square Garden and Caesers Palace, British boxer Peter Buckley carved out his own particular niche in boxing. He lost more fights than any other boxer in history. The Birmingham welterweight lost 256 of this 300 professional bouts, making a living as a durable punching bag for up-and-coming fighters including Prince Naseem Hamed, Duke McKenzie, Scott Harrison and Kell Brook. At one point, he lost 88 consecutive fights. Regardless of their record, anyone prepared to make a living as a boxer deserves respect. It was fitting, if a little unexpected, that Buckley won his 300th and final fight when he scored a four round points victory over Matin Muhammad in his hometown in October 2008.

Cricket
Former England captain Mike Atherton always struck a lonely figure, an obdurate leader hamstrung by the ineptitude of national selectors and surrounded by mediocre teammates unable to stand up to superior Australian, Pakistani and Indian teams. Although Atherton led his country with stoicism and made big scores against most countries, he was regularly tormented by metronomic Aussie opening bowler Glenn McGrath. Over the years, Atherton was dismissed 19 times by McGrath in test matches, a record for any bowler against one batsman.

Football
You have to feel sympathy with fans of perennial League Two strugglers Rochdale. The Greater Manchester club were relegated to the lowest tier of the Football League in 1974 and have remained there ever since. At the time of writing, Spotland’s finest have spent 35 years in the basement of English football, longer than any other English club.

NFL
The NFL prides itself on the “Any Given Sunday” principle that preaches league-wide parity and the fact that any outcome is possible in any game. Sadly, the Detroit Lions spent the entire 2008 season disproving this theory. With inferior offence, defence and special teams, the hapless Lions conspired to lose all 16 of their regular season games. Their futility surpassed that of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who, in 1976, went 0 and 14 in their first season in the league.

FA Cup
The historical showpiece of the English football season has provided a seemingly endless stream of memorable moments over the last 120 years. Until 1985, no player had suffered the shame of being sent off in an FA Cup final. Manchester United defender etched his name into FA Cup history when he scythed down Everton’s Peter Reid in the 1985 final and was deservedly dismissed from the field. Down to 10 men, the Reds forced extra time and secured victory when Norman Whiteside curled a delicate left footed shot past Neville Seville and inside the far post to score the only goal of the game.

Formula 1
It might be a little bit harsh to label a driver who only appeared in three Grands Prix as the worst racer Formula 1 has ever seen but Jean-Denis Deletraz’s efforts were so poor that he is definitely in the conversation. For example, in his debut race, the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, the Swiss driver qualified 25th out of 26 cars and was lapped by leader Michael Schumacher after 10 laps. Deletraz did manage to find some speed at one stage. Unfortunately, this burst of pace came in the pit lane and he was penalised as a consequence. When his gear box finally failed after 57 laps, he had been lapped 10 times and was approximately 13 minutes behind the race leader.

Baseball
The Philadelphia Phillies may have contested the last two World Series but they also hold one of the most unwanted records in American sport. Although they’ve never been lovable losers and cursed by bad luck, no team has ever lost quite like the Phillies. A lot of this is down to the fact that they’ve existed since 1883. In July 2007, the Phillies were routed 10-2 by the St Louis Cardinals. It was a landmark defeat that condemned them to becoming the first American sports team to lose 10,000 games.

English Premier League
In July 2007, a poll in The Times newspaper labelled Southampton’s one-game wonder Ali Dia as the worst footballer ever to play in the Premier League. Saints manager Graeme Souness had been led to belive Dia was the cousin of World Footballer of the Year George Weah. He was also told the player had played for Paris St Germain and won 12 international caps for Senegal. None of this was true. When Dia replaced Saints legend Matt le Tissier in a 1996 game against Leeds United, everyone realised the awful truth. His performance, described by Le Tissier as “embarrassing to watch”, was mercifully cut short after 52 minutes when Souness cottoned on to the fact he had been duped about Dia’s credentials.

Cavaliers: 98  Pistons: 88

There’s a reason people have dubbed the Cavs the “Cleveland LeBrons.” If you don’t see why, tonight’s game provided 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists worth of evidence as to why this guy turns a non-playoff team into a Finals contender every year. As much as I complain about any star treatment by NBA officials, this guy is one of the best basketball players on the planet. He’s the reason why the Cavs were running away with this game in the second and third quarters. Once again, the Pistons put up a good fight late in the game, but the Shaq-less Cavs (and mostly LeBron) were too strong in the end.

The Cavs started off hot, and as I noted on Twitter, were shooting 67% for the game at one point in the 2nd quarter. Just as I pleaded, the Pistons tightened up their defense. Cleveland put up 60 points in the first half but were held to 38 in the second half. The heightened defensive intensity helped the Pistons get back into the game in the 4th quarter.

However, the Pistons were unable to hit shots (39% shooting on the night) and weren’t able to come all the way back to beat the Cavs. Outside of Rodney Stuckey (25 points on 16 shots) and Charlie Villanueva (19 on 15 shots, 8 rebounds), the Pistons didn’t have a consistent offensive threat on the floor. Jason Maxiell (10 points on 3-5 shooting) was the only other Piston in double figures.

Random notes:

Overall, this loss was disappointing, but without Ben Gordon, the Pistons are missing their three best players. Unlike the other injury-depleted professional team in Detroit, the Pistons aren’t deep enough to compete with the top teams in the NBA without Gordon, Rip Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince.

The Pistons are back in action on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Hopefully they’ll be able to end their slide at 6 games and get back on track.

The rankings are out again, and there is a new #1. Who is it? How far did the former #1 fall? When will New Jersey get it together? The rankings begin right now.

1. Orlando Magic (11-3) (previous ranking: 9) Five straight wins have vaulted the Magic to the best record in the NBA and the top spot in the rankings. Despite losing Jameer Nelson for four to six weeks, this team is still deep and they are really coming together.

2. Atlanta Hawks (11-3) (previous ranking: 2) If the Hawks had not of lost to New Orleans last night, the talk of them being #1 would be a no-brainer, but this team is still one of the tops in the East. They are really showing themselves as a contender. This is another team that is deep, and if they can stay healthy, they could go a long way in May.

3. Phoenix Suns (11-3) (previous ranking: 1) The Suns loss to the Hornets prevented them from holding the top spot for the week. With Orlando and Atlanta on fire as of late, they had to be bumped down two spots. Not many impressive wins for them to stay among the tops in the rankings

4. Los Angeles Lakers (10-3) (previous ranking: 4) The Lakers stay put after a 3-0 week, and it is good for them that Pau Gasol is back, he will be able to take the load off Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. The team is complete again, but Phoenix is still holding their ground against them for first in the Pacific Division.

5. Dallas Mavericks (10-3) (previous ranking: 5) The Mavericks may have beat the Lakers, and have won five straight, they were all hard fought victories. The Lakers right now look better than Dallas and with Gasol back from injury, they look more like a better team. If Dallas can beat the Lake Show for a second time with Gasol in lineup, it will be good enough to overtake them. Good 3-0 week for them.

6. Boston Celtics (10-4) (previous ranking: 3) The Magic and Mavericks rise has knocked Boston down a couple of spots. The C’s were a victim of Orlando’s win streak, which was their only loss of the week. Thank Kevin Garnett for avoiding an embarrassing loss to the Knicks at the Garden.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-4) (previous ranking: 5) The Cavs took a pounding from the Wizards this past Wednesday, but responded with wins over Indiana and Philadelphia. At least Shaq has been at home for the games he’s been injured from, and not just the Washington game. Those that know the backstory can have a good laugh.

