Primeira Rodada: Ninguém

Segunda Rodada: DeJuan Blair (37, via Suns), Jack McClinton (51, via Raptors), Nando De Colo (53, via Rockets)

O Spurs conseguiram fazer muito com pouco novamente, adquirindo um dos melhores jogadores da temporada de faculdade com uma escolha da segunda rodada. Está certo que a maioria dos times que passaram por Blair estão com medo de suas condições físicas, principalmente seus joelhos – que já foram operados – o que leva a questionar a sua resistência no calendário duro de jogos da NBA.

Mas os Spurs estão prestes a perder sua oportunidade de tentar títulos com a geração de Duncan, Parker e Ginobili, portanto, é importante tentar ganhar agora para este time. Apostar em Blair dá um reserva de confiança para Duncan descansar mais durante a temporada regular, e chegar mais inteiro do que na temporada passada aos playoffs.

McClinton e De Colo provavelmente não estarão no elenco do Spurs, mas é sempre bom ficar de olho, principalmente em De Colo, ainda mais lembrando o que San Antonio fez com Ginobili.

Nota – 9

I don’t normally write lists, mainly because I think that’s just an easy (read: lazy) way of creating content. But in this instance, with thanksgiving coming up, I just wanted to jot down some thoughts on things that I’m thankful for in the sports world.

Feel free to leave comments with things that you’re thankful for.

• I’m thankful that the Chicago Bulls play “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 when they come out of timeouts late in close games.
• I’m thankful that my San Antonio Spurs continue to bring in players who are likable, regardless of how the team is playing. And that the franchise’s sole focus is on winning, not saving money or marketing players.
• I’m thankful that Brandon Jennings has been a success so far in his NBA career, so that elite players coming out of high school have options again. The NCAA no longer has a complete monopoly on top high school talent and players now have the option to go overseas for a season of much better preparation than the NCAA can provide.
• I’m thankful that despite their differences, I’m able to read both Deadspin and Bill Simmons. And enjoy each.
• I’m thankful that there a lot of people in the sports media world who make me feel like I could do a much better job than them. And eventually they’ll find out.

What are you thankful for, in the sports world or otherwise? Let everyone know in the comments.

I started playing basketball when I was 6 years old. The last time I stepped on a basketball court was senior year of high school. Needless to say, a great majority of my childhood and adolescence revolved around the game of basketball. My winters were spent playing in my township’s rec league on Saturdays and traveling around the state with my travel team on Sundays. My springs were spent watching the New York Knicks religiously.

Believe it or not, I lived and died with the New York Knicks in the 90’s. They were my team. I didn’t get their channel on the 19-inch television in my room, so every night I would fall asleep with a Sony handheld radio under my pillow and I would listen to the soothing voices of Gus Johnson and Walt Frazier call the Knicks games on WFAN. I can’t tell you how many nights I was woken up by one of Gus Johnson’s frenzied calls when John Starks hit a game-winning three or Charles Oakley dove into the press row to save a loose ball. If I dozed off before the game was over, the first thing I would do before I brushed my teeth for school the next morning was turn the radio back on and try to catch the final score.

Although I wasn’t even 7 years old at the time, I can vaguely remember the 1994 Finals against Houston. Luckily, they made it back again in the spring of 1999. After a season shortened by the lock-out, my Knicks made an improbable run to the NBA Finals as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. It was one of the best springs of my life. From Allan Houston’s runner in the lane to win Game 5 against Pat Riley and the Heat, to Larry Johnson’s 4-point play in Game 4 of the Conference Finals against the Pacers. I watched that play on my knees with my hands clasped together in front of the TV in my parents bedroom. When Johnson hit that shot over Dale Davis, I jumped so high that I came dangerously close to hitting my head on the ceiling fan. My parents thought that someone dropped a piano through the floor.

In the Finals, we were swept away in five games by a Spurs team that was at the beginning of a run that would bring them 4 titles in the next 7 years. As for us, it was the beginning of the end. After the 1999 Finals, we made one more run the following season, taking the Miami Heat to 7 games in another classic May battle before falling to the Pacers in the Conference Finals. Patrick Ewing was shipped off to Seattle the following offseason and the Knicks have made the playoffs only twice more since then and only posted a winning record once.

Over the next 6 years, I watched an incompetent front office and even more incompetent ownership run a once proud franchise into the ground. The decline of the New York Knicks this past decade has been such an epic disaster that it makes the Titanic look like a bath toy. Something else happened during that time though, something happened between the Knicks and I. We began to grow apart. Like they had done to so many fans, their organization had alienated me. The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, a place that had seen NBA Championships and countless legends now houses a failing franchise and the laughingstock of the NBA. The mecca of basketball, a building that never stopped rocking in the city that never sleeps, now struggles to fill its seats.

This where you come in, Mr. James. I, along with just about every other person that still calls themselves a New York Knicks fan, desperately want you to come to New York next summer. In fact, it’s more than that — we need you to come to New York next summer. I know we haven’t won a championship in 36 years and that we haven’t even made the playoffs since 2003, but believe me when I say that New Yorkers are passionate about their basketball. You might not be able to tell at first glance, but we still love our Knicks. We still love our Knicks even if this past decade was like the sports equivalent of going through a messy divorce. Maybe we’re a little more distant now, but we’re still here. Maybe we aren’t as loud as we used to be, but it was them who took away our voice. It was the Jim Dolans and Scott Laydens and Isiah Thomases that took this team away from us, and now we want it back. We want it all back. If you want it too, this is where you’re going to find it. If you want to win a title, we are your best shot. We have cleared enough cap space for 2010 to put an actual supporting cast around you, not just Shaquille O’Neal. If you want to become the biggest superstar the NBA has ever seen, New York is the city that will let you become just that. Come on, I mean Spike Lee is even wearing a #23 Knicks jersey already. And it’s not Toney Douglas.

We need you to save our team, LeBron. We need you to bring basketball back to New York, back to where it belongs, back to Madison Square Garden. We need you to make us matter again. The days of intense April and May playoff battles against the Heat and Pacers are long gone now. Long gone is Patrick Ewing dunking over Alonzo Mourning to win Game 7. Long gone is Allan Houston hitting a jumper over Reggie Miller to ice a Game 6 in Indiana. Long gone is John Starks dunking over Michael Jordan, Jeff Van Gundy swinging on Mourning’s legs and Chris Childs taking a swing at P.J. Brown. It’s all a distant memory now.

