So the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Toronto Raptors last night by the score of 111-89. It was the second time in 10 days that the Hawks had beaten down the Raptors, which the Hawks outscored them by 53 points combined in both contests. It has been a good start to the month of December for the Hawks. The bench has played exceptionally well in addition to the starters, as shown by Mike Bibby, Al Horford, and Joe Johnson all playing less than 28 minutes last night, with Bibby playing only 16 minutes himself. The fact that the bench has played well may not be as big of a deal right now, but it will have a big effect later. With Bibby being 31 years old, he can’t physically play 30 minutes a night for a whole season. I have said before how big the Jamal Crawford trade was, but with these good performances, it has given Jeff Teague a chance to get some good minutes to help him gain experience being a rookie. Four Hawks had double figures off the bench (Crawford, Evans, Pachulia, and Teague), and with them scoring, it will let the starters not have to work so hard so they will have more in the tank come playoffs time. (Yes, I said playoffs time. Part of becoming a contender is to not think about getting there but what is going to happen when you are there.)

The schedule for the Hawks for the season on the whole is not a bad schedule at all. There aren’t any crazy home or away streaks like they had last year when they were on the road for pretty much the whole month and home for the next. They have had a pretty mild beginning to December, but as we get closer to the end of the month and the beginning of January, I feel that it is the toughest part of their schedule. After playing very winnable games against the Nets and the Grizzlies, they play 5 out of 6 on the road, with a four game swing that goes from Chicago to Minnesota, then to Denver and a swing by Indianapolis before they end the year with a back-to-back home and home with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Lebron James (and if you remember correctly, swept the Hawks in 4 games in the playoffs last year). So the Hawks need to continue to play well so that they can get through this tough stretch of games with success and stay close or get on top of the Southeast division and/or Eastern Conference Standings.

Yeah, we’re back.

The Champ sits here in his home writing this in anticipation of tonight’s game. The Octagon is now here, good to see him. We’re still waiting on the arrival of The Franchise, and The Custodian is MIA.

The Octagon thinks Kyle Korver looks like Ashton Kutcher. Ok he has a point.

Now we see a Ashton Kutcher camera commercial, which really sucks.

We now ponder the past prospects of the Hawks drafting Chris Paul. ooooh.

That’s the Hawks uniforms: ATL? ha.

Tipoff: Still no Franchise.

The Octogan is moderately surprised when Vince Carter hits a three pointer.

Jason Williams puts up a very bad shot and misses.

Craig Sager and camo? Really? Fucking camoflague?

Josh Smith: big dunk.

The Octagon is suggesting the Magic employ a whitewash to get their hearts back into the game.

Josh Smith is talking about his maturation, not something else…

Howard’s picking up his game now.

Adam Morrison: Human Victory Cigar – the Octagon.

The Octagon points out that the longest losing streak is less games than the longest winning streak- so its easier to be really good than really bad?

Where is the Franchise? This will not go unsettled.

The Octagon thinks Anthony Johnson has breasts.

Jamal Crawford once put up 50? News to us.

Joe Johnson, the Octagon feels he's underrated.

BUCKS/THUNDER! yeah baby!

Zaza Pachulia, what a dumb foul.

Marcin Gortat should open a ski resort on his face – The Octagon

OK: If you could punch a basketball player in the face past or present who would it be?

The Champ – Tyronne Hill: to see if he could get any uglier.

The Octagon – Ben Wallace? Adam Morrison? Damon Jones?

The Franchise – Ron Artest 

Mike Bibby looks great in a chef’s hat.

Joe Johnson hits for three, we lament his leaving of the Suns.

The Franchise has finally arrived… with his sister.

Vince Carter and the Magic look to rebound in the second half.

The Octagon has been looking up basketball books on Amazon. (Hey Freelancer! put our Amazon link here)

But anyway Orlando has brought the score within four. Orlando 56 Atlanta 60

Hey Look! Dwight Howard has a type!

The Octagon is willing to take one for the blog come May.

REDDDDDICCCCCCKKKKK!!!!!

Anthony Joshnson should not be in the NBA.

Look it’s Anthony Johnson!

We hate the Fred Martin Car Guys.

So the Octagon was watching YouTube videos for the past half hour maybe?

Anywho, Orlando 80 Atlanta 71.

Where is the Hawks’ offense?

Anthony Johnson oh my lord.

OK the Magic win, the Freelancer is the best live blogger.

We really don’t have anything left to say other than: Go Herd.