8. Milwaukee Bucks (8-3) (previous ranking: 10) The Bucks could not beat the Mavericks, but they did take advantage of the weak part of their schedule, beating, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Memphis to cap a 3-1 week and stay tied for first with Clevleland in the Central Division.

9. Denver Nuggets (9-4) (previous ranking: 8] The Nuggets crush the Lakers at home 10 days ago, and in the next week, they lose to the Clippers at Staples Center. This team started out strong, but have been hot and cold since. They have to find a way to stay consistent.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (10-5) (previous ranking: 6) The Blazers went 4-0 last week, but only 2-2 this week. They lost to the Hawks, which wasn’t a surprise, but they also lost to Golden State. Just like the Nuggets, they have to find a way to stay consistent as well. They are good, but we forget that this team is young still.

11. Miami Heat (8-5) (previous ranking: 7) The Heat continue to free fall down the rankings. A huge loss at home to the Thunder, and another bad loss to the Raptors. Udonis Haslem did save the team’s free fall from being worse with a game-winning jumper to sink the New Orleans’ Hornets

12. Houston Rockets (8-6) (previous ranking: 12) The Rockets won the games they were supposed to win (Timberwolves and Kings), but loss the games that they were expected to lose (Suns and Hawks). The 2-2 week has them staying put at #12.

13. Utah Jazz (7-6) (previous ranking: 20) Playing the Cavaliers, and coming close to beating them has had a great effect on the Jazz. They have won three in a row since the Cavs loss, and have a long homestand ahead of them in which they have six straight at home (they started it by beating Detroit on Sat. night).

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-7) (previous ranking: 16) Another big win against a good team on the road as OKC beat the Heat on South Beach. That along with a win at Washington were good wins. Tough losses against Orlando and the Lakers result in a split week, but as with the Thunder’s season, those wins keep going a long way.

15. Chicago Bulls (6-6) (previous ranking: 14) A 1-2 week puts the Bulls at .500, They beat the surprising Kings, in which that was no surprise. They have loss to the Lakers and Nuggets in this West Coast road trip and then have two tough games in the Blazers and Jazz on the road. Some injuries have set them back, but this team should be better and are better than what their record shows.

16. San Antonio Spurs (5-6) (previous ranking: 17) The Spurs are still struggling to maintain the high expectations. They all haven’t been healthy together, as the Big Three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili have been injured at various times of the year. Richard Jefferson has really been non-existent. It’s still early, but when will they finally start to peak?

17. Indiana Pacers (5-6) (previous ranking: 13) Three straight losses has the Pacers dropping four spots. A loss to the Cavaliers is one thing, but to lose to the Knicks and Bobcats is a MAJOR setback, especially blowing a huge lead to New York and losing the game.

18. Toronto Raptors (6-8) (previous ranking: 19) The only team to go 1-3 and move up, it must be because the teams below are doing awful, but the Raps did just run into teams that are better than them, losing two in the mountains (Denver & Utah) and Orlando, but an impressive win over the Heat was their saving grace this week.

19. Sacramento Kings (5-7) (previous ranking: 15) The Kings have lost three straight, against the teams they should really lose to (Chicago at home, Dallas and Houston on the road), but the schedule is encouraging for them to get back to .500 by Wednesday with games at Memphis and against the New York Knicks. Still playing hard and playing with fight, something that has not been seen in Sacto in a long time.

20. New Orleans Hornets (6-9) (previous ranking: 25) Had it not been for Udonis Haslem’s jumper to sink them at Miami, the Hornets could have risen further in the rankings. The team looked like it was in major trouble, but they had impressive wins over Phoenix and Atlanta. Maybe hope is not lost in the Big Easy.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (5-8) (previous ranking: 21) The Sixers escaped with victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in a game that they weren’t supposed to win, but they followed that up with a very bad loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and the fell to the Cavs on the road. This team is not that impressive, but luckily for them, a lot of teams are not that impressive either.

22. Los Angeles Clippers (5-9) (previous ranking: 22) The Clippers lost a couple of bad ones in New Orleans and in Memphis, but they did come on national television this past Friday and won a good game over the Denver Nuggets, so their ranking stays put for another week.

23. Detroit Pistons (5-9) (previous ranking: 18) During the five year anniversary of the “Malice at the Palace”, many bloggers and media people were so focused on how the Pacers have been rebuilding. Sure the Pistons have been in the playoffs consistently, but has anyone noticed that Indiana is ahead of Detroit right now. Five straight losses has the Pistons in the Central Division cellar, and John Kuester needs to know that Joe Dumars has very little patience.

24. Golden State Warriors (4-8) (previous ranking: 24) The Warriors winning percentage in 2009 before Stephen Jackson trade: .333. The winning percentage in 2009 after Stephen Jackson trade: .333. Not much of a difference since Jax’s departure, but it is good to see Stephen Curry get more playing time for the Warriors.

25. Charlotte Bobcats (4-9) (previous ranking: 23) The Bobcats winning percentage in 2009 before acquiring Stephen Jackson: .333. The winning percentage in 2009 after acquiring Stephen Jackson: .250. The one thing that is said though is that they have shown a lot more offense in the last few games, and they ended their seven game losing streak with a win over the Pacers Sunday night.

26. Memphis Grizzlies (4-9) (previous ranking: 27) The Grizz are 2-1 since Allen Iverson was officially released from the team. This team is playing with more confidence, and more loose since the departure of A.I., and by beating and staying with teams that are better than them, it can go a long way (just ask the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder)

27. Washington Wizards (3-9) (previous ranking: 26) The Wizards have their Big Three healthy and together again, but they are still playing the same? What is with this team? It looked as if they turned a corner when they beat their rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they have lost big to the Thunder and to the Spurs. This team is just hard to figure out. Is Gilbert Arenas on to what he says about this team and “hidden agendas”?

28. New York Knicks (3-10) (previous ranking: 28) The poor Knicks go 2-1 over the week, and can’t move up anywhere. Mike D’Antoni’s bunch could have moved up quite a bit if they could have beaten the Celtics last night, but a 1-7 record at MSG is not going to help matters in this team’s quest to improve.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-12) (previous ranking: 29) The Timberwolves have quietly lost 12 in a row, if it wasn’t for their only win against New Jersey, this team would be 0-13. The question is with them has to be: What does Ricky Rubio think of this? The worst thing about losing 12 in a row is that majority of these losses have been extremely bad.

30. New Jersey Nets (0-13) (previous ranking: 30) The only chance for the Nets to win was lost on Saturday at the hands of the New York Knicks. Lawrence Frank is still around has to be due to the fact that management knows that this team is ravaged with injuries. But at the same time though, there seems to be no wins in sight as they hit the West Coast for a road trip. How much longer will the rope hang for Frank?

The Clippers need to stop focusing on wins and just focus on getting viewers. They got a season-best 37 against Memphis.

According to the Los Angeles Times and the Nielsen Ratings, the Los Angeles Clippers had their most watched game of the season in the L.A. market in the Clippers’ 106-91 loss at Memphis.

A share of 37 people watched the game.

“This is very meaningful for the Clippers’ franchise because it shows how dedicated our fanbase is and how important our team is to the Los Angeles community,” Charles Krenshaw, the Clippers Assistant GM said. “For a while, we were only getting 10 or 20 people to watch our games, but I think things are starting to turn around.”

Ye Olde Clippers Faithful could portray the high ratings as a significantly positive change for the team, but unfortunately, approximately 12 percent of the viewers (four people) had complaints about the broadcasters Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith, after they said some “inappropriate” commentary in the broadcast.