LeBron, you can help us remember again. There’s so much history that’s been lost among the wreckage of this decade. With your help, we can start rewriting that history. Adding pages to the legends, and adding banners to the rafters. LeBron James, deep down inside you want to be New York Knickerbocker. So when we send you that invitation next July, come on in and make yourself at home.

Sincerely,

Every New York Knicks Fan Ever

*Because of the short week and the holiday weekend, no picks column for Week 12, but here are my picks:

Green Bay (-11.5) over DETROIT

Oakland (+13.5) over DALLAS

DENVER (+5) over NY Giants

Indianapolis (-3.5) over HOUSTON

CINCINNATI (-14) over Cleveland

MINNESOTA (-11) over Chicago

Washington (+9) over PHILADELPHIA

Miami (-3) over BUFFALO

Arizona (+3) over TENNESSEE

Seattle (-3) over ST. LOUIS

Tampa Bay (+12.5) over ATLANTA

Carolina (+3) over NY JETS

SAN FRANCISCO (-3) over Jacksonville

SAN DIEGO (-13.5) over Kansas City

BALTIMORE (-2.5) over Pittsburgh

New England (+2.5) over NEW ORLEANS

Last Week: 8-7

Season Total: 90-70

To begin, I would like to talk about, in my and many others opinion, the best player on the planet: Kobe Bryant.

And what I want to talk about is his shot over the backboard. I have heard a lot of people spout their amazement of his shot, going to the point that it is a shot that will be in highlight reels for years to come. No. Undoubtedly, it was an impressive shot and a difficult one. But, it wasn’t that impressive. It isn’t even his best shot of the year, in my humble opinion. His Jordan-esque shot against the Pistons had a higher degree of difficulty than that H-O-R-S-E shot.

If you think that this is one of the greatest things ever, you don’t know how talented NBA players truly are. Go onto youtube and look at Gilbert Arenas make 73 out of 100 three point shots, with one hand. Players routinely make shots that would leave even the most talented of amateurs with their jaws on the floor.

I am not saying that this shot wasn’t spectacular, because it was. I am saying that Kobe can do few things that would shock me. That is how talented and special he is as a basketball player.

Moving on to another subject, Greg Oden posted a 24-12 game for the Trailblazers as they faced the Chicago Bulls last night. What does this mean? I have no clue, and I’m guessing he was aided by the fact that the Bulls have Joakim Noah as their starting center. That felt like more of a shot at Noah than I had intended, but what I mean is that Noah is probably best suited as a power forward, not a center, so it is a disadvantage when he goes against the better centers in the league.

Still, doesn’t it provide the same hope and potential that the Blazers thought they were drafting two years ago? If Greg Oden turns out to be anywhere near productive on a nightly basis, the Blazers go from potential threat to the contenders to serious contender along with the Lakers and the struggling Spurs.

Speaking of the Spurs, they are struggling and struggling bad. I mean, if they can’t turn it around soon, they are going to struggle to make it into the playoffs. Now, I have the utmost faith in Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan to turn the Spurs around before the year is done. However, their lackadaisical regular season play from the past couple of years has shifted into 4^th gear this year, struggling to hover around .500 for the year.

I thought, and I have been vocal about this, that the Spurs had retooled and were ready to once again claim the throne as Western Conference champions and possible NBA champions. Right now, I am looking like a complete fool. If the season were to end today, the Spurs would finish one spot out of the playoffs and the Oklahoma City Thunder would be in 8^th place. The fact that the Thunder has improved is not really surprising; the fact that the Spurs have won as much as they have lost is very surprising.

Still, even though the Spurs have struggled mightily this season, I cannot go against all reason and predict that they will miss the playoffs with that talented of a roster and that great of a head coach.

Enough basketball, lets talk Brady Quinn.

He played well against the Lions. It was reminiscent of his college days at Notre Dame when he torched opponents weekly while wearing the golden dome. Then again, the Lions are practically a college defense, or at least looked that way when trying to defend the pass.

Still, it seemed that he had enough arm strength to move the ball down the field when he had time to set up and throw. He also showed some good touch on short passes and intelligent play overall.

The question then becomes, is this performance a sign of things to come or a mirage in the desert? The fan in me wants desperately to say that this is a precursor to a great career where Quinn proves the doubters wrong and the believers true. However, as a reasonable fan, I realize that this is has not been the norm for Quinn since he came into the NFL and he was playing against a very bad pass defense.

Still, I enjoyed his play despite the fact that the Browns lost. I haven’t been able to say that in nearly two years about a Browns quarterback with the one exception being Quinn when he played Denver last season.

Still, the Browns were not good, as has been the case for every game this season. I feel bad for criticizing Mangini, but I can’t eschew him from any blame when he was definitely the driving force behind the roster changes from last year and they are definitely worse than last year. It seems like a coaching change is inevitable at this point, which is unfortunate, but likely necessary.

Watched the Spurs beat Milwaukee at The Ticket.  I love basketball!  I love the Spurs!

San Antonio Spurs end Milwaukee Bucks’ winning streak

Kings vs Grizzlies, 8:00 pm

Jason Thompson will return to his ways from before the three game skid and lead the Kings to a much-needed win over Memphis.  Zach Randolph and Rudy gay will have big games in a losing effort.  For Sacramento Donte Green and Fransisco Garcia will help out Thompson with strong outings.

Bulls vs Blazers, 10:00 pm

The Bulls will lose the third of the first four games of their annnual ‘circus road trip’.  Look for Rudy Fernandez and Brand Roy to play well for a Blazers team in pursuit of their eleventh win.  After a couple of big scoring nights Derrick Rose will drop back down closer to his season average as teammate Loul Deng will pick up the slack.

T-Wolves vs. Clippers, 10:35 pm

Minnesota will leave LA with still only one win to their credit.  Al Thornton and Chris Kaman will be the key players in the win, while Johnny Flynn and Al Jefferson’s showings will come up short.  The match up between Jefferson and Kaman will be an interesting one as will the pairing of Baron Davis and Flynn.