Hey Look! Dwight Howard has a type!

The Atlanta Hawks have a rich history with the NBA and the NBL. In 1946, as a member of the National Basketball League, the franchise began. However, at this point in time they were known as the Buffalo Bisons. This name only lasted a short while; it was changed to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks within their first season. The franchise has continued with the ornithological naming scheme ever since. In 1951 they became the Milwaukee Hawks. In 1955 they moved to St. Louis. It seems that the Hawks attempted to emulate their mascot with such frequent migrations, and they found their home in 1968 when they were relocated to Atlanta.

The Hawks thrived between 1985 and 1989, with 50 wins or more per season. However, the Eastern Conference Playoffs seemed to be a barrier they could not overcome. Some notable Hawks players are Moses Malone, Dominique Wilkins, Steve Smith, and for one game, Rasheed Wallace.

Quote: “We’ve made our case on the floor… We haven’t been able to hype our way into anything. So anything we’ve earned, wins, respect or whatever else, has come the hard way. We worked for it.” -Josh Smith

This Season:

The Hawks traded Acie Law IV and Speedy Claxton to the Warriors for Jamal Crawford. They also re-signed Mike Bibby and Zaza Pachulia. Finally, they agreed to a one year contract with Joe Smith. This year appears to have the potential to top last year’s 47-35 season, possibly allowing for a shot at the finals.

Wine Spectator recently ran a column, Are You Ready for Some Football (Wines)? , that is certainly right up many NFL fans’ alley. They highlighted some of the former players that have taken heavily to a wine lifestyle since retiring. It is surprising to see some of the names involved and hopefully this list continues to grow.

For those of you who doubt that an NFL player can make great wine, don’t think that they are going it alone. They have enlisted great winemakers to either mentor or partner with them in their journey. Winemakers such as Thomas Brown (of Schrader), Chris Figgins (of Leonetti), Rob Lawson (of Ghost Block) and the legendary Ed Sbragia (of Beringer), highlight the wealth of winemaking knowledge involved. This should not be surprising as great players realize the importance of having a great team (both on and off the field).

Unfortunately, current NFL rules forbid active players from discussing/promoting alcohol (it is simply an endorsement situation, the NFL just wants to be in control of it). Just imagine the active role wine has in many of these players lives, be it well-developed cellars, part-ownership in restaurants and wineries, and possibly as part of their investment portfolios. I look forward to hearing more as the years progress.

A couple weeks back I wrote a piece about current NBA player Zaza Pachulia’s recent purchase of trendy Atlanta wine restaurant Eno. As I alluded to then, any time an athlete embraces the wine lifestyle, I find it very appealing. Athletes have a way of appealing to most casual wine drinkers in a way that Robert Parker, Jim Laube and Hugh Johnson simply cannot. If you said “who?” to the names just mentioned, then I have proved my point. There is the potential that this type of exposure to non-wine drinkers will hopefully convert a few new wine lovers to our side.

I encourage you to read the Wine Spectator piece; it is a nice synopsis of former greats that have succumbed to the allure of the vine.

Listed below is a condensed list of former NFL personnel that are now involved in winemaking:

Charles Woodson (Current Green Bay Packer CB) – TwentyFour Wines
Rick Mirer (former Seattle Seahawk and Oakland Raider QB) – Mirror Wine
Drew Bledsoe (former New England Patriot and Buffalo Bill QB) – Doubleback Winery
Joe Montana (Hall of Fame quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers) – Montagia
Dick Vermeil (Legendary NFL coach) – Vermeil Wines
Mike Ditka (Hall of Fame player and coach) – Mike Ditka Wines
Carmen Policy (Former San Francisco 49ers president) – Casa Piena

Image Sources:
Charles Woodson – http://deadspin.com/5026974/nfl-to-charles-woodson-only-we-can-endorse-alcohol
Drew Bledsoe – http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Wine-Talk-Drew-Bledsoe_4361

As a former athlete and a wine lover, it always interests me to see athletes getting involved in the world of wine. There are countless examples, from Drew Bledsoe starting his own winery (Doubleback in Washington), to David Beckham’s love affair with Far Niente’s Cabernet Sauvignons, to former pro-cyclist Jonathan Vaughters becoming an honorary member of L’Echansonnerie des Papes (the keyholders of Chateauneauf). There are many fun and intriguing stories of pro-athletes succumbing to the allure of wine.