The on-air exchange went precisely like this after Memphis’ Hamed Haddadi entered the game:

Smith: “Look who’s in.”
Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”
Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.”:
Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA?”
Smith: “He’s the only one.”
Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”
Smith: “I guess so.”
Lawler: “That Iran?”
Smith: “Yes.”
Lawler: “The real Iran?”
Smith: “Yes.”
Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi — that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”
Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother? If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”
Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”
Smith: “Especially the post players.”
Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.”

“I was just pissed that so many people watched our broadcast,” Smith said. “If there were only 15 or 20 people watching like normal games, there’s no way they would have caught us.”

Lawler echoed his sentiment and wasn’t very apologetic.

“I think it’s crap,” Lawler said. “If they want us to take these games seriously, maybe they should have us cover teams that people actually care about like the Los Angeles Lakers or the University of Brown Brown Bears. How many games have the Clippers won in the past four years? 25?”

The Clippers have actually won 31 games over the past four years.

Game Notes:

The Clippers have more No. 1 draft picks than they do wins over the past two years.

Clippers Broadcasters Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith

I know what you’re thinking, if a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, did it actually make a sound? Well, apparently there is someone out there that actually watches the Los Angeles Clippers play basketball, and he’s not happy with the Clippers broadcasting duo of Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith.

Arya Towfighi, a Clippers season-ticket holder of Iranian decent, was offended over an exchange the duo had when the Clippers visited the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday. The exchange came towards the end of the game when Hamed Haddadi, the first Iranian-born player in the NBA, entered the game. According to the L.A. Times, Lawler and Smith had the following exchange.

Smith: Look who’s in

Lawler: Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?

Smith: He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA. (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA. (repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.)

Smith: He’s the only one.

Lawler: He’s from Iran?

Smith: I guess so.”

Lawler: That Iran?

Smith: Yes.

Lawler: The real Iran?

Smith: Yes.

Lawler: Wow. Haddadi that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.

Smith: You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?

Smith: If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.

Lawler: Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.

Smith: Especially the post players.

Lawler: I don’t know about their guards.

Not a shining moment from Lawler and Smith, no question about that. But according to the L.A. Times article, Towfighi’s e-mail was the only complaint received by Fox Sports Prime Ticket. I know, I know, there’s a chance that was 100% of the viewing audience. As a result, the station suspended Lawler and Smith from calling the Clippers next game last Friday against the Denver Nuggets.

The suspension resulted in multiple stories from the L.A. Times, a headline on espn.com and articles from virtually every other major sports outlet. It appears Fox Sports Prime Ticket drew far greater attention for the suspension than the actual comments made by Lawler and Smith.

Lawler is one of the most respected play-by-play men in the NBA and hasn’t missed a broadcast in 25 years. That doesn’t excuse the comments, but let’s also keep in mind that there was only that one complaint logged. Maybe an in-person apology to Towfighi and an on-air mention might have served the purpose without drawing the extra negative attention.

Keeping in mind that harsh punishments are often expected from offensive comments, my question to PR people and sports fans is. Should organizations be looking to minimize greater negative publicity from the punishment when disciplining broadcasters or company spokespeople for offensive public comments?

Update: Brian Cuban, brother of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, has a slightly different take on this issue on his blog The Cuban Revolution.

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Apologies for another light week here at the GHHT, but busy weeks come with the territory when at The U. Since my last recap, the Pistons beat the Washington Wizards, but lost their next 5 games. Despite some recurring themes throughout those losses, I’ll go with a game-by-game approach.

Pistons: 106  Wizards: 103 – I wasn’t able to watch this game, but the box score shows a lot of the things we Pistons fans expected coming into this season. The guards and Charlie Villanueva carried the scoring load: CV31, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, and Rodney Stuckey combined to score 91 of the Pistons’ 106 points. Detroit out-rebounded the Wizards 44-43, but that feat comes with an asterisk as Antawn Jamison did not play for Washington due to a shoulder injury. The big story of the game was the Wizards’ inability to score late in the 4th quarter. Washington went the final 5:03 without a field goal (until Gilbert Arenas hit a meaningless 3-pointer with 3 seconds left), and only scored 5 points in that time.

Mavericks: 95  Pistons: 90 – I think this game would have gone the other way for the Pistons if they hadn’t been on the second leg of a back-to-back. They looked tired at points during the game and it didn’t help that Ben Gordon made only 1 of 16 shots. Dirk Nowitzki maintained his MVP-like play in the early season with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. I was very impressed with Dallas rookie Rodrigue Beaubois. The Frenchman scored 14 points (on a perfect 6-6) in 19 minutes. Despite Gordon’s poor shooting night, I support John Kuester’s decision to give Gordon the ball in the closing seconds when a 3-pointer would have tied the game. Ball Don’t Lie’s Kelly Dwyer chimed in on this decision during his daily recap of NBA action.

So do you go to Ben Gordon, with the game on the line?

Of course you do. Hell yes, you do.

Why?

Because Gordon, and I’m paraphrasing here, is “a career 41.5 three-point shooter.”

And after Sunday’s outburst? He’s a 41.4 percent three-point shooter.

As always, great stuff from KD. Many Pistons’ fans wanted to see the ball in Will Bynum’s hands at the end of the game. I disagree. Bynum isn’t a great 3-point shooter, and you can’t trust the NBA officials to call a foul (or the Mavericks to foul in that situation) when the game is on the line. Unfortunately, Gordon missed and the Pistons took the loss. He’ll make up for it at some point this season.

Lakers: 106  Pistons: 93 – Don’t kid yourself: this was a beat-down. The Pistons’ bench was able to make things respectable towards the end of the game, but the Lakers were able to slack off when leading 88-63 after the first 3 quarters. Los Angeles dominated on the glass (44-32) and shot 47.2% on the night, even after shooting 33% in the 4th quarter. Kobe Bryant scored a seemingly-effortless 40 points. Poor Jonas Jerebko was charged with guarding the Black Mamba and looked like a rookie should in the process. Poor nights from Charlie Villanueva (2 points) and Rodney Stuckey (-30!) were a big part of the Pistons’ downfall. Still, it’s nice to see the team come back late in the game and not let the Lakers get too comfortable (Kobe was brought back into the game when the Pistons got to within 10 points).

Trail Blazers: 87  Pistons: 81 – The Pistons trailed for the majority of this game, but were consistently making small runs to get close and nearly take the lead. Unfortunately, the Blazers had an answer for every run the Pistons made. It seemed as if Brandon Roy would come up with a huge basket when the Pistons got too close. I was shocked when I saw he only scored 20 points; I thought he had at least 30. Charlie Villanueva bounced back from his poor outing against the Lakers with a 20 point effort. It would be nice to see him end up with more than 3 rebounds, but Ben Wallace grabbing 12 rebounds and a slow pace kept the amount of chances to a minimum. Surprisingly, the Pistons out-rebounded the Blazers 39-36. Portland killed the Pistons with their offensive efficiency, racking up 25 assists on 33 made field goals.

Jazz: 100 Pistons: 97 (OT) – I had a hard time paying attention to this one. Most of it had to do with the technical problems Fox Sports was having with their broadcast (especially the lack of the score on screen during the first half). Regardless, this loss was disappointing. The Pistons had a golden chance to win at Utah for the first time since John Stockton retired and came up empty. Packey summed up the night nicely at Motown String Music:

Even though it was an entertaining game, that doesn’t mean it was aesthetically pleasing.  The Pistons turned the ball over 17 times and allowed Utah to get to the charity stripe 44 times, of which they made 33, serving as the difference maker in this one.  Detroit made 21 of their 25 attempts.