Spurs vs Bucks, 8:30 pm

Players to watch: Charlie Bell, Tony Parker

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Scoring: Brandon Roy, Zach Randolph

Rebounds: Jason Thompson, Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah

Assists: Tony Parker

Best Overall Performer: Brandon Roy

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?

#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/

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For the Spurs to make a serious run at the NBA Finals, the defense must improve. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

It’s getting to be late November and the NBA season is picking up pace. The Spurs sit at 4-6 right now, while the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers are 9-3 and their second-best player just returned to the lineup.

A sense of urgency is building around the Spurs, with many experts having picked them during the summer to be one of the top teams in the NBA. Some even went so far as to predict they’ll dethrone the Lakers.

What I see is a team inconsistent in every area. From game-to-game and quarter-to-quarter, the Spurs have yet to put it all together.

Maybe that’s good. They’re a competitive team in their current state, a few different breaks here and there and the Spurs are on the right side of .500.

On the other side of the coin, what if they’re unable to play a complete game?

Being just ten games into the season and having to fit in so many new parts, there’s going to be a period of adjustment. Some players are new to the team and must learn the system. Others are coming back from injury and trying to ease back into NBA shape.

The fear is not what the Spurs have been inconsistent at to this point, it’s what they haven’t shown the ability to do yet.

Interior defense and defensive rebounding are two things that come to mind. Gone are the days of the guards funneling their man into the twin towers with little chance of conceding a layup.

Tim Duncan is no longer the shot blocker he once was. He’s a smart defensive player who plays position defense and still provides a good number of blocks. But he’s not an athletic pivot who stops the ball at the rim anymore. (Was he every really athletic, in comparison to the rest of the NBA, that is?) Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner aren’t elite shot-blockers either.

And with the transition the league has taken to more perimeter-oriented offenses, many teams are playing “small ball” and using just one interior player. This scheme allows for more penetration against the Spurs defenses, leaving just one big to defend the rim.

From there, options are almost limitless. Teams can score points in the paint, draw fouls, and kick the ball out for uncontested 3-pointers. All three are crippling results for a team that banks on a stingy defense to win games.

The Spurs have to do something to remedy this. Duncan, McDyess and Bonner are proven commodities. We know the Spurs aren’t going to get any rim-stopping plays from them.

Theo Ratliff can still block some shots, (Just ask Carlos Boozer about that.) But at 36 years old, the game has passed him by. He’s not the physical beast the Kevin Willis was when Willis was in San Antonio. Ratliff’s body isn’t in shape to play more than 20 minutes in the NBA.

But towards the end of the bench and on the inactive list sit a pair of players with intrigue.

Ian Mahimni and Marcus Haislip have the athleticism to protect the rim and cover quicker big men. They have the young legs to play as many minutes as Pop feels like throwing at them. Unfortunately, to this point they haven’t shown the ability in other areas to get on the floor.

At some point soon, Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford are going to have to make a decision. Play Haislip and/or Mahimni in hopes that they’ll be in position to contribute during the stretch run. If nothing else, the Spurs can afford to lose games right now. They’re doing it anyway.

If not, trade one or both of them and bring in someone who can shore up our weaknesses. The season depends on it. Already.

Watched the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs last night on ESPN and was able to catch the end of the Blazers-Pistons game on Fox Detroit live from Portland; this after doing some advance scouting at Lansing Community College (The Stars played the Mott Bears) two tough teams that we have to play against twice this year.

Dirk Nowitzki went off for 41 points last night in leading the Mavs to a 99-94 overtime win. (Dirk dropped 11 of the Mavs 15 points in the extra session)  The one area that caught my eye after reading the boxscore was in 44 minutes of burn, Dirk didn’t record a single assist.  Maybe it was because Jason Terry and Jason Kidd shot a combined 5-25. Upon further review, when you can score like that, who needs to share the ball.  Dirk likes to catch the ball on the high post, face up to the basket and score on his man.  At times he will take the ball to the basket and finish with either hand. I’ve never been a big Nowitzki fan in the past but after watching him the past few nights, I’m starting to warm up to him.  It boggles my mind as to why the Spurs didn’t double team him more often? Make someone else beat you.  If the Mavs only had a decent center, they would make a run at the Western conference championship.

(Courtesy of NBA.Com)

Dallas only turned the ball over five times in the game; as opposed to Richard Jefferson of the Spurs who committed five himself.  Spurs coach Greg Popovich was calling for more ball movement and people movement in the huddle.  That makes sense.  You get the defense moving and possibly breaking down.

Is the Mavs shooting coach on vacation? They shot 3-17 from distance last night. Time to get some extra shots up…

ESPN’s Mark Jackson made a good point during the telecast, ‘You’re the fastest player on the floor, act like it.” Not really sure who is was talking about though.  Speaking of Action Jackson, the former Loughlin Lion CHSAA all-star, seems out of place without his buddy Jeff Van Gundy.

I noticed Monte Mathis behind Mavs bench, clipboard in hand.  Mathis used to be a college assistant and one day we were sitting together at the Nike camp watching high school players go through drills in Indy. While Herb Livsey (NBA scout and basketball trainer) was lecturing the kids on footwork, Monte was a bit too loud for Herb, who proceeded to yell at us…Sorry Herb.

This has nothing to do with the game but why must ESPN show Mark Cuban after every single play? Does he really make a difference? He’s got some entourage huh? Does he get his t-shirts at baby Gap?

Brandon Roy had a great comment last night after Portland’s win over Detroit.  He was asked about his team, “Our defense is better, we’re making the effort on defense.”

Interesting question asked during Pistons telecast on Fox last night during game about Blazers center Greg Oden’s future. 12% of Pistons fans said he is going to the Hall of Fame. Huh?

Pistons assistant coach Darryl Walker was a good defensive player in his day-Quick hands, got down in a stance and was a tough son-of-a-bitch. Did you know he was one of Hubie Brown’s favorite players in New York when Hubie was the coach?