This latest example is close to my heart. As a restaurant wine consultant, I truly appreciate when restaurant owners try to improve their patrons’ experiences whenever possible. Such is the case of Zaza Pachulia, center for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. According to an article in Wine Spectator, he has recently purchased Atlanta’s Eno. His intent is to introduce some wines from his homeland of Georgia (yes, Georgia is also a country). To me, there is nothing better than offering a unique, cultural experience. Kudos to Zaza!

Now, if only Hedo Turkoglu would become a restauranteur in Toronto and introduce some Turkish wines!

The Atlanta Hawks were pretty good last season. By pretty good, I mean they finished with a 47-35 record, which was enough to net them home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They were 10th in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency – a solid, but not elite club. They beat the Miami Heat in the most unwatchable 7-game playoff series in NBA history and then were handily swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

We all knew they had no chance against Cleveland. The Cavs were dominant in the regular season and were the favourites to win the title. Atlanta, being a sub-elite team, shouldn’t have been expected to win a game against any of the legitimate title contenders last year. After the moves they’ve made this summer, I don’t expect things to be any different next year.

Let’s look at these moves then, shall we? The Hawks re-signed Mike Bibby, Zaza Pachulia, and Marvin Williams; they acquired Jamal Crawford for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton; and they drafted Jeff Teague out of Wake Forest. What do I think of all of this? Blah. Blah, blah, and blah. Okay, fine – I love that they held onto Marvin Williams, but the organization really hasn’t done anything exciting here.

It’s not that they won’t improve. Joe Johnson should sustain; Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams should get better; Crawford should be a slight upgrade over Flip Murray; and Teague should be better than Law. Being a better basketball team than last year doesn’t guarantee they’ll win 47 games again, though. Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston all could win 60-plus games next season. Washington, Chicago, and Toronto could make significant leaps from where they were last season. Philadelphia, Detroit, and Indiana could make minor jumps, too. The Hawks are capable of getting that 4th seed in the East again, but they’re going to have to work for those wins.

If the Hawks are going to make a big splash next season, it’s going to be because of superior play from their young core. Marvin Williams needs to get the ball more and he needs to be more aggressive. He’s an efficient young player, but he doesn’t assert his will on the game often enough. Al Horford is also an efficient guy, but he needs to improve his post game – offensively and defensively. He did improve in his sophomore season, but didn’t make the jump some people that he would. Now is his time. As for Josh Smith, um… He needs his own paragraph.

Josh Smith is one of the most intriguing (and exciting) players in the game. He has ridiculous athleticism and displays extreme aggressiveness at times when he attacks the rim like a crazy person and blocks shots with the strength and power of a dunk. At other times, though, he settles for low-percentage jumpers on the perimeter. He does have some guard skills and he seems to like the ball in his hands, but on a team like this, surely he’s most effective on the inside. With all the ball-handlers on the roster, Mike Woodson and his coaching staff need to make a commitment to teaching Smith how to play off the ball and play the pick-and-roll game. I have no doubt that the Hawks will improve if he plays more like a young Amare Stoudemire than a Chris Bosh-type, offensively.

I’m not sure whether to bet on the Hawks improving or not. If we see some growth from within and an inspired coaching effort, then it’s possible. If not, then it’s going to be the same old story and, if I was a Hawks fan, I’d be demanding some bigger changes next summer.

Venga, vamos a hacer un repasico a los últimos movimientos en la NBA. Como decía, no hay ninguno especialmente sonado, pero sí varios interesantes por lo que suponen de refuerzo para ciertos equipos que quieren volver a lo más alto de la competición (¿cómo rendirá McDyess en los Spurs…?). Y por último, el rumor casi confirmado de que The Matrix jugará en Dallas el año que viene. Pasen y vean el zoco americano…

The Birdman: Chris Andersen ha renovado por cinco años y casi 26 millones de dólares con los Denver Nuggets. El año que viene cobrará más de 3,5 millones, en una sustancial mejora respecto a los 998.000 dólares que cobraba el año pasado. La verdad es que se ganó a pulso hasta el último dólar con esos 2,5 tapones en 20 minutos por partido, y es un ascenso merecido. Mi única duda, claro, es su edad: acaba de cumplir 31 años… ¿hasta cuándo podrá seguir poniendo los pinchos que pone?