Suns: 117  Pistons: 91 – The Pistons fell behind early in the 2nd quarter, trailing by 16 (58-42) at halftime and stretched their lead to 20+ in the 3rd quarter. The Suns were able to run on the Pistons at will, both after made baskets and defensive rebounds. Steve Nash continued to play at the ridiculous level we’ve seen from him this year (even by his standards) with 20 points and 9 assists. Amare Stoudemire received a technical foul early in the 3rd quarter and, like Rasheed Wallace in his early Piston days, took his game to another level. Stoudemire finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds. The Pistons, like most teams do at the end of a road trip, looked like they just wanted to get on the plane and go home.

To their defense, the Pistons have played 6 games in the last 9 days. Only one of those games was at the Palace, and it was on the second half of a back-to-back. The Pistons actually played three sets of back-to-back games in this 6-game stretch. Essentially, this was a 6-game road trip for the Pistons. Unfortunately, they were only able to come away with 1 win. The five losses came against teams with a combined 46-20 record (currently), and even that mark is held back by Utah’s 7-6 start. They took care of business against the (currently) 3-9 Wizards. The reality of the situation is that there aren’t many teams in the NBA that would come away from a stretch like this with a .500 record (3-3). There are definitely areas the Pistons need to improve (defense, general focus, Rodney Stuckey’s shooting), but don’t think that these losses are because the Pistons are a bad team. They just went up against some of the best teams in the NBA in a short stretch and weren’t able to come away with wins.

The Pistons are back in action on Wednesday against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland has been red-hot as of late, but hopefully the Pistons can come away with a November win against the Cavs for the second year in a row. The silver lining? The Clippers come to town on Friday.

#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/

Have you ever heard people say, ‘they brought their A game’? Or a coach will demand, ‘you need to bring your A game’? Better yet, someone in the losing locker-room explaining to a reporter, ‘we just didn’t bring our A game’.

To me, that’s all wrong.  You need to bring something stronger. Something much better. Something that gives you a better chance of winning.  How about your A+ game!

In big games, your A game will not cut it. In any game, your A game may help you stay close, but in order to win the big games, you need to bring your A+ game.

Every possession matters.  Every shot, every pass and every rebound…matters! Each time you step between the lines, play with energy, defend and take care of the ball.

Step up your game and bring your A+ game!

Observations:

I watched the Denver Nuggets go into LA to play the Clippers Friday night. Bad news for the Nuggets. LA decided to play.  Play hard that is.  Carmelo Anthony started off the game scoring 17 points helping Denver to a 12 point lead early.  He was scoring from all angles.  But Chris Kaman, by way of Central Michigan University took it upon himself to dominate the low post.

The Clippers bench also did a great job led by Sebastian Telfair who thought he was back in Coney Island pushing the ball in transition and dribbling like he was auditioning for the latest And 1 Mix Tour.  Rasul Butler chipped in with 27. Clipper came out on top 106-99.  Do you think Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy and Telfair sit down and talk Brooklyn Hoops? Dunleavy played at Nazareth High School, Telfair at Lincoln.  Would love to hear those two debate which is better, the CHSAA or PSAL?

“We have to somehow realize that we are everybody’s big game,” said Denver guard Chauncey Billups. “It’s not like a few years ago where you play the Clippers or somebody and it is just another game.”

That’s right CB, you guys are being hunted now!

Speaking of another ‘CB’, Charlie Bell of the Milwaukee Bucks (formerly of Flint Southwestern High School) has filled in for Michael Redd at the shooting guard position and has done a solid job. Last night he scored 19 points on 7-15 shooting including 5-11 from way downtown in leading the Bucks to a 103-98 win over Memphis. Milwaukee is now 8-3.

The New Jersey Nets are now 0-13 after losing to the Knicks on Saturday 98-91. Bring back Foots Walker, Mike Newlin and Mike Gminski!

Rasheed Wallace of the Boston Celtics is shooting 22 of 70 on the season from way downtown. Including 0-8 Friday night against the Orlando Magic.  What, him worry?

“I ain’t worried about it, honestly,’’ said Wallace, after he missed all eight 3-point attempts. “I probably rushed about two or three of them. Other than that, it’s good looks, they’re just not going for me. I’m not worried about my offense now. It’s still early in the season, I know I won’t be shooting like this for the duration of the season.

Hamed Haddadi on Elvis Night.

The Clippers TV guys (play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler and color analyst Michael Smith) were suspended by the team yesterday for being idiots. I’m not sure about in LA, but making racist and completely unnecessary comments on TV doesn’t fly around here. DO and RemDawg would never have this problem. Of course, it’s still kinda funny. Here’s what they said:

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “The real Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

Smith: “If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”

Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”

Smith: “Especially the post players.

Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.”

Meanwhile, even our presence in the building wasn’t enough to help the Celtics beat a team with a winning record last night and nothing is coming out of Red Sox camp on the Hot Stove market. Pretty boring times around here, but the Bruins have won two in a row, so thats nice.

Go Sox.

85 Days.

Done.

Για να ξεσκουριάσει το πληκτρολόγιο θα ξεκινήσουμε ένα παραδοσιακό post που από καιρό μας είχε προταθεί. Αφορά την προέλευση των ονομάτων των ομάδων του ΝΒΑ.

• Atlanta Hawks. Τα γεράκια της Ατλάντα δε πήραν το όνομα τους από το πτηνό όπως ίσως φαντάζεστε αλλά από τον Ινδιάνο αρχηγό Black Hawk ή όπως θα ήθελε να τον φωνάζετε Makataimeshekiakiak . Για αυτό και το πρώτο τους όνομα μέχρι το 1951 ήταν Black Hawks. Έτσι οι Αμερικάνοι, αφού έσφαξαν μερικές χιλιάδες ινδιάνους, χάρισαν  το όνομα του ενός σε ομάδα ΝΒΑ και εξιλεώθηκαν. Τα χρώματα της φανέλας προφανώς προέρχονται από το μαλλί του.

Ο πρώτος fan των Atlanta Hawks

• Denver Nuggets. Nuggets είναι οι βόλοι και στη περίπτωση της ομάδας αναφέρονται στην ανάπτυξη των μεταλλωρυχείων στις αρχές του 19ου αιώνα. Το πρώτο τους σήμα δείχνει έναν μεταλλωρύχο να ανακαλύπτει μία μπάλα μπάσκετ.

• Detroit Pistons. Ο πρώτος πρόεδρος της ομάδας ήταν ιδιοκτήτης εργοστασίου που έφτιαχνε πιστόνια. Το όνομα παρέμεινε κι όταν μετακόμισαν στο Detroit που είναι η πρωτεύουσα των αυτοκινητο-βιομηχανιών στην Αμερική.
• Indiana Pacers. Pace car είναι το safety car για όσους γνωρίζουν από Formula 1. Pacer επίσης είναι τα άλογα αγώνων που βαδίζουν έτσι. Κι επειδή δύο από τους βασικούς επενδυτές της ομάδας ήταν θαυμαστές τόσο των αλόγων όσο και του περίφημων αγώνων αυτοκινήτων Indianapolis 500, έγινε το βάπτισμα.
• Los Angeles Clippers. Επειδή το όνομα Losers δεν είναι εύηχο, ψηφίστηκε το Clippers που αναφέρεται στα  μεγάλα ιστιοφόρα που περνούσαν από το λιμάνι του San Diego (πριν πάει η ομάδα στο LA).
• Los Angeles Lakers. Η ομάδα ιδρύθηκε στη Minnesota, τη “γη των 1000 λιμνών”, και κακώς κράτησε το όνομα όταν μετακόμισε στο Los Angeles αφού λίμνες δεν υπάρχουν…
• New Jersey Nets. Το όνομα προέρχεται από τα διχτάκια (nets) και επιλέχθηκε το συγκεκριμένο για να κάνει ομοιοκαταληξία με τις άλλες ομάδες της (τότε) Νέας Υόρκης, Mets και Jets.
• New York Knickerbockers. Knickerbockers όπως είναι ολόκληρο το όνομα των Knicks, είναι ένα είδος κοντού παντελονιού (μέχρι το γόνατο περίπου), που φορούσαν οι Ολλανδοί μετανάστες στην Αμερική το 17ο αιώνα. Θα ήταν ενδιαφέρον να βλέπαμε τον Eddy Curry να τα φοράει.