Memo to NBA Marketing people; If there happen to be open seats courtside, and by half-time those ‘rich’ folks have not arrived, teams should send their interns up (or even Dance squads) top and bring down the real fans to fill them at half-time. Can you imagine how a father of two kids would feel sitting way up top in the nose bleed seats to be asked to come down to courtside and get a close up look of their favorite players? Which takes me back to the 80’s when I would buy a ticket at Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks for $4 only to sneak way down to courtside and listen to Hubie Brown coach his team. “POWER RIGHT, POWER RIGHT!”, was the usual call coming from the Knicks bench.

For what it’s worth, Lebron James WOULD make a very good NFL player despite what Jeremy Shockey thinks/says…James has strength, speed and most of all, courage.  If Antonio Gates can be a success in the NFL after playing college basketball, James would be all-pro.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I’m on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his game-high 41 points in overtime last night in a 99-94 win over the Spurs. Drew Gooden added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks. Tim Duncan led his team with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

~Signing Off~
AGE

#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/

Stephen Iannacone

On Halloween night, Manu Ginobili, a shooting guard for the San Antonio Spurs, swatted down a bat that got loose in the AT&T Center.  The bat had been loose for most of the game and after several failed attempts by the Spur’s mascot to catch the bat in a net, Ginobili got close enough to hit and kill it.  After the game, Ginobili said: “I didn’t think it was a big deal. Then the whole arena started chanting my name” and also referred to the bat as a “just a mouse with wings.”  The Spurs’ head coach noted, “He’s never ceased to amaze me the years he’s been here. … He just did it again.”  Some reports even suggest that this may be one of Ginobili’s “greatest athletic achievements” next to winning a gold medal in the Olympics and an NBA Championship.  Highlights on ESPN replayed the clip over and over in order to brag about his great reflexes.  Reports also say that the real burden is on Ginobili, because he now has to go through a series of rabies shots.  Does this seem wrong to anyone?  An entire stadium cheering over the death of a defenseless creature and giving praise to this person as if he has accomplished something great.

PETA seems to think something is wrong and finds nothing funny about his new nickname “Batmanu.”  PETA says that Ginobili has “no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own.”  After ESPN’s gratitude given to Ginobili, the angry emails began pouring in, some of which compared Ginobili’s actions to that of Michael Vick.  Is this comparison unfair to Ginobili?  Shouldn’t there be more repercussions than a few rabies shots?  Should the NBA impose some sort of fine?  If not, it seems that the cheers will not die down anytime soon.

While there are Texas statutes that govern the treatment of wild animals, these statutes do not explicitly protect bats, nor do they seem to help guide the actions in a circumstance such as this one.  In fact most of the applicable statutes only apply to wild animals that a person owns or transports.  However, using common sense, it appears there are several better ways that NBA officials could have handled this situation.  If the bat was that much of a distraction, the stadium crew could have delayed the game for a brief time until they could properly capture the bat or call animal control.  That is how they previously handled similar circumstances when the Atlanta Hawks mascot (a live hawk named “Spirit”) escaped into the stadium during a playoff game in 2009.  Officials stopped the game for about 10 minutes until they retrieved the bird.  Why could the Spurs not do the same?  Is it because they had no particular interest in protecting such an animal that they had no attachment to?  Whatever the answer maybe, it will be interesting to note how officials handle this type of situation after this.

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.

the kid can play

1. Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets keep winning, in the West. Carmelo looks like he’s playing with more determination than ever, second in the league in scoring, the team is winning on the road, and J.R. Smith has had a hot return off of his seven game suspension, possibly due to his desire to be called by his real first name: Earl. The Nuggets’ ascent is surely helped by the Lakers’ current slump, but for now the Nuggets are enjoying their time as the Western Conference’s best team.

2. Atlanta Hawks: The Ivy Leaguer is a prophet, the Hawks have raced to an early 8-2 record. They have beaten both the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic, does a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earn them a spot in the Eastern Conference elite?

3. Phoenix Suns: The Suns sit at the three position this week. With a very respectable record of 9-2, with losses coming to the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers (last year’s NBA Finals) both played on the second game of back-to-back series, the Suns still impress the Champ.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: My power rankings are all about who is playing best at the moment. Since their ugly 0-2 start, the Cavaliers have become a different team. Successful games against the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic on the road as well as a win over the Utah Jazz with Golden State coming into the Quicken Loans Arena bode further success for the Cavs. Not to mention the development of JJ Hickson, who scored 20 points in his third consecutive start.

5. Los Angeles Lakers: Good teams have problems, Pau Gasol’s injury being a 7 foot problem for the Lakers. Luckily, Andrew Bynum looks to be a All Star this season and is picking up some of the slack. But talk of a Kobe Bryant groin injury hurts what I think is the best team in the league.

6. Boston Celtics: No major injuries: check. No players awaiting return from suspension: check. Just some bad basketball for the Celtics, who gave up 113 points in an embarrassing loss to the Indiana Pacers. Like their rivals in LA, the Celtics are in a slump.

7. Dallas Mavericks: Last week I talked about the return of Josh Howard, this week I talk about the departure of Josh Howard. The Mavericks’ swingman is out indefinitely while the team failed to close out against the short-handed San Antonio Spurs.

8. Orlando Magic: OK, Rashard Lewis is coming back, Vince Carter is recovering from injury. Now lets play some defense and we will see if that translates into wins for “the deepest team in the league.”

9. Milwaukee Bucks: yes, the Bucks are a hot team right now, Brandon Jennings says “you’re welcome” to all six Bucks fans out there.

10. Miami Heat: couldn’t handle LeBron James and the Cavs at home and barely beat the winless Nets? Whatever it takes I suppose.

Missing from Last Week

Portland Trailblazers: Blazers fans can thank Brandon Jennings and Dwyane Wade’s last second heroics for their ommission from the list this week. However, the Blazers turned in four consecutive wins on the road, and continue to impress.

From the week of November 1-7

Sports: Boise State has hired PR firm Scott Peyron & Associates, to improve the football team’s chances of making a BCS bowl game. The team, long overlooked by the BCS for not being in a powerful conference, is hoping that this action will change the outlook of the NCAA on the Western Athletic Conference powerhouse.