Andrea Bargnani: Otro que ha renovado con su equipo ha sido el italiano Andrea Bargnani, que ha aceptado el contrato que le ofrecían los Raptors, por otros cinco años y unos 50 millones de dólares. Bargs ha firmado una temporada francamente buena, borrando la sensación de irregularidad que había dado en sus primeras campañas, pero aun así 10 millones al año parecen muchos millones para alguien como él, por muy número 1 del draft que fuera. Con su renovación y el fichaje de Turkoglu, a lo que se podría añadir la contratación del rookie Demar DeRozan (nº 9 del pasado draft), en quien los Raptors tienen puestas muchas esperanzas, Bryan Colangelo quiere intentar convencer a Chris Bosh para que siga en el equipo cuando llegue el temido verano de 2010. Por ahora parece que se van a librar de Shawn Marion (leer más abajo…).

Zaza Pachulia: Más renovaciones, en este caso del pívot georgiano de los Hawks, que seguirá cuatro años más en el equipo (no he encontrado la cifra por la que le han renovado). Pachulia, que en estas últimas temporadas ha ido pasando de cuasi-calientabanquillos a suplente de garantías e incluso titular con oficio, se ha ganado a pulso un hueco en la rotación de los Hawks, que siguen confiando en él…

Anderson Varejao: El Actor Secundario Bob también ha renovado con los Cleveland Cavaliers por 6 años y un total de casi 50 millones de dólares. Personalmente me parece una exageración para un jugador como Varejao, pero quién soy yo para decir nada al respecto. Además, aporta su dosis de pelea, que nunca viene mal. De los Cavs dicen también que están a punto de llegar a un acuerdo con Anthony Parker, que es, recordemos, agente libre sin restricciones.

Antonio McDyess: Uno de los hombres altos más buscados en este mercado de verano, Antonio McDyess, se ha decantado finalmente por los San Antonio Spurs, que le habían ofrecido una suculenta oferta de 15 millones de dólares por tres años. “Dice” tiene 34 añazos pero conserva un físico digno de alguien mucho más joven, y estoy seguro de que aportará cosas interesantes al (por ahora) exiguo juego interior de los Spurs.

Marcus Haislip: Otro que se marcha para Texas, abandonando el que ha sido su hogar en Málaga en los últimos dos años, es Marcus Haislip. No se conocen los detalles del contrato, pero está claro que un jugador versátil como él le vendrá muy bien a los Spurs. Interesante, muy interesante es la renovación que han llevado a cabo los Spurs este verano, limpiando la plantilla y complementando a su Big Three con un anotador como Richard Jefferson y dos “curritos” no carentes de talento como McDyess y Haislip. Si Gregg Popovich consigue encajar todas las piezas, habrá que seguir de cerca a los Spurs el año que viene…

Jannero Pargo: La cosa estaba bastante anunciada, pero ayer se hizo oficial: Jannero Pargo volverá a la NBA, y lo hará jugando en los Chicago Bulls, que le pagarán unos dos millones de dólares por un año de contrato. Tras pasar de puntillas por Rusia y Grecia este año, Pargo podría volver a demostrar que es un microondas en los Bulls, donde ya jugó en sus primeros años de carrera. Los Bulls arriesgan muy poquito dinero y tienen posibilidades de conseguir un jugador muy útil, veremos cómo les sale la jugada…

Y después de lo que está confirmado, vamos con algunos rumores que hay en el aire. El más importante, claro, es el relativo a…

Shawn Marion: Parece que Raptors y Mavericks han llegado a un acuerdo para traspasar a Shawn Marion de Toronto a Dallas, en un movimiento que afectaría nada menos que a cuatro equipos. Ojito al encaje de bolillos:

• Los Magic renuevan a Turkoglu y lo envían mediante sign & trade a los Raptors.
• Los Raptors reciben a Devean George y Antoine Wright de Dallas.
• Los Mavericks envían a Jerry Stackhouse a Memphis, que le cortará y, a cambio de eso, reciben 3 millones de dólares por participar en la jarana. Dallas también recibe a Kris Humphries de los Raptors.
• Lo más importante: los Mavericks firman a Marion con un contrato de cinco años y un total de 40 millones de dólares.

Menudo mareo de traspaso… en cualquier caso, lo único que saco en claro es que The Matrix ha aceptado una sustancial reducción de sueldo a cambio de jugar en una potencia en el Oeste e intentar recuperar el nivel que en tiempos exhibió. De esta forma, los Mavs harán un último intento por atacar el trono del Oeste (y quién sabe si de la liga) antes de 2010, con una plantilla bastante completa y basada en torno a Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion y Josh Howard. Cómo se está poniendo la gente en el Oeste…

Paul Millsap: Los Portland Trail Blazers estarían interesados en fichar a Paul Millsap, el agente libre restringido de los Utah Jazz. Aunque Utah puede igualar cualquier oferta que le hagan a su power-forward, según el diario The Oregonian, los Blazers estarían preparando una oferta “tóxica” (literalmente), que exterminara el interés de otros equipos. Según ese mismo diario, Millsap habría aceptado salir de reserva por detrás de LaMarcus Aldridge, y los Blazers podrían llegar a ofrecerle algo menos de 9 millones al año… lo cual, efectivamente, parece una oferta demasiado tentadora para Millsap.