• Utah Jazz. Οι Jazz ξεκίνησαν από τη Νέα Ορλεάνη, το μέρος που αναπτύχθηκε κη ατ’εξοχήν μαύρη μουσική Jazz . Πού να ήξεραν ότι κάποτε η ομάδα θα μεταφερόταν στη πιο λευκή και ρατσιστική πολιτείας της Αμερικής, τη Utah.
• Seattle SuperSonics. Το καιρό που μετακόμισαν στο Seattle, μία αμερικάνικη εταιρεία κατασκεύαζε ένα υπερηχητικό αεροσκάφος για να ανταγωνιστεί το concord. Το αεροπλάνο ποτέ δε φτιάχτηκε αλλά το όνομα έμεινε στην ιστορία.
• Boston Celtics. Η Ιρλανδική καταγωγή της περιοχής είναι αυτή που φυσικά έδωσε το όνομα στην ομάδα.
• Houston Rockets. Αποτέλεσμα ψηφοφορίας ήταν το όνομα Rockets και δε τους “χάλασε” καθόλου όταν μεταφέρθηκαν στο Houston όπου βασίζεται η NASA.
• Orlando Magic. Τα κυρίαρχα ονόματα στη ψηφοφορία ήταν Magic και Juice και ευτυχώς επικράτησε το 1ο.
• Washington Wizards. Για όσους το πρόλαβαν, το προηγούμενο όνομα της ομάδας ήταν Bullets και βγήκε γιατί η ομάδα κάποτε έκανε προπονήσεις  κοντά σε ένα εργοστάσιο που παρήγαγε σφαίρες για το 2ο παγκόσμιο πόλεμο. Μετά φυσικά άλλαξε σε Wizards λόγω της σχέσης των Bullets (=σφαίρες) με την εγκληματικότητα. Το Wizards δε ξέρουμε πως προήρθε, αλλά πιθανότατα ο πρόεδρος να ήταν θαυμαστής του Harry Potter.
• New Orleans Hornets. Το αρχικό όνομα για την τότε Charlotte ήταν Spirit αλλά οι οπαδοί ξεσηκώθηκαν και απαίτησαν διαγωνισμό. Έτσι ψηφίστηκε το Hornets (= σφήκες), διότι ένας Βρετανός Στρατηγός είχε δηλώσει στο πόλεμο ότι οι ντόπιοι πολεμούν σαν “φωλιά από σφήκες”.
• Miami Heat. Αυτό που αξίζει να ειπωθεί είναι ότι αν δεν κέρδιζε το όνομα Heat, οι Miami τώρα θα ονομάζονταν Flamingo

Τα περισσότερα, αν όχι όλα, από τα υπόλοιπα ονόματα, ψηφίστηκαν σε τοπικούς διαγωνισμούς. Αν κάποιος έχει περισσότερες πληροφορίες, ας μας τις πει!

credited to Nea_Liosia_7

RALPH LAWLER AND MICHAEL SMITH

The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers recently paid the largest civil rights fine in U.S. history for refusing to rent to African-Americans and Hispanics. That’s REAL discrimination. Donald Sterling wasn’t suspended for one day or fined one nickel by the NBA over that.

Now, however, Sterling’s announcers have been suspended (by Fox no less) for offending the racial sensibilities of ONE television viewer. The trouble started at the end of the Fox Sports Prime Ticket telecast of Wednesday’s Clippers/Grizzlies game when Memphis center Hamed Haddadi was inserted into the game. Haddadi is from Iran. Clippers 71-year-old play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler and color analyst Michael Smith repeatedly referred to Haddadi as “EYE-ranian.” The correct pronunciation is “ir-RANIAN.”

A single listener in the Los Angeles metropolitan area called the station to say he was offended over the announcers mispronunciation over the word “Iranian.” Lawler had not missed a Clippers game in 21 years for any reason. He sat Friday, along with Smith, for a one-game suspension.

Here’s a transcript of the exchange between Lawler and Smith that got them suspended, and was printed in the L.A. Times:

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “The real Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

HAMED HADDADI

Kudos to Diane Pucin for excellent reporting on the decision by Fox to suspend Clippers Announcers Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith for Friday’s game vs. the Timberwolves.

In the Clippers 106-91 loss to the Grizzlies , the two seasoned announcers had this exchange:

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “The real Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

Smith: “If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”

Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”

Smith: “Especially the post players.

Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.”

Now Ralph Lawler has not missed a game in 25 years. Dedicated, wonderfully enthused and talented, Lawler has been overlooked in a City of Wonderful Broadcasters from Vin Scully to Bob Miller to Chick Hearn, etc. The Clippers pitiful performance as a franchise certainly has everything to do with that, but his case for inclusion into the legendary pantheon has surely taken a hit with this back-and-forth with the equally enthused but far less seasoned Michael Smith.

Were the comments overtly racist? My initial reaction was agnostic, figuring this was another corporate attempt at political correctness.

After discussions with my wife, (whose parents are native to Huanusco, Mexico) who likened the exchange to “white people that thing all Hispanic/Latin Americans are ‘Mexican,” I agree with her to an extent – I think apologies (even of the profuse variety) are required from both Lawler & Smith as well as the organization, but I think the punishment was a bit harsh and will now tarnish the legacy of a solid announcer.

And frankly, isn’t a lifetime of announcing Clippers games punishment enough?

I used to write for things called newspapers,

Evan Lovett

This story confirms my belief that if Rush Limbaugh had ownership in a team that the African-American and Latino players who play in that league would not buck a paycheck by America’s favorite racist.  The man pictured here Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.  He just paid out the largest fines for a federal housing discrimination suit in this nation’s history.  Seems The Donald doesn’t like to rent to African-Americans and Latinos. 

This has been a long standing issue for Sterling.  And what gets me is the overwhelming silence around the league, including the NBA Players Association.  What is most telling is the likes of NBA Czar David Stern not having one word to say about this owner in a league which is probably the most diverse in all of professional sports.  This is the same David Stern who changed the dress code policy of players so that they don’t turn off sponsors with a ‘thug look.’    This is the same owner who fines and suspends players with the quickness for ‘off the court’ actions that hurt the image of the NBA whether convicted or not.  This is the same David Stern who fines the likes of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban at the drop of a hat for merely speaking out on what he thinks will make the league better.  Whether the commish agrees with Cuban or not, the very fact that he doesn’t hold the line in terms of some of his comments regarding league business, officiating etc. Cuban has racked up fines in the millions.

This owner discriminates to the point of having the United States Department of Jusice in his mix and there is complete silence from the NBA offices in New York.   So what gives?

In a strong way it reminds me of the NFL.  With the exception of Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams being fined for flipping the bird to fans, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell refuses to fine or suspend Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable for breaking the jaw of one of his assistants.  Again, the same commissioner who reserves and often takes advantage of the right to suspend players for things they are accused of without any unlawful convictions.  It looks like when it comes to keeping the natives in line, sports commissioners are great at drawing a line in the sand.  But when it comes to the owners they rarely feel the need to get involved. 