Our Take: Scott Peyron & Associates will get Boise State more face time, but still no bowl game. NCAA football is set up to reward the powerful and this will continue, despite the Broncos efforts to leverage their solid playing with a little old-fashioned schmoozing. The BCS computer will never get beyond the less competitive conference in which they play. The only thing that may change the NCAA’s mind is a lawsuit, which we may see following another BCS bowl-less season for Boise State.

Entertainment: The Onion is partnering with Comedy Central to bring the world a sports-news parody show called enter title here. The show will feature stories such as “a touching piece on the first openly gay horse to run in the Breeders’ Cup or the Yankees building a summer stadium in the Hamptons,” according to Onion CEO Steve Hannah. The Onion hopes to have the pilot ready by spring.

Our Take: Hannah goes on to say that sports parody shows have been attempted, but have failed to make it to television. Hannah, there is a reason for this. No one wants to watch made up stories on sports when there is so much relevant, dramatic news actually happening. Comedy Central may release a few episodes, but the show will most likely be canceled due to a lack of Comedy Central viewers that want both sports and comedy.

Quote: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4630382

Our Take: Julie Foudy is right, how does this happen? The actions of Elizabeth Lambert were completely uncalled for. Many people are at fault here, though. The referees should have ended any kind of foul play immediately and not have allowed it to carry on for the entire game. The New Mexico coach should have removed Lambert from the game. This debacle is an unusual example of poor sportsmanship in women’s college athletics; New Mexico will suffer the consequences of  Lambert’s poor behavior as it reflects on  the school.

Oddity: If San Antonio Spurs’ guard Manu Ginobili’s lightning quick swat of a bat flying around the AT&T Center on Halloween night wasn’t odd enough, the city’s Freetail Brewing Company has created a promotion that will preserve the lore of the bat-catching Ginobili for the rest of the season. Every time the Spurs win a game sans the attendance of a bat, everyone at the brewery will receive a free pint of beer and the brewery will also donate $1 per patron to Bat Conservation International.

Our Take: This promotion is a smart way to parlay Ginobili’s crazy capture of a flying wild animal into attracting customers to the Freetail brewery. Taking advantage of a topic that will surely be talked about much of the time the Spurs play could potentially spread the word of the San Antonio brewery. A simple connection with this odd story could go a long way for Freetail.

Number: $400,000

Our Take: The New York Yankees captured its 27th World Series championship in team history. The MLB’s richest team will keep getting richer as the players are expected to gain a record $400,000 bonus for bringing the title back to the Empire State. The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals earned $362,173.07 for their victory. This number illustrates that it pays off to be a winner. In the past 13 years, the Yankees have earned over $2 million for their performances in the post-season.

Nelson looks to lead the Magic back to the NBA Finals.

Power Rankings

 1. Boston Celtics- The Celtics look good. They have enough depth this year to remain near the top, barring injuries.  

2. Los Angeles Lakers- The Lakers look strong again and should be the top team in the West when season’s end comes around.

 3. Orlando Magic- The Magic look strong and could compete with the Celtics for the top team in the East.

 4. Portland Trailblazers- The Blazers look great this year, due to some surpring play by their bench.

 5. Cleveland Cavaliers- The Cavs have already lost two games at home. This team needs to start clicking and fast.

 6. Denver Nuggets- ‘Melo looks outstanding this year. This team could be amazing this year if ‘Melo keeps it up.

 7. San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs look great in some games and not so great in others. Hopefully Duncan’s injury isn’t serious, because without him this team will struggle.

8. Atlanta Hawks- The Hawks are the dark horse of the league. They are the most underrated team there is.

9. Dallas Mavericks- Dirk Nowitzki is looking great and this team looks to remain solid throughout the year.

10. Miami Heat- The Heat are looking solid and should remain that way all year if Wade can remain healthy.

11. Phoenix Suns- The Suns are looking great. Right now, one of the best teams in the league. I think they will drop off a little, but with the way Nash and their offense is playing, they look to compete in every game.

12. Utah Jazz- The Jazz are just an average team. They need to start playing better if they want to compete in the tough West.

13. Washington Wizards- The Wizards are underperforming as of late, but part of the reason is the absence of Antwan Jamison. If Arenas can keep this team up there, when Jamison returns this team could be one of the best.

14. Chicago Bulls- The Bulls are competing against solid teams in every game they play. They look like they should be good all season.

15. New Orleans Hornets- The Hornets play really well sometimes and really poorly at others. This team needs more consistency if they want to make the playoffs.

16. Toronto Raptors- Toronto has to make the most out of this year, if they want to keep Bosh through the free agent period. They look decent, but need to improve.

17. Philadelphia 76ers- The Sixers are not quite a playoff caliber team yet. They need better play from Brand in order to do better.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder could fight for a playoff spot this year if they can manage to string together a frontcourt that can dominate the glass.

19. Detroit Pistons- The Pistons have suffered some injuries, but players like Ben Gordon have stepped up and played well for this team.

20. Los Angeles Clippers- The Clippers look solid at times with Kaman and Davis leading the way, but when those two aren’t clicking the Clips struggle.

21. Houston Rockets- The Rockets have surprised me a little. They are without big stars, yet are still doing well. Once McGrady comes back this team could compete for a playoff spot.

22. Milwaukee Bucks- The Bucks are another team that has surprised me. They are doing well, despite Michael Redd being out.

23. Golden State Warriors- The Warriors have loads of talent, but their coach is holding them back. This team could be good if they would fire Don Nelson.

24. Indiana Pacers- The Pacers are performing like expected. They should be like this all year.

25. Charlotte Bobcats- The Bobcats can win at home, but not on the road. I think they will be content with 41-41. 

26. Sacramento Kings- The Kings don’t look as bad as expected. They have had some good play by Thompson and Hawes, but this team still won’t compete this year.

27. Memphis Grizzlies- With A.I. out of the picture (supposedly), this team should improve and can focus on becoming great in the years to come.

28. New Jersey Nets- The Nets are the only team still winless. The absence of Harris has been troubling, but this team has too much talent to be winless.

29. New York Knicks- The Knicks are terrible. Their only excitement is when Lebron James comes to visit and drops 40 points on them.