Allen Iverson: Una de las principales decepciones del año pasado, Allen Iverson, podría intentar redimirse en un equipo de medio pelo como los Memphis Grizzlies, que estarían considerando ofrecerle 5 millones de dólares por un año de contrato. Si con O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay y, recordemos, Zach Randolph en el equipo ya estaba complicado rascar bola, con The Answer por Tennessee la cosa podría ser incluso peor. ¡Pobre Marc Gasol!

Buff… y eso es todo por ahora. Me dejo en el tintero algunos traspasos menores (y cuando no los pongo aquí es porque son, ciertamente, menores), pero os hacéis a la idea de cómo se está moviendo el tema en la NBA estos días. Lanzo mi clásica pregunta: ¿veis posibilidades para los Spurs y/o los Mavericks con estos nuevos fichajes? ¿Podrán plantar cara a los todopoderosos Lakers?

The NBA’s Southeast Division is the Eastern Conference’s best division top to bottom. With the signings, trades and draft picks made this offseason, all the teams in this division could be poised to vie for playoff positions. Which moves will actually improve these teams, and which ones are merely lateral moves? Will any moves actually make any of these teams worse? History says yes…

Orlando Magic – 59-23, 1st in Southeast, Eastern Conference Champions
Magic salaries at HoopsHype

The Magic’s preseason goal was to win an NBA Championship. They surprised a lot of people and dominated the Cavaliers to reach the Finals. Perhaps the most important player to their success is small forward Hedo Turkoglu. Turkoglu negotiated with the Magic last summer, looking for a deal paying him $10M a year. The Magic wouldn’t bite, and Hedo declared that he would be exercising his early termination option and become an unrestricted free agent, no matter the outcome of the 2008-09 season. Turkoglu was true to his word and opted out just days after losing to the Lakers in the Finals. Turkoglu did nothing but help his stock with his clutch performances in the playoffs, and multiple teams will be after him. GM Otis Smith did indicate that he did not want to overpay to keep him, but work passed down from ownership has given him the green light to exceed the salary cap to keep him. Assuming they choose to do so, a team in need of a center may send an offer to restricted free agent Marcin Gortat. The negotiations with Turkoglu could prevent them from keeping Gortat, meaning the Magic should be in the market for a new backup center. One way they could acquire one would be to ship out PG Rafer Alston, who seemed to have an issue with his role after the premature return of Jameer Nelson. Rafer’s expiring deal isn’t fully guaranteed, which makes him an even more attractive commodity. PG Anthony Johnson can choose to stay with the team an additional year, which would be a relief for Orlando, as he is a cheaper (and less volatile) option and would free the Magic to trade Alston. With no draft picks, if the Magic keep Turkoglu they won’t have much cash to build their bench. The recently traded Fabricio Oberto and Etan Thomas could become free agents and would be cheap options to back up Dwight Howard. Unless they are willing to ship out Tony Battie and another contract to make a big splash, the Magic may be mostly the same when next season begins.

Atlanta Hawks, 47-35, 2nd in Southeast, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Hawks salaries at HoopsHype

The Altanta Hawks are a young and athletic bunch, but more is needed to turn them into a serious competitor. There is a current rumor that the Hawks will send Speedy Claxton and Acie Law to the Warriors for Jamal Crawford. As this isn’t yet official, let’s deal with the Hawks’ current issues. One thing this potential trade shows is that the Hawks and Coach Mike Woodson are willing to shake up the roster. Mike Bibby, Zaza Pachulia, Flip Murray and Marvin Williams are all free agents this offseason and will likely be unable to keep them all. Even if they retain Mike Bibby (hopefully for less than the $15M he made last season), I see the Hawks picking a point guard with the 19th pick. Acie Law hasn’t worked out, and the trade on the table is evidence of this. The Hawks should have their choice of Eric Maynor or Jeff Teague, with Teague likely being drafted if there. Tyler Hansbrough could be the pick here to settle into the PF spot. UConn PG AJ Price could be there for them to take at 49 if they don’t select a PG early. The Hawks aren’t in the best financial shape, and overpaying for Josh Smith isn’t helping matters. Injecting cheap youngsters that can contribute now would be ideal, and keeping Bibby, Pachulia and Murray in that order will likely push them to their limit. A sign-and-trade of Marvin Williams could be in order, particularly if Hansbrough is selected Thursday.