Roger Goodell’s policies are hypocritical to say the least.  But David Stern should be ashamed of himself.

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

#2 – Phoenix Suns

#3 – Denver Nuggets

#4 – Houston Rockets

#5 – Boston Celtics

#6 – Cleveland Cavaliers

#7 – Los Angeles Lakers

#8 – Portland Trail Blazers

#9 – Orlando Magic

#10 – Dallas Mavericks

#11 – Miami Heat

#12 – Milwaukee Bucks

#13 – Chicago Bulls

#14 – Oklahoma City Thunder

#15 – San Antonio Spurs

#16 – Toronto Raptors

#17 – Detroit Pistons

#18 – Utah Jazz

#19 – Indiana Pacers

#20 – Sacramento Kings

#21 – Philadelphia 76ers

#22 – Los Angeles Clippers

#23 – Charlotte Bobcats

#24 – Washington Wizards

#25 – Golden State Warriors

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

#27 – New Orleans Hornets

#28 – New Jersey Nets

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

#30 – New York Knicks

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings II: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/power-rankings-ii/

We had some pretty interesting shakeups in the rankings this week. We are truly beginning to see how interesting the season will be. The rankings will definitely fluctuate each week. one minute a team looks like they will tumble a lot, but then a team ahead suffers a bigger loss. Let’s just go to the rankings and see where each team lies.

1. Phoenix Suns (previous ranking: 1) (9-2)- The Suns may have lost to the Lakers, but despite all of that, they still have the best record in the NBA. There was no other team that could take the top spot, especially with the Lakers losing to the Rockets Sunday night, and the Suns thrilling win over Toronto earlier that day.

2. Atlanta Hawks (previous ranking: 5) (8-2)- They simply overmatched the Boston Celtics in the TD Garden, capping off a 3-0 week, and currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference. If you have to question this team still, why try? They are deep in every position, and if they can keep their intensity up, they may be more of a problem than most think.

3. Boston Celtics (previous ranking: 2) (8-3)- It’s one thing to lose the the Hawks, but to the Pacers? The C’s need to maintain their focus and not take all these games for granted. Teams like the Pacers are gunning for them and upset-minded each week. They are lucky enough to still be at 3 after the Pacers’ loss

4. Los Angeles Lakers (previous ranking: 3) (7-3)- So Reggie Miller, how’s that 20-1 prediction going for you? Right. Anyway, the Lakers have received great play from Andrew Bynum, as he has played at the caliber of an All-Star starter, but it’s apparent that this team really needs Pau Gasol.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (previous ranking: 11) (7-3)- The Cavs have won four straight and seven of eight since starting the season 0-2. They have really found their stride as of late with the victories. The only thing about it though: everyone else in the Central Division is in a good stride as well.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (previous ranking: 12) (8-3) The Blazers faced some of the lower echelon teams in the league this week, making it an easy 4-0 one for them. They get a big test starting Monday night in Atlanta. Maybe they can move up further facing one of the Association’s better teams.

7. Miami Heat (previous ranking: 4) (7-2) Hard to make the Heat fall even three spots, but with Portland’s 4-0 week and a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was only right to drop the Heat three spots. Dwyane Wade had a great week, posterizing Anderson Varaejo, and hitting the game-winning three pointer against the Miami Heat.

8. Denver Nuggets (previous ranking: 6) (7-3) The Nuggets didn’t have a bad week, heck, they blew out the Lakers at home, but they were just a victim of Cleveland and Portland rising in the rankings. They did lose to the Bucks, but the Bucks are rising as well.

9. Orlando Magic (previous ranking: 7) (7-3) The Magic handled business like they were supposed to, beating Charlotte and New Jersey, just like Denver, they were victims of two rising teams in the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers. Their only loss this week came to: Cleveland.

10 (tie). Milwaukee Bucks (previous ranking: 13) (5-2) Why aren’t the Bucks higher than the Nuggets? Although this team is good, and really good, led by Brandon Jennings, lets see if this team can get a significant road win or beat a top-10 team. They are playing the team they are tied with in the rankings, the Dallas Mavericks tonight.

10 (tie). Dallas Mavericks (previous ranking: 9) (7-3) The Mavericks lost to the Spurs, but bounced back with wins over Minnesota and Detroit, which are winnable games anyway. They are tied with Milwaukee due to the Bucks’ winning streak. Hard to put them out the top 10, and not put Milwaukee in the top 10. They are in Milwaukee tonight.

12. Houston Rockets (previous ranking: (6-4) Disappointing losses to Dallas and Sacramento contributed to this downfall, but they Rockets’ saving grace was a 101-91 win over the Lakers. Thank Aaron Brooks and his explosive second half for saving the Rockets to a huge drop.

13. Indiana Pacers (previous ranking: 23) (4-3) Four straight wins… the first three weren’t all impressive, but beating the Boston Celtics at home is a huge deal. This team is really coming together and it looks like Tyler Hansbrough is looking pretty good, averaging 10.3 PPG in just 14.7 MPG.

14. Chicago Bulls (previous ranking: 10) (5-4) Crushing loss at home against Denver and a loss to Toronto contributed to the drop from the Top 10. They need to get it back together, especially going on their west coast road trip starting with the upstart Sacramento Kings.

15. Sacramento Kings (previous ranking: 20) (5-4) It’s been over three years since the Kings even had a winning record, but after four straight wins and five of their last six, this is a team that is really buying into Paul Westphal’s system, and the play of Tyreke Evans is amazing. If they can keep this up when Kevin Martin returns, the Kings just might be a problem in the West.

16. Oklahoma City Thunder (previous ranking: 14) (5-5) The Thunder split four games this week, including two with the Clippers, but the most impressive win this week had to be a ROAD win at San Antonio. The Thunder. Big wins at the elite teams can go a long way.

17. San Antonio Spurs (previous ranking: 18) (4-4) They lost to the Thunder at home, but at least this team has Tim Duncan and Tony Parker back. It’s just a matter of time before we see the Spurs back at the top of the list again. The season is still early.

18. Detroit Pistons (previous ranking: 19) (5-5) The Pistons are still a tough team to figure out, but at least you can say that they are winning the games they are supposed to (Charlotte, and Washington before losing to Dallas)

19. Toronto Raptors (previous ranking: 16) (5-5) Still waiting for this team to explode, but now is it really time to question if Jay Triano is the right head coach for this team. They have a big time player in Hedo Turkoglu, a top pick in Andrea Bargnani, and of course, Chris Bosh. Too much talent on this team to be mediocre.

20. Utah Jazz (previous ranking: 22) (4-6) The Jazz still have a way to go to be among the top of the Association, but they did have two wins on the road at New York and Philadelphia, but two losses at Boston and at Cleveland helps them move up, just not much.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (previous ranking: 17) (4-6) Just like last week, this team went 1-2, with the only win going against the winless Nets. It’s going to be even tougher with Mareese Speights being out six to eight weeks due to a knee injury. Where is Elton Brand in all of this? He needs to step up, immediately

22. Los Angeles Clippers (previous ranking: 22) (4-7) The Clippers went 1-3 this week, with the only win coming against Oklahoma City. The Clippers got a huge break from a major drop since the rest of the Association is just plain bad. Even though it is Oklahoma City, this can be the start of something. After all, it just takes one win to get things going.

23. Charlotte Bobcats (previous ranking: 15) The talks of the ‘Cats having an offense dissipated quickly with three lackluster performances in all three games this week. They did get a scorer today in Stephen Jackson from Golden State, along with Acie Law. They had to sacrifice giving up Raja Bell, but the Bobcats need scoring. Desperately.