25. Minnesota Timberwolves- The T’Wolves have no bench whatsoever. They are rebuilding right now around Big Al, but they need some bench players.

PREDICTIONS

Western Conference Finals: Suns over Spurs

Eastern Conference Finals: Magic over Hawks

Championship: Magic over Suns

If NBA basketball was analogous to playing Street Fighter, the Raptors would be the dude who knows every combo, every chain, every special move in the entire game. Glaring achilles heel? Toronto is unaware there is such thing as “blocking”. Like, I’m not even talking about knowing when to block. The Raptors don’t know blocking exists. This becomes noticeable after taking 15 dragon punches to the face.

With this offensive (literally and figuratively) mentality,  The Raptors posted 124 points in regulation, shooting .592 per cent from the field and nailing 11 of 17 attempts from long distance against the Spurs on Monday. Toronto lost the game.

If you didn’t watch the game, or even if you did, read that last paragraph and try to just make sense of it with a rational basketball mind. That San Antonio — sans Tim Duncan and Tony Parker — managed to put up 131 points in regulation to walk away with a win is simply an unbelievable, untenable fact. I saw most of this crime against basketball (when I was not burying my head in my hands) and yet, my mind remains blown by what I witnessed.

Sadly, this is not an original screenplay. The Raptors again were felled by poor rebounding, poor late game execution and a porous, inexcusably awful defensive effort.

Post-game, reporters repeatedly asked Toronto Coach Jay Triano whether there was something wrong with his defensive system. How do these guys have jobs? Anybody watching could easily assess that the problem is not coaching, or  the “system” or any abstract type of “philosophy.” The Raptors, almost to a man, are poor defenders. Period.

Toronto’s NBA squad cannot close out on shooters, cannot prevent dribble penetration, cannot intimidate in the paint or meet the ball defensively at the rim. The Raptors are slow to rotate from the weak side, show far too softly on pick and roll situations and send some of the most lazy, counterproductive double-team’s and traps this side of a Teenwolf montage.

I don’t know what Triano said to his troops after this loss — but I know if Wayne Brady was coaching Toronto he’d be having to choke an awwwwful lot of bitches tonight.

No need to get into stats. No point observing how Toronto’s defence was shredded not by Manu Ginobili, but by “manu ginobili” — the Agentine’s non-explosive, non-athletic, non-foul-inducing below-the-rim doppelganger. Nor is there much purpose in noting that despite another gaudy statistical effort, Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani were beasted by rookie DeJuan Blair and the cryogenically frozen body of Antonio McDyess in the decisive stretch of the fourth quarter.

No no no, all you need to do is imagine somebody playing Street Fighter who doesn’t know what blocking means. That was the Raptors tonight.

Button mashing might win you a few matches — but without knowing how to block, parry and counter, the Raptors won’t be pulling out any victories like the one below any time soon.

The 2nd week of the NBA season is in the books, and TSX is at it again with the NBA rankings. Did the Boston Celtics fall from the top spot? Who was the biggest movers, and who fell? What teams have a long season ahead of them?

Enjoy the Rankings. (sidenote: the records are retroactive to Monday afternoon)

1. Phoenix Suns (6-1) (previous ranking: 5) The Suns beat the Celtics, and for the most part of the game, beat them soundly. If people thought that the sun has set on this team, it has not just yet. Don’t make no trades regarding Amare just yet, Steve Kerr.

2. Boston Celtics (7-1) (previous ranking: 1) Losing to the Suns at home set them back a bit, but for the time being they are #2. This team is still healthy, and still compete, and they should be at the top for a while after this week.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (6-1) [previous ranking: 8] The Lake Show has bounced back from the Dallas loss with four straight wins this week. Maybe Reggie Miller’s 20-1 prediction isn’t far off. 14 more wins to go.

4. Miami Heat (5-1) (previous ranking: 4) The Heat have stayed consistent all week long, so this week, they stay right where they are. They lost to Phoenix, who in turn beat Boston, but bounced back nicely.

5. Atlanta Hawks (5-2) (previous ranking: 10) The Hawks lost to Charlotte pretty bad, after being fatigued on the West Coast road trip, but they turned things around and soundly beat the Northwest Division leading Denver Nuggets, prompting their rise to the top 5.

6. Denver Nuggets (5-2) (previous ranking: 3) The Nuggets got off to a 5-0 start, the best in team history, but ran into problems in the Southeast by losing to Miami and Atlanta. All Denver has to do is maintain its energy and they should be fine.

7. Orlando Magic (5-2) (previous ranking: 2) The Magic took a tumble, largely due to their blowout loss in Oklahoma City to the Thunder and capped off a 2-2 week. They have had success against the Charlotte Bobcats, but the ‘Cats are 3-0 at home this season.

8. Houston Rockets (4-2) (previous ranking: 12) The Rockets received good news: T-Mac is planning to return on Nov. 18th. If they can have one more good week when he returns, this team should be in good shape, if McGrady stays healthy.

9. Dallas Mavericks (4-2) (previous ranking: 7) The Mavericks are in a tie for first place going into a early season showdown at home against Houston, but the good thing going for them is that Josh Howard is back, and it appears he his back with a vengeance.

10. Chicago Bulls (4-2) (previous ranking: 19) One of the bigger moves up the rankings this week, the Bulls are playing some good basketball, beating division rival Milwaukee, surprising the Cavaliers on the road, and coming back from behind to beat the Charlotte Bobcats. A win over Denver could move them further up.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) (previous ranking: 9) The Cavaliers have to be under the Bulls right now, but they have won 4 of the past 5 since starting 0-2. It’s a matter of time before they are in the top 5 and get the ball rolling.

12. Portland Trail Blazers (4-3) (previous ranking: 13) The Blazers are ahead of Milawukee due to the tougher opponents they have faced. Andre Miller is really catching on in the Blazers rotation. With the money that was spent on him in the offseason, he will be the starter eventually.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (3-2) (previous ranking: 17) The Bucks have done well without Michael Redd, as young Brandon Jennings is really showing that going to Italy matured him very quickly. He was NBA-ready out of high school, but going to Italy for one year has really made him better. The Bucks may be a dark horse out the East.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3) (previous ranking: 16) The Thunder have had a rough week, losing two of three, but they took the Lakers to overtime, and they soundly beat Orlando at home. This team is looking impressive by each game. It will be interesting to see if they will be contend when March and April come around.