Miami Heat – 43-39, 3rd in Southeast, eliminated in First Round
Heat salaries at HoopsHype

The Miami Heat are in a tough spot. They are good enough now to be a playoff team (not by much), but are unlikely to do anything major to retool the roster until Dwyane Wade’s future has been decided. Wade can opt out of his contract after the 2009-10 season and become a free agent and leave the Heat with a gaping hole in their roster. Wade is willing to talk this summer, so Pat Riley should get on that ASAP. If Jermaine O’Neal (player option exercised) and Udonis Haslem can stay healthy this year, they would have a solid start to build a contender, given Wade stays. Swingman Yakhouba Diawara has exercised his player option and will stay with the team. The Heat will likely look to retain free agent Jamario Moon, and a team option on James Jones could be exercised to keep some depth at SF. Joel Anthony should be affordable to keep around to shore up the bench. As far as the draft is concerned, late second-round picks (43 and 60) won’t offer much help this year, but a decent player or two could be discovered here. UNC’s Danny Green or Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks could be much better than their draft projections would indicate and could develop this year behind Wade.

Charlotte Bobcats – 35-47, 4th in Southeast, missed playoffs
Bobcats salaries at HoopsHype

Larry Brown seemed to bring some life into the Bobcats this season, and they actually got out and competed on a regular basis. They even managed to sweep the eventual NBA Champs last season. That really meant nothing, as Charlotte still has plenty of work to do to improve their chances of making the playoffs in 2009-10. Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Boris Diaw are locked up long term and shouldn’t be going anywhere. DJ Augustin performed moderately well this past season, but I can definitely see the team exercising their team option to keep Raymond Felton to man the point. Sean May isn’t as fortunate as the Bobcats declined his option, making him an unrestricted free agent. They could re-sign him, but only if it were dirt-cheap (that’s all he deserves, if that). Raja Bell played well in Brown’s system as well, but depth at that position is needed. Their 12th pick will like help fill that need, with Duke SG Gerald Henderson and Louisville’s Terrence Williams both expected to get a look. Their second-round picks (40, 54) could help land some size in the frontcourt or an additional shooter. The Bobcats could be open to trading Bell to land a better scorer. The Bobcats were a Gerald Wallace lung away from making the playoffs last season, and next year could result in their first playoff berth.

Washington Wizards – 19-63, 5th in Southeast, missed playoffs
Wizards salaries at HoopsHype

The Washington Wizards have already started their quest to return to the playoffs, acquiring Mike Miller and Randy Foye for the #5 pick, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov. Veterans Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler believe this team can make a real playoff run if they’re healthy and pushed for management to deal the draft pick. While you could argue that the #5 pick could have turned into a great player, you must agree that the Wizards organization must win basketball games now, and doing so with proven commodities in Miller and Foye is safer than relying upon a rookie. The Wizards have enough youth in Dominic McGuire, JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Andray Blatche…that was enough for them. Mike James has exercised his player option for next season, and his $6.5M could be dealt, or kept for a little cap relief for next summer when he comes off the books. The success of the Wizards is tied to their health, specifically that of Gilbert Arenas. Arenas has been an expensive cheerleader ($14.65M last year), and the hope is that he can return to his All-Star form alongside Jamison and Butler. Though they may be reluctant to spend more money, they could use a backup big man now, especially since they traded Songaila and Thomas away. Some cheap options could be had this summer, including Chris Wilcox, Jason Collins and Francisco Elson. Starting center Brendan Haywood was injured for the bulk of last year, and his solid interior play is also vital to the Wizards team finally reaping the benefits of their huge payroll.

Well that concludes the team overviews as we apporach the 2009 NBA Draft.  I’m looking forward to more trades, surprise selections, and horrible fashion decisions. Check back with me this weekend with my draft thoughts.

Basketball players that posses intangible skills play crucial roles for their teams.  In my opinion they are just as valuable to the team as the star.  Without these key intangible players, these teams would likely be out of the playoffs by now.  We here at Fourth and Fifty think it’s time to recognize the best intangible players remaining in the playoffs.  There seems to be a common denominator among the following players.