24. Golden State Warriors (previous ranking: 26) (3-6) The Warriors finally got rid of Stephen Jackson. Maybe this can be the start of something new. The move was made early, so maybe the Warriors can put a reset button on the season. They do need Andris Biedrins to heal so he can be a factor in the post. Don Nelson’s job is safe so it’s time for this team to right the ship, they have a good defender acquired in Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic should be a good three point specialist.

25. New Orleans Hornets (previous ranking: 24) (3-8) If the rest of the NBA was not atrocious, the Hornets would definitely be lower than what they are. Bad move in firing Byron Scott, and now without Chris Paul for three to four weeks. Long season ahead in NOLA. And why bring Tim Floyd back after being dissatisfied with him after one season in any capacity.

26. Washington Wizards (previous ranking: 25) (2-7) Not a good start for the Wizards, mainly b/c the injury bug is back in the District. The question for this team has to be: When is Antawn Jamison coming back to the lineup. The Wizards need ALL three of their players healthy apparently for this team to have any kind of relevance. Still early enough for them to turn it around.

27. Memphis Grizzlies (previous ranking: 28) (2-8) The Grizz got their second win of the season, and are 2-4 without Allen Iverson in the line up. Iverson will be 0-4 in his career in a Grizzlies uniform since he ended up leaving the team and being released today. It’s a shame since he was on the verge of starting. Sucks for Memphis fans and for Michael Heisley who needed a box office attraction. Iverson has plenty of days left in his career, just don’t see it in the NBA anymore.

28. New York Knicks (previous ranking: 29) (1-9) How bad are the Knicks? Apparently so bad that they can LOSE six straight and move UP a spot. Looking at them on SportsCenter really makes you wonder if LeBron would REALLY want to associate himself with a bad franchise like this team. Only time will tell in that regard.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (previous ranking: 27) (1-10) The Timberwolves have lost 10 straight games, matching the team that they beat on opening night, the New Jersey Nets. In fairness to Minnesota, they don’t have all of their weapons, with Kevin Love out, and Al Jefferson not fully 100 percent. This team will go up a little bit once they come back.

30. New Jersey Nets (previous ranking: 30) (0-10) So no change at the top, and no change at the bottom. Even if the Nets win, they need more wins than Minnesota to get out of this cellar. Like Minnesota, New Jersey doesn’t have everyone on the floor due to injury. Lawrence Frank luckily was not the first coaching casualty, but his leash is VERY short at this point.

Well that’s this week’s edition of the NBA rankings, check back next Monday for next week’s edition.

Team defense rallies after trailing by 22 points against Clips

Call it the peek after the valley.

The Raptors showed the upside to inconsistency yesterday as they turned a 22 point deficit into a 15 point victory in Los Angeles, defeating the Clippers 104-89. As was the case in a victory against the Bulls earlier in the week, the Raps had to overcome an abysmal first half and rally to secure the win. Head coach Jay Triano, while pleased with the end result, still has no answers as to why the club shows a schizophrenic style of play thus far this season.

“We said we wanted to come out with three straight stops (in the first quarter) and we did and then they scored 15 straight (possessions) almost in the first quarter.

“I have no idea, I have no answers. Our coverages are where they’re supposed to be.

“It’s not a real high-energy group, but we find the energy as the game goes on, our offence starts to flow and we buy in at the defensive end.”

Amir Johnson was key in the comeback, pulling down 9 boards in 19 minutes of playing time while sharp shooter Marco Belinelli continued his stellar shooting with 15 points off the bench.

Belinelli, along with Antoine Wright, will force Triano to possibly rethink his decision to start hopeful rookie DeMar DeRozan at the point. DeRozan, who has better athleticism than both his backups, receives less minutes while in the starting role and has trouble containing opposing guards.

Meanwhile, the rest of Toronto’s starters carried most of the offensive load. Chris Bosh had his 7th double-double of the season scoring 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds, while Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon scored 19 and 18 points respectively. For Calderon, it was the second consecutive game he has scored 18 points, and it looks he may finally be in top form.

“I think with the repetitions of him playing more, he’s become a lot more comfortable,” Triano said of his starting point guard. “He seems to be a lot more confident.

“He struggled (early in the season) with his whole game. He wasn’t passing the ball the way he normally did and a lot of that was trying to figure out as the quarterback of this team who your players are, where to give them the basketball. He found that teams are starting to go under on screen and rolls and he’s making them pay.”

The raptors will head to Phoenix to play Steve Nash on the Suns on Sunday night.

True Story.

It was 45-23 in early second quarter. The Clippers were manhandling the Raptors D. Worse, the Raptors didn’t show any resistance what so ever.

I was upset like any Raptor fan; the Raptors were playing like crap. Their defense was horrible, and the offense was stale, which was quite unusual for this season. So I was upset, but calm, saying to myself, “They can win this game, it’s the Clippers”. It wasn’t blind faith, I know they can do this.

And they did.

It starts with energy from the bench, Amir Johnson and Marco Belinelli. Johnson worked on the rebounding and Belinelli provided much needed offense. Then CB4 went into overdrive and go after every single loose ball, attacking Kaman and Camby. If he got his shot block, he came back in again. By the half, they trimmed the lead to 9.

Then the third quarter, Calderon played his best basketball this year, perhaps ever in a Raptor uniform. No it’s not just scoring, it’s his defense, yes, Jose’s defense on Baron Davis. He made Davis work on every single possession. His intensity along with Bosh’s brings the Raptors back to tie the game after 3 quarters.

Then Marco Belinelli came in and finished what he started in the 4th quarter. Making one big shots after another. And everyone else dig in on the defensive end. The Raptors won by 15. From 22 down and winning by 15, that’s a huge 37 points turn around. They did it without a healthy Turkoglu in late fourth quarter.

Of course, the Clippers did their best to help. They have to be the most inept group I have seen in quite some time. If you read Bill Simmons column, he would often go to a Clipper game because he is a season ticket holder. He would write columns describing some horrible basketball he witnessed. He wondered why the Clippers wouldn’t fire Mike Dunleavy (or Dumbleavy as he called him). I now fully understand what he meant.

The Clippers figured a way to give away the basketball. I mean some of the turnovers they have in the 2nd half was almost comical. It’s almost like watching the three stooges but instead of 3, it’s 5. Sometimes, they played like none of the players like each other. They took the lead because they were pounding the ball inside, run post plays for Kaman, Davis and Thornton. Then they stopped doing it after having success for no good reason. They shouldn’t lose this game, they were at home and up 22 points. I feel your pain, Clipper fans.

The Raptors do deserve a tonne of credit for fighting and working hard. It starts with rebounding and defense, as how it should be.

Keys to the win:

- Heart. It’s easy to pack it in when you are down 22, but the Raptors fought and show toughness. Something we don’t see that often.

- Marco + Amir Johnson. 15 points from Belinelli, 6/10 shooting from the field. Johnson 7 points 7 boards. Everyone talked about the Turkoglu signing in the off-season, but I think you will hear more about Johnson and Belinelli.   Sometimes it’s these little moves that makes the biggest impact.  The best part is that the Raptors didn’t give up anything to get them.

- Defense. Everyone worked hard on D in the 2nd half. Clippers scored a total of 35 points in the 2nd half They scored 34 points in the first quarter.

A win like this can be contagious. Hopefully they can carry this momentum to Phoenix. However, it’s not recommended for them to give the Suns a 22 point lead.

Great win.