15. Charlotte Bobcats (3-3) (previous ranking: 24) The ‘Cats have found an offense, and they soundly beat the Hawks at home, and took Chicago to the limit before losing on the road. If Charlotte can start winning on the road, they can be in great shape. The players are buying into Larry Brown’s coaching, which is good.

16. Toronto Raptors (3-3) (previous ranking: 22) The Raptors played well as of late, with impressive wins against New Orleans and Detroit, but losing to Dallas. The question is with them: Will they be that team that comes from under the radar, or will they ultimately disappoint?

17. Philadelphia 76ers (3-3) (previous ranking: 15) Losing two of three is not good, but the Sixers need to know that they only play the New Jersey Nets four times out the year. They have to beat other teams, and beat them consistenly. Can Eddie Jordan give that to this team?

18. San Antonio Spurs (2-3) (previous ranking: 6) Two losses to Utah and Portland are big, and they way they lost just really posed the question: Are these the same Spurs? They really looked lethargic in those two games.

19. Detroit Pistons (3-4) (previous ranking: 20) The Pistons split two with the Magic, but they split Toronto (L) and Philadelphia (W) as well. This team is still a tough one to figure out.

20. Sacramento Kings (3-4) (previous ranking: 28) The Kings have won 3 of 4, and Tyreke Evans has done a great job being the facilitator of the offense. The players are buying into Paul Westphal’s system. The bad news is the loss of Kevin Martin for six-eight weeks.

21. Los Angeles Clippers (3-4) (previous ranking: 30) The Clippers have won three straight. The salvaging of wins before Blake Griffin returns looks more promising. Taking advantage of the winnable games like Minnesota, Golden State, and Memphis is what this team needs.

22. Utah Jazz (2-4) (previous ranking: 14) The Jazz beat the Spurs, then lose to the Kings, both at home. With the Jazz inconsistency on the road in the past couple of seasons, losing to the Kings at home is not a good thing. That allows Sacramento AND the streaking Clippers (yes, three is a streak for the Clippers) to leap frog them.

23. Indiana Pacers (2-3) (previous ranking: 26) Indiana is playing well, and Tyler Hansbrough had a decent debut with his team coming off the bench. This team, however, needs more quality wins to have any chance to move up in the rankings.

24. New Orleans Hornets (2-5) (previous ranking: 18) Between the Hornets and Wizards for 24, it came down to New Orleans’ win over Dallas, giving them a 1-3 record for the week. Had the Wizards just won a single game, they would be ahead due to the fact the Hornets lost to the New York Knicks.

25. Washington Wizards (2-5) (previous ranking: 11) The Wizards had a rough week, going 0-4, and had the biggest freefall of the week, into the Southeast Division cellar. It appears the injury bug has returned to Washington with the loss of Mike James, Mike Miller, along with Antawn Jamison. Agent Zero has to get this team going again and in the right direction.

26. Golden State Warriors (1-4) (previous ranking: 25) Losses to the Clippers and the Kings in blowout fashion puts this team in even more shambles than they were before. At least they go out on the court and play. The culture needs to be changed in Oakland quickly, one step would be getting rid of Stephen Jackson.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6) (previous ranking: 23) Six straight losses after the dramatic win against New Jersey has this team near the bottom of the rankings. At least in these losses, this team played the Boston Celtics to the end, losing by only two points.

28. Memphis Grizzlies (1-6) (previous ranking: 21) The Grizz went 0-4 with Allen Iverson playing. Then Iverson quits on the team and requests a leave of absence. The player who was going to put fans in the seats has not only turned his back on his teammates, but owner Michael Heisley, Memphis fans, and has ruined any possible chance of getting a ring for ANY team. The sad thing is, he would’ve been in the starting lineup since he was playing so well.

29. New York Knicks (1-6) (previous ranking: 27) The Knicks are the Knicks. they won over New Orleans, which was impressive, but has lost to the Pacers, Cavs, and Bucks. Danilo Gallinari has stayed hot from three point land, and that has been the only bright spot for this team.

30. New Jersey Nets (0-7) (previous ranking: 29) From bad to worse. 68 points only scored against the Charlotte Bobcats, who were the most offensively anemic team at the time. Blowout loss vs. Denver and a blown lead against Philadelphia, followed by another bad performance against Boston just puts the Nets in a very bad way. Lawrence Frank may be the first coach to go this season.

We have already seen drastic changes. It will be fun to watch how these teams fare next week.

#1 – Boston Celtics

Yes, they are no longer undefeated and they struggled to beat a shorthanded Nets however they are still playing the best basketball of the NBA.

#2 – Phoenix Suns

During the season preview, I wrote that the Suns are the easiest team to predict that will blow our expectations and they are doing just that. The run and gun is back with the killer combination of Nash and Stoudmire who are returning to their old forms.

#3 – Los Angeles Lakers

Still without Gasol for the entire last week and now without Bynum, the Lakers struggled a little bit against the goods Thunder and Rockets and ran over who they should, the Grizzlies and the Hornets. Kobe’s performance throughout the week has been impressive.

#4 – Orlando Magic

Throughout last week, the Magic found their first two losses of the season against a banged up Pistons and against the young Thunder, both on the road. Off course they miss two of their top scorers, Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter, but what were surprising are the statements from both Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard who said some of them quit on those games.

#5 – Denver Nuggets

Tough schedule for the Nuggets this week, on a trip to the East Coast, they played four games on the road and found their first two losses, against the Heat and the Hawks on back to backs when they clearly seemed warn out.

#6 – Miami Heat

Their only loss was to the Suns on a game that Stoudmire went off. Wade is carrying them again this season and their early schedule has been favorable. On this pace, they are on their way to the playoffs.

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

Disappoint heartbreaking loss against the weak Hornets on a game when they didn’t show up to play their best basketball but had it on their hands late and let it slide. Good win against a good Raptors team at home.