1.) Shane Battier
Small Forward for the Houston Rockets.  Country of Origin, United States.  Skin color, delicious caramel (no homo).  Battier plays with his mind.  He’s kind of like Professor Xavier from the X-Men if he could walk, and play basketball.  He keeps the other team from scoring.  He commands a defender when he is at the 3 point line, so it helps to stretch the defense.  Overall Shane is the most important intangible player in the league.  The Rockets would be out of the playoffs right now if he wasn’t playing.

2.) Brian Scalabrine
Power Forward for the Boston Celtics. Country of Origin, United States. Skin color, translucent (white).  Brian plays with a sense of fire and intensity that he draws from his red hair.  As of late he has been playing with a padded headband to prevent himself from looking even remotely cool.  This guy will murder you at the 3 point line if you leave him alone.  Scalabrine’s greatest strength is deception.  Players are constantly underestimating him because of his appearance.

3.) Chris Andersen a/k/a “Birdman”
Center for the Denver Nuggets.  Country of Origin, United States (Texas). Skin color, tattoos (white).  Andersen is a total bad ass.  He’s got the tattoos and Mohawk to back it up.

4.) Sasha Vujacic
Shooting Guard for the LA Lakers.  Country of Origin, Slovenia.  Skin color, white.  Sasha incorporates playing dirty to his list of intangible skills.  This was made evident in Game 1 of Round 2 vs. The Rockets when he elbowed Shane Battier in the face, causing Shane to leave the court for stitches.  Vujacic made the list, but not for good reasons.

5.) J.J. Redick
Shooting Guard for the Orlando Magic.  Country of Origin, United States. Skin color, white.  Redick seems to have finally found his place in the league doing what white guys do best, shooting the ball when they are wide open.  J.J. has really stepped it up during the playoffs, which is clearly an intangible skill.

6.) Zaza Pachulia
Center for the Atlanta Hawks.  Country of Origin, Tbilisi. Skin color, white.  There isn’t much to say about Zaza.  The Hawks wouldn’t be in the second round without him.

7.) Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Center for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Country of Origin, Lithuania.  Skin color, white.  Z is the second tallest player in the league behind the Great Wall.  As much as the Cavs need LeBron, Z is almost just important to their success.

8.) Jose Juan Barea
Point Guard for the Dallas Mavericks.  Country of Origin, Puerto Rico.  Skin color, white.  The undrafted Barea found his way to the biggest choking team in the West.  Good luck against the Nuggets.

-Reginald Blackstone

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Gotta get up to get down--Speedy Claxton taking it to the rim.

by Eli Altman

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the player with the best name in the league. Jesus Shuttlesworth is fictional, so he’s out. It’s not Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Zaza Pachulia or Hedo Turkoglu—it’s the Atlanta Hawk’s own Speedy Claxton. How cool of a name is that? It sounds like he plays basketball for an inter-galactic league in the future. It’s too bad he wasn’t around when Space Jam was being made.

Craig “Speedy” Claxton was born in New York. He played high school ball on the same team as Lamar Odom and committed to Hofstra University. He was drafted 20th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2000 draft. Eventually he made his way to the Atlanta Hawks where he has been on and off the court with injuries.

We’re not sure when he dropped ‘Craig’, but that seems like a no-brainer.  We wish Speedy the best in the Hawks current series against Lebron James and the Cavaliers—he’ll need as much help as he can get.

The Heat have to fight fire with fire against the Hawks.  They must get tough, and they have to do it now.  If they don’t, Miami’s season will soon be over.  No one has ever questioned Dwyane Wade’s toughness.  You can say what you want about Wade spending a lot of time on the floor with a seemingly endless list of injuries.  Yet, Wade always gets back up.  Not only does he get back up, but he never shies away from contact.  The Heat need that attitude from everyone, in particular young players Michael Beasley, Daquan Cook and Mario Chalmers. 

The difference in this series through 5 games has been the Hawks ability to get that extra loose ball or rebound.  That extra effort has come from a group of players that few Heat fans knew about before this playoff series.  Maurice Evans?  Solom0n Jones?  Mario West?  Or how about the new face of the enemy for Heat fans?  Zaza Pachulia!

Up until two weeks ago, I would have guessed Pachulia was a famous shoe designer.  Instead, he could be the single most annoying player Miami has ever faced in the postseason.   The 6′11 Pachulia has out-hustled all the Heat big men for key rebounds on both the defensive and offensive side.  As one Miami fan told me yesterday after Pachulia grabbed another rebound and put-back, “I would love to just punch Pachulia in the face.”   While I of course would never condone violence against a player, Pachulia has the style of play of that would annoy any opposing fan.  He also happens to be the kind of player that everyone would want as a teammate.  The guy may look goofy when he celebrates after a big play, but at least he’s making those big plays.

Someone please stop Zaza!

The Heat will need a little bit of Pachilia out of Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem and Beasley down low in Game 6.  If not, Pachulia and the gang will head on to Cleveland, while the Heat will have the long offseason to wonder how they got out-hustled in a series they could have won.  Even worse, by a guy named Zaza.

In 2008, the Atlanta Hawks finally made it back to the NBA playoffs.  It was a dream that was hard to believe in to the 37 actual Atlanta Hawks fans left.  But who stood between the Hawks and the NBA championship?  The feared Boston Celtics.  In a seven game series that Atlanta eventually lost, there was a moment that stands out above all others.  After Atlanta won a close game 6, Hawks player Zaza Pachulia got the microphone.  The rest, is interview history.

Glen Davis’ numbers for the first half:  10 points, 10 rebounds, and a block, steal and assist in about 22 minutes of play.  He’s more than picking up KG’s slack… which is good.  KG might be out longer than just tonight

Rajon Rondo is clearly still bothered by his ankle injury.  Marbury is stepping up a little… banging a three big 3’s late in the second quarter… including a big one to end the half.

Quote of the night comes from my wife, when Zaza Pachulia showed up on the screen.  After an extended “wow that guy is ugly” rant… she drops this gem:

“What is that guy’s name?  Mongoloid Stevens?”  So from now on, Zaza is Mongoloid Stevens as far as I’m concerned.

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Hawks 84 Rockets 92: Sometimes you have to wonder if this Hawks team is perhaps too cocky for its own good.  What else can explain the team’s lethargic starts on a semi-regular basis?  Could they be drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid?

To steal Sekou Smith’s description of the opening quarter, the Hawks started off the game like “zombies” as the Rockets ran circles around them and built up a 13-0 lead.  The Hawks were slowly able to chip away at the lead, eventually leading by the third quarter and posting a solid 8 point lead with six minutes to play in the fourth, only to see everything fall apart.

While its easy to be critical of Josh Smith mainly because his game is so “maddening,” the fifth year power forward has still yet to learn how to play the game “under control.”  Smith shot a horrendous 5 of 19 and committed a key turnover down the stretch overthrowing Joe Johnson on a lead pass as the Rockets came roaring back.  Woodson eventually benched Smith, opting to go with Pachulia who was no better.  (Pachulia, by the way, may be even more maddening than Smith given his up and down output from game to game.)

Look, Smith is a fine player.  He’s arguably the most athletic player in the game right now and his contributions to this team are immeasurable.   But Woody needs to sit him down and explain to him that the NBA game does not need to be played at 95 mph.  Slow it down young fella.  Let the game come to you.  Don’t let defenders tempt you into 18 foot jump shots  and three’s when you can soar by them and dunk it in their face or get fouled.  The sooner Smith realizes his unique talents – his full plethora of unique talents that is – he will be an even greater force to be reckoned with.

BROADCAST WOES: For those who had to digest the Rockets broadcast team, I apologize on their behalf.  The team of Bill Worrell and Clyde Drexler may have been the worst I have heard all season (and that’s having heard the Celtics home team with Tommy Heinsohn).  Worrell went on record as saying Maurice Evans was an “awful” outside shooter.  Drexler, to his credit, tried to correct Worrell by pointing out Evans’ shooting percentage of 44% from behind the arc.  Even with those stats presented to him, Worrell still disagreed, pointing out that Evans was a terrible outside shooter at the University of Texas.

Bill, I hate to see people lose jobs, especially during these rough economic times, but you sir should just give yours up.  Either do your homework, and know the strengths of opposing team’s players or admit your mistakes.  It’s one or the other.  Evans shot nearly 40% from three point land last season and is up past 44% this season.  That – in no way – qualifies as a “horrible” outside shooter.   If anything, those are solid numbers.  Moreover, judging a player’s game based on what he did in college seven years before entering the league is non-sensical.  Chris Bosh didn’t have an amazing post up game at Georgia Tech nor did he have a great 15 footer.  Now look at him.  Worrell, do us all a favor and quit while you’re ahead.   Your broadcasting skills are beyond horrendous.