5-4

Bosh takes it at Marcus Camby

I’ll be honest — I watched the first quarter and a bit of tonight’s Raptors game and saw them fall behind by about 20 before deciding I’d wasted enough time. To my relief, after I checked back at 88-88 midway through the fourth, Toronto went on a 16-1 run to finish the Clippers off, making the final 104-89. At least I’ll feel alright watching Sunday knowing I can do some good.

For the second straight game, the Raptors used a second half tear to pull away, outscoring Chris Kaman & co. 59-35 over the final 24 minutes to improve to 5-4 on the season. Again, having missed much of the game, I can’t really weigh in on what the difference was, though Jack Armstrong was hyping a huge defensive turnaround in what I saw late. Marco Belinelli was also a huge factor from the second quarter forward, scoring 15 points off the bench and finishing a +25 in 28 minutes.

Chris Bosh strung together another gutty performance, finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Jose Calderon continued to roll, scoring 18 on 8-of-14 and adding nine assists (and no turnovers). After getting cut by a Sebastian Telfair elbow with the Raps up two with about four minutes to go, Calderon went on a tear to close things out, finishing on a layup and dropping a three for the final dagger.

Kaman did most of the damage for the Clippers, scoring 25 and making quick work of Andrea Bargnani’s “post defense” in the first half. Bargnani had his way with Kaman on the other end though, driving and scoring a few times early and finishing with a late three to help put it away. Bargnani had 19 points on 8-of-13.

The win starts Toronto’s four-game west swing on a nice note, but it’ll get way tougher moving forward — Phoenix (8-2) is next on Sunday, followed by a back-to-back with Denver (7-3) and Utah (4-5) on Tuesday and Wednesday. I’ll be more than pleased with one of three.

Jose Calderon is starting to come around

And back out west the Raptors head. The boys start a four-game swing tonight against the Clippers at Staples Center — one they better take, because Phoenix, Denver and Utah loom to close things out and the chances of stealing a win in one of those cities are about as good as a Raptor guard checking an opposing player off the dribble. As always, the men at Raptors Republic have weighed in with an in-depth preview, which includes my NBA 2K10 simulation.

Even with their tough schedule to open the season, the Raptors have caught a share of breaks with teams missing some key players and coming off back-to-backs. The Clippers are the latest squad to face Toronto undermanned, with sophomore guard and second-leading scorer Eric Gordon (18.9 per) and 2009 top pick Blake Griffin sidelined. Renowned ugly man Chris Kaman has stepped up in Griffin’s absence (21.7 points and 9.6 boards), but he doesn’t exactly transform the Clips into a Western Conference power. They enter tonight 3-6 and coming off home losses to New Orleans and Oklahoma City.

As usual, the key for the Raptors is to D up or count on the Clippers to completely disappear in the second half, as Chicago did Wednesday at the ACC (though I’d say it was a combination of both that night). With Jose Calderon starting to click, it’s time to see Hedo Turkolgu step up and flash some of those late-game heroics that made him such a hot commodity this summer. That, and maybe a little production from Jarrett Jack and the bench crew.

The Raptors and Clippers tip tonight at 10:30 EST.

by Bill Henk
What follows is a story about Marquette hoops and education that I’ve enjoyed telling the past four years.  But now that I’m blogging, I can share it with our readers.  Hope you like it.

First, though, I have to tell you something about myself, and I promise to be brief.

I absolutely LOVE basketball.  Always have.  When I was just a little guy, I practiced for hours on end, hoping that the big kids would let me play with them.  Eventually they did, and at first they thought it was amusing how a kid my size had game.  But later they regretted it, because I started humiliating them.

In the years that followed, the only thing that held me back was my diminutive stature, but in the summer after my junior year, I grew over five inches, and came into my own during my senior season.  Then it was off to college on a scholarship to play the game I love.  It was probably a pipe dream, but I really thought I’d play in the NBA — at least until I experienced a career ending knee injury after a promising sophomore year.  But up until then, for better or worse, basketball was my identity and my life.

The Story Begins

So in my second year here, I was keyed up to learn that some of our Marquette basketball players were going to stop by our Hartman Literacy and Learning Center and read aloud to the children in the late afternoon.  Our Hartman kids struggle with reading, and it was thought that having some MU hoopsters stopping by would be a thrill that would increase their motivation.  Busy or not, I wasn’t about to miss this visit.

At the time, a former player who continued to work with the team after graduating, Todd Townsend, was asked by Dr. Lauren Leslie, the Hartman Center director, to send some players.   Todd had taken some Education courses and even read to the kids himself in the previous year.  I thought that we’d get some well-intentioned, but probably lesser known players, but lo and behold, in walked Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Steve Novak.

Dominic and Wesley were highly touted freshmen, and Steve figured to have his breakout year as a senior now that the remarkable Travis Diener had departed.  The elementary school kids stood in utter amazement when they witnessed  the 6′5″ Matthews and the 6′10″ Novak. They found the 5′10″ James less intimidating, and they might have warmed up to him a little more because of it!

The Story Continues

To be honest, I didn’t expect much. The players would be dragging physically after a long practice, and besides, what did they know about education?  I figured that they’d be awkward with the kids and would pretty much go through the motions reading their books, hurrying up so they could get out of there.

Wow, was I ever wrong! Talk about a pleasant surprise.

Each one of the players read his book at a comfortable pace and with surprising animation.  They made sure that the kids could see the pictures as they moved through the books.  For goodness sakes, they even asked questions!  They were gentle, soft spoken, kind, and sensitive to the children.  Who would’ve thunk it?

Maybe Todd had coached them, but I honestly don’t think so.  What came clear is that, from an educational standpoint, the scene could not have been drawn up any better. Here were three fine young men taking the time to be role models for children in need of inspiration.

Some of you probably know that Steve Novak had a well earned reputation around campus of being a really good guy.  The Marquettte nation didn’t know much about the two freshmen apart from the fact that Dominic had been runner-up in the hoops-crazed state of Indiana as its Mr. Basketball, and Wesley was Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin.  I got to spend time around both of them at a practice and on a road trip, and they certainly seemed like gentlemen to me.

On that day in the Hartman Center, it was Dominic who shined brightest among two other “reading stars.” He talked to the children about the importance of listening to parents and teachers, and how necessary it was to learn how to read and get a good education.  Then he spoke to the need for them to achieve good grades, and that he definitely planned to use what he had learned in school when his basketball playing days were over.   At the end he said that the odds of making it in the NBA were slim, so he was grateful to the university for giving him the opportunity to obtain a degree that would serve him for a lifetime.

I’m not kidding when I tell you that his remarks brought tears to my eyes.  My already solid respect for the basketball program skyrocketed that day.  If these three players were indicative of the caliber of young men we recruited to Marquette, then I had even more reason to be proud of this university.

The Story Ends

Marquette basketball fans already know much of the ending.  Most importantly, all three did well academically and graduated.  In that season, Steve Novak went on to have a first-team All Big East year, and Dominic received Rookie of the Year honors in the conference.

Along with Wesley, and their fellow freshman running mate, Jerel McNeal, the trio demonstrated that the Golden Eagles could be a force in the Big East for the next three years.  And were they ever!

Following the season, Steve was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round and played there before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers where he is a reserve on the roster.

Wesley appears to have made the Utah Jazz squad, and is getting about 20 minutes per game and scoring nicely.  Rumor has it that the organization really likes his drive and attitude.

Dominic played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the Las Vegas Summer League, suffered yet another regrettable injury, and eventually was released.  He received an offer from a Turkish club in Mercin, but I’m not sure if he took it or not.

Let me end by wishing all three of these Marquette alumni the very best, and by saying that I’m thankful to Dominic, Wesley, and Steve for making that one day so special for the College of Education, but most especially, for our appreciative Hartman Center kids.