#8 – Cleveland Cavaliers

It’s scary to see the Cavaliers against good teams, even at home this season. Off course they can run over the Knicks, but they can’t generate any offense from somebody else not named LeBron James when they face a decent playoff team. Shaq just doesn’t fit there.

#9 – Atlanta Hawks

They did allowed 103 points to a Bobcats team that simply can’t score but a huge win against the Blazers on the road worth the rise on the rankings.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

They did drop a game against a pretty good Hawks at home but wins against an upcoming Thunder and the aging Spurs worth the spot.

#11 – Houston Rockets

On a battle against the defending champions, Kobe Bryant was just too much for them and they lost however it was clear which team won on the swap. Ariza took them to overtime and was a fumble away of the win.

#12 – Chicago Bulls

Weird loss to the Heat at home but huge win against the Cavaliers on the road last week. They are the Miami Dolphins of the NBA, so many formations, variations and rotations, cool to watch.

#13 – Oklahoma City Thunder

Huge win against the Magic at home when they just run over them however Oklahoma City lost every other game of the week.

#14 – San Antonio Spurs

They look old and Parker is hurt already.

#15 – Philadelphia 76ers

They’re such a .500 team. This week they lost to the Celtics and the Pistons, who they should and beat the Nets who they also should.

#16 – Detroit Pistons

No Hamilton and no Prince last week but some way, somehow they stole a win against the Magic. They seem on the right way.

#17 – Washington Wizards

We can’t blame them for the tough losses this week. Washington miss Antwan Jamison and Mike Miller. Jamison is supposed to their third high scorer and Miller is such a nice option on the Wing that without those guys, their offense is just limited.

#18 – Toronto Raptors

They are on the same, lost for whom they supposed to and beat who they supposed to.

#19 – Charlotte Bobcats

They got their first wins of the season this week. As Raja Bell and Flip Murray came back, they won some outside shooting which helped them to beat inside out defenses like the Nets and the Hawks.

#20 – Utah Jazz

They are such a weird team. Utah showed up to play against an aging Spurs but dropped against the Jazz. Really?!!

#21 – New Orleans Hornets

This is the one, clear team that reached the playoffs last season and won’t make it this one. They quit on Byron Scott. Chris Paul is playing unbelievable games and they are still losing badly.

#22 – Milwaukee Bucks

They are who we thought they were: win at home, lose on the road.

#23 – Los Angeles Clippers

Kris Kaman was their MVP this week (something I thought I would never say in my life) as they started to twist their season.

#24 – Indiana Pacers

It was a better week to Larry Bird’s team but it is always a better week when you face the Knicks.

#25 – Minnesota Timberwolves

They are still bad and they miss Kevin Love a lot but at least they fight and you can’t ask for more than that. Two heartbreaking losses against teams that are way better than they are, Celtics and Clippers, made their week.

#26 – Sacramento Kings

Wow. On a week when Kevin Martin got hurt and Nocioni was arrested, the Kings beat the Grizzlies and the Warriors at home, shocked the Jazz in Utah and had a close game against the Hawks in Atlanta. Probably their best week in a while and they are now (wait for it, wait for it) 3-4! Sacramento won 42,9% of their games and now I’m on suicide watch.

#27 – Golden State Warriors

They are still a mess but a talented one and that’s what makes it frustrating.

#28 – Memphis Grizzlies

Where to begin? 5 games played this week, 5 games on the road, and 5 losses. Iverson debuted but came off the bench, was unhappy, went to the media and left before even played one single home game. It’s unsure if he’ll ever come back and even so, when.

#29 – New Jersey Nets

There’s no way to blame anybody for this slow start. The Nets lost four of their top scorers in one week, faced the Celtics with only eight healthy guys and still put up a decent fight. At least they are trying.

#30 – New York Knicks

They quit. How couldn’t they?

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings I: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/power-rankings-i/

Even without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker the San Antonio Spurs were able to use their bench depth and dribble penetration to down the Raptors.  Defense seemed to be something everyone in the building was allergic to tonight.  Both teams put up a tonne of points and Manu Ginobli was unstoppable.  On top of which, the Raptors were manhandled on the boards and gave up a heap of second chance points.

Jose and the rest of the Toronto Perimeter could not contain San Antonio on route to a disappointing loss

Zan for Three

6th man? On what planet?

Without Duncan and Parker the Raptors really had one focus on defense tonight and it was Ginobli.  I know he’s technically a 6th man but the guy was unstoppable.  Somebody put a hand in his face, get up on him, double team the guy for goodness sakes.  He treated the Raptors perimeter defense like they were pylons and helped make the rest of the Spurs team look like magnificent.

Didn’t realize how many Hall of Famers the Spurs had

Without Duncan and Parker the Raptors decided to make Matt Bonner and George Hill look like Hall of Famers.  Seriously these guys looked like Kobe and Wade out there slahing and scoring at will.  I love the Red Rocket but he isn’t an NBA starter and the Raps made him look like Dr. J.  It was a night the Raps should have been able to shut down the Spurs, yet the defense was abysmal, and at times the game resembled the Washington Generals playing against the Globetrotters.

Give me another chance

How much did you want Reggie Evans to rip off his suit like Superman and reveal he was actually in uniform?  The guy is desperately needed right now.  The Raps couldn’t contain the Spurs inside even without Duncan. Bosh and Amir Johnson showed moments of grit and fight but this team needs to get tough in a hurry or they are going to get torched every night.

Zan of the Night

Manu was deserving and Bosh had a pretty good statistical game but let’s give it to Sonny Weems who made his Raptors debut tonight, shot 100% from the field and looked servicable.  He may be an interesting project this year.

Not Zan of the Night

Perimeter Defense

Jose picture is on on most fans’ dartboards right now but Jack, Wright and Derozan were awful as well.  Not one player could contain George Hill let alone Manu Ginobli or Richard Jefferson.  It was like watching a grade 6 team try to defend the Lakers.  Offensively this unit was productive and sound but they couldn’t buy a stop.  130pts allowed is ridiculous. You cannot win games giving up 130 points. Especially on the road.

Sadly, this is the game we’re going to look back on as the one that got